SGB: Episode 134

Episode 134: Team Play (4)

We’re wandering through the labyrinth.

We don’t have any thread or biscuits, but it’s fine.

Because we have Rotmiller.

“Wait, I’ll leave another mark here just in case.”

I used to think, ‘what’s the point of a scout in a place where even Guides can’t find their way?’, but…

It was all just my arrogance.

Rotmiller, who climbed his way up from the bottom, is a truly versatile man.

“Can I see the map?”

“Here.”

He creates a map based on the path we’ve taken.

And it’s not just a rough sketch, but a detailed map reminiscent of a minimap.

He creates it just by stopping every 10 minutes or so and scribbling for a bit.

“Alright, I’m done, give it back. I need to update the map.”

“Uh, here.”

Although it’s fascinating to see Rotmiller confidently drawing on the map, I don’t ask how he does it.

Because I already asked earlier.

[It’s not that complicated, so I can just memorize it by walking. As for distance measurement, I just count my steps and write it down accordingly.]

He said mapmaking and observation are his specialties since he’s been doing it for years in the 1st-floor Crystal Cave?

I never knew this man had such talent.

I feel a bit sorry for him.

It’s not really talent, but rather the result of his hard work because he lacks talent.

“Sorry for taking up your time. Let’s go.”

We stop for about 30 seconds…

…and then continue walking through the dark labyrinth.

Rotmiller is following closely behind.

For reference, he’s holding a longsword in his hand, not a crossbow.

It’s a change that happened after a few battles.

[This should be enough to hold off at least one of them.]

Rotmiller, whose stats have increased, starts actively participating in battles.

Just like experienced scouts usually do.

He’s trying to pull his weight even outside of navigation.

“It’s your turn this time.”

Four Vykuntus appear from the front, following Rotmiller’s warning, whose sense of smell is well-developed.

Although it’s a group of four 6th-grade monsters, a scale we haven’t even encountered on the 4th floor…

…no one is particularly nervous.

Because we have Dwarkey.

Whoosh!

‘Enhanced Ice Spear’ is shot as soon as the monsters appear.

However, it’s different from before.

It’s not just one ice spear with several times the power, but two of them.

‘I can’t believe he can double cast…’

I feel a bit of self-deprecation when I learn this fact.

I’ve been with them for months, but I didn’t know them at all.

‘Damn it.’

His mana stat is abnormally low…

…but Dwarkey’s talent for magic is remarkable.

He can even cast support magic after double casting.

「Liol Wobu Dwarkey has cast the 8th-grade support spell [Trajectory Control].」

The ice spears, instead of flying towards us directly, fly over our heads like cannonballs, without us having to move aside to create space.

Kwaaang!

Two of the 6th-grade monsters disappear into light before the battle even begins.

Therefore…

“Let’s finish them off quickly and move on. I’ll take one of them with Miss Kaltstein.”

While I’m focusing on one…

…Misha and Rotmiller team up to deal with the other one.

And by the time Misha defeats one…

Whoosh!

…Dwarkey’s Ice Spear, after another round of chanting, smashes the head of the Vykuntus I was fighting.

It took about 4 minutes.

“Bjorn, what are you doing? Let’s go.”

The last change in our Team Misfits.

“Huhuhu, don’t worry about what appears. I, Liol Wobu Dwarkey, will take care of everything.”

Dwarkey has become annoying again.

__________________

Guardian of Balance.

Originally, mages benefit the most from this field effect.

Because mages can’t absorb essences.

It’s a structure where their main stat, mana, is inevitably boosted.

But…

‘There’s a limit to everything‘

‘Even Dwarkey’s case is a bit extreme.’

However, if you consider it carefully, it’s an understandable change.

The mages I used to bring along in the game were all talented, so their magic-related stats were high.

Unlike Dwarkey, the former half-assed mage.

“It’s a truly mystical feeling. It’s like all my shackles have been released.”

Dwarkey is human.

And he has a body that’s far from athletic.

And on top of that, his mana stat is below average…

‘Just looking at his stats, there must have been almost a threefold difference between him and us.’

It would be different if everyone on the team were human…

But me, Misha, and the dwarf…

…there are three other races with naturally high base stats on the team.

Rotmiller?

Although he’s on the receiving end of the benefits, it’s nothing compared to Dwarkey.

He’s a veteran who has already absorbed four essences.

‘…So somehow, the mage ended up with all the stats?’

I finished analyzing the team’s strength after observing them for a day.

Although I’m the one who suffered the biggest loss…

‘How can things go this well?’

The team as a whole has become at least twice as strong.

[Dungeon and Stone] is a team-based combat game.

The highest efficiency is achieved not when one person is exceptional, but when everyone can pull their weight.

Although it’s a bit bitter…

…that’s why I was planning to leave Team Misfits.

‘Is this the first and last time we’ll be doing proper team play?’

Rotmiller and Dwarkey.

Today, I was able to see a side of them that I hadn’t seen before.

But nothing changes.

If they put in a lot of effort and luck is on their side, they might be able to reach today’s level.

However…

‘It would take years.’

It takes a long time.

And besides, that would be the limit of their growth.

Their weaknesses are too clear.

Rotmiller?

His combat power can be improved by absorbing essences.

But for the kind of play I want, I need a scout with the ‘Guide’ ability from the 5th floor onwards.

Dwarkey?

Double casting or whatever, in the end, the most important quality for a mage is their mana stat.

That’s why the Magic Tower didn’t accept him either.

It’s a harsh thing to say, but…

Dwarkey’s talent isn’t anything special compared to the Magic Tower’s standards.

Just as that thought crosses my mind, my chest suddenly feels cold.

Not just a feeling, but literally.

「Character has taken cold damage.」

A chill that pierces through my skin and reaches my bones.

I come to my senses and see Misha fuming.

“Hey, Bjorn!! How long are you going to ignore me?!”

“Ah, what did you say?”

“What did I say?! Everyone else is going to sleep, so keep watch properly!”

She punches me in the chest and then asks in a gentle voice as if she’s belatedly worried,

“But… are you okay?”

“I’m fine. It’s still cold, but it doesn’t hurt.”

I tilt my head genuinely.

“Me?”

“Yeah. It’s hard to explain… ah! If I had to compare it, it was similar to the expression you made when I told you to eat carrots.”

Uh, I don’t understand.

“Enough, go to sleep. I’ll keep watch properly, so don’t worry.”

“Hmm, alright.”

Misha then returns to her spot and gets into her sleeping bag.

And she chats with the other companions.

“Ugh, I’m so tired today.”

“Haha, that’s understandable. We were dragged to a strange place and defeated so many 6th-grade monsters.”

“…I, I don’t know if I should say this, but I actually enjoyed it a bit. It felt like I was exploring for the first time, I guess? Honestly, until now, it was different from the exploration I imagined.”

“Ah, I think I understand.”

“Haha, it felt like we were explorers from a story.”

A few words of chatter before ending the day, lying down.

Of course, it doesn’t last long since it’s time to rest.

“Ah, right. Dwarkey, you were amazing today.”

“Th, that’s not because I’m talented or anything. To not have to calculate the spell structure to conserve mana and just shoot it out? It’s something any ma, mage could do.”

“Uh… is that so? I don’t really understand even if you say that. Anyway, good work today, and sleep well.”

“Mi, Miss Misha, you too.”

The sporadic conversation ends, and silence falls.

[01:04]

Day 20 has begun, and an hour has already passed.

I keep watch while also reviewing my plan.

‘We should be able to obtain that item in a few hours, so now I just need to find the boss room.’

With our current strength, the boss battle shouldn’t be a problem, so I’m not too worried.

But the only thing that bothers me is that if we’re unlucky, we might not be able to reach the boss room within the time limit.

‘If we had just one more week, we could have taken everything and left…’

Just as I’m clicking my tongue in regret…

…I sense a presence and turn my head to see Dwarkey getting out of his sleeping bag.

“Um, Bjorn…”

“Even if you can’t sleep, just lie down. Tomorrow—”

“It’s not that I can’t sleep.”

Huh?

Before I can say anything, Dwarkey gets up and approaches me.

And he lowers his voice so as not to wake the others.

“I have something to tell you.”

Rotmiller came to me like this yesterday, and now it’s his turn.

“…Go ahead.”

“Do you remember what I said about Misha’s preferences the other day?”

“I remember.”

I don’t forget the lies I tell.

So that there won’t be any inconsistencies later.

Well, it’s meaningless in this situation, though.

“So what do you want to say?”

Dwarkey speaks with a determined look as I stare at him.

“I was going to ask if what you said was true. But now that I think about it, it doesn’t matter whether it’s true or not.”

Dwarkey’s voice is different from usual.

There’s no tremor, and his gaze, looking up at me, is firm.

“Her preferences don’t matter. It would be cowardly to expect her true feelings without showing her my true self.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Don’t you already know? That I’ve been secretly admiring her.”

At least he could have waited until we returned to the city—

“If we survive this time and return to the ci—”

“Stop.”

I hurriedly cut Dwarkey off.

Because thinking about it and actually saying it are two different things.

However, he seems to have misunderstood my sincere concern.

“As expected, Bjorn, you also…”

Dwarkey bites his lip and then shakes his head as if to clear his thoughts. And he continues in a voice that’s more determined than ever.

“But nothing changes.”

“Stop talking. I understand what you’re misunderstanding—”

“I’ll confess my feelings when we return to the city.”

No, that’s a flag.

‘Damn it.’

I start to feel as uneasy as when I met Hans.

_________________

“That’s all I wanted to say. I’ll be going now.”

After that, Dwarkey runs away and buries himself in his sleeping bag.

And soon, he starts snoring softly.

I was worried that he might stay up all night because of this, wasting precious rest time, but it seems like today’s journey was tiring.

‘…But he’s not going to propose, so it should be fine, right?’

I also try to dismiss my worries and focus on keeping watch.

Two hours pass, and I wake the dwarf up for our shift change and lie down.

And when I open my eyes again…

[05:07]

…it’s time to depart.

We decided to only keep watch for four hours tonight, and just the dwarf and I would take turns.

“You two must be tired, good work.”

“Haha, it can’t be helped. We don’t have much time left.”

“It’s my turn and Rotmiller’s tomorrow, so work a little harder today and get some rest later.”

We quickly pack up the campsite and resume our journey.

For reference, today’s goal is clear.

“As Bjorn said, it seems like we’ve reached the outer edge of the labyrinth, so from now on, let’s follow this wall and go in one direction.”

The corner of the square-shaped Larkaze’s Labyrinth.

We’ll defeat the mid-boss here and obtain the hidden reward.

For reference, I don’t know which of the four mid-bosses will appear.

Even in the game, it was random.

‘Actually, with our current strength, we can easily defeat any of them except for that one. The rest all have clear weaknesses.’

[Meeek—!!!]

We continue to defeat countless Vykuntus, which we’ve already killed hundreds of times, and accelerate our journey.

Although there’s still no sign of an essence dropping…

…we’ve accumulated a lot of magic stones instead.

“Hahaha! This is going to be quite profitable just from the magic stones alone, huh?”

Actually, this is the second reward of the labyrinth.

There’s no place, even on the 5th floor, where 6th-grade monsters appear in single-species groups like this. If it were the 4th floor, it would be difficult to encounter even twenty of them in a day.

“…A dead end?”

After about 12 hours of traveling, we reach our destination.

The corner of the labyrinth.

“I can’t believe there’s nothing here.”

“It might be in a different direction. Or in a completely different location.”

“Haha, there’s no way there’s no exit, right?”

“That wouldn’t be possible. This is still a labyrinth.”

While the party members are each saying something after reaching the dead end, Rotmiller carefully examines the wall and mutters,

“…Wait a moment, something seems strange.”

Honestly, I’m a bit surprised.

Is it because of the Sixth Sense from the Mimic’s essence?

Or just this man’s observation skills?

Click, rumble.

He touches something, and the wall slides open, revealing a hidden space.

“Wow, a door opened!”

“Everyone, step back! It could be dangerous!”

The dwarf jumps forward and raises his shield, and I quickly join him.

Of course, no monster jumps out.

“…Nothing’s coming out?”

Because it’s not that kind of place.

The space inside the wall is shrouded in darkness, so it’s impossible to see with the naked eye.

Actually, it doesn’t mean anything to me.

“I’ll take the lead.”

“Bjorn! It could be dangerous!”

“It’s fine. That’s my role.”

I enter, saying something tank-like to reassure the dwarf, who’s hesitant, and the torches on the wall light up one by one, illuminating the space.

I quickly check the surroundings.

“This is…”

It’s a stone chamber about 30 square meters in size.

A magic circle with geometric patterns is drawn on the floor.

And a pole with a goat’s head impaled on it is decorating the center.

“It’s… a bit creepy.”

“There’s no portal, can’t we just leave?”

I secretly smile as I see Misha and Dwarkey muttering uneasily.

Well, they wouldn’t know.

That this is nothing compared to the other rooms.

‘Anyway, since we found this place, finding the boss room will be a piece of cake. As for how to use it… I think I can just subtly give Rotmiller a hint…’

Thanks to this, I feel relieved.

Although the boss battle will be a bit more difficult, we could have ended the expedition without even seeing the boss if we were unlucky.

‘But how do I summon it? It will be suspicious if I just do it.’

Just as I’m having that pleasant dilemma…

“Huh?”

“…Don’t tell me, you too?”

Everyone, including me, flinches at the same time.

As expected, I wasn’t the only one who felt the change.

“What is this? My mana has increased significantly.”

“I, I’m the same. What’s happening to my body?”

The pressure of the heavy armor, which was a bit burdensome because of my decreased strength stat, has disappeared. It feels like I’m wearing a cosplay foam armor.

Why is this happening?

As soon as I realize the truth, curses escape my lips.

‘This, son of a…’

Vitality surges through my body.

It’s a change I wouldn’t have felt even with [Gigantification].

I already know the reason for this change.

“Rotmiller.”

“…It seems like you had the same thought as me.”

The 4th-floor hidden field, Larkaze’s Labyrinth.

Another explorer has entered.

‘The number of people is at least one, and at most five.’

Logically, a 5-person team is the most likely scenario, but it’s too early to be certain.

All possibilities are open.

But…

…at least one thing is clear.

That guy…

…or those guys…

「Field effect – Guardian of Balance is updated.」

「The stats of all entrants are adjusted equally.」

…are overwhelmingly strong.

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