Two ships advance through the silver waves.
Swaaaaaaaaaah.
Our ship leads the way, and the Armin Exploration Team's ship follows behind.
After much deliberation, we decided on that destination.
The very island where someone from the Hex Clan made a rescue request through the community.
The reason I chose this island as my first destination is simple.
'Why not go when you can get unpaid slaves?'
It's a completely different case from the Armin Exploration Team.
The top priority for the explorers trapped on the island is survival. By now, they're ready to do anything to get back to the city.
'Besides, that island is also a place that we will eventually have to explore someday.'
The basement level here is a very unique floor.
The library is like that, and so is the tree island that was there until recently. The difficulty level increases without limit.
'Even on Namu Island, level 4 monsters are starting to appear.'
By the way, at that time we were not even halfway up the tree island, so maybe a level 1 monster will appear later.
Therefore, we need to increase the number of personnel further.
Because you have a higher chance of getting a clue to escape if you clear all the end content on any island.
"Auyen, how much longer is it to reach our destination?"
"If the course I heard from the navigator over there is correct, it's about nine hours away, sir."
"I see."
The remaining time until we reached our destination was spent thinking about how to distribute the people and organize them as the number of people increased.
About three more hours had passed since then.
"Sir! The expedition ship! It's, it's sinking!"
A problem occurred.
***
The situation was sudden enough.
But for explorers, emergencies are a daily occurrence.
"Erwen! Tell me what's going on over there!"
"Something under the sea is pulling the boat!"
"Is it a monster?"
"I don't know! What came out looked like a human hand...."
Erwen shouted, looking down from the observation deck.
"It's huge!"
"Like the giant I saw on that island?"
"yes!"
What the heck, is that really him?
If that's really the case, it's a bit ironic.
When the rainy season ended and I looked for it, it didn't even show its nose, but then it suddenly appeared in the middle of the ocean.
"Captain! It will take some time to turn the bow!"
"Understood, hurry as fast as you can. And Erwen! Can you provide support?"
"I'll try!"
Erwen, under my direction, drew the bowstring of an arrow from the observation deck.
and....
"Erwen Fornacci di Tercia cast [Concentrated Fire]."
An energy that becomes stronger and stronger as time passes in that state.
Unfortunately, full charging was not possible.
"Uh, uh uh...?"
"The ship, the ship is flying...!!"
The expedition ship, which had been half-submerged in the sea, rises into the air as if pulled by something.
A giant hand sticking out of the water, holding onto the sides of the boat and supporting it.
It was such an unrealistic sight, but somehow I could anticipate the next scene in my head.
'Surely… Are you going to throw it away in that condition?'
I couldn't figure it out.
Erwen finished charging and released the bowstring, as if she had seen the same scene as me.
Pishuuuuk-!
A spirit ray that shoots out, creating a sound like a jet flying by.
Kwaaaaaaaang-!
Soon, an arrow struck the wrist that was holding onto the boat.
and....
[Woooooooooooooooooo!!]
The cries of the creature hidden beneath the sea vibrate through the water beneath the surface.
A sound strong enough to be transmitted through the underside of a ship touching the sea.
Kuuuung—!
Soon the guy is startled and lets go of his hand, and the boat, having ❀ ❀ (Don't copy, read here) lost its fulcrum, tilts and falls onto the water's surface.
But, have you invested a lot in your boat before?
In a situation where it would not have been strange for a normal ship to sink, the expedition team's ship regained its balance and stood up again like a grasshopper.
'I guess the urgent fire has been put out… … .'
Of course, it is too early to feel at ease.
Because he didn't look like the kind of guy who would run away after getting shot with an arrow.
Surely a second raid will come soon.
"Emily! This is the diving situation I told you about last time!"
"Okay, I'll get it ready, so go ahead!"
Since we had prepared and practiced for these situations in advance, there was no need for lengthy communication.
I immediately stepped onto the deck and jumped high.
and....
"The character cast [Transcendence]."
"The character cast [Gigantization]."
Activate transcendence gigantism just before falling into the sea.
Kwaaaaang!
As soon as the body touches the surface, there is a loud noise like a cannonball hitting the water and water sprays up in all directions.
Yeah, this is how you dive.
"...."
As soon as you get into the water.
The body of a barbarian clad in full iron armor sinks quickly.
Also, a darkness like that of the deep sea covers the surroundings.
Of course, that time was only for a moment.
Shh …
Dozens of light spheres summoned by Bersil descend under the sea, illuminating all directions.
Well, it was still a bit on the dark side though.
'Where can I see it?'
The sea of the archives was different from the normal sea.
Silver water that is clearly different from blue.
No, in fact, it's hard to even see it as water.
Because after testing, the Elemental Barbarian (Water) mode did not work here.
I guess it's something with similar properties to water.
"Bersil Gowland cast the 7th-grade magic [Oxygen Tank]."
Fortunately, however, [Dungeon & Stone]'s signature diving magic works in the sea here as well.
Well, is it strange that it doesn't work?
Unlike Erwen's 'water breathing' judgment, this magic is a type that focuses on 'oxygen supply'.
In fact, it was possible to counter respiratory poisons and such within the game with this magic—.
Kuung-!
That's when my feet touched the ground.
I had a rough idea of what it would be like when I saw the giant reaching out, but as expected, it wasn't that deep.
Tadah.
As I run towards the huge outline that appears in the distance, the shape gradually becomes clearer.
Hipramagant.
The guy looked exactly the same as when we briefly met on the island earlier.
Two arms and two legs.
A long neck with a head on top.
The overall proportions are not much different from those of humans, but… … .
Rotten skin, as if swarming with maggots.
There are also strange bumps that look like warts.
Also eyes, nose, ears, etc.
The creature lacks the facial features that a human should have, and where a face should be, there is only a huge mouth filled with ugly teeth.
'So that's what your head looked like.'
At that time, it was hidden in the darkness and could not be seen.
'Even though I turned on Transcendence Giant, it only went up to my thighs.'
Oh, does this one have [Giantization] turned on too?
But even so, it's still like that.
In the case of the Lord of Chaos, Liakis, it didn't feel real because he walked on all fours, but seeing one of that size walking on two legs makes it feel unrealistic all over again.
but....
'Hey, is this your first time seeing a Barbarian?'
What's strange is that it seems to be the same over there.
When I see you just standing there blankly staring at me like that.
Tadah.
Dash forward, stomping hard on the ground that was crumbling like mud.
And then he swings his hammer at his Achilles.
Phew-!
Ugh, I even used [Swing], but it didn't even flinch.
He was a much tougher guy than I had imagined, but it wasn't a big deal.
As I had hoped, the aggro was properly attracted.
[Woooooooooooo-!!]
The guy no longer showed any interest in the boat floating on the surface of the water.
However, they only focus all their attention on the enemies that pose a 'threat'.
The guy slams his palm down and lets out a zombie-like whine.
'Why is the attack speed so fast?'
If it were outside, I wouldn't know.
It was difficult to dodge while underwater and the movements were slow.
So, raise your shield high and guard.
Kwaaaaang-!
The ground I was standing on caved in and I was stuck up to my waist, but I didn't take much damage. It was so painful that I thought my waist would break if I got hit a few more times.
'Is his strength average for his size?'
Of course, this is based on a 2nd-grade monster. At this level, it is comparable to an Ogre, which is considered the best in physical attack damage among 3rd-grade monsters.
'The problem is skill… … .'
This guy's skills recorded in the village chief's book were three, including [Giant Growth].
but....
'There must be more.'
Because from level 3 monsters onwards, there are a lot of them that have five or six active skills.
In the first place, his passive wasn't even revealed.
'I wonder what the passive skill is.'
I hope it's a skill that Shield Baba can use—.
"Casted the 3rd-grade space-time magic [Target Designation]."
Kwaaaaang-!
Then the guy kicked me like he was kicking a soccer ball, causing me to fly up.
Of course, it wasn't that high.
If we use a ball metaphor, I am a ball filled with sand.
Kuung.
A body that lands in a gentle parabolic arc.
Support continued on the water as well.
"Bersil Gowland cast the 4th-grade detection spell [Outline of the Soul]."
First of all, let's start with [Outline of the Soul].
It was a magic that was especially useful on the 6th floor, where the ocean was in the background.
After casting this spell, you will be able to see your shape clearly above the water even if you hide under the sea.
It looks that way to me now.
[Woooooooooooooooo-!]
A giant shining in a variety of colors, as if seen through a thermal imaging camera.
As soon as the target was identified, various long-range attacks rained down from the water.
"Charlotte Amblett casts the 4th-grade attack spell [Spiral Awl]."
"Mul Armin cast [Eternal Weakness]."
"Garton Kultner cast [Slinger]… … ."
「… … .」
Looking at the many skills I haven't seen before, it seems like most of them are the skills of the Armin Exploration Team…
'Well, we lack long-distance travel.'
Only Erwen and Bersil are capable of long-range attacks.
What's the matter is, the rest are all melee type.
This is also an area that needs to be gradually improved.
[Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!!!]
The creature lets out a ferocious roar as it attacks from above the water.
Looking at this, I swallowed my saliva without realizing it.
Before I could even properly coordinate with the expedition team, I never even dreamed that we would be engaging in an underwater battle like this.
but....
'I have no choice but to try.'
With that kind of determination, I was about to start the raid in earnest.
[Woooooooooooooooooo—!!]
A giant that I have to look up to for a long time.
He started running at a speed that was hard to believe came from someone of that size.
"...?"
I looked at the sight with vain eyes.
Kuung, kuung, kuung-!
The guy was running, stretching out his long legs.
The exact opposite of where I am.
***
'You ran away… and hit me… ?'
At first, I thought it was some kind of preparatory movement for a skill.
However, the guy who ran away in an instant showed no sign of returning no matter how much time passed.
'… … What is this?'
I don't understand it at all.
Well, my current threat level is not enough to release aggro even on a tier 2 monster.
Of course, just like goblins, monsters also give up fighting and run away when their health hits rock bottom or they feel they are on the verge of death… … .
'Before I could even properly put in the deal… … .'
Seriously, what the hell is that kid?
He's big and distracting, but does he have the trait of a coward?
Since I came down to the basement level, I have been discovering phenomena that I cannot explain with my labyrinthine common sense almost every day.
'…Let's go up first.'
I wrapped myself around the specially made exploration rope that had been lowered from the ship and pulled down three times, and then they started to pull me up from above.
So back outside.
"Sir! Are you okay?"
As I was climbing up onto the deck and drying myself off with the towel Amelia had given me, Erwen came running towards me.
"Don't worry. There's no particular injury."
"What a peculiar entity...."
"Let's talk about the guy who ran away later. What's the situation over there? How injured are they?"
"Ah, that's...! It wasn't a situation where we could talk about that..."
Since the distance between the two ships was not that far, I just released [Gigantization] and jumped over them.
"Me, Baron?! Are you alright!"
"Oh, it's okay. What about you?"
"We are all safe. However… the ship is in this condition, so it will be difficult to sail until it is anchored and properly repaired."
"Don't worry, it'll come over to our ship."
"Ah.... Thank you."
After that, we continued our voyage with the members of the expedition team who had lost their ship on our ship.
Even though our ship was classified as a medium-sized ship, it couldn't help but feel cramped with 27 people on board.
'… … What if the number of people increases later?'
There must have been more ships then.
As I was thinking about that, Armin approached me and bowed once more.
"Thank you very much, Baron. If we had crossed this sea on our own, what would have happened… I hate to even think about it."
It seems that this incident had a great impact on Mul's change of heart.
"Haha, what kind of thank you is this between colleagues?"
I laughed heartily and thought to myself.
'I think they'll follow suit even if the conditions are lowered?'
Well, it's a bit like that now though.
I'll bring it up later, depending on the situation—.
"Sir!! There, there are giants! The giants are rushing towards us!!"
"…huh?"
After hearing the news from the observation deck, I hurried to the deck.
Without even turning on [Gigantization], I saw giants approaching at high speed from afar.
Perhaps because the water was shallow, only the fish-mouth-like face was floating above the water… … .
'This isn't even Gyarados.'
First, I counted the number of heads floating around.
One, two, three, four, five, six… … .
Seven… … .
By the way, among them, there was a guy who ran away after fighting us earlier. He was the only one who was marked all the way down with [Soul Outline].
'Did you run away to call your friend?'
Surely, I would not have guessed that they were a group-living species.
Apart from the new information I had in my hands, I quickly came to my senses and shouted.
[Waaa …
"Auyen! Put all the magic stones into the propulsion!"
You have to jump right now.
-x-X-x-
On the 6th floor, there is a place known as the No Wind Zone.
There is no wind, and the ocean currents are nearly nonexistent. To pass through this area, it's essential to have a magical propulsion device…
This propulsion device doesn't only work in the No Wind Zone; it is also useful in other places. After all, there are plenty of situations during navigation where acceleration is required.
Just like this.
Whooooosh—!!
As soon as the accumulated magic stones were poured into the propulsion device…
The motor attached to the bottom of the ship started, and a thunderous noise echoed.
At the same time,
Shhhhhh-!!
A powerful current of water surged forward, far more forceful than what could be generated through regular sailing, and the bow of the ship surged ahead.
"Fold the sails!"
As soon as the wide sails were folded, the speed increased even more. When the propulsion device is on, the sails often become an obstacle.
"Ughhh!"
"Everyone, grab anything you can!"
The deck swayed violently in proportion to the speed.
Everyone lowered their stances and gripped the sails or the railings tightly to prevent themselves from being thrown off.
How much time had passed?
"Mister, they're no longer in sight!"
The heads of the giants, which had been slowly receding in the distance, were now completely gone from view. They had initially seemed to be following us, but upon realizing they couldn't catch up, they must have given up.
Did I lose them…?
Though I was relieved for now, it was too early to feel completely safe.
"Captain, what should we do with the propulsion device?"
"Keep it on. This could still be their territory. We need to get out of here as quickly as possible."
"Yes, sir."
In this silvery sea, different magical creatures appear in different regions.
In the route from the Rock Island to the Library Island, McGurri lived, and on the path to the Human Island, Tentacoolan could be found.
Based on this pattern, it's highly likely that the sea we're currently in is the territory of Hiphramagent.
There's no room for complacency here.
In some places, 7th-grade monsters appear, while in others, 4th-grade ones show up.
Of course, that can be managed up to this point.
But seven monsters of what are likely 2nd grade?
At this level, it wouldn't be out of place to just call it the Sea of Death.
Now that I think about it, even 1st-grade monsters float around the sea…
Perhaps I had descended to the 1st floor too hastily, but I quickly pushed that thought aside.
After all, my explorations had always been like this.
These places are full of unknowns and dangers, but as long as I return alive, there will be great rewards.
Yeah, just selling the essences I've obtained so far would be worth quite a bit, right?
…Let's prioritize finding a way back. I can go back, upgrade my gear, and come back down afterward.
"Auyen, where are we now?"
"Due to the sudden acceleration, I can't be exactly sure, but according to my calculations… we're likely near the destination."
Near the destination?
So, we've crossed the 6-hour distance in just 2 hours?
While I was impressed by the propulsion device's performance, I was also slightly worried.
The cost-efficiency of this device was famously bad.
"How much magic stone have we used?"
"More than 90% of what you gave me has been consumed."
In other words, we burned a quarter of the magic stones we obtained in this exploration in just 2 hours.
That's about 20 million stones…
Just thinking about the specific amount made my stomach twist, but then again, it's not so bad considering I bought my life with those 20 million stones.
Magic stones can always be mined again.
"So we'll need to recalculate the route… Would it be alright if I focused for a while?"
"Oh, sorry for the interruption."
Afterward, Auyen took out a few navigational tools he'd seen before and fiddled with them, steering the ship. Soon enough, we spotted the island.
Muul Armin, who had been watching from the side, couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"That person… is Auyen Rockrove, correct?"
"That's right."
"He's quite the skilled individual. It's a mystery why his name isn't more well-known in the city."
Muul said this while complimenting me for having such a talented navigator on the team, and it didn't seem like empty flattery.
"…What makes you say that?"
"We don't actually have a navigator on our expedition team. I'm doing the job myself. So, I can tell you, it's incredibly difficult to find the correct path while speeding up without the sun or stars."
"Ah… Is that so?"
"Yes. The ❀ ❀ (Don't copy, read here) navigational map he drew up is incredibly precise. If given the chance, I'd love to learn from him."
I awkwardly smiled at his sincere praise.
I wasn't sure what to say.
"You know, they say heroes always gather people around them. I guess there's some truth to those old sayings."
"Cough cough…"
I had only brought him along because I didn't want to kill the plunderer after catching him…
We finally arrived at the destination.
However, instead of immediately docking the ship, we circled the island once to observe it. We docked on the southern coastline, rather than the northern cliffs.
"Well, Muul, do you think we've found the right place?"
"Yes. It matches all the characteristics they mentioned."
The island was about ten times the size of the Human Island.
Its most striking feature was the massive trees visible right after we landed on the coast.
"We felt it even while looking from the ship…"
"They're enormous."
"Woa… My neck hurts just looking at them!"
Every tree, standing casually in the area, was far bigger than any tree I had seen in the labyrinth. They were almost ten stories tall, comparable to an apartment building.
"Hey…"
As we prepared to move, surveying the surrounding terrain, someone approached me.
A mage from the Armin Expedition.
"Um… Excuse me…"
"If you have something to say, just say it."
"Is it alright if I take some of this wood? I've never seen trees like these anywhere before…"
The mage, clearly hesitant yet excited, asked me this.
Mages, huh.
It was a bit unfamiliar to me since I'd only been with Versil, a former player, recently.
"This might turn out to be a very valuable material. If so, it would be a great benefit to Lord Baron…"
"If they're that big, it's going to take a long time."
"…I only need a small piece."
"Well, if that's the case…"
I had Ainard help with collecting a sample of the tree's wood.
Unlike Versil, these guys were true mages, so I figured they might discover something during the expedition.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
The mage, who had managed to collect a piece of bark and a log, was overjoyed and kept bowing to me.
He then turned around, rushing over to his fellow mages, grinning and talking excitedly.
"You really got it, huh!"
"I can't wait for nightfall, so I can start studying it."
"Hahaha… Don't forget, we agreed to list all research done here under joint authorship."
Is that really such a big deal?
Anyway, after making sure the mages' needs were met, we reorganized our formation and ventured into the island's interior.
We moved cautiously, aware that we didn't know what might emerge.
Time passed.
"Yandel, something's running toward us."
After just 30 minutes on the island, we finally sensed a monster's presence. We all tensed up and got into combat-ready positions.
But…
"…?"
When the monster appeared, we all froze.
In Gigantism mode, it was a small creature that didn't even reach my calves.
Green skin, a wide open mouth, and a tiny knife clutched in its fern-like hands.
Grrr?!
"…A goblin?"
I never expected a goblin to show up here.
Though I felt the tension drain from my body, I quickly regained my focus and shouted at the others.
"Don't let your guard down! It might be a creature with shapeshifting abilities—"
"The goblin is casting [Trap Creation]."
"…Huh?"
The goblin then blatantly created a trap and tossed it in front of us.
And then…
"…."
…..
An eerie silence hung in the air as we stared at each other.
"That one…"
"Is it waiting for us to step on it?"
I steeled myself again.
"Don't let your guard down… Goblins aren't this stupid. It's highly likely this one is different from the goblins we know—"
Just then, an arrow flew and struck the goblin's head.
And then…
Shhhhh—!!
In that moment, the goblin's body disintegrated into light and scattered.
"..."
"..."
…What was that? Was it really just a regular goblin?
What did I even do?
A deep sense of self-doubt began to rise within me.
Grrr!!
Grrr!! Grrr! Grrr!!
The goblins, sensing the death of their comrade, started screeching in wild excitement.
And at that moment…
Whoooooosh-!
The small goblin's body swelled.
"…Huh?"
Now it was big enough to reach my calves.
It also seemed to have gained some muscle…
"The goblin has cast [Gigantism]."
…What is this?
Taking down all the goblins wasn't difficult.
Even if they grew 1.5 times bigger, they couldn't escape being goblins.
The battle itself was easier than I expected.
However, the shock from this one battle was quite significant.
"That thing we just saw…"
"Could it be…?"
None of us could focus enough to collect the goblin's magic stone. Since I have the ability to detect [Gigantism], they must have figured my sight was the most accurate.
"…I'm still not sure."
"Is that so?"
When I gave my decisive answer, everyone awkwardly stayed silent.
Except for one person—Amelia.
"It's not important whether you're sure or not. We're all just curious about your thoughts. Do you think that was [Gigantism]?"
"…Yes."
"Interesting. Not all of them will likely be upper-tier variants."
It was clear that the goblins we just encountered were quite unusual.
After all, they weren't new species.
But using another creature's skill…
Was that just a feature of the goblin I saw?
Or did others have the same ability?
These questions were soon resolved during our continued exploration.
"The troll has cast [Gigantism]."
"The werewolf has cast [Gigantism]."
"The iron golem has cast [Gigantism]…"
"…"
Every monster we encountered along the way had this peculiar ability to use [Gigantism] as an additional skill.
We weren't sure exactly how it worked.
But…
This island.
There must be something special about this place.
Monsters from other islands didn't do this.
Could it be a field effect unique to this island?
That was my first guess, but I wasn't confident yet.
So, this time, I decided to ask the mage for help.
"How's the essence?"
"All the wave values and patterns match the usual essence."
"So it's no different from the goblin essence we found on the first floor?"
"Yes… Based on the values, it seems so. Consuming this essence likely won't give you [Gigantism]. If you'd like… we could find some volunteers and test it, though…"
"That's alright. It's not that important."
We then continued our exploration.
Our objectives were twofold.
First, to gather information about the new island.
Second, to find and rescue any explorers trapped on the island.
The former still felt vague, but fortunately, we soon found a clue for the latter.
"Footprints. From a person, not a monster."
A shoeprint we found during our search.
According to one of the Armin Expedition's members, it was made by a pair of shoes from a well-known store in Lapdonia.
"He used to work in the royal investigation department, so you can trust him."
"A person with a distinguished background, huh. Can we tell when these prints were left?"
"Probably about five hours ago."
So, I had been worried that everyone might have already died by now.
At least there were survivors after all.
-x-X-x-
Traces of a human presence that occurred about five hours ago.
There is no need to worry about who owns these traces, since there is no way that any other explorers have entered this island.
They must be some of the castaways.
"There are two people in total. Judging by the large footprints, they both seem to be men. Also, they seem to be moving very secretly."
"Secretly? Does that mean it's hard to track?
"No, that's not true. There was no attempt to erase the footprints themselves. I'm just telling you that there are traces of them lowering their posture, looking around, and carefully taking each step. Perhaps they were wary of monsters."
Mikhail Rector.
A middle-aged explorer, formerly an agent of the Royal Inquiry Service.
It seems like this old man has a similar position to Amelia within the Armin Exploration Team…
"It would be better to leave the tracking to the author. If he's from the Royal Investigation Department, he'll be a step ahead of me when it comes to tracking."
Judging from the way Amelia lets out a weak sound, it seems her track record as an agent of the Investigation Department is more impressive than I thought.
"Did you say Rectors?"
"Yes, Baron."
"I'll leave the tracking to you."
"Yes. I will complete it without making any mistakes."
From then on, I took the lead and this man gave me directions.
And how much time has passed?
We were following the trail, but we stopped for a moment and stopped.
It's because I encountered the unexpected.
No, in this case, should we call it a discovery?
"That's...."
A corpse lying in the middle of the forest.
By the way, it was a giant's corpse, not a human's.
"That's the giant I saw in the sea...."
It must have died a long time ago because there are no healthy places here and there and a rotten smell lingers.
What on earth killed the giant?
"Looking at the scars… it looks like it was attacked by a monster, not a human."
Could it be that another monster that poured down during the rainy season is the culprit? As I thought about that, a sigh escaped my lips without me realizing it.
"Yandel, you don't look so good. Is there a problem?"
"Well… there's still a body left."
The fact that the corpse doesn't disappear means that you can't get essence from this guy.
"ah...."
What is the passive and what are the stats?
I was so excited and looking forward to it all by myself, but in the end, it all just ended up as drinking kimchi stew.
As soon as I saw the body, all the energy left my body, but unlike me, there were those who cheered.
"…A giant! A giant's corpse!"
"It's not just any giant! Didn't the Baron tell you? This giant's name is Hipramagent."
"What are you all doing? Let's get rid of what needs to be removed before it gets more corrupt!"
The wizards of the expedition team dissected the giant's corpse as if they had found a treasure of unparalleled value in the world.
"Wait a minute! Be careful! Even if you have to remove it, make sure to properly record what the original body structure looked like!"
"Stomach! What's in the stomach? No, is there even a stomach in the first place?"
I think these guys would be happy to read a book they've never seen before, even in hell.
"You really /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ have a passionate wizard as your partner?"
As he muttered in a tone that seemed to say that it was absurd, the leader of the expedition team, Müll, had an awkward smile on his face.
"Aren't you the wizards who joined our expedition team looking for dangerous jobs that don't pay? Haha..."
Well, that's true too.
I too was interested in this, though not as much as the wizards, so I watched them enjoy themselves by tearing open the giant corpses and tasting them.
"What about leather?"
"…It's very soft. When I tested the basic reaction, it didn't show any anti-demon properties either."
"Is it too difficult to make it into equipment?"
"Yes…. I think it would require a lot of research to use it as material."
Translated, it means that leather has no particular value as a material.
"Then what about the bones?"
The wizard answered my next question with a brighter face.
"Ah! The bones are very strong and light. Also, the bones themselves are very large, so I think a skilled blacksmith could weave them together to make armor...."
"Oh, really? How many levels do you think it would be in terms of materials?"
"Uh… That… It's light, so it seems like it would be more valuable as a material than ordinary steel..."
What is that?
The bone part, which I had been secretly looking forward to, was nothing special either.
If it is only slightly better than steel, it is reasonable to use steel, which is cheaper and easier to manufacture.
"Well, there are still advantages to making equipment out of bones. First of all, it doesn't rust and...."
The wizard kept appealing to me like a researcher who wanted more time and budget, but it wasn't something I really needed to listen to.
"Understood. Let me know if you notice anything unusual."
"yes...!"
After that, I stopped caring about the corpse and spent my time guarding the surroundings. It was around the time when I had killed about ten monsters that were rushing at me while using [Giantization].
Tadah.
The moment I swung my hammer out of habit at the sound I heard from beyond the bushes.
"Ugh, ugh!"
I quickly stopped the hammer at the sound of a scream.
"…Ugh, ugh… Huh, huh...."
It was a person.
That too with a familiar face.
***
A hammer that stops exactly above the crown.
And then the man, as if his strength had been lost, fell backwards and let out a sound as if he had been tripped.
The first one to recognize the man's face was Bersil.
"Mr. Mirtane?"
Oh, right, that was the name.
A five-person team that said that the warrior did not come with them when they came down to the basement level. They said that later on, they went to the human island and there was a dispute, so they took refuge with the Hecks Clan.
"…Ugh, uh...."
"Calm down. No one can hurt you."
"Go, Ulan, Dnim...!"
Soon, Bersil patted the man on the back, and the man came to his senses and fell flat on his face.
And the first thing he said was this.
"Please, please help me. Berion was badly injured while fighting the monsters...."
Now I saw that a small man was being carried on his back, tied to a sling. We quickly untied the sling and laid the man on the ground.
And just as I was about to bring the priest in.
"…It's already too late."
The man broke down at Amelia's words, who put her ear to his mouth and checked his breathing.
"T, that can't be true...! B, I clearly just spoke...!"
The man pushed Amelia away and hugged his colleague's body. Then, trying hard to deny the truth, he checked for breathing with his own hands again.
"...."
Although it was rude, Amelia didn't say anything to the man, and neither did I.
Because all explorers have been there at least once.
The experience of losing a comrade in a labyrinth.
Whether sooner or later, it takes time to accept.
"...Have you calmed down a bit?"
"Yes… First, let me say this. I couldn't say it earlier because I was in a hurry, but… thank you. For saving… my life."
"I'm sorry about what happened to my colleague. Can you fix it?"
"Yes. It's something I have to do… Could you please just use some distortion magic…?"
"Of course."
Afterwards, the man collected all the belongings including equipment from his colleague's body, then placed a distortion spell on the body and put it in a subspace bag.
It was a bit odd to say this in this situation, but still, this guy was in a better position.
Because at that time, we were in a situation where the wizard was dead.
I had no choice but to leave the body in the labyrinth.
Well, that's that and this is this.
"…Then I'd like to talk about it now."
If you wait until the training is over, you can consider that you have done your duty.
"Are the others alive?"
"…The survivors are hiding in a hiding place."
From what I heard, the hideout wasn't too far from here.
"How's the hideout? Is it safe?"
"…at least that's the case so far."
"Really? But why were you two outside?"
"There was an opinion that in order to escape from this island, you need to know about it. So… me and Berion, who are the fastest, were drafted."
Yeah, it was some kind of reconnaissance unit.
Oh well, if only I had hidden in there, this wouldn't have happened.
'… I think it would be better not to say that.'
I decided to keep quiet and listen to the rest of the story at the hideout.
After receiving guidance and moving forward, it was soon discovered that a rock hidden in the bushes was nearby.
"It's been disguised as a wall using magic."
"I will send the signal now."
The man knocked on the rock to signal inside, and after a moment the wall disappeared and a person came out from inside.
"Mirtan! Why are you so late… Hey, Baron Yandel?"
The leader of the Hex Clan, who scolds his colleagues for making him worry, but then opens his eyes wide when he sees me.
"It's been a while. White Hecks."
"Oh my god...!"
"Can I come in?"
"Oh, of course! Come in!"
The cave we led our group into was much larger inside than it looked from the outside.
"I… am truly surprised. I never thought I would see Baron Yandel here...."
"Is that so? Unexpected?"
"Unexpectedly… Rani?"
"I thought you'd ask me about the explorers I came with first."
"Ah...! That, that's true! It was definitely only 60 of us who came down at that time...."
He said that as if he realized it belatedly, but somehow it didn't sound like he was sincere.
So is this guy the evil spirit that requested rescue?
Well, I didn't really have to find out, so I didn't nitpick.
"What the heck is going on?"
In response to White's question, I gave a brief explanation of the situation.
Starting with the fact that the city's time has been flowing while we're here, the labyrinth has opened again recently, and even more explorers have been added to the basement level.
"One of you made a request for help at the demonic gathering, and it seems that it spread throughout the city. Thanks to that, we were able to find the location of this island and come find it."
"That, that kind of...."
"Can anyone guess who the evil spirit is?"
"I don't know. Ha, but… maybe he's one of the already dead ones."
"Like a dead person today?"
"...."
White Heck kept his mouth shut, perhaps to protect his comrades, so I stopped talking too.
If I think about it, this was also a bad habit.
I find myself saying things without realizing it, even though I don't need to.
"Okay, tell me about that. What happened after you broke up with us?"
We'll end the story about evil spirits here and move on to another topic.
However, their exploration was not as good as expected.
We explored the library we left behind, but when we found nothing, we changed our plans and headed back out to sea?
"It was at that time that we were sailing aimlessly in search of a new region, when suddenly, monsters began to pour down from the sky like rain."
Unlike us who spent the rainy season in a safe village, they spent the rainy season on the sea.
And arrived at this island just before the ship broke apart.
It is said that he then ran away like crazy and discovered this cave where he hid.
'There aren't even half of them left. I guess they all died during the rainy season.'
It was fortunate that they found a place to hide within a few hours, but if they had been out longer, they would have been wiped out.
"You've done a great job. Thank you for your hard work."
"How about you, Baron? If time flows outside, you must have found a way to escape from here… Have you found one?"
"Not yet. I'm still looking."
White pursed his lips at my honest answer, then asked cautiously.
"…I guess there isn't none, right?"
"Yes. I'm sure there will be one. I will definitely find it."
Those words are more comforting than anything else to someone looking for something to lean on.
"...We will also help you, Baron. Even though it may not be a great help."
White said in a determined voice, as if he could only trust me, and I answered him by counting the number of explorers he was leading.
"Thank you for saying that. Let's work hard together."
There were 12 unpaid slaves.
***
There's still time until our usual camping time, but we decided to end our exploration here for today.
"Everyone, get some rest. I don't know what will happen tomorrow, but I'll stay here today."
As the number of people increased, we decided that it was necessary to do some maintenance.
Besides, there are things to do in advance.
"White. What have you found out about this island?"
Although he mostly hid in a cave, White's story was helpful as he was an explorer who had visited the island long before us.
At the moment, we have no information other than the fact that the monsters are using [Giantization].
"When the rainy season that the Baron spoke of ended, Berion went out to investigate and saw a giant monster from afar."
Giant monster.
However, when I heard the characteristics, I realized that it wasn't Hipramagent.
"When I first saw it, it was at least 40 meters tall...."
Hipramagent is less than half the size of that one.
"They said he was tearing the balksus apart with both hands."
There is absolutely no way to kill a 2nd-grade monster like that.
"To be honest, I think we may have encountered a monster that uses a fantasy-type ability… But I thought you should know anyway, so I'm telling you."
"I see. Good job. I already know that."
Since it was witnessed by a dead person, I couldn't ask for details, so I put that aside for now and listened to the rest of the story.
A map of the surrounding area drawn by a reconnaissance team.
Or a new type of monster that we haven't even seen yet.
There was a lot of information that would be quite helpful for the exploration that will resume tomorrow.
Well, there was a separate Hwalongjeomjeong.
"And finally… I have something to show you, Baron."
"What will you show me?"
"Would you… follow me for a moment?"
Afterwards, in the small cavity inside the cave that White entered, there was an artificial structure.
My mouth fell open as soon as I saw it.
"This is...."
It was a portal stone.
-x-X-x-
Inside the cave, we encountered a portal stele.
As soon as I discovered it, I approached it almost as if in a trance and placed my hand on it, but the stele remained silent.
"As expected… even the Baron can't do anything about it."
Well, this was something I had anticipated.
The portal opening always requires a special condition, just like when we came here.
It's likely that some sort of preparation is required again this time.
Shh.
Upon checking the joint between the stele and the ground, there were clear signs that the surrounding earth had already been dug up.
'There's no inscription this time…'
Tch, does that mean I'll just have to keep butting my head against the ground? I threw some questions at White, the one who first discovered it.
"Have you checked the stele every day?"
"Yes. I've come here every day since the discovery and placed my hand on it, but there's been no reaction."
In other words, it doesn't respond only on specific days.
"Is there anything special, any unusual phenomenon you need to tell me about?"
"No."
"Then why were you so skeptical earlier?"
This was the question that had just crossed my mind.
Earlier, when I first saw me, he had expressed some anxiety. He seemed to be questioning whether there was really a way out, whether such a thing even existed.
Why was that?
"…Who knows?"
He answered cautiously.
"Whether the place beyond this stele is the outside world or not."
"Ah…"
That was exactly what I had thought when I first saw the stele.
Since this was the first time a human foot had touched this unknown layer, nothing about it could be certain.
When we activate the portal stele, we could end up in the first floor or return to the city as expected, but…
There's also a possibility it leads to a completely different place.
'Maybe the 2nd basement floor.'
Of course, finding a way to activate this stele is the top priority.
An explorer's way of solving things is simple.
They just interact with everything they can, regardless.
"How many people know about this stele?"
"Everyone who's been living with me knows about it."
Hmm, then there's no need to keep this secret anymore.
"Let's go back to where we were."
At this point, I decided to end the investigation of the stele and head back to where the others were. I shared the information about the stele with everyone, including the Armin Expedition team.
When it comes to places like this, collective intelligence is key.
"We still don't know where the stele leads… But we've finally found a clue, haven't we?"
"Alright, feel free to speak up. What do you think we should do next to activate this stele?"
"…If we capture that giant over 40 meters tall, could something change?"
"There might be something at the end of the bookshelf in the library…"
Once I set the topic, a variety of suggestions poured out, starting with Versil, and I absorbed each one into my mind.
"Do you think the village chief might know something?"
That's a good idea.
Muul Armin, who had been listening to the conversation, cautiously asked me.
"The village chief… who is that?"
"We'll visit that island eventually. I'll explain when we get there."
"Yes…"
Once our brainstorming session ended, some of the Armin Expedition's mages and others left to investigate the stele, while the rest took a break in the cave.
The next day, after arranging the labor for the newly added 12 unpaid slaves, we resumed the exploration.
There wasn't much time left.
Has it already been 9 days…
If I count from the day the exploration started, it's the 59th day, but based on the time in the newly opened labyrinth, it's 9 days.
Anyway, after the 14th day, the rainy season starts, so we need to finish the island exploration before then.
The rainy season is a real hassle…
The thought of being stuck for another week makes time feel wasted already.
No, it's not even a week.
After the rainy season starts, monsters swarm, making normal exploration impossible, and right before the rainy season, we need to move to a safe place to avoid it, so exploration comes to a halt.
"Yandel, what are we going to do during the next rainy season? Should we spend it in that cave we found earlier, or go back to the village?"
"I'm thinking of going back to the village. I still need to ask the village chief something. If the Silverfang Clan is still there, we could also gather more manpower."
"Then we'll need to leave the island in three days. We'll need time to get there."
We have only three more days to explore the island.
Though the time is tight, the increased manpower has made exploration much faster. It's like having the map revealed while on the move with the auto-hunting mode on.
"To the right, a group of trolls…"
"Teirun Ervias!"
Boom—!
The low-level mobs under level 5 are wiped out by the ranged dealers' concentrated fire, vanishing before they even get close.
That's why explorers at higher floors tend to move in clans.
As the number of people increases, exploration becomes much easier.
Of course, the drawback is that the loot has to be split, which is a major disadvantage.
"Sherutin. How's the map-making going?"
"Yes, would you like to see it?"
By the way, I'm no longer the one doing the mapping.
Hext Clan's archer is much better at it, so I've entrusted the task to him.
Also, we've been running reconnaissance units.
I assigned some people to Mikhail Lectus, a former royal investigation department agent, and now he's been sending back all the information from the reconnaissance team surrounding the main body during the expedition.
Just like this.
"Baron, there are three Nelphardons lying in ambush 3 minutes ahead. What should we do?"
What should we do?
Three Nelphardons casting Gigantism?
"Will we have to go around and take a long detour?"
"That's not necessary."
"In that case, we'll go around."
Nelphardons aren't really worth the essence, and since they've already finished their experience farming at the library, we decided to skip them.
In this way, we tackled what needed to be tackled and avoided what needed to be avoided, making the exploration much more efficient.
As a result…
'I think we're done with the southern region.'
Having mapped over 90% of the southern area, we moved to the east to expand our territory.
How much time had passed?
When I started to think about heading back to the hideout or setting up a camp here to rest…
"Baron."
Mikhail Lectus, who had been out scouting, returned urgently.
"4 minutes ahead, Hiphramagent. The giant is sleeping alone."
Hmm… What should we do now?
Hiphramagent.
The one I encountered on the way to this island, who caused me to quickly flee when it called its friends.
The chief's book mentioned that it was half-submerged in the sea when it was first discovered.
So, I had wondered if it was purely a marine monster.
'It seems it doesn't only appear in the sea.'
Now that I've found it on land, it looks like it's a versatile amphibious creature.
Anyway, what's important now is not that…
"Alone?"
"Yes. For now, yes."
"Then, search the surrounding area without provoking it. There may be more of its kind, just like last time. We'll decide what to do after that."
"Yes."
After issuing the detailed search order to Mikhail Lectus, I took some time to think while waiting for his return.
Even though my enthusiasm had diminished after realizing it leaves corpses behind, I still thought it was worth trying to capture it at least once.
Since I'd eventually run into it again while staying in this layer.
Better to catch it when it's alone and get some experience.
I needed to confirm its passive abilities and any other unconfirmed active skills. Only by understanding these things could I devise a strategy for dealing with it.
"Within a 2 km radius, no monsters exist."
As soon as I received news from the reconnaissance team, I began preparing for a raid.
We reorganized the formation, anticipating that the monster might escape again during the battle, just like last time.
And then…
"Well, let's go."
Now, all that was left was to execute the plan.
"Already?"
"Couldn't it wake up? Its kin might return."
Perhaps it was a monster estimated to be level 2?
Some of the team seemed unprepared, but wasting time here was not an option.
Shh.
We moved as quietly as possible to the giant's sleeping spot, then spread out to surround it.
Just as the mages and ranged dealers were preparing for a strong first strike…
[Uhhh…?]
The giant, curled up like a shrimp in its sleep, lifted its head and looked at us.
We had blocked the sound with magic, so it wasn't because it heard us…
'…Did it feel our magic?'
Regardless, since it had already woken up, there was no reason to act cautiously anymore.
The character has cast [Gigantism].
I immediately followed up by linking it with Transcendence, increasing my size first.
"Veeell—laaa!!"
Before it could fully stand, I slammed my hammer into its shin.
Crash—!
It wasn't enough to break its bones, but it was enough to throw off its balance just as it was trying to rise.
Boom—!
The giant fell to the ground, kicking up a dust cloud that obscured the view.
A minor issue that often occurs during battle.
Shhhhhh—!
The mages at the back quickly used wind magic to clear the dust, and once the view was restored, I rushed in and struck its jaw with my hammer.
And then, at that moment…
[Uooooooo—!]
It roared at me from the front.
The sound was so loud I could feel the air vibrating.
Ah, that startled me.
A chill ran down my spine, my hair standing on end, and for some reason, my pride was hurt.
So…
"AAAHHHH—!!!"
I screamed back at it with all my might.
I didn't think about it or plan {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} it, but surprisingly, it helped boost my morale.
"What's going on? Attack already!"
"Everyone, stay calm and just follow the plan!"
White Hext and Muul Armin snapped back into action and started directing the team, and soon, the ranged attacks began flying.
Arrows, ability attacks, and more.
Most of them couldn't deal as much damage as my hammer, but…
They did buy us some time.
Charlotte Amblett casts 2nd-grade attack magic [Spear of Annihilation].
A combined magic spell from the three mages of the Armin Expedition, who had worked together for a long time in the labyrinth.
Thwok—!
A huge white spear pierced deep into the giant's lower abdomen.
I was a little surprised.
It didn't even go through?
How high is its mana resistance?
I couldn't help but wonder about its base stats, but right now, that wasn't my concern.
"Barbarian, don't go wild this time. Take it slow—"
"Veeell—laaa!!!"
Ainard and Amelia, along with the melee line, also charged in and began attacking.
The main target was its ankles.
This was the order I had given earlier.
After all, this creature has a tendency to run away before it even starts fighting.
It was important to reduce its mobility first…
"The monster is getting up!"
"Back off!"
Despite our efforts to stop it, the giant finally fully rose and planted its feet firmly on the ground.
And then…
[Uooooooo—!]
It suddenly started running toward the opposite side.
What the hell kind of cowardly monster is this?
It was absurd, but I didn't want to go through the same thing again.
This wasn't the same sea as before, was it?
Erwen Fornaci di Tersia summons [King of Dark Spirits Dichloe].
Dark orbs rained down on the giant like missile strikes.
Surprisingly, it continued running despite being hit by them, but eventually, it reached its limit.
Boom, boom—!
I immediately ran up and clung to its back as it slowed down from staggering.
Crash, crash—! Boom—!
While the spirits continued their bombardment, it didn't bother me at all now.
The power of essences followed by equipment makes all the difference, right?
No.12 Trust.
Among the Double Numbers, one of the highest-tier items.
The damage dealt by allied units in the bonded state.
The light of Trust protects the character from the damage.
With this, strategies like this are possible.
-x-X-x-
Ka-waaaang—! Kwang—! Kwang—!
Not only were black spheres pouring down, but when one stuck tightly to my body, it threw the giant off balance, causing him to fall forward.
Kuuung—!
Once again, a cloud of dust billowed up.
["Wuuuuuuuuugh—!"]
"Behel—laaaaaa!!"
Amid the chaos, I struck the back of his head with my hammer, grabbed his ankle and lifted him up, then slammed him back to the ground repeatedly, doing everything I could to keep him down.
"Wh-what kind of fight is this…?"
"Armin, should we step in?"
"Let's watch for now…"
After fighting like mad, how much time had passed?
「Elwen Fornaci di Tersia has cast [Concentrated Shot].」
Elwen's arrows scattered fierce light.
It meant that by now, she had summoned the Spirit King, used up all her MP, triggered [Chaos Circuit], and fully charged [Concentrated Shot]—at least a minute had passed.
—————!
As the arrow flew, the entire world turned white.
And then…
[...…!!]
Right in the middle of the giant's forehead.
Where a human's brow would be, the light pierced through and made a huge hole.
"…Is it done?"
However, unlike the explorers watching from afar, I didn't allow myself complacency.
He was still a monster who might have unknown passives.
Among monsters, some are so tough they survive even after their heads are chopped off—
"Huh, he's moving…!"
Huh, I knew it.
["Wuuuuuuuuugh—!!"]
The giant with a hole in his head roared in pain and crouched down on the ground.
The same posture as when I first saw him sleeping.
Thanks to that, I learned a new skill.
Unfortunately, not about his passive…
「Hiphramagent has cast [Crouch].」
I never expected him to have this skill.
I quickly gave orders.
"Stop attacking!"
There was a simple reason.
It would only harm us to keep hitting him in this state.
「For 3 minutes, all resistances increase by 20 times.」
「For 3 minutes, natural regeneration increases by 20 times.」
「During [Crouch], all stats massively increase based on the damage absorbed until the end of combat.」
In effect, an invincible skill.
One of the active skills used by ogres, the most troublesome during ogre raids.
But it has a fatal flaw for tanks.
[Crouch] is undoubtedly an S-rank survival skill…
But when a tank falls asleep and wakes up, there's usually no teammates left.
Of course, monsters are an exception.
One minute, two minutes…
Over time, new flesh began to cover the hole in his head.
And at exactly three minutes, he slowly rose from his crouch.
He was already fully regenerated.
["Wuuuu…!!"]
The awakened giant tried to run again.
But…
"No way."
The shackle locked on his ankle during his crouch.
The restraining magic from the psychic and the mage.
And with my active interference repeatedly blocking him, he steeled himself.
Ka-waaaang—!
Giving up escape, the Hiphramagent charged recklessly as if to kill or be killed.
Only now did it feel like a proper raid.
In battle, the 'threat' value was properly applied and aggro was firmly on me.
"Attack!"
Dozens of explorers from various formations started dealing damage actively, and he countered with all sorts of active skills.
「Hiphramagent has cast [Roar of Doom].」
「Hiphramagent has cast [Gravity Field].」
Wide-area damage and crowd control spells written in the chief's book.
Because we had prepared countermeasures, the damage from these skills was negligible.
Whi-u-u-u-uung—!
Meteors falling from the sky were guarded by the mages' barriers.
The aura [Gravity Field], which pulls enemies within range with a certain probability, was promptly countered by rescuing all explorers dragged in, minimizing damage.
「Muul Armin has cast [Sensitive Skin].」
「The target receives 30% increased damage.」
「Jackson Zanville has cast [Moving Target].」
「Next attack against a moving target deals triple damage.」
「Noir Merbochi has cast [Precision Shot]…」
「…」
After over ten minutes of dozens attacking, the giant revealed a new skill.
But again, it wasn't a passive…
「Hiphramagent has cast [Body Compression].」
A transformation skill.
Unlike [Gigantism], his body shrank to half size, but with corresponding buffs for the smaller size—a Grade 3 skill.
'Even using that, he's still bigger than me.'
Having tested this skill combined with [Gigantism], handling it wasn't too difficult.
"Stop attacking!"
We simply ignored him.
Unlike [Gigantism], this skill has a fixed duration.
Ka-waaaang—!
The giant's fist, now twice as strong and fast.
But I pulled all the melee fighters off to the back, lightening their load, and faced him alone.
Kwachik-!
Each hit shattered bones, but…
Shwaa-a-a-a—!
Our expedition had healers.
One priest and one healer.
Their focused care and the special stat 'Restoration' boosted healing effects, so even when my body was shattered in real time, I recovered quickly.
Well, sharp pain was a different matter.
"Aaaaahhhhh!!"
This was just about holding on with grit and spirit.
「[Body Compression] has ended.」
After some time, the berserk pattern [Body Compression] ended and the giant returned to normal size.
Then the melee dealers came forward again and dealt heavy damage.
Kuung-!
One ankle was completely shattered; the giant knelt down.
From then on, melee dealers aimed for his weak points.
The giant was battered and bruised.
"Almost there!"
"Don't let your guard down till the end!"
The expedition members looked confident as the tide clearly turned, but I was anxious.
It had already been 25 minutes.
'[Crouch]'s cooldown was 30 minutes.'
In just five more minutes, he would use [Crouch] again.
Then we'd have to repeat this all over…
At that point, the raid should be considered a failure.
Since he used all his MP this time, it would take much longer to reduce his HP again.
'We know we can't kill him without enough damage, so next time, we'll definitely get him… but still, failing like this is frustrating.'
Is it time to bring out that skill?
My hesitation was brief; the decision was even quicker.
"Misha! Emily! Combine!"
Unfortunately, the two who were fighting for top melee DPS in our team didn't understand me.
"…Huh? C-combine?"
Misha was flustered, holding her twin greatswords, and Amelia looked at me from afar like I'd gone mad.
Come on, they should have gotten it with a nod.
"Enough talking. Come here!"
Still, they stopped what they were doing and ran over.
So I showed them instead of explaining.
You can't hold anything new while gripping something.
First, I dropped my hammer and shield.
"Eh?"
"What are you doing…!"
With my free hands, I grabbed Misha's and Amelia's waists.
Then…
Swish.
I held them like twin swords in both hands and took a stance.
I called it Barbarian Samurai Mode.
"Yandel… you don't mean…!"
Amelia was beginning to realize what I planned.
"Just keep your auras on. I'll handle the rest."
"Stop that! What nonsense—!"
"Misha, you're holding the swords well."
"Uh? Okay!"
Alright, with their consent secured, I swung Misha's Sword and Amelia's Sword seriously.
Why couldn't they land critical hits before?
Because the giant was so big, they were stuck stabbing below.
But…
'This changes everything.'
Poke—!
The Amelia Sword in my right hand sank deep into the giant's flesh. The dagger was short, but its aura lengthened considerably, so it didn't matter.
Besides, it wasn't just one sword.
Swoosh—!
The Misha Sword in my left hand scratched across the giant's neck.
Its cutting power was less than Amelia's sword, but Misha's sword had a special advantage.
Misha's sword had the ice attribute.
Jjjjjit—
A cold ice film spread over the wounded area.
Hitting the same spot again shattered the ice film, opening the wound wide.
When I hit him with the hammer earlier, he barely flinched.
'Is this… a dealer's sense?'
From below my solar plexus, something hot surged.
"Behel—laaaaaa!!"
I shouted without holding back, swinging the swords in both hands.
Then suddenly, I realized something.
Wait a minute.
Misha has twin swords, Amelia has twin daggers…
"Dual-wield style…?"
Muttering this, Amelia's sword suddenly showed murderous intent toward me.
"…I'll kill you."
Tch, cursed sword, huh.
Though I worried about the aftermath, Amelia faithfully lit her aura in time with my swings and, even just brushing close, moved her arms actively, slashing the daggers vigorously.
One minute, two, three…
["Wuuuuu—."]
The giant, slashed mainly on neck and heart, finally…
Ku-uuuung-!
With a roar, he collapsed to the ground.
About 40 seconds left until [Crouch]'s cooldown ended.
Swish.
I hurried to finish it off with the Amelia Sword.
"…Why did I stop?"
When I paused mid-swing, Amelia asked in confusion.
I didn't answer.
"…"
Just as I thought we only had to capture him, a thought struck me.
There are two types of monsters ★ ★ on Basement 1.
Regular monsters that drop magic stones and essences.
And special monsters that leave corpses upon defeat.
Hiphramagent belonged to the latter.
But…
'Why do monsters that drop magic stones and essences sometimes leave corpses if hit by distortion magic?'
By the way, even mages can't fully explain how distortion magic works.
Like how ancient people struck flints to make fire.
They simply use the phenomenon without fully understanding it.
That's why I became curious.
'What would happen if I cast distortion magic on a monster that leaves a corpse?'
It seemed worth experimenting.
After all, we already had plenty of corpse samples.
"Versil, cast distortion magic!"
I urgently gave the order, and soon a transparent membrane covered the giant's body.
Seeing that, I swung both Amelia Sword and Misha Sword simultaneously.
Poke—!
The moment all four blades pierced in, the giant's body slackened as he gasped sharply.
Then…
Shwaa—
The giant's body turned into a swirling light and scattered.
「Hiphramagent has been defeated.」
「No.9999 Beginner's Luck activated.」
Right after the massive body of Hiphramagent turned to light and vanished,
No sensation of experience flowing in came.
But something dropped from empty air.
Thunk.
A fist-sized huge magic stone.
But no one paid attention.
Why bother with some magic stone?
"…An essence."
"An essence…!"
An essence dropped.
Could it be that Beginner's Luck had triggered?
I only wanted to see whether the corpse would disappear, but didn't expect essence to drop too.
"Everyone, fall back!!!!!"
I shouted sharply, and the melee warriors who had been approaching the essence like hypnotized pulled back with a start.
"Ah, no, I was just watching…"
"Enough, fall back!"
Thanks to my loud order, the area around the essence quickly cleared.
I calmed myself and organized my thoughts.
It was good that essence appeared, but a bit disappointing.
'It's not green… no…'
The Orc Hero's [Gigantism] essence was green, so this probably wasn't [Gigantism].
'If it's dark blue… maybe it's [Crouch].'
What should I do?
Put it in a test tube and think about it?
'Hmm, maybe I should give it to Ainard… but since I don't know the passive, it's risky.'
I hesitated.
[Crouch] itself fits Ainard perfectly.
It could fix the barbarian's chronic survival problem…
'If Ainard eats it, I could experiment on what the passive is and the basic stats attached to the essence…'
With Immortal Engraving level 9, combos would be possible too.
So it'd save money on the test tube if I gave it now…
Ugh, what should I do?
"Ainard!"
"Yeah?"
"Do you want this essence?"
First I checked the doctor's opinion, and as expected, he answered immediately.
"…Y-yes!!!"
"We still don't know what the soul skill or base stats are."
"Still, I want it!!"
Well… if the passive or stats are bad, he can remove it later at the temple.
I already had a rough guess about the passive.
"Fine, it's yours."
"Really!!?"
"Everyone okay with this?"
I asked the Armin Expedition, who held a 30% share of the loot, but Muul Armin showed no objection.
"The priority is with the baron."
"Glad to hear that."
"Even if not, it would be the same."
"Huh?"
"…We're not so shameless."
Why did his confidence suddenly drop like that?
I don't know, but since the essence's owner was decided, no reason to drag it out.
"Bjorn… c-can I eat it now…?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
When I nodded, Ainard excitedly ran over and absorbed the essence.
「The [Hiphramagent's Essence] seeps into Ainard Fnelin's soul.」
And so Ainard Fnelin learned [Crouch].
-x-X-x-
A colleague's spec upgrade that happened after a very long time.
This event struck me as very positive, as Erwen was on a drinking rampage after consuming the Essence of Chaos.
Well, we'll know for sure after we properly investigate the specs of the integers.
I was about to approach Ainar and ask him in detail about what had changed.
"Yandel."
"…huh?"
I felt a strange chill and looked back, and saw Amelia giving me a cold look.
"I'd like to talk about something that happened a little while ago."
"ah...."
It's come.
I thought it was just over since there was no word until now.
Did you keep waiting because you missed the timing because the integer came out?
"Ah! Are you talking about what happened earlier?"
I laughed heartily and approached Amelia, congratulating her on her merits in battle.
"It's all thanks to you and Misha that we were able to catch this giant. If it weren't for you two, it would have recovered again, and the hunt would have been a failure! You've worked hard! Ainar! You should thank me too, quickly."
"Oh, thank you!"
Despite Einar and I expressing our sincere gratitude, Amelia's expression showed only a hint of agitation.
"I see… is that how it comes out?"
Yeah, you read all my numbers.
This is a little tricky.
It was a time when I was wondering what to do about the gaze that seemed to have become a little colder, but still had no change.
"Carlstein, why are you just standing there?"
Amelia tries to call in reinforcements, perhaps to put me in a more difficult position.
However, in the end, it was a handshake.
"…Huh?"
"You should also express your opinion properly. If you don't say something you don't like, you'll just end up suffering—."
"Huh? I'm not really bothered by anything...?"
"...what?"
Amelia was taken aback by the calm answer and asked back.
"What does that mean?"
A question that feels like you genuinely don't understand.
Misha sensed this and looked at Amelia, then glanced at me and opened her mouth slightly.
"Well… I… I think I finally helped… So I didn't feel too bad or anything..."
Anyone could tell that he wasn't making excuses or anything.
It seemed as if he was simply telling the truth.
"Carlstein, you...."
"…huh?"
"…No, that's enough."
Amelia kept her mouth shut, as if she had a lot to say. Then she looked at me, sighed deeply, and said this.
"Let's stop here for today. I'll be watching, Yandel."
It seems like I lost my temper after hearing Misha's answer…
Okay, that's about it for this issue.
"Einar, do you feel any change?"
"Uh… I'm not sure yet! I think I've gotten stronger."
The remaining personnel were put on standby and began checking the newly acquired essence.
First, let's start with active skills.
"Then lie down."
At my command, Ainar crouched down without a word. A posture that perfectly matched the one Hipramagent had shown earlier.
"Okay, then try using your power."
There was no need for long words.
"Einar Fnellin cast [Crouching]."
If it was the first essence, it would be different. Ainar, who had already eaten and used several essences, skillfully activated the newly acquired skill.
Hoooooow-!
A yellow, translucent membrane that rises upwards to protect the user while in a crouching position.
"All resistance values increase by 20x for 3 minutes."
"Natural regeneration power increases by 20 times for 3 minutes."
"All abilities increase significantly until the end of the battle in proportion to the amount of damage absorbed while crouching."
After conducting several experiments while [Crouching] was active, the skill itself was identical to that of the Ogre.
I was wondering if there might be some difference in skills.
'It seems like the increase in stamina and regeneration power is similar.'
It is also consistent that the ability value increases in proportion to the damage received while casting [Crouching] does not activate on people.
I guess it only applies to monsters like in the game.
"Um… Would it be possible for us to help you?"
Afterwards, while trying to check the ability level, the three magicians belonging to the exploration team approached.
"That… This time, when you enter the labyrinth, bring a water purification experiment kit with you… It won't be as helpful as the lab, but it will be of great help."
"Oh, well then. Get some help."
Since it was much better than just getting stronger the old way, I obediently left Ainar in the hands of the trio.
And how much time has passed?
The exact figures are unknown, but it is said that there are several special stats that cannot be captured with the kit.
Still, rough basic stat information was derived.
Strength (upper), natural regeneration (upper), physical resistance (upper).
Resistance to shock (medium), bone strength (medium), lung capacity (medium).
Field of vision (low), patience (low), mana sensitivity (low).
and....
"There is one weakening ability."
There is only one negative stat.
"Weakened ability? What is it? Tell me quickly."
At my urging, one of the wizards glanced at Einar and said.
"It's the fighting spirit."
It was a completely unexpected stat.
but....
"The fighting spirit..."
Come to think of it, Ainar is acting strangely quiet these days.
If it were like before, I would have said let's stop this boring experiment and go check it out by catching some monsters.
"Just how much has it weakened?"
I asked for detailed figures, but the wizard only replied that it would be difficult to find out that much with the current equipment.
So I decided to use a primitive method.
"Ainar! I'm bored. Do you want to spar?"
A barbarian never refuses to spar under any circumstances.
In the first place, sparring is no different from playing a game.
If you go to the Barbarian-only quarters, you can see warriors fighting in the open space from morning to night.
But what on earth is this?
"Dalian...? Hmm...."
Even Ainar, who was a senior barbarian among the barbarians, trailed off as if he was reluctant.
"…Let's do it later! Later! Isn't it time to do research first?"
You're rejecting me?
'Somehow that giant guy kept running away… … .'
How much of your fighting spirit has been lost?
***
The explorer I saw yesterday and the explorer I see today are different people.
This is a phrase that usually describes the sharp side of explorers, but it is actually not wrong in itself.
It was very common for an explorer to have to consume essence to explore a labyrinth filled with monsters, and for that essence to affect the explorer's personality.
Like Ainar now.
"Fighting? Well, we do it if we want to… Is there a need to go out of our way to do it? It's peaceful and nice right now…."
The Barbarian warrior woman who, just a few minutes ago, considered defeating monsters and proving her bravery to be her joy in life, changed in an instant.
"Battle cry."
"…huh?"
"Hear the battle cry. Take action."
"Behel… Raa…?"
"What the hell."
This is not something you can just laugh off; the situation is serious.
It's not that there weren't any accidents, but in the end, Ainar's greatest strength was his recklessness.
"Yandel… Is that okay?"
"…It's scary when Mr. Fnell does that."
Other comrades who heard the battle cry without a fight also realized the seriousness of the situation and approached me cautiously.
I'm worried because the melee fighters who should be fighting at the very front are acting like that.
But, there is no other way right now.
The next food you eat has quite a bit of fighting spirit attached to it, so eating it will probably make you feel a little better… … .
'Will this situation continue until then?'
I'm really curious again.
How much of your fighting spirit has been lost?
This kid's basic nature is aggressive, so a few tens less wouldn't have gotten this bad…
'I think it's at least over -100.'
In that sense, I was a little worried too.
It was positive that non-combat stats like fighting spirit were the minus stats rather than strength, but there had to be a certain amount of that.
'… It doesn't mean that if I eat it, it will turn out like that.'
Even when I drink this essence, the fighting spirit attached to the Orc Hero will have disappeared by 40 degrees, so the change will be even more evident.
"What about the ability to embody? Is there any way to find out?"
First, I decided to find out what the passive was.
"In the case of the ability to embody, it is difficult to find out with the experimental tools we have. However, we can find out to some extent what kind it is."
"Try it."
After permission was granted, the wizards approached Einar with various experimental tools and returned with the results after about 30 minutes.
"It seems that the ability to embody is a support auxiliary type. That's where the numerical changes are the greatest."
"Not survival or defense type?"
"You can pick up the signal too, but it's very weak."
The result was completely different from what was expected.
I thought it might be you because you didn't die instantly even after your head was pierced.
[Last Resistance], [Phoenix Heart], [Near Death]… … .
I was thinking of candidates like that, but I never thought it would be that one.
'Then what?'
Since we didn't know, we just conducted tests within the limits of what we could do right away.
"Einar, it'll sting a little."
"I don't want to be sick...."
"That's because there's something wrong with your head right now."
"Oh, really?"
In the end, we tested it by cutting off about one joint of the finger and did not find any significant data.
This is the same in a sparring match where you persuade someone who doesn't want to do something.
"…The sparring ends here."
"Oh? Really?"
In the end, I decided to look into the passive later when I had time. It had already taken quite a bit of time to find out how to do this.
"Okay, let's go."
So the exploration resumed again.
***
During the three days we were able to stay on the island, we explored it thoroughly without wasting any time.
First of all, the top priority is to complete the map of the island.
In the process, of course, we had to face numerous monsters, and among them was Hipramagant.
In his case, did we meet about eight ❀ ❀ (Don't copy, read here) times?
I skipped it three times because there were two of them together, and failed twice because the bastard managed to escape.
As a result, the raid was successful three more times.
However, this time I didn't even get the magic stone three times.
Well, all of those distortion spells failed.
'The distortion magic must succeed, and there must also be a chance that the essence will come out of it… … .'
I didn't think about it at first, but I realized it again.
How lucky I was to get the essence on my first try.
The difficulty of obtaining the essence of the disappearing corpses was insane.
'Jeongsu, you have 'beginner's luck', so that's understandable, but if the distortion magic hadn't worked… … it wouldn't have worked in the first place.'
Anyway, apart from that, as I fought Hipramagent repeatedly, I came to know more about it.
'It was written in the village chief's book that it was estimated to be a second-class… … .'
No matter how I looked at it, it wasn't even second-class.
To begin with, the size of the magic stone is almost the same as that of the top 3rd grade.
Well, because of [Crouching], the minimum damage required for the strategy is high… … .
As the survivability is high, the attack power is low.
This must also be taken into account before assessing the rating.
'Then… including the group life, I guess it would be around a 2.7 rating.'
Well, I guess that's probably it.
It's also strange that it's classified as 2nd class when it doesn't have any 2nd class skills to begin with.
Suddenly, I began to doubt the authenticity of the information written in the village chief's book, but this time I decided to view it as a special case.
Didn't he say in advance in the book that he didn't witness it himself, but wrote down what he saw and heard?
"Finally… we're getting off this island."
As I was gathering my thoughts while looking at the island getting further and further away, White Hecks approached me.
"You look relieved. I guess you haven't even found a way back to the city yet."
"Still… it's a lot better than being stuck on that island. Back then, I really had no idea what was going to happen."
I think that's still the case now, but I didn't say anything.
Even at the bottom, there is an upper and lower level.
It would be much better now if there was at least something to believe in—.
—————————!
At that moment, a gust of wind blew from the island and the boat rocked violently.
'what?'
I was about to call Erwen, who was at the observatory, in a hurry.
White Hecks, who was standing next to him, pointed to a place with his finger.
"Over there, over there...!"
Over there? What over there?
I tilted my head to see what the problem was, and then my body froze. No, it wasn't just me, all the explorers standing on the deck were the same.
"...."
"...."
In the center of the island, which was getting smaller and smaller, something was standing up and staring at us.
Even while screaming ferociously.
[Woooooooooooooooooooo——!]
But the good thing is that it only makes noise from afar and doesn't seem like it has any intention of running after me right away.
"Um, what is that...."
I muttered quietly as I looked at the completely bewildered White Hecks.
"I guess the friend who died back then wasn't hallucinating."
A giant giant with a height of over 40 meters.
Even among the monarchs of the hierarchy, there was none of this size.
I don't even know how to do raids with that size.
But still.
Shh …
As I sped away from the island on the speedboat, as if trying to avoid the guy, I thought to myself.
'If I'm going to escape this island, I feel like I have to catch that guy too… … .'
How do I catch him?
-x-X-x-