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Labyrinth Picnic 30th Floor
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The 30th floor. Inside Azalea Castle.
We passed through the castle gate and, for the time being, stepped inside the entrance of the castle. The interior was silent. The cold air was biting, and it was freezing. This was truly the essence of a dungeon. The interior structure of the castle was neither dilapidated nor in disarray; it was beautifully maintained.
“Alba-san, we really can’t turn back from here.” (Lost)
“There’s no need to turn back.” (Alba-san)
A sinister aura emanated from the castle. The corridor ahead was swallowed in darkness as if ready to devour us. Without hesitation, Alba-san pressed forward into the shadows. Her back seemed to say, “Follow me”.
No other adventurers were around here anymore. Unless a party from the main attack force arrived, it wasn’t the kind of castle anyone would risk venturing into. If something dangerous happened, there wouldn’t be any veteran adventurers to save us. In fact, it was a miracle that this makeshift group of five managed to make it this far.
According to Taurus, few adventurers had ever challenged Azalea Castle, so information was scarce. It seemed we would have to proceed blindly, groping our way through the unknown.
“Beyond here…!” (Yustin)
Even the prickly Yustin followed behind Alba-san.
Beyond here? Does he have some goal in mind?
“I am the great wizard of justice… I’ll prove it to Tou-sama!” (Yustin)
Tou-sama… Seems like he has some kind of story.
Yustin also advanced deeper. I, along with Shia, followed the two of them. Taurus reluctantly trailed behind.
This is where the real test begins.
—
Dust-covered candelabras lined the walls. The ceiling was hung with countless cobwebbed chandeliers, and occasionally, full suits of armor with full-face helmets were displayed.
It’s cliché, but they looked like they could start moving any second.
The corridor was illuminated by the faint light leaking from the chandeliers. Even though no one likely lived here anymore, the chandeliers continued to emit their eerie glow.
Perhaps this is just how dungeons are.
The hallway stretched on endlessly, with no changes where candelabras, chandeliers, suits of armor were repeating over and over. There were numerous branching paths, but I chose a direction based on my instincts. Whether that choice was correct or not remained uncertain as the corridor continued, devoid of any monsters.
After some progress, we found a large room. The doorless room stood open. It was a dead end. There were no further corridors. There was nothing of note inside, making it seemingly pointless to enter. Yet, Alba-san strode into the room confidently, and Yustin followed right behind her. A terrible sense of foreboding gripped me.
“Something bad is going to happen.” (Lost)
“Hmph, there’s nothing here, is there?” (Alba-san)
“I heard these kinds of large rooms are where a ton of monsters usually spawn.” (Taurus)
Taurus glanced around the large room, muttering as his voice echoed in the cold stone castle. Immediately afterward, with a loud clatter, an iron grate slammed down between the corridor and the large room, sealing it off. It seemed designed to trap us in the room.
So, it was a trap after all…
“――Ugh!” (Alba-san)
Then, came Alba-san’s scream. Looking over, I saw her kneeling in pain, her face twisted in agony. A stake protruded from the top of her foot. It was a trap.
“Alba-san?!” (Lost)
“My foot… It’s impaled… It won’t come out.” (Alba-san)
A stake that had sprung up from the floor was pinning Alba-san’s foot, leaving her immobile.
――Shuu…
From tiny, barely noticeable holes in the walls, small arrow-like bolts shot out.
“Kyah!” (Shia)
Shia’s scream echoed. A small bolt was embedded in her right shoulder. This marked the beginning of the nightmare. Bolts flew in droves from every gap in the walls, right to left, left to right. This room was clearly a trap, a death chamber that activated upon entry.
“Shia, are you alright?!” (Lost)
Dodging the bolts, I rushed to Shia, who had collapsed from her injury. She was bleeding from her right shoulder.
“It’s a crossbow.” (Shia)
Shia forcibly pulled the bolt out of her shoulder and flung it to the floor. The assault continued, with bolts flying in from all directions. I swung my broadsword, deflecting the incoming attacks aimed at Shia. The high-pitched sounds of the bolts whizzing past us resembled the crazed notes of a flute. I could barely keep up with my eyes. But even here, I could only protect Shia.
What about the others…?
Looking around, I saw Alba-san using her large shield to cover herself, managing to hold off the bolts, but she was stuck in place. Taurus had managed to retreat to a corner where the bolts couldn’t reach, but he was too terrified to do anything about the situation.
Yustin…
That unarmed, defenseless boy couldn’t possibly withstand this hail of bolts. Even if he tried to cast a spell, there was no room for incantation amidst the barrage.
He had mentioned ‘Tou-sama’ before entering the castle… He still has a family. If he dies here, it’ll be our fault for bringing him along. I have to protect him――.
Yet, the magician in the shadows stood calmly in place. No, it was more accurate to say he stood there regally. Despite the numerous bolts flying at him, he remained unperturbed in the center of the room.
Why? Why wasn’t he taking any damage?
The bolts didn’t pierce Yustin but seemed to ‘pass through’ him. No, they weren’t passing through. They were disappearing momentarily in front of him, then reappearing behind him before continuing their trajectory.
One stray bolt skimmed through Yustin’s hood, causing the fabric he’d pulled low over his face to flutter up. Yustin’s face was exposed. Silver hair and deep blue eyes. A gaze brimming with justice. A pale, delicate-looking, beautiful boy stood there.
“――Eröffnung (Open up).” (Yustin)
As soon as Yustin muttered a single phrase, the bolts that had disappeared before him reappeared, now flying in reverse, following their original paths back into the holes from which they’d been fired. The gaps stopped producing bolts after that. In this manner, Yustin calmly deflected the endless assault, neutralizing the room entirely. Yustin didn’t break a sweat as he stood there, effortlessly silencing the chaos.
“…” (Lost)
We were all stunned by the sight, unable to believe what we’d just witnessed.
“Yustin… What did you just do?!” (Lost)
The attack ceased, and Taurus, who was freed, rushed over to Yustin.
“I am the great wizard of justice.” (Yustin)
“I don’t understand what you mean, but I get that you’re a great wizard!” (Taurus)
Taurus raised his voice in admiration. Magic that couldn’t be classified as fire, ice, lightning, or even dark or holy attributes.
Is that… teleportation magic?
“I connect the horizontal plane of the magic circle I drew beforehand with the anti-horizontal plane magic circle I draw on the spot…” (Dwayne)
A man in a brown vest, looking like a scholar, proudly explained this inside an ancient ruin.
A headache started. It always happens when I try to recall something. But I immediately understood that Yustin’s magic was related to spatial teleportation.
The bolts flying at him once passed in front of Yustin, then underwent spatial transfer, emerging from another place.
The name of that magic was surely teleportation magic—.
“Transit Circle?” (Lost)
I muttered softly.
Yustin reacted with a slight jerk and turned to look at me.
“Lost, do you have knowledge of magic?” (Yustin)
He glared at me with sharp navy-blue eyes. His voice was calm and flat for a boy’s innocent face.
“But unfortunately, what you just saw wasn’t Transit Circle.” (Yustin)
Oh, I got it wrong. Well, I didn’t know any magic like Transit Circle, and I don’t even have mana, much less any knowledge of magic. I was just dredging things up from my memory.
“Then, what was it—” (Lost)
I was about to ask when suddenly the iron grate blocking the exit to the large room clattered and began to rise again. It seemed we were finally being freed. But as that happened, a group of full-armored enemies, cloaked in pitch-black magical power, began to enter from the exit. Their armor was the same as the ones displayed along the corridor earlier. The black magical power looked familiar. It seemed similar to the aura the Behemoth in the forest had.
Those black-armored figures were gripping crossbows. There were easily around 20 of them. The sound of their marching filled the room as they advanced.
“Could it be that those earlier attacks were from them?” (Lost)
“It seems so.” (Yustin)
Alba-san, now fully recovered, braced herself with her weapon, her foot healed by Shia’s healing magic. But with their numbers, I didn’t feel like the five of us could handle them.
“Yustin, you can handle them with your magic, right?” (Taurus)
“…” (Yustin)
Taurus slapped Yustin on the shoulder. Yustin glanced at him for a moment, his face turning pale. His already pale face looked even paler.
“…Schocker (Scorch)” (Yustin)
A one-phrase spell.
It was an electric shock for suppression. It hit the armor with a crackling sound, then burst apart into mist. Yustin turned back to us as if it were no big deal. It felt like he was just testing it out. See, didn’t I tell you? His face seemed to say that.
“…The armor of the Black Corps is enchanted for both physical and magical resistance. Neither magic nor physical attacks will work.” (Yustin)
Yustin sighed and continued.
What kind of ultimate armor is that? Alba-san, that’s the one they call the ultimate.
Yustin, like with the Sarracenia incident, seems to be very familiar with the enemies in the labyrinth.
“It’s over.” (Yustin)
“What?” (Lost)
“I can only use magic, so I have no other option.” (Yustin)
“Eh…?” (Lost)
Yustin let out a bitter laugh, his movements unexpectedly mature despite his boyish appearance.
Yustin can guard, but he can’t attack.
“How are the other adventurers handling them?” (Lost)
“They can’t defeat them.” (Yustin)
“That can’t be true! We just got here, right?!” (Lost)
“The Black Corps aren’t supposed to be enemies that appear on this floor—” (Yustin)
Just as Yustin began to explain, a dry sound echoed throughout the great hall. The armored figures all aimed their crossbows at us. Their movements were as refined as a military unit. The 20 enemies shot a barrage of bolts at us, intending to turn us into pincushions.
“…!” (Lost)
The bolts rained down. Seeing this, we all gathered around Yustin to shield ourselves from the bolts. Yustin kept letting the bolts pass through him with his teleportation magic from earlier.
Occasionally, he’d change the trajectory of the bolts and send them back, but it seemed ineffective against the Black Corps’ armor.
“If we keep this up, can we do something?” (Lost)
“Before that, my magic will run out…” (Yustin)
Yustin, too, was in this situation. He could defend at the highest level but had no way to attack.
“Lost-san, Lost-san.” (Shia)
Shia whispered in my ear again. The breath that brushed my ear made my heart race.
This little devil disguised as an angel. Is she doing this on purpose?
“That black magical power… The armor with physical and magical resistance is the same as the Behemoth’s fur.” (Shia)
The Behemoth had indeed been cloaked in that same pitch-black magical power. I had torn it apart before.
So, we can defeat them, right?
I looked at Shia. Our eyes met. Her expression was mischievous, grinning as if she were enjoying herself.
“Do your best.” (Shia)
She only gave me encouragement, without saying much.
The roles are the roles. With Shia’s signal, I guess I’ll have to do it. I can track the trajectory of the bolts with my eyes. I can dodge them, and I can probably grab them too.
“Yustin, I’m counting on you for everyone’s defense.” (Lost)
“Eh…? Lost?!” (Taurus)
Taurus seemed surprised as I rushed ahead. I extended the light from my right arm and quickly closed the distance to the Black Corps.
Why do I have this kind of strength?
As I pummeled the Black Corps with punches and kicks, I thought about that. With this kind of power, I shouldn’t be surprised if I were already a famous figure. Before I lost my memory, I might have already infiltrated the depths of the great labyrinth on my own, or something like that. The difference in power was that vast.
My fist pierced through the armor, and the particles of light that were expelled from the Black Corps’ armor caused shockwaves, exploding apart. The shattered armor turned into mere remnants as it scattered across the floor, as if that was how it was always meant to be.
If it has an explosion feature, I wonder if I could fire these light particles like energy bullets? It’s inefficient to have to approach and engage in close combat each time. This wrist mechanism could probably be improved, if it had room for enhancement.
—
After finishing off all 20 of them, I surveyed the room’s aftermath. Taurus, Alba-san, and Yustin were staring at me, stunned. To put it simply, they were shocked.
This feeling… it’s nostalgic. The first time I met adventurers in the Lucur Great Forest, they had the same reaction. Shia’s words were quite valid. A ridiculous ability would collapse the power balance, and they would no longer communicate on equal terms. Even if I try to show off how strong I am, all that remains is a bad aftertaste.
But those three seemed a bit different after all.
“That’s amazing! Lost was this strong? Even I, a man, would fall for him!” (Taurus)
“Th-this is the strongest…!” (Alba)
“Lost, well done. I am justice, and you are the ally of justice.” (Yustin)
Taurus, who had no pride. Alba-san, who was obsessed with being the strongest. Yustin, who was justice. For these three, whether I was strong or weak seemed to be irrelevant compared to their own obsessions. Somehow, it made my heart feel a bit warm.
However, after that, more Black Corps continued to appear from the entrance of the room. I felt somewhat relieved. No matter what I did, the four behind me would accept me. It felt good to be able to show my true self.
“Lost, go for it!” (Taurus)
Taurus’s cheers echoed from behind. I got carried away. I wiped out many of the Black Corps that continued to appear one after another. Just as I was happily taking them down, I got carried away and accidentally punched the wall. With a loud bang, the wall collapsed.
“Ah…” (Lost)
Exposed from the collapsed wall was a large magic circle. As soon as the large magic circle, drawn on the side of the wall, appeared, it started to glow ominously, and I felt something activate.
“This is bad. Is this the teleportation room?” (Yustin)
Before I could even process Yustin’s mumblings, the activated magic circle sucked us five and several Black Corps into the wall. The world went dark.
When I became aware, I was lying in a corridor, dimly illuminated by red light. I realized that it was the light from candles that adorned the area. When we first entered the castle, we could see the surroundings illuminated by the chandelier’s light, but this space was a bit dim. There was not much cold either. The warmth came from the candlelight. Alba-san seemed like she wouldn’t be cold here.
By the way, where are the other four?
I looked around. There were the remains of Black Corps, with their limbs and bodies scattered. Among them were Shia, Taurus, Alba-san, and Yustin. They were all in one piece. They didn’t seem to have noticeable injuries and were lying in the corridor.
I felt relieved. If the people I trusted had died in the next moment, my heart would have collapsed as well.
I woke the four up and confirmed they were safe. They all seemed confused but quickly gathered their wits. They were brushing off the dust on their bodies or inspecting their gear. Yustin had just mentioned the ‘teleportation room’, but…
“Yustin, what’s this teleportation room?” (Lost)
“…” (Yustin)
Huh, silent again. But hasn’t he been way too knowledgeable about this dungeon? Not only the information about the monsters, but it almost felt like he had entered this castle before.
“Anyway, let’s take a break. Normally, it would already be time to sleep.” (Taurus)
It felt like more than 12 hours had passed since we entered the dungeon. Taurus took out a thin rug from his backpack and laid it on the corridor, then sat down cross-legged. He placed his hands behind him and tilted his head up, letting out a sound to show his exhaustion.
Alba-san, unusually, sat silently on the rug. Yustin, Shia, and I followed and sat down as well. We sat with our backs against each other.
A moment of silence passed. As for me, I had just gotten my energy up, having been able to use the power I wanted. However, thinking about the strange magic circle I accidentally activated, I began to feel awkward.
“………I’m sorry, everyone.” (Lost)
While I was reflecting with this feeling, it was Alba-san who broke the silence.
“I am powerless. I couldn’t do anything earlier. I’m still far from being the strongest…” (Alba-san)
Her tone was different from her usual assertive one. In a small voice, exhausted and apologetic, she threw words into the air. Upon hearing her words, I couldn’t find a proper reply.
Could I say something to comfort her? Should I say Alba-san was strong? Would that sound sarcastic? It wasn’t a burden, it was fun… hmm, but no one is in a cheerful mood.
“That’s not true.” (Shia)
Shia opened her mouth.
“We reached around the 20th floor in about six hours. Until then, Alba-san fought almost alone, so if we recorded the time, she would have had one of the fastest times at the strongest level.” (Shia)
That’s true. Indeed, she was incredibly fast in entering the dungeon.
“………” (Alba)
“The weakest part is the equipment. Even with such barely adequate gear, you managed to get this deep into the dungeon, so Alba-san is the strongest.” (Shia)
Shia was the first to care about Alba-san feeling cold. Her equipment was fragile, yet she didn’t hesitate to defeat poison-type monsters. Indeed, if she had better equipment, she would have been even stronger. Her reasoning and observations were solid. As Sylphid-sama said, her parents were archaeologists. Being the daughter of scholars, she speaks in a logical manner.
“………” (Alba)
But Alba-san stayed silent.
“Alba-san, something’s dripping from your boobs.” (Taurus)
“Shut up, be quiet.” (Alba)
Her voice, which spoke in complaint, was hushed. It seemed she was crying.
When I tried to apologize, she ended up proving her own strength. It was Shia Randall who revealed that proof. It was enough now.
“Let’s go home… I’ll train more.” (Alba)
Alba-san murmured quietly.
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