episode_0147

Leaving the brief encounter with Raze behind, I was slowly descending the stairs.

I had somewhat expected it, but hearing it in person still left me with mixed feelings.

Information from Deep Explorers that the Evil God’s seal is gradually weakening, and stories that the scale of the investigation team is blowing up, meaning there’s a high possibility of it becoming a total war.

In a way, it might be good that the end is in sight.

But the problem is that I, no, we, are not yet prepared with the skills to overcome the obstacle at the end.

If we charge head-on into that obstacle without changing as we are, we will merely be annihilated.

Of course, I am not the only one in this world.

It is filled with people stronger and more capable than me.

But if you ask me if they can defeat the Evil God, I’m not so sure.

Even if incredibly strong Deep Explorers gather, I can’t picture them subjugating the Evil God.

Well, conversely, it’s hard to say it would change just because I’m involved.

But.

My Master too, and the group of Deep Explorers who visited this time, Divers, both seem to hope that I will join the investigation, no, the extermination team.

‘Do I have to get stronger quickly during the remaining time?’

Suddenly, I feel like a time attack has been placed on my life out of nowhere.

I was planning to live leisurely for a while, just managing the clan.

Perhaps a carefree otherworld life is impossible after all.

Leaving my regretful feelings behind, I headed towards a faculty of the Magic Tower as usual.

*

I told my party members the story I had heard from my Master and Raze.

Including Jack, of course.

Jack still doesn’t know that I am an Apostle, so I just explained that I would probably join the extermination team by following my Master, but he probably gets the gist of it.

Although Luca’s expression looked blank when I said that, well, she’s not the type to suggest opinions anyway, but rather someone who follows along with what’s suggested.

“Half a year… It’s a long time if you think it is, and a short time if you think it is.”

“How on earth are we supposed to get stronger in half a year?”

“Moreover, I heard the extermination team might be formed even faster than half a year. Because the Evil God’s power is getting stronger.”

“Probably, as the investigation team turns into an extermination team, a small investigation team will be sent separately. The situation after that will change any amount based on the information brought back from there.”

Ultimately, nothing is set in stone.

A situation of chaos where things can change at any time.

All we can do is always do our best.

“Jack, are you ready to go to the 8th floor?”

“Already finished, I can depart anytime.”

“Tomorrow. We enter the Labyrinth.”

No one expressed opposition to my decision.

*

The goal of this Labyrinth exploration is purely to improve our skills and get stronger.

What are the ways for explorers to get stronger?

Unlike mages, explorers can earn money to buy cards and imprint them, or they can gain combat experience to become more seasoned. Of course, getting better equipment is also a method.

However, the core of all these things is ultimately money, and since explorers earn money in the Labyrinth, it means they ultimately have to enter the Labyrinth.

I also have to hunt monsters in the Labyrinth to get stronger, so there’s no reason not to enter the Labyrinth.

Thus, we skipped floors 1 through 6 entirely.

We just kept running.

Of course, we had no choice but to fight on the 4th floor where forced combat was required.

On the 5th and 6th floors, Grace spotted monsters in advance and detoured as much as possible. It would have been impossible on the 7th floor due to the narrow cave passages, but the 5th and 6th floors are practically like an open world. If detected in advance, there’s enough time to evade.

Running all day like that, we reached the 7th floor even faster than expected.

The time taken was only 10 days.

Of course, for most of that long time, I was carried on Luca’s back.

No, I understand everyone else being fast except for me, but Kylec, they say he’s an archer, why is he fast…?

Anyway, back to the 7th floor of the Labyrinth.

However, quite a few things had changed compared to about a month ago.

“There aren’t many paths.”

“They say it was exceptionally wide last time.”

First, the size of the incredibly large cave had definitely shrunk.

Because the number of passages has decreased to one-fourth compared to before.

And one more thing that had changed.

It was the fact that an unusually large number of knights were visible on the 7th floor of the Labyrinth.

To the extent that I thought we would have caught the vampire very easily if they had deployed like this earlier.

However, why are there so many?

Fixing the barn after losing the cow, isn’t it meaningless? At least in the Labyrinth?

Moreover, the tiger that broke the barn is already dead, so even more so.

However, since I was openly questioning it like that, Jack, who noticed, immediately.

“Should I go ask?”

“Can you?”

“No, what’s so hard about that?”

Jack slyly approached the patrolling knights.

“Ah, Knights who are working hard. Thank you for your efforts today!!!”

“……? Who are you?”

“I am a regular 7th floor explorer. But there seems to be an unusual number of knights on the 7th floor, is there a reason?”

“It is the policy of the higher-ups that the number of high-floor explorers should not decrease further.”

“Ahh. Is that all?”

“…Naturally.”

Then Jack skillfully took something out of subspace and handed it to the knights.

Seeing that, the knights’ eyes rounded to the extent that they could be seen through their visors.

My brow furrowed slightly at the sight, which was like giving a bribe, but the effect was excellent.

“Actually…”

(whispering)

Jack, who nodded and listened to the whole story, handed over one more thing and then returned here.

“They say knights have advanced up to the 8th floor? I heard that one of the Seven Deadly Sins, who was being tracked well, is now missing.”

“Perhaps they are worried that (it/he) will target high-floor explorers like during the Vampire Blood incident?”

“Well, maybe. Because every single bit of strength is precious at this time.”

Well, we won’t have to fight two consecutive Seven Deadly Sins.

As far as I know, the only one who needs human blood and flesh is the vampire.

“And there might also be a performative aspect to it. It’s to calm the anxiety caused by many high-floor explorers dying.”

“Well, it’s not bad for us.”

It’s not like the knights are interfering with us hunting monsters, and they are preventing strange phenomena and providing help.

It seems like it will be a comfortable Labyrinth life for the first time in a while.

*

Our goal is the 8th floor, but that doesn’t mean there’s no reason to do anything on the 7th floor.

First, it’s also important to work on coordination with Jack, who is new.

And being able to easily break through the 7th floor is proof that we can somehow survive on the 8th floor as well.

Also, farming on the 7th floor isn’t bad.

Anyway, the 7th floor is made of narrow passages, so bypassing monsters isn’t easy either.

As expected, as we walked, Gem Soldiers and Gem Knights were blocking the passage, having formed a formation.

“Haven’t we just entered the 7th floor? This time the 7th floor is narrow, I didn’t expect to meet them this quickly.”

“Besides the fact that there’s another path next to them, the scale is much larger than expected?”

Listening to Grace’s words, I quietly observed the Gem Soldiers in the darkness of the cave, and a few more Gem Knights were visible behind them.

Since the number of Gem Soldiers far exceeds 40, at this level, it’s quite a sizable monster group encountered on the 7th floor.

These kinds of large-scale monster groups are quite ambiguous.

Explorers going to higher floors can just take a path beside them.

Because it’s difficult for 7th floor locals to hunt that many monsters unless they are a clan unit.

“Maybe they’ve remained until now because the number of 7th floor explorers is small?”

“Perhaps.”

Conversely, it means it’s not a bad situation for a party capable of hunting.

Because they can hunt a monster group without having to wander around for a long time.

“Okay. Let’s hunt those guys.”

As soon as I made the decision, everyone quickly took their positions and prepared for battle.

Among them, Jack and Grace advanced quite boldly.

The reason is simple.

This is because they have to confirm with their own eyes if there are Gem Soldiers with ‘Flutes’.

The existence of the ‘Flute’, which is most important in battles against all Gem Soldiers on the 7th floor.

But having it doesn’t make them invincible.

There are only up to 2 Flutes in a group, no matter how many.

Because we can start by first eliminating the Gem Soldier holding the Flute.

“Flute confirmed. Location is…”

As Grace sent a hand signal to Kylec, Kylec carefully looked around at the Gem Soldiers.

And as if he had found the target, he nocked an arrow onto his bowstring.

At the same time, I hooked the card I was holding onto my finger so I could use it anytime.

Normally, I would use a card before entering the combat situation.

Unfortunately, among my cards, there wasn’t one excellent for ‘sniping’.

“…Shoot.”

Kylec drew the bow carefully, seeming a bit nervous.

That’s understandable, because he hasn’t used a precise bow shot much until now.

Because he’s a power-type archer.

But unlike the early Kylec who was only strong but had terrible accuracy, now he has become an archer through long training and practical experience.

Whoosh!!!

The arrow flew and completely pulverized the body of one Gem Soldier.

At the same time as the body of the Gem Soldier, located in a hard-to-see position, instantly vanished, a card in my hand melted into the world.

[Stone Barrage]

Rocks instantly appeared behind me and flew towards the Gem Soldiers in front, and at the same time, the Gem Soldiers realized our presence.

『Combat Start. Draw 4 cards.』

『Energy 5/5』

『Joker Card – Draw 1 designated card additionally on the first turn.』

[Meteor(7)] [Fireball(1)] [Earthen Wall(1)] [Strike(1)] + [Stone Barrage(5)]

Since one more was drawn just in time, I immediately use it again.

[Stone Barrage]

Moreover, this time, by using it first and receiving the effect of [Cat’s Paw], larger and stronger rocks flew.

As massive masses that could turn humans into trifles poured down one by one, the Gem Soldiers also started to scatter, flustered.

That’s natural. Because dealing with a sudden disaster situation isn’t easy.

Gem Soldiers fell like rain from the barrage of random rocks.

However, fewer Gem Soldiers died than I thought.

『[Butcher’s Gloves] consume blood.』

『Energy increases by 1, and draw 1 card.』

『[Butcher’s Gloves] consume blood.』

『Energy increases by 1, and draw 1 card.』

Exactly 2.

While it’s a disappointing result for having consumed two 5-cost cards.

Still, the effect was sufficient.

Because not dying doesn’t mean there was no damage.

Roar!!!

Gem Knights urgently issued orders, but in the situation where the disaster had already passed, the Gem Soldiers were not intact.

Our vanguards piercing through the gaps in the meantime.

Quickly and carefully eliminating the guys who hadn’t recovered their senses yet, were somewhat buried under rocks, or had taken heavy damage and were almost at death’s door.

But they are not monsters that would just stand by and watch that.

Gem Knights and the intact Gem Soldiers tried to attack.

“Here!!!”

Jack instantly ran and dropped between all the monsters.

I wonder if that’s okay….

Checked my hand to help.

[Meteor(7)] [Fireball(1)] [Earthen Wall(1)] [Strike(1)] [Wind Blade(0)] [Freeze(2)]

There weren’t really any cards that could help from a distance.

No, more importantly, why is my hand like this?

Letting go of my worries, I watched Jack’s fight from afar.

That guy, he fights better than I thought.

The curse he possesses, the Perfect Guard Curse.

I heard that if you perfectly parry, you can block all attacks.

Instead, I heard that if you fail, you get hit several times harder.

Since getting hit bare-bodied is the same anyway.

…Thinking like this feels strange.

Anyway, not a single attack from the familiar 7th-floor monsters broke through Jack’s defense.

In the meantime, everyone who had cleared the monsters buried by the Stone Barrage reached the place where Jack was.

The battle after that ended uneventfully.

Luca ran quickly and sliced enemies with defense-piercing damage.

The Gem Knights instantly vanished from Kylec and Noah’s attacks.

Since they were immobilized by Grace’s freeze debuff periodically, they couldn’t even utilize their numerical advantage.

『Until next draw 15』

『Please check card rewards.』

The battle ended before the next turn even came.

And I quickly made a judgment.

“Hmm, at this level, there won’t be any problems on the 7th floor.”

Was it thanks to Jack who filled in the lacking parts? Or was it thanks to the party members who got stronger?

It seems like there’s no need to fear the 8th floor as much as I thought.