142 - - cruel choice

With the fall of the labyrinth's master, the Black Fountain quickly disappeared into the ground.

Looking into the hole left behind, one can see a stone lid covering the bottom.

Curiously, the lid was not horizontal, but tilted at an angle.

It was lower in the front and higher in the back.

The angle is quite steep, as if it is forcibly covering the side walls.

As Thor leaned forward to get a better look, an impatient voice came to his back.

"No, old man, you can't!

I turned around to see Kugase, his eyes wide open, staring at me with a stern expression on his face.

When Thor pulled away from the hole, he relaxed his shoulders as if relieved.

"You'd better stay away from there, you know. Well, you should still ......."

The girl's tone of voice becomes smaller, as if she felt she had said too much.

Then Rummella's voice sounded as if to overshadow it.

"There's no point in putting it off. Why did you come all the way here?

"But, but!"

The girls became tense at the accusatory tone of his words.

They stared at each other silently for a while, but it was Kugase who broke first.

She nodded weakly and kept her eyes down.

But the brown-horned girl, perhaps having her own thoughts on the matter, retorts with both fists clenched tightly.

"Even so,...... it's still a waste."

Kugase, raising his eyes slightly, deliberately shifts his gaze from Thor and continues speaking.

"At first, I thought he must have brought me here because he was retiring. ......"

In fact, from Kugase's point of view, Thor is almost as old as his father.

It is understandable that he might think that it would be difficult for him to continue his active career.

However, after working together up to this point, such an impression has completely disappeared from the girl's mind.

Normally, any human being would be at least a little nervous when tackling such an extremely difficult dungeon.

In addition, it is natural to feel intimidated if it is the first time to challenge such a dungeon.

Thor, however, was calm and collected to the last degree.

Moreover, he did not show any sign of shrinking or being reserved in front of the A-ranked contestants.

In fact, they even seemed to be enjoying themselves.

When I secretly asked Kugase about it, the man carrying a bag on his back answered in a nonchalant manner.

You have a lot of leeway, don't you? Aren't you afraid of him?　Normally, I would be more frightened."

"Yeah, it's all new to me. "Yeah, it's all so new to me, I guess I'm so surprised that I don't really feel it enough to be afraid of it.

He insisted so, and easily came up with a plan to destroy the big room.

Even the inexperienced Kugasse could understand that Thor was joking.

He also knew that a person with such boldness would not quit the adventurer's life so easily.

That's why the girl felt it was such a pity.

Kugase looked up and began to speak, this time without looking away.

But I know you have no intention to do so. So ......, I thought it would be a waste. Hey, why don't we turn back here this time?　Yes, I'm sure you'll be fine if you come back regularly. I can sell my ant balls for a good price."

"How long are you going to keep doing that?"

Rummella's sharp retort leaves the girl at a loss for words.

It is true that this approach may be able to stop the spread of damage.

But unless the source of the problem is eliminated, it will be necessary to keep plugging the noxious gas holes.

That was a tough condition for the border town of Dadaan, which did not have much time to spare.

While Kugase lifts her chin as if she is not fully convinced, the Soukei girl silently removes the long white gloves from her left hand.

There was a terrible burn on her snow-white skin.

The burn marks seemed to cover her entire arm.

Rummella does not say a word about what it means.

Instead, the words of strong will overflowed from the girl's lips.

"I will do whatever it takes to restore this city. It is my duty."

"And you're willing to sacrifice again for it?　Just like at ...... Ricoli!"

"Yes, that's enough. You're both getting a little carried away.

The woman serving as the second in command intervened between the two sparks that had been flying.

She held the girls' heads in her arms and silenced them by pressing them against her ample breasts without question.

"Calm down. There's no point in arguing without the other party.

"But, but!"

"Hey, get out of my way!"

The girls, who had been flailing about, soon quieted down, as if they were suffocating.

When the heat had cooled off just enough, Thor opened his mouth.

"I'm sorry I made you worry. Thank you."

"No, I didn't. I just thought it was a waste of a magic technique that can restore magic power!

"I see. Well, I'm prepared for that. So don't look at me like that.

Rummella, who was about to overflow with emotion, hid her mouth as if in a panic at the mention of the word.

Thor waved a small hand at the girls with pained expressions on his face and nodded lightly toward Ninessa.

The red-haired beauty gives a sullen look for a moment, but soon her usual unfathomable smile returns.

When he finally turned his attention to Straccia, the red-haired swordsman looked straight back at him.

The red-haired swordsman looked straight back at Straccia, his eyes filled with such strength that it was hard to believe that he had lost his concentration for an hour or so due to the repercussions of his Kamieda martial arts.

After greeting his companions, Thor approached the hole and reached for the stone lid.

There are currently eight members of the "Platinum Flame," and it is unlikely that there will be any vacancies in the search.

Except for Straccia, all the other members are women, which is a hobby of Ninessa's.

It is often ridiculed as a party for the prince's side, but in fact it is a harem of the vice-captain.

To go back to the story, there is no need to request the participation of outsiders in such a difficult dungeon.

In other words, Thor was called in not as a force to conquer the dungeon, but as a member of the team.

He was called in to play the role of a human sacrifice, to take the curse upon himself.

The dungeon, which cursed us every time we went down the levels, naturally prepared vicious traps along the way.

Touching the stone cover that blocks the hole, Thor slowly pushes it down with his weight.

With a heavy thud, the stone cover returns to its horizontal position.

A blackened side hole emerged from the side of the hole where the obstacle had been removed.

It was a passage leading to the sixth level.

The fifth level was a system whereby one person had to push the stone lid in this way in order to enter the lower level.

The winner of the game who defeated the master of the labyrinth and touched the lid was awarded with some characteristics as a proof of victory.

In the case of this dungeon, the benefits were very simple.

The invasion curse is changed from temporary to permanent.

That is all.

And when touched, a new curse is added to the spell.

Hence, this new ant's nest was secretly named the adventurer-killing labyrinth.

Thor, seeing that the path to the sixth level is secure, checks the roots of his skill tree.

Amidst the rows of , , , , and , a new blackish bulge was growing.

Upon closer inspection, thorn-like vines growing from the bulge seem to be entangled in the branches of the .

"Well, what do you think?"

"How is it?"

Thor gave a small shrug in response to the two anxious girls' questions.

The words that popped into his mind were as follows

-- Prohibits the holder from activating the skill.

Activation: automatic / Effect: small / Scope: self.

"Looks like I've drawn the worst of the worst..."

While Thor and his party are enveloped in an atmosphere of unprecedented gravity, in the border town of Dadaan...

"Tor, have you come back yet?"

"He said he's staying the night!"

"What?　Then who the hell should Moo sleep with......?"

"Well, maybe with me."

My bed is also available, if you'd like.

"A little too much... I don't know what to do.

"Well, why don't we all sleep together?　Mr. Yuril."

"Oh, isn't it too small?"

"We can put the beds together. Come on, Moo-chan, help me."

I'll take care of it.

At first glance, it seemed like a great idea to combine the beds, but the next day, the child was found completely wedged in the gap and wetting the bed.