The Rift Guardians drop Guardian Essences.
They also drop Rift Stones and Numbers items.
Moreover, since you get experience bonuses for killing Guardians, they're more rewarding than any other monsters.
The problem is the difficulty of the strategy…
'Usually, the increase in Rift Guardian difficulty is largely due to "field" effects.'
Just look at the Glacier Cave, the Rift on the first floor.
You have to fight with the field effect [Hypothermia], and it's the same for the White Shrine on the third floor.
During those battles, debuffs and similar effects made fighting much harder.
But this isn't the City of Light, Calheum.
'Milayel, without the Heavenly Magic Circle or the Guardian Angel nearby?'
Since the conditions are better than ever, I was quite disappointed having to run away back then.
But to think he actually followed us all the way here.
"Behel—laaaaaaa!!"
I dashed forward, pushing my shield as a greeting.
Bang!
He tried to jab me with his spear to keep me at bay, but such attempts were useless.
He was bounced off and somersaulted, landing on the shore.
Okay, the battle formation seems set.
Swoosh.
I lowered my shield without following up with a hammer swing.
If I combined the Demon Crusher's [Swing], the damage would be considerable…
But a dealer is a dealer for a reason.
「Muul Armin cast [Sensitive Skin].」
「Muul Armin cast [Eternal Weakness].」
「Muul Armin cast [Wraith Suicide Bomber]…」
Starting with Muul Armin's curse skills, ranged dealers began their barrage.
「Jackson Zanvil cast [Moving Target].」
「Charlotte Amblett cast grade 4 offensive magic [Spiral Drill].」
「Noir Merboch cast [Precision Shot].」
「Garton Kultner cast [Catapult]…」
Mages, clerics, psychics, archers, and more.
All kinds of projectiles poured down.
True to his sturdy nature, he relentlessly swung and stabbed his spear despite taking hits, while I pushed him back so ranged attackers could strike comfortably.
About a minute passed.
「Heavenly Spear Wielder Milayel cast [Blessing of Light].」
Light burst from his battered body.
It meant phase one, where he only used [Return], was over.
'It's so easy without the Guardian Angel.'
Of course, phase two required more attention.
Aside from [Blessing of Light], which heals a huge amount and boosts durability and physique until cooldown finishes,
In phase two, he uses this combo:
「Heavenly Spear Wielder Milayel cast [Return].」
Finally, that busted skill appeared.
「Heavenly Spear Wielder Milayel cast [Comet Split].」
「All projectiles are duplicated.」
A single spear shot into the sky splits into dozens and rains down like a shower.
An excellent throwing skill that's unavoidable and does increased damage instantly turned into an AoE.
If threat is well-managed, the skill behaves uniquely.
Like this.
Whooooooosh!
Dozens of spears homed in on me like guided missiles.
No need to be nervous.
Chak-chak, chak, chak, chaang!
Just covering my head with the shield sent the spears flying like bullets.
「Defense successful.」
「The Wall of Aegis absorbs all damage.」
This is why 'unification' and [Gigantism] matter.
Once the shield grows, its 'guard' range increases too.
Its only weakness is projectiles or AoE bigger than the shield.
'Anyway, first skill blocked well…'
The pattern repeated as in phase one.
When he picked a spear stuck in the ground and charged me, I pushed him back.
When he retreated…
Boom-boom-boom!
Ranged attackers focused fire with perfect timing.
Normally, monsters and guardian angels make such focused fire impossible…
But again, this is a normal field.
Swaaah!
As we combined to attack him, dozens of spears scattered on the shore disappeared.
That's why [Comet Split] is tricky.
Since it's a 'duplicate' effect, it can cheat in countless ways.
Like this:
「Heavenly Spear Wielder Milayel recovered Shinrokgeochang.」
「[Return]'s power slightly increases until battle ends.」
「Heavenly Spear Wielder Milayel recovered Shinrokgeochang.」
「[Return]'s power slightly increases until battle ends…」
"…"
"…"
Stacks piled up in seconds from one skill.
Then he hurled spears into the sky again.
The skill combo was easily twice as strong as before.
But I felt no thrill.
Stronger, so what?
「Defense successful.」
「The Wall of Aegis absorbs all damage.」
That kind of skill means nothing against the ultimate shield.
'Sure… good gear does help.'
I lowered threat and endured patterns that required sharing damage.
It was basically sealing off the main skill combo in phase two…
「Heavenly Spear Wielder Milayel cast [Comet Split].」
「All projectiles are duplicated.」
When he used that combo exactly three more times, we reached phase three.
'Took four minutes to get here…'
Might clear it under six minutes.
Milayel's pattern in phase three is simple.
「Heavenly Spear Wielder Milayel cast [Descent].」
The so-called 'berserk' mode.
Swaaaaaah!
Light wings sprouted from his back as he unleashed a burst of light in a crouched stance.
Similar in shape to Ainard's [Wings of Greed], but with a decisive difference.
The wings are much more spectacular, but that's minor.
Whoooosh!
Those wings actually allow flight.
"Woah! Wings!"
While Ainard stared up in awe, Milayel soared into the sky.
Maybe because it's an island field?
'No force at all.'
Normally, the outer wall collapses here, and the Legion of Light spirits rushes in—
「Light spirits gather, sensing holy energy.」
Huh? What?
Even if the field changed, this remains?
I thought it was just a field buff because Titanus doesn't have this effect when using [Descent]…
'Maybe Rift Guardians have something special?'
I was glad to have placed melee fighters in the rear.
Actually, it wasn't because I foresaw this, but because I needed to focus fire.
"Everyone, hold formation!"
"Just hold on, don't push too hard!"
Anyway, Versil seemed to be commanding the rear well, so no worries there.
I looked up at the towering figure.
[…The time of judgment approaches.]
I probably shouldn't talk much after four minutes of this, but what can he do?
Looks like he just repeats his lines.
'What the hell are these guys?'
I couldn't help but question the world again.
So many characters live their own lives in the city, but why do monsters in the labyrinth all act like game AIs—
'Ugh, what a pain.'
While lost in thought, Milayel flung his spear downward.
No more distractions.
"Elwen, how much longer?"
Judging it's about time to finish, I called out to Elwen.
There's always a reason to save her for last.
"Elwen, get ready!"
"Yes!"
As soon as phase three began, Elwen unleashed her deadly combo.
Once she's airborne, her evasion rate skyrockets.
That is…
「Elwen Fornaci di Tersia summoned [Dark Spirit King Dichloe].」
The best way is to hit without giving her a chance to dodge.
Bam-bam-bam-bam!
Dark orbs shot into the sky and exploded like fireworks.
A destructive yet somehow beautiful spectacle.
Elwen pulled her bowstring while performing that display, casting [Focused Shot].
How long did it last?
「All accumulated energy has been consumed.」
「Unknown energy fills the empty vessel.」
I guess [Chaos Circuit] triggered.
「Heavenly Spear Wielder Milayel cast [Shell Break].」
Cracks appeared all over, his broken skin shedding to reveal gleaming white flesh.
Well, "flesh" is a bit of a misnomer.
His body glowed bright white, like looking up at a fluorescent light.
Swaaaaaaah.
Wrapped in radiant light, clutching a huge spear, he slowly flapped down.
Looking up at him in that state felt like facing something absolute.
Though, he's about to die soon anyway.
[Mortal beings.]
Whether he knew or not, he looked down at me and calmly said.
[Your greed sowed the seeds of destruction.]
Was there such a line?
[Your arrogance ultimately brought ruin to this world.]
I will judge you—
[I will judge you.]
Yeah, he just said that line and that was it.
'…Well, how different is this from a game?'
I didn't ponder Milayel's words deeply.
Instead, I focused on his transformation.
Specifically, the red spear he held.
「Summoned by the Last Spear Wielder Milayel, Shinrokgeochang regains its original form.」
Like how he shed his shell entering the last phase, the spear shed its casing, revealing its true form.
A powerful teal-colored spear.
Chijijit, chijijit—
The spear shimmered with sparks, emanating an overwhelming presence no weapon could withstand.
Strictly speaking, that impression wasn't wrong.
1200% increased piercing damage with the spear.
Natural regeneration rising with battle duration.
Immunity to holy damage and top-tier indestructibility.
Using skills returns 50% of consumed resources over 1 minute, and it reflects mental skills attacks beyond immunity…
Activating the active effect adds three options:
Triple damage with the spear.
Triple all recovery effects.
And finally…
'Top-tier piercing correction.'
A spear that pierces all.
If such a thing exists in this world, Shinrokgeochang would definitely be it.
But here's the problem.
Tzutzut—! Jijeek—!
What happens when the spear that pierces everything clashes with the shield that blocks everything?
[…Disappear!]
I already know the answer.
「Defense successful.」
「The Wall of Aegis absorbs all damage.」
The shield wins.
So I asked Milayel, whose critical hit was nullified.
"Do you know what the most creative weapon in the world is?"
As expected, he gave no reply, but it wasn't a problem. So what?
I just continued.
"The answer is…"
[...]
"The shield."
But unfortunately, I couldn't say why.
"Oh, damn."
My casting just finished.
———————!
At the moment a sound, or rather a sensation of something passing, reached my ears,
Flash—!
A pure white flash colored my vision.
'Let's see, time…'
6 minutes 17 seconds.
Ah, missed the six-minute cut.
「Heavenly Spear Wielder Milayel was defeated. EXP +8」
「Upper Guardian kill bonus. EXP +5」
Swaaaaaaah!
A cluster of light announced the monster's death.
Dozens of explorers swallowed hard, watching the light scatter.
Thanks to advance notice, everyone knew.
This wasn't an ordinary monster, but a guardian monster originally appearing on the 8th floor Rift.
'Indeed.'
What would drop?
With everyone watching as one, sight cleared.
Thunk.
One of the Rift Stones, a Guardian's loot, didn't drop.
And…
"Tch…"
The rainbow essence didn't drop either.
I wanted [Comet Split] essence very badly, even for Elwen.
A beginner's luck, but no drop.
It was disappointing, but at least some loot did drop.
Honestly, I couldn't believe my eyes either, but
"…Hey, that's!"
Heavenly Spear Wielder Milayel vanished as light and left behind a Numbers item.
And here's the important part…
'Guardians have a 33% chance to drop Numbers items.'
Plus, assuming the Numbers item dropped, an item with about a 3% drop rate appeared.
"That's the spear he was holding…!"
No.7 Maliel's Shinrokgeochang.
However, upon seeing it, I felt not joy but unease.
Or rather, it was anxiety.
After all, I just got The Wall of Aegis.
And now I got another single ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) number?
'…Does luck really follow me this far?'
I secretly hoped so, but now that it happened, I felt an inexplicable fear.
You could call it the intuition of a well-trained unlucky person.
But humans have left and right brains.
While my heart pounded at the bad omen, my head immediately began a happy dilemma.
'Shinrokgeochang…'
No one in our party uses spears.
But the charm of Dungeon & Stone is setting up the best gear as it drops.
"Hmm…"
Who should I give this to to earn a good reputation?
-x-X-x-
No.7 Maliel's Shinrokgeochang.
This Numbers item, also the spear-type graduation weapon, balances damage and tankiness well.
The reason I started researching spear Barbarians was because this weapon had high survivability.
'But in the end, it just turns into something like a berserker anyway.'
Of course, that doesn't mean the berserker class is bad.
If the team already has a main tank of similar level, it performs quite well and can serve as a secondary tank in emergencies.
But…
"Hmm…"
No matter how I think about it, it's ambiguous.
"Everyone, clear the surroundings."
"Huh?"
"We're leaving soon!"
"Ah, ah… yes!"
Everyone seemed curious who would get this weapon, but we decided to first set sail and continue pondering while leaving the island.
This isn't a decision to make lightly.
"We're departing!"
The boat carrying all of us cut through the silver waves and moved forward.
After some time…
"Sir! Look over there!"
From the island's shrinking center, a giant slowly rose and bellowed a ferocious roar at us.
[Woooooooohhhhhhh——!]
…Why does he always do that only when we're leaving?
Until we arrived at our destination, Library Island, deep thoughts continued.
Who would get this weapon?
'Ah, caught his eye again.'
While glancing around for answers, my gaze met a man's.
He was the spear user of the Hext clan.
Being the only spear user among this group, he dared not speak, but I could tell he hoped for it.
So…
I quickly looked away.
If you want it, you have to want it properly.
This weapon belongs to Clan Anabada.
It's already decided.
So my concern now is only who among our clan should get it.
'No need to consider Elwen or Versil.'
Same for Amelia and Misha.
Misha has already gone the frost dual-wielding tree, and Amelia uses auras, so the spear doesn't fit her.
Auyen isn't a combat class at all.
By elimination, only Ainard remains…
"Huh? You want it too?"
When our eyes met, Ainard smiled and offered me the precious jerky he was holding.
I accepted it and chewed while continuing my thoughts.
'…He's probably the one who can best utilize the spear's potential.'
[Natural regeneration increases proportionally with combat duration.]
[All recovery effects triple.]
These two options synergize well with the 'Slayer' engravings 'Combat Learning' and 'Devour.'
He also has skills like [Wings of Greed] and [Crouch] that boost natural regeneration, making his healing monstrously fast.
The spear Barbarian I raised had a similar build, full of those skills with the Slayer engraving.
The problem here is…
'You have to give up some skills the moment you wield the spear.'
First, grade 4 skill [Repeated Slash].
It can be cast with a spear, but you lose the increased piercing damage effect.
[Wild Control], which converts conditional activation effects into 'Cutting Power,' also becomes useless for similar reasons.
'If you don't use [Repeated Slash], [Explosion Scar] loses meaning, and then [Mandle Oil] and [Residual Heat] become pointless.'
Basically, wielding the spear means overhauling the entire skill set.
However…
'Except for Hiphramagent, all monsters are grade 4 or below, right?'
A sudden thought.
'Since that's the case, why not just change everything?'
Dungeon & Stone is a growth-based game.
While perfecting the final build is important, designing the path to get there is even more crucial.
If you don't prepare necessary items and alternative essences at each stage, you can't grow your character to the final build.
You must steadily increase skill value without losing character concept.
Click, click, click.
The reason [Repeated Slash] was Ainard's core skill was that.
It's a rare grade 4 skill obtained early on.
I thought we'd set up essence builds to use it, then switch to superior skills later.
Still…
'…It's not entirely impossible.'
I've grown a lot already.
Elwen secured a unique position after farming hierarchy essences; Misha grew a lot after traveling with Ibaekho.
Amelia was strong from the start.
Honestly, even if Ainard disappears now, hunting won't suffer.
In other words, support is possible.
'Though it's called support, wielding the spear doesn't greatly drop combat power.'
Single Numbers.
Graduation weapons without substitutes.
The effects attached have enough power to compensate for lost skills.
Especially if they're grade 4 or lower essences.
1200% piercing damage increase.
Triple all damage done with spears.
Top-tier piercing correction.
These three alone make single damage possibly higher than when using swords, and increased regeneration effects make it more stable.
So now the question.
'Will he accept it…?'
Let's just bring it up.
No loss in trying.
As expected of a barbarian.
"Ainard."
I walked up and said casually.
"Have you thought about using a spear instead of a sword?"
"…A spear?"
He stopped chewing jerky and gave me a strange look.
Huh, still no?
Regardless of preference, barbarians dislike such weapons as cowardly—
"Oh! If you mean that spear, great! Give it to me!"
…Huh?
What's with that reaction?
"Just to be clear, I mean you use the spear from now on. Change all your essences too."
"Do I have to change Semura's essence too?"
Semura's essence means [Repeated Slash].
It was passed to Ainard through 'Soul Succession' by the elder he followed like a master before he died.
"Yeah, that essence too."
"I see…"
Ainard's gaze grew somewhat wistful.
But it didn't take long before he answered.
"If you want, I'll think it over and answer—"
"Good. I'll switch to the spear."
"…Huh?"
Changing the entire build, and he decided in less than a minute?
'This is a true barbarian…?'
I couldn't keep up.
But Ainard didn't decide without thought.
"What are you surprised about? Weren't all the essences I have now recommended by you?"
"Uh… yeah, that's right."
"Thanks to that, I gained undeserved fame. I got the power to fight foes I couldn't imagine, and with that power, protect my comrades."
He looked at me quietly and said softly.
"So I trust you."
"…"
"You wouldn't do anything to hurt me, right?"
I see.
He didn't just decide on a whim. He just trusted me enough to move forward without doubt.
'Could I do that?'
That difficult trust struck me just then.
"And above all…"
Ainard avoided my eyes.
Or rather, he averted his gaze and stared somewhere else.
With a very greedy look.
"…That spear's fine! It's huge!"
"Ah…"
"Looks about one and a half times bigger than my greatsword!"
I was speechless.
Like a crow instinctively attached to shiny things.
Barbarians liked big things.
"The sparkling shine was cool too!"
If it glows, even better.
"And it seems all winged guys use spears!"
So… you had your reasons too.
Having switched to the spear class, Ainard immediately started getting used to the weapon.
Swinging in the air, measuring distance with thrusts.
At first, he was clumsy, unsure how to hold it properly, but his posture stabilized astonishingly fast.
"Hehe, now I'm getting my old form!"
"Old form?"
"Don't you remember? When we were kids, we learned all the weapons!"
"Oh, yeah… that's right…"
Ugh, why the sudden nostalgia?
As usual, I cut off past talk briefly, but Ainard was already deep in memories.
"By the way, it's interesting. I heard both my mother and my sister used spears."
Luckily, it was something I could answer naturally.
Though I hadn't heard about spears before, I'd talked with Ainard about his sister before.
Ainard is the second daughter of Pnulin.
He has a sister.
Or rather, had.
"Huh? You had a sister?"
Elwen, who also had a sister, asked with interest, and Ainard shrugged.
"Oh, didn't I tell you? We were four years apart. She became an explorer first and bothered me saying she'd teach me skills, hehe…"
"…Huh?"
Elwen tilted her head at Ainard's happy memories, but it was a cultural misunderstanding.
"So, what about your sister? Was she famous?"
"She died. Two years before I had my coming-of-age ceremony."
"Ah… I'm sorry…"
Elwen, as if touching a sore spot, became somber and apologized.
But Ainard wasn't bothered.
"Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault she died."
"But… it must be a sad memory."
"Sad memory? What do you mean? I only have good memories. Of course, it's a bit sad I can't see her anymore, but recalling her always makes me happy."
Elwen was speechless for a moment.
"How… can you be like that? When I think of my sister, my chest tightens."
Her voice was emotional, even a bit accusatory, but luckily Ainard ignored it.
He just shrugged casually.
"I don't really have an answer why."
"…"
"I think laughing feels better than being sad! I'm sure my sister would agree!"
A thoroughly barbarian response.
Elwen couldn't say anything.
She stared at Ainard for a long time, then silently turned and walked up to the lookout.
'Phew… finally I can breathe.'
I exhaled deeply, and Ainard gave me a strange look.
"…Did I do something wrong?"
"No, keep doing what you were. Once we arrive, we go straight into combat."
"Okay! Got it!"
I left Ainard, ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) who paused for a moment, back in automatic training mode, and headed to the helm.
After confirming our arrival time with Auyen, I leaned against a pillar and closed my eyes.
'He'll handle the small fry, and wake me up if bigger threats come.'
After some time, I woke up and took out my canteen, looking for Ainard.
I wondered how much progress he'd made…
'Huh?'
For some reason, Ainard was resting on deck.
With Elwen.
'What's going on?'
Just then, Amelia approached.
"Don't bother them."
"I wasn't going to."
I was just curious.
I pricked up my ears and listened to their conversation.
Though I worried they'd be too close, their talk was surprisingly normal.
"Ha ha, come to think of it, you said you have a younger sibling? How is he? An explorer?"
"No, not yet. He'll have his coming-of-age ceremony the year after next, and I worry."
"If you worry, why don't you teach him things?"
"That's… not easy."
"Huh? Ah, trapped here?"
"No. Actually… since my sister died… and since uncle suddenly disappeared, we don't get along well."
"Ah, well, since you've been going to battle every day for revenge, it's all your fault!"
Ainard scolded jokingly, but surprisingly Elwen accepted it quietly.
"It's my fault… yes. It's my fault."
"Ha ha, that's fine. Then just do better."
"But it seems too late. My brother hates and resents me."
"Did he say that himself?"
"No, not exactly—"
"Then don't think weird things. Hate? He's family. Surely he wants to get back to how you were."
"Really…?"
A strange scene where a fairy seriously gives life advice to a barbarian who's practically an enemy.
Yet somehow, it made sense.
"Yeah, that's right! You can trust me!"
I understood why Ainard gets along with everyone so easily.
Day 76 since entering the labyrinth.
After leaving Giant Island, we finally arrived at Library Island.
What we planned to do was infinite farming.
'I hope not only Bellarios drops but also something good for Ainard.'
With such hopes, we entered the building and descended stairs for a long time.
And then…
"Yandel, there's someone below."
"One person, no others."
"He seems to be curled up, maybe sleeping…"
"What will you do?"
Amelia and Elwen brought unexpected news.
Someone was already here ahead of us.
'Who on earth could it be?'
One candidate immediately came to mind.
The clan that came down to basement 1 with the Armin expedition last time.
I was sure their name was…
"…Could it be people from the Ainperial clan?"
Ah, that's right.
"But the number is strange. Just one person? Where did the rest go…?"
Muul frowned and fell into thought, but I wasn't very curious.
Or rather, I thought it was a waste of time.
"Better to ask directly."
No matter how much guessing, nothing beats hearing the truth from them.
I hurriedly went down the stairs.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Maybe because of the loud noise, the mysterious guest who was sleeping was now standing awkwardly…
"Uh… Baron?!"
He was startled when he saw me.
Honestly, I was just as shocked.
Because…
"…Madderkin Rilgrams."
The leader of the Silver Lion clan, last seen and then missing after Village Island.
-x-X-x-
Madderkin Rilgrams.
'I never expected it would be him…'
The moment I faced him, I felt neither gladness nor suspicion.
Only confusion.
"You… should have been killed by the village chief."
"Eh…?"
He looked at me as if he didn't understand my muttering.
Since it was like this, I continued.
"Killed by the village chief… what do you mean—"
"I saw a dagger with your clan's emblem in their forge."
"Ah…"
"Why was that dagger there?"
"I… don't really know. But before leaving the island, our members traded with the locals. They gave away mostly useless items and got way too many magic stones in return."
His testimony exactly matched the village chief's answer to my suspicions.
Which only made things more confusing.
'…The chief was innocent?'
Then what was I doing escaping the village?
Was I just making a fuss for nothing?
That thought came, but I shook my head to clear it.
Judgment can wait until hearing everything.
"Tell us. What happened to you after we left the island?"
"Eh? Ah… yes! Got it!"
He ran up with a face like "You came to rescue me!" but froze stiff when I coldly interrogated him.
"First, we left the island two days after the baron left."
Honestly, his story wasn't much.
They left thinking to do something, but after experiencing that event once, they got scared and headed for the easier Library Island.
Like us returning to farm, he apparently felt the need to level up his team first.
But…
"It was a new creature. It had grotesque wings and a slime-like body, but all sorts of bizarre limbs grew on it."
A new monster not even in my database.
It wiped out the Silver Lion clan and smashed their ship.
But just as Madderkin lost consciousness, drowning and presumed dead,
He woke up on Library Island.
His backpack caught on a rock, barely breathing.
"Since then… I thought it was too dangerous outside and went down here alone. Then… waited alone until someone came back here."
Saving food as much as possible, fighting loneliness instead of monsters, he endured alone.
That was the story in summary.
"I see."
It didn't seem particularly sad.
From what I heard, as soon as the annihilation was decided, he abandoned his team and jumped into the sea.
'Sounds plausible.'
If it's the Madderkin I know, such a choice fits the situation.
But…
'Information gathering ends here.'
I listened well.
Now it's time to verify his story.
So…
"Versil."
I ordered the mage to cast verification magic.
Unfortunately, it didn't work well—he had strong anti-magic—but I didn't linger and pulled an item from the pocket dimension.
'A bit wasteful to use it here now…'
But it smelled suspicious.
"Madderkin Rilgrams."
"Yes?"
"I'm going to check if what you say is true."
No request for permission.
No choice for him anyway.
Click—
I activated 'Distorted Trust' immediately.
I expected to learn everything even if he hid something.
But…
"Well then, let's start with a simple question."
What now?
"Tell me, what's your name?"
Like in the doppelganger forest, a simple test to check if the device works.
"…"
"…"
Why can't this bastard answer?
Tick, tick.
A compass-shaped disc.
Only the steady sound of its second hand repeats.
The longer the silence, the denser the air felt on my spine.
But…
Ssss—
My warrior body calmly acted on instinct.
When I came to, my hand was naturally on the hammer handle strapped to my back.
Purely unconscious action.
Phew…
But touching the weapon calmed me down.
"Tell me, Rilgrams."
I asked again.
"What is your name?"
He avoided my gaze.
His eyeballs, shifted far to the right, looked strange and eerie.
So…
"One last question."
Not just resting my hand on the weapon—
I fully drew it and asked again.
"What is your name?"
"…"
Playing silent?
'Just in case, let's break all his limbs first.'
Once I finished the plan in my mind, I gripped the hammer tighter.
And just as I was about to swing—
"…Ah."
He broke his long silence.
"I'm… caught…"
It was short, but somehow his tone changed.
And indeed it had.
"Caught. Caught. Caught. Caught. Caught. Caught. Caught. Caught. Caught. Caught. Caught. Caught."
Like a glitched audio player repeating the same words, his eyes shook uncontrollably and his voice trembled with anxiety and panic.
He was clearly terrified.
"Caught. Caught. Caught. Caught. Caught—."
"…Who are you?"
I grabbed his neck with one hand and lifted him up.
His words changed.
"What do I do?"
"…?"
"What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?"
A feeling I'd never experienced.
I was the one holding and lifting his neck, but why did I feel so uneasy?
"What do I do? What do I do wh—."
Then suddenly he closed his mouth.
And…
"…Ah."
Slowly raising his chin, he looked at me.
His rightward eyes were now fixed on me.
He then slowly said,
"I understand."
As if finally realizing something.
Feeling an unknown anxiety, I raised the hammer.
"What I have to do."
With those words,
Booooom!
His body exploded in my hands.
The explosion itself wasn't huge.
More like a slight sting on my hand that held his neck.
More like an allergic itch than a wound.
But that explosion tore his flesh into thousands of pieces, scattering bones.
"The cleric… is useless."
Covered in blood and flesh, I stared blankly down.
After grasping the situation, I sighed deeply.
'Damn, I messed up.'
I could make excuses, but in the end, I lost because I lacked imagination.
I always tried to expect the worst.
Yet I couldn't predict this.
'…No, how could I have?'
While blaming myself, I also wondered.
Could I have stopped this if I had known?
The fundamental question.
How do you stop an emergency escape?
It's an unstoppable skill.
No god can pull a dead person back to life.
It's theoretically the ultimate escape skill.
But the cost is your life.
'Enough useless thoughts, let's get organized.'
"Yandel…!"
"Don't fuss, I'm fine. Wait, I need to think."
I reassured my worried comrades and took time to analyze.
In short, it can be summarized in one sentence.
'Something unknown pretended to be Madderkin Rilgrams.'
Then, who is the culprit?
There's one suspect.
'The village chief.'
More precisely, someone the village chief sent?
I don't think the chief panicked immediately after being caught so easily.
Anyway, now that we have a suspect, next step is simple.
One of the basic elements of deduction.
'Why? And how?'
Why and how did they do this? I considered many assumptions but this part remained deeply veiled.
'To fool me into thinking the chief was innocent? Or maybe just to watch me closely…'
Purpose unknown.
'What kind of thing would allow this?'
No essence fits.
Some skills let you possess others, but it's very different.
Mostly the caster must be nearby, with visible threads linking body and caster.
So…
'It's not an essence.'
If anything,
'A wraith.'
It would be closer to a 'wraith' in form.
Thinking that, cold sweat broke out.
After long discussions with comrades, we couldn't discover more.
It remained a shaky hypothesis.
'The village chief has means to possess others like a wraith.'
Better safe than sorry.
After the Madderkin Rilgrams emergency escape incident,
As soon as things somewhat settled uncomfortably, we led the group to investigate the library.
Two changes happened while we were gone.
'The books… have respawned.'
The summoned books recharged.
When we left, most lower shelves were nearly empty.
Books strewn messily were now neatly organized, floor clean.
And…
'The stairs ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) reset too.'
We had exhausted summoned books, linking stairs to upper shelves where grade 3 monsters appear, but the library was back to its initial state.
'Hmm, so what's the reset criterion? Time?'
If so, maybe the trigger is Woo-gi, but that's unconfirmed.
"Yandel, it's good news. We can farm essences more comfortably now."
"Ah… yeah."
It was a positive situation as Amelia said.
Though the stair reset hurt, farming theoretically became infinite.
But there's negatives too.
'With resets, it will be hard to reach the top shelves by simple grinding.'
Clearing Library Island is already hard with a time limit.
But complaints can wait until aiming for a clear.
'I knew resets happened, so no more wasted time.'
I threw away all worries and focused on why we came here.
I'm actually suited to grind-heavy games.
Just zoning out clears all nonsense.
「Frost Wolf defeated.」
「Stone Golem defeated.」
「Hobgoblin defeated.」
「Ice Orc Warrior defeated.」
「Yeti defeated.」
「Riture Talismanist defeated.」
"…"
We divided into groups for hunting and farming and crazily farmed.
Grade 9, 8, 7…
The higher the shelves, the harder the monsters.
From when grade 4+ monsters appeared, we focused on finding specific monsters to summon.
Magic stones dropped.
Experience accumulated.
And…
"Essence!"
Essences for the Anabada members weren't yet dropping, but a few dropped each day, and my team grew steadily.
Time passed…
"That's enough! We'll stop here today, rest up!"
Day 85 since entering the labyrinth.
「Character souls resonate, guiding them to a specific world.」
The day had come.
-x-X-x-
The Ghost Busters — the gathering of wraiths held every month on the 15th, based on the city's time.
My routine here was almost always the same.
Wiiiiing—!
First, I'd turn on my computer and log into the community, then check how many people were in the chatroom called 'Long Live Korean Independence.'
'No one's here yet.'
Next, I'd head to the free bulletin board to lurk and quickly scan the latest info, then return to the chatroom to chat with Baekho and Hyunbyeol until an hour passed.
When Baekho left, I'd spend the remaining time talking with Hyunbyeol until it was time for the roundtable meeting, and naturally part ways from the chatroom.
Click, click.
Today was no different from the usual routine.
As always, I smoothly opened the free bulletin board on my monitor and skimmed the titles of posts already starting to come in.
Like drinking morning coffee while reading a newspaper.
Without rush—relaxing.
"…Hmm?"
As I flipped to the page pushed back already and checked the title of the first post today, I couldn't help but utter a dumbfounded sound.
I couldn't help it.
[Closure of the Basement 1st Floor of the Laphdonia Royal Family.]
What the hell is this.
Click, click.
Thinking it might be just a simple clickbait post, I kept clicking the mouse button repeatedly.
The title was irresistible.
— OOOO.
Of course, as expected, there was no main content.
Usually, posts like this get the first spot and then the content is edited in later.
What mattered was the comments.
They'd give at least minimal fact-checking.
Like this:
[arolf5205: Ah, I was gonna post this first.]
[NIKAMOTO: This is going to be a hot topic again.]
[AI_DIDIGO: Fact 1: 56% of the first posts on the day the community opens get over 100 comments and make it to the hot topic list.]
[└Ki11Humans77: Wow, it's Didigo. Please let me get a grade 3 essence in the next exploration.]
[└MarkG: But what's so good about being a hot topic?]
[└Paweł: The admins give some GP. But I don't think that's the reason they keep doing this.]
Not accusations of baiting or trolling, but users chatting on other topics.
From their reactions, I understood one thing.
'Damn, it's really true.'
The closure of the basement first floor of Laphdonia's royal family.
This was fact, and already common knowledge to many.
I quickly refreshed the post and scrolled down.
The productive discussions always come later.
It takes time to write.
[Darkrealm93: /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ But I don't get the royal family. Why are they blocking access from the next exploration?]
[└Akaistos: Haven't you heard? It's too dangerous.]
[└Darkrealm93: I'm not unaware. There must be another reason.]
[└WhyDoYouSniffShit: Obviously. There's a war going on and people keep trying to desert by going to basement 1, so they're pissed.]
[└funkinthetrunk: But no one even knows how to get down to basement 1 yet, so what's the point of banning entry?]
[└WhyDoYouSniffShit: Exactly, stop wasting time on pointless things, just keep being cannon fodder.]
I roughly understood the situation.
It's been a month since basement 1's existence was revealed to the outside.
Actually, two clans entered during the previous cycle.
And…
'I remember quite a few of those clans couldn't enter.'
Many explorers returned to the city after watching their comrades head to basement 1.
No doubt they helped spread awareness of basement 1 further.
Some savvy ones probably already figured out how to get in.
No, they definitely did.
'So everyone was preparing to go down. That's why the royal family is trying to block it.'
Also, if big clans knew how to enter, then the royal family must be aware of the method too…
"Hmmm…"
This situation's unfolding quite interestingly.
I continued scanning comments and the flood of new posts for a while, then put down the mouse.
Tap, tap.
Suddenly, I was deep in thought.
If the royal family banned it, people would generally avoid going down.
Hmm, guess I just have to revise the plan and watch for now.
I ran simulations in my head.
And after some time passed—
"Ah, they must be waiting."
Realizing significant time had passed in my daydream, I quickly snapped out of it and entered the chatroom.
"Oppa, you're here?"
"Oh, hyung! You're late again."
As soon as I logged in, Hyunbyeol and Baekho greeted me.
"Sorry, I'm a bit late today."
"It's okay. We weren't worried anyway."
"…What?"
I tilted my head, not understanding.
Baekho grinned.
"Feels like the main character always shows up late? Well, I don't see that as bad. Actually, kinda cool…"
What's this guy saying now.
I chuckled and sat on the empty sofa.
"So, no issues with you two?"
"Yes. I'm fine, oppa."
"Baekho, you okay?"
I asked indirectly whether they were good or bad without going into details, but unconsciously watched Hyunbyeol's reaction.
Did this guy notice that?
"I'm fine. Hyunbyeol knows who I am anyway."
"…Huh?"
"Hey, hyung! I'm not that clueless. I know it's okay to talk in front of hyunbyeol. I'm outside the castle right now."
"…Oh."
Baekho casually shared his recent situation while Hyunbyeol quietly listened with an intrigued look.
"…Baekho, are you really okay?"
"What would be wrong? We're all from the same hometown anyway. I honestly felt a bit awkward when it was just the two of us chatting without hyunbyeol. It's more fun talking with all three."
I still wondered if that was really okay.
But since he said he was fine, it wasn't my place to say otherwise.
I secretly agreed too.
'Yeah… talking in a trio really feels like something's moving…'
More precisely, it felt close to being back in Korea.
Talking about military service, politics, or craving kimchi.
This place was the only one where we could have those conversations.
Life in this world was satisfactory enough.
But there were moments when I clearly missed such talks.
"Anyway, so how's it there? Have you met the people of Noark?"
"Yes. It's been about a week, and now we're just exploring around to find out stuff. We haven't found Auril Gavis yet."
"Auril Gavis…?"
"Oh, Hyunbyeol doesn't know. I went outside the castle to find that guy."
"Oh… I see?"
Usually, Hyunbyeol carried herself like she was the best and didn't get intimidated, but when something big like that came up, she seemed surprised.
'Haven't seen that side of her in a while.'
Watching that made me a little nostalgic, and Hyunbyeol glared at me sharply.
"I wasn't laughing just now."
"I didn't say anything either."
"…"
Anyway, I asked Baekho about what he was curious about outside the castle, and he kindly explained what he'd found.
Since it was a thoroughly unknown region even in the game, every little thing was interesting.
Among those, one thing stood out:
"You can farm."
Unlike Laphdonia, outside the castle walls, living is possible without magic stones.
But this only raised more questions.
"Then why do they keep trying to sneak into the labyrinth?"
Why is Noark still at war?
Why can't they leave the labyrinth even going as far as making portals to the outside?
Unfortunately, Baekho didn't have a clear answer.
"I don't know. But there must be a reason. Most likely it's deeply related to that Auril Gavis guy."
"Probably. Okay, let me know if you find out anything else."
"Yes, hyung."
That topic ended for the time being, and there were about ten minutes until Baekho logged out.
So we spent the rest of the time talking nonsense.
"Wow, I think I talked a lot about myself today. Next time, tell me about you, hyung. I've been curious."
"Got it. I'll tell you next time."
"See you then!"
Baekho logged out when his time came, and nothing special happened while spending time with Hyunbyeol.
"Since he seems so curious, he must be doing something interesting."
"Hahaha… not really…"
"Don't change the subject. We're about to read books now, give me some too."
"Ah, then thanks."
I comfortably took the book Hyunbyeol handed me and started reading.
I had been a bit curious since last time we stopped at an interesting part.
'Why is this so fun?'
I giggled while reading, and when touching parts got emotional, my eyes welled up.
Deeply immersed, Hyunbyeol lying on the sofa tapped my knee with her toe.
"Huh? Why?"
"Isn't it time to go?"
"Oh, yeah."
Reluctantly closing the book, I stood up.
Hyunbyeol tossed out casually:
"If it's that fun, come again later. I'll lend you more books then…"
"No need to bother. I have plenty of GP, I'll just buy and read."
"…"
"See you next time."
After that, I left the chatroom, stretched out, and loosened up.
Strictly speaking, stretching wasn't really needed here…
But reading books had made it a habit.
Also, it somehow refreshed my mind.
"Alright, let's go."
There were plenty of things to do at the roundtable today.
Wearing a lion-mask that covered the whole face.
And beneath it, a neat navy suit.
Looking in the mirror dressed in that usual set, an inexplicable confidence welled up inside me.
As if I had become someone who could do anything.
But regardless of that feeling, I coldly self-assessed my current condition.
'Severe case.'
Phew, doing a concept for a whole year is tough.
Feels like my own concept is going to consume me.
Ah, of course, I'm not planning to stop now.
Tread, tread.
After checking my outfit in the mirror, I walked down the hallway toward the roundtable room.
As always, everyone was already there.
"Fishsit, you've arrived."
"Hehe… welcome, Mr. Lion Mask!"
"You're last again today."
Ignoring their greetings, I headed to my designated seat, then suddenly recalled what Baekho said earlier.
[The main character always appears late, huh?]
For the roundtable, Baekho was right.
I always tried to arrive as late as possible.
But if I tried to excuse myself, it wasn't because I enjoyed arriving last to steal the spotlight.
The real reason was…
'It would be weirder if I came early.'
Usually, those who arrive early chat.
What could I do joining in?
Not small talk and laughter, just making the mood awkward by sitting nearby.
Just like now.
"Well then… since everyone's here… let's begin…"
"…"
"Is there… some problem…?"
Ignoring greetings and lost in thought, the wolf cautiously glanced at me and spoke.
"Nothing special."
"Then… let's get started. Everyone's busy."
For some reason, the wolf took charge and led the meeting today.
Well, I didn't care who did—
'Ugh, why does this mask turn me into such a mindset to the bone?'
I figured it might be time to start being cautious and vigilant, but I decided to put that thought aside and listen.
The first to speak was Deer Antlers.
"The royal family has finalized the order to close basement floor 1. Anyone who disobeys and descends will be executed regardless of status."
"Such a harsh punishment is unusual."
"Ah, but this only applies strictly to clans of a certain size. We believe ordinary explorers won't be punished that severely."
Understandable.
If they just block clans from defecting, they can prevent the battlefield from collapsing.
'Damn, those royal bastards never do anything helpful.'
Anyway, starting from Deer Antlers, members quickly took turns.
Two notable things stood out.
"The unknown statues appearing on floor 3 can be enchanted with 'Distortion' magic and when defeated, yield three types of emblem fragments. These are the keys to basement 1."
The queen shared the method of entering the basement first-floor archive.
And…
"Fishsit, this might be good news for you all. Sadly, our elite team attacking floor 8 has failed and suffered heavy losses."
The jester.
It was just something to be taken lightly, but as soon as I heard it, I felt a lightning bolt in my head.
'Failed to clear floor 8…?'
No proof, but it didn't seem like a coincidence.
So I unknowingly blurted out.
"Kalheum."
One of the eight-floor rifts, the City of Light Kalheum.
The very field where Milayel, who dropped the Verdant Spear, appears as a rift guardian.
The moment I mentioned it—
"…Fishsit?"
The jester's deflated laugh stopped abruptly.
"How do you know that, Mr. Lion Mask…?"
What, it was really there?
Then is the failure of the rift raid related to that guy appearing below?
Thinking that while deducing, the jester quickly composed himself and continued.
"Ahem, ahem! I asked a silly question. If it's Mr. Lion Mask, you probably have ears everywhere in Noark too."
I just left it alone but it seemed like he gave himself a convincing excuse.
Is that why you should get famous first?
I didn't care if the jester made a fuss or not, the members' eyes turned to me.
'It's already my turn.'
So, what info should I pull out?
Today, I didn't have to think about that.
Until now, if something interesting came up, I'd respond with info to keep the concept.
But…
'I didn't come to give info today.'
Or rather, there was a change of plans. The royal family had just made a huge mess.
If things go on like this, newcomers will stop coming.
So I had to act proactively.
'The queen gave the entrance method, so we can just skip that…'
Though the royal family gave a death penalty, I wasn't too worried.
Because I know explorers well.
"The basement 1 archive."
Explorers don't care much about their lives.
"Bjorn Yandel acquired two single number items there in two months."
As long as there's enough gold beyond that…
-x-X-x-
He glanced around the room as he spoke.
"...!"
"...!"
Okay, judging by their reactions, it's certain that ordinary explorers would have their eyes pop out.
"Only two months…"
"Two Single Numbers…"
"…Two?"
Well, one was pulled from Garpas's necklace, and the other was luckily obtained by defeating a Guardian…
I wasn't lying.
Those were items that could only be gotten from magic stones found on the first underground floor or from the 'Guardian' monsters.
Swaaaaaaah—!
As the green light glowed vividly, a brief silence settled over the round table.
From here on, everyone's reactions differed.
Until a moment ago, they were all shocked by the content itself.
"How on earth do you even know about that place…?"
"I heard fewer than 120 people have gone down there so far…"
"Heh… no way… inside there?"
Some expressed curiosity about my identity.
"Pisit, how dumb can you be? Where in this world doesn't the Investigator have eyes? Didn't you see? He even knew everything about what happened at the eighth-floor rift. That was… a top-secret that fewer than 50 people knew about."
"True… The first to reveal information about that place was someone from the Hext Clan. It's impossible to deny they might have an informant among them."
Others accepted it as unsurprising.
And also…
"Then, this informant must be close to Bjorn Yandel."
The stag-antlered noble from the royal faction finally showed a predatory gleam in his eyes, as if he had found a clue.
Well, what does he think he'll do if he finds out?
Sliding my gaze, I checked the fox mask—Versil's—reaction.
His expression was hard to read because of the mask.
Yet, there was no sign of suspicion in his eyes.
No, rather…
'Flustered and uneasy.'
I sensed the faint trace of such feelings.
'Thinking maybe one of their clan members is my lackey.'
Well, I'd find out for sure what Versil does after the community closes today.
He ran straight to me during the Misha incident ★ ★ to accuse me of betrayal, after all.
Anyway, Versil was fine for now.
Sliding my eyes again, I checked the goblin.
'Hmph, honestly, he's the one I worry about the most.'
Unlike the others, the goblin was silent, seeming to think deeply, unaffected by the atmosphere.
Yeah, he was just sitting there…
'But that just makes me uneasy.'
Many reasons on the round table made it impossible for the Investigator to be Bjorn Yandel, but some folks have absurd gut feelings.
To me, the goblin seemed like that kind of person.
Therefore…
"Stag-antler."
I addressed the first speaker, the stag-antlered noble, shifting the conversation.
"How long are you going to sit there?"
"...?"
"Now it's your turn again."
Come on, let's get this show on the road.
There's plenty more to tell anyway.
One round.
"All kinds of monsters and Rift Guardians appear in the first underground floor's archive."
Two rounds.
"Many new and variant species appear in the first underground floor's archive."
"Um… variant species?"
Even the normally impossible question, I answered kindly.
"They're creatures with skills from multiple monster types. They drop essences too. For example, an entity with an Ogre's passive and a Troll's active skill."
"...!!"
"That's absurd…!"
"Th-That means you can combine new essences, right?"
Some members shouted, disbelieving, but there was no need to argue with them.
The gem would verify the truth on its own.
Swaaaaaah—.
Every time the gem emitted green light, the members' murmurs grew louder.
Also…
Flash—!
Some eyes glowed with a greed even stronger than the gem's light.
It was natural.
Yeah, what player would stay calm hearing about such a sweet hunting ground?
"Pisit… this story is getting interesting."
"Well, I don't think the Noark side will find it so fun. They'll just have to sit around and twiddle their thumbs no matter what they hear."
A war of words between the jester from Noark and the stag-antlered noble of the royal faction.
Of course, there was no stirring feeling in anyone's chest.
'Well, fights between those two are always the most entertaining.'
And it seemed others shared the sentiment, as no one tried to stop them despite the quarrel.
They just watched with interest.
"Ah! Like the explorers of Raphdonia who lagged behind for over a year because they couldn't get to the eighth and ninth floors, right, Pisit?"
"Didn't you hear what the Investigator said? According to that, there's no reason to go to the eighth or ninth floors anymore."
"Ah, well maybe that's true. But so what?"
"…Are you really that clueless? If this news spreads outside, the royal family will reconsider the entry ban and fully support the explorers' growth. Then Noark's downfall will be just a matter of time."
"Oh? Really? That's so scary I could cry."
The jester's indifferent answer was met with a sneer from the stag-antler.
"Well, Jester, maybe you don't care. You're the type to boast about your own failures to the enemy. For you, this is probably just entertainment—"
"Is that so? Actually, the reason I find it fun is quite different."
Cutting off the stag-antler's words, the jester laughed his unique laugh and continued.
"Then why do you think this situation is good news for the royal family?"
"What do you mean?"
"Are you really that clueless?"
The jester shrugged exaggeratedly and fixed his gaze on the place where I sat.
When our eyes met, the jester gave a friendly nod and turned back to the stag-antler.
"Why would the Investigator tell us about the first underground floor? Think about it, Stag-antler."
"...."
The stag-antler chose silence.
Instead, a member answered.
"To hinder the royal family."
The queen who had been silently listening spoke.
"That's the only reason that comes to mind."
Her words seemed to convince others too.
"I guess I wasn't the only one who suspected it."
"Investigator must know what will happen if this story spreads."
"This is the first time something so blatant has come out."
Information that was released after the royal family's entry ban.
And such attractive info, enough to provoke a situation against that order.
From this, the members seemed to have already guessed my intent.
Well, it didn't really matter if they had.
"Pisit, isn't it funny to be so cocky without knowing this?"
"You only interpret things how you want. Maybe it was to help the royal family. Maybe they didn't know how precious the first underground floor was."
"Hmm… Well? Which side interpreted things to their own liking?"
Ending with the jester's words, all eyes turned to me.
They didn't say anything, but their eyes silently asked me to clarify which of the two was true.
But I kept my lips sealed, perhaps frustrating them.
"So…"
Eventually, someone took the lead.
None other than Black.
It was a bit surprising.
I expected someone to step up, but not him.
He always kept quiet except when it was his turn.
"Investigator, are you on the royal family's side? Or Noark's?"
Black's bold question from behind his plain black mask with no ornament.
I muttered briefly.
"Impertinent."
It wasn't hostile, but Black looked down to avoid my gaze.
Well, maybe he realized his mistake late and forced himself to meet my eyes again.
'He's got a temper, huh.'
I made a mental note about this unknown person.
He had guts, I liked that.
"But, I'll answer."
Fixing my gaze on Black, I placed my hand on the gem.
At that moment—
Swallow.
Someone swallowed nervously.
Before I knew it, everyone was looking at me.
The jester hoped I'd be on Noark's side; the stag-antler hoped the opposite.
The rest just seemed curious about the truth.
But…
"Royal family and Noark."
I declared clearly before them all.
"I am on neither side."
It wasn't a lie.
Noark is my enemy.
The one who first took my comrade was a dragon slayer from Orculis, and because of them, I had to deal with that hell on the first floor.
During that time, Elwen's sister, Daria, died.
Also…
'The royal family doesn't need mentioning.'
The cold rage I felt that day has not melted away.
Someday, they will pay.
And as proof—
Swaaaaaaah—!
The round table's gem shone with the light of truth.
For some reason, its brilliance looked stronger than usual.
Someone, as if entranced, asked while watching.
"Then why…?"
The voice came from the stag-antler, who was sitting there.
"Investigator, why did you tell us that?"
It was a natural question for someone from the royal faction who had fought many political battles.
A mysterious strong figure wearing the Investigator mask.
Not on anyone's side.
Why act as if obstructing the royal family?
My answer was simple.
As always.
Tap, tap.
I knocked twice on the armrest before speaking.
"Because…"
As expected.
"Because it seemed fun."
Yeah, that would be enough.
The round table ended weakly afterward, but there was no regret.
I had conveyed how insanely good the first underground floor hunting grounds were, and others seemed to have run out of info today.
Besides, the timing to end was not bad.
So I just coolly wrapped it up and left.
'If I insisted on one more round, it'd just ruin the mood.'
Back in Ihansu's room.
I lay on the bed for a while, rolling around and resting before sitting back at my computer to continue streaming diligently.
Ironically, this community was my only window to the outside world.
"Puhuhuhuh… puhuhuh, this crazy bastard really…"
Ugh, my pride is hurt.
Why is this so funny?
Chuckling while browsing the board, I saw a new hot topic pinned at the top of the free board, climbing the ranks.
[Complete summary of known facts about the first underground floor archive.]
I clicked it immediately, and the content was very substantial.
Starting with how to enter the archive, all kinds of monsters and Rift Guardians appear there, and 'variant species' exist.
And above all, that Bjorn Yandel had obtained two Single Number items there.
The post neatly summarized all the info I had shared at the round table in brief.
By the way, the author was…
[BFKILLER]
A nickname I hadn't seen before.
'One thing's for sure, it's someone from the round table members…'
Who could it be?
Now that there were ten members including me, it was impossible to guess exactly.
'Well, since I released this info hoping the rumor would spread, maybe it's for the best…'
But I didn't expect it to be this public.
I had thought that those quick to catch info would hear it first this month, and by next month it would spread in earnest, but this was totally different.
'Sure, even if we're gathered in one place, everyone belongs to different groups with different goals.'
It wouldn't be strange if one of the ten wanted this info to leak.
Anyway, that's not important…
Screeech, screeech.
Scrolling quickly, I checked the comments.
Since it hadn't reached the hot topic yet, the early comments were mostly fact checks.
[YPPL: Wow, you should be a writer at this rate.]
[gooooooodd2: Trying hard to get a hot topic.]
[q1q2q3: So where's the evidence? Who would believe such nonsense without proof?]
Users pouring sharp sarcasm, thinking it was just trolling.
But those reactions gradually lessened.
[Amer91: Next expedition, I'll try the route via the Fragmented Temple. The idiots must be meeting there.]
[└AI_DIDIGO: It's already a fact among the royal family and major powers that the fragment is the key to the first underground floor.]
[└ScottBANE: Wow, is that really true, Didigo?]
[└Adi: Wait, if the entry method is true, wouldn't the rest also be true?]
[└Amer91: Nah, still feels like just trying to troll for hot topic.]
[└Adi: Think about it. Who would post unconfirmed info just to get hot topic? Even releasing the entry method alone would have been enough.]
[└ScottBANE: The more you think about it, it doesn't sound impossible. There must be players on the first underground floor too, and info can be shared through the community.]
Users who already knew the entry method appeared, and the situation slowly reversed.
From mere trolling to quite credible.
'Okay, by now the city will definitely have gotten the info…'
Feeling satisfied inside, I scrolled down further.
'Hm?'
I stopped scrolling at one point.
[Pnec: You idiots. Someone's spoon-feeding you, and you still won't take it.]
[└bigD: What do you mean by won't take it?]
[└Bling0_0: Always trolling, don't pay attention.]
[└Pnec: Yeah, was wondering when you'd show up. You clueless idiot.]
What? They're fighting again here.
Seeing familiar nicknames popping up enough to recognize, I scrolled faster.
[└Bling0_0: No way? Actually knows a lot? Knows you're 3cm and 3kb?]
[└Pnec: Yeah, what could a rookie like you know? Tsk, whether you believe it or not, all the info in this post is true.]
[└Bling0_0: …How are you so sure?]
[└Pnec: It's info I heard recently from a very reliable source. And if you try to insult that person, I'll find you and kill you.]
What the hell?
He heard it recently?
'Is this guy also a round table member?'
That thought flickered in my mind.
[└bigD: What do you mean by won't take it?]
[└(deleted comment)]
[└Pnec: Yeah, was wondering when you'd show up. You clueless idiot.]
[└(deleted comment)]
[└Pnec: Yeah, what could a rookie like you know? Tsk, whether you believe it or not, all the info in this post is true.]
[└(deleted comment)]
[└Pnec: It's info I heard recently from a very reliable source. And if you try to insult that person, I'll find you and kill you.]
For some reason, the user named 'Bling0_0' suddenly fled at the speed of light.
-x-X-x-
The next day after visiting the community.
I woke up feeling deeply fatigued and started my day as usual.
Simply put, that meant I ate breakfast first.
"Alright, meal's ready!"
It was distinctly different from the chaotic days when three groups tangled and operated in a slapdash manner.
Even outside of battle, roles were clearly divided.
Now, four people took turns preparing our meals daily.
Ah, by the way, Misha was the head of the meal duty team.
"How is it? Does it suit your taste? I made it a little less salty than usual since it's breakfast."
"It's fine, except for the small amount of meat."
"Ah… meat…"
"Just kidding. We have to save the meat. You never know when it might come in handy."
After the meal, I went to Versil, the supply manager, to check the remaining food stock.
"For a total of 38 people, we have supplies for 61 days left. If we reduce rations now, we might stretch it by about four more days."
"That's enough. If we cut more, what strength would we have to fight with?"
Our current food stock was roughly enough for two months.
This was thanks to the Armin Expedition bringing plenty of provisions.
The Hext Clan, stranded after losing their ship, had long exhausted their supplies, while we had prepared four months' worth for seven people.
'Day 86…'
If this were an ordinary labyrinth, the seventh floor would have closed, and ten days more would have passed.
Yet we were still trapped inside.
And the problem was…
'At this rate, I can't guarantee we'll escape even by day 200.'
Still, I wasn't too worried about food.
Soon new novices would join, and if worse came to worst, we could hunt monsters using ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) 'Distortion' magic.
Just like we did in Ice Rock.
"Anyway, got it. If anyone needs anything, give freely except for food."
"We already do that. Oh, and…"
"And?"
"…Never mind. I'll tell you once I'm sure."
I had a good guess what she was about to say.
There was probably a spy of demonic origin hidden in our expedition.
But to say that, she'd have to reveal she was a demon too, so she hesitated.
"Alright? Then I'll get going."
"Yes."
After finishing the supplies check, I asked Amelia if anything unusual had happened last night.
She was the leader of the security squad.
"Nothing particular."
She always ended with such words, but her role was indispensable.
In the labyrinth, you could never be sure if enemies might appear from outside—or even inside.
We always had to be on guard for any unpredictable variable.
Just like this.
"However, it seems Wilkus, the warrior of the Hext Clan, is under extreme stress. These days, he often struggles to sleep properly."
The security team had mostly acted like watchers, standing guard every night and reporting incidents to me.
By the way, there were six members total, including a former royal investigation officer acting as Amelia's right hand.
"Understood. I'll go talk to him later."
"Then you don't need to worry too much about that."
"Hm?"
"You're like an idol to the warriors. Besides, he seems to respect you especially, so he should get better."
After the morning chat with Amelia, I visited the three mages of the Armin Expedition.
"I heard Emily researched all night. Any progress?"
They acted as our investigation team.
They studied monster corpses, essences, and also summoning books in the library, summoning altars, stone gates from which monsters appear, and everything else found here.
"Uh… it's hard to call it progress…"
"We found unusual data in the blood sample of Hiphramagent…"
"If you give us a bit more time and budget…"
They always seemed to tremble nervously and watch me carefully when I asked about progress.
I repeatedly assured them I wasn't pressuring, but they didn't get better.
Maybe a habit from their time as research tower staff?
"Hehe, Baron, you're the chief, right?"
"No matter how you put it… it's hard for us to relax."
"Right, being careless doesn't produce results on time either."
Well, I had nothing to say to that.
Anyway, after hearing the investigation report, the morning routine was over.
"Alright, if everyone's done digesting, return to your posts!"
Time to get back to work.
We had a good meal and digested it well.
"From now on, we summon monsters!"
Time to return to the main job.
The routine after the morning was simple.
Stack the books gathered yesterday evening in one place, then hunt endlessly.
Swaaaaaah—!
Magic stones poured out; when essences appeared, we paused to identify them.
Ah, now we didn't even need to rely on witness testimony, a primitive method.
We had recording crystals set up to record the entire hunting ground.
"It's the essence of Katanda."
"The green essence of Katanda must be [Prophecy of the Omen], Baron?"
"We're good."
"Anyone else need it?"
After confirming the essence, I was given first choice; if I declined, the next in line took it.
If no one wanted it, it was discarded.
"Isn't it strange? A grade 4 essence no one wants."
"No surprise, even grade 3 essences are sometimes discarded."
"We can find better essences later; no rush."
"Hehe, thinking about the future just by looking at the essence in front of you. If you go outside and tell what happened here, no one will believe you."
"Not even putting it in a test tube, what a waste. How valuable is that…"
"But Baron said to use test tubes sparingly. I think that's wise."
Surprisingly, explorers were glad when essences got discarded.
Hunting paused until essences naturally disappeared.
Well, it didn't mean they rested completely.
"What's going on? Replenish the books we used while essences disappear!"
I used every spare moment.
I sent everyone to the shelves to grab summoning books, and when there were enough books, we quickly prepared meals.
And thanks to the hard work…
'Ten whole days…'
It was the first proper success in ten days since arriving at the library to hunt.
"Baron?"
"We'll take this."
After passing dozens of essences, we finally got one worth taking.
'Speardipper.'
A grade 3 monster that could be met by deep diving in a certain zone of the sixth floor sea.
Of course, it had an owner.
"Ainard."
"Oh! As expected!!"
As soon as I called him, Ainard rolled his eyes nearby and ran over quickly.
Since he used a spear, he seemed to expect this when he heard we'd take it.
But just giving it away felt boring.
"Wait."
"Ugh…! Why wait! You were going to give it to me anyway—"
Tsk.
"…"
Right, I thought so.
"Eat."
"Woohoo!!"
Once permitted, Ainard rushed for the essence.
Did he still have any greed left despite his exhaustion?
[Ainard Phnell's soul absorbs the [Speardipper Essence].]
The essence's light seeped into Ainard's body, and he opened his eyes, shouting like someone addicted.
"What is this! No joke! It's been a long time since I felt this strong…!!"
Well, of course.
His base stats were all invested in physical attributes.
Of course, stats weren't the important part, skills were.
(P) Discriminator — When attacking non-kin targets, damage increases proportionally to battle time. Opposite effect applies against kin.
A passive perfectly matching Ainard's 'Slaughterer' brand.
And…
(A) Trident — When attacking with the spear, deals the same damage to two nearby enemies.
No cooldown, low MP cost active skill.
Though not ridiculously powerful on its own…
Filling a build with only such skills makes a weak character.
[Trident] was meant to replace [Repeated Slash] as Ainard's basic attack skill.
'Okay, Ainard's done now…'
Of course, many essences needed replacing, but I had no slots for them now, so I wouldn't worry until returning to the city.
That left…
'Me, Elwen, and two Amelias…'
Those were the essences we could eat right away, and storing them in test tubes would greatly increase the count.
It'd be even better to clear out essences immediately upon leaving and switch settings quickly.
And in that sense…
'…I should try to get materials for engraving too.'
Stage 8 materials for the Immortal brand drop from three kinds of grade 3 monsters.
Of course, there were more materials…
'But those can be bought with money in the city anyway.'
Unlike low-grade materials, you couldn't buy grade 3 materials just by having money.
Even the soul of the deceased at stage 7 was like that.
Dropped by the grade 4 monster Lich, but only one item was listed in the central market.
So I spent all my money to buy it, not knowing when I'd get another.
[Ainard Phnell casts [Trident].]
While Ainard tested the new essence's power, adapting to his strengthened body…
"Captain!!"
The only non-combat personnel among the 38.
Navigator Auyen Rockrove ran up to me clutching a large summoning book urgently.
"I-I found it…! F-Finally!"
"Found what? Calm down and tell me—"
"It's the book that summons Bellarios!!"
Hearing this, I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply.
"Phew…"
Finally, it appeared.
Bellarios.
A grade 3 monster shaped like an Eastern-style dragon.
Its habitat was the Dragon Mountains in the center of the Dark Continent.
But since that place turned into a battlefield, despite its attainable stats, no one had yet defeated it.
"Versil, gather all the books in the shelves."
Having long awaited meeting it since coming to this library, I hurriedly assembled everyone and briefed them on Bellarios.
Maybe they were a little annoyed?
"Um…"
Someone cautiously raised a hand among the focused explorers.
"What is it, Ainard? Hungry?"
"No, I haven't even fully adapted to the new essence yet…"
"So?"
"I genuinely prefer practicing here to fighting… That efficiency? Seems better too."
This was something all barbarians could understand.
But…
"I just prefer training over fighting…"
Ah, yes.
That damn fighting spirit.
"Can't you just practice here while the rest fight?"
He seemed to want to avoid fighting whenever possible.
Of course, my answer was firm.
"No. You're joining this battle too."
"…Understood."
Seeing him so dejected made me feel like a villain and softened my heart, but I cut off emotions coldly.
Elwen quietly whispered to me.
"Sir… even though there are two grade 3s, wouldn't that be enough for us?"
I wasn't sure when she got close enough to support me from behind, but she wasn't wrong.
Ainard skipping battle?
Not much matter this fight.
But…
'The problem is others will see it.'
Even among clanmates, showing leniency in these matters can build resentment.
Even if it wasn't obvious outside.
So…
"I already decided. No arguments."
"…Yes, sorry."
After firmly dismissing Elwen's persuasion, I finished the briefing.
When I was confident the team perfectly understood the enemy…
I placed the summoning book on the altar.
And…
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
The stone gate opened and closed over a hundred times today, and two monsters appeared.
Flare—!
A goat-headed warrior carrying a hammer with a pouch of molten red liquid on his back.
'Helsmith.'
The owner of the essence once held by the chieftain known as the Flame Warrior.
And…
'Bellarios.'
I couldn't help but lick my lips while gazing at its sleek scales.
「Bellarios casts [Scales of Greed].」
「Bellarios gains immunity modifiers to all magic damage.」
Hand it over, now.
-x-X-x-