Chapter 194: 16th Floor (1)

Chapter 194: 16^th
Floor (1)

In
an instant, my field of vision flipped, and a fierce wind struck my
face roughly.

“Eubububuk!”

A
strange sound came out involuntarily as the fierce wind suddenly
entered my mouth.

The
moment I opened my eyes with difficulty, clenching my teeth against
the wind, what I saw was a vast jungle with dense vegetation, and
white clouds.

-Whoooooosh!

Those
green masses that were as small as ants instantly drew closer and
grew larger and larger.

‘Sky?!’

It
wasn’t just empty sky.

Would
this be how it feels to paraglide without any equipment?

I
was in free fall without any protective gear from thousands of meters
in altitude.

Shit.
Are they telling me to just die? They must be telling me to die.

Falling
from this position with no protection, even a superhuman would burst
and die becoming a chunk of meat.

“Wake
up, disciple!”

Then
came a shout that awakened my consciousness.

The
warmth and grip strength felt in our clasped hands.

Idelbert
had spread her arms wide, enjoying the wind.

“Look
over there!”

She
pointed her finger behind my back. When I carefully turned my head,
what I heard was.

“Kieeeeek!”

The
monster’s ear-piercing cry.

What
filled my vision was a green dragon with its jaws wide open.

No,
a wyvern!

Three
monsters with huge green lizard bodies about 15m long with thin wings
attached bared their teeth at us.

“Two
adult wyverns! One hatchling!”

“I
can see them too! What do we do now?!”

“You
can see them! Well, you’ll have to figure out how to survive on your
own!”

The
two wyverns approaching in the lead, and the slightly smaller wyvern
drooling below them.

The
small wyvern rolled its eyes looking at me, then opened its jaws
wide, as if saying I was its prey.

But
that wyvern’s wish.

“Heup!”

The
moment Idelbert clenched her fist with a shout, it was torn apart
like paper.

Woong-

When
her fist imbued with black magic power like a shadow was swung
through the air.

-Pueoooong!

The
fist of the warrior that reached the edge of the labyrinth split the
sky.

The
airflow that bloomed with one punch became a gust of wind, and
eventually transformed into a massive calamity that penetrated
straight through the heads of the two adult wyverns that had charged
in with their mouths open without knowing any better.

The
two adult wyverns plummeted to the ground without even screaming, as
if they hadn’t even realized what had happened to them.

“…Kiek?”

Only
the hatchling wyvern that had been slightly below them looked down at
the adult wyverns plummeting to the ground with suspicious eyes.

“Did
you see that, disciple!”

The
moment I saw Idelbert who had swung her fist while holding my hand, I
felt completely reassured.

Since
it seemed I wouldn’t die after all.

“Yes!
I saw it, Master!”

“Then
now you try it too!”

“What?”

-Whoooosh!

“S-shit!”

“I
told you, didn’t I! Figure out how to survive on your own!”

The
moment I saw her face with that sinister smile, I was certain. This
person is serious.

“Hey
you-“

“Off
you go!”

She
swung her arm that was holding me and threw me.

The
hatchling wyvern was rapidly approaching.

“Kieeeeek!”

It
opened its jaws wide despite looking flustered.

The
moment I saw those huge, sharp fangs covered in green saliva, I had a
flash of Diana, Ellie, and Grumpy crying in front of my minced corpse
and memorial photo.

Since
it wasn’t the past, it wasn’t my life flashing before my eyes. Just a
delusion.

That
was positive news. It was proof that I still had room for idle
thoughts.

I
put on a positive mindset.

Getting
eaten by a wyvern was a hundred times better than vertically falling
to the ground.

Actually,
when I first saw the wyvern group, my first thought was ‘I’m saved’.

The
monster’s huge jaws lined up exactly with my head and feet.

“No
choice. From now on, you’re my mount.”

“Kieeeeek!”

The
hatchling wyvern that had opened its jaws wide closed its mouth with
a cry.

-Thump!

My
vision went dark in an instant. I had been eaten by the wyvern.

No,
let me phrase it differently. I had entered the wyvern’s mouth.

Thanks
to my eyes that had adapted to dark vision in the upper floors of the
labyrinth, I could roughly make out what was visible even in the
wyvern’s mouth where not a single ray of light entered.

The
moment I entered the wyvern’s mouth, I immediately slid down its
slippery and rough tongue and stuck my huge axe between its solid
teeth and gums.

-Craaaack!

Along
with the sound of sharp teeth breaking and flesh tearing, the axe was
firmly lodged between the wyvern’s gums.

“Kieeeeeeeeek!!!!!!!”

An
enormous scream surged up from deep in its throat, shaking my ears.

Fighting
against the dizziness and nausea that immediately followed, I reached
for my waist and gripped the artifact axe in my other hand.

I
gathered strength in my hand holding the axe while aiming for the
point of impact. And once again.

-Craaaack!

“Kieeeeeeeeek!!!!!”

The
terrible screaming made me grip my hand tighter involuntarily.

If
I let go, it would be over. I didn’t want to come out through the
wyvern’s butthole like when I was eaten by a similar huge monster,
the desert worm.

“Kieek!
Kieeeeek!”

-Craaaack!

The
wyvern writhing in pain twisted its body this way and that.

Though
I knew well the terrible pain of having teeth stuck, this wyvern was
being a bit dramatic about it.

Every
time it twisted its body trying to shake me off, my brain felt like
it was spinning.

“Urp-“

“Kieeek!”

Every
time it screamed, my breakfast tried to climb up my windpipe from my
stomach.

But
the nausea easily subsided in the face of intense survival instinct.

I
endured, stitching the creature’s teeth with my two axes to avoid
falling.

-Craaaack!

And
occasionally shattered its teeth with Bunny, the huge axe.

“Kie,
eeek!”

-Craaaack!!

The
wyvern’s cries gradually grew weaker.

It
seemed to notice that its teeth and gums were being destroyed one by
one every time it screamed in pain.

-Crunch!

Each
time I shattered its teeth, I pressed the axes downward firmly.

Each
time, the scenery visible through the broken teeth changed.

From
the blue sky-filled heavens to the view of a forest dense with
vegetation.

Finally,
to the ground full of green weeds and damp soil.

-Crack!

“Kieek…”

The
trembling wyvern opened its jaws wide as if desperately begging me to
please get out of its mouth.

How
shameless, considering it had tried to eat me earlier.

-Click.

To
prevent the wyvern from suddenly closing its mouth, I secured Bunny
between its upper and lower teeth before coming out.

Along
with the strangely nostalgic feeling of stepping on ground, I pulled
the axes out from between the wyvern’s teeth.

“Kiek,
kieeeeek!”

The
green hatchling wyvern with almost all its left teeth destroyed
frantically flapped its wings and flew off somewhere.

Seeing
the wyvern fleeing in a hurry reminded me of one person…no,
beastkin.

“…Master.”

“What?
You survived well as expected.”

Idelbert
appeared, swishing her cat tail proudly as if to say ‘See?’

“No
matter what, how could you throw your only disciple into a wyvern’s
mouth.”

“I
don’t demand the impossible. I knew you could do it. And you did
survive, didn’t you?”

“……”

When
she put it that way, I had nothing to say.

I
looked around, swallowing my anger.

The
16th floor was a vast jungle area and the middle of the middle
floors.

I
hadn’t noticed earlier because of the wind in the sky, but it was
more humid and hot than I expected.

The
temperature felt like early summer before the rainy season.

My
discomfort index rose every time the lukewarm yet hot air entered my
lungs, and the damp soil wet with moisture soaked my shoes.

It
was the perfect place to get heat exhaustion and all sorts of
diseases including mental illness if you stayed too long, but this
jungle-like environment supposedly continues up to the 17th floor.

“It’s
quite notorious among intermediate explorers. If you can survive
alone in this great forest, you’ll be able to step into the upper
ranks among intermediate explorers.”

“I’m
still a beginner though.”

“You’ve
fulfilled all the contribution requirements, so you can advance to
intermediate anytime. You’re not at a level to stay there anyway.”

But…this
was a bit sudden.

Moreover,
I belatedly noticed something odd in Idelbert’s words.

“Wait
a minute. Alone? By myself?”

“Yes.”

“What
about you, Master?”

At
my words, Idelbert put her hands behind her back solemnly.

“I
had to step in just now because of the situation, but I’ll only be
keeping watch.”

“What?!”

What
nonsense is this now? She brought me here but now says she won’t
move?

I
looked at my leather shoes absorbing moisture from the damp soil.

Just
shoes, not gaiters.

Oh
shit.

I
had been dropped here without proper protective gear.

I
had learned painfully through past experience that advancing through
the labyrinth without armor to protect yourself was suicide.

Is
it just armor that’s missing?

No
map to find the way, no party members to share roles with, not even
food.

Having
been dropped without any preparation, I had nothing needed to survive
in the labyrinth.

Absolutely
nothing except the two axes I always carry.

And
she wants me to survive alone in a place like this?

“Well,
I’ll at least take responsibility for feeding you.”

Idelbert
said as if she had no choice when I glared at her intensely.

Still,
there was much lacking.

“What
about armor? One wrong hit to the head and I’m dead!”

“Build
up your instincts to dodge. Or make it with magic power. You can do
it. No matter what.”

“This
f…”

If
it were as easy as she makes it sound, my wisdom stat wouldn’t be so
pathetically low.

“F…?
Fuuu?”

Hmph.

-Paang!

Idelbert
snorted and struck the ground roughly with her tail. I blankly stared
at the sunken ground.

“What
a badly mannered disciple. No dinner tonight.”

“No,
Master!”

“Hmph.
Hmph. Be grateful I didn’t destroy the axes you still have.”

Idelbert
said that while proudly crossing her arms.

-Zzzzt.

After
having a brief staring contest with me, she opened her mouth.

“Your
party seems quite tightly bonded.”

Because
she had allowed me to stay at the mansion for several days, Idelbert
knew that I frequently spent time with my party members.

“Of
course. They are reliable party members.”

Though
we hadn’t been together for years, the incidents we’d experienced
together were quite significant.

I
thought they were sufficiently excellent party members that I could
trust to watch my back even in this labyrinth.

“Well.
You can divide roles as party members. No, the deeper you go down the
floors, the more efficient that becomes.”

“What
are you trying to say?”

I
couldn’t understand her intended meaning.

Was
she saying party members would rather be a hindrance to me now?

“Entrusting
your back to someone trustworthy means lowering the risk that much,
and it means growth from hardship is halved.”

“Of
course. But isn’t it also wise to efficiently pioneer a safe path
with reliable party members rather than recklessly taking dangerous
paths alone?”

“Right.
You understand well. If you’re going to be content staying in the
middle layers while making a living like the countless common
explorers out there, that’s fine. But.”

Idelbert,
who had suddenly come close, poked my solar plexus while asking.

“Don’t
you want to become much stronger than you are now?”

“……”

That’s
right.

“The
edge of this labyrinth. Don’t you want to reach that realm that only
a select few chosen ones can reach?”

“…You’re
right.”

I
told her under the night sky that I wanted to become much stronger
than I am now.

“Disciple.
A flower in a greenhouse blooms beautifully. But it isn’t strong.
Meanwhile, a weed that grows while being trampled on the roadside
boasts the toughest vitality of all.”

When
faced with the same danger, who would have a higher chance of
survival between someone who grew up safely in a stable party and
someone who survived tenaciously while being cut, torn, and crushed
through all sorts of experiences?

And
who could grow to reach higher places?

Idelbert
was arguing it would be the latter.

My
thoughts weren’t much different either.

“Well,
this is an extreme treatment. Experiencing it a few times should be
enough. Besides, you’ve had plenty of experience with your entire
greenhouse being torn away even while in it.”

Idelbert
patted my back heartily as if saying not to worry.

“Well
then, let’s work hard to survive this time too!”

“Sigh…Yes.”

Instead
of sighing, I raised my head to look at where I needed to go.

It’s
not the worst situation. At least I have axes to butcher monsters
with.

The
timing wasn’t bad either.

The
Earth Mother’s fragment advised me to refine my powers and the
blessing of radiance more precisely.

-Sling.

I
tightly gripped my hand holding the axe.

The
axes that now felt like they had become one with my body, beyond just
feeling natural.

It
was time to test myself, who had grown until now, against this
labyrinth.