2-8. The Labyrinth of Demon (1)
Satou’s here. While thinking that it’s going to be city adventure, suddenly it become dungeon attack, I am unable to follow the situation, Satou.
The labyrinth was easily created but I wonder if the exit is on the downtown?
An adventure guild could probably be established after some years.
◇
When I’m confirming the map, [Labyrinth of Demon, Bottom Layer], is displayed, the passage ways are not displayed.
...It’s not going to be that convenient, is it?
The beastkin girls look anxious.
First of all, let’s take care it.
"I’m Satou. A peddler"
"Cat nyesu"
"Dog nanodefu"
"Lizard"
The cat and dog girl choked on their words. While scraping sound can be heard halfway through the lizard girl’s words.
It’s not only Uusu who did it, even their master from before called them like that. The cat and the dog girls were slaves from birth but the lizard girl wasn’t and she seemed to had have a name before becoming a slave. However, it’s a long name mixed with incorrigible sound difficult to pronounce.
In the end, since they asked me to give them name that’s easy to call, I name them "Pochi","Tama", and "Liza". Don’t treat them like pets! You may be angry like that, but I don’t have the confidence to remember them right with normal names so please forgive me, at least until we get out of this labyrinth.
Liza is not from Lizard but two words cut from her real name.
Now then, before we begin the escape, let’s cure the beastkin girls first.
I take out cloths, a water bottle, and ointments from the bag. The ointments are sample products from the alchemy set. Since it’s just a sample, I don’t have a lot but it’s probably sufficient.
"Disinfect your wounds with this cloths soaked with water from this bottle. After that smear the ointment to the wound and coil it with the cloth. Don’t use the cloth you used for the disinfection okay?"
The beastkin girls are perplexed when I hand them over new cloths.
They’re probably bewildered to be spoken not in commanding words for the first time, yeah. I feel like I’m back to nursing my smaller relatives back in the days.
"What’s wrong? I will face the other way while you girls are treating your wounds, so don’t worry."
Apparently it’s not because they’re embarrassed, but because they rarely ever got good cloth and ointment as slaves.
"Thank you, nanodesu. You don’t have to face the other way nanodesu."
"Beautiful cloth. I’m happy~."
"Since the master is dead, we cannot possibly pay you back. It’s better to put aside water and medical treatment until after we get out of the labyrinth... um, well... isn’t it..."
The incomprehensible words are converted to proper sentences in the brain. It’s good isn’t it?
Pochi and Tama untie the string that tied the simple clothes they were wearing and undress without hesitation to begin treating their wounds.
Liza-san seems to be the thoughtful type and hesitate a little, but I [Order] her not to mind so she also begin the treatment.
When their treatments are finished, I distribute the baked sweets to the three. I give them 3 palm-sized sweets each. It should be enough for now. The sweets are remainder from the time when I went to various stalls with Zena-san. It’s not bitten leftovers though.
Pochi drools all over her face, everyone stare at the sweets, but no one is eating.
"There are no poison in it, so eat it well."
Are they not allowed to eat without orders? Slaves sure are oppressed~ Pochi chokes on the food so I pass her the water bottle.
"I won’t take it away, eat it slowly."
I feel like a baby-sitter for a bit...
◇
I confirm the map once again. It still only displays this room.
...Is the magic ineffective, or is it dispelled...
I open the menu and use the [All Map Exploration] magic. Even though this particular magic is easily usable~.
The whole picture of [Labyrinth of Demon] is displayed. Easy mode is too good!
This looks like an ant’s nest, rather than a labyrinth.
The passage from here to the next room is diverged like a tree’s root, from that room to the other the passages diverge again like before. In labyrinth-like fashion, there are also secret intertwined secret passage ways that connect rooms.
Searching through the map, there are 109 humans here. In which 7 are demi-human. The remaining 102 are human kins with around a quarter of them being slaves.
The handsome middle-aged Garleon priest is in a considerable remote position. If we can meet up with him, it’d be already near the exit huh? I personally don’t want him to end up dead, being a capable person he is, though he probably won’t die easily so I will consider it lucky if we can meet him.
I tried searching for the arm demon but I couldn’t find him. There’s a particular room located in the deepest part, he’s probably there...
If I carelessly beat him, the labyrinth may collapse, let’s leave him alone for now.
The enemies are around level 10-20 of insect monsters. There were around 20 when I first searched, but now, there are more than 100. Additionally, snake and frog monsters appear too.
Let’s give the beastkin girls some weapons since it could be bad if we were sandwiched between the passage.
Okay, let’s look for some hidden suitable location in the passage to take some spear and sword from the storage.
After deciding what to do, I tried to go toward the passage but I was stopped by the beastkin girls in a hurry.
"Please don’t throw me away! I will do anything!"
"Please don’t leave me behind!"
"Mister, I don’t mind being a sacrifice but please take me along. Please."
They desperately tried to stop me. Still no one tried to pull my clothes, is it because their experience as slaves or training?
"Don’t worry. I was just going to see the state of the passage. I won’t abandon you, so please be at ease."
I’m talking as gently as possible. Though I don’t think it will fully relieve them, it’s better than not saying anything.
After the three girls finished eating, I take out out daggers and magic gun from the bag and equip them (to himself and the girls).
Only Liza who has combat related skill, [Spear]. Since I can’t exactly take a spear out of the bag, I take out another dagger and give it to Liza. Probably because it’s uncommon for slaves to have weapon, she hesitated but I pushed it to her.
I take the vanguard position, Liza is responsible for surprise attack from the back. Liza wanted to do the battle by herself but I asked her to be on the rear.
Since I have radar, there is no possibility of surprise attack, but I’m giving her the role to ease the girls’ uneasiness a little.
The order is me, Tama, Pochi, and Liza. I [Order] them with a strong tone to not participate in battle. Since their level are only around 2-3, if they carelessly receive an attack they could die.
It’s an escort mission for real.
◇
The floor on the passages become that of rocks. Since there aren’t any paved stones that emit light anymore, it’s dark. The fortunate thing? There are several shining stone pillars every few meters so, even though it looks eerie, at least we are able to walk.
The stone pillar is about a waist’s height. Since the light only reach around our breast’s area, the ceiling is pitch dark, it’s unpleasant.
It was probably made so to fuel anxiety.
Such a detestable demon-like thing to do.
When someone got into a room the passages will turn pitch black to encage them inside, there are probably thing like that prepared.
"Tama, if you see anything in the passage ahead, tell me in low voice. Pochi, if you smell or hear anything strange, tell me about it. Liza, please be wary of the back. But please don’t focus all your attention on the rear and be late to follow us."
"""Yes"""
I’m still a bit uneasy, but it’s a good reply.
>[Leadership Skill Acquired]
>[Formation Skill Acquired]
Sign of the enemies are detected in the radar. It’s quite a bit far ahead.
"I can smell blood from the other side of the passage, nanodesu."
Pochi said that.
It’s a straight line from here, but it’s still 500 meter away.
I praise Pochi while petting her head. This treatment is like what you’re doing to a pet, but her tail flails around with pitter-patter, she’s probably happy about it.
I investigate the enemy while walking closer. Level is 20, no special ability. Method of attack is ramming and biting. It seems that there are only one monster in the next room.
I just remember something and take a note of the current stat and abilites of the three, since they also have experience value column, I draw a plan... This really feels like a game.
Since the experience values are displayed as percentage, I don’t know the concrete number, but it’s still really convenient when gaining levels. Since I can’t see the experience value of other person in the map, I wonder if this is restricted to party members? Or are there other conditions to follow?
I saw the light leaking from the room.
I instruct the three to wait and peek at the room. The insect-shaped enemy is single-mindedly eating [Something], paying no attention here. Like I said... I’m weak against gore you know.
I wait until the chewing sound stop, then shoot it with the magic gun.
The single shot blows through the hind leg’s joint. The broken parts flies.
I’m not giving the huge cricket any room for counterattack, killing it in rapid-fire.
Good grief, why is this giant cricket appear in anywhere but a desert...
"Amazing, nanodesu."
"Amazing."
"Mister, are you a magician?"
Pochi and Tama are simply in high spirits, but Liza is having a question.
"This is a magic weapon you know. Don’t tell this to anyone!"
I gave the warning while grinning badly. I didn’t forget to pose with the magic gun.
Pochi and Liza nodded seriously, but Tama said "Ay", while looking so happy. I’m going to give another warning once we get out of the labyrinth.
The chain on the collar is obstructive. Tama is full with just holding the chain on her hand.
That’s right, I can cut it with this.
I call Liza and ask her to pull the chain horizontally, then I shoot it with the magic gun.
I did the same thing to Tama and Pochi... but they were probably afraid, their ears were flat down.
I put the chain in the bag and give it to Pochi to hold.
Since the torn foot from the giant cricket was 2 meter long, I make an impromptu spear out of it.
I raised the weapon creation skill to level 1 first.
The nail parts on the toe are loose, so I fix it in place with a piece of wood and a leather strap. Since green fluids are oozing from the cut part, I wrap it with the used cloths from the treatment earlier.
When I’m going to give Liza the cricket spear... She is currently cutting the joint section of the cricket’s head, working on something.
Is she hungry?
"Liza, if you eat that kind of thing, you’ll have a stomachache."
"Y, You’re mistaken. Since it’s a monster, it should have a magic core inside, so I’m retrieving it..."
Magic core?
>Title [Insect Slayer] Acquired