Volume 12 - CH 12

There is an entrance there that seems to lead to the center of the ninth layer.

However, those who enter it will dies as if their souls were sucked out.

The cause of this is still unknown.

「Hmm, there's no hole in the wall, and it doesn't look like there's anything on the floor. I'm going to try to use the iron ball, so everyone please stay back.」

Saki said, pulling out an iron ball with a diameter of five centimeters from her pocket and throwing it at the floor as hard as she could.

The ball bounced off the floor with a crunch and rolled away, but nothing else happened.

It didn't seem to be some kind of trap that could be triggered by stepping on it.

「I guess we'll just have to go in and check it out.」

「Wait a minute, then. Gallard, how many second did someone to die?」

「Ten seconds or so. Suddenly, they just fell asleep.」

「All four of them at once? That's not it , is it?.」

「No. ...... First, the first Thief collapsed when he was checking the traps on the floor, so two warriors rushed forward to help him, but they collapsed too. So we withdrew from the room, and the fourth Thief went back in to investigate, and the same thing happened: ......」

「I can't blame you for the first three, but it looks like you killed the fourth one.」

「I have no words to say back.」

「Gallard, did you notice anything unusual when you went inside?」

「No, nothing. I felt the air was somewhat stagnant, but it couldn't have been poison. Our party has already confirmed that with our magic and skills.」

I've already used [Appraisal] on this room too, but it wasn't poison gas.

「Is there anyone who can tell?」

I turn around and ask my party members, but they all just shrug their shoulders.

「Serina, Letty, Hanna, whatever comes to mind, say it.」

「Well, you know ...... that Gallard was fine for a while after he went inside, right?」

Serina confirmed. Gallard nodded.

「That's right. I was in this as a vanguard first.」

「If that's the case, then I think the poison gas line is thin.」

「I agree.」

「I wonder if we could bring the body over here.」

Hannah says we should investigate the cause of death.

「Leave it to me! This genius mage ...... No, I don't want to, I'll pass to Saki-chan.」

Letty was about to say something and then pulled back, as if she was worried about her previous mistake.

「Okay, ropes, then.」

Saki took out a rope and a hook from the item storage and threw them to the corpse and hooked it.

「Pull it!」

We all pull it together.

「Don't touch the corpse.」

I observed the body, but I couldn't find anything unusual.

「Maybe it's radioactive?」

That would mean that there's a very high level of radiation being released. We're so close to it that we can feel it.

「It can't be.」

「It's ...... weird.」

Nene chimed in.

「Nene-chan?」

「What, how strange?」

「Ah, yes, normally I would think that there would be some kind of emotion ...... from this person, but there's nothing.」

The skill of Empathy, huh?

「Their emotions are gone, or ......」

I think it should be gone when you die, but so far Nene's [empathy] has been effective even for the dead.

「No way. Arnett! Check it out.」

Gallard seemed to have an idea and said to the priest of the party.

「Yes, sir.」

The priest closed his eyes and held up his hands, but suddenly he slumped and took a step or two back.

「I-I can't believe this....」

「What is it?」

「Explain it to me.」

「Y-yes. His soul is gone. This is different from becoming a Buddha.」

「How do you know?」

「Well, there's a little piece of their soul that's left. ...... If they were to become a Buddha in the normal way, it would come out clean.」

「So you're saying it was taken from them?」

「Not exactly. It's better to say it's been destroyed, or shattered to be exact, sir.」

「Not even reincarnation can pull it off. Eternal death. ...... What a hell!」

Gallard punched the floor.

「Anyway, let's just send the remaining fragments to the heavens. ――Guide our lost souls.」

As the priest prayed, a faint grain of light rose from the corpse and quickly disappeared.

「This is no joke. If I can't get to the other side, I'm getting out.」

「I'm not going to be able to see my grandmother either. ......」

Several members of Gallard's party announced that they were leaving.

「Wait a minute, there's got to be a way.」

Gallard will try to convince them.

「Souls. ...... I wonder if they really exist.」

Serina seems to be skeptical that they even exist.

「There are in this world, you know. That's for sure.」

The last time I met a goddess with glasses, I was only a soul.

「Oh, that's scary. If they destroy your soul, you'll die, right?」

Jouga shuddered in fear, but I guess everyone is afraid of dying.

「It'll be fine. Arnett, is it possible to put a barrier on the soul?」

Gallard asks.

「Yes, but I'm not sure if it's an effective barrier against the attacks in this hall. ......」

「You can give it a try. Even if the chances of that are slim, as long as they are not zero, there is hope.」

I couldn't believe my ears when he said that.

「Gallard, are you crazy? You're going to kill a bunch of people just to see if there's hope?」

「No, it's not like we're going to die. Besides, we've sacrificed a lot in the past. We've made many sacrifices in order to conquer the Labyrinth of No Return, haven't we? This is a dream that even the heroes of 500 years ago could not achieve. If we can achieve this, we can even step into the realm of the gods!」

That's insane.

「It's possible, isn't it?」

Thalia asked.

「Yes, there is. As long as we put up a barrier, we should be able to prevent the destruction of souls. We already know the cause.」

Gallard replied confidently, but it smells fishy.

「Gallard, then you'll take the lead, won't you?」

「W-Why? I'm also the clan leader, and I'm responsible for leading everyone, so I have to make sure that the ...... barrier is secure before I ......」

「That's sophistry. The responsibility to lead is only possible if there are people who can lead. Are we going to continue to test the possibility that all the people who follow us will die? Are you gambling on hope and possibility that may or may not exist? And yet, you say you don't want to be first.」

「What about you, Alec-san who says that?」

「If I were you, I wouldn't do the test itself. The stakes are too high.」

「So I should just give up on the Labyrinth of No Return? You might be okay with that. You've only been here for a little over half a year. But I'm different. I've been dreaming about it since I was a child, and it took me four years to become a clan leader. It's been four years you know?」

「There are some people who try to become one, but never do. Four years is just too fast.」

「That's not what I'm talking about.」

「That's what I'm talking about. If it took you four years to become a clan leader, it should have taken you ten years to conquer the labyrinth. It's a dream you've had since you were a kid, right? A lifelong dream.」

「Yes, but it's useless if other people beat you to it. Besides, there are other dungeons to conquer.」

「Then you can conquer that one first.」

「It's too inefficient. Moving around, building a base, getting a map, it'll take months to prepare just for that!」

「It'll take time. It's the time we need.」

「Yeah, you do that. I won't take any chances in front of me.」

「Even if it kills your friend?」

「Yes, no matter the cost.」

Me and Gallard glare at each other, but it's parallel. We don't agree with each other because our ideas are fundamentally different.