A portal was a type of innate magic that only a few schools handled. In this game full of all kinds of annihilation flags, it went without saying how tricky this spell was. Make it possible to return to the city without waiting for the labyrinth to close? That was an invincible survival device in itself.
However, it does not come without limitations.
His counterattack method was widely known in interpersonal battles, so it was not easy to use it as an escape during battle. Furthermore, it could only transport a maximum of thirty people. This was also the reason why the expeditions on the upper floor were almost always made up of groups of thirty people.
And more importantly, once they use it once, a mage can never use that spell again.
Please note that this was different than in the game. Originally, only an archmage who had reached rank 1 could use the Portal spell, and when used, that sorcerer died. However, this was 150 years in the future from the time of the game. The six schools that possessed the Portal spell formula created a way for even lower-ranking mages to use this magic after joint study. He didn't know the details since he wasn't a magician, but he knew it could only be used once in a lifetime.
I am sure that there will be no magicians who refuse to use that magic in this situation as well...
So how many of them were in the maze? There would be quite a few. The first priority of a large clan was a mage who could use Portal magic, and schools continued to recommend mages who had uses left to support expeditions.
Even gathering everyone and their souls, there would be no more than 150.
Less than 4,500 people could realistically escape this hell through the portal.
The official palace knights, and the elites of the great clans who had wizards... Actually, it is safe to say that everyone else will be abandoned.
The more concrete the numbers were, the more I realized how absurd they were planning to do. These numbers were different from those of the time of the Lord of the Third Floor. At the very least, tens of thousands of explorers would die.
However, they made this decision.
Leaving the feeling of vertigo behind, I continued to reason calmly. The most important thing at the time was why the commander of the Royal Guard had made that decision.
He probably judged that the path to the second floor was blocked or no different.
It was impossible to leave the first floor. No, maybe it was possible, but it would cost more than fleeing through the portal. And so, the commander had made this decision. It seemed that he considered preserving the troops as much as possible and returning to the city to be strategically the right thing to do.
«I see you're here again».
I turned at the sudden presence behind me and stood still.
Wow, you surprised me.
«Was it Bjorn Yandel?» I didn't know how long, but the commander of the Royal Guard was right behind me. The name was...
«Marco Elbern.»
«You have a good memory for a barbarian.»
Normally I wouldn't back down here and respond with shots, but I answered softly: «Thanks for the compliment». He was the most powerful person in this place, after all. Even if it was brief, the opportunity to talk to him alone was heavenly luck. After several contemplations, I asked him a question, straight as a barbarian. «I see you are looking for magicians capable of doing portal magic. Are you planning to flee?». First, the most important question that would confirm whether it was true or not.
As soon as he heard this question, Elbern's eyes coldly hardened. «You are like a barbarian in this sense. No one else would have thought to ask me directly».
As you can see, I'm a barbarian.
When I stared silently, this time Elbern asked a question. «Where did you hear that?»
That was enough. So it was true. I wondered if maybe he had some other plan for this.
«I heard the gentleman give instructions to the administrator».
«...Lacks attention. Or he was neglected for being around a barbarian.» Seeing those eyes, it seemed like the gentleman would receive a reprimand for that, but that had nothing to do with me. I was about to continue with my main theme when the gentleman continued, giving me a strange look. «Hmm, or I guess you might as well be smarter than I thought. At this rate I should tell you. I have been informed of the composition of your team through the administrative officer».
«…¿Have you investigated me?».
«I had a feeling I'd be interested very soon».
Interested, huh? Is it a positive variable or just the opposite?
As for the result, it was both. «I can take you and the wizard, if you promise to serve the imperial army for just one year.» He offered me a portal ticket. The problem was that it only had two seats.
«And the rest?»
«You already know what the necessary option is».
Damn, so they're below the level. I thought I had educated them pretty well the last few months.
«So what will you do?»
I was at a crossroads.
«I want you to answer me now. I do not have much time».
Was it my life and that of another teammate? Or a bet with everyone's?
«Can you... win?»
«Don't worry. We will definitely return alive».
The fleeting conversation I had in the past crossed my mind.
«I...» I responded without hesitation. «I will not abandon my team».
Maybe my brain had also become that of a barbarian.
***
[The second Lord of Terror has been killed.]
[The third Lord of Terror has been killed.]
[The fourth Lord of Terror has been killed.]
[The fifth Lord of Terror has been killed.]
Time passed. I remained silent about the conversation I had with the commander.
«Save the news about the portal, if you value your colleagues».
His threat was one thing, but I didn't feel the need either. The news would spread fast enough on its own. And in fact he did.
«Mr. Yandel, have you heard? About that news».
It was impossible to keep thousands of people quiet, especially if they were not a close-knit group. The plan to escape from the commander's portal spread by word of mouth and soon reached Raven's ears.
«Sí, use sé».
«...What are you going to do? Do you also think it's just a rumor?».
Mr. Bear and Missha turned to us at that question. I assumed they had already discussed it among themselves before I asked myself. Probably only they had not detected the murderous energy that enveloped this cave.
«Kharon, can't you even lift that big sword? How can you call yourself a man?»
«I can lift it! Look!»
«Ohh! So you're half a man!»
The barbarians had been playing with a single adamantium sword for an hour. Sometimes I envied their indifference, as they could move forward without a doubt.
«Eh, ¿Sr. Candle ...?»
«Oh, sorry, I was thinking about something else for a second». I tried to smile happily and touched Raven's shoulder. «Don't worry about the rumors! Everything will be fine».
Everything will be fine. I'll make sure that's the case.
I just wanted these guys to move on without hesitation. There just had to be one person constantly doubtful and anxious about the traps and enemies that awaited them.
«Why are you so unnecessarily positive?!»
«That's being a leader».
«Ugh, okay, stop patting me on the shoulder!».
I ended the conversation there and closed my eyes again, sinking into my thoughts. All my interests lately had been the same: How could we all survive and come back together? I repeated these thoughts thousands of times, planned countless plans, and discarded them, and with every plan I could think of, I checked numerous times for variables and miscalculations.
It had to be perfect.
If plan A didn't work, plan B. And if that didn't work, plan C. Whenever I had time to spare like that, I did simulations from start to finish and assumed the worst thing we could face.
¡Whooooom!
As if to indicate that the critical point was near, a faint vibration rose from the ground.
«It's already the eighth».
He was the eighth summoned Land Lord. This had been repeated for several days, so Raven and the others showed no particular concern. That was because they did not know what event occurred when the ninth Floor Lord was defeated.
That's probably why there have been no protests despite the rumors. Most will think it's nonsense.
From the perspective of ordinary people, there was no reason for the leadership to take the portal to escape. They had no information about that event.
«Anyway, I guess it's close, judging by the screams...»
«You can come this way, so be on your guard».
We waited until the Soil Lord was defeated, being alert just in case. Just then, I felt a presence from the back passage.
«Please make way!»
A group moved quickly down the passage, making their way through the scouts like a dispatched ambulance. Stuck to the walls, they soon passed us like the wind.
«Es el Clan Estrella de Eramel».
Judging by how they moved towards the screams, it seemed that this group of a large well-known clan was heading towards defeating the Soil Lord.
«Since the support team is gone, it will soon get dark again».
The First Floor Lord could be captured with only thirty scouts. With the right strategy, it was possible even with less. I smiled bitterly.
I don't know why they keep chasing the Lord of the Floor if they're going to abandon us anyway.
The First Floor Lord had no noteworthy loot, no drop of essence, and his byproducts obtainable through Distortion magic were not that valuable either. The only reward after defeat was that you could be promoted to a rank 4 clan, where the real benefits came. That is why this type was used mainly as verification. As a rite of passage upon reaching a certain level, he was a monster that most defeated only once.
Is it fault? Like, »Did we do our best until the end»?
The idea came to mind, but it probably had a more realistic reason. They had to look like they were doing what they could until the end so that those left behind wouldn't notice.
«¡Kyaaaaaaa!»
About twenty more minutes passed and we heard a loud scream in the distance, after which the red-hot glass went out. It meant that the Soil Lord had been eliminated.
«Tomorrow will be the fifth day, so we only have to last two more days».
I checked the time from time to time and continued to review my plans. How much time had passed? It was 10:07 p.m., about two hours after the eighth Floor Lord was defeated. No, in other words...
«¡Maldite sea!»
...About four hours before all hell broke loose.
«Everyone inside! The rumors were true!»
«The palace bastards are running away and abandoning us! Stop them!»
A commotion broke out inside the cave.
***
«Bastards! Out, out of the way!»
«Back away, explorer. If you come any closer, I'll cut you off».
«Either way I'm going to die in any...!»
¡Corte! Thud, roll.
At this moment, in the central region where the barracks of the imperial knights and the great clans were located, the head of an explorer fell to the ground.
«Is anyone else coming?»
The hesitation at the knight's murderous words only lasted a moment.
«What are you doing? Push!»
«I'm going out! I said I'm leaving!»
«duAhh! "Mi brazo! "Mi brazo..! »
Scouts blinded for life ran like moths. This was a scene that was taking place in all the hallways connected to the central region simultaneously.
«The real enemy is out there, and yet they are eager to shed unnecessary blood».
The commander of the Third Royal Guard and responsible for this situation, Marco Elbern, clicked his tongue and asked his lieutenant: «What is the current percentage?».
«A little more than half have escaped».
«Half, huh? This will take much longer than we had planned».
If they had used portal magic to escape into the city all at once, this commotion would not have occurred. However, due to the portal magic feature that sucked out the surrounding mana, the only option was to cast the spells sequentially.
«Soon it will be our turn. Leave this to the remaining knights, commander».
Elbern followed the lieutenant to the center. A new portal opened just in time, emitting a dazzling light.
¡Whooooom!
Elbern erased all his remorse and slowly approached the portal.
«Please take me too!»
«¡Aaaaaagh!»
With every step he took, he heard a mixture of excited screams and gun sounds.
Rattle, rattle.
Elbern stopped in front of the portal because he suddenly remembered a conversation he had two days ago.
«I will not abandon my team».
He was an impressive man in many ways, very barbaric, but not at the same time. It was also a bit disappointing.
«I misunderstood you. I never thought you would make the wrong decision».
He lost interest in the barbarian. It was on a whim that he made that offer in the first place, but to think that this man would not take advantage of that fortune.
«Keep the news about the portal to yourself, if you value your colleagues».
His intention was to leave after that threat, but at that moment, the barbarian spat out some strange words.
«You feel guilty».
«Guilty...?»
«That must be why you're disappointed that he denied me».
At first I didn't understand what he was talking about. But soon, a cold voice pierced his ears.
«You wanted me to convince you that your choice was the right one, right?».
Elbern could not reply. Not even he had realized it, but for a second he thought it might be true.
«Gentleman, I am different from you. So don't use me to resolve your feelings».
The conversation with the barbarian ended there. They would probably never speak face to face again.
«commander, we must go».
Elbern looked up and looked ahead. Unlike this dark labyrinth, the bright city was visible through the portal. It was the only city in this cursed world, the place he really had to protect, the last bastion.
«Por Rafdonia.»
He propelled himself towards the portal. It was the choice I had to make.
***
I closed my eyes for a moment, caught my breath, and reminded myself. The time had finally come to choose.
Do what you have to do.
I opened my eyes. «Everyone, follow me. Let's go to the center».
«Excuse me? What are you going to do there?»
What else could be done? By the time we arrived, all kinds of talents abandoned by various groups would be drowning in despair.
First, we need to match their weight class.
We had to gather strength. That was the first way to live.