episode_0057

Fighting against the Black Yetis that charge while crossing the fiercely blowing blizzard.

Fortunately, the combat power of each Black Yeti is average for the 5th floor.

Furthermore, their experience is sufficient. Because they fought while defending the safe zone for several days.

There was no need for me to step forward.

“Five on the hill to the right!!!”

As soon as someone shouted, Kailerck aimed his bow towards them.

An arrow that flew through the blizzard pierced the head of one Yeti and continued on.

The remaining 4 Yetis cut through the snow and came down.

The piled-up snow poured down from the impact, becoming a small avalanche.

If they were ordinary people, they wouldn’t have been able to react at all and would have been swept away by the avalanche or trampled to death by the Yetis, but unfortunately, among the explorers here, there was no one who would just passively take it.

Even without me having to step forward, the terrain was lifted from the ground, and warriors rushed out, quickly dealt with the Yetis, and rejoined the formation.

Continuously forward.

Yetis attacked intermittently, but the formation did not stop at all.

It advanced slowly and heavily, like a moving tank.

The place we are going now is a warm, unfrozen lake.

Among them, it’s the lake located in the south.

The lakes are located to the east, west, south, and north of the safe zone.

The Leviathan will return to normal only if the 4 statues inside those lakes are deactivated.

That’s why the explorers split into 4 groups.

Because it would take too long to travel all together.

First, the wizards from the Magic Tower and the priests split into 4 groups and are evenly distributed among each formation.

The remaining composition is as follows.

To the east went several explorer parties, centered around the Blue Faction Leader.

As the strongest Blue Faction Leader on this floor currently, he headed there with the minimum number of explorers.

To the west went the entire Knight Order and a few priests and wizards to assist them.

Similar to the Faction Leader, but here, except for 1 priest and 1 wizard, everyone is from the Knight Order.

To the north, a large number of high-floor explorers, centered around the 2nd Attack Leader, joined.

And explorers in units of clans, not parties, headed there.

The reason is that the place where the Dragon is located is the north, so it is the most dangerous place.

The rest are all in the south.

It is the farthest from the Dragon and a place with a small number of Black Yetis.

Most of the 5th-floor explorers, including me, are on this side.

And leading them was the high-floor explorer, Erica’s party.

Perhaps because she is still a beginner to be called a high-floor explorer, she was assigned to the easiest place.

The explorers were more level-headed and rational than expected.

The strong individuals headed to dangerous places like the north.

That’s why even relatively weaker people like us have no choice but to work hard.

The number of people is around 40.

There are 6 parties consisting of 5 people each, plus priests, paladins, and a few wizards from the Magic Tower.

I thought this would be sufficient.

In fact, there hasn’t been a single casualty during the 4 hours of travel so far.

But the situation keeps changing.

Just as the Black Yetis, who couldn’t breach the safe zone, eventually did.

To catch us who were fleeing, the Black Yetis found new strength.

“Aaaah!!!”

An explorer whose leg was crushed by a rock chunk thrown by a Yeti.

This kind of thing hadn’t happened until now.

The Yetis, who had only charged and punched, now started throwing rocks or ice chunks.

“The Yetis are throwing rocks!!!”

Seeing the flying ice chunks, I unleash a magic circle.

[Fire Dragon]

A flying dragon of flame pierces through the ice chunks and passes by.

Shattering ice fragments pour towards us, but there was no explorer here who would be hit by that much.

“First, enter the canyon ahead!!!”

Erica pointed to the canyon in front and shouted.

The explorers began to move according to her command.

Erica and her party remained until the end to help the explorers evacuate.

Seeing that, Kailerck seemed unable to enter himself, remaining behind and shooting arrows towards the Yetis.

However, the accumulating groups of Yetis continued to rush towards us.

“Can you gather them up for me?”

Erica shouted to me.

I didn’t know what she was planning to do, but it seemed likely that doing what she wanted would increase the chances of success.

“Luca!!”

“Uwaaaah!!!”

As Luca’s [Taunt] activated, the Yetis stopped instantly.

They immediately charged at Luca.

“Hans!”

“Understood!”

Hans, who rushed out, protected Luca and made his shield large.

Hans protected Luca by holding up his shield like a small bunker.

The Yetis, not even surprised by that, wildly unleashed punches, but.

Hans’s shield wasn’t pierced at all.

“Haaahp!!!”

Not missing that opportunity, Serah, Erica, who had already let out a fighting spirit, swung her sword at the Yetis.

Chuzuzuzuk!!

Space cracked as if glass had shattered.

Immediately, the bodies of all Yetis in that space were severed.

Regardless of whether they were in front or behind.

Jjaenggeurang!!

But the sword shattered instantly.

However, not minding it, Erica took out a new sword from her subspace.

Perhaps, because it possesses powerful damage, the sword inevitably breaks when used.

There was a reason why she used cheap swords, unlike what you’d expect from a high-floor explorer.

“Ah, I thought I was going to die.”

“Yeah.”

Since Luca and Hans were also unharmed, I could breathe a sigh of relief again.

“More are coming over there!!!”

The Yetis visible in the distance.

We immediately ran into the canyon.

As soon as I entered the canyon, I moved the terrain to close the entrance of the canyon.

This way, they won’t be able to chase us for a while, at least.

“Alright, let’s keep going!!”

We ran into the canyon, which was completely covered in ice.

*

Ice Canyon.

It is one of the countless terrain elements that exist on the 5th floor.

It is said that monsters originally attacked from the numerous caves located here.

Grace put her ear to every cave she saw and listened, but shook her head as if nothing could be heard.

“There’s nothing inside.”

Since there were no monsters even inside the caves of the Ice Canyon, I could now be sure.

“As expected, it seems the regular monsters on the 5th floor have all disappeared with the appearance of Leviathan or whatever it is.”

“Then perhaps the canyon might actually be safe?”

“Right. It’s unreasonable for the Yetis, no matter how strong, to enter this narrow terrain.”

Yetis are powerful, but due to their large size, it’s difficult for them to enter a narrow canyon.

Even now, thud! thud! sounds and vibrations are felt, but no Yeti is detected within my expanded senses.

“Shall we rest for a bit then?”

Everyone agreed to Erica’s suggestion.

According to the map made by the knight, after leaving the canyon, you have to cross an empty plain to reach the ice lake.

Since the distance is longer than expected, recovering from fatigue here isn’t bad.

Everyone agreed.

Immediately, the explorers laid out mats and rested for the first time in a while.

Since no one had fallen behind yet and the situation wasn’t bad, the atmosphere was also good.

“Ivan, come here for a moment.”

Erica called me.

When I went, I saw a few wizards from the Magic Tower waiting for us.

The reason was only one.

[How far have you gone?]

The voice of the Blue Faction Leader was heard.

Magic that allows communication even over a long distance.

I don’t know the exact principle, but it would be good to learn it later.

“We’ve entered the canyon and are resting for a bit.”

[We also entered a cave for a moment. We are resting for a while, but we won’t be able to hold out for long.]

“How are the other sides progressing?”

[There’s no contact yet from the 2nd Attack Leader’s side. The Knight Order’s side has both good news and bad news.]

“Let’s hear it.”

[You remember that huge bone we saw at the lake.]

I recalled the bone I saw when I first arrived at that lake with Grace.

It looked like the bone of some monster. Surely it’s not the worst-case scenario I’m thinking of?

[It seems you’re thinking the same thing as me. Your thought is correct. I heard that the Knight Order has already arrived at the lake, but they are engaging in a fierce battle with a giant monster guarding that lake.]

“Do you know what kind of monster it is?”

[Of course not. That’s information even the 2nd Attack Leader didn’t know. However, it would be good to keep in mind that you might have to fight that.]

“Understood.”

[I wish you luck.]

“Faction Leader, you too.”

Click-

As soon as the communication ended, the leaders of each party gathered for a meeting.

“Can we fight the monster the Knight Order is engaging with?”

“Impossible!! We have to hold out until the others arrive.”

“Perhaps lure its attention away while secretly turning it off.”

“That might be better.”

Although startled by the sudden news, I was grateful that we could still make a plan.

They devised various strategies.

And the conclusion of those strategies all came down to one thing.

“Witch Butcher, Ivan. Your role is important.”

That I, who was overwhelmingly superior in firepower to anyone else here, had to finish it.

“Enough.”

I had confidence.

Am I not someone who could kill even that cube golem already?

While talking, I continuously threw cards, accumulating magic circles on my body.

Looking subtly under my robe, my body was already covered in countless tattoos like a barbarian. Those are all magic circles.

Just then, an explorer suddenly raised their hand and posed a question.

“But, couldn’t we just hold out in the canyon? If we tell the other parties, we could all return to the city together.”

“Do you think the Black Yetis wouldn’t be able to deal with that?”

“Maybe they wouldn’t be able to?”

There were hopeful observations, but. It’s not the time to conclude that yet.

“Well, let’s sleep on it for a night first and if things are alright, we’ll contact them. For now, disperse!”

Anyway, we could rest soundly for at least a few hours, so this was the time to rest.

I immediately headed to where my party members were.

Kailerck was awkwardly chatting with the party he was supposedly kicked out of.

Luca, as always, fell asleep first.

Grace was making a route to the lake, looking at the map with other guides.

The only one left was Hans.

He was warming himself by the eternally burning campfire.

I naturally sat down next to him.

“It feels like it’s been a long time since we had a break.”

“Yeah.”

A one-on-one conversation with Hans after a while.

Usually, Grace stuck to my side like glue, so there was no opportunity for a sincere conversation.

Since there was something I was curious about, I asked Hans a question.

“What’s your relationship with the Knight?”

“I thought you’d ask. It’s nothing much. As you heard, we’re from the same hometown and came up to the Labyrinth City together.”

“If you knew the Knight, you wouldn’t have had to live a life wandering between the 1st and 2nd floors?”

“……”

Hans stared at the campfire without saying anything.

Before meeting me, he was an ordinary explorer who wandered between the 1st and 2nd floors, joining and leaving parties here and there.

But to think such a person knew a Knight.

Of course, that Knight hadn’t come out of the 5th floor for half a year after getting stuck there, but.

Still, I wasn’t so ignorant as not to know how great the position of Knight was.

At least he would have the authority to do whatever he wanted for one person.

“Haa…”

Hans let out a deep sigh, then, as if he had decided something, looked at me with a slight smile.

“Since you, the wizard, revealed your inner thoughts to us, it wouldn’t be right for me to hide mine.”

Hans began to lightly draw a picture using the ash scattered on the ground.

It started with two small children.

“I don’t know what the wizard thinks, but every boy on the continent dreams of becoming a knight at least once. Stories of cool knights from all sorts of books. Everyone thinks they can become such a knight.”

One of the two small children held armor and a sword.

But the child on the right remained as they were.

Rather, a wound appeared.

“But reality is not easy. I couldn’t become a knight, but the older brother I was close with became a knight. And with an ordinary status, mind you. You might not know how difficult that is, but it’s not easy for a commoner to rise in status.”

The child who became a knight gives a gift to the wounded child.

But the gift was dull and dark, as if drawn with ash.

“Moreover, I received help from my older brother. It’s just that the result was the worst.”

“What is it?”

“Please wait a moment.”

Hans suddenly got up from his seat, asked for someone’s permission, and received a sword.

“[Absolute Defense]. It’s the sky-blue card I received from my older brother. With this, my armor will never break.”

“Isn’t that good? More importantly, a sky-blue card? That Knight gave you a great gift.”

But why would that be the worst result?

Why on earth did he borrow a sword?

As I pondered, I couldn’t help but be shocked by the situation I saw before my eyes.

Hans drew the sword.

A perfectly drawn two-handed sword.

Because as soon as he held it in his hands, Hans’s hands began to rot.

The meaning of that was clear.

“It was a cursed card, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. They say only one person in the history of the labyrinth has ever obtained this until now.”

“Then just erase it.”

“It’s a sky-blue card, how can I erase it? It wouldn’t be right as a person. Anyway, I wouldn’t have been able to become a knight even without this. It just happened to be a good opportunity.”

“……”

“After that, I gave up on the path of being a knight. And I just lived without thinking about anything. Like some explorers, I’d backstab someone, fight with others. I lived as if I had no regrets dying. Like a wreck.”

Thud.

The sword that fell to the ground.

Hans’s arms were already thoroughly rotten.

“But people are sly. After meeting the wizard and nearly dying to that raider guy, it felt too regrettable to just die. That’s why I applied when I heard the wizard was looking for a party. At least, wouldn’t it be okay to find out the reason why I was born into this world?”

Hans spoke matter-of-factly.

The sword that fell on the ground.

But because he dropped the sword, his arms began to recover back to normal.

“Haha, it’s not easy telling the story.”

Hans laughed and looked around.

Party members and other explorers who had gathered around Hans without me noticing.

How long had they been listening to the story?

Everyone was looking at Hans without saying anything.

“Me too!!”

An explorer revealed their inner thoughts.

“I also came up to the Labyrinth City with a wonderful dream, but it was impossible after all.”

“Ha! I also wanted to become a Magic Tower Lord, but I lacked basic mana.”

“My father handles a sword, but it didn’t suit me. So I picked up an axe, and surprisingly, I climbed up to become a 5th-floor explorer!”

All the explorers gathered around the campfire and shared their stories amicably.

As they exchanged stories amidst a difficult situation, warmth could be felt, even though they were inside an ice cave.

Listening to the stories, Hans eventually laughed loudly.

“Well, even if I can’t become a knight now, being able to protect someone is enough.”

Hans returned the sword in its sheath to its original owner.

And then immediately picked up the shield that was on the ground.

It wasn’t just me who felt Hans’s expression had brightened a little.

*

“Wake up!!”

I opened my eyes to see Grace’s face right in front of me.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s not good. The Yetis are getting closer and closer.”

“I knew it.”

They weren’t monsters who wouldn’t prepare for us holding out inside the canyon all day.

They must be doing something.

Unconsciously, explorers began to get up in the unusual atmosphere.

Perhaps it was thanks to their long explorer lives.

Waking up, packing their bags, and preparing for battle didn’t even take 3 to 5 minutes.

As expected, professionals are professional.

Thud!

The explorers who had finished scouting returned.

“They are breaking the entire canyon and coming in right now!!”

Fortunately, no one was greatly surprised.

After all, no one would have intended to hold out in a canyon like this for a long time.

Of course, the expressions of a few who had flowers in their heads weren’t good, but.

At least Erica, who was the party leader, didn’t belong to that group.

“Nothing we can do. It’s earlier than expected, but let’s depart!!”

Immediately, the explorers packed all sorts of gear and sprinted through the ice canyon.

Before long, a great change came to the canyon.

Grace, who had unusually sharp senses, checked first and then looked up.

Drrrrrrr. Thud.

Small chunks of ice began to fall.

That meant only one thing.

“The canyon is collapsing!!!!”

The ceiling began to crumble down.