SGB: Episode 166
Episode 166: Great Magical Forest (1)
The 5th floor, the Great Magical Forest.
It's the floor where 5-person teams start to reach their limits, and clan-scale hunting becomes more efficient.
As soon as we entered, my heart swelled with excitement.
Not a metaphor, but literally.
"Huh? Bjorn, did you feel it too? It feels like our soul rank increased!"
Ainar immediately starts making a fuss, but it's not a level up.
It's just that our Soul Power increased.
「Achievement Unlocked」
Condition: Reach the 5th floor.
Reward: Soul Power permanently increased by +20.
But if this worked, does that mean all the other achievements I fulfilled were also unlocked?
I think so, but I can't be sure.
Geez, I need to be able to see the stat window.
And Mental Strength isn't a stat you can feel clearly.
"Calm down, Miss Ainar. It's not a promotion, it's a phenomenon called 'Baptism'."
Anyway, Raven, who loves to explain things, kindly tells Ainar instead of me.
And in a way that's easy for her to understand.
"It's a blessing given by the labyrinth to explorers who reach this far. That's how Baptism is generally known. Although mages think a bit differently."
"Oh, I see! It's kind of romantic!"
Ainar, who loves superstitions, doesn't ask about what mages think. But Misha, who was listening, seems to have a question.
"Then doesn't it mean that Baptism is meaningless for mages who can't absorb essences?"
"No. Our mana increases. And looking at it now, the amount is quite significant. I should have come here sooner, like the seniors said."
"Hmm, I see..."
Misha trails off.
But I think I know what she's thinking.
She must be thinking about Dwarkey, who always lacked mana.
"Ah, and priests' divine power increases, I heard. And one more thing—"
I cut Raven off before her explanation becomes endlessly long.
"More importantly, don't you think something is strange?"
"Yes?"
Raven tilts her head as if she doesn't understand.
On the other hand, the bear-like man, who's been to the 5th floor often, nods in agreement.
"There are a lot of people. It's not usually like this."
Right, so it's not a typical situation.
I look around and gulp.
The starting point of the 5th floor Great Magical Forest is a safe zone.
So this place always looks like a campsite.
But...
'Why are there so many tents?'
It's practically the size of a village.
And looking at the flags pitched everywhere, it seems like more than half of them are explorers belonging to clans...
'What's going on? Why are they staying here?'
Most of the explorers who use this place as a base are in teams.
It's a kind of loophole, I guess?
Large clans can easily camp in the middle of the 5th floor, even with their large numbers.
But...
"Bjorn, I feel like everyone is staring at us... Is that okay?"
5th-floor explorers.
And explorers who are skilled enough to belong to clans.
They're watching us from afar and whispering.
They're probably not trying to bully us.
What is it?
Just as I'm pondering the reason...
"Hey!"
A man waves his hand from afar and approaches us quickly.
"Avman! It's you, right?"
"...Karal?"
"It's good to see you. It seems like you finally changed your mind and formed a team?"
"We just happened to meet. By the way, are you still with them?"
"Loyalty is important for a man. I have to stay until the end."
The bear-like man greets him warmly, as if they're quite close.
He then adds an explanation as he notices my gaze.
"Ah, this is Karal Larbeger. He used to be my companion. Until he abandoned me and joined a clan on his own."
"When did I abandon you? I begged you to come with me, but you ignored me."
The bear-like man is speaking more casually than when he's talking to us, so they must be close.
That's good.
"I'm Bjorn, son of Yandel."
"...Oh, you're...?"
Karal looks at me with interest, as if he's heard of the title Little Balkan.
"I heard you haven't even been an explorer for a year yet, but to already be here... I feel a bit pathetic today."
"I was just lucky. But I have a question."
"I think I know what you're curious about. You want to know why we're still here when we should be heading upwards."
Hmm, to be precise, I was most curious about why they were staring at us from afar...
But I nod for now.
"It's simple. Even in our case, more than half of the people we were supposed to meet up with couldn't come up. The entire schedule was canceled."
More than half couldn't come up?
How is that even possible?
Just as I'm instinctively sensing the seriousness of the situation...
"So I'll ask."
...Karal asks cautiously.
And he brings up a topic I didn't expect at all.
"Did you guys also get attacked on the 4th floor?"
That masked bastard...
He didn't just appear to us.
The 5th floor, the Great Magical Forest.
It's the floor where 5-person teams start to reach their limits, and clan-scale hunting becomes more efficient.
As soon as we entered, my heart swelled with excitement.
Not a metaphor, but literally.
"Huh? Bjorn, did you feel it too? It feels like our soul rank increased!"
Ainar immediately starts making a fuss, but it's not a level up.
It's just that our Soul Power increased.
「Achievement Unlocked」
Condition: Reach the 5th floor.
Reward: Soul Power permanently increased by +20.
But if this worked, does that mean all the other achievements I fulfilled were also unlocked?
I think so, but I can't be sure.
Geez, I need to be able to see the stat window.
And Mental Strength isn't a stat you can feel clearly.
"Calm down, Miss Ainar. It's not a promotion, it's a phenomenon called 'Baptism'."
Anyway, Raven, who loves to explain things, kindly tells Ainar instead of me.
And in a way that's easy for her to understand.
"It's a blessing given by the labyrinth to explorers who reach this far. That's how Baptism is generally known. Although mages think a bit differently."
"Oh, I see! It's kind of romantic!"
Ainar, who loves superstitions, doesn't ask about what mages think. But Misha, who was listening, seems to have a question.
"Then doesn't it mean that Baptism is meaningless for mages who can't absorb essences?"
"No. Our mana increases. And looking at it now, the amount is quite significant. I should have come here sooner, like the seniors said."
"Hmm, I see..."
Misha trails off.
But I think I know what she's thinking.
She must be thinking about Dwarkey, who always lacked mana.
"Ah, and priests' divine power increases, I heard. And one more thing—"
I cut Raven off before her explanation becomes endlessly long.
"More importantly, don't you think something is strange?"
"Yes?"
Raven tilts her head as if she doesn't understand.
On the other hand, the bear-like man, who's been to the 5th floor often, nods in agreement.
"There are a lot of people. It's not usually like this."
Right, so it's not a typical situation.
I look around and gulp.
The starting point of the 5th floor Great Magical Forest is a safe zone.
So this place always looks like a campsite.
But...
'Why are there so many tents?'
It's practically the size of a village.
And looking at the flags pitched everywhere, it seems like more than half of them are explorers belonging to clans...
'What's going on? Why are they staying here?'
Most of the explorers who use this place as a base are in teams.
It's a kind of loophole, I guess?
Large clans can easily camp in the middle of the 5th floor, even with their large numbers.
But...
"Bjorn, I feel like everyone is staring at us... Is that okay?"
5th-floor explorers.
And explorers who are skilled enough to belong to clans.
They're watching us from afar and whispering.
They're probably not trying to bully us.
What is it?
Just as I'm pondering the reason...
"Hey!"
A man waves his hand from afar and approaches us quickly.
"Avman! It's you, right?"
"...Karal?"
"It's good to see you. It seems like you finally changed your mind and formed a team?"
"We just happened to meet. By the way, are you still with them?"
"Loyalty is important for a man. I have to stay until the end."
The bear-like man greets him warmly, as if they're quite close.
He then adds an explanation as he notices my gaze.
"Ah, this is Karal Larbeger. He used to be my companion. Until he abandoned me and joined a clan on his own."
"When did I abandon you? I begged you to come with me, but you ignored me."
The bear-like man is speaking more casually than when he's talking to us, so they must be close.
That's good.
"I'm Bjorn, son of Yandel."
"...Oh, you're...?"
Karal looks at me with interest, as if he's heard of the title Little Balkan.
"I heard you haven't even been an explorer for a year yet, but to already be here... I feel a bit pathetic today."
"I was just lucky. But I have a question."
"I think I know what you're curious about. You want to know why we're still here when we should be heading upwards."
Hmm, to be precise, I was most curious about why they were staring at us from afar...
But I nod for now.
"It's simple. Even in our case, more than half of the people we were supposed to meet up with couldn't come up. The entire schedule was canceled."
More than half couldn't come up?
How is that even possible?
Just as I'm instinctively sensing the seriousness of the situation...
"So I'll ask."
...Karal asks cautiously.
And he brings up a topic I didn't expect at all.
"Did you guys also get attacked on the 4th floor?"
That masked bastard...
He didn't just appear to us.
__________________
After a brief moment of contemplation, I answer honestly that we were attacked.
Karal then asks a few questions about the situation, and we answer truthfully, obtaining the information we need.
"So you found him with a detection spell..."
"It was pure coincidence. There was nothing when we first used the detection spell."
Karal's expression becomes serious as we tell him that the masked man chose to commit suicide after his identity was revealed.
"Huh, suicide... what the..."
"Do you have any guesses?"
"For now, all we know is that it was a well-planned attack. Anyway, thank you for telling me. If you find out anything... let me know through Avman."
Karal then leaves to report to his clan.
So we also have a brief conversation.
"...As expected, he wasn't just an ordinary marauder."
There were multiple masked men.
And they attacked explorers on the 4th floor or higher indiscriminately. They said we were the third team to survive the attack.
It's understandable.
No one keeps watch on the Tower of Heaven.
"We were really lucky..."
Even those who survived had to barely defeat the masked men after losing a teammate or suffering serious injuries.
We were the first to discover him and force him to commit suicide.
Now I understand why they were looking at us like that.
At first, they must have been looking at us expectantly, thinking we might be members of their clan. And then they must have become curious about whether we were also attacked.
"Mr. Yandel, do you think what that person said is true? That at least 300 people died because of this attack..."
"Well, we'll know for sure when we return to the city. There might be people who survived but are stuck on the 4th floor because their scout or Guide died."
"Ah, right..."
Of course, that's what I said, but it doesn't really matter.
It's certain that hundreds of explorers died.
And not just low-ranking explorers who hunt on the 1st or 2nd floor, but veteran explorers who have been climbing the tower for decades.
"Whew..."
I feel a sense of dread at this huge spark, but at the same time, I feel a bit relieved.
At least it wasn't the Dragonslayer who sent him.
I even had the delusion that it might have been an assassin sent by the Regional Manager or the Dragonkin.
"What kind of bold bastards would do something so reckless...?"
I don't say anything further.
The fact that the royal family is planning to subjugate Noark hasn't been publicly announced yet.
'As expected, this incident is a declaration of war.'
I'm inwardly convinced.
That the culprits behind this terrorist attack are explorers from Noark.
'This is going to be a big deal.'
I feel a headache coming on.
There will be a war between the royal family and Noark.
No, it's already begun.
But the biggest problem here is...
'What if the subjugation fails?'
If Noark closes its doors and the war drags on...
Then I'm fucked too.
Because the next battlefield will surely be the labyrinth.
'Both Noark and Lafdonia need magic stones to maintain their cities.'
Damn it.
Why did I have to be dragged into this game at a time like this? If I had come just a year earlier, I would have had more time to prepare.
'Uh... but if I hadn't delivered that letter from the High Priest to the temple, the war wouldn't have happened, right?'
That thought briefly crosses my mind, but I dismiss it.
Why is this my fault?
It's all the Dragonslayer's fault.
Originally, all three major religions were maintaining neutrality to check the royal family. Who told him to kidnap the High Priest and enslave him?
"Bjorn?"
"Ah, I was just thinking."
"So what are we going to do now?"
When I finish my thoughts, all my companions are looking at me. Because they still only see it as a simple terrorist attack.
Their minds aren't as complicated as mine.
"There's no change in plans. We resume exploration."
I make my decision, and Raven cautiously expresses her concern.
"Will that be okay? With those guys in the labyrinth?"
"It will be fine. With the clans gathered here like this, they won't be able to do anything reckless."
It's actually the safest time right now.
Next month, those bastards from the underground might be running rampant even on the 5th floor...
And there's even a chance that entry to the labyrinth might be blocked.
"Enough thinking, let's go make some money."
The 5th floor also closes when Day 30 ends, so we need to earn as much as possible.
Who knows how long we'll have to rest for the next few months.
After a brief moment of contemplation, I answer honestly that we were attacked.
Karal then asks a few questions about the situation, and we answer truthfully, obtaining the information we need.
"So you found him with a detection spell..."
"It was pure coincidence. There was nothing when we first used the detection spell."
Karal's expression becomes serious as we tell him that the masked man chose to commit suicide after his identity was revealed.
"Huh, suicide... what the..."
"Do you have any guesses?"
"For now, all we know is that it was a well-planned attack. Anyway, thank you for telling me. If you find out anything... let me know through Avman."
Karal then leaves to report to his clan.
So we also have a brief conversation.
"...As expected, he wasn't just an ordinary marauder."
There were multiple masked men.
And they attacked explorers on the 4th floor or higher indiscriminately. They said we were the third team to survive the attack.
It's understandable.
No one keeps watch on the Tower of Heaven.
"We were really lucky..."
Even those who survived had to barely defeat the masked men after losing a teammate or suffering serious injuries.
We were the first to discover him and force him to commit suicide.
Now I understand why they were looking at us like that.
At first, they must have been looking at us expectantly, thinking we might be members of their clan. And then they must have become curious about whether we were also attacked.
"Mr. Yandel, do you think what that person said is true? That at least 300 people died because of this attack..."
"Well, we'll know for sure when we return to the city. There might be people who survived but are stuck on the 4th floor because their scout or Guide died."
"Ah, right..."
Of course, that's what I said, but it doesn't really matter.
It's certain that hundreds of explorers died.
And not just low-ranking explorers who hunt on the 1st or 2nd floor, but veteran explorers who have been climbing the tower for decades.
"Whew..."
I feel a sense of dread at this huge spark, but at the same time, I feel a bit relieved.
At least it wasn't the Dragonslayer who sent him.
I even had the delusion that it might have been an assassin sent by the Regional Manager or the Dragonkin.
"What kind of bold bastards would do something so reckless...?"
I don't say anything further.
The fact that the royal family is planning to subjugate Noark hasn't been publicly announced yet.
'As expected, this incident is a declaration of war.'
I'm inwardly convinced.
That the culprits behind this terrorist attack are explorers from Noark.
'This is going to be a big deal.'
I feel a headache coming on.
There will be a war between the royal family and Noark.
No, it's already begun.
But the biggest problem here is...
'What if the subjugation fails?'
If Noark closes its doors and the war drags on...
Then I'm fucked too.
Because the next battlefield will surely be the labyrinth.
'Both Noark and Lafdonia need magic stones to maintain their cities.'
Damn it.
Why did I have to be dragged into this game at a time like this? If I had come just a year earlier, I would have had more time to prepare.
'Uh... but if I hadn't delivered that letter from the High Priest to the temple, the war wouldn't have happened, right?'
That thought briefly crosses my mind, but I dismiss it.
Why is this my fault?
It's all the Dragonslayer's fault.
Originally, all three major religions were maintaining neutrality to check the royal family. Who told him to kidnap the High Priest and enslave him?
"Bjorn?"
"Ah, I was just thinking."
"So what are we going to do now?"
When I finish my thoughts, all my companions are looking at me. Because they still only see it as a simple terrorist attack.
Their minds aren't as complicated as mine.
"There's no change in plans. We resume exploration."
I make my decision, and Raven cautiously expresses her concern.
"Will that be okay? With those guys in the labyrinth?"
"It will be fine. With the clans gathered here like this, they won't be able to do anything reckless."
It's actually the safest time right now.
Next month, those bastards from the underground might be running rampant even on the 5th floor...
And there's even a chance that entry to the labyrinth might be blocked.
"Enough thinking, let's go make some money."
The 5th floor also closes when Day 30 ends, so we need to earn as much as possible.
Who knows how long we'll have to rest for the next few months.
_________________
The structure of the 5th-floor Great Magical Forest is simple.
Imagine a flat rock shaped like a tray with four slides extending from it.
The problem is that those slides are split into dozens of paths, cut off in the middle and connected to other paths, and so on.
Whoosh.
We leave the starting point, which was bathed in a red light like a butcher shop, and the darkness of the labyrinth and a scorching heat welcome us.
It's not like all four paths are like this...
It's just a characteristic of the route we chose.
「Character has entered a special area.」
「Field effect - Hellfire Canyon is applied.」
「Status effect [Embers Mark] is applied.」
「All consumption costs are increased by 1.5 times, and Fire Resistance is decreased by -30.」
All consumption costs.
In short, it means that we consume 1.5 times more Soul Power, mana, divine power, or stamina than usual.
But it's not bad.
This much is nothing compared to the other routes.
「Arrua Raven has cast the 8th-grade imbuement spell [Cold Blood].」
「Character’s Fire Resistance is greatly increased.」
Cold mana seeps into my blood vessels, and my heated body cools down.
We continue exploring slowly in that state.
Although we haven't encountered any monsters yet, just walking alone is stressful.
'This is like a suspension bridge.'
A path about 10 meters wide.
The darkness of the labyrinth blocking our vision.
And a cliff emitting intense heat.
"Ainar, stop looking down."
"I, I was just curious about what's down there..."
"I heard lava flows down there."
"Lava? What's that?"
"Uh, it's hard to explain..."
Raven diligently answers Ainar's questions. Ainar frowns every time she hears a difficult word, but she still listens intently.
'They seem to get along well in this aspect.'
Although it's a heartwarming sight as the team leader, I can't just watch.
"Ainar, stop bothering Raven and look ahead."
"Ah, alright!"
I tighten the loosening tension and descend the sloped path. We reach a fork in the road, and I take out my notebook and draw a map, ignoring scale.
Although I have no intention of using the safe zone as a base and just exploring the nearby area...
...I judged that we need to be able to return if something happens.
That's when, after passing three forks in the road and realizing the greatness of Rotmiller firsthand...
Kwaaang!
...the ground shakes with an explosion.
A pillar of fire rises like a whirlwind and grazes past us.
And...
Pitter-patter.
Small embers scatter and fall in front of us, then gather and take shape.
A beast covered in blazing flames.
"It's an Ifrit."
"Two level 5 monsters from the start."
Raven casts the 'Ice Imbuement' spell as soon as the battle begins. Ifrits are immune to physical damage because they're incorporeal.
「Cold damage is added to the character's weapon.」
A frosty light surrounds my mace.
I charge forward in [Gigantification] state and smash one of them with my mace.
The impact isn't satisfying.
Thwack!
The Ifrit doesn't even flinch, despite being hit by the mace that shattered the troll's shoulder in one shot.
This is why I hate incorporeal monsters.
It would be different if it were the 'Attribute Conversion' spell, which converts physical damage to another element of the same level...
But 'Ice Imbuement' can only deal damage equivalent to the additional damage.
"Isir Faist."
Raven's 6th-grade curse spell, 'Flash Freeze'.
And Misha's [Ice Crush] combo.
In the end, this battle unfolds with me tanking while Misha and Raven carry.
「Killed Ifrit. EXP +5」
The bear-like man summons Iron Bear to assist with tanking, but Ainar just watches.
It's the fate of a physical warrior.
Roll.
A magic stone drops where the Ifrit disappeared.
As expected, no essence.
But instead...
「Character has leveled up.」
「Soul Power increased by +10.」
「Maximum number of absorbable essences increased by +1.」
…we finally reached level 5.
But it's only meaningful if an essence drops.
[Kyaaaaaak!!]
Now only one monster is left.
The beast of flame, having lost its precious companion, roars at us.
That's when...
"...It's an Ifrit?"
A group of five explorers appears from the other side. It seems like they're heading towards the safe zone after finishing their hunt...
But what kind of rude behavior is this?
"It'll take at least 5 minutes just by looking at it."
"Ah, I'm tired as hell, should we just kill it?"
A huge mass of water falls from the sky and douses the Ifrit's body.
The flames die down in an instant.
"What the—"
Before I can even say anything, an arrow is shot and pierces the Ifrit's head.
Swaaaaaaaa.
The last remaining monster disappears into light.
I let out a deep sigh as I check what it left behind.
"...An essence!"
A 5th-grade monster essence dropped.
'Damn it.'
This is ridiculous.
Why does this only happen at times like this?
The structure of the 5th-floor Great Magical Forest is simple.
Imagine a flat rock shaped like a tray with four slides extending from it.
The problem is that those slides are split into dozens of paths, cut off in the middle and connected to other paths, and so on.
Whoosh.
We leave the starting point, which was bathed in a red light like a butcher shop, and the darkness of the labyrinth and a scorching heat welcome us.
It's not like all four paths are like this...
It's just a characteristic of the route we chose.
「Character has entered a special area.」
「Field effect - Hellfire Canyon is applied.」
「Status effect [Embers Mark] is applied.」
「All consumption costs are increased by 1.5 times, and Fire Resistance is decreased by -30.」
All consumption costs.
In short, it means that we consume 1.5 times more Soul Power, mana, divine power, or stamina than usual.
But it's not bad.
This much is nothing compared to the other routes.
「Arrua Raven has cast the 8th-grade imbuement spell [Cold Blood].」
「Character’s Fire Resistance is greatly increased.」
Cold mana seeps into my blood vessels, and my heated body cools down.
We continue exploring slowly in that state.
Although we haven't encountered any monsters yet, just walking alone is stressful.
'This is like a suspension bridge.'
A path about 10 meters wide.
The darkness of the labyrinth blocking our vision.
And a cliff emitting intense heat.
"Ainar, stop looking down."
"I, I was just curious about what's down there..."
"I heard lava flows down there."
"Lava? What's that?"
"Uh, it's hard to explain..."
Raven diligently answers Ainar's questions. Ainar frowns every time she hears a difficult word, but she still listens intently.
'They seem to get along well in this aspect.'
Although it's a heartwarming sight as the team leader, I can't just watch.
"Ainar, stop bothering Raven and look ahead."
"Ah, alright!"
I tighten the loosening tension and descend the sloped path. We reach a fork in the road, and I take out my notebook and draw a map, ignoring scale.
Although I have no intention of using the safe zone as a base and just exploring the nearby area...
...I judged that we need to be able to return if something happens.
That's when, after passing three forks in the road and realizing the greatness of Rotmiller firsthand...
Kwaaang!
...the ground shakes with an explosion.
A pillar of fire rises like a whirlwind and grazes past us.
And...
Pitter-patter.
Small embers scatter and fall in front of us, then gather and take shape.
A beast covered in blazing flames.
"It's an Ifrit."
"Two level 5 monsters from the start."
Raven casts the 'Ice Imbuement' spell as soon as the battle begins. Ifrits are immune to physical damage because they're incorporeal.
「Cold damage is added to the character's weapon.」
A frosty light surrounds my mace.
I charge forward in [Gigantification] state and smash one of them with my mace.
The impact isn't satisfying.
Thwack!
The Ifrit doesn't even flinch, despite being hit by the mace that shattered the troll's shoulder in one shot.
This is why I hate incorporeal monsters.
It would be different if it were the 'Attribute Conversion' spell, which converts physical damage to another element of the same level...
But 'Ice Imbuement' can only deal damage equivalent to the additional damage.
"Isir Faist."
Raven's 6th-grade curse spell, 'Flash Freeze'.
And Misha's [Ice Crush] combo.
In the end, this battle unfolds with me tanking while Misha and Raven carry.
「Killed Ifrit. EXP +5」
The bear-like man summons Iron Bear to assist with tanking, but Ainar just watches.
It's the fate of a physical warrior.
Roll.
A magic stone drops where the Ifrit disappeared.
As expected, no essence.
But instead...
「Character has leveled up.」
「Soul Power increased by +10.」
「Maximum number of absorbable essences increased by +1.」
…we finally reached level 5.
But it's only meaningful if an essence drops.
[Kyaaaaaak!!]
Now only one monster is left.
The beast of flame, having lost its precious companion, roars at us.
That's when...
"...It's an Ifrit?"
A group of five explorers appears from the other side. It seems like they're heading towards the safe zone after finishing their hunt...
But what kind of rude behavior is this?
"It'll take at least 5 minutes just by looking at it."
"Ah, I'm tired as hell, should we just kill it?"
A huge mass of water falls from the sky and douses the Ifrit's body.
The flames die down in an instant.
"What the—"
Before I can even say anything, an arrow is shot and pierces the Ifrit's head.
Swaaaaaaaa.
The last remaining monster disappears into light.
I let out a deep sigh as I check what it left behind.
"...An essence!"
A 5th-grade monster essence dropped.
'Damn it.'
This is ridiculous.
Why does this only happen at times like this?
Kill stealers
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