Chapter 152: Return to the Labyrinth of Claws and Fangs, Part 2
Morning came, and everyone started getting up.
Since I was on watch, there was no need to get ready again. I proceeded to make breakfast as I was.
This morning we had black bread, dried meat, dried vegetable soup, and grilled dried fish. I let them use whichever jam they liked.
The dried fish had been dried to a crisp for long-term storage, so at first, I simmered it together with the soup and then took it out and lightly grilled it over the fire.
The bowls had already been distributed to everyone first, so I left it to each person to manage their own.
I went around pouring soup, tore the grilled dried fish into five portions, and handed them out.
It seemed the dried fish was a bit iffy, but the soup was quite delicious, and they happily dipped the black bread in it and ate.
I said seconds were free. When I said that, Mother, Ashera, and Naga quickly started eating as well.
I couldn’t help but exchange a glance with El and force a wry smile. I thought I’d give the soup to the women to boost their motivation.
“Well then, let’s get ready.”
Even though we’re in the dungeon, there are things that go in and things that come out. El and I moved to a spot in a blind corner of the dungeon, took care of our business, and completed our preparations.
“Now, shall we go?”
Everyone nodded at Naga’s voice, and we resumed exploring the dungeon.
Today, we aimed to clear the 8th and 9th floors.
I wanted to quickly check how strong the tiger-type monster Tigris and the Minotaur were.
To my worry, we immediately encountered Tigris as soon as we started exploring the 8th floor.
Tigris’s appearance was within the expected range, but the problem was the rope used to counter teleportation traps…
I couldn’t move.
While I was troubled, Tigris headed toward El.
El used the shield skillfully to block Tigris’s attacks.
“Can I take him down?”
Ms. Naga answered with an exasperated look at El’s confident question.
“Yeah. Go ahead and take him down.”
After receiving Ms. Naga’s answer, El gradually attacked, checking Tigris’s defenses.
Along the way, Tigris used water magic, Water Cutter, but El sliced through the magic itself with his one-handed sword.
I was just watching, and El, without any trouble, defeated Tigris with a sumo-like force.
“El, how was it?”
“Well… his movements are a bit fast, but other than that, I don’t think there was anything particularly unusual.”
“I see. So the sword worked too, right?”
“Yes. I think even with my one-handed sword, if I give it my all, I could cut off his head.”
“Understood.”
Mother and Naga were listening to our story, wearing wry smiles.
I watched El’s combat and decided to give up on my own fighting style for today.
I summoned a magic shield on my left arm and a magic weapon (one-handed sword) on the dagger in my right hand.
I lightly swung the shield and the one-handed sword around. It was improvised, but it should be enough to handle movements like Tigris’s that I had just seen.
El noticed that I wasn’t accustomed to the shield and swapped positions with me.
Today, I was on the left and El was on the right. This made the shield a bit easier to use.
We advanced through the 8th floor without trouble at this pace, but soon it was time for the 9th floor. Just then, I discovered a teleportation magic circle at the edge of the corridor.
It was covered with soil, so it was hard to see without looking closely, but Ashera suddenly said, ‘The ground is glowing,’ and when we approached slowly, we discovered the teleportation magic circle.
‘A teleportation magic circle…’
“Aldo-kun, you aren’t going to say you want to teleport, are you?”
“No, the situation is different from that time… By the way, what happens to a trap if you clear the labyrinth?”
“Most traps seem to decay over time. Only teleportation traps should lose their power the moment you step through them.”
“I see…”
“…”
To be honest, I don’t know when I’ll experience teleportation again. If possible, I want to try stepping on this trap…
As I struggled with this, my mother began speaking.
“It’s about time for lunch, isn’t it? Let’s talk while we eat.”
I nodded at her words and began preparing lunch about 100 meters away from the teleportation trap.
Today’s lunch consisted of frankfurters and dark bread, with dried fruit as a snack.
While I was boiling the frankfurters, everyone else had started spreading their favorite jam on the dark bread and eating it.
By the way, the most popular was definitely strawberry jam. Surely by tomorrow there wouldn’t be any strawberry jam left.
“Al, do you really want to step on the teleport trap?”
Mother, who had been in a jam battle, suddenly brought up the topic.
“It’s not exactly that I absolutely do…”
Mother stopped eating and spoke seriously.
“Al, this dungeon exploration originally started because you, who are believed to be an apostle, wanted it.”
“…”
“After everything, if you, who truly became an apostle, wish it, I don’t mind if it increases the hassle a little.”
“…”
“In the future, if this causes you to fail, the world could end…”
“…”
“How is it, Al?”
“……”
“……”
“……If… if I could learn teleportation……”
“……”
“I could fight in a cool way.”
“……Huh?”
Mother had a dumbfounded look on her face.
“I could fight in a cool way!”
This time she looked down and started rubbing her temples.
“Ah—. Wait a moment……”
“Yes.”
“The reason you want to step on the teleportation trap is because there’s a possibility you could learn teleportation, right? Up to this point, clear?”
“Yes.”
“So, the purpose of learning teleportation is……”
“Yes.”
“I-Is it okay if the reason is simply because it’s cool?”
“That’s right!”
She lowered her gaze again and this time covered her face with both hands.
“Naga… it seems impossible for me to understand… Please change it…”
It seemed Mom was leaving the decision to Naga.
“Eeeeh. No, no. Impossible. I can’t understand it either. I’ll leave it to Elphas, who is the same apostle.”
This time, it was left to El… being passed around… I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
“Brother. I understand. It’s a cool battle, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. In a desperate, life-or-death situation, you take the enemy from behind with teleportation magic and claim a turnaround victory!”
“I understand too. Teleportation. Great!”
The three of us were chatting and laughing, while Mom and Naga stared at us with dead fish eyes.
After I finished boiling the frankfurters and distributed them to everyone to eat, Naga spoke up with an exasperated look.
“I heard from Elphas, but is it true that Aldo trained in space kicks and dual-wielding daggers aiming for stylish combat?”
“Yes. It’s true.”
“I see…”
“…”
“Understood. Shall we try stepping on the teleport trap after lunch?”
“Huh? Is that okay?”
“Yes. Honestly, I have no idea what ‘stylish combat’ really means, but it’s central to your current fighting style, right?”
“Well, yes.”
“Then it’s not really a matter for someone like me to intervene in. I don’t want to regret it later, so let’s step on the teleport trap.”
“Understood. I’m sorry for making such an unreasonable request…”
“No problem. Come to think of it, this might become a legendary adventure tale in the future… I can’t help but feel excited despite my age.”
“I see…”
I couldn’t really grasp the idea of my name being remembered by future generations…
I finished lunch and took a break.
I didn’t think a land dragon would suddenly appear right in front of me, but the possibility wasn’t zero.
I checked my equipment and made sure I was fully prepared for anything.
“Are you ready?”
Ms. Naga spoke, judging that everyone’s preparations were complete.
“All good.”
“””No problem.”””
“Then, Aldo-kun. Activate the teleportation trap…”
“Yes…”
I slowly walked toward the teleportation trap.
When I got within about one meter of the teleportation trap, the magic circle began to glow. I had thought it wouldn’t activate unless I stepped on it, but it seemed that it activated automatically at a certain distance.
‘Transfer trap activated.’
Everyone braced at my voice.
‘El, I’ll enter a meditative state to sense magic. I leave the rest to you.’
‘Yes.’
This was something I had discussed with El beforehand. I left the immediate response after the transfer to El, who had high defense, and I entered a meditative state.
As I sensed magic, something like a magical trap appeared beneath my feet, and I was dragged into the hole.
At the same time as being dragged, it felt as if I was expelled from the hole… I see. So this is transfer…
I no longer felt any strange magic, so I slowly released the meditative state.
Suddenly, shouts and sounds of battle echoed around me. When I quickly checked the surroundings to see what was happening, I realized I was trapped in a large room with ten monsters.
All the monsters were Minotaurs, monsters from the 9th floor.
It seemed that we had been sent somewhere on the 9th floor by a teleportation trap… and apparently into a monster’s nest.
“Aldo! Fight back!”
I felt the urgency of the situation from Mom’s usually nonchalant but desperate voice.
“Yes!”
At that moment, I couldn’t fight while attached to a rope for the teleportation trap. I cut the rope with my dagger and charged into the group of enemies with a spatial kick.
I drew my magic weapon (greatsword) and activated the Vernier.
I tried to behead a Minotaur as we passed by, swinging my blade, but… I was pushed back… I almost dropped my dagger, but managed to hold on by deactivating the magic weapon.
“It’s tough!”
“It even deflects magic!”
Looking around at Mom’s voice, I saw that only Ashera was breaking the Minotaur’s head with her magic fist.
“I’m going to use ultra-vibration. Stay away from me!”
After saying just that, I drew my magic weapon (greatsword) and applied the ultra-vibration… In actual combat, six seconds feels endlessly long.
A high-pitched whine… the instant I heard a sound like a swarm of insects, I activated the Vernier thrusters and charged at the Minotaur.
From here, it’s a race against time. I have to finish it off while I still have some magic left…
Suppressing my anxious feelings, I beheaded the nearest Minotaur… one down.
I raced through the air at unprecedented speed using the Vernier thrusters and spatial kicks.
I stabbed the heart of the Minotaur that was about to attack Naga from behind and used the newly modified chest nozzle to shoot with the Vernier… two down.
I came to an abrupt stop, the G-force hitting my body, but I braced myself and endured it.
I charged into the frozen Minotaurs and, with a single swing, cut down three of them at once… five down.
It seemed Ashera had also defeated two of them, so there were three remaining. Since El was holding back two, I took care of decapitating the ones at the back… seven.
When there was only one left, my magical power was completely depleted.
I threw my magic weapon (greatsword), which still had ultra-vibration activated, at the last Minotaur…
The blade rapidly became smaller, but it somehow held until it pierced the Minotaur’s brow… eight.
Having somehow defeated the Minotaur, I let out a sigh of relief, and my consciousness dissolved into darkness due to exhaustion of magical power.