Chapter of Slavery, Episode 5: Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

After spending our day in Japan, Marie and I went to bed in each other’s arms as usual. Her skin felt warmer than usual, and she let out a heated breath as our bodies came together.

We might have a hard time in the summer. Actually, Marie may have been able to find a solution to even that. My consciousness began to fade as I thought about it, and the door to the dream world was opened.

Where is the line between dreams and reality?

I looked to my side in a daze to find a girl in pajamas that seemed out of place in Japan, her pale purple eyes opening slowly. With her always by my side, it felt like that line had been blurred.

This place was a dream, yet it was a real world in and of itself. A world different from Japan. A place where magic and levels existed, and people and countries alike strove to become stronger in order to survive. But there were many similarities, as well.

One of them being the universal truth: people died, never to return again.

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The people were enveloped in a white cloth with a message from their families held to their chests. They were each placed in a small boat full of flowers and floated off down the brown river.

“...” The priest splashed some perfumed oil and prayed for the dead to reach Eden, a world where there was no pain or suffering. The warriors who had survived along with their conviction would someday return to the heavens. It was interesting how this teaching was shared across different countries and religions.

We each held a hand to our chest in our mourning clothes, standing silently as the deceased made their way down the river. It continued to rain lightly, wetting our hair and foreheads.

A total of eight had died during the advancement to the second floor. Though they weren’t present for this funeral, an equal number of people had never regained consciousness. Their souls had been stolen by the floor master, and they had been unconscious ever since.

The boats continued straight down the river, burning bright as they were ignited with fire arrows. A mother cried out as it came time to part with her child forever, and the master of the household held her shoulder supportively. The red-haired Doula stood at their center, her eyes red from tears.

Those who had done battle with evil would eventually be sent to Eden. Death came suddenly, and those who were taken would never return... but everyone understood that death wasn’t the end.

We bowed to the priest, and as we left the attendance, two people stood before us. It was Zera, who had provided us with a place to stay, and Doula, her eyes still red. We were a bit taken aback as they bowed politely. They turned without saying a word and walked away.

“What do you think that was?”

“I think they were showing gratitude. If we hadn’t helped them, they may not have been able to give the deceased a proper send off on those boats,” Marie replied as she beckoned over the black cat that was hiding in the shade of a tree. The elf girl scooped the cat up in her arms when it trotted over to her.

“It wasn’t that big of... Well, maybe it was that significant to them. I’m glad we could help in some way.”

“Maybe it wasn’t just those two who were saved.” I asked Marie what she meant, and she began to walk by my side. The ground was wet with rain and hard to walk in, so I laid a supportive hand on Marie’s slender waist so she wouldn’t trip. Being more knowledgeable about this world than me, Marie continued her explanation.

According to her, there was more than one “master.” Each parent and child often had their own teams, and distinguished families tended to have quite a number of members. So, when masters or sub-masters perished, those who served them would suffer as well.

“The reason things ended up in this structure is mainly an issue with maintenance costs of the military. In times of peace, each household is responsible for gathering resources to support their own military forces.”

“Huh, so that’s how it works. So Zera’s kinda like a CEO managing his own company.” I watched the many funeral attendees along the path from the river to the city. The one thing that was notably different from an ordinary company was the way they all faced hardships with their lives on the line. I felt a pang in my chest, seeing the mothers and lovers of the deceased grieve for their lost ones.

“Well, our goal for now is taking down that floor master in our alliance raid. I hope this leads to those two getting their marriage approved.”

“Yes... but be careful not to get too caught up on that. You tend to have a wide perspective on things, but that can be all the more worrying sometimes.” I did agree that when it came to battle, I had a tendency to look at the big picture. That was what allowed me to make moves without panicking or risking the loss of any lives.

But, either way, I did see what she was getting at. I’d almost lost against those bandits at the oasis some time ago. I stood before them as they tried to attack Marie, which ended up leaving an opening for the enemy. I figured that was what she was trying to tell me.

Of course, I would cooperate with Zera and Doula, and I hoped they would be able to get married, but my number one priority was the safety of my team and myself. I didn’t mind straining myself, but I couldn’t afford to do anything to put us in danger recklessly. Also, I had to make sure I got to work on time.

“In that sense, I’d like to continue enjoying things at our own pace. Is that fine by you?” The girl and cat raised their hand and paw respectively and voiced their agreement. Wridra, who tended to avoid anything remotely inconvenient, decided not to join us until we got to the ancient labyrinth. And so, we decided to get dressed and depart with the others.

That day, the raid party set out to the labyrinth for the second time. Unlike last time, adventurers, guilds, priests, and additional teams funded by influential individuals had joined the ground, tripling the number of total forces.

・Masters and their troops: 140 members

・Adventurer’s Guild: 89 members

・Priests: 42 members

・Faction troops: 74 members

The third wave of regular soldiers, also known as the knight corps, would secure the main roads, and the other teams were to act as support as they pressed on. Since everyone had struggled against the undead last time, priests would be assigned to any team that requested them.

We turned them down, of course. We didn’t want a stranger joining us and running the risk of letting anyone know about our visits to Japan, and Marie was capable of applying a holy element buff, anyway.

The two rows of troops marched through the rain, moving straight from the city to the ruins. As we progressed through a worn path, I looked up at the horizon. Lightning flashed in the distance, and the sound reached my ears after a delay.

Rain in the desert was somewhat of a surreal sight, and I could see the clouds in the entire area at once. There were thick clouds ahead in the direction we were heading, and the rain and wind were sure to get stronger as we moved forward.

“You don’t see sights like this in Japan.”

“Good. I think I would get sick of the strong winds very quickly. I miss those vinyl umbrellas dearly.” When I turned around, I found Marie’s raincoat hood was soaking wet, her mouth frowning with displeasure. Not to mention, the cat had returned into the jewel to avoid the rain, making her mood even worse. I smiled a bit, then decided to give her a bit of advice.

“Then, why don’t you make one? If you spread Undine overhead, it should work as an umbrella, don’t you think?”

“Oh! How do such great ideas come from a sleepy-looking face like yours?” Wait, what does my face have to do with anything?

Marie raised her staff, and Undine the water spirit appeared in the form of an ultramarine fish with a splashing sound. It was far bigger than it had been in Japan, and the sound of rain grew distant from our surroundings. When I looked up, I saw a film of water covering us overhead.

“Whoa... This feels weird.”

“Hmm, I guess this is what it would look like if a puddle could float in the air. I do agree it’s a bit strange to see so many ripples in the air like this.” Spirits that couldn’t directly contribute to battle tended to be helpful for expeditions like this. The unusual sight in the night air caused the others to stop and point up. The film of water gradually spread out in a sphere, preventing the rain from reaching the area around us.

“Hehe, that was easy. Maybe I’ve finally awakened my powers.” It was pretty amazing how she could pull off something like this so easily. Though, a big part of it was due to the boost she was getting from the Arkdragon’s Wizard’s Guidance ability. Undine was still slowly floating around in the air, managing the invisible shelter that kept us out of the rain.

“You’ve always been very talented, Marie. Let’s see... How about Rain Coat?”

“Why, thank you. You do deserve recognition for your cooking skills, too. I would praise your swordsmanship, too, if only you fixed your tendency to be a bit too reckless. I’d say... Spirit Umbrella.” We started pointlessly making up names for her ability as we trekked through the rainy desert. In any case, I always did things at my own pace, and I planned on enjoying the dream world to the fullest. I was more concerned about improving Marie’s mood than about how the others might look at me.

“Heeey, mind letting me join in?”

“Oh, Zera. Are you sure you should be here? The others are giving us envious looks.”

“Eh, let ’em. We can just say we were making plans for our alliance raid.” We’re using that as an excuse?

Maybe women disliked rain in general, because Doula brushed off the water with an irritated expression. Her red hair was dark with moisture, and she let out a heavy sigh.

“This is why I hate the rainy season. Thank you, Marie. This is much better.”

“Oh, this is nothing. About our plan... Do we have any countermeasures for this mysterious floor master?” Doula shook her head.

The elusive floor master, Shirley. Many had already had their souls taken by the creature that was said to be death itself. Even when it was somehow defeated by concentrating forces to take it down, the floor master quickly reappeared again.

I considered it for a moment. “Maybe it has some way of reviving itself, it has a main body somewhere, or there are multiple copies of the same creature.”

“That last option would be ideal. At least we’d be making some sort of progress.” But we all knew that was very unlikely. The creatures should have been acting more wearily if we were whittling down their numbers one by one. From what I’d heard, Shirley had been consistent in its actions: stopping our advances and taking souls.

So is its objective to gather as many souls as possible? Wait a minute...

I came to a realization and privately sent Marie a message via Mind Link Chat. We couldn’t reveal this to the others just yet.

“Marie, where do you think it takes the collected souls?”

“Hm... There must be a place they’re being stored. Maybe that’s where the main body or some sort of secret could be found.” Bingo.

This was a monster we were dealing with, and it wasn’t just letting those souls rest in peace. It was likely that it was hiding a secret of sorts somewhere on that floor.

“It could just be taking those souls out of spite. It’s worth looking into, though.”

“Don’t say such troubling things. Knowing you, you must be thinking something foolish like, ‘This is just a dream, so I might as well go follow it.’”

Dang, she got me.

She acted indignant and puffed her cheeks. Anyway, I felt like we were onto something. We continued walking through the rain and having conversations as we made our way toward the ancient labyrinth.

Meanwhile, someone among the group was raising his hood and scanning the surroundings. Though it seemed like this was just to casually look at the scenery, he was taking a mental note of the number of people, their equipment, and the faces of each person there. Unlike many of the others, the members of his squad had looks in their eyes like they had seen battle before. His partially veiled eyes were deeply set, and he had a powerful build. The arm band depicting an olive leaf indicated that the man was sent by one of the political factions, making him a new member among the group.

“When do we make our move?” A whisper asked from behind, inaudible to the others in the rain.

The man replied stoically, “After we hear of their plans. Once we get inside, we break off from the main group and rejoin the others.”

“Got it. I just hate those dogs of the kingdom. I’ve always dreamed of killing them all. I can’t wait for the fun to begin.” The large man quietly wondered if this truly would be any fun at all.

But one thing was for sure: this would be a nightmare for them. He let out a rare, muffled laugh. Many groups with differing intentions lurked within the rainy desert.

The rain began to come down harder, and everyone watched the elf’s spell with envy.

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A light spirit drifted overhead, radiating a gentle light. Despite being deep in the ancient labyrinth, it provided plenty of illumination for us, allowing us to spend time there in leisure.

We were in a private room on the first floor, with a single table and bookshelves all around us. It was dust-free, thanks to the air circulation system, and it was actually more comfortable than some inns I had stayed in. That was why we used this area as a rest stop pretty frequently. Since we knew how to read ancient text, the stockpile of books was a good way for us to pass the time. But we weren’t reading the books this time. Instead, we each stared at the wall, our hearts pounding quickly. The ordinary wall, with nothing particularly special about it...

Eventually, a black stain formed on the wall and slowly began to spread. The blackness was darker than the abyss itself, and it was actually rather terrifying to behold... but the two of us had actually been looking forward to this moment.

A fingertip emerged with a splashing sound, and then hands reached out and grabbed either side of the wall. The darkness expanded some more, eventually revealing the smiling Wridra.

“It has been a while! Now that I am here... Awah!” We shouted in joy and dove at her into an embrace. Yes, she was a woman, but we’d hugged a bunch of times already... Well, it sounded weird when I put it that way, but in any case, this wasn’t an issue for us.

“Long time no see, Wridra! Wait, you’re looking a little pale.”

“Oh my, you’re right! We should have an early meal today!”

“In what world did a child worry about the health of a dragon?” Wridra’s blank expression seemed to wordlessly ask, but then she broke into an amused laugh. Although she was a being to be feared by most of the world, no one would have believed this was the legendary Arkdragon if they saw her now.

“Hah, hah! I never would have expected a dragon like me would feel such joy from our reunion. Nn... Come, let me take in your smells, half-fairy elf and human of the other.” Wridra brushed off her dress and kneeled down, bringing her attractive face right in front of mine. Her nose was perfectly shaped, and her obsidian eyes reminded me of her dragon form.

She held us in her slender arms, pulling us in so her smooth cheeks were pressed against ours. We smelled her familiar scent, which made Marie get emotional.

“I’m happy, too... but seeing your reaction is making me tear up, so cut it out.” Wridra nodded slightly, then closed her eyes.

She rubbed her nose against the teary-eyed girl the same way she did in her cat form, which made Marie sob out loud. They had missed each other dearly. The elf and dragon speaking in each others’ embrace had spent so much time having fun together.

It was strange how well they got along, despite being of completely different races. Traditionally, this was highly uncommon. Cultures between races were just too different.

That aside, I said to Marie, “Now that Wridra’s here, we have a lot of fun to look forward to. Don’t forget, we’ll be going to Grimland on the weekend if it doesn’t rain.”

“Yes, indeed! I have heard of these terrifying recreational facilities created in the realm of men. I shall get a taste of the theme parks where evil spirits lurk and steal money from unsuspecting visitors.”

Hm? Where did she get that description? Oh well, that’s not all that far from the truth...

Marie had calmed down by now, and she giggled happily, seeming to enjoy the familiar atmosphere the three of us had shared so often. Maybe Wridra sensed this and cracked a joke on purpose... but probably not.

“Anyway, we have this raid ahead of us, and then we’ll be hanging out in Japan again. By the way, it’ll be an alliance raid this time, so we can’t stray too far from the two other teams.”

“Hm, tell me more about this alliance raid. Also, I am ready for that early lunch now.” That sounded like a good idea. Wridra’s familiar had been hiding from the rain, so she didn’t know anything about what we discussed on the way here.

Marie summoned her stone spirits as I took the food out of my bag. Her spirits were actually pretty convenient, saving us the trouble of finding the perfect rock to place the pot on.

I poured the soup I’d prepared into the pot, and Marie began explaining in my stead.

“We’re going to maintain just enough distance so we can rush in to help until Shirley, the floor master, appears. The Adventurer’s Guild and some other groups are with us this time, so they’re getting a briefing on the plan right now, too.” We were foreigners here, so we couldn’t step into their business. They had told us we could spend our time however we pleased in the meantime.

I heard a dull vwoom and turned around to find a pale-blue light coming off of the three-dimensional map Marie had displayed. She was using the Magic Tool we’d been assigned for this expedition. The new members that had joined for this raid got their own as well, albeit with restricted functionality.

I pointed at the points of light displayed on the map.

“These bright lights are teams registered via Mind Link Chat... Zera and Doula. We can specifically send messages to them instead of the entire group.”

“Hmhm, they took good care of my familiar as well, so I shall give my greetings later. That was quite a comfortable room they let us stay in.” That much was true. Rich people spared no expense for bedrooms, though I guess that much was to be expected. Suddenly, Marie seemed to remember something.

“Now that I think about it, remember that treasure room we unlocked? Zera mentioned we would be getting a share from there, but did he mention how much we would be getting?”

“Oh, I think he said two platinum coins... but I don’t have much use for money...” I said as Marie was taking a sip from her canteen, and she nearly spit out her water. She began coughing repeatedly, and Wridra and I cocked our heads at her.

“You okay? Also, can you summon your Fire Lizard? I’d like to heat up the pot now,” I asked, but she seemed busy trying to regain her breath. Had I said something that surprising?

“You... I see, you don’t know. You can be absentminded sometimes, Kazuhiro, so I’ll put this in simple terms.” She slowly rose to her feet, looking a little... no, way more intense than usual. She raised her staff and brought it down upon the hard floor, summoning forth the spirit known as a Fire Lizard.

It crawled across the ground as ordered, then curled up under the pot.

“Those coins are worth about four times more than a salaryman’s yearly earnings.”

“...Huh? What do you mean?” Rather, I understood what she meant. Platinum coins needed to be cast in such high temperatures that only certain sorcerers could make them, and they hardly ever entered the general market. They even had anti-counterfeit measures, like markings to identify them as authentic and a crest that appeared when they were placed in direct sunlight. I understood that the coins were just that valuable.

“But why would I need so much money in my dreams? I’d be more concerned about carrying around such a fortune, personally.”

“You could have bought all that armor that was displayed at the party the other night.”

Wh-Wh-Whaaat?!

My knees trembled, and I slid down onto the ground. I mean, I could buy such supremely premium wares like that? No way! Wha?!

“I’ve realized the error of my ways. I understand the value of money now.”

“Very well. But you do have a point. I realized there isn’t much I actually want in this world.” Wridra nodded in agreement. The pot began to boil, and I began throwing in ingredients as I listened to the girls talk.

“Yes, I do agree with that. All I ask for in this world is a place to sleep in peace. Riches and treasures do not bring me joy.”

“Exactly. I’m far more excited about the thought of maybe going to Grimland this weekend. Just like when we went to Chichibu and Aomori, I can’t wait to find out what’s in store for us. A place where everyone from children to adults can have fun... Doesn’t that sound wonderful?” The two continued talking and laughing out loud.

As I watched them, that small question within me faded away.

Why did they get along so well despite being of completely different races? It was probably because they shared each other’s joys. Race had nothing to do with having fun or enjoying delicious food together. And so, I decided I wanted to enable their fun conversation further and encourage them to have some of this hot pot.

I lifted the pot to find the Fire Lizard was still curled up and sleeping underneath. It opened its beady eyes, then vanished upon Marie’s command.

“Thanks for waiting. It may not be the most refined way to eat, but I’m gonna put this on the table.”

I placed the pot on the table, and the girls gleefully shouted, “Finally!” Now, it was time for us to enjoy this unorthodox hot pot.

I lifted the lid, releasing a puff of steam as I revealed the red soup. It was a stamina (mild) kimchi hot pot I had prepared for Wridra. I scooped some white rice into bowls and passed out plates, chopsticks, and bottles of tea. The lively atmosphere as I set the table wasn’t too different from the way it was back in Japan.

“Oh, the rice is cold now. Is there any way to make it steamy hot?”

“We would have to cook it again, but I assume that would take quite some time.”

“Yeah, it would take a while. There are bento boxes that can preserve heat, but they seem pretty pricey.” It didn’t usually bother me when I ate bento, but we were having kimchi hot pot today.

There was a kick to the scent of the hot pot, and the elf, who had a keen sense of smell, looked rather confused as she took in whiffs while asking, “Spicy? Sour? Hm?”

The boiling pot was full of Chinese cabbages, chives, tofu, bean sprouts, and pork, all of which should have provided plenty of stamina. The tangy smell came from the kimchi base, which was mixed with the miso soup base and provided plenty of flavor. Wridra, who loved spicy food, licked her lips as she said the pre-meal greeting, hardly able to contain her excitement.

“Let us dig in! Itadakimasu!”

“Itadakimasu!” We began picking at the pot with our chopsticks and poured some of the piping-hot soup into our bowls.

I usually went for a gentle flavor for my hot pots, and this one packed a bit more of a kick in comparison. Their tongues got a bit of a shock from the spiciness, but it was rounded out by the sweetness of the pork and Chinese cabbage soon enough. The miso provided a greater depth of flavor, and once the girls swallowed, they were surprised to find there was more to the dish than just spiciness.

“Ah, it’s spicy, but so tasty! The soft cabbage is yummy.”

“Hnnn, it goes so well with the pork! Huff, mmf, I love this sweet rice!” They complained about the spiciness, but couldn’t help themselves from drinking the soup, too. After each mouthful, the stimulating heat made you reach for another bite with some more rice.

“Ahh, I wish I had some beer right now. I’m sure it would go perfectly with this.”

“Do not mention such things. I have been holding back the urge this whole time. Oh no, I cannot stop thinking about it now...” The ladies struggled in agony against their urges, but I couldn’t really help them there. We were in a labyrinth full of monsters, so it was probably a good idea to hold back on drinking anyway.

Even with the good circulation here, eating such a hot meal left us hot and sweaty. As I watched Marie wipe herself off with a towel, I spoke.

“I’ll go open the door real quick. That should help us cool down a bit.”

“Yes, please. Ah, so spicy... Mmm! The shiitake mushrooms are good, too!” Shiitake were famous for their aroma. I had always thought it a bit odd when they were called “shee-tah-kee” when featured on overseas cooking channels. I’d looked into it a bit a while back, and I found it interesting that they were pretty well-known globally.

Wridra ate with a satisfied expression, and she seemed to be regaining the color in her face. She was a bit sweaty now, but she had a healthy complexion, and the meal may have helped get her blood pumping.

After eating two bowls, Marie had some tea and began to talk.

“So, why did you look so pale earlier, Wridra? Were you exhausted from raising your children?”

“Hm, this may be a bit difficult for an elf and a human to understand.” She demolished another bowl of rice, then offered it to me to scoop some more. I accepted the bowl, adding the rice that I was planning on using for porridge later.

“Normally, a dragon just provides nutrition to the egg, right?”

“For lesser dragons, perhaps. They are closer to reptiles than dragons, and so they follow the laws of the world as a normal creature.” Yeah, this was getting confusing already. Umm, so, what she called lesser dragons were completely different from an Arkdragon.

According to Wridra, dragons were ancient creatures that were more closely related to spirits, and they existed in this world by harboring what was called a dragon core in their body. This dragon core contained its own unique world inside it, as unbelievable as that was... This conversation was on a whole different dimension. As a humble salaryman, I made the decision to stay quiet and eat my meal.

“Oh, I see. I’m a half-fairy, but you’re genuinely more like a spirit.”

“Close. Despite our large bodies, we are able to fly. This defies the laws of the world, but our existence makes it an undeniable truth. In other words, we have the ability to deceive the world, and I had been transferring some of this power to my children.”

“Huh,” I said noncommittally. Arkdragons were quite mysterious, but the more I heard about them, the more questions I had.

Suddenly, Wridra seemed to remember something and pointed her chopsticks at me.

“Ah yes, there is something I must mention. I could not say this while I was a cat, but...”

“What is it?” The cat was rather expressive, though, so I thought I’d understood most of what she wanted to tell me.

However, Wridra’s expression grew stern, and I felt a shudder go down my spine. Wh-What is she gonna say?

“I am generous, so I laughed it off at first. You are just a child, after all. But I must say something, precisely because I care about you two.” The heavy air about her blew away the lighthearted feeling I had moments ago. The beautiful woman looking down at me with a black aura emanating from her was simply terrifying.

I swallowed hard, then fearfully asked, “Y-Yes? What is it?”

“...Too sweet.” Hm? The kimchi hot pot? I did make it kind of mild...

I cocked my head, thinking I’d misheard her, but then Wridra slammed her hands down on the table, making the pot lift a few centimeters into the air. Marie and I shrieked and clung to one another, trembling in each other’s arms.

“What were you two thinking, acting so sugary in front of others? You fools never noticed I was watching with disapproving glares the whole time, did you?!”

Now that she mentions it, I thought the cat did seem displeased looking at us... In retrospect, I knew exactly what she was talking about.

“You two flirted at every opportunity you had! Here, there, everywhere! Especially that one time with your Tai Chi pajamas!”

“Kyaaa! Please stop!”

“I have secretly saved footage from that day. Here, how would you like it if I showed your shameful display with the image projection magic I have been practicing?!”

“Kyaaaaaa! Noooooo!!!” Marie screamed while still clinging onto me, nearly blowing out my eardrums.

This humiliation was worse than just the embarrassment factor alone, and the monster-filled ancient labyrinth was quite lively with our screams. By the time we were released from Wridra’s lecture, we were on the ground and breathing heavily.

“I-I’m sorry, Lady Wridra. We needed to be put in our place.”

“Good. Ah, I feel much better after letting that out. There is too much I cannot communicate while in the form of a cat.” Wridra stretched out her limbs with a cheerful smile on her face.

This was just supposed to be a meal, but I felt incredibly drained. I decided to be more mindful of Wridra’s position watching us. I glanced to the side, and Marie nodded in agreement.

Washing the dishes was an easy task.

The environment in the ancient labyrinth was incredibly convenient regarding waterways, and it even had a sewage system. It was surprising how well-equipped this place was. Marie utilized the water spirit Undine to the fullest, using it to create a water current and wash the dishes clean.

“Huh, you’re really good at this, keeping the dishes from clanking against each other. Have you done it before?” Marie, who had been sitting next to me, turned to face me. She had returned to her usual self by now, the redness in her face having subsided.

“Yes, I do this in your condo all the time.”

“Ohh... So that’s why my dish detergent hasn’t been getting used.” This was good in an economic sense, but my daily life was becoming more and more fantastical by the day. Though, I definitely wasn’t complaining. I had been bored of my life in Japan until this girl turned it all around.

Our domestic vacation, relationship with the neighbors, and plans to go to Grimland all attested to that. I realized that, as I thought of how to entertain the elf and dragon, I had been provided joy and entertainment in return. I had been given the warm and lively life I’d given up on long ago.

“Speaking of water, there’s an aquarium in our neighborhood that has a bunch of fish from the sea.”

“Oh? Why would they put up fish for entertainment? Isn’t the Koto Ward close to the sea?” I guess it would be hard for an outsider to imagine a facility where you looked at fish.

I opened my mouth to explain, then felt her fingertip press against me, seeming to interrupt. She then whispered with her amethyst eyes staring into my own. “Hehe, surprise me like you always do. I want you to show me the aquarium.”

Of course I can do that, Ms. Elf.

We both smiled and cheerfully watched the dishwashing machine... I mean, spirit continued its job, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with each other. My days off were getting filled with exciting plans to spend time with Marie.

Suddenly, white noise began buzzing from the Magic Tool that had been sitting on the table. Once the white noise cleared, a deep, male voice began speaking out loud.

“This is Bloodstone; I need the alliance raid teams to copy. Let’s regroup on the second floor tomorrow and start our operations.”

“This is Andalusite. Hear you loud and clear. Copy that, Bloodstone. Is Team Amethyst still off playing somewhere?”

Oh, I guess I should answer, too. I let Marie handle the dishes and hurried over to answer the message.

“This is Team Amethyst. We’ll be ready to go as soon as we’re done washing the dishes.” I heard chuckling from the Magic Tool, and then we decided on our meeting spot.

We were ready to take on the second floor. It was supposedly crawling with the undead, but we were humming as we packed our bags and left the room.

A simultaneous assault from the east, west, and center teams had begun.

The three that had each defeated a floor master in the first floor, Teams Diamond, Ruby, and Amethyst, were split among them, and a mass of raid members the likes which had never been seen before was rushing down the center.

This was the strategy that had been ordered by the royal family. Using their numbers to their advantage, the troops advanced even as a portion of them engaged in combat, their tactics much like those that would have been used in war. This also allowed them to switch out fighters as they grew fatigued while covering each other from ambushes. They were up against not only the floor master Shirley, but also the mysterious group that had been intervening with the efforts to advance through the labyrinth.

War and raids on labyrinths seemed similar, but there were actually some major differences. In particular, Hakam had been unsettled about the lack of coordination with these various troops being put together in such a rush. The responsibility of leading these various teams had been pushed onto him, and he had been wracking his brain trying to figure out the optimal strategy to get through this with as few deaths as possible.

He stared at a small group in a corner of the map projected by the Magic Tool and let out a sigh. Some of them were sitting on the ground, while others leaned against the wall, the others scattered around them resting as well. The wavering torchlight illuminated the rock walls and cast shadows. He took a swig from his leather bag and called out to one of his men.

“Things are moving smoothly for now. Even the priests are going all out this time.”

“Seems so. The undead are an absolute pain to deal with, so it feels good to see them getting banished left and right.” The others, who had been sent in by the Adventurer’s Guild, wore expressions of relief. After all, they had been told this would be an extremely difficult mission in an ancient labyrinth. They were all practically forced by their guild to come here despite being afraid for their lives, so they had every right to complain.

“I was thinking of running away if it came down to it, so I’m glad we can just switch out if needed. Oho, look at ’em go.”

Through the corridor, a mass of enemies could be seen getting banished at once. Since these monsters weren’t being defeated through combat, they didn’t contribute experience for leveling up. Even so, these men were far more interested in safety and riches instead.

“I just wanna know about that rumored treasure room. I heard whoever unlocked the one in the first floor was rewarded with platinum coins.” They all laughed. The idea of receiving such a reward was simply ludicrous. One could spend frivolously for years without running out with that kind of money.

And yet, there was one thing they were all aware of: getting greedy for such a reward was a sure way to get yourself killed. They had only survived this long because they understood their place in the world.

“Looks like it’s almost our turn. But no one’s gonna notice if we sit here for a few more minutes.”

“Agreed. Those soldiers hired by the country have a lot of energy with how well they’ve been eating. They wouldn’t mind working for a little longer.” They chuckled again, but didn’t understand the true horror of ancient labyrinths. They assumed the countless tales of monster attacks were nothing but rumors. This was because they had never heard of such things happening on this large of a scale. But many of those who were in the upper floors were beginning to realize something was off about this place. The difficulty level of this raid far exceeded expectations, and the existence of Shirley the Undying was unnatural in and of itself.

Just then, shouting could be heard from the battlefield.

The men looked up, assuming a powerful monster had been taken down. Maybe if they hurried, they could get in on the looting. They stood up in a hurry, but then something came crashing down on them from above.

Boom! Thud, thud, thud, thud!

It seemed to be a wet, red bag, and there was some heavy commotion going on. They readied their weapons, expecting a monster attack, and they weren’t too far off. An old man missing both arms thrashed about, looking like he would be joining the dead soon.

“Whoa, where’d this guy come from?” His white beard and robe were soaked in red, and he continued thrashing around with inhumanly jarring movements. The men thought about helping, but hesitated, recognizing this crazed old man as a healing priest himself.

“Looks like it’s too late to help him...” In that moment, the old priest expelled his last breath and fell to the floor.

Just then, the group watched in shock as the corpse steadily rose before their eyes. A white haze emerged from the sockets of the old man’s missing arms and began to glow. His once-frail body began to bulge with muscles as he slowly drew a breath inwards...

“Finish him off, quick! He’s turning undead! Reaper is coming!” A pained voice suddenly cried out from the hall.

No one could predict when and where Reaper would strike. It drove its evil soul into the hearts of its victims to turn them into its minions. But despite the warning cries of desperation, the men stood frozen in place. The old priest’s level rapidly increased by the second, and it was as if an unseen force prevented them from moving.

“This... is bad. He went to hunt the undead and became one himself.”

“Do we attack? Hey! What should we do?!” They were like a deer in headlights, unable to comprehend the sight before them, but as their survival instincts kicked in, they finally began to move. At that point, however, it was too late.

The old man muttered a holy incantation, and then, his hazy arms struck out to attack.

＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋

The stone pavement slid open, revealing a man-made object underneath.

It looked like a log at first glance, but it had the hand-feel of stone material. There was a winged ornament at the top of it, and it grew taller in height before our eyes. It was the Primary Skill Marie had recently obtained known as Prison Keeper. This structure appeared upon activation, and its peculiar structure made it a rather unique skill. Thing was, I didn’t really understand what it was for.

“Hm, it seems like some sort of monster watch tower,” Wridra commented.

“Oh, can you tell? The height of the tower affects the range of monsters it can detect. I’ve been looking for a similar skill in scriptures, but this was the only one I could find.”

I’d never come across a skill like this before, so it was hard to judge its effects. Once it was set in place, it gradually grew taller, effectively increasing the enemy detection range at the same time... but to be honest, our first impression was something along the lines of, “Is that it?”

“Detecting monsters is definitely useful, but this takes a while to set up, and we can’t move its position once activated unless we take down the first one. It has a lot of limitations, so I would’ve expected it to have some other functions, too.”

“Maybe it isn’t such a good skill, after all. It was my second Primary Skill, so perhaps I was expecting too much out of it...” Marie said with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

She had obtained this new skill after that time she gained a bunch of levels at once. Acquiring new Primary Skills was dependent on one’s level, and it was greatly affected by the user’s talents and abilities. Oftentimes, most people got them around level 35.

With that in mind, level 42 was definitely on the late side. This would have implied it would be powerful, but not all skills were winners, it seemed. Despite this, Wridra thought the contrary.

“Hmm, it does seem to be useful. I see there are magical pathways prepared as well... It may be possible to sync it to exterior devices.” Marie seemed to be feeling pretty down about her long-awaited Primary Skill being nothing but an enemy detector and had been quiet for some time. She grew all the more hopeful as she heard Wridra’s comment and perked up, her pale purple eyes shining brightly.

“Speaking of which, you mentioned you registered Zera’s contact, did you not?”

“Huh? Yeah, we registered it through the Magic Tool so we can communicate or check on each other’s positions at any time,” I said as I showed Wridra my Magic Tool, which she took in her hand. She observed it from various angles, then made an affirmative noise.

“This is the additional feature. It may be possible for Marie to send enemy information to her party and any registered contacts. Let us see...” She pressed a few buttons. Marie noticed something and looked up, then tapped her Magic Tool with her staff.

“What was... Oh!” I stopped myself mid-sentence. My Magic Tool activated, displaying colors that weren’t present on the map before. There were three lights indicating our position, along with several red dots far away.

“Oh, there! These are the Living Armors and Undead Soldiers I detected.”

“I can see them now, too. Hmm, it looks like it’s affected by obstacles in the way.” Marie nodded. It did seem to see through objects somewhat, but enemies on the other side of walls showed up a bit faded on the map. The dots were hardly visible when obstructed by two walls. It reminded me of the radars that showed enemy positions in RPGs. This probably worked in a similar way.

“You can use that Mind Link Chat function in a party, but this should allow others to utilize that feature in combat. Well, I suspect it has other secrets, as well.” Marie and I looked at Wridra wide-eyed. She sounded pretty confident, and the word ‘secret’ got us excited at all the possibilities. Wridra only laughed amusedly and handed the Magic Tool back to me.

“Well, you two can figure out the rest for yourselves. It would not be interesting if I spoonfed everything to you.”

“Oh... But you gave us a lot to work with. Thank you, Wridra.” Although Wridra didn’t give us the answer outright, Marie smiled happily as if she’d received a precious gift. If Wridra had said there was more to this skill, it must have been true. I was sure we would realize it eventually and make good use of its effects in battle.

“Good for you, Marie. Let’s figure this thing out together and make the best use of your Primary Skill.” Marie turned to me and smiled cheerfully.

Though, personally, I thought this thing was powerful enough already with its radar effect. Rather, the toughest part about labyrinths was that you never knew where enemies were lurking. Exposing their location would be a huge advantage.

As I thought about this, Wridra suddenly singled me out. Her obsidian eyes were staring directly at me, her finger pointing accusingly.

“The problem is you. Your swordsmanship has gotten better, but we cannot expect too much more of an improvement.”

“But I can only be as strong as my level, so that’s normal, right?” She looked at me as if I was a dunce.

“You should know that you can become stronger with the right combination of skills.”

“Yes, of course. Swapping skills around and trying out different builds is what makes combat so fun.” Primary Skills should have been considered one’s defining characteristics, and I had three of them due to my high level.

Reprise, which allowed me to register and perfectly replicate attack patterns.

Over the Road, which enabled instantaneous movement.

Phantom Image, which left behind an illusion of myself.

I was able to fight enemies with ease thanks to the combination of these three skills. Though, it definitely helped that I had the distinct advantage of not feeling much pain at all in this dream world.

“I guess the quickest way to get stronger would be to master my Acceleration skill and Astroblade.”

“Yes. I can teach you to use Acceleration, but drawing out that sword’s potential through energy manipulation is not my strong suit. I have no interest in how the human body works, after all.” That meant I would have to learn that part on my own. Zera did give me lessons before, but getting to the bottom of it by myself would’ve been a difficult task.

“I don’t really want to, but maybe I should ask Zera for some more training.” His lessons tended to be a bit too intense for me. I wasn’t really feeling up for it even in my dreams, but oh well. ...Then again, I really didn’t want to.

“Do you have any tips for using Acceleration, by the way?”

“Yes. Effort and guts. I will beat your lazy personality into shape.”

Yikes, Wridra’s the intense type, too. How odd, I thought the only thing that was slacking was my face. Also, I wasn’t actually sleepy all the time; I just looked like I was.

“It is time to put your skills to the test. Now, don’t just stand there, Living Armors! Come!” The door slid open, and the monsters that had been trembling in the corner of the room ran out into the corridor in a fluster. Battle music began to play after a delay, but... this was pretty awkward. It wasn’t exciting at all, and I actually felt sorry for my opponents.

Translucent ghostly entities could be seen wriggling in the cracks of the battered black armor’s joints like hermit crabs. They readied their swords and shields, and four souls could be seen floating behind them. Their teeth chattered as they glared at us, as if casting incantations. This was Marie’s first time facing humanoid monsters, which should have been a terrifying experience for her.

“How sad... They’re sneaking around, trying to hide from Wridra...”

“Ah... Yeah. But their levels are higher than the Koopahs from the last floor, so don’t let your guard down.” Their levels were visible with Prison Keeper active, so I hoped she knew not to take them lightly.

“I will add that you are forbidden from using holy enchantments. It would make the fight too easy.” What’s with that restriction?

Physical attacks were still somewhat effective against undead enemies with a corporeal body, but souls that had been around since ancient times could nullify them completely. Still, Wridra could be unreasonable at times, but she didn’t often expect me to do impossible tasks. I decided to try and figure out what my options were.

They began moving toward us, armor clattering, so I drew Astroblade while deep in thought. The blade hummed, seeming to drain the energy from my body.

“Oh, I get it. I just need to be careful.”

“Yes, and for now, you can activate Acceleration only at the exact moment of your attack—” Wridra’s voice warped. I had activated Acceleration as a blade came swinging toward my head.

Clang! I landed softly on the ground, and a Living Armor’s head and right wrist hung uselessly. Since my enemy was a soul, it just floated in the air and stared at me instead of falling to the ground.

“Hmm, I wish they had weak points to aim for—like Koopahs...” There was a pause in my comment because I had teleported to avoid the three bolts of lightning aiming for my abdomen. I reappeared behind the Undead Soldiers, but I was still at a loss regarding an efficient way to take them down. I had been told to use my energy to defeat them, but that didn’t really tell me much about what I was actually supposed to do. Even then, if my teacher wished it, I had to give it all I had.

I tentatively fed Astroblade more of my energy, and the weapon sucked it up greedily. I began breathing heavily, but neither Marie nor Wridra seemed to notice the change. Well, they wouldn’t have just sat there looking so unconcerned while drinking boxed tea with a straw if they did, right?

I did prefer challenging fights, of course, but when facing so many opponents at once, I was beginning to feel like this was a bit much.

“Oh my, there are twelve Living Armors gathering in a formation.”

“Indeed, their form is impeccable. That reminds me, Kitase, you mentioned how you admired such clean troop formations like that one. Good for you; you must be quite ecstatic.”

Did I say that? Huh, I guess I did... I vaguely remembered mentioning that fighting enemies armed with a sword and shield was the essence of fantasy worlds.

Yeah... It’d be nice if I could go back to the moment I made that comment and give my grinning face a good slap right about now.

Footsteps could be heard from around the corner, and there were more than ten sets of armor on the ground around us. They had thoughtfully provided us with more enemies to fight.

The moment more black armor appeared, I leapt.

I pierced through the midsection of the two enemies in the front, then placed a hand over their wound to send a direct wave of energy inside. The soul inside the armor leaked out immediately, immobilizing the monster.

“Ah, I see you are getting accustomed to banishing the consciousness of souls. You can immobilize them for some time using that method. Now, accelerate.” Well, I did memorize the effective movements with Reprise, so it was only getting more optimal as time went on. Even so, the thing was, fighting the undead while deliberately restricting holy enchantments was unheard of. I wondered if she really understood that...

I began to understand the flow of energy running through my body and unleashed Acceleration for just a brief moment. More accurately, I had expended so much of my energy already that those brief moments were all I could manage. Maybe this was what Wridra meant when she talked about using it at the exact moment of my attack.

The attacks swinging toward me practically stopped in place, and I weaved between my opponents to sink my blade into their joints.

Marie applauded as time returned to normal, likely because I had struck them down in a single flash from her view. The armor lost its humanoid shape, and the soul inside vanished like mist.

“*huff, huff* ...Rock wall, please!” Marie quickly tapped the stone pavement with her staff, and a wall rose up from the ground. It was like watching a shutter slowly close from the bottom up.

It sealed the way off with a heavy thud, and I finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Whew, I’m exhausted... I’d like a moment to catch my breath, if you don’t mind.”

“That was impressive. You took down about thirty of them without even using a holy element,” Marie said in an impressed tone as she handed me a water bottle. She seemed to trust my abilities, judging by the lack of anxiety in her eyes. I figured she was smart enough to watch my movements and judge that I wasn’t in any real danger.

I gratefully took some tea and drank it in big gulps. I hardly felt fatigue in the dream world, but I could tell my body was thirsty. After quenching my thirst with the lukewarm tea, I let out a deep sigh of relief.

“Illusions don’t work at all against the undead. They didn’t even glance at them.”

“Yes, they are practically blind. Their movements are similar to slime molds. Now, what do you think you should do?” The black-haired woman asked as she looked down at me, who was a head shorter. A sweet smell wafted from her silky, straight hair, making it hard to believe we were in the middle of a battlefield. Seeing her up close, I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was, but I tried to focus on her question.

“So, you’re saying I do have options. Hmm, I don’t know much about slime molds...”

“Maybe she means that they may look erratic, but there’s a method to their movement. You know, like how they say in the news that they seek the shortest path through a maze.” I did recall hearing something like that. They didn’t seem to be intelligent, but they moved as if they were.

“I also read in a library that they congregate to survive when they don’t have any food,” Marie continued.

“Food? You mean the undead eat, too?” I asked. Wridra nodded.

“It is said that the undead mainly feast upon the souls of the living. This labyrinth has been secluded for a long time. Look, here they come again in search of a meal.” Marie looked where Wridra was pointing and let out a scream. The souls had abandoned their armor and slowly crept through the slight openings in the rock wall.

“They must be sensing our presence. Let me try something.” An idea came to me, so I had the other two stand back and watch. I walked up toward a soul that had finally made it through to our side.

My illusions only affected the visual senses. They were very convincing even for me and had the ability to trick intelligent opponents. But...

“Let’s give this a shot... There.” I created an illusion in front of my opponent but used a different method this time. The soul that was inside the Living Armor then opened its mouth wide and took a bite at the illusion.

“Oh, it reacted! What did you do, Kazuhiro?”

“I knew Wridra wouldn’t ask me pointless questions, so I figured this had something to do with the energy manipulation I’ve been practicing and put some of it into my illusion.” I had weaved energy into an illusion for the first time, but it seemed to be pretty effective. More effective than I expected, really. An intelligent opponent would have come after me after realizing it attacked a dummy, but the soul still continued foolishly biting at the illusion.

I approached it from behind and gave it two quick swipes of my sword, causing it to scatter into nothingness. I channeled energy into the tip of my sword at the exact moment of contact, minimizing my energy usage.

“Oh, this is nice and easy. I feel dumb for wasting all that effort earlier.”

“Some of them will be smarter than this one. Do not get overconfident.” It seemed like my illusions would be more useful here than they had been on the previous floor. Despite that, as Wridra said, there was a chance I could’ve potentially gotten myself into trouble if I got too cocky.

“Oh, we need to wake up in Japan soon. Marie, could you open the wall so I can wipe out the rest?”

Marie nodded, then ordered her stone spirit to return. The spirit responded, the rock wall slowly receding into the ground this time. In the meantime, I created an illusion and filled it with the last of my energy. This technique was pretty draining, but I wasn’t too concerned, since we would be sleeping soon enough.

I held Astroblade at my hip as it hummed like a jet engine fueled by my energy. Light ran through the blade like a shooting star, indicating that it was charged and ready to go. This was like my ultimate move, in a sense. Even though I was a full-grown adult now, cool effects like these filled me with excitement. Too bad it had to drain my energy to the brink of me passing out.

The wall came down fully, revealing fourteen monsters like the Magic Tool’s sensor had told us. I wondered if their thought process really worked the same way as slime molds’ did. It hardly seemed as innocent, and it was chilling to see them attacking my illusion with such unrestrained violence.

Fwoooooom! Astroblade revved up as I unleashed its full power in a single stroke.

I swung it from my hip in a flash, leaving a blade-shaped trail that annihilated the undead in its path like a shooting star had blown through them. It was satisfying to wipe out their entire cluster with one shot and see pieces of their armor flying into the air.

That’s some good stress relief. Really tiring, though...

“That was so cool. Like a scene from a movie,” I commented.

“I know—how about you give this move a name? Or you could shout, ‘Feel my rage!’ as you use it.”

“Hahaha! Yes, this is an order from your teacher. As part of your training, you are required to say that from now on.”

No way... Could you imagine me shouting that with a face like this?

I gave them a look that clearly disagreed with their idea, but they just laughed all the harder. Sheesh, I had enough to worry about with work coming up soon.

＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋

As Wridra had said, the undead appeared where they could find food.

I wondered what was happening to the center team that had a massive group of fighters.

Meanwhile, one of the battle lines was crumbling somewhere outside of our scope of awareness. The plan was for each team to make a coordinated effort to form a perimeter as they pressed forward, but as one of the links in the chain broke, the undead flooded through, collapsing the line they had formed. They were being slowly devoured from the sides.

Zzz, zzzzzz...

Several pairs of bloodshot eyes stared at the Magic Tool sitting in the hallway.

No one said a word. Their minds numb, they could hardly move.

The unending screams continuously echoed in their minds.

“No... Noooooo!!!”

“They’re flanking us! Where’s our rear guard?!”

“Men, we need to cast together at once!”

“Ah! The priests are being shot at! Protect them!”

Zzz, zzzzzz!

Their high-pitched screams pleaded for headquarters to help.

Just one floor beyond was a world of death. The men sitting here thought about how the monsters would flood up and take down these headquarters as well. Their sense of justice and will to help the dying seemed to shrivel away at the sound of the gruesome screams.

They had pushed forward with massive forces through utilizing their high morale, but all they ended up doing was delivering a feast for the undead. As the casualties racked up on an unprecedented scale, some trembled in fear while others glanced between the Magic Tool and their commander. But Hakam and Aja sat in their chairs without moving an inch.

Then, the hooded old man spoke.

“Looks like our little guests finally made their move.”

“Yes, they’ve taken down the center team. Judging by their position, it must have been the household of Ajaars, Gledlin, or Bakk. I will see how the king feels about beating some answers out of the Gledlin household to start.” Despite them being renowned houses, each of them had been facing financial difficulties. Hakam seemed to be rather confident about the culprits being from the Gledlin household. The wizard merely nodded without objection.

“To think, the royal family has brought this nightmare upon us with their greed. Perhaps we are mere puppets in all this as well. Just playing our part in weeding out the rebels...” With that, the old man pressed his staff against the map of the labyrinth floating in the air. Then, like ink dropped into water, color flowed from the tip of the staff onto the map.

“It seems they’ve gotten overconfident now that they have more forces. Hmph, it’s no use destroying the Magic Tool. I’ve mixed some of my blood in the water I had them drink beforehand. Oho, I can see them clear as day now.” The ink spread slowly, revealing red dots in the three-dimensional map. They were the aforementioned “rebels.” Among those who were desperately fighting for their lives, the marked groups were acting completely different from the others.

There were about three teams’ worth of them. For some reason, the monsters didn’t go after them. It was hard to believe, but this detail made them far more formidable than they would have been otherwise.

However, commander Hakam’s eyes gleamed with a feral light as he laughed like an animal.

“Monsters. Then I guess it’s time to bring out the Magic Stones. They should feel honored to be the first test subjects.” They would swallow the plans and desires of the rebels whole.

Or perhaps it would be the ancient labyrinth itself that would devour them. Deep below the chairs they sat upon, the unending screams echoed on.