Stage Variables
by Afuhfuihgs
Kung―――!
With a heavy boom that shook my eardrums, the troll’s head flew off. I used space magic to move it near the head, then controlled the range of the explosion using space closure, maximizing the power of the magic stone bomb.
The adventurer, seeing the thick troll skin that was hard to pierce with magic or ordinary weapons being torn like paper, stared blankly at the collapsing troll with his mouth wide open. The reaction was good, but the situation wasn’t. I immediately created a dimensional exit for visibility in the place where the goblin had lit the fire.
Kwang―――! Kwang―――! Kwang―――!
With a huge explosion, the goblin horde occupying the area was instantly turned into minced meat. Furthermore, the explosion caused bottles filled with oil to burst, creating a wall of fire that prevented goblins from approaching from afar.
The hourglass above my head hasn’t disappeared yet. There’s one place left. The spot where the adventurer next to me ran away. Let’s secure the view and take a look; I saw a monster tearing apart a corpse. It’s a monster I’ve never seen before. It had a human face, but it felt more like an ogre.
It didn’t hesitate to tear flesh from the corpse with its teeth, so it seemed to be a cannibal. As it was engrossed in its meal, I stabbed a spear towards the back of its head. Until the spear blade was about to touch its head, it was focused on the corpse, but the moment the spear tip touched its fur, it ducked its head at an incredible speed to avoid the attack.
As it turned to grab the spear, I avoided it by releasing the manifestation and examined the monster in detail. Its speed is similar to a Transcender. But its intelligence didn’t seem very high. It felt like an animal that had lived alone on a deserted island for decades, with only its instincts remaining.
Thanks to that, it felt easier to kill. I activated a magic stone bomb and dropped it like a stone using space magic. The monster, falling towards the floor beyond the dimensional exit… as expected, judged it not to be threatening and went back to tearing apart the corpse, only to have its head explode and die from the magic stone bomb.
***
By using space magic and magic stone bombs to provide appropriate assistance, we gradually began to adapt to stopping the monsters. Now, everyone here didn’t just think of it as simply stopping the swarming monsters. They used intelligence and tools, and used schemes like humans to target us, so we could no longer see the enemy as simple monsters.
We blocked the 30th wave and were able to take a break for the first time. When the wave ended, the words [Maintenance Time] appeared before everyone’s eyes, and a 30-minute timer appeared above their heads. In case monsters could approach during the break, following Raellan’s instructions, the mages installed alarm magic in the passage, and everyone gathered where I was.
The exhausted adventurers immediately leaned against the walls of the labyrinth and closed their eyes. The mages, who had been constantly using mana, were also tired, so they gathered in one place and rested with their eyes closed. Still, Derok-gun wasn’t a Guild Master for nothing; he didn’t rest and wandered around, checking on the condition of the adventurers. Raellan was using a familiar to check the labyrinth outside the area.
I didn’t really need a break either. I had plenty of mana thanks to the elixirs and the labyrinth’s rewards, and my recovery was good thanks to having mana amplification engraved in my brain when I became a Transcender. Rather than just standing still for 30 minutes, I thought it would be better to do something, so I decided to cook for the people who looked exhausted.
Before entering the labyrinth, I had filled my space warehouse with completed food and ingredients. Thanks to putting the packaged food from the restaurants directly into the space warehouse, there was no need to heat it up separately. I thought it would get cold if I took it out in advance, so I decided to take it out when the cooking was finished.
Suddenly, I took out an adventurer’s campfire and cooking utensils and started heating oil, and I could see people who were resting glancing at me. I quickly started making food that could be eaten easily. It would have been more convenient if there was ramen, but unfortunately, only Italian-style ramen existed in this world.
Still, pasta was easier to make in large quantities. I took out more campfires, boiled water to cook the noodles, and on one side, I made pasta sauce based on pepperoni oil. As the delicious smell filled the space where Ellie’s magic had removed the monster’s innards and stench, everyone was now openly watching me cook.
Before the food was finished, I took out bowls from the space warehouse. I hadn’t put anything big like a table in the space warehouse, so I was planning to sit on the floor to eat, but Valentine-ssi was horrified and approached me.
,I’ll prepare the meal!
Valentine-ssi waved his staff and skillfully created a table and chairs. Colton-ssi from the Blue Magic Tower also quickly approached and took the bowls from me, placing them on the table. It seems that mages like things clean. Adventurers wouldn’t care even if it was on top of a corpse as long as they could eat.
Wanting to be a little mean, I said to Colton-ssi as I handed over the bowls.
,I’m only going to eat it, so there’s no need to help. Thanks anyway.
“…!”
Instantly, Valentine-ssi and Colton-ssi looked at me with shocked eyes. Even the adventurers who were about to sit down on their chairs were giving me looks that clearly meant, ‘Are you even human?’
,…Of course, I’m kidding.
In the first place, there was no reason to make this much if I was only going to eat it. It seems like no one is quick-witted. As I was shaking my head in disappointment, Valentine-ssi sighed and said.
,Lady Yu Li also makes jokes?
“….”
,But, it’s funny that everyone thought Lady Yu Li might actually do that. Even her own colleagues.
Lamine-ssi, who was looking at me, subtly turned her gaze away. I thought I was on good terms with Lacar-ssi’s sister… I felt unnecessarily hurt. I had no intention of playing around with food. There’s a saying that it’s the cheapest thing to do with food, isn’t there? Actually, Ross’s influence was big.
Because my parents openly gave Roel-ssi more meat or kept the plate with the delicious parts close to Roel-ssi, I had the perception that messing with food was ‘dirty and cheap’ to Ross. Well, I didn’t want to be childish like that either.
I took out bowls and utensils to match the number of people and transferred the pasta. Then I took out bread and drinks, and even took out the packaged food for people who didn’t like pasta, placing it on the table. There were 10 minutes left. It was enough time for a meal.
Without anyone saying anything first, everyone moved their forks. Everyone had manners, so they made a fuss while eating the pasta. Originally, excessive reactions were essential for the role of just eating quietly.
Hureureup―――!
Hureureup―――!
Jjuuup―――!
Jjuuup―――!
That didn’t mean they had to slurp the noodles with the pasta… Anyway, it was good as long as they ate deliciously. But Ellie-ssi’s hand, sitting next to me, didn’t move much. It felt like she was just picking at it. She might not be hungry, or she might not like it.
,Do you want to eat something else?
At my question, Ellie-ssi stopped the hand that was meaninglessly turning the fork and smiled.
,No, the pasta is really delicious. I’m just… not hungry.
,Shall I take out something sweet?
The chocolate cake that I bought from the most delicious bakery in the capital… the place Aria-ssi mentioned was in the space warehouse. But Ellie-ssi shook her head, saying she was okay.
,No, but thanks for caring.
In the end, I emptied my bowl by myself. Valentine-ssi and Colton-ssi cleaned up with magic. As I put the cleaned tableware back into the space warehouse, the break time ended with good timing. Everyone thanked me for the delicious meal and returned to their positions.
As if the break just now was a lie, the monsters’ roars were immediately heard.
***
A variable appeared in the 37th wave. Red suddenly appeared on the floor that was sparkling orange, like a warning light. Not knowing what it meant, I grabbed the necks of the two adventurers who were diligently blocking the monsters and moved them to where I was.
,Eek…!
,What, what!
The surprised adventurers screamed and got up when they were suddenly moved to another place. I gestured with my chin in the direction they were in to the adventurer who was looking at me with a puzzled expression and released the connected dimensional passage. Soon, a fierce flame swept across the red spot on the floor in the passage where the adventurers were, as if a dragon was breathing fire.
The adventurers, realizing that not even ashes would have remained if they had been there, looked at the fading flames with fearful faces and thanked me.
,Th, thanks to you, I lived!
,Thank you….
The adventurer’s words trailed off. The adventurer’s gaze, which seemed to be beyond shock and completely stunned, was directed above my head. There was no need to check above my head. It would definitely be the same as what was floating above the adventurer’s head.
[37/100]
At the same time as the remaining wave stages appeared above our heads, a door to escape the labyrinth appeared around us.
It seems that the variable wasn’t the breath after all.
,…Ah.
The adventurer’s head, who was looking above my head, turned towards the door.
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