"...It seems it's up to the 35th Floor," Meteora muttered, as if chewing on the words, as she stepped onto the shrine stairs.
She could tell the lowest floor she could challenge from the moment she attempted to descend the stairs. While this feature was usually only useful if one forgot which floor to challenge next, as people ordinarily start from the first floor, it was helpful in this specific instance.
She hadn't cleared any floors, but she was in the special position of having experienced the environment of the 35th Floor.
"I see. So Mii-chan is considered to have cleared up to the 34th Floor," Fūri said.
"I wish they would have allowed me to advance one more floor, though," Meteora commented.
She had been to the 35th Floor but hadn't cleared it. In that context, the result was reasonable, but it was quite demonic to ask the former boss herself to defeat her own subordinates.
"But if that's the case, Meteora-san's status is different from both you Masters—the 'transferees'—and us 'natives,' isn't it?" Mariabelle asked.
"Meteora-sama cannot manipulate the storage or the status window, either," Mei noted.
"Meteora. Could you try the passphrase one more time, just in case?" Ren asked.
"Hmm... No good. I still can't do it," Meteora replied, shaking her head.
They knew this, but it was still a bit disappointing.
"Well, it can't be helped," the Princess said, having quickly changed her mood, offering a faint smile.
"It is a convenient power, but it's not as if I can't fight without it. Let's go quickly. Is the target still the 25th Floor as planned?"
"Yes, let's go with that."
They had agreed beforehand to go to the lower floor if possible. The six of them, including Meteora, nodded to each other and descended the stairs as a group.
Their combat collaboration with Mariabelle had ended as discussed. From now on, Ren and the others would truly fight on their own. That said, Mariabelle's house was practically next door, and they exchanged greetings when they stepped outside for fresh air in the morning. They also promised to invite each other over for dinner sometimes. Just because they were no longer a party didn't mean they stopped being acquaintances or friends.
Meteora, the newest member, was also a capable fighter. She was an archer and mage specializing in bows and spirit magic, and she could draw a knife for close combat if necessary. Her general abilities could be considered similar to Iris's.
The balance of the party was now worse, as a back-line fighter had joined instead of a front-line one. However, Ren's group primarily used the strategy of "deciding the battle before the enemy gets close." In that sense, no member was left with nothing to do (Mei could fire iron spheres from her arms if necessary), and Fūri being better suited for close combat could compensate somewhat.
Now then.
Meteora, can you hear my voice?
Yes, I can hear you. It seems the connection with you is not severed, Meteora replied.
After the telepathic conversation, the Dark Elf Princess opened her mouth and spoke something. As expected, Ren and the others couldn't understand her voice.
I see. The moment you enter the staircase, it's a separate world, Ren thought.
It will be inconvenient until we get used to it, but let's communicate this way inside the dungeon. Once we're used to it, it might even be faster than speaking aloud, Fūri commented.
We don't have to worry about the enemy hearing our voices either. If we use it right, it could be very convenient, Iris noted.
Ren walked a little slower than usual for Meteora, who was looking at the walls and floor with interest, as they headed toward the 25th Floor.
...It's a labyrinth, just as I heard. Moreover, I felt a faint sense of incongruity the moment I passed through the entrance. Does that mean the passage and this place are also separate spaces? Meteora asked.
That is probably the case. We have never heard of a monster stepping onto the staircase, Mariabelle said.
Except for special cases like Meteora, if a monster is forcibly brought along, it vanishes. In game terms, it is programmed not to cross the screen transition point.
Mii-chan. Follow Ren and my instructions from here. It's dangerous because of the traps, Fūri instructed.
Understood. But isn't it inconvenient to have two commanders? Meteora questioned.
Ren is the leader. I'm in charge of the traps. You must follow the instructions of the expert, Fūri insisted.
Meteora, who was exploring a dungeon for the first time, showed no uncertainty in her footsteps.
It's quite different from a forest or a plain, but I'm not entirely clueless. My residence was a castle, and it had secret passages and traps, Meteora revealed.
So you were on the side that managed the dungeon, not the side that conquered it… Mei remarked.
Meteora's equipment was the same as what she wore during the battle on the 35th Floor: travel clothes that covered her skin, an ebony bow, a small knife, and several ornaments. Each was imbued with magic for quality enhancement and defense, suggesting they were high-quality items fit for royalty.
...If malicious individuals had captured her, they might have stripped her of her belongings and sold them. Frankly, Ren had done that to game NPCs herself.
You all are quite accustomed to this. Not soldiers, but warriors, Meteora observed.
That's right. We've had a fair amount of experience to get this far, Ren replied.
Then, let's both do our best to synchronize our breathing.
When they neared a room with enemies, they planned their strategy telepathically and executed it simultaneously. Since Mei's iron spheres cost money, the other five launched magic attacks, ending the fight quickly. With Fūri now able to use magic, the enhancement of wind spirit magic, and the addition of Meteora, their long-range firepower surged. Frankly, when they concentrated, the firepower was ridiculous.
I feel a little sorry for the Lizardmen. Only someone of a hero-class could deal with this, Meteora commented.
But the next one will be a little tougher. We're going to gather all the enemies on this floor and defeat them at once, Fūri warned.
You people fight in a ridiculously reckless manner! Meteora exclaimed.
Even so, Meteora's power was a huge asset in the alarm strategy. Just the five of them firing wind magic in sync created a small storm in the passage, unilaterally assaulting the Lizardmen. There was no escape in the narrow passage, and no convenient protrusions to grab onto. If they were blown back, they collided with their allies behind them, causing a chain reaction of impacts.
In the end, the battle was over without them even having to see the enemies approach.
Hey. Can we check the passage ahead? Meteora requested.
Even without Meteora's request, they needed to collect the drop items. As they moved, with Fūri handling the traps, they found not a single Lizardman corpse. Not even traces of blood.
It was the same earlier, but they really do vanish. ...That's the strongest evidence that those creatures had a fleeting life, Meteora realized.
Following this, the girl mumbled something in the other-world language. Ren didn't understand the meaning, but she could guess. Meteora was likely wondering if she, too, would vanish when she died.
-----------------
After experiencing the dungeon conquest on the 25th Floor, Meteora suggested, "Let's go to the 35th Floor next," after returning home.
Of course, this was exactly what Ren and the others wanted, but Ren asked:
"Already?"
"Yes. Is there any reason to postpone it? It's a familiar place as a battlefield, and a month or two of training won't significantly boost my fighting power," Meteora replied.
"That's true, but…" Ren conceded.
(Ren chose to ignore for the moment that everyone except Meteora could power up dramatically in three days, let alone a month.)
They had just cleared the 35th Floor recently. Since the number of people was the same as last time, clearing it was entirely possible. Ren was concerned about something other than combat capability.
"Are you sure you're okay with it?" Ren asked.
"I am prepared. ...Both for being called a traitor and for the possibility of my subordinates not recognizing me."
"...Alright. If you insist."
A few days later, Ren and the others challenged the 35th Floor again. Ren's worry that some force would compel Meteora to revert to the boss was unfounded. The girl remained the willful, strong-willed princess capable of telepathic communication.
After some deliberation, they decided to have her accompany Ren to the main unit. While Ren had wanted her to negotiate with the Elves, a Dark Elf warning them, "An invasion is coming!" would likely just be met with, "Are you responsible for it!?" Instead, the plan was for her to show herself briefly, then quickly fly away, increasing the Elves' vigilance.
Meteora called out to the main unit in the other-world language.
...Heheh. Just as I thought, Meteora thought.
Meteora? Ren asked.
They're asking if a Dark Elf would side with the Elves. The ones who should know my face and name are speaking quite coarsely, Meteora explained.
Meteora was treated as an "unknown Dark Elf." Having once stepped outside the system's bounds, she was no longer recognized as the Princess and commander of the Dark Elves. This proved that the creatures inside the dungeon did not have fully replicated thoughts or memories, and only a select few were truly alive.
Now I can fight without reservations. These are not my adorable subordinates. They are just fakes, Meteora declared.
The two-person attack wiped out the main unit faster than the previous time. They then rendezvoused with Mei, who had been holding off the enemy alone, cleared her enemies, and then split into two to reinforce Shion, Fūri, and Iris.
That was anticlimactic, Meteora commented.
Meteora. ...From the 36th Floor, we'll be fighting opponents other than Dark Elves, Ren reminded her.
I suppose so. It's not much of a change, but it's still easier on the mind.
The problem was the content of the stone monument. Ren thought it might have changed, so she focused on it.
'O offspring of the Old World. We welcome you if you resonate with our will,' it says, Meteora read.
You can read it after all, Fūri noted.
Of course. This is the language of my world, Meteora stated.
As Meteora finished reading the text, a small light emanated from the stone monument and was absorbed into the girl's body.
Woah. Mii-chan, are you okay!? Ren worried.
Yes, I don't feel any pain. On the contrary, I feel lighter, Meteora replied.
Ren had her try to display her status, but the same window as Ren's group did not appear. Given the meaningful text, they had expected a bonus. Sensing Ren's disappointment, Meteora launched wind magic toward the sky.
I feel it. ...It seems power was given directly to me, Meteora realized.
She reported that she felt an increase in physical abilities and magic power.
This is fine, too. Your windows and storage don't feel natural to me. This way, I won't feel overwhelmed by the power, Meteora concluded.
When this incident was reported to the Sage, he was overjoyed, exclaiming, "So the form of the 'blessing' is not fixed after all!"
============
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