Chapter 12

I’d expected the portal to some extent.

It was only natural.

The fact that I met those top adventurers, the blond and his party, was proof that there was a second-floor portal in the direction I’d come from.

That’s why I followed the trail of blood with confidence as soon as I found it.

But I hadn’t expected this.

For there to be a portal less than 10m away from its starting point.

“This is driving me crazy.”

Memories of those past days, of me crawling in the dark on three legs, unfolded like a panorama.

How lucky was I?

Only a few steps in the opposite direction would have activated the portal and secured some light.

Had I done that, I could have seen that damn trap and avoided it!

“Uncle, please tell me. Just don’t make such a scary face. Whatever I did wrong, I’ll fix it…”

What was she even talking about?

Oh, it was because of me.

It’s annoying to explain, so let’s just avoid the issue.

“Never mind. It just reminded me of the past.”

“Ah…”

Erwen looked relieved, her expression soon changed to one of pity. I couldn’t believe it.

Bloodstains, slices of bread, a sandal, and my facial expression.

Did she infer what I’d experienced on the first day from those alone? This girl?

“He must have gone to a good place. For sure.”

It couldn’t be. I was right.

“Yes… Thank you.”

From what she was saying, it seemed like she misunderstood that I was remembering a colleague I’d lost some time ago…

I didn’t feel the need to correct her.

The story was too long to explain in detail.

Most of all, if I told somebody, it felt like my simmering anger would again boil over.

So let’s just bury this story forever.

“Are you ready to go upstairs?”

“Honestly, it’s still scary, but somehow I don’t feel like I’m going to die if I’m with you.”

If one looked closely, she had a strange habit of using long sentences. Just say ‘yes’.

“Then let’s go.”

“Yes…”

The moment I entered the portal with Erwen, my vision was dyed pure white.

It was like when light first flashed on a monitor.

Flash –!

[00:57]

It’d only been four days since I entered the labyrinth for the first time.

「You have entered the Goblin Forest on the second floor. 」

I reached the second floor.

If anyone asks how I’m feeling right now, this is how I’ll answer.

Like I’m struggling inside the mouth of a giant frog! And then, like I’m being spat out.

“Kyaaa!”

My body hangs airborne, then it bounces off something.

I didn’t scream out loud like Erwen, but looking at the results, she fared better than me.

Thud –!

While I fall on my ass with a blunt sound of impact, Erwen quickly regains balance and lands on her feet.

“Wow, that was surprising. Even my big sis never said anything about this.”

I’m feeling it all over again, but she’s really physically fit.

Her agility is something that a barbarian can’t even dream of.

“Uncle, is this the second floor?”

“Yeah.”

“Um, I’ve never heard of this forest though. Are you sure?”

“Perhaps the story you heard was referring to another second floor.”

“Another second floor?”

Do fairies not share labyrinth information properly? Why don’t you know about this?

“There are four portals on the first floor; in the east, west, north and south, and each one connects to different places.”

“Ah, I guess that’s it!”

… She just forgot.

Seeing me look at her like she’s pathetic, Erwen anxiously speaks up.

“Oh, the third floor! She said that no matter which route you take, everything would be connected again from the third floor. Right?”

She wants to show off her knowledge, it seems.

When I roughly nod my head, Erwen smiles with satisfaction.

Slowly, I’m getting a feel of how to handle her.

“So, what do we do now?”

“Wait. I’m thinking.”

First, I carefully check the surrounding terrain.

It’s necessary to confirm which parts are different from the game and which remain the same.

For example, the fact that I just flew about 3m while jumping through the portal.

Things that couldn’t be seen from the other side of a monitor.

“Hmm.”

I go over the surroundings one more time.

There’s the portal at the back that you can go down to the first floor at any time, and there are no living creatures in the empty area around us, with a radius of about 50m.

Well, I don’t know what it’s like between the trees in the distance.

“Is there anything I can do to help you?”

“Just stay still.”

The second floor map is a forest.

The surroundings are as dark as night, but thanks to the lights scattered like the Milky Way in the sky, visibility is secured to a certain extent.

About as bright as an alleyway at night, without any street lights.

However, as time passes, it will become day, but this place would not get any brighter.

Because this place is inside the labyrinth.

That’s not actually the sky over our heads, it’s just a high ceiling. Well, there indeed are some levels where the real sky and sun exist.

“Let’s start moving slowly.”

“Yes? Where are we going?”

“We’ll explore the neighbourhood around this place.”

That’s the plan I’d roughly laid out since the first floor.

However, there are a few things that need to be confirmed as to whether this will actually work.

So from the first opportunity –

Clang –!

Erwen startles when I swing my hammer at the first tree on the periphery of the vacant area.

“What, what are you doing?”

“I’m checking to see if it’s possible to knock down a tree.”

“Why are you checking that?”

“I was thinking of building a barrier around the portal.”

“Um, I see.”

Erwen nods her head in agreement.

It’s quite annoying to have to answer questions one by one.

“Anyway, this plan is abandoned.”

Erwen doesn’t even ask why this time.

She has eyes, too.

Even after hitting it with all my might, all I managed was to slightly damage the tree bark.

Is this tree made of rocks?

“Then, what’s next?”

“We’ll search this area as planned. And from now on, you take the lead.”

“… Me?”

I don’t want to field more questions.

“You have to go ahead and look for traps. Pay attention to concealing your presence as much as possible, and be on the lookout for enemies. These two are your tasks.”

“… We’re dividing our roles, then. Alright.”

Surprisingly, Erwen graciously accepts the role assigned to her.

But why do you look sad?

Is it because I’ve already said everything needed to convince you?

“Still, being in a forest sure feels nostalgic. Even though I know it’s filled with monsters.”

Erwen walks down the forest path, spouting words that I can’t relate to in the slightest.

“Oh, I don’t see any traps, but just in case, please only follow my footsteps.”

What? Eh? She said something reassuring all of a sudden.

In fact, the way you’re striding forward so freely, you sure don’t look afraid of stepping into a trap.

Before long, Erwen murmurs quietly.

“There’s a trap.”

I can’t see it.

“Look over there, you’ll see something hidden under the leaves.”

No matter how many times you tell me, I don’t see it.

Giving me a look that says, ‘Why can’t you even do this?’, Erwen throws a stone.

Chiiiiiiing –!

There really was.

How could you even find that in this darkness?

Even though I already knew about the fairies’ detection ability, when I see it with my own two eyes, it’s simply amazing.

There’s a reason you can walk so freely.

“How about it?”

“You’re good at throwing stones.”

“… Is that all?”

“What else do you need?”

Erwen’s shoulders, which had been raised up, droops again.

This is the perfect time to give some carrots.

Subtly, so that it’s not too obvious.

“I’d been waiting for somebody who could find traps from the beginning. You are already a full-fledged adventurer. Don’t make a fuss about being taken for granted.”

“Ummm…”

She pretends not to, but the slight twitching of her shoulders is clearly visible from behind.

Thanks to you, I’ve now completely gotten the hang of it.

I’ll just handle her this way in the future.

“Are you saying that I’m now doing my part? As a full-fledged adventurer?”

“Yeah.”

Well, your part is 1 to my 9, though.

Anyway, it seems that this variation of ‘lone warrior’, which our chieftain was so fond of, works better than I thought.

“But it’s strange. No matter how much I strain my hearing, it doesn’t seem like there are any goblins.”

That’s natural.

The second floor is different from the first. Goblins are not always nearby just because there is a trap. It’s more convenient to view the traps on the second floor simply as a topographical characteristic.

Because you find them everywhere you go.

“Now stop chatting, and focus.”

“Yes.”

This isn’t the place to relax, so we again start seriously exploring the neighbourhood.

The place where we currently are was called ‘Goblin Forest’ in the game.

Its characteristic, other than the traps, is that the goblins here basically move in groups of ten.

Occasionally, mutants such as goblin swordsmen or goblin archers also appear.

Of course, when you go to the outskirts, the number of variants increases, and even higher-grade monsters appear…

That’s something we don’t have to worry too much about, since we’re only going to cover the area near the entrance portal.

“There’s nothing nearby.”

We finish our patrol in a radius of about 200m around the portal.

There were countless traps along the way, but no goblins.

“What should we do?”

“First, get rids of all the traps in this area, and then gradually increase the range.”

We gradually expand our territory by removing the traps with stones from afar.

If there is any danger, you have to run to the first floor.

It’ll be troublesome if you step on a trap while running.

When the radius expanded to more than 500m –

“Uncle.”

Erwen stops her footsteps and whispers.

I also hold my breath.

“It’s a group of goblins.”

“How many?”

“I don’t know. Definitely more than ten…”

“Distance?”

“About 50m. I guess they haven’t noticed us yet. What should we do?”

What kind of nonsense is she talking about?

“Fight.”

Erwen doesn’t talk back at my words. It must be a little scary, but she knows it too.

That we have no choice but to fight.

If you don’t like fighting, you shouldn’t have entered the labyrinth.

“How much closer can you get without being detected?”

“I think I could go up to 30m if it’s just me alone. More than that is too much. Goblins have a more sensitive sense of smell than I thought.”

“Right.”

After a brief deliberation, I decide to go ahead with the plan I’d mentioned earlier.

Erwen starts slowly creeping through the bushes towards the group of goblins.

Is that what a fairy is?

It’s still amazing every time I see it. There’s not even the slightest sound of rustling coming from the bushes.

“…”

Soon after, Erwen stops.

When she looks back at where I stand, I give her a nod. Turning back, she draws an arrow on the bowstring and shoots.

Hwooooooosh.

Did she hit?

I have no idea.

It’s so far away that I couldn’t even hear the arrow striking.

I hope she hit the middle of the forehead properly this time.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

As the first arrow is fired, I start running straight towards Erwen.

“Gruck!!!”

“Grurururuck!!!”

Even as the goblins rush in all excited, Erwen calmly prepares her second shot.

Hwooooooosh!

I feel this every time, but that’s some crazy rate of fire.

I couldn’t feel these aspects at all while playing the game.

Thump –!

One of the goblins falls down while running.

He was hit at the neck, not the forehead.

Well, even for a fairy, hitting a moving creature accurately from a distance must be hard.

“Erwen, step back.”

“Yes!”

Erwen retreats without hesitation, disappearing from my view.

Now all I can see is the goblins rushing in front of me.

A group three times the size of the ones we met on the first floor.

Even if they’re just goblins, at this level, it might be a little daunting…

Surprisingly, there’s no fear at all.

No, rather.

Pound –!

The warrior’s heart possessed by this body is throbbing aggressively, and the heat is crawling up to my head.

“Gruck, gruck!!”

“Grurururuck!!!”

As their menacing howls ring out, I return my own warcry.

“Spaaaaaartaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa –!!!”

Fuck it all.

Editor’s Notes:

None for this chapter.