Depths of the Otherworldly Labyrinth (WN)

Chapter 41: The Heat of the Labyrinth, the Heat of the Battle

We walked down the Main Road of the 23rd floor while trying to catch our breath.

However, the more we walked, the more we lost strength. The breath we wanted to take wasnt being regulated well, as the temperature on the 23rd floor was abnormally high compared to the 22nd floor we had just walked through.

Lastiara was flapping the front collar of her dress, her face scrunched. Even from a distance, I could see that she was sweating several times more than I was. Apparently, she was a profuse sweater.

Hot, hot, hot, hot Christ, water.

Yeah, yeah.

I used my back to take a leather canteen out of my Item List and handed it to her. Lastiara gave it to me that morning, and it was quite solidly built.

Without a moment of hesitation, she gulped down the water. As I mused about how the way she drank mirrored her personality, I brought up my question about the 23rd floor.

Hey. Why is the 23rd floor so hot?

Nn. Its because theres magma on the 24th floor.

M-magma? Youve seen it?

No, I heard it from the explorer who came and visited me. I only know as far as the 23rd floor.

Youre acquainted with an explorer who had gone to the 24th floor?

His name is Glenn Walker. The guy whos called the strongest explorer.

Glenn Walker As I recalled, that was the name of the person who held the record of the deepest Labyrinth conquest. However, according to what I heard, he only explored the Labyrinth up to the 23rd floor.

I heard he only went as far as to the 23rd floor, though?

To be precise, the Main Road only goes as far as the 23rd floor.

In other words, the rumor on the street actually addressed the Main Road. It seemed like Glenn-san, the strongest explorer, could go deeper if he didnt have to construct the Main Road.

I see. Thats why youre so knowledgeable. Youve heard a lot from the worlds number one explorer.

Nn, well, its true that what I know is mostly from what he told me.

So, what kind of person is he?

I got excited and asked her about Glenn-san. It seemed like the Strongest title was my weak spot. As a person who loved games and romance, that Glenn-san really struck my interest as a character.

If you ask meI can only describe him as the kind of pitiful guy that fits my taste. He has such an interesting life, one where he can never find the one thing he wants no matter how far he goes If he had any talent at all, hed fare much better

To Lastiara, Glenn Walker was one of the less fortunate. I had thought that he was someone overflowing with talent, loved by the world, and had everything go the way he wanted. It was the complete opposite of what Id assume the Strongest would be.

Huh, I didnt know that

Hes timid, bad at giving up, and a huge masochist. Hes helpless as a person, butwell, hes strong.

No, that doesnt sound like someone strong.

In fact, hes not that strong, you know

I could hear the image of the Strongest in me crumble. It seemed that the strongest person in the world wasnt going to live up to my expectations.

While I was crushed by reality, Dimension found the end of the Main Road. Our trip across the 23rd floor went smoothly since no enemies came close to the Main Road, and Lastiara and I reached the end of it without encountering a single enemy.

So this is the goal. I guess weve achieved our goal for the day.

That made me feel some kind of achievement. I was on par with the limit of mankind.

Alright. Next, lets aim for the 30th floor

Thats a no from me.

I stopped Lastiara in her tracks. 

Although the time passed from the 20th floor to that point was short, I was getting exhausted from the many battles I had encountered for the first time. I was physically averse to going deeper into a world that had never been seen before.

I informed Lastiara of that, but obviously, she didnt buy it.

Eeh, we can still go deeper! Look how energetic I am!

I knew you would say that. Then

In the end, we decided to take the middle way and focus on exploring the 23rd floor. When I told Lastiara that, from that point on, we had to map out the area ourselves since the Main Road could no longer be used as a guide, she reluctantly agreed.

With that, Lastiara and I walked on.

I filled in the map of the 23rd floor relying on the Map system. Fortunately, none of the monsters on the 23rd floor posed a threat. Perhaps the huge monsters that appeared on the 21st and 22nd floors couldnt live on that hot floor. The monsters there were all specialized to withstand high temperatures, so they werent really a trouble.

Above all, Lastiaras high offensive power gave the exploration an advantage. That was because, no matter how sturdy the enemy was, it was meaningless in the face of Lastiaras stupidly high ATK.

After putting two and two together, I judged that the main aim of the floor was to wear out explorers with high heat. Stalling explorers with enemies that focused on durability, depriving them of moisture with high temperatures, and ultimately draining their strength. Depending on how one thought about it, that floor might be more problematic than the 21st and 22nd floors.

A-aah Christ, water

Lastiara consumed a lot of water every few minutes. I was also thirsty and hydrated every now and then, but not as often as her. Her bad stamina consumption had made the 23rd floor her worst enemy.

H-hold on, Lastiara Do you really, rea~lly need to drink? At this rate, were going to run out of water.

I rea~lly, rea~~lly need to drink so badly.

After several hours of walking around, I dared myself to ask Lastiara, but she wasnt fooling around, she pleaded with me for water with a dead serious look on her face.

If you drink any more than this, well need to go back home.

Did I drink that much?

Yeah. Your face looks dazed when you gobble all that water.

The speed at which water was being consumed was such that we needed to rethink our exploration plans. The 24th floor, where we would be heading, was a magma zone, so the water we had on hand was far from enough.

Id rather not get fatally wounded because my head was cloudy from dehydration.

Nn. Is it because I sweat a lot?

It seems like it. We need more water than we had planned if we want to continue the exploration.

I, personally, really wanted to go home. I didnt want to fail due to some unforeseen circumstances, but failing due to a predicted physical condition was no worse.

were going home already?

Well have no water.

Cant be helped then.

Lastiara wasnt very happy about it, but she really couldnt handle the thirst, and her face clouded at the thought of exploring without water.

But Ive got the general layout of the 23rd floor. We gained something from this.

I left the mapping to you, Christ, but are you sure we can make it back?

Dont worry about that.

It would be too long to explain the whole Map system, so I just told Lastiara that I could memorize the path. Lastiara was walking around in a daze and seemed to be anxious because she wasnt sure how to get back home.

My gait was sure as we retraced our steps, as if to counteract Lastiaras anxiety.

* * *

* * *

After we concluded our exploration, we headed for the Connection on the 20th floor. 

We encountered a lot of monsters on our way back, but we could deal with them all, so there was no problem. The problem was that there was supposed to be nothing on the 20th floor.

There was one young girl knight and one wolf with bluish fur.

A knight who could reach the 20th floorprobably one of the Celestial Knights. I extended my magical senses from the 21st floor and focused on the duo.

Status

Name: Ragne Kikuora

HP: 152/153, MP: 34/34

Class: Knight

Level: 16

STR: 3.22, VIT: 3.91, DEX: 11.23, AGI: 5.22, WIS: 7.12, MAG: 1.52, APT: 1.12

Innate SkillS: 

• Magic Power Manipulation: 2.11

Acquired Skills:

• Swordsmanship: 0.52

• Holy Magic: 1.02

Status

Name: Serra Radiant

HP: 252/256. MP: 43/101

Class: Knight

Level: 21

STR: 6.23, VIT: 7.92, DEX: 8.89, AGI: 10.02, WIS: 5.60, MAG: 7.77, APT: 1.57

Innate Skills:

• Instinct: 1.77

Acquired Skills:

• Swordsmanship: 2.12

• Holy Magic: 0.89

The girl knight was named Ragne and the wolf was named Serra.

Eh? That wolf is Radiant-san?

It surprised me so much that I blurted it out.

Why are you stopping, Christ?

No Theres a wolf whos like Radiant-san on the 20th floor. Also, a girl named Ragne.

Thats two of our girls. Break a leg out there, Christ.

Well, its not like I want to lose

Lastiara probably thought it was no big deal. In fact, so did I. We ascended to the 20th floor with light feet.

We entered the 20th floor, and the knight who was stationed in the center of the room bowed. The same as the day before.

Are you all right, Ojou?

The knight, a girl with a bob cut, lightly curtsied and expressed her concern for Lastiaras safety. She was a lively-looking girl, a little shorter than me. I wouldnt call her a peerless beauty, but she had a tidy face and was pretty for her age. She was wearing a short-sleeved high-quality shirt on top and an unusually long skirt underneath. The skirt was wrapped with several layers of loincloth, so her lower half looked very heavy.

Long time no see, Ragne-chan.

Lastiara called the girl with the name Ragne-chan. Since she looked younger than me, I probably should call her Ragne-chan too. 

Both girls then continued their conversation.

Ragne-chan, what brings you here?

I heard it from old pops Haups. The boy in question is an explorer and can be found on the 20th floor.

Aah, so thats what.

I didnt miss Lastiara mumbling in a small voice that old fart, saying unnecessary things

Maan, Id rather laze around in the cathedral, though

Ragne-chan looked at the wolf next to her and smiled bitterly. Feeling her eyes, the wolf looked back and barked.

Eh? Ah, fine. Ill do, Ill do. Right away.

Having been barked at, Ragne-chan sensed the intention and quickly drew her sword. Out of curiosity, I asked Lastiara in whispers.

That wolf is Radiant-san, right?

Yup. Radiant is a thick-blooded beastfolk. She speaks to Ragne-chan using magic. I have my eye, so I know for a fact its her, but its amusing, so Im pretending that I dont.

Ill do the same.

Id rather not have her bark at me if I pointed it out. I guessed thats what she meant by not showing up in person. Id just leave her be. 

I drew my sword and stood in front of Lastiara. When I did, Ragne-chan, right in front of me, pulled out something resembling a memo from her pocket and began to read it out loud.

Eh, ermm, I am Ragne Kaikuora the knight. Christ Eurasia, I challenge you to a duel on our lady. The rules are the same as the ones youve had with Serra Radiant. Now, let us duelyups.

Yep, shes got zero motivation. It was kind of like the atmosphere in athletic clubs where the juniors were forced to do things by their seniors.

Yeah, lets go with that. But theres one change I want to make. Can you add the reward for me that you dont bring any more knights with you?

Ah, yea, sure. Also, lets end it with a single injury. Ion wanna get badly injured from this.

Sure.

Ragne-chan readily nodded and added her own rule. She really wasnt getting on board. In response, the wolf growled. Youd frighten Ragne-chan, so please stop that.

Then, we start now?

Yeah, lets

Please hold on.

Ragne-chan had just pulled her ill-fitting, sumptuous, one-handed sword when Lastiara interrupted.

I looked at Lastiara, questioning her action. She whispered to me.

Christ. Did you just accept the rule to end with a single injury? Thats a huge disadvantage. Thats her specialty, you know?

Eh? But her parameters are low?

Ragnes parameters were lower than any of the Celestial Knights I had faced before. I couldnt even sense anything that would make Lastiaras expression grim like that.

Shes an irregular who can do things outside of what her parameters allow her Ill give you too much leverage if I say more, but just dont lose on the first attack.

Lastiaras eyes were serious. She had always looked optimistic in the previous two battles, but it seemed she couldnt be as optimistic after I received the rule that whoever who got hurt first lost.

First attack Ragne-chan was an irregular, and her first attack seemed like it would exceed what her Status had made me assume.

Thats a huge amount of leverage I couldnt lose after being told so much. I focused on fortifying Dimension Gladiator.

Can we start now?

Yeah, its okay now.

We confirmed with each other, drew our swords, and bowed. And thus, the battle began.

Immediately, I opted to deploy my auxiliary magic, but

Magic, Fo?!!

A mysterious blade reached for my throat. I had sensed it when it started rapidly growing with Dimension Gladiator, so I managed to evade it by raising the sword in my hand, deflecting it. 

Then, I confirmed the identity of the blade. The magnificent one-handed sword in her hand didnt even waver. It was from her other, free hand that a blade made of solidified magic power was extending out. I hadnt used my eyes when I evaded it; I had noticed it because I had a birds eye view of Ragne-chan through the use of my magic.

If I had fought normally, my eyes would have been focused on her sword since she was a knight. However, thanks to my magical senses and Lastiaras advice, I was able to avoid being wounded.

Ragne-chan immediately retracted her magic power blade, panicking.

Keh. That got evaded cleanly.

Without a moments time to catch a breath, Ragne-chans second and third blows struck.

I deflected them with the tip of my sword, parrying them away. She was about 10 meters away from me, and yet it felt as if she was fighting right under my nose.

It was like dealing with a laser gun that was constantly discharging. However, Lastiara was right, it was only her first attack that I had to watch out for. As long as I could tell the origin of her attack, she was no match for me.

Ragnes swordsmanship technique itself wasnt as refined as it came. Simply put, she had no tact. She didnt have the sense of aiming.

As I began to get used to her blade, I started to close the distance between us as I repelled her attacks before she immediately raised both hands.

Aah, I cant. I lost. I think this is the first time Ive lost after having such an advantage.

It seemed like she decided that she had no chance of winning if the duel continued. Ragne-chan crudely tossed her luxurious sword to the ground, indicating her resignation.

Yeah, it was an interesting match. Thank you.

Nah, its all yours.

We then walked up to each other and shook hands with good smiles on each others faces, it somehow felt like after a sports tournament.

Further back though, Radiant-san, Ragne-chans senior, was barking at us, but I paid it no mind.

The wolf kept on complaining to Ragne-chan, so she answered with a half-smile.

Eeh, what can I do? Onii-sans strong and kind and cool, whats the problem anyway? If the lady wasnt with him first, Id be the one snatching him for myself, you know?

But the wolf continued to bark. Ragne-chan interpreted it out loud.

Eh, ermm? The lovely, beautiful, pure, innocent young lady whos really like a flower made of the virgin, unsullied first snowfall should not fall to such a mans spells you said? Eeh, but the ladys can be quite black-hearted, yknow.

Hearing that, Lastiara replied.

Ah, Ragne-chan, youre terrible. I always speak honest and true, and yet you call me black-hearted youre going to make me cry

Lastiara pretended to be hurt by Ragne-chans words and faked breaking down crying. Seeing that, the wolf bit Ragne-chan.

O-ow! Stop that, senior! See?! This is what I meant when I said that the ladys black-hearted!

After some play-biting between the wolf and Ragne-chan, Lastiara made sure Ragne-chan would keep her oath. She swore that, as a knight, she wouldnt break her oath. 

Then, as she was calming the agitated wolf, Ragne-chan turned to leave.

Welp, Ojou, laters. You too, cool Onii-san. Laters.

She walked straight to the 19th floor, looking all refreshed.

Since we had another means to leave the Labyrinth, we didnt follow her and only waved our hands until she was out of sight.

Thus, I cleared the third Celestial Knights event.

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