Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 293: Continued — Floor 86
Floor 86, where Tauro now wandered alone, was in constant turmoil. Visibility was effectively zero, and he could barely even feel the ground beneath his feet.
When Tauro entered the floor with Tsugumu and the escort team, he had underestimated both the ‘labyrinth within the labyrinth’ and the additional threat posed by the Storm.
After surviving the enormous field-type Floor 202, he had assumed that he and the veteran dragonfolk escorts would have little trouble with a floor located much higher in the dungeon.
At Tsugumu’s suggestion, the members had tied themselves together at fixed intervals with ropes around their waists. Tauro had taken the rear position, but at some point his rope had been severed.
He continued forward without noticing until the roar of the wind became the only sound he could hear. When he finally checked the rope, he discovered the cut end and realized he was lost.
Only then did Tauro understand that Floor 86 presented a completely different kind of danger from the dungeon’s deeper floors.
A haze blocked almost all vision. No sound other than the wind reached him.
Worse still was the loss of sensation. At first, Tauro had been certain that his feet were touching the floor. Now he felt strangely weightless and could no longer tell whether he was truly walking on solid ground.
“Ordinarily, staying still would be safer after getting separated… But Tsugumu said Floor 86 is an enormous labyrinth. There should be walls somewhere, so perhaps I should reach one and follow it.”
Tauro cautiously advanced with both hands extended, searching for a wall by touch.
Even after walking for some time, however, he encountered nothing.
“What’s happening? Even in a very wide passage, fifteen minutes of walking should have brought me to a wall…”
As his anxiety mounted, Pella, which was mimicking his leather armor, shuddered against his body.
“What? I’ve been unconsciously avoiding the wall?”
Pella’s meaning flowed through their familiar bond.
“You mean I thought I was walking straight, but I’ve actually been zigzagging?”
Pella trembled again in confirmation.
“Pella… can you see the path clearly?”
Another tremor answered him.
“Then can you guide me?”
Pella extended part of its body and shaped it like an arrow, pointing in the direction Tauro should take.
“Thank you, Pella. Without you, the confusion and isolation might already have driven me into a panic.”
The dependable familiar’s presence eased the pressure on Tauro’s mind.
“Tsugumu said the symptoms become especially dangerous when someone is alone. The loss of sensation and the fear it causes can eventually break a person mentally. Perhaps I haven’t deteriorated that far because Pella is with me.”
Following Pella’s directions, Tauro continued speaking aloud. It wasn’t truly a monologue while his familiar accompanied him, but putting his thoughts into words helped him organize them and hold on to his sense of reality.
“This Storm is terrifying. It’s a completely different kind of fear from facing powerful monsters on the deeper floors. I’ve never experienced sensory deprivation like this before… Wait. Could [Abnormal Status Recovery] treat it?”
Having recovered enough composure to experiment, Tauro cast the spell on himself.
“[Abnormal Status Recovery]… It didn’t work—no, for an instant, my vision cleared!”
This time, he used [Magic Manipulation] (Extreme) to concentrate the recovery magic specifically on his sensory functions.
The feeling of solid ground returned beneath his feet.
The haze vanished from his sight, and [Presence Detection], which the Storm had disabled, suddenly reacted again.
Several monsters were watching him from a distance.
“They appear to be observing us. Their silhouettes resemble weasels, but their forelegs are shaped like sickles.”
Pella trembled sharply.
“Those monsters cut the rope?”
The answer came through their bond.
“I understand. They didn’t attack me directly, so you didn’t interfere.”
Pella shuddered once more.
“And now you’re intimidating them so they won’t approach. Thank you.”
Pella apparently possessed an intimidation effect against weaker creatures, similar to Tauro’s [Majesty].
“My skills are working again. That means I successfully removed the Storm’s Skill-Killing effect!”
At that moment, the Voice of the World echoed in Tauro’s mind.
‘Confirmed one activation condition for special skill [&%$#]: <One Who Overcame the Skill-Killing of a Floor-Specific Realm Guardian (Storm)>. Acquired [Skill-Killing (Weak)].’
“[Skill-Killing]… The ‘Weak’ part concerns me, but this might be an extraordinary ability.”
Before Tauro could celebrate, [Presence Detection] registered several people nearby. Remembering the missing parties, he immediately hurried toward them.