Because I was too enthusiastic from the first day, Snow and I, having no guild work, found ourselves at the entrance of the labyrinth.
Snow had mentioned wanting to spend the day watching the sky, so I forcibly dragged her along. It also helps that Palinkron told us to act in pairs as much as possible.
“Alright. It’s time to conquer the labyrinth.”
“…Ugh, what a pain.”
“Snow, this seems to be part of our guild work too. Palinkron told us to extend the ‘Seidō’ or defeat the Guardian.”
“…There’s no deadline, so let’s just take it easy, right?”
“I’m not saying we should take it easy, but I don’t intend to go all out either. Basically, I’ll hunt easy monsters while looking for treasure in the labyrinth.”
“…Monsters that are easy for Kanami might be troublesome monsters for me.”
“No, really, you can take it easy, Snow. I plan to do almost everything myself. You can just watch from behind.”
I managed to convince Snow, who was trying to slack off, with my words.
Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations for her, given her lazy nature. However, she has a minimum sense of responsibility, so I figured she would step in if I was in danger. In a way, she’s insurance for emergencies.
“…Mm, just watching? That’s fine. If that’s the case, then it’s fine.”
“Yeah, good. Well then, let’s go.”
【Snow Walker has joined the party】
The party leader is Aikawa Uzunami.
Snow and I entered the labyrinth together.
As we passed through the entrance, a damp, dark corridor spread out before us.
Seeing the musty smell and the path that repeatedly emitted a unique glow, I felt a strange sense of nostalgia.
I had returned to the labyrinth again.
That fact stirred something in my heart.
For some reason, the labyrinth had become something I deeply missed, simply by experiencing that ‘fire.’
“…Kanami, is something wrong?”
Snow asked, probably wondering why I had stopped walking.
“No, it’s nothing. Let’s go.”
“…Okay.”
I shook off the bothersome emotions and moved forward.
Since the ‘Seidō’ extends up to the 23rd floor, it should be an easy path.
Before, I think… yes, I remember going up to the 24th floor. Exploring the 24th floor became difficult, so I leveled up on the 19th floor, which is my last memory.
However, that last memory was fading like an old black-and-white photograph.
Key points were darkened, making it difficult to recall the memories clearly.
Perhaps due to the shock of the ‘fire,’ my memories around that time were extremely vague.
But I couldn’t afford to complain.
Assuming it was stress from being transported to another world, I pulled myself together and decided on our policy for today’s dungeon exploration.
By the way, Snow’s level is 16.
It’s two levels higher than mine, and her stats are not much different from mine.
However, in terms of durability, she is likely several stages above me.
The magic she has learned is also extensive, and her potential is unfathomable.
【Status】
Name: Snow Walker HP 530/533 MP 229/240 Class: Scout
Level 16
Strength 10.22 Stamina 10.02 Dexterity 5.24 Speed 5.43 Intelligence 7.92 Magic Power 10.86 Aptitude 2.62
Innate Skills: Dragon’s Blessing 1.09 Optimal Action 1.89 Ancient Magic 2.04
Mind’s Eye 1.07 Blood Magic 1.00
Acquired Skills:
Our goal is to resume leveling around the 19th floor and establish a ‘Connection’ on the 20th floor.
Because of the fire, all my ‘Connections’ were disconnected.
Thanks to that, I’m starting from the 1st floor.
It’s troublesome, but unavoidable. I intend to head to the 20th floor quickly.
However, if I find a ‘Boss Monster’ using ‘Dimension’, it’s a different story.
There’s no way I can miss it, both to become stronger and for the special magic stones it drops.
Apparently, it’s beneficial for the guild members if I contribute rare items to the guild.
While subtly searching for bosses, the two of us advanced deeper into the labyrinth.
“…Hmm?”
Along the way, my ‘Dimension,’ which I had expanded within the range of MP regeneration, fortunately detected a ‘Boss Monster.’
It’s not too far, so I think I’ll go for its head.
As we approached the ‘Boss Monster’s’ area, the corridor gradually changed.
A strange odor began to fill the corridor, and my eyes and nose started to sting.
Thinking that this environment was bad for my body, I quickened my pace.
However, Snow, who was behind me, seemed fine. Snow is of the Dragon Person race, and I heard they are many times tougher than humans. It seems they are a race resistant to such harsh environments.
As I advanced deeper into the area, I found a deformed giant with murky green skin.
I immediately used ‘Gaze’ to obtain information.
【Monster】Goblin Lord: Rank 3
There were a lot of monsters around that seemed to be its subordinates, but I didn’t care and approached the Goblin Lord directly.
The smaller goblin subordinates attacked me.
However, all of them had their heads severed before they could touch me.
At the level of a 1st-floor monster, they probably couldn’t even comprehend me swinging my sword.
While intercepting the subordinates, I engaged the Goblin Lord.
The battle was over in an instant. The moment the Goblin Lord swung its club at me, its head and body were separated.
Picking up the magic stone dropped by the Goblin Lord as it dissolved into light, Snow and I left the area, our business concluded. Along the way, Snow was also attacked by a goblin, but seeing her handle it with ease with her bare hands put me at ease.
As I suspected, if I could just drag her along, she would take care of herself.
She might be lazy, but she doesn’t want to die.
I returned to a safe area and analyzed the results of the previous battle.
I was puzzled that I hadn’t obtained a ‘Title.’
Defeating a boss usually results in a ‘Title’ acquisition ‘Display.’
However, I didn’t get one this time. I tried to recall if I had defeated a Goblin Lord before—a sharp pain shot through my head.
I think on the day I decided to target a boss for the first time, I hunted a total of three bosses.
There might have been a giant goblin among them… I think.
I think.
It felt like my head was clouded.
Lately, my memory has been vague.
I believe it’s due to the tension of being in another world, but it still makes me anxious.
I might need to consult with Palinkron or someone else when I get back.
Realizing that I had already defeated this ‘Boss Monster,’ I sighed and headed for the 2nd floor. Along the way, I used ‘Gaze’ on the magic stone dropped by the Goblin Lord.
【Foolish Green Stone】
A magic stone imbued with the power of a foolish, tyrannical king.
Unlike normal magic stones, it doesn’t have a rank.
Although the explanation is simple, I could infer that it’s a unique drop that can only be obtained from that monster.
Although I’m disappointed about the ‘Title,’ I feel better knowing I have a souvenir for the guild.
The blacksmiths and artisans at the guild are always eager for these kinds of magic stones.
I’m sure they’ll be pleased.
While thinking that hunting duplicate ‘Boss Monsters’ for the guild wasn’t so bad, I walked to the 2nd floor.
And before reaching the 3rd floor, I found another boss.
It seems that with my current level, my ‘Dimension’ can find bosses I can defeat casually and endlessly.
After asking Snow, I went to hunt another boss.
However, I can’t just carelessly hunt any boss I find.
I need to consider the location of other explorers as well.
Once a boss is defeated, it takes time to respawn.
If I, at a high level, were to hunt them all, it would cause trouble for other explorers and lead to a bad reputation for the guild.
I must be careful to only hunt bosses that other explorers are not targeting.
Of course, I didn’t struggle.
With my abilities, I should have no problem defeating bosses up to the 20th floor.
I easily defeated a giant fish boss, like harvesting wheat.
【Title ‘Beginning of the Water Flow’ acquired】
Grants a +0.05 bonus to Stamina.
This time it wasn’t a duplicate.
I confirmed the ‘Title’ acquisition with the ‘Display.’
I can’t see my own stats, but the text “Grants a +0.05 bonus to Stamina” made me smile.
Casually, I checked Snow’s stats.
She didn’t get any bonuses. However, as we were a party, she had received her share of experience points.
Perhaps ‘Titles’ are a benefit only for me, an individual from another world.
Feeling slightly disappointed, I headed deeper into the labyrinth, continuing my journey.
My progress was slow because I was defeating bosses along the way.
However, I expect to have fewer opportunities to pass through the shallower floors from now on, so I want to defeat as many bosses as possible.
As I repeated this process on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors, I found a party of explorers with my ‘Dimension.’
It was a mixed-gender party of three explorers.
However, all three of them were walking slowly, and their expressions were not good.
For a moment, I switched my ‘Dimension’ to ‘Dimension – Multiple Expansion’ and gathered detailed information about them, using ‘Gaze.’
All three were level 5.
Furthermore, they were a well-balanced party suitable for the 5th floor.
However, their condition was bad. All of them were poisoned, and their HP was in the critical zone. There were no other explorers nearby, and if things continued like this, it could lead to a worst-case scenario.
I hurried towards the party of three and ran towards them.
Snow behind me looked puzzled, but followed without a word.
—I wouldn’t leave them to die.
If I lacked the capacity or the mental composure, I wouldn’t go to their aid. However, I am currently ‘luckily, one of the highest-ranking individuals in this world,’ and ‘my sister, who is more precious than my life, is receiving treatment in a safe place.’
I have ample capacity. Therefore, it’s natural to help people within my sight.
Besides, helping people might also improve the guild’s reputation.
I reached the party at the speed of a top-class human in this world.
Upon arrival, I introduced myself.
“—I am Kanami, from the guild ‘Epic Seeker.’ I bear no ill will. I approached because I saw from afar that you were in a rather bad state.”
The three men and women showed caution towards me, who had suddenly appeared.
However, I felt their expressions soften slightly when I mentioned my guild name.
The man, who appeared to be the leader, stepped forward and spoke.
“Hah, hah—… We don’t belong to any guild. I am Kark, the party leader. As you can see, we’re not in good condition. We’ve all been poisoned. To be honest, we need help. Of course, if we can return to the surface, we will be sure to repay you.”
“I see, I understand the situation. But don’t worry. I have plenty of recovery items—”
As I replied, I pretended to pull from the bag hanging from my waist, and took out many items from my ‘Inventory.’
“O-Oh…! Thank you…!”
“I have all sorts of antidotes. I also have basic healing potions and food. Please calm down and tell me about how you got poisoned. I’ll administer the appropriate antidote.”
“Understood…”
If Palinkron, who could use Divine Magic, were here, healing would be easy. However, neither Snow nor I could use anything but offensive or support magic.
I used the items I had saved in my ‘Inventory’ for such occasions to treat the three of them.
It seemed they understood my cooperative attitude, and the party leader was also cooperative.
Within a few minutes, all three recovered from their critical condition.
“Thank you… Thank you, Sir Kanami of ‘Epic Seeker’…”
“No, it’s a matter of give and take when people are in trouble.”
I responded with common words.
However, perhaps touched by their lives being saved, the three repeatedly expressed their gratitude.
“Thank you, Kanami-san…”
The woman, lowering her sword, thanked me with tears welling up in her eyes.
I understand how she feels.
Dying from poison is terrifying and mentally draining.
I smiled and wished them well.
“Yes, I’m truly glad…”
“So, Sir Kanami, about our repayment…”
“We don’t have anything on us right now, so once we get to the surface—”
“That’s alright. I didn’t do much.”
I quickly declined when they started talking about repayment.
Honestly, even if I received money added to the cost of the items, it wouldn’t be much.
“No, but… as fellow adventurers, we can’t just not repay you…”
“I will accept your repayment. I am a member of the guild. If you feel indebted to the guild ‘Epic Seeker,’ and if the opportunity arises, I would appreciate it if you would speak favorably of ‘Epic Seeker’ to others. That would be more than enough repayment.”
So, I decided to try some advertising.
As a new guild master, these kinds of steady efforts are necessary… probably.
“R-Right… I am truly sorry. To you, Kanami-dono, and to the guild ‘Epic Seeker,’ I offer my utmost gratitude…”
“Yes, that’s all I need. Our interests align, so please do. I look forward to it.”
With that, I parted ways with the party of three.
They waved until they were out of sight, but I wish they hadn’t done that in the labyrinth. If they got careless and were ambushed by monsters due to being distracted, it would cause trouble for me too.
And as they disappeared from view, Snow emerged from behind some cover and let out a sigh.
“…Phew.”
“Snow, why were you hiding?”
“…It looked like too much trouble.”
“Ah, I see…”
I already knew the answer, but I confirmed it anyway.
Knowing that my prediction was correct, I moved my feet to proceed deeper into the labyrinth.
Behind me, a questioning voice arose.
“…Why didn’t you accept the repayment? You should take what you can get.”
“It’s not much of a repayment. It’s better to direct it to benefit the guild.”
“But benefiting the guild doesn’t mean benefiting you.”
“I didn’t do it just for myself. It’s for everyone in the guild. And in the long run, it will benefit me too.”
“…Haa, naive. You really are naive.”
“It’s not naivety. You should say I’m good at investing. Charitable activities like that are not to be underestimated.”
“…I doubt if those people truly felt indebted. Even if they did, they might forget by tomorrow. In purely numerical terms, Kanami lost some items but got nothing in return. You gained nothing.”
“I’m not materialistic. With that, I’ve created an opportunity to gain something valuable that has no form. That’s enough for me.”
“‘In the long run,’ ‘formless things,’ ‘possibilities.’ It all sounds so vague.”
She’s being unusually persistent. I thought, this isn’t like Snow.
As I considered explaining further, Snow cut off the conversation.
“…But if Kanami is okay with it, then it’s fine.”
She might have realized I was about to launch into a long explanation and cut me off.
However, from this series of conversations, I felt I understood Snow a little better.
“Yes, I’m fine with this. —I’ve lost time. Let’s move on.”
And so, we resumed our progress through the labyrinth.
Along the way, we continued to defeat bosses as before, acquiring magic stones. As we ventured deeper, the number of explorers decreased, and unlike the encounter with the party of three earlier, we safely reached the 10th floor without any further incidents. We fought three bosses along the way, but I defeated them without consuming any HP or MP.
【Title ‘Thousand Year Shell’ acquired】
Grants a +0.05 bonus to Stamina.
【Title ‘Wingbeat Advance’ acquired】
Grants a +0.05 bonus to Speed.
【Title ‘Sleeper of Sick Water’ acquired】
Grants a +0.05 bonus to Magic Power.
Upon entering the 10th floor, we were surprised by its desolate appearance.
“Huh? There’s nothing here…”
“…A little while ago, this was a sea of flames. It seems the guardian of the 10th floor really is dead.”
“Is that so? If that’s true, that’s amazing. Defeating a guardian is the act of a ‘Hero.’ I wonder who could have done it…?”
Even with my limited knowledge, I knew the power of a being called a guardian.
They were bosses that even the strongest explorers of the past could not defeat, legendary figures that explorers often talked about.
“…It’s certainly amazing. But I suspect it was probably you, Kanami,” I thought.
“Huh? Me?”
“…Never mind. Just a stray thought.”
“No, if it was just a stray thought, you said it in a way that made me hear it.”
“…This is too troublesome. Let’s move on.”
“…Haa. Alright.”
I reluctantly nodded.
If Snow says it’s “troublesome” out loud, the conversation doesn’t go any further.
I learned that the hard way from working with her yesterday.
So, I didn’t pursue it further. The content likely concerned the memories from the first day. It’s not something I want to hear about repeatedly.
We walked through the empty 10th floor.
The fiery flames of the past were nowhere to be seen—and perhaps because of that contrast, the emptiness felt even more profound.
That majestic and proud flame would never return.
It was an emptiness that made you believe that.
It has nothing to do with me…
For some reason, I felt a deep sense of melancholy…
“—Magic: Connection.”
I created a magical door in the corner of the room.
Then, I covered it with a camouflage cloth from my ‘Inventory’ to make it inconspicuous.
“…Is this Dimensional Magic?”
“Yeah. With this, I can go directly to the guild’s office.”
“…But won’t other explorers be able to use it?”
“Hmm, indeed. Then, let’s do this. —Magic: Ice.”
I gently froze the door with Ice Magic.
‘Connection’ is fragile and breaks easily.
Normally, it couldn’t be frozen. However, since I, the caster, constructed the ‘Connection,’ I had a perfect understanding of its structure, so I could freeze it without breaking it.
The way I wove the magic was different from a normal ‘Ice,’ so it might be better to call it a new spell, ‘Ice: Lock.’
“…Did you freeze it?”
“If you try to force it open, the door will break. Only I, the caster, can melt this door and use it. —Shall I call it, Magic: Ice: Lock?”
“…That’s a strange name. But it’s better than doing nothing, right?”
“Either way, the door on the 10th floor isn’t very practical. Let’s hurry and set one up on the 20th floor. Ordinary explorers won’t be able to reach there, so I can set it up without worry.”
“…Isn’t it time for a break today?”
“No. We’re going, Snow.”
“…Mmph.”
I coaxed the reluctant Snow and we proceeded further into the labyrinth.
