"...Asfi, what now?"
"...We have no choice but to move forward."
"Thought so."
With a sigh, Asfi made the decision, and Lulune quickly adjusted her mindset.
"There's something like a 'gate' here, though…"
"Looks like we'll have to destroy it."
"Judging by its appearance, fire might work."
"Should I cut it?"
"Don't say such dangerous things so casually with that calm face of yours…"
When Ais drew her sword, Lulune gave her an exasperated look.
"Ais, making a hole big enough for all of us to pass through will take some time if you do it that way."
"True. And we need information first. Let's try magic. Meryl?"
Meryl stepped forward, staff in hand, and began chanting. Her focused stance looked quite impressive, though that's not really the point right now. Listening to her chant, I watched as she cast her spell.
The spell's name left her lips, and a massive fireball erupted, burning through the fleshy wall. The 'gate' was completely incinerated. Unlike her, I couldn't pull off something like that, so I found myself envying her magic abilities.
Once Asfi nodded to the group, we lined up and began moving into the fleshy interior. That's when it happened.
"The walls…"
A sickening sound echoed as the fleshy walls began to regenerate. Despite the sheer size of the opening, the speed of the repair was astonishing.
Everyone seemed visibly unsettled, as though realizing they might be trapped.
"It's fine. We'll just use magic to reopen it on our way back. And we still have plenty of high-grade magic recovery potions left."
Asfi's calm reassurance snapped everyone out of their panic. …Though I had to wonder why she gave me a proud nod, as if to say,"Well done."
Taking another look around, I saw that the walls were the same flesh-like texture as before, faintly pulsating. It gave the eerie sensation of being inside a living organism.
When Ais slashed at a wall, the stone underneath was revealed. So, this fleshy material seemed to be covering the dungeon walls themselves.
The smell, though, was pervasive and foul, filling the air so thickly that even I, a human, could barely stand it. I could only imagine how much worse it was for the beastfolk among us. …Wait, I might have something for this.
"Oh, here it is!"
From my shadow, I produced several nose plugs. When did I get these? …Ah, right. I bought them in case of dealing with garbage disposal jobs, but I never used them. I didn't have enough for everyone, but there were enough for the beastfolk at least.
"Anyone want a nose plug? Feel free to take one."
"Oh, yes, please!"
"I'll take one, thanks."
"I think I'll pass…"
The beastfolk grabbed them eagerly, though the plugs made their faces look a bit funny. …It was hard not to laugh.
"Lulune, your face looks ridiculous." Ais pointed out.
"Shut it! It stinks here!"
"Alright, let's move on. Lulune, from this point forward, none of the existing maps will be of any use. Start mapping."
"Got it."
Following Asfi's command, we ventured deeper into the labyrinth. Lulune took out a fresh parchment and a red quill to begin charting.
"That's amazing… You can make maps?"
"Huh? Not that impressive. But I guess it's nice to hear praise from the Sword Princess. I'm a thief by trade, after all."
Incidentally, I could map too. I had been forced to do so when the Guild tasked me with mapping Orario's underground waterways. It was only thanks to Lulune's prior lessons that I managed.
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Toki Ortyx
Mapping Skill: Level 5
Having learned from Lulune and gained experience in the underground waterways, Toki can create highly accurate maps (equal to Lulune's level).
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The unsettling air of this bizarre labyrinth made every step feel cautious.
"Hey, can I voice a creepy thought? If these gross, squishy walls are all part of a monster… doesn't that mean we're walking through its stomach?"
"Stop."
"Don't."
"Please, don't say things like that!"
Lulune's grim speculation drew a chorus of protests, but it did ease the tension a bit.
"Toki."
Ais called out to me.
"Yes?"
"That."
She pointed to a faintly glowing, multicolored flower.
A bad feeling gnawed at me as I stared at it.
By now, we had reached the branching paths I had scouted earlier. I hadn't realized it at the time, but the paths split not just forward and to the sides, but also upwards.
Choosing the right path, Lulune resumed her mapping as we advanced.
"You're really skilled at this…"
"Heh, thanks. But we're used to it, we often explore ruins with Hermes-sama outside the city. This is nothing new."
...Though we had nearly died a few times because of Hermes' blunders, or what felt like deliberate missteps.
Still, the eerie silence of the labyrinth was starting to feel oppressive. No monsters, no sounds. Just unease.
That's when we came across scattered ash in the middle of the passage. Nearby, what appeared to be a drop item lay on the ground, but no magic stone.
"A monster's remains?"
"Looks like it."
I drew my harpe and knife, sharpening my focus on our surroundings, front, back, sides, and above.
"Most likely, some monsters managed to break through the earlier 'gate' and made it this far… only to be killed by something."
Asfi's analysis sent a ripple of tension through the group.
Focusing my senses, I considered the situation. Was that 'gate' designed to screen powerful monsters? And did something within this place feed on their magic stones, or rather, their magic itself? Then there was that flower. My thoughts clicked together.
That's when I felt it. Something moved above us.
"Up there!"
Ais and I shouted at the same time. Everyone turned their gazes upward, and there they were.
Man-eating flowers. A whole swarm of them.
"Roooaaaaarrrrrrrr!!"
"Everyone, prepare for combat!"
The man-eating flowers charged forward, and each member of the party dodged to counterattack.
….
The frontline shields deflected the monsters' body slams, while the midline warriors and black tentacles batted away the countless flailing vines. The monsters' target wasn't the mages chanting their spells in the rear but rather Toki, standing in the midline. This singular focus allowed the party to manage the attacks, despite being ambushed, giving them a slight advantage.
"Their bodies resist blunt force! Use cutting or piercing attacks instead!"
"Lulune, where's the magic stone on these things?"
While Toki's tentacles intercepted the vines surging from all directions, Asfi quickly adapted to the situation and provided instructions.
"Um, I think it's inside their mouths!"
"The mouths? Got it. Toki, group them together!"
At Asfi's command, Toki's black tentacles responded. Instead of forcing the ravenous flowers back, they twisted and guided the creatures' snapping mouths, grouping them into a tighter cluster. Seizing the moment, Asfi retrieved a crimson vial, Burst Oil, from a holster on her belt. In one swift motion, she hurled the vial into the maw of the gathered flowers.
BOOM!
The explosion obliterated the magic stones within their mouths, taking down even those nearby.
The shrieking cries of the dying monsters filled the air as they fell one by one.
Taking this as their cue, the rest of the party shifted to the offensive.
"Are you alright?"
"Y-yes?!"
Any stray vines that Toki's tentacles missed were promptly sliced down by Ais, ensuring the safety of the mages.
Still…
Ais glanced at two particular figures: Asfi, the captain, and Toki, the fledgling adventurer. Asfi's cool headed analysis and decisive actions marked her as a standout leader, reminiscent of Loki Familia's Finn.
Meanwhile, Toki, the weakest member in terms of raw power, used his tentacles to support his comrades, subtly steering the battle in their favor.
Asfi and Toki… these two are the backbone of this party, Ais thought. If Toki is set to become the next captain, it makes sense now.
"Looks like that's all of them."
"Phew… if you stay calm, you can handle it somehow."
"Toki's insight about their resistance to blunt force saved us from struggling more. We did well."
Asfi regarded their efforts positively, noting they'd minimized their use of the Burst Oil vials.
Toki, on the other hand, was staring at his weapon, a mix of gratitude and unease flashing across his face.
(This thing's terrifying…)
During the battle, he'd used his weapon several times. It cut through the man-eating flowers like butter, showing no signs of wear.
(Just how much did this cost?)
He sheathed the blade with a mixture of appreciation and caution, hooking it onto his belt.
(I'd better save this for emergencies…)
….
The party quickly checked their equipment and items before resuming their exploration.
"I'd heard of them, but seeing those new monsters in action was something else…"
"Hard, fast, and numerous. A real pain."
"Ais, you seemed familiar with their traits. Could you share what you know before we proceed?"
"Of course."
As Ais explained the man-eating flowers' characteristics, the party took mental notes. They were resistant to blunt attacks but vulnerable to slashing. They also had a hypersensitivity to magical energy, making them swarm toward any source of magic.
"They might also have a tendency to target other monsters."
"Wait, monsters attacking other monsters?"
Toki's surprised reaction caught Ais's attention. She remembered hearing he'd only become an adventurer a month ago.
(Right, Lefiya mentioned that before. Apparently, his god trained him before he registered as an adventurer.)
"Toki, this is a good opportunity to learn." Asfi said in a slightly instructive tone."There are two main reasons why monsters attack each other."
She raised one finger.
"The first is incidental combat. They might fight due to territorial disputes, accidents, or other circumstances. Entire groups can clash under such conditions."
Both Toki and Ais nodded as Asfi raised a second finger.
"The second reason is far more dangerous: when a monster develops a taste for magic stones."
"A taste for magic stones…?"
"Yes. When a monster consumes another's stone, its abilities can change, much like how we update our statuses. These monsters are called 'variant species.' In extreme cases, excessive consumption can create beings far beyond their original power."
"Well, that's terrifying…"
"Famous examples include the Bloodstained Troll. Have you heard of it?"
"Yes. It killed over 50 high-ranking adventurers before Freya Familia finally brought it down. A creature far beyond its estimated level…"
"Then… could these new monsters be targeting other monsters for their magic stones?"
"That's my hypothesis." Asfi said."Such behavior usually has a purpose. During the fight, some individuals displayed significantly different capabilities from the rest."
"Not to mention the monster corpses we found earlier. The drop items were there, but no magic stones…"
Lulune's observertion was met with confirmation from both Asfi and Toki.
"So they're after magic stones as a group? That's insane. If they're already addicted to them, this is going to be a nightmare."
The atmosphere grew heavy with unease. No one could say what lay ahead. Ais alone gazed firmly down the dark corridor, her resolve unshaken.
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