episode_0011

After the desperate battle with Dret.

Karin took everyone through the blizzard and back to the ruined castle.

Fortunately, no one had life-threatening injuries.

Thanks to Grace having high-grade potions.

But potions may heal wounds, but they can’t replenish lost stamina and immunity.

Even I was completely unconscious for almost a whole day.

The three, except for Karin, were bedridden, and while they recovered, Karin brought supplies and took great care of us.

Of course, she was clumsy in many ways, but it was amazing to see her working so hard.

A knight is a privileged class.

To be honest, there should be a gap between nobles and commoners.

But she doesn’t seem to have much authority.

Maybe she was of common birth and became a knight like a dragon rising from a ditch.

Grace woke up a day later.

Unlike the two men whose bodies were shattered, she was only deeply cut by a sword.

Then between Hans and me?

Hans woke up first.

No matter how stronger I am than Hans, he’s a warrior and I’m a mage.

If we fought with our fists without magic, there would be a difference in physical ability to the point where I could lose.

I couldn’t move until the second day, and I was finally able to move this morning.

After melting my body with warm soup, I prepare thoroughly.

“Did you use up all the high-grade potions I had?”

Grace’s sudden complaint.

I know it can’t be helped, but is she still upset?

“I’ll pay you back when I earn money later.”

“I don’t need it.”

Grace returns to the bonfire and warms her hands.

“More than that, how will the distribution be now? Is the criminal mage not going to receive anything?”

“…….”

Grace’s lips curl up when I can’t say anything.

Hans has virtually declared that he’s riding the bus, so she’s happy that all the rewards she can get in the future are hers.

I didn’t feel too bad because she was so honest about being happy or sad about money.

But I have to take care of my share.

“Knight-nim, as you know, I’m not a criminal.”

“So?”

“I wish you would give me at least Dret’s share.”

“? Do whatever you want.”

“…….”

Wait, wasn’t I under arrest right now?

I was wondering, but she didn’t care and was roasting marshmallows on a twig over the bonfire.

Just as I was wondering how to start the conversation, Karin opened her mouth.

“Ivan.”

“…What is it?”

“Explain it to me. Why did you have to massacre the people there?”

“…….”

“Why shouldn’t I take you to prison?”

Is she giving me a chance to explain myself?

There was no reason to refuse.

“A few days ago, I lost my memory.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

“…….”

Seriously, I’m trying to talk seriously, but she’s picking a fight.

“Ahem…….”

Anyway, I started the story again.

Excluding my special power.

The fact that I’m being chased by Jay and that they seem to be influencing the labyrinth.

And even the guess that it would be dangerous if I were investigated.

Grace and Karin, who heard my words, soon put their heads together and started discussing with each other.

“Hmm, that guy Jay went that far to chase you? Does that make sense?”

“They’ll die if this is revealed. Maybe they’re trying to get rid of the evidence?”

“They’re beings that affect the labyrinth…….”

Then Karin rested her chin with an expression that she had guessed something.

“I know. The beings that move the monsters in the labyrinth.”

“…Is there such a thing?”

Karin pondered with gravity, then let out a sigh and opened her mouth.

“But from here on, it’s classified, so pretend you didn’t hear it.”

“…….”

No, if you’re going to do this, don’t say anything.

“Okay, I’ll trust you for now. Instead, I have to write a report on why I came to Gerat’s picture, so give me some time later.”

“…Yes.”

For now, the big problem is over.

*

Back on the road to the temple.

It’s a place you have to reach through a heavy blizzard.

“The blizzard seems to be getting stronger?”

As Karin said, the blizzard was much stronger than it was two days ago.

I began to feel the chill in my weak body.

“Does the book say what happens if you fail to complete the strategy?”

Grace, hearing my words, quickly takes out the book from her bag and examines it.

“It’s not written. In the first place, if you don’t follow the set strategy, you die…….”

Then Grace flips through the book, as if she’s found something.

Grace shouted as she carefully looked at the place attached as an appendix on the very last page.

“It says that if you don’t properly complete the Frozen Devil, the overall internal structure changes!”

“What’s the strategy?”

“There isn’t one. In the first place, this book is for low-level adventurers. Because if you fail to clear it, you’ll die without seeing the changes.”

According to Grace, beyond this blizzard is an unknown dungeon with no strategies.

I’m filled with anxiety.

But I can’t stop.

“First of all, we need to find out what happened to the Frozen Devil.”

Everyone agreed with my opinion.

After checking the ropes that tied each other’s bodies, they enter the heavy blizzard.

*

“How much further do we have to go?”

“Actually, we should be arriving soon.”

The blizzard doesn’t end.

Originally, the blizzard disappeared as soon as we arrived near the temple, so aren’t we going in the wrong direction?

Just as Grace was about to take out her compass again, Hans shouted.

“There’s something here!!!”

A place where snow is piled up unusually high compared to the surroundings.

When the snow was cleared away, Dret’s body was visible inside.

After all, it seems that he couldn’t face the Frozen Devil head-on.

“I was wondering if there would be no body, but it’s a relief.”

“Wait.”

Suddenly Karin draws her sword and swings it.

As the sword strike blows away the piled-up snow, the remains of the temple, such as half-broken desks and altars, are discovered inside.

“This is the temple?”

“What? That doesn’t make sense? The blizzard should stop when you enter the temple.”

“Besides, the Frozen Devil is over there.”

The Frozen Devil is in the same place as when it first appeared.

But it’s a little different.

It had grotesque wings sprouting from its back.

As if it has become a completely different being.

“First, let’s look for the statues! We don’t know if the existing strategy will work!”

They move carefully, following Grace.

“Let me explain again, the original way to strategize the Frozen Devil is…….”

Find the 8 statues in the temple and enter the correct password to deactivate them.

Each time, the power of the Frozen Devil weakens.

If all 8 statues are deactivated, it will weaken to the point where Grace alone can defeat it.

“When I deactivated two statues, that bear pulled me away with a strange power and cut me. He probably didn’t touch the statues, so 6 of them must be activated…….”

Then, Grace, who was walking, stopped.

“The statues are gone.”

“Maybe they’re broken?”

“Even the knight-nim can’t break the statues easily. They’re so hard that they wouldn’t break just because the building was torn down.”

Then there’s only one possibility left.

“Maybe it absorbs the power of the statues after a certain amount of time.”

“I think so too.”

Crack.

Karin started stretching and loosening her body.

“Then it seems like we have no choice but to break through head-on?”

“I guess so.”

Then suddenly Karin looked at me and smiled.

“Ivan.”

“Yes.”

“Please, one big hit.”

“…After one big hit, it will be difficult to help you for a while.”

“It’s okay, go for the biggest one.”

“I’ve already prepared which magic to use…….”

“I can tell just by looking at your fighting style. That you are a mage who has never fought in a formation with a frontline.”

“…….”

That’s right.

Since I fell into this world, I’ve been fighting alone.

When I was with Lyman, I felt the advantages of being in the front lines, but only then.

“Mages, you know, trust the front and shoot strong magic from behind and pass out. All the imperial mages do that?”

“…….”

“So show me one big one.”

I took out 5 cards from my deck.

After waking up, I shuffled the deck all day to create the best hand.

[Shield(1)] [Terrain Manipulation(3) – Power] [Strike(1)] [Strike(1)] [Shield(1)]

It looks like a trash hand, but it’s not at all.

I’m starting the battle by using Terrain Manipulation, which is the core card of my deck right now.

It feels like I’m taking out low-value cards like Strike and Shield from the cards to draw, so it’s good.

In short, a hand that guarantees a low point.

A hand that is good to use when a battle suddenly starts.

The hand with the least variables.

But as Karin said, the situation is different now.

The battle doesn’t start suddenly.

The target is waiting still.

Of course, it’s much better to start the battle by dealing one big blow.

“Haha…….”

I got hit.

I’ve been focusing on raising the low points recently to reduce variables.

My thinking was trapped there.

“…….”

I roll the deck.

The card to find is [Charge].

[Freeze] [Blink] [Incinerate] [Stone Wall] [Water Spray]

It’s natural that it wasn’t caught in the first hand. I didn’t even expect it.

1 minute passed.

[Lightning] [Shield] [Strike] [Darkness] [Momentum]

The craziest thing about [Momentum] in this hand is that if you use it outside of battle, your energy won’t increase and only the damage you take will increase.

Wait another minute.

[Fireball] [Fireball] [Ice Arrow] [Time Stop] [Whirlwind]

……I wonder, is Charge at the bottom?

“How long is it going to take?”

Karin is starting to give me the eye.

“Just, please wait a moment.”

1 minute passed and I drew a card.

[Body Enhancement] [Charge] [Strike] [Electrocute] [Shield]

Finally, it came out.

I used [Charge].

Then I have to choose one 3-cost damage card.

The ones I have are [Whirlwind] [Incinerate] [Lightning] [Tidal Wave].

Since I’m trying it out, let’s go with the Tidal Wave that I’m trying for the first time.

It’ll come out in the remaining draw anyway.

[Strike(1)] [Tidal Wave(3)] [Ice Shield(1)] [Wind Blade(0)] [Blink(0)]

Finally, the preparation is over.

“I’ll start.”

“Finally?”

Ignoring Karin’s nagging, I took my place.

I threw the [Tidal Wave] card.

A card that melts into the world.

By the time the card disappeared completely.

Water formed from my toes and became a puddle of water.

Soon the water soared up and swirled around my body like a dragon’s breath.

Just as the rising water splashed and wet my hair.

I raise my index finger and draw a line dividing the world.

…A large amount of water pops out from that line.

Shwaaaaaaaa!!!

A powerful wave that devours the blizzard is created on the horizon, creating a high shadow and approaching.

All sorts of debris and sharp fragments are visible inside.

“Wait a minute. Won’t we get hit if this happens?”

As Karin urgently looks at me, Grace, who had already approached, grabs my shoulders and starts shaking me.

“Do something quickly!!! Stop that!!”

I raise my tightly clasped hand and spread it to both sides.

Then the Tidal Wave splits.

It accurately avoids the location where we are.

Kwaaaang!!!

Muddy water mixed with all sorts of debris passes by and destroys the surroundings.

Grace and Karin are relieved as they watch the scene.

“No, if you knew how to use this kind of thing, you should have done it sooner…….”

I couldn’t say that I didn’t know how to use it before.

“But with this level of magic, I don’t think even the bones would be left?”

There was really nothing visible in the place where the Tidal Wave passed.

“Wait, it’s still over there.”

The Frozen Devil was still in the direction Karin was pointing.

Did it withstand this Tidal Wave?

The Frozen Devil, with all sorts of wounds and flesh flowing down and wings with only bones left as the flesh fell off.

But it’s standing.

Still in that place.

Suddenly the Frozen Devil screams.

Then the world shakes.

The flesh of the devil melts and only bones remain.

The melted flesh soon becomes blood and spreads around to create a pool of blood.

The edges rise up to create a giant sea dike that is visible even in the blizzard.

At the same time, the blizzard stopped.

All that could be seen in the clear sky was a sword.

Poook!!

A sword is stabbed between the ribs of the devil’s bones.

Soon the devil takes out the sword and gets up from his seat.

Chwaaaaa!

The bone wings spread out and create a strong pressure.

『Congratulations! You have taken a step closer to the secret of the labyrinth!』

『The path to the 2nd floor has been opened.』

A status window that suddenly appeared.

…? What, does that mean I couldn’t go up to the 2nd floor originally?

No, let’s think about it later and prepare to fight.

『Battle Start. Draw 5 cards.』

『Energy 3/3』

I checked the hand.

[Strike] [Strike] [Strike] [Strike] [Strike]

Damn, why is the hand like this.

Didn’t I shuffle the deck?

“I’ll finish it.”

Grace is flustered and Hans is scared.

And even I was taken aback.

Karin went forward.

Actually, the hand is hopeless.

“Don’t worry. You must not have any mana left after using such a big magic.”

Karin drew her sword and soon covered it with aura.

“That guy won’t keep regenerating like the Frozen Devil, will he?”

Clack, clack.

Karin, who was walking confidently, soon ran towards the devil.

The devil, realizing that Karin was approaching, also raised his sword.

Shwaaaa.

Aura rises on the sword.

They exchange blows.

A knight’s fight where swords clash against swords.

Each other’s auras intertwine and collide, splattering around.

The glittering color dyes the world and dyes the sky in all sorts of colors.

I don’t know anything about swordsmanship.

I don’t know anything about the knight’s battle.

But I just feel it.

Instinctively.

“It’s pretty.”

As if Grace next to me was muttering.

As if Hans was staring blankly.

I was also captivated by the beautiful battle.

『0 Until Next Draw』

I clear the status window that was blocking my view and watch Karin’s battle.

She raised her sword high into the sky and put in a large blue aura.

And one blow.

The devil’s sword was shattered and his body was cut in half and shattered.

At the same time, a red portal rose.

You cleared the hidden dungeon.

『Congratulations!』

『You have succeeded in overcoming your destiny!』

『Moving to the store floor!』

『Moving…….』

As soon as I saw the status window, my consciousness became blurred.

*

A 5-pyeong (16.5 square meters) single room.

This is where I was when I opened my eyes.

Where is this? I was supposed to move to the store floor.

First, I approached the only visible bonfire in the room.

“You’ve finally come.”

Suddenly someone appeared on the opposite side of the bonfire.

It’s a cat beastman.

However, it was different from the beastmen in this world I knew.

If the cat beastman I saw before was a stage 1 beastman with ears and a tail in the shape of a human.

This guy is about a stage 3 beastman whose head has completely turned into a cat?

“Who are you?”

“……Call me Kaman.”

“Yes, Mr. Kaman. Where is this and what do you do?”

“The last card mage.”

Kaman rolled up his sleeves and showed his deck.

A deck with the same shape as the one I have.

It was real.

“…I’m sure you have a lot of questions. But that’s not what you need.”

“No. I have a lot of questions.”

But as if to shut me up, Kaman suddenly unfurled a bundle.

It was that familiar bundle from the game.

“Now, choose! From cards to relics, special potions! And finally, even card removal!!”

Wait a minute, did I hear that right?

Card removal?!!!