When a desperate situation arises, most people try to think about the positive first. Do this and that, and if you take care of this, then everything could be fine. Overwhelmed by countless «and yes...», they were blinded by the slim chance that things would go well and lost the golden opportunity to improve their situation. From several years to even decades, we may all have been working in the labyrinth for a long time, but the members of this expedition were only humans.
«…Are we going?»
As soon as my decision was announced to the crew, Chaos descended.
«That's an impulsive decision!»
«Shouldn't we wait here a little longer? It could turn out that something went wrong on the part of the army and they were a little late».
«That's right! There are enemies everywhere, how far could we go?!»
Discontent spread quickly like an infectious disease. That was natural because staying was the most hopeful of all our options. If the rescue team arrived, we could all return home alive. This nightmare would be over, and the only thing left would be to return to the city and be happy. The hardships we went through throughout this trip would be reduced to stories told over drinks.
It's a dangerous thought.
If there was one thing he knew, it was that the situation was not so desperate yet. True despair would come when that golden window of opportunity disappeared and even the slightest glimmer of hope was trampled. When that time came, we couldn't do anything, even if we wanted to. That's why this was the only time to do it.
«What are you all saying? Do you all have brain damage or something?». I used strong words that would surely attract reactions. It was a shock therapy method. «There was a rat in Ice Rock. When we arrived at Ojo del Cielo, no matter how hard we tried, we were unable to contact the royal army. And now? Three days have passed without news. «A little late?» «Is the rescue team coming? Don't make me laugh. If that were the case, this place wouldn't be full of Noark soldiers. They would have been sent to the front to stop the royal army a long time ago». I took a breath and continued. «Listen to everyone carefully. They abandoned us».
He didn't really believe that was the case, but he knew that if he didn't say it, he couldn't destroy the vain hope they harbored.
«Why would the palace abandon us?!»
I didn't know either. Maybe something serious came up and they couldn't come. Actually, I thought that was much more likely to be left here on purpose. But so what? Whatever their circumstances, that didn't change the situation we were in.
«If they didn't abandon us, why haven't they come yet?»
«That's right...» The squad member gritted her teeth. «So you want us to go somewhere else?».
«Yes.»
«When is everyone this exhausted? Do you think it will work? Everyone...!»
«What difference would it make to wait here?!» As our voices grew louder, the wizards used what little mana they had left to cast a team communication spell, so I screamed at the top of my lungs. «Open your eyes everyone! Whatever the reason, that doesn't change the fact that they're not coming to save us!».
The crew fell silent at my scream. They could argue if they wanted, but deep down everyone secretly felt that what I said could be true. If it weren't for those doubts, they wouldn't have been so anxious in the first place.
I opened my mouth and broke the silence. «I'm not going to die here. Do you think otherwise?».
It was one of Kaislan's colleagues who answered that question. «...Who wants to die?».
«That's all, then. Follow me. Kill the enemy and protect your companions. At least that's more worth it than waiting to die here». I looked at the squad as they sat on the thick branches.
Judging by the looks on their faces, it didn't seem like my speech had had much echo in them. Well, that made sense if you thought about it. Riehen Schuitz was a mysterious adventurer whose name and face had been unknown until he joined this expedition. Even if he had shown them various facets of himself throughout our search, to what extent could he be trustworthy in a situation like this? Naturally, they looked at their team leaders.
The first to step forward was Jun. He looked at me with such excessive respect that it seemed like he was deliberately trying to help me. «Let's go where the light takes us. Team Four will walk the path of hardship you have chosen».
Next was Kaislan. «The kingdom of Rafdonia has appointed Riehen Schuitz as leader of this expedition. Doubting his judgment and presenting divergent opinions could be interpreted as betrayal of the king». Although it was long, his speech could be summed up in one sentence. «Team Five will follow your orders». Was he trying to give me credibility like Jun? Kaislan knelt ceremoniously despite the uncomfortable branch he was on. This was kind of a surprise. He had previously put on a disapproving face during the leaders' meeting.
Just then, Akurava spoke up. «Team Two thinks differently. It is not because we have blind faith or because we fear the martial law of the kingdom. We simply agree with your opinion. It seems hard to believe that the royal army will come to save us».
"And?"
Akurava laughed at my insistence. «Team two will also follow you».
Okay, so there's only one team left: Team Three, led by James Calla, the deputy commander of the Sierra Teeth Clan.
When all eyes turned to him, Calla seemed nervous. «Me...» It seemed like the team bosses' previous performances had set the bar a little high, but I figured he figured those things didn't suit him. «What they have said. It's not that an objection of mine is going to change anything. Ordinary people like me have to follow trends». Although a little boring, those words were very much his own. The sincerity mixed with his joking tone seemed to have penetrated the other crew members as well.
«...It's already set in stone, huh».
«Well, what do you want us to say if you've already decided?».
«Hahaha, I never liked the look of this from the beginning. It is not the first time that the palace has not done its job. We have to find a way to survive on our own».
«I will hold the palace firmly responsible for this matter. But for that, we first have to come back alive».
I looked around at the murmuring members of my squad and clenched my fists.
Squeeze.
Okay, let's try it.
***
«The number of troops patrolling the area has increased. It seems they have realized that we have killed the others... What do we do?»
What else could be done? The plan from here on out was simple. «We are going to use Mass Teleportation».
First, use a Mass Teleport spell to escape the center of enemy territory. However, this part of the plan was not without problems.
«If we use a spell as big as that, wizards will run out of mana for a while. And our location will also be discovered».
No doubt Noark's scouts would follow mana trails to locate us, but we had no choice. «We have to take that risk. Even if we try to move discreetly, it is impossible for the enemy not to discover us with so many people.»
«That's true...»
«Now that the Eye of Heaven has been destroyed, they will not be able to communicate as well. It is better to extend the distance with Mass Teleportation».
The team leaders clearly had some concerns about my decision, but they didn't express them.
Well, it's decided.
«What's happening now?»
The plan from here was also very simple. «Whether the people following us catch up with us or not, we will go north». Our destination was the northern hemisphere of the Dark Continent.
«...Not the south, where are our allies?»
«Yes.»
There was only one reason I chose north instead of south. The scouts would only be able to track where we teleported. They would have no way of knowing where we would go next.
«You're going to fool the enemy into thinking we went south. If they send their troops south, the north will be emptier».
«That's right. Let's hide right under their noses until the day the maze closes».
«Understood. Did your counselor come up with this too?»
Gosh, you won't believe it occurred to me. It doesn't matter, that doesn't matter.
«Tell everyone to get ready. Once we start casting the spell, Noark will be upon us like a pack of hounds.»
«...Okay.»
I shared the strategy with the team leaders and they gave the instructions to their teams. With this, we were prepared to execute the plan.
Run.
We came down from the tree we were hiding in since we wouldn't be able to hide while the Mass Teleport spell was cast anyway.
«Stepping on land for the first time in three days». Although the feeling was strange, the five wizards in the squad immediately separated and began to draw magic circles on the ground.
¡Saaaaaaaaa!
It took two Mass Teleport spells to transport twenty-eight people. Since this required large amounts of mana, someone with a decent ability to sense the energy would soon realize that something was out of the ordinary.
I hope you realize it a little late.
With our backs to the large tree, we form a protective semicircle to protect the wizards.
«Sir, someone is coming. Very quickly», Erwen, who had a keen sense of energy, murmured quietly. After another moment, he added: «They have seen us and stopped. Now they rush back».
So they are trying to call for reinforcements.
¡Whiiiiip!
Before he could order it, Erwen shot an arrow in the darkness.
«¿Los templates?»
«No. He hit a tree.»
«And.»
Well, even if I had given them, it would have just given us a little more time. I licked my lips and shouted: «Everyone, prepare for battle!». There was no need to keep our mouths shut when they caught us anyway, right? It wouldn't take long for Noark to arrive in droves, and we would somehow hold out until the Mass Teleport was completed.
Deslick.
While I had some time, I did one last check. «Coordinates! The coordinates you entered are incorrect!»
«Oh, sorry. Now I fix it!» Knowing that the situation was more urgent than ever, the magicians drew the magic circles even faster. I was grateful for his hard work, but I would be lying if I said I didn't regret it.
...It would be great if that were a Portal spell.
Of course, he knew this couldn't be helped. In the game, only an archmage who had reached rank one could use a Portal spell, and the cost of doing so was the caster's life. Now, more than a hundred years later, the portals commonly used by mages in the labyrinth were an improved version of the original. Or, to be more exact, they were a scaled-down version, an improved Portal that even rank four mages could use. Although this spell could only be used once in a lifetime, in return you did not have to sacrifice your life for it.
But it is impossible to use it on the seventh floor or higher.
The improved portals had that huge drawback. That's why I regretted something else.
I should have asked them to find a rank one mage, no matter what the cost...
I asked for it, in fact, but was rejected by the marquis. Rank one mages were very rare even in the Magic Tower, and there was only one affiliated with the palace. Even if the Eye of Heaven was destroyed and all members of our expedition returned alive, the loss of a rank-one mage would be monumental. In their minds, it was best to abandon the entire rest of the expedition team.
Holy shit, is that it?
The idea occurred to me, but I shook my head. To begin with, the premise was wrong. Weighing our lives against that of a rank-one mage was foolish. In the end, their plan was to send the main unit to rescue us. Of course, the rescue team would suffer some losses in the process, but considering the reputation of each of the expedition members, the palace felt that we deserved the sacrifice.
That's why there has to be another reason... You should stop thinking about this.
Why didn't the rescue team come? It was a question I had asked myself countless times over the past few days, but I decided not to worry anymore. We'd find out if we came back alive, and if we didn't, it didn't matter anyway.
«They're coming!»
¡Boom, tree!
We feel a weak vibration through the ground.
«Whoa!»
«Die!»
As soon as the enemy emerged from the darkness, I cleared my head.
[You have launched gigantization.]
[You have used a transformation-type ability. Due to the Evolutionary Shell effect, the amount of Soul Power consumed by the ability is halved, and your highest stat increases by 1.5 times.
Now I only had to worry about one thing: surviving.