The unique 5th floor rift — the Soul Fortress.
And here appeared the labyrinth-type boss monster serving as the guardian, "Spirit Guardian Housiel."
In truth, its second phase isn't very dangerous.
Depending on the character's luck stat, there's some variation, but usually opening around five hundred boxes is enough to find the magic stone and move on.
However…
'No guarantee I'll be so lucky.'
That was also why I brought Sven Parab along.
What's needed to clear this rift isn't the ability to find gold, but the ability to avoid bad luck.
From what I see, this guy is specialized in dodging misfortune.
'So I didn't expect much from this…'
But what is this? Some kind of hilarious prank?
Looking at the box glowing with a brilliant golden light made my head go blank.
"Sven Parab…"
"Yes? Ah, yes, Baron."
"Did you feel anything strange before opening the box?"
"No…? It was just like usual…"
Hah, then it just means he was really lucky?
Even thinking it over, it doesn't make sense.
A character with a natural sense for misfortune and innate luck combined.
At this point, it feels like this world needs to add a new "Numbers" item.
Something like…
Parab's Golden Goblin Statue
With the bestowed number 7777.
Or a single-digit single number below 10.
Yeah, that would keep the balance right.
"Um… but what is this?"
I gradually came back to my senses as he asked again.
He stood a few steps away from the box cautiously, looking at me with an innocent expression.
I wanted to give him a kiss, but that would only revive the misunderstanding I'd just calmed down, so I passed.
"It's a box that can be found with a very low probability when defeating Housiel."
"Is it a good thing?"
Well, he's an explorer after all.
"It's good. Very good."
I answered firmly, and his expression changed.
His eyes moved into the box, tangled with curiosity and greed.
I wondered what could be inside to make me say that much.
'But it probably wouldn't be especially appealing to him.'
The value of items inside the box varies depending on the recipient.
To some, it might have greater worth than a single number item, but to others, it might be completely useless.
Paladin Parab belongs to the latter.
Slowly, he reached his hand into the still glowing box and grasped something round with his fingertips.
"…What is this used for?"
I grinned and explained the use of the item.
I had to pretend to be a local, so my explanation grew lengthy, using words like "merit points" and so on…
But in fact, it could be described in just five letters.
"Experience potion."
Now level 11 was possible.
「Character has consumed 'Dreaming Soul.'」
「Upon reaching level 10, gains 10,000 EXP.」
Dreaming Soul.
An ultra-rare item only obtainable during the boss fight with Spirit Guardian Housiel.
It's absolutely essential to reach level 11, which was the original max level in normal mode.
Because even after killing all kinds of monsters, about 14,000 more experience points are needed to reach level 11.
Even if you kill all the monsters, it's nearly impossible to fill that experience bar by portal or rift runs…
'And so it's eaten like this.'
Honestly, I was dazed.
Getting this item was extremely rare.
In fact, the last time I opened the Abyssal Gate, I was still level 10.
Though things went smoothly early on, allowing me to fully set equipment and essences.
Anyway.
"..."
After gulping down the potion at once, I glanced sideways and saw Parab looking downcast, shoulders slumping.
Well, I could understand that.
It'd feel like winning the lottery jackpot only to find out the number was from the previous draw.
That's why his next reaction surprised me.
"Well, that's good. It means the Baron can climb even higher."
I could tell it wasn't a courtesy but a sincere comment.
A hint of regret, but no envy or jealousy.
"Haha, don't think like that. It's useless for me anyway, and didn't you say that even if I cast distortion magic, I can't take it with me?"
"That's true, but…"
Hearing that first made me feel like I owed him more.
If anything comes up later, I'll be sure to take care of him first.
"Let's get moving again."
The longer we dawdled, the harder the boss fight would become, so we tidied up and resumed searching.
While continuing to open boxes, we talked.
"Baron, I'm curious about something…"
"Go ahead."
"What happens if you open the box you're worried about?"
Ah, that one.
"Simple."
As soon as you open the box, 5,000 experience points vanish.
It's common to lose levels, and when that happens, a corresponding number of essence slots randomly lock.
"What a crazy curse… Losing all the merit points collected so far…"
Parab didn't doubt my info, just tilted his head confused, wondering why he never knew such a thing existed.
"But the curse is a later problem. The real issue is the rift guardian."
"The guardian?"
"Yes."
If you open that box, the guardian absorbs your experience and grows stronger.
And you're supposed to defeat it with essence slots locked?
Even I can't guarantee I'll survive.
"That must be part of why you brought me. The curse is meaningless to a paladin."
"Well, that's not the only reason. But don't worry, if you find 'Dreaming Soul' in the box, the guardian becomes much weaker than usual."
As we talked, while steadily opening boxes, I understood Parab's intuition better.
'Looks like it doesn't activate on minor curses or monster boxes… Only when truly dangerous.'
Still, that alone was a near-miracle ability… or maybe it really was a miracle.
After all, he recently received an oracle.
"Ah, looks like we finally found it."
After a long search, we found a box containing the magic stone and moved on to the next phase.
Crack!
As soon as I smashed the stone, we moved into a space that felt like the inside of a giant worm's body.
Thump!
The floor was slippery and squishy, writhing periodically like a living creature.
Also…
「Spirit Guardian Housiel's [Defense System] strengthens further.」
Sticky liquid began oozing from the ceiling, floor, and walls.
"We have to move fast before it fills up."
We moved faster than ever to tackle phase three.
Even the best tank has to breathe.
In the game, if that liquid fills completely, it's game over.
Of course, after completing the map, we'd never had a wipe here.
'Go straight, turn left at the fork, then go straight twice more, then turn right…'
I haven't memorized the whole map, but I know perfectly how to reach the magic stone.
Step, step.
Breaking through monsters blocking the way and running over acid up to our calves, we quickly reached the goal.
Thump!
A heart-shaped magic stone pulsed as if alive.
Without hesitation, I smashed it with all my strength.
And…
Whoosh…!
The final phase.
When we opened our eyes, we were greeted by a space reminiscent of outer space.
At the center was a transparent glass staircase shaped like a pyramid, and at its peak floated a giant eyeball-shaped magic stone.
The true body of Spirit Guardian Housiel.
'No lines again this time.'
As soon as we arrived, its eyes snapped open, and like the underground first floor during the rainy season, monsters began pouring out.
A legion of hundreds of monsters.
「Spirit Guardian Housiel's [Defense System] strengthens further.」
Because we arrived relatively early and had opened a golden box in between, the monsters weren't that high rank.
'Up to grade 4 monsters…'
Oh, by the way, arriving maxed out with experience lost means even grade 2 monsters appear.
The main body's power is also much stronger.
"Move quickly!"
We hurried up the stairs before the monsters descended, fighting fiercely from the moment they touched us.
Being a 5th floor rift, it wasn't easy for just two.
If there were a mage with AoE skills, opening the path would've been much easier.
Well, what can you do without one?
"Behel—laaaaaaa!!"
We climbed the stairs amid the fierce battle.
More annoying than the monsters was the main body itself.
Pew!
Magic cannon firing straight at me is one thing.
「Spirit Guardian Housiel casts [Target Lock].」
Because aggro periodically drops, the following comrades also need the stamina to survive the waves.
Also…
Whoooosh-!
Every time it emits a pulse, its body, which has [Gigantism] active, is pushed backward.
"What are you standing there for! I'll open the path somehow, so come up! Don't act like an idiot!"
"Yes, yes…!"
Though I spoke stronger than usual, it couldn't be helped.
If knocked back or pushed by monsters to fall down, it's instant death.
Even if I could solo the boss, I had to stubbornly climb the stairs and endure.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Swinging my hammer wildly, I knocked monsters aside.
Most just lost balance and tumbled down the stairs, but unlucky ones rolled a long way down into the endless darkness.
More would spawn anyway.
'Damn it.'
As I fought while climbing, Sven Parab fell behind.
Between us and him, monsters had filled the space.
'Maybe it's faster to kill the main body than to go save him…'
My game-hardened brain made the most logical choice, removing emotion.
It's the monster legion that's tricky; if you can just get close, killing the main body is easy.
Still, he's my teammate, so I wondered if going back to save him was the right thing.
'…What to do?'
At that moment of intense hesitation—
"I'll hold on! Go on ahead…!"
He shouted first, letting me proceed without regret.
And then…
「Character used [Swing].」
「Character used [Swing].」
「Character used [Swing]…」
Finally reaching the main body, I swung my hammer like a madman again and again.
Though the main body was fragile, the tank barbarian's damage meant hundreds of hits were needed…
Crack!
At last, the giant magic stone shattered, breaking into tens of thousands of fragments scattering everywhere.
And…
「Spirit Guardian Housiel defeated EXP +6」
「Guardian defeat bonus EXP +3」
The legion of over a thousand monsters instantly turned into light and scattered, filling the space with glow.
In the midst of it, I hurried to find Sven.
"Ugh…"
He had rolled down halfway down the stairs, panting heavily, his body battered and bruised.
"I-I'm alive…"
Whew, I really have to take good care of him from now on.
With the boss fight over, the portal opened.
A rainbow-colored essence dropped ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) as well.
'Ha… I have to leave this behind.'
Words couldn't express how much I hated to do that.
The essence was that valuable.
All because of one passive skill.
[Soul Contract].
The effect of this passive skill is simple.
You instantly become level 8 but can no longer gain experience.
If you want to reach higher, you must never consume it.
However, this essence sells for an extremely high price.
Years ago, a marquis family reportedly bought it for billions of stones.
'His wife filled seven slots just with beauty-related essences…'
It's ridiculous, but such things happen every day in reality.
'Anyway, I've earned enough money here. Let's prioritize getting out…'
Putting greed aside, I took the portal out with Parab.
Normally, someone would have rushed over to check if I was hurt, but this time was different.
"..."
"..."
In the quiet stillness, everyone around the statue was staring at one spot.
I hurriedly turned to see what they were looking at.
'The door is already open…'
Maybe because we lingered after killing the boss, the stone door was wide open, revealing what was hidden inside.
"A portal…?"
A red portal that looked ominous just to see it.
A familiar mage muttered.
"This isn't a normal portal. The mana wavelength is…"
"…?"
"A rift… a rift!"
The rift from the underground first floor had opened.
-x-X-x-
The boss room we entered by climbing the guardian statue.
Though I called it a rift for lack of a better term, strictly speaking, it wasn't really a rift.
The mages said that the unique properties that a rift portal should have were completely absent.
So I just let it slide.
In fact, beyond the portal, unlike normal rifts, there was only the boss room standing alone.
But…
'This time it really is a rift…'
Behind the stone door that opened after defeating all guardian statues was a hidden rift portal.
'Well… the underground first floor is technically its own layer.'
So a unique rift specific to a layer exists?
Not really strange.
The chief said not to expect too much since he had never seen a rift generated during all that time…
'There's no way it doesn't exist.'
I didn't doubt the existence of rifts.
It's not random but sometimes opens only at specific locations.
I figured the underground first floor was such a case.
"Be careful! If you get sucked in, there's no turning back!"
"What's the result of the wavelength measurement?"
While the mages gathered near the portal collecting various data, I stepped back and took a moment to gather my thoughts.
'I thought maybe there'd be rifts above the sixth floor…'
But my cautious internal guess was spectacularly off.
'No, maybe it's too early to say for sure?'
Maybe the portal randomly sends you to one of the rifts above the sixth floor.
'…Though honestly, it doesn't seem likely.'
My gamer's intuition said otherwise.
There's a high possibility the portal leads to the unique rift of the underground first floor.
"Phew…"
Rather than curiosity or excitement about what kind of rift it might be, worry weighed heavier.
This place isn't like a game.
No retries allowed.
We must succeed on the first try in an unknown rift where nothing is known — not the guardians, not the monsters, not the terrain.
"…Yandel?"
"Ah… Emily."
Amelia noticed my seriousness and gave me a worried look but didn't speak, only handing me a waterskin filled with cold water.
Time passed.
A leadership meeting was held where the mages shared their research so far.
Apart from minor details, there were two major points.
"We observed no decrease in mana density or other phenomena at the rift portal. The likelihood of natural dissipation over time appears extremely low."
There's enough time before entering the rift to think carefully.
Meaning there's no need to rush a team in hastily.
It was what I expected, but hearing such a definitive statement was somewhat reassuring.
However…
"Our investigation team believes the rift allows a maximum of five entrants."
This part surprised me in many ways.
Setting a maximum capacity of five is one thing, but how did they know?
Can their investigation even determine that?
That wasn't the case in the game.
Curious, I asked about the investigation process and got a somewhat deflating answer.
"Well… there was a mural on the inner side of the stone door… After in-depth discussions, our team concluded it likely indicates the total capacity."
So it wasn't learned by magic but just a guess.
"Of course… since it's an interpretation from a subjective viewpoint, our team fully acknowledges the possibility that this interpretation might be wrong, and we ask for understanding on this matter."
"What the hell is this mage saying?"
"…Excuse me?"
Ah, I accidentally said it out loud.
The atmosphere grew awkward suddenly, but I didn't add any excuses or corrections.
That's not very barbarian-like…
Basically, they're just covering themselves in case our guess is wrong.
"Alright, then let's pause the meeting here. I have something to discuss with the Baron, so please clear the room."
The chief understood my signal and had everyone leave, then asked me.
"What would you like?"
Just as during the statue exploration, he expressed willingness to leave all exploration decisions to me.
"The mages' speculation makes sense, so I plan to form a team of five for now. Of course, I'll also prepare additional teams as backups."
"Wise. Let me know when the lineup's finalized—"
"Before that, there's one thing I want to ask."
I cut him off and he looked at me with that unreadable, chilling gaze.
"Ask."
With permission, I bluntly asked.
"Are you planning to enter the rift with us?"
"Why?"
Hm, no point in lying clumsily.
After a brief internal debate, I answered honestly.
"You can afford to die anyway."
You're perfect as a scout.
First friend, first love, first farewell…
First times are special and long-remembered.
And I was no different.
The first rift.
Though I had entered rifts countless times playing [Dungeon and Stone], memories of the first attempts in each remain vivid.
The Blood Fortress, Glacier Cave, White Temple…
Rifts I entered with no prior info.
Took extreme caution in the runs, but 99% ended with game over, losing my precious characters.
Hammer dwarf, sniper fairy, beast voodoo priest…
Data fragments lost just because I didn't know better.
Not that I regret it now, but those experiences naturally shaped one realization.
Getting wiped out on the first rift is normal.
Except, of course, when you're blatantly overpowered.
But…
'Judging by the underground first floor's difficulty, we're probably not overpowered.'
So the chief's participation was a crucial matter.
It meant we could throw around Jerome Saintred, one of the strongest, recklessly.
"Besides, if I die, it benefits you too."
"…Not sure how that benefits me."
I said awkwardly but couldn't deny it.
So, does that mean refusal?
I seriously wondered if I should give up here.
"I will."
"…What?"
"If you grant me one favor."
"Speak."
Surprisingly, the chief's favor wasn't much.
And his hidden intent was obvious.
"You hold onto a few items and bring them to the city."
"Ah, you mean delivering Karui's Heart. The [Heretic Altar] effect prevents taking it out."
"Exactly."
One of the biggest features of the [Heretic Altar].
You must periodically visit and register your equipment at the altar for it to follow you upon resurrection.
"Hmm…"
"Isn't it a fair deal for you?"
"Maybe. But I wonder why you trust me enough to ask."
I asked bluntly.
The chief smiled, a bit less awkwardly than before.
"Haha, you're the one who handed over the royal exploration commander's body to some monster trying to survive. How could I not trust you?"
Simply put, if I break the promise, I'm ready to be screwed too.
"Just so you know, this is the last time a 'die together' threat will work."
"How is that a threat? I'm not forcing a promise, just saying if it's broken, that's what might happen. If you don't want to, just refuse."
Uh… logically, that's true.
Having no comeback, I ended the conversation coolly.
"…Then I'll assume you're coming and start /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ picking the team."
"Do as you wish. But… aren't you going out?"
"For what? I have to come back and report anyway. Waste of time."
"…Suit yourself."
I sat down and started pondering who else to bring.
'Two are set for now…'
The chief and me.
If the mages' speculation is correct, three more can enter the rift.
Who should I pick?
'I should definitely take a mage and a cleric.'
Utility from the mage and stability from the cleric.
With those two, you have half the team covered no matter what…
The first choice was easy.
"Gahwin Vesillus. Let's put that old man in the mage slot."
He was the senior mage of the first exploration team, and I had clashed with him before.
"Hmm… surprising?"
"What's surprising about that?"
Gahwin Vesillus, currently head of one sect, served long as a military mage in his youth.
He has much exploration experience and skill to match.
I heard he led the first-grade joint magic we saw earlier.
"Honestly, I thought you'd take that mage girl."
"Ah, you mean Raven?"
"Yeah."
Raven was a candidate too.
She had a lot of knowledge about the labyrinth and decent skill.
More importantly, her passion for unknown rifts was probably greater than the old man's.
But…
"We're not here to play around. If there's a better mage, why choose otherwise?"
The chief just nodded at my words.
"You really cherish your comrades."
"…Did you hear what I said?"
"You mean 'I don't care if I die'?"
"…"
Come to think of it, he's getting more cunning by the day.
"What about the last two spots?"
"I'll bring a cleric for one."
Sven Parab the paladin was also a candidate here, but that idea was quickly dropped.
The vanguard is enough with just the chief and me.
In terms of healing and utility, the paladin can't match a cleric.
Though he has that insane intuition…
'That ability is useless if there's no other choice.'
Sensing danger is one thing, but overcoming it is more important.
Everyone faces dead ends sometimes.
"If you're taking a cleric, then this guy is good."
"Who?"
"The archbishop of the Reatlas Church."
It seemed like a decent choice, so the cleric spot was filled by the archbishop the chief recommended.
And the last precious spot.
'We need a dealer.'
With the chief out during the expedition, the only dealer would be the mage.
So we needed to reinforce the dealer line.
'No matter how I think about it, no better choice.'
After much thought, I settled on the final spot.
A truly unfortunate matter.
"The last spot will be for my comrade, Elwen Fornaci di Tersia."
There was no other dealer like Elwen in the entire exploration army.
After finishing the lineup of the remaining members excluding the five chosen,
I gathered the five members of the advance party in one place.
After all, it's necessary to get to know each other better before the expedition.
'We can't switch members once inside, so better observe well now.'
There was a possibility the final team could change depending on the interview results.
"I am Eden Hestia. Though lacking, I hold the position of archbishop of the Reatlas Church."
"Nice to meet you. Is this the first time we're talking directly?"
"However, I've heard much about the Baron from Sir Parab. Please take care of me inside."
Archbishop Eden Hestia gave a better first impression than expected.
I thought he'd be a stuffy old man since I'd seen him reprimand Parab like a dog.
"Admittedly, I'm not very knowledgeable about the labyrinth. I hope the Baron will teach and guide me."
"I will. What holy spells can you use?"
"Haha, I can use all the spells the Baron might know—"
"Oh, so Star Origin is possible?"
"…Baron, you seem quite knowledgeable about holy magic? Star Origin is difficult."
"Is that so? Too bad. How about Star Summon?"
"Ah, that one is possible."
We then began the proper background check, and in the end, the cleric spot didn't change.
The archbishop really was very capable.
Afterward, it was the mage's turn.
"Gahwin, list all usable spells."
Gahwin Vesillus complained as if this was too much, but when I continued, he sighed deeply and gave in.
"If we fail, the hundred or so people following us could all die."
"Since it will take time, just the spells above third grade."
"What about lower?"
"I can handle all of them, except for unique spells."
Oh, that's impressive.
Perhaps only the best were picked from those selected by the royal family.
The level was higher than imagined.
A dream team, so to speak.
'This might really be worth a try…'
Then I, Elwen, and the chief introduced our abilities and made sure everyone understood.
After that, we had a training session on positioning and things to watch out for during exploration.
Since neither the archbishop nor Gahwin had much experience in teams smaller than five.
There was much to teach…
'At least there's no time limit.'
We stayed a few more days, cramming knowledge and thoroughly checking that no one had personality issues.
Finally, preparations were complete today.
"Go in first, Yandel. If the portal doesn't disappear, we'll follow immediately. And Tersia."
"…Why?"
"If for some reason we can't follow…"
"I know. I'll take good care of him."
"…Good."
Heh, who's really taking care of whom?
I smirked and greeted the rest of the comrades as the chief approached me.
Whoosh—!
I don't know what danger lurks beyond the unknown portal.
"Done greeting?"
It was time to go in.
「Character has entered the 3rd Archive.」
「Field Effect — Role assigned.」
-x-X-x-
The clang of metal hitting metal echoed across the battlefield.
Painful screams and furious shouts filled the air.
And then…
Pshhhhhh—!
A fountain of blood sprayed, blurring my entire vision.
"Ugh, my eyes!"
Hurriedly, I wiped the blood away from my eyes with one hand to restore my sight.
At the same time, I quickly scanned the surroundings.
There was no time to close my eyes and gather my thoughts like during the initiation ceremony.
After all, this was the heart of the battlefield.
"Aaahhhh—!"
"Push! Push them back—! If they break through, we're all dead!!"
Hundreds of humans fought off the pouring monsters.
'What the hell is this…?'
I rapidly sorted through my thoughts.
I had just entered a space that seemed like the underground first floor rift, and upon opening my eyes, this was where I was.
The chief, the archbishop, Gahwin, Elwen…
None of the comrades who were supposed to enter with me were anywhere to be seen; only humans dying in real time surrounded me.
I needed more information.
That was my judgment as I took in everything I could see.
"Bjorn Yandel…! Snap out of it! Are you going to die like this?"
A man locked eyes with me, pulling a sword stuck in a monster's neck out and shouting something.
The fact that he could speak with me was surprising enough.
But what really caught me off guard was something else.
"Bjorn… Yandel…?"
He knew my name.
What the hell? He didn't seem like an enemy at first glance.
Was he a friendly NPC?
But I'd never encountered this kind of rift before.
"Damn it, don't you even know your own name now…!"
The man frowned and parted the monsters to come to my side.
Then…
"Snap out of it! If you don't want to die like this!"
He shouted, blocking my way and battling the monsters.
Thanks to him, my mind cleared a bit.
'He must be a friendly NPC.'
Concluding these were not enemies, I immediately realized what I needed to do.
"What are you doing with that huge body! Swing the hammer—! Kill those monster bastards and save our comrades!"
First, let's wipe out those monsters.
Then maybe I'll figure out what to do next.
"Behel…"
Ah, maybe I shouldn't use that just yet?
"Waaaaaah—!!"
Instead of a barbarian war cry, I shouted at the top of my lungs and dashed forward.
The monsters weren't particularly strong, so I didn't bother using [Gigantism].
But still…
Crack!
A single hammer blow crushed a troll entirely.
"What the…!"
The eyes of the man who had been fighting the troll to protect me widened.
"Were you hiding your strength?"
His voice was filled with shock.
To be honest, I felt the same.
'…Can I really do that much in one hit?'
Feeling uneasy, I swung my hammer again at the troll beside me.
Crack!
Once more, the troll burst like jelly with a single strike.
Honestly, it was pretty startling.
'What the hell…?'
Why am I this strong?
'Or are these guys just weak?'
Trolls don't usually die that easily.
They have monstrous bodies with [Rapid Regeneration], even if their heads are smashed.
Sure, overwhelming damage can bypass [Rapid Regeneration] to instantly kill them, but…
'That would be hard with my stats.'
So what was going on?
As I swung my hammer against the pouring monster horde, the answer to the mystery came naturally.
The trolls {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} weren't weak.
The big guy still had the strength to toss a bulky man with one hand, and when injured, he still used [Rapid Regeneration] just fine.
Crack!
It was just that I'd become absurdly strong.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
With every hammer swing, monsters were swept away like falling leaves.
But this power didn't come without a price.
"…Blood."
My barbarian warrior's body, layered with countless defensive mechanisms, was bleeding.
Of course, I'm human, so bleeding is normal.
And the injury now was only a slight scratch causing a bit of blood to ooze.
'…I'm bleeding from just a troll bite?'
There was a serious problem with my body.
「Role assigned to character: Mercenary.」
「All attack stats tripled, but all defense stats reduced by 70%.」
「Regeneration rate increases proportionally to lost HP.」
I was screwed.
Not just kinda screwed, but really screwed.
The moment I saw the abnormality in my body, that thought bloomed first.
Crack!
Damage greatly increased, but…
[Kraaaack-!]
Body durability sharply dropped.
I don't know the exact numbers, but…
The 2nd stage of [Evolved Shell], which activates at 350 physical resistance, didn't trigger.
「Character's physical resistance is above 70.」
「50% resistance applies only to bladed weapons.」
It wasn't just physical resistance.
Even using [Greedy Scales], the barbarian dragon mode wouldn't activate.
Simply put, my magic resistance plummeted as well.
'Damn it…'
All skills that rely on durability values became half as effective.
Still, it didn't just take away everything.
Thud.
Compared to before, my warrior's heavy body moved lighter and faster.
Also…
「Character used [Swing].」
「Character's strength stat is above 1,200.」
「Deals double damage to enemies with over 90% HP.」
Each time [Swing] was used, an enormous gust of wind was generated.
It looked like the skill had been unlocked…
'Thinking comes later.'
Having first checked my body changes, I focused on fighting the monsters.
Well, at this rate, sweeping away monsters wouldn't be hard…
'Let's try to keep as many alive as possible.'
The more actively I fought, the more NPC allies would survive.
Based on ridiculously strong force, I swung and smashed my hammer down.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
A satisfying impact sensation, rarely felt while raising a shield barbarian, lingered at my fingertips.
'…Maybe not quite screwed after all.'
I wasn't turning into a glass cannon like I feared.
Though being forced to consider normally ignorable attacks was stressful.
'This is… uncomfortable but convenient…'
As I fought actively and adapted to my body, then—
"Gah, it's over…!"
"We survived, we survived…!"
"Waaaaaaaahhh!!"
When I came to my senses, all monsters were dead, and the nearby humans cheered in victory.
'Sigh, now what?'
I thought I should kill everything first, but I had no idea how things would proceed.
So I kept to the side, observing while staying out of the way.
"Yandel…! Yandel! Are you okay?"
A man ran over to me, stepping on the monsters' corpses.
The same man who had worried and tried to protect me when I first opened my eyes.
"No serious injuries."
"Thank goodness. That's a relief!"
The friendly man checked me and sighed as if he'd aged ten years.
But then, he seemed puzzled.
"By the way, what the hell was that strength just now? I thought since he was so big, he'd fight well on his own, but I never imagined this level!"
"Uh…"
What should I say?
Maybe I should just act casual?
While thinking that, the man suddenly lowered his head, realizing something.
"Ah… sorry. I'm sure you have your reasons for becoming a mercenary."
"Thanks for understanding."
"Come on, let's go. I want to rest now, but we have to clean up so the carts can pass without trouble."
Though brief, I learned two more things.
'Mercenary… and the empire…'
What kind of rift was this?
Knowing nothing, I followed the man.
We were in the middle of a city turned to ruins.
"Cleric! This way!"
The streets littered with bodies of humans and monsters.
Soldiers carried the wounded, and some shouted frantically, searching for lost comrades.
"That guy…!"
"That was intense earlier."
"Even the knights weren't like that…"
Despite the chaos, walking here drew attention — no wonder given the commotion.
I still didn't know how well my decision to save as many as possible would turn out.
"What now? Let's get going! Clear the debris so the wagons can pass! Hey, with your skills, you probably don't need to worry about the empire's scrutiny?"
"No, it's fine. I'll help…"
"You're a thoughtful young man. You'll go far."
Though I didn't know his name, I followed the man's lead and helped clean up.
In doing so, I learned a few things.
We were both mercenaries hired by the imperial army.
We met today for the first time and exchanged names before battle started.
Fortunately, this man was very talkative.
In other words, information gathering was much easier.
"Phew… I haven't been a mercenary long, but this is the strangest thing yet. Monsters forming groups to invade a city… What will become of the world?"
"Hey, do you know what year it is now?"
"Hmm? Let me see… last year was the Year of the Moon, so this year must be the Year of the Sun."
Unfortunately, he was talkative but not knowledgeable.
"Don't you know more details? Like what year it is in the Year of the Sun?"
"…What mercenary remembers such things? We're not noble lords studying history."
Unlike that vampire uncle, this man didn't even know the current year.
"Then do you know the emperor's name?"
"…Shh! Quiet! Do you want to die?"
"No, I'm asking if you know."
"There's no way someone like me would know…!"
Right, he didn't know.
Since soldiers on the street probably didn't either, I focused on other things.
Asking that would be weird.
After silently continuing cleanup, I tried a casual question.
"Do you know how the war with the witches is going?"
The man tilted his head, as if puzzled by my sudden question.
"Witches? What do you mean? Are female mages fighting a war somewhere else?"
"No, I just heard something like that. Never mind if you don't know."
Apparently, this was before the witches appeared.
Otherwise, he wouldn't confuse witches with female mages.
While helping cleanup and gathering information, suddenly—
"Everyone, stop for a moment!"
A soldier bearing the imperial insignia on his chest caught the mercenaries' attention.
"That's not the guy we saw this morning?"
"Morshu? He died, didn't he?"
"Oh, so this must be the new commander… Shh, be quiet. Don't cause trouble."
Hundreds of mercenaries hushed under the empire's power, watching cautiously.
The soldier continued.
"We're looking for a mercenary named Bjorn Yandel! Word has it he single-handedly killed hundreds of monsters! Has anyone seen him?"
What? Why are they looking for me?
I instinctively stepped back, but there was no time to flee.
As soon as those words were spoken, everyone's gaze focused on me.
"Ah, it's you. Can we talk for a moment?"
"…Fine."
Though suddenly summoned, I was a little uneasy.
But thinking about it, it wasn't something I could avoid.
The knight would know more than a mercenary.
I intended to gather more information through conversation.
But…
"You're a mercenary, right? I'll be straightforward. I have a request for you."
My plan to casually gather information through conversation failed.
"Escort a girl. Make sure she reaches her destination."
The moment the knight mentioned the request, the world went black.
'Then why ask if you're just going to do this?'
I hadn't even agreed to the mission.
Tap, tap, drip…
Water droplets echoed in a dark cave.
No sooner had I opened my eyes than I sensed a presence nearby.
Or rather, a hostile aura.
Whoosh!
Something swung through the darkness.
The expected target was near my thigh.
Even in the darkness, my barbarian instincts caught the swinging object.
Clack!
A slender wrist caught in my thick hand.
"Ugh…!"
A pained groan escaped.
The voice sounded very young.
'After being assigned the escort mission, the location changed… So this must be the one to escort.'
Having quickly concluded, I opened my mouth gently instead of retaliating.
"Calm down. I won't hurt you."
The grabbed wrist twitched.
After a long pause, a voice came.
"…Eh?"
…Is the arm hurting?
I relaxed my grip, and a youthful voice echoed through the dark.
"Uh… are you an uncle?"
The voice sounded like a child at least a few years away from puberty, but the tone and manner of speech felt very familiar.
"Elwen…?"
"Yes, yes! It's me!"
"I don't know what happened, but it's good you joined us now. It's dark, so let's check the surroundings first—"
"Wait. I'll do it… But… uncle, you can't be surprised, okay?"
"Surprised…?"
"There's something…"
At that moment, a small flame flickered in the darkness.
Flare—!
A tiny flame too weak to light the surroundings.
Lowering my chin, I looked down and froze like stone.
In the reddish light,
Elwen was looking up at me.
In the form of a little kid, about eight years old.
"Th-That… what is that form?"
"…I don't know either! I woke up like this…"
Still, it was kind of fascinating.
So this was what she looked like when she was young.
Though her nose bridge was always very high—
"Uncle…!!"
Did I stare too much?
Elwen—
No, more precisely, baby Elwen.
Hmm, that's too long to explain, so in short—
"…Don't stare at me so much!"
Baby Elwen covered her face with her tiny hands.
「Field Effect — Role assigned.」
「Role assigned to Elwen Fornaci di Tersia: 'Girl.'」
「All stats fixed at 10%.」
「All healing and regeneration effects reduced by 90%.」
「Cannot be attacked by monsters.」
-x-X-x-
Most rifts are divided into chapters.
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4…
Usually they end by Chapter 4 or 5, but occasionally there are rifts that go beyond Chapter 7.
Anyway, that's not the important part.
'So the city defense I just went through was Chapter 1.'
You could say that when I woke up as the mercenary Bjorn Yandel and fought monsters, that was Chapter 1.
But here's the key point…
'Could this be similar to the Doppleganger Forest?'
The 4th-floor rift, Doppleganger Forest.
Back then, the moment we entered, we were locked in iron cages, and only after two other teams entered the rift could we escape and start Chapter 1.
Each of the three teams started Chapter 1 at their own start points and then joined together at Chapter 2…
This maze we just entered fits exactly that type.
"I started in a village-like rural town. The army was in the middle of invading."
Elwen's experience of Chapter 1 was different from mine.
It was also a battlefield from the start, but it wasn't a chapter where she just wiped everything out like me.
"I was at about a tenth of my usual strength… maybe even weaker."
Elwen, who had an insane debuff from the start, barely managed to escape the village with the help of NPCs nearby.
And then…
"I just kept climbing the back mountain, but monsters kept appearing. Strangely, the soldiers who were following me attacked, but the monsters didn't attack me."
Luckily, it wasn't just a mindless debuff.
"In any case, while wandering the mountain being chased like that, I arrived at this cave. I hid inside… but soon after, a knight found me."
"Wait, did the knights or soldiers have a symbol like this on their chests?"
Before continuing, I drew the empire's [N O V E L I G H T] insignia and showed it to Elwen, who nodded.
"Yes! That was it!"
Damn, the empire really doesn't leave anywhere untouched.
"Alright, keep telling me. The knight found you, then what?"
"I thought I was done for, but he said he wasn't here to hurt me, so I felt relieved."
The knight introduced himself as a friend of my brother.
He gave me a compass and said that if I used it to get through the cave, I could meet my brother.
"He said he wanted to come with me but couldn't, and that if I waited a few days, he'd send someone to rescue me."
That was the whole of Elwen's Chapter 1.
The moment the knight finished speaking, before I could reply, my vision went black.
"But suddenly, I felt a presence nearby… I'm so sorry."
"No, if you don't know what it is, stabbing first is the right move."
"Uh… is that so?"
"Well done."
I patted her head, and Elwen smiled.
It was an unconscious gesture, but because of her young appearance, it felt a little awkward.
It was like I'd become a barbarian uncle teaching a kid bad things.
"…Anyway, can you show me that compass the knight gave you?"
"Here you go."
After that, Elwen handed me the compass.
'So I just have to follow this direction…'
That seemed likely, but first, before setting off, I checked Elwen's condition.
'Her equipment's all gone…'
Unlike me, who came with the Demon Crusher and Aegis Barrier, Elwen was completely unarmed.
Also…
"Her essences and spirits work, but… she can't use her usual strength."
Her MP was drastically low, and her output was only about a tenth of her normal state.
The only hopeful thing was [Chaos Circuit], but Elwen hadn't confirmed that yet.
"I was worried the backlash might be huge, so I managed to regulate and run away."
[Chaos Circuit] activates when all resources are consumed.
It turns MP infinite for one minute.
In that state, using [Focused Shot] and summoning the Spirit King can unleash tremendous damage for that minute.
'…Though even fully charged, that's only about 10% of her usual power.'
Aside from MP, lower stats mean lower multipliers, so damage differs even with the same charge time.
Still, she'd probably outperform most ranged dealers.
'I should save that for emergencies…'
From various experiments, I found one more unique trait beyond "not being attacked first by monsters."
"Ugh, ugh…!"
Her wounds don't heal.
Not simply because her stats dropped and natural regeneration fell.
Potions work differently from stats.
Sssllooowww—
Her skin regenerated so slowly it was hard to believe.
'This is problematic…'
What if she got stabbed in a bad spot now?
Just imagining it was terrifying.
"Elwen, no fighting from now on. Understood?"
"…Yes?"
"I'll protect you no matter what, so just trust me and follow quietly."
"Ah… yes!"
Alright, then, let's start Chapter 2.
Step, step.
We left the sealed cave entrance and followed the compass deeper into the cave.
That's when I realized something.
I'd actually thought this since the cave entrance…
"Uncle, this place is kind of…"
"Similar to the first-floor Crystal Cave?"
"Yes."
There were differences, though.
There were no monsters here at all.
So we moved much more comfortably than expected.
Though just physically—the mind was still extremely uneasy.
'Nothing's coming out, I'm getting anxious…'
With such a long time of no stimuli, no matter how hard I tried to stay alert, my senses dulled naturally.
Even while walking, my mind kept drifting.
'That's weird…'
Rotmiller taught me scouting.
Naturally, the place he researched the most for speedruns was the first-floor Crystal Cave, and thanks to that, I was sharp on that area too.
Exaggerating a bit, I could tell where I was just by feeling the walls and noticing subtle differences.
So one question came up.
'Is the maze's terrain different?'
I guessed we were near the Land of the Dead.
But Elwen said she started in a normal village, not the Land of the Dead.
So what change had occurred here?
'Will that village turn into the Land of the Dead after some time?'
That wasn't an entirely absurd hypothesis.
One feature of the Land of the Dead was ruins of stone buildings buried in muddy black soil.
"…That's troubling."
"Yes?"
"The compass points west of the Crystal Cave, to the place with the Rocky Desert."
"Yes, but…?"
Elwen gave me a look like 'What's the problem?'
That was probably the normal reaction.
But…
"I'm curious. What about other places?"
I had a feeling that as soon as we find the exit, we'd move on to the next chapter like in Chapter 1, meaning we'd never get to see Chapter 2's structure.
"Other places?"
"I think something might be hidden at the center. I'm curious how the other exits look."
"Well… you've always been curious, haven't you?"
More like greed than curiosity.
Who knows what rewards might be hidden?
In Chapter 1 too, if it weren't for gathering information, I'd have searched every place.
"Well, can't we just go check?"
"But if there's nothing there, it'd just waste time."
"Isn't that what exploration is all about…?"
"Yeah, that's true."
Having already made up my mind, I changed direction and headed for the center of the cave.
"Is this the place? There should have been a monument here…"
The cave's very center.
Originally, the monument of Gabrielius should stand here—the same spot where the Witch's Altar was in the Pilgrim's Cave.
"Judging by the terrain, it seems we found the right spot, but there's nothing here."
Damn, a bust?
"Still, since we came this far, let's search a bit—"
"Uh… uncle?"
Suddenly, Elwen stopped me, startled.
"I feel… something strange."
"Something strange?"
"It's coming…! Over there!"
Elwen pointed toward a wall.
But I didn't doubt her instincts.
"Step back! Now!"
I moved Elwen behind me, readied for combat, and stared at the wall.
After a moment—
Pop—
A translucent strange creature poked its head shyly out of the wall, looking around quietly.
Our eyes met, and I was speechless.
"…Hamsik?"
Why are you here?
Black eyes, twitching ears.
A moderately protruding chin and front teeth.
Beige fur with a shiny sheen and a plump pink belly.
And adorable little paws.
It was obviously Hamsik.
But…
[Ham… Sik?]
The aura in its tone and voice was confusing.
[Yes, mortals dared to give me such a trivial name…]
A chill ran down my spine.
The moment I sensed it, I accepted it.
This being before me was not the same as Hamsik.
"…Who are you?"
[You are not permitted to ask that, mortal.]
Hamsik coldly brushed off my question and fixed his gaze on Elwen.
[Human girl, do you know your fate?]
"Uh… who are you?"
Unlike my question, Hamsik answered Elwen's politely.
[I can either help or harm you.]
"…?"
[Pitiable one.]
Hamsik fully stepped out of the wall and walked toward us.
Though his gaze was majestic and heavy with gravity, his gait was unmistakably Hamsik's.
Biological limits, perhaps?
While I was trying hard to figure it out, Hamsik spoke in a deep voice and revealed important information.
[Human girl, if the pursuers catch you, a terrible disaster will come. But…]
"…But?"
[If you die here by my hand, the world will remain intact.]
He spoke as if there were two choices.
Judging by Hamsik's eyes, anyone could tell what decision he made.
'Damn it.'
I came here expecting some loot, but a hidden boss popped out.
[You bear no guilt. You may curse me if you wish—]
I cut off his muttering.
Whether this was Hamsik before he lost his memories or one of his parents didn't matter.
Whoosh!
I swung my hammer fiercely to block the way.
"Cut the act with that cute face, will you?"
[Cu-cute…? Me?]
Hamsik trembled with a sense of insult.
[Beep! Insolent mortal! How dare you—!]
And so the hidden boss battle began.
To sum it up, Hamsik was strong.
About a Grade 3 monster level.
Probably mid to upper tier among Grade 3s.
But…
[Beep! Let me go! I said let go!]
Hamsik had a fatal flaw.
High durability and regeneration, but long casting times and wide-area skills with low single-target damage.
He specialized in "grind"—using skills designed to overwhelm with numbers…
'If I'd been a shield barbarian, I might have lacked damage.'
Having switched to mercenary and hammer barbarian, I was able to break through all his defenses and suppress him.
Of course, Elwen's contribution was huge.
Even under that insane debuff, using [Chaos Circuit] she could hold her own.
'How is it that she can still out-DPS me in that state…?'
"…Uncle! Are you okay?"
After successfully suppressing him, Elwen came running to me out of breath.
My lowered defense stats had taken a toll on my body.
But thanks to the fierce fight, I learned something important.
"I'm fine. No serious wounds."
More precisely, serious wounds had already partly healed.
Somehow, after healing to a point, the recovery rate sharply dropped.
'Is this some mechanism where the more you're injured, the higher your regeneration?'
Seems like this status effect doesn't just increase attack and lower defense.
'If so, it actually synergizes well with [Hero's Path].'
Anyway, my main concern now was self-feedback.
"Hamsik."
[My name is not some petty 'Hamsik'—!]
"Hamsik."
[…What do you want from me, mortal!?]
I pulled out a small orb, and Hamsik's eyes went wide.
[How did you get that—!?]
How did I get it?
When I briefly passed out earlier, I found it right in my pouch.
"Enough, just answer. What is this?"
[…]
I don't remember informing him about Miranda rights.
"If you won't say, I'll keep it then?"
I politely asked for consent, but again Hamsik stayed silent.
Was it a treasured item?
"Answer."
[…]
"Not going to?"
He muttered pitifully.
[I was going to give it… after testing and deciding it wasn't a pointless death…!]
What the hell is this?
As a gamer who's seen everything, I was pretty shocked.
[Why on earth do I have to endure this humiliation…!?]
…Could it be that I wasn't supposed to just kill him?
-x-X-x-
Sometimes, while playing a game, there are those moments.
Not just fighting blindly, but patterns designed to be solved by fulfilling certain specific conditions.
"Hmm…"
Thinking about it, if the goal was just to endure, it wouldn't have been that difficult.
Hamshik didn't have any powerful single skills.
Even if there were some, their casting time was long enough to prepare for.
But in the meantime…
'A buff that increases regeneration the more injuries you take.'
This mercenary's body was specialized in endurance.
Even Elwen, who would normally have been sidelined, managed to carry the weight of one person using [Chaos Circuit].
'This feels kind of pointless…'
I worked hard to take it down, but it turned out I only had to endure.
I wondered if I had wasted my effort for nothing, but I decided to think positively.
'Eh, but still, if it can be taken down, it should be.'
Yeah, my judgment wasn't wrong.
What does it matter if I could just get through by enduring?
No, rather because of that, it was even more positive.
When the standard method works, extra rewards always follow.
Just like this.
[Really… I just wanted to help—.]
"Hamshik."
[…Speak, mortal.]
Hamshik, who once said I wasn't even worthy of being called a person and had no right to question, now showed manners.
If I had proceeded by just enduring until this guy showed mercy, this change would never have happened.
Maybe he would have just tossed an item carelessly and left without proper explanation.
Well, that wouldn't happen now.
"I know you didn't do it with bad intentions, so just say it. So what exactly is this?"
[If given to that human girl, it will be of great help on the journey ahead.]
"Don't be vague about help and all that. Be clear."
I knew it was some kind of potion, but I couldn't just let Elwen take an unknown thing, so I pressed him for details.
Hamshik's explanation of the potion's effect was simple.
If she takes this, the 'Forsaken'…
That is, those who are 'monsters'…
She wouldn't just be immune to attacks from monsters, but would gain some degree of control over them?
[But remember. It won't work on those with high spiritual grades like me.]
Hamshik gave the warning seriously and stood up, heading toward the wall.
"No, where do you think you're going?"
[Since I've heard the answer I wanted, our business is done—.]
"Not yet."
[…?]
Damn, trying to sneak off with my hidden piece reward.
After subduing him like this, letting him go for free is a loss. Of course, I don't think Hamshik is hiding any material rewards…
But the reward doesn't have to be material.
Every piece of information I gain here is invaluable.
And in that sense…
"Who exactly are you? Are you also a monster… I mean, one of the Forsaken?"
I started asking seriously.
[…In the eyes of mortals, yes.]
"Don't be ambiguous. Be clear."
[…Yes. More precisely, we are the 'Abandoned'.]
"The Abandoned…?"
[We abandoned faith first, and thus were freed from bindings to remain independent beings.]
Forsaken and Abandoned.
Listening further, the difference was simple.
'Whether intelligence exists or not.'
Goblins, kobolds, and orcs belonged to the 'Abandoned'.
Unlike normal monsters, they built civilizations and lived in villages in forests or mountains.
They sometimes interacted with humans.
[But today I realize. No matter how much you want to abandon, there are things you cannot abandon.]
"…What do you mean by that?"
[I said that powers won't work on those with high spiritual grades, but don't worry. They will never be hostile toward that human girl. Just as I was today…]
Things you want to abandon but cannot.
Though not the answer to that question, I let it pass without objection.
Above all, there was something I needed to confirm first.
"Hamshik."
[Speak, mortal.]
Seeing Hamshik no longer flinch at the name ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) I gave him, I cautiously asked.
"Just asking in case… Is she the Earth Witch?"
[Witch?]
Hamshik shook his head firmly as if he'd heard something strange.
But that didn't mean Elwen was not the Earth Witch.
[That human girl is not a witch.]
With Hamshik's next words, I became certain.
[She is just a poor child born with a cruel fate.]
That rift.
So the base was really the Earth Witch…
Every rift has a story.
Even when playing the game, you could tell there was backstory through various concepts or lines, but the thing that convinced me was the conversation with the vampire man.
The bloody fortress where corpse golems and vampires appeared.
I had gone there countless times in the game, and it was a space based on someone's life.
The White Temple, the Doppelganger Forest, and so on were probably the same.
'A rift made based on the story of a witch…'
It hit me sharply as the most important turning point in all my explorations.
Also, the contents of the 'Golden Book' I read in Hamshik's room suddenly came to mind.
Long ago, a brother and sister lived happily in a rural village. But when the brother left the village to become a wizard, the younger sister was very saddened.
To summarize, it was the kind of diary entry that could be written in three lines.
'That's probably the story of the witch too.'
Maybe through this exploration, I would learn more details about the witch and uncover the secrets of the labyrinth.
That was when I was pouring questions at Hamshik for a long time.
[Enough.]
Hamshik suddenly muttered with sharp eyes.
"…Enough?"
Does he think we're friends because I answered him with a smile?
Just when I was seriously wondering how to deal with Hamshik in the future, he suddenly shouted as if sensing something.
[It's not that…! The imperial army is coming!]
"The imperial army…?"
[Don't even think about fighting! Even you wouldn't stand a chance against so many enemies.]
Hmm… really?
Even though he said that, I couldn't quite feel it, but Hamshik continued his plea earnestly.
[You may be fine, but what about that human girl? Do you think you can protect her against such numbers?]
That logic wasn't wrong.
Actually, Elwen was still recovering from using [Chaos Circuit].
"We have to get out of this cave quickly."
[It will probably be hard. We are already completely surrounded.]
"Really, Elwen?"
"I don't know. My body isn't normal yet…"
[If I hadn't used up all my strength fighting you, I would have noticed sooner…]
Hamshik muttered with emotion.
I could tell he was frustrated, but I couldn't just let those words pass.
"So you're saying all this is my fault?"
[I'm not trying to find someone to blame! Enough, come here!]
"Okay?"
[There is only one way to safely exit this cave!]
Hamshik waved his hand, and a portal formed.
Whoooosh!
The portal shook visibly unstable.
"If we go through here, where will it lead?"
[I don't know. But it won't be where you intended.]
Hmm, besides passing through the cave via compass, was there another route?
I still couldn't tell if this was a good or bad event.
But…
"Sir, what will you do?"
"Let's get in for now. I don't think he means to harm us."
There was no other choice.
If Elwen in anglerfish mode got badly hurt, it would be uncontrollable.
After coming to an agreement, we walked toward the portal, when Hamshik called me.
[Mercenary.]
"…?"
[I entrust that child to you.]
Huh, I wondered what he meant.
"I know. Even if you don't say it."
I smiled slightly and tightly held Elwen's hand as we stepped into the portal.
And…
'Phase 3 now.'
I opened my eyes, curious about what would happen next.
[Special Condition – The Distorted Journey is fulfilled.]
[Character is moved to the Great Square.]
Thousands had gathered in the square.
"Kill them!!"
"Divine punishment to the wicked witch…!!"
We were kneeling on the gallows.
To summarize the situation.
Bound at limbs, standing on the gallows.
'Did they take all my gear? Damn, I hope I can find it.'
The gear I had painstakingly looted was nowhere, replaced only by a ragged cloth wrapped loosely.
Ah, and beside me was Elwen in similar condition.
Somehow looking a bit older than before.
"Ah, sir…!"
She looked about ten to twelve years old now.
A nobleman standing between me and Elwen began to read out our crimes.
From conspiracy to rebel, noble murder, massacre, arson…
Amid the endless list of charges, there was only one thing I focused on.
"I request the death penalty for the wicked witch who caused chaos in this world for over ten years and her follower Bjorn Yandel."
More than ten years.
'So that much time has passed since escaping the cave?'
Maybe the crimes recited by the nobleman had all happened during the last ten years.
'But if that's true, Elwen is still too young.'
I had doubts but passed over it.
"Sir, what should we do?"
"Calm down. I'm thinking."
After calming Elwen, I continued my thoughts.
Thankfully, there was still time.
I thought the execution would happen immediately after the noble finished speaking, but it didn't.
"This concludes the emperor's decree!"
A knight fully armored in shining plate armor came up next and opened a scroll as if to proclaim a royal order.
"Citizens of the empire! It has been a long time! It has been a hard time! With the appearance of the wicked witch, the world turned into a hellscape…"
His voice amplified by magic rang loud and proud with praise and self-congratulation.
I listened half one ear and was planning an escape.
Tap tap.
Someone cautiously tapped my bound shoulder. I moved only my eyes to see a familiar face.
"Long time no see, Yandel."
"You…?"
"You remember me, huh. Though we only met once over a decade ago."
For me, it had only been a few hours.
The mercenary who moved with me in Chapter 1.
Though wrinkles covered his face and his hair was graying, unlike when he was young.
"You haven't changed at all since that day. So young. Did you gain power by becoming a follower of the witch too?"
"Well, let's just say so."
"I was surprised when I first heard your name. I never imagined you were a follower of the witch who brought chaos to this world… Honestly, until I saw you here in person, I wasn't sure."
"…"
"Do you know? I spent all my fortune just to stand here today."
"…Why did you go that far?"
He didn't answer my question.
"After you left, I joined the imperial army. Mercenary or soldier, life was rough either way, but I finally settled down."
"…"
"I met a woman beyond my status, married, and had children. It was a truly happy time. Over a decade was enough to change my whole life, but at the same time, it was very short."
His calm voice grew heated as he continued.
"Do you know? Now I have nothing. I lost everything when Nelbus Fortress was overrun by monster hordes."
…Damn it.
"Is that enough of an answer? Why I came here."
I knew I wasn't the one responsible, but still, facing such clear malice was stressful.
"Some say sinners survive by a thread, but don't worry."
"…"
"I checked many times properly."
He finished speaking and stepped back, no longer talking.
And how much time passed?
"Sir? I think the end is near…"
No one had to tell me; I could feel it was right in front of me.
The heated roar of the boiling crowd.
'…No, what am I supposed to do?'
I tried to resist with all my might until my veins nearly burst, but the ropes showed no sign of breaking.
'Isn't this… too unfair?'
At first I thought there was an NPC helping me by talking from behind, but no.
So am I really going to die like this?
Or maybe I'll wake up and continue to the next chapter?
I didn't know.
The only thing I knew was that it wasn't a reason to give up.
"Uaaaaaaaahhhh!!"
I pulled every ounce of strength from my body and resisted.
Still, it wasn't enough to break the ropes.
But…
Crack—
The ropes loosened a little.
Gaining hope, I shook my whole body back and forth as much as it loosened.
"Stop!"
A soldier approached to stop my rampage.
…It was that guy.
Bang!
Using the loosened gap, I headbutted his head.
"…Huh? Aaaahhh!"
He fell from the high gallows.
"Kill them! Kill! Kill immediately!"
The crowd roared louder at the incident on the gallows.
Ignoring them, I struggled to escape.
And…
"Hah…"
The knight who was reading the king's proclamation sighed deeply.
The small sigh echoed throughout the square thanks to amplification.
"Well, seems like preparations are finally complete."
Only then did I realize.
This voice was very familiar.
"Sir Ervan was found dead…!"
"What? Then who the hell is that author over there…!"
"Stop them!!"
Knights shouted urgently and rushed up the stairs.
And at that moment.
"Let's begin."
A light burst forth from the floor of the square holding thousands.
Swooshhh!!
A gigantic magic circle the likes I'd never seen in my life.
Bathed in that radiance, a man turned his back and roughly took off his helmet.
"It's time to join forces. Do you know how much trouble you've caused us?"
It was the chief.
-x-X-x-
To be honest, I never expected it.
That the knight who conveyed the emperor's words to the crowd gathered in the square, standing on the gallows, would be the chief.
'No wonder I couldn't see any chance of escaping on my own.'
Now I realize it wasn't an unfair chapter, but one where I had to wait until my comrades came to rescue me.
Screech—!
The chief took off his helmet and swung his sword, cutting the ropes.
From below came a shout in outrage.
"Sir Saintred! Why did you betray us…!"
"…Sir?"
"You were a noble knight from the start. We'll talk details later."
The chief said that and turned his gaze away from me to overlook the square.
Swoooosh—!
The glow of the magic circle covering the square grew stronger as time passed, and with it, the chaos stirred by thousands of people increased.
"Aaah!"
"Get out of the way!"
"D-Don't shove! Aaah!"
Thousands crowded tightly in the narrow space struggled all at once to escape the square, creating a hellish scene.
The chief looked down on this and said to me.
"Isn't it amusing how they thrash about trying to survive?"
A muttering that even many psychopaths wouldn't dare make.
However, the next line was a bit puzzling.
"It's not even a spell meant to kill."
"…Not an attack spell?"
"Sir Vesilarius said that if we caused a massacre here, we'd be unable to handle what comes next. But I can't take you two alone through so many people. This spell is to solve that. I put a lot of effort into setting it up."
"So… what kind of spell is it?"
The chief smiled without awkwardness and answered.
"You'll see when you watch."
Ha, does he never say anything straightforward?
"By the way, are you okay?"
"Don't worry. It won't hinder you in a fight."
"That's a relief… but actually, you probably won't have to fight."
"Won't have to…?"
"Oh, it looks like it's ready now."
The chief ignored my question again and looked away.
And then—
Flash—!!
A huge burst of light covered the entire city.
So intense it caused pain through my retinas.
When the light slowly faded and my vision recovered, I finally understood the magic.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up. Everyone's been waiting only for you."
The square that had been a hellscape was suddenly empty.
It was teleportation magic.
No, multiple teleportation magic, maybe?
Hmm… that still doesn't explain it well.
The maximum number for multiple teleportation magic is twenty.
Sending thousands all at once like that is impossible.
But…
'Something similar did happen once.'
In the underground city Noarc, a mysterious old man presumed to be Auril Gavis led over ten thousand people to escape a royal siege all at once.
I only heard about it, never saw it, but…
If it happened before my eyes, wouldn't it be something like this?
"Come on in."
Following the chief, we arrived at a residence on the outskirts.
Thud—!
Entering the empty house, we took stairs hidden in the floor down, and only then could we remove the robes covering our faces.
"They said everyone is waiting?"
"Looks like not everyone is here yet. They'll come soon, so sit and rest."
"Elwen, are you hurt?"
"I'm fine."
I sat Elwen down and checked her condition. After confirming nothing was wrong, I spoke to the chief.
I'd been dying to ask.
"Why did you use teleportation magic on the enemies? It would have been much more efficient to use it on us."
Actually, I was more curious about that than how he could cast such large-scale teleportation magic…
The chief answered casually as if it was no big deal.
"Didn't you know? Magic doesn't work on the witch. One might be possible, but to take both of you away, this was the only way."
Ah, so that was the situation.
I didn't know magic was ineffective.
"Is there any information I should tell you before you arrive?"
"Not really."
"Then wait a moment. We can talk later about what we owe."
Not wanting to repeat myself, I followed the chief and rested a bit.
How much time passed?
"Sorry. I felt like someone was following us, so I took a detour and was delayed."
One of the rift members, Gavhin Vesilarius, arrived. He glanced at Elwen and me and cautiously spoke.
"By the way… Baron, you are the baron, right?"
"Strange question."
"Haha, you really are. What a relief."
The conversation had an odd feeling.
"Really the baron?"
"Ah, until now, the baron acted completely differently. He didn't even know this place was a rift—."
"Haha, everyone but me had already arrived."
Then the last member of this rift arrived.
Archbishop Eden Hestaya of the Reatlas Church.
"Sorry I'm late. Sneaking in wasn't difficult, but the equipment was heavy and hard to carry."
The archbishop said as he shook an extra-dimensional bag upside down.
Thud thud thud thud.
The items pouring out like a waterfall covering most of the floor were none other than my equipment.
Ha, I worried about how to find it again, but turns out they'd kept it separate.
"I checked many times; nothing seems missing… But just in case, baron, you check again."
I hurried and put on what to wear and stored what to keep.
Luckily, nothing was lost.
Though a barbarian who worships ancestral spirits, this time I couldn't help but say it out loud.
"A star in the twilight will guide us…"
"Haha, seeing the baron so pleased makes me smile too."
"Well, now that everyone's here, let's get to the main topic."
The ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) chief pulled back the loosened atmosphere and asked me.
"So what happened to you two? Tell me everything from start to finish."
Elwen and I briefly summarized what happened in Chapters 1 and 2, including waking up on the gallows.
Then three others shared their experiences and information.
Each had different start points in Chapter 1.
Let's begin with the no-mage Gavhin Vesilarius.
"I woke up in a magical education institute. Various incidents occurred, but to summarize: during practice day I defended against monsters and was awarded a medal by the royal family. That evening, I received a letter from my hometown saying the imperial army attacked and my younger sister was missing. The sender was… a friend, though I didn't know them."
Anyway, that ended Chapter 1.
"It was a vast desert where sand scattered. That's where the three of us met."
Moving to Chapter 2, Gavhin was able to join the chief and the archbishop.
"To explain that part, I must first tell you our story."
The chief and the archbishop's stories were simple too.
The chief started as a knight of a noble family, the archbishop as a cleric of the temple, each having their own incidents.
And…
"At last, a letter came in the name of Sir Vesilarius. It said his sister was in trouble and requested help. From the context, it seemed we three were close friends."
No surprise, Chapter 1 ended after reading the letter.
Chapter 2 started with all three gathered.
The main event in Chapter 2 was a stealthy pursuing group.
"It wasn't hard to defeat them… but when we reached the rendezvous in the desert city written in the letter Vesilarius received, no matter how long we waited, you didn't show."
While they waited indefinitely, the imperial army arrived.
"They told Vesilarius his sister would destroy the world and to stop her he needed to help them."
Naturally, refusal was not an option.
Upon hearing that, Chapter 4 began.
From then on, chapter missions became clear; they followed imperial orders.
Chapters 5, 6, 7…
They fought monsters and gained fame.
But in the end, they couldn't join us.
"We almost got close. Every time I thought we could catch them and talk, something would go wrong and we couldn't meet."
Still, the chapters kept continuing, with time rushing forward and information updating.
The sister was called a witch, and I was her follower.
By Chapter 11, we had arrived here.
"I woke up in this city. Surrounded by countless soldiers. I only realized what happened after breaking through their siege."
The witch and her follower were captured.
So the empire tried to get rid of them.
"I became certain of the goal of this trial."
The three of them infiltrated the prison to meet us.
Not for rescue that day, but to inform us of the situation…
"As I said before, the you I met then wasn't you. So I just told the plan to rescue you on execution day and left."
The following situation was what just happened.
The awaited execution day dawned, and though we had barely finished Chapter 2, we woke up in Chapter 11 to finally join the three.
That was the story so far…
"Fortunately, it seems we weren't trapped here for over ten years."
At my brief muttering, Gavhin Vesilarius had a fit.
"Maaan—!"
"…Huh?"
"Is that what you call talking? Even if not ten years, we've been trapped here for at least half a year!"
"Half a year?"
According to the lament, it's already been over a month just progressing through Chapter 11.
A chilling thought.
'A rift with a completely random time scale…'
I hope it's not like last time, where years passed while I was out.
Please, not again.
"Calm down, Sir Vesilarius. There's still a lot to discuss."
"…I got excited. Sorry."
The chief calmed the mood and continued.
"Baron, this rift is different from normal ones. Each of us has unique abilities. Before asking about yours, I'll explain ours."
"Ah, I'll go first."
Archbishop Hestaya started.
"The power of my holy spells is the same, but my divine energy is nearly infinite. No matter how many miracles I perform, it's like a spring that never dries."
In short, infinite holy power buff.
Though it seems there is a handicap.
"But in return, I cannot use any miracles on myself."
A cleric who can only use divine power for others.
"And the count?"
"I'm much simpler than the other two. I'm about twice as strong overall as before, and haven't found any restrictions yet."
Hmm, all stats 200% with no penalty.
It seemed overpowered but also made me uneasy.
'If they give out this much, what will come next?'
The final boss's difficulty worries me already.
Since this is a rift, a guardian must exist.
"Anyway, what about you, Gavhin?"
"Every trial I pass lets me use new magic. It's not like I understand it fully… it feels more like a normal person tearing a scroll to cast spells."
"New magic?"
"Ancient magic long lost that even I can't glimpse the principles of."
Now it made sense.
I wondered who cast the magic that teleported thousands.
It was the ability I gained entering this rift.
"Oh, and I have one more ability."
"What is it?"
"I can instinctively know what to do when entering each trial."
"That sounds… like a good ability."
I threw a casual compliment and sighed internally.
It wasn't a lie that it sounded good.
Quite the opposite.
This unfriendly game even gives navigation for free… what the hell is coming next?
"Then it's our turn."
After that, I explained what I'd learned about our abilities, and the long information-sharing session ended.
"But… why has Miss Tersia been so quiet since earlier?"
"That's… not something you should worry about."
"…Haha, I'm sorry for being rude."
Though I wondered if it was necessary to snap at the kind-looking archbishop like that, I didn't press.
'Come to think of it, it's a bit odd…'
Before in the boss run, and even after arriving here, Elwen was a bit different.
She answered kindly when asked, but she started conversations far less often.
"Then rest up, there's still time before night."
Hmm, she wasn't usually this quiet.
[Role assigned to Gavhin Vesilarius: 'Mage'.]
[Can use ancient magic.]
[Role assigned to Jerome Saintred: 'Knight'.]
[All stats increased by 200%.]
[Role assigned to Eden Hestaya: 'Cleric'.]
[No longer consumes divine energy.]
[Cannot use holy spells on self.]
[All mental resistance fixed at zero.]