episode_0131

Do you know the feeling of all eyes around you focusing on you?

Furthermore, if the object sending those gazes is something so massive it cannot be compared to me.

And if it is a monster that absolutely cannot be reasoned with.

That fear will be doubled.

A moment of silence.

It is a probing battle to grasp the situation, but unfortunately, we have already figured out the jewelry turtles.

“There’s a path behind us.”

No sooner had Grace finished speaking than.

I pour a large amount of mana into the spirit of fire, Ifrit.

Piiing-

My head felt momentarily dizzy, but.

As I am still being held by Luca. Instead, I make myself go limp to be easier to carry, then.

“Run!!!”

As soon as I shouted, Ifrit revealed its massive form and breathed fire.

Of course, I don’t think this fire will take down the jewelry turtles at all.

After all, just scaring them is enough.

Therefore, after breathing fire in the form of a wall of fire to protect us.

We immediately run towards the passage visible behind us.

“There are 4 in front!!”

Even without Grace saying anything, the sight of the jewelry turtles charging is incredibly noticeable.

The turtles charging towards us with their massive bodies.

They were clearly slow when eating jewelry, but when attacking, they charge almost as fast as rabbits.

First, Kai’rek aims his bow at the closest turtle.

The arrow that flew just as it was, lodges in the turtle’s brow.

Kuuung-

Although it didn’t burst the turtle’s head. The powerful force lifted the turtle’s body just as it was and flipped it over.

One is neutralized for now.

The remaining 3 throw their bodies towards us right behind it.

But is there really a need to fight them?

Such sturdy guys?

“Just run!!!”

After shouting, I immediately raise the terrain.

So that the guys who charged with both legs off the ground could use that force just as it was to fly far away.

I created a slanted launchpad.

The flying turtles, as if unable to properly control their own speed, slid along the launchpad, then launched directly towards the giant gem in the center.

Kwaaaang-

The sound of something breaking was so strong it felt like it would tear our ears, but.

We ignored it and continued running forward.

***

“Haa, haa…”

Perhaps it’s because we ran so much after a long time.

Everyone was panting a little.

Even though they are explorers who don’t easily get tired in most situations.

Even so, if a situation like the one just now occurs, wouldn’t they feel a bit of panic?

Of course, I, who is slow-witted, was carried in Luca’s arms, like taking a taxi. So I wasn’t particularly tired.

Perhaps you could call it the selfish advantage only mages have.

“…I’m envious.”

However, since Noah, who is also a mage, glances sharply at me and makes an envious expression.

I was about to say, ‘Then you should be as weak as I am,’ but I swallow the words internally.

The place we are currently in is a space within a small crack in the cave.

This place is too narrow for jewelry soldiers or giant jewelry monsters to enter, making it good for resting.

I remember hearing that from Erika.

We, who blocked the crack by raising the terrain, immediately settled down and began to rest.

Of course, you might ask, ‘Why rest after just this?’

You might, but.

More than anything, it’s because we judged that wandering outside when the horn had been blown carries a big risk.

Our goal is strictly promotion, not hunting.

There is no reason to deliberately take on risk.

Passing it on to high-level explorers who earn a lot of money is the right choice now.

Everyone is resting blankly, tearing off a piece of jerky from their pocket or drinking water, but.

I still have something left to do.

『It is your turn. Draw 5 cards.』

『White Storage Box – Preserve 1 card at the end of the turn.』

[Strike(1)] [Drain(3)] [Descent(4)] [Momentum(1)] [Fusion(4)] + [Mana Surge(0)]

Unfortunately, due to the urgent situation continuing, I haven’t been able to use a few power cards yet.

I want to use something like [Space Folding] beforehand, if nothing else.

That’s a 7-cost card, so it needs to appear with an energy card, making the condition not easy.

Still, a card that can take responsibility for energy has finally appeared.

I quickly use a card.

[Momentum – Power]

A simple effect where energy increases by 1 each turn, but damage taken temporarily increases.

My body is already fragile because damage taken is increased, and using this makes it truly fragile.

Well, even so, if I use it now and just spend time here, there’s no penalty, only an advantage.

How nice would it be if combat status could be maintained at all times on every floor?

Given the circumstances, maintaining combat status at all times might not even be easy.

Since it seems it’s not done unless it’s an important situation.

Conversely, does that mean the current situation is very important?

Becoming a high-level explorer is important, but I’m not sure if it’s something that must be achieved in just one go right now. Since Erika’s party also became one after several attempts.

At that moment.

“……?!!”

“Again?”

Suddenly, the sound of a horn started to be heard again.

Is this normally common on the 7th floor?

A question arose, but no one could give a definite answer.

“We should stay in here a little longer.”

“Yeah.”

For now, it is right to avoid and go as much as possible when the storm blows.

After that, the sound of the horn was not heard.

However, the occasional human voices, monster roars, and the shaking cave.

We could at least feel that things were unusual outside.

After that, when the noise had somewhat subsided and a degree of peace was regained.

We cleared the dirt and came out.

However, for how noisy it was, our surroundings hadn’t particularly changed.

Perhaps it’s because we were hidden in a crack between the continuously connected passages.

However, nothing is certain yet.

To gather information, Grace pricked up her ears and cautiously began to listen to and analyze all information from the surroundings.

And sniff sniff.

Grace’s brow furrowed, then she pointed in one direction of the passage.

“This way smells like blood… What are you going to do?”

“Shall we take a look first?”

“Going the opposite way could also be a good choice. There are so many monsters on this side.”

No matter how much of a group with a lot of goodwill we might be. We know our limits.

“Then to the opposite side.”

“But that way…”

“What’s there?”

“There are people. Smelling strongly of blood.”

At Grace’s words, everyone looked at each other, exchanging glances.

“A place with monsters and a place with humans.”

“And she said both smell of blood.”

In fact, the most careful thing one must be about in a labyrinth is other humans.

Specifically, plunderers.

Of course, their number isn’t large, but the problem is that they exist.

If you die here, no one will even notice.

Because people will just think you were killed by a monster.

“Well, it might just be that there are injured people on the human side.”

This is a typical judgment, but.

However, Grace has a particularly uncertain expression.

“It’s too strong. I think it would be better to give up on going towards the humans if possible.”

“Then is there a fatality where the monsters are?”

“That too, I don’t think we’ll know until we see it ourselves.”

“There isn’t anything certain about either of them.”

There’s nothing we can do.

Even though it’s a shame about the power cards I used beforehand.

Because life is more important.

I quickly rotated my deck.

『Deck has been swapped.』

『Current Deck: Thief’s Deck』

『Time until next swap available: 0:59:59』

『Time until next draw: 60』

“Wait just a moment. I’ll use stealth on everyone.”

“Then in the meantime, I’ll go check quickly.”

“Which way?”

“Towards the humans…!!”

Grace turns her head, startled and urgent.

“They are approaching this way now. What should we do?”

A difficult situation to make a decision.

In times like this, it’s right to follow your gut feeling.

“Let’s go towards where the monsters are.”

We quickly turned our steps in the direction where the monsters were.

Not by walking, but by running.

Luca started running, holding me again before I knew it.

『Time until next draw: 52…』

Time is decreasing little by little.

However, strange sounds are starting to be heard from behind.

A voice loud enough for my ears to hear.

“What the, hiding here…!”

“Magic…”

Voices heard in fragments.

However, Grace nods with certainty.

“…It seems they are plunderers.”

“No, if they are acting to the extent of killing other explorers on the 7th floor, is there a reason to specifically be plunderers?”

“It seems like there are about 20 enemies?”

“……What?”

If it’s that many, wouldn’t it be easier to just go to the 8th or 9th floor and earn money comfortably?

I can’t understand it. It’s not like there’s some other easy method.

At that moment, one hypothesis comes to mind.

The sound of the horn that was heard so much.

“Could it be, did they lure the horn to kill explorers?”

“That might be correct. Then, even if they aren’t 8th or 9th floor level explorers, they could bury Erika’s party by themselves.”

Monsters kill humans, but they do not take the equipment or items that humans are carrying.

So, when you see explorers defeated by monsters, they are dead while still wearing their equipment.

In such cases, it is the general rule for explorers who find them first to take them to the guild, but.

Since no one cares if you take the equipment of a dead explorer anyway. Usually, the person who picks it up owns it.

“Location?”

“They are about 50m away from us. Their speed is quite fast, so the distance is gradually closing.”

“That’s enough.”

『Time until next draw: 30…』

The remaining time is 30 seconds.

Catching up within that time will be impossible.

Now the problem is straight ahead.

Monsters slowly starting to become visible.

To be precise, a red jewelry soldier was looking at us.

However, it did not have time to send a signal to its other allies.

Because Kai’rek’s arrow shattered the jewelry soldier in one go.

However, the shattering of the jewelry soldier all at once did not catch my eye.

Because the corpse of one explorer was in front of the jewelry soldier.

The explorer, who seemed to have been struck by the jewelry soldier, with one arm detached, met death without even being able to properly close his eyes.

Unfortunately, there is no time to honor his life.

We continue forward.

As we ran, we reached the end of the passage.

“……?!”

Escaping the narrow passage, a giant cave appeared.

Of course, there was nothing special, but.

The ceiling height was particularly high. And there were quite many paths leading to other areas.

However, none of those environmental factors were important.

Because countless jewelry soldiers were sitting in their places, as if taking a rest after a long battle.

Furthermore, their number was excessively high, beyond imagination.

The inside was brightened more by the jewelry soldiers than by the gems attached to the walls, floor, and ceiling of the cave.

What was visible among the jewelry soldiers were the explorers who had met their deaths.

The jewelry soldiers, who had so much interest when the explorers were alive, were showing absolutely no interest in the dead explorers.

One of them discovers us and shouts.

Kkuoooo-

At that voice, everyone’s gaze immediately turns towards us.

The jewelry horses of the jewelry knights who were sitting among the jewelry soldiers rise from their places.

“That’s…!!”

Among a total of 7 jewelry knights.

Just one, the jewelry knight in the center, caught my eye.

The Diamond Jewelry Knight, whose body is made of radiant diamonds.

That’s right, capturing that one and bringing something to prove it is one of our promotion conditions.

However, in a place like this.

To meet it in an urgent situation.

The Diamond Jewelry Knight looked at us, then picked up a giant diamond halberd.

At the same time, the jewelry soldiers who were resting rise from their places.

『Time until next draw: 16…』