“NOOOO!! I HATE BUGS!!!”
The next day, our party smoothly passed the first floor and entered the second floor.
Even though we only went up one floor, the atmosphere changed completely.
The first floor was a ruin area filled with earthy colors, while the second floor was a jungle area brimming with green.
And fitting the characteristics of this area, the types of monsters that appeared were different.
By the way, it’s Emily who’s screaming.
“Hmm, should I just burn them all?”
“W-Wait! Adrian! Fire is too dangerous! Please refrain from wide-range skills!”
Seeing a grasshopper-type monster charging at Emily, Adrian flicked his fingers to gather magical power.
I jumped in front of him, horrified.
Of course.
If he used a powerful fire spell in this place, which is all grass, the whole area would be burned down.
No thank you to becoming a roasted pig.
Of course, I understood Adrian’s reaction, too.
Just like on the first floor, a massive horde of monsters was charging at us because we had high stats.
The sight of hundreds of bugs buzzing their wings and rushing at us would send chills down anyone’s spine, including me, a guy.
That’s why it was disappointing that the party’s flame thrower got sealed.
But our party still had two professional mages.
Even though Adrian’s area attack was blocked on this floor, we still had Mary.
KRAHAHAH!!
A massive amount of magical cold engulfed the hordes of bugs and instantly froze them all.
KRAAAANG!!
Then, Siegfried and Raphne worked together to shatter the ice block.
“AHHH! Ken, those bugs are so gross!”
Not long ago, Raphne, with a brave face, was massacring the horde up front, and now she’s clinging to me with a weak voice.
Emily, who had actually frozen in place in shock, shouted.
“Don’t be ridiculous! You weren’t scared at all!”
“Emily’s problem is that she’s too scared.”
“But isn’t that thing gross? Mary must be scared too!”
“Hmph, I’m perfectly fine.”
As she said that, Mary placed her hands on her hips, but her shoulders were trembling.
Good effort, Mary.
“Then let’s take a short break and move on.”
“Ugh… How many more battles like this do we have to face?”
“Well… According to the map, it looks like we just need to go through two more.”
There’s an entrance to the third floor not far from our current safe zone.
Once we get there, we can say goodbye to these bug monsters.
Of course, we’ll probably encounter them again on our way back.
‘But I’m really glad we got the map from the shop.’
In the game, I always had a mini-map on the screen, so this map is a huge help in this reality without one.
Although it’s not as detailed as the program’s mini-map, I can confirm the general structure and locations of the tower.
However, since the map only covers up to the 42nd floor cleared by the advance team, we’ll have to explore without a map after that.
The good part is that our party doesn’t need a map for floors above the tenth.
After a break, we proceeded onward through the second floor.
After a few battles, we arrived at the exit of the second floor and the entrance to the third.
Sitting there was someone I was familiar with.
“Oh! Young adventurers, huh?”
An old man sat on a tree root near the entrance to the third floor.
Though his hair and beard were white and his face was wrinkled, his body was sturdy, and the leather armor he wore bore signs of experience.
The old man leaned on his sword and greeted us as we approached.
He was one of the NPCs from the second floor in the game.
I didn’t expect him to still be here in this reality, so seeing him feels strange.
“Are you all planning to head up to the third floor now?”
The old man asked as he stopped us in our tracks.
According to the game setting, the only reason he was sitting here was to deliver one warning to players who entered the third floor.
“Be careful on the third floor. There’s a dangerous trap there that wasn’t present on the second floor.”
“…A trap? What kind of trap?”
As Mary listened seriously to the old man’s words, he chuckled and explained.
“It’s a trap that’s different from the usual. Once you fall in, you can never escape. You’ll fall into hell.”
“Hell?!”
If you fall, you arrive at a place where time and space are twisted. And it is said that escaping from there is absolutely impossible.”
The old man’s words shocked Emily, and Raphne, feeling uneasy, squeezed my hand tightly.
“Then please don’t die.”
Having fulfilled his role, the old man waved us goodbye.
“Um, Ken. About that trap the old man mentioned… Can we find it like before?”
“It seems incredibly dangerous. We might want to return today and gather information…”
With full of concern, Emily and Mary said this at the stairs leading up to the third floor.
But I smiled and reassured them.
“Don’t worry. I’ve learned enough about the traps on the third floor.”
“R-Right? It’s Ken after all.”
Hearing my confident answer, Emily smiled gently.
But Mary still looked anxious.
“Uh… Ken. Is it really okay? I feel uneasy about this.”
Even Raphne, who had been quiet until now, voiced her concern.
It seems everyone feels something amiss from the atmosphere of the old man sitting at the entrance.
I smiled silently, patting Raphne’s head.
The third floor we reached after that was an area resembling a giant ruined castle.
We stood on the outer castle wall of that ruin.
A vast view and a bottomless cliff stretched under the castle wall we were standing on.
At the edge of the view, the outer wall of the castle loomed, its size hard to gauge.
Unlike the first or second floors, the field was formed into narrow corridors typical of a castle, which limited combat.
Of course, on the flip side, it also made it easier for monsters to cluster in one area, so it was a double-edged sword.
“It’s quite high… Is this below what the old man called hell?”
Siegfried looked down over the edge of the narrow path.
“Well, if you fall, you could probably end up in hell…”
I peered down with him.
An endless darkness.
I had never fallen in the game, but it really looks dangerous.
In this reality, unlike the game, if I leaped down, I could probably fall freely without any issues.
As I continued to gaze down the cliff, my legs began to tremble.
“Really! It’s dangerous, Ken.”
Raphne suddenly pulled my arm and tugged.
“I feel uneasy, so don’t do anything reckless.”
Her expression looked truly troubled, unlike her usual playful self.
I guess the atmosphere of the third floor is adding to that unease.
“Yeah, I’ll be careful.”
I smiled, feeling a bit guilty.
Afterward, we advanced, keeping an eye on our surroundings.
“…Enemies approaching! Skeletons!”
With Mary’s shout spotting the oncoming monsters, our first battle began.
A battle on the castle walls.
Due to the narrow corridors, the number of monsters crowding in was fewer than the first and second floors.
However, because the paths were cramped, coordinating with teammates became difficult.
So, I thought we might struggle quite a bit.
‘…This looks easy enough.’
KRAHAHHAH!!
I saw the skeleton soldiers flying through the air, even from the back.
It resembled leaves swirling in the wind, and it was Raphne at the front making that happen.
She seemed to be putting in more effort than usual, probably wanting to clear the treacherous third floor quickly.
With Raphne’s fierce attacks, the monsters quickly fell.
As we advanced without much risk, we reached the entrance leading inside the castle.
“I’ll take the lead from here. The trap we spoke of is inside the castle.”
Just like how I had done on the ruins and jungle floors, I took the lead to examine the traps.
Upon discovering a trap, I would either detour around it or avoid it.
Unfortunately, thanks to my game knowledge, I could find traps, but I didn’t know how to disable them.
“…Ken, be careful.”
Raphne, who had been leading up to this point, fell behind me and said in a worried voice.
“It’s easier to find than I thought, so it’s okay.”
I tried to reassure Raphne.
It wasn’t a lie.
The traps on the third floor were surprisingly easy to identify compared to the first and second floors.
Even without the hell trap mentioned by the old man, traps like arrow traps and mimics were fairly obvious.
While I navigated the path while checking the map, I suddenly raised a hand and stopped the party.
“Wait.”
“What’s going on? Is there something?”
“There’s a trap. We can’t pass through here.”
I examined the ground and replied to Emily’s inquiry.
“Could it be the trap the old man mentioned…?”
Mary followed up with another question. It must be what’s most concerning for her right now.
“No, this is just a simple floor collapse trap. No need to worry.”
“See? I told you Ken would be fine!”
“Didn’t Emily seem super anxious too?”
Once it was revealed that I wasn’t on guard for no reason, everyone seemed to relax and smile.
“Then let’s take a short break here.”
“Eh? Here? Right next to a trap?”
“There won’t be any monsters near the trap. It’s actually the perfect spot to rest.”
“…Hmm, okay.”
At my suggestion, everyone set their heavy gear down and sat on the ground to relax.
Then they began checking their equipment.
“…Ken.”
During the break, Raphne naturally approached my side.
But unlike her usual cheerful smile, she wore an anxious expression.
I gently smiled at her and stood up from my spot.
Then I glanced at Adrian and Siegfried sitting nearby.
As our eyes met, I then approached the two who were chatting with Mary and Emily.
“Um, Ken? What’s up? Do you need a healing spell?”
“Are you hurt?”
Emily was smiling warmly, and Mary was worried upon hearing her.
I didn’t answer their questions but rummaged through my pockets.
“Hey, do you two remember this?”
I showed them something I pulled from my pocket.
“Eh? …What is this?”
“…Isn’t this from before?”
The item in my hand made Emily and Mary pause in thought before I activated the magical tool.
FWOOSH!
Unlike me, who had turned to stone, it was the first time for the two of them to see how it worked, so they couldn’t avoid it and quickly turned into stone.
“W-Wait…! Ken…?!”
“Ken…! Why…?!”
Before they could finish their words, the petrifying tool completely froze their bodies.
I leaned down to them, knowing their sight and hearing would still be active.
“I’m really sorry, you two. Just hang tight, and I’ll release you soon.”
After delivering my message, I turned my body away.
“K-Ken…!! What are you doing?!”
As Raphne met my gaze, she appeared confused about what was happening.
Seeing Raphne’s troubled expression ached my heart, but I had to proceed with my decision.
“Senpai!”
At my call, Siegfried immediately responded.
“W-Wait. What are you doing!!”
Following my signal, Siegfried held Raphne from behind.
“Ken! KEEN!! Why are you doing this!!”
It dawned on Raphne that her uneasy thoughts were correct, causing her to shout.
The fear washing over her was not for her own safety.
It was all concern for me.
Even in her trapped position, she worried about me, and I smiled softly at her.
“I’m sorry, Raphne. But don’t worry. I’ll definitely come back safely.”
“N-No…! Ken, don’t do this! There must be another way…!!”
Tears welled up in Raphne’s eyes as she shook her head, trying to convince me.
But no matter how much she struggled against Siegfried’s strength, she couldn’t escape.
I softly approached her and gently patted her head.
“Trust me. …And I’m sorry for restraining you like this.”
“Ken…! Huh, KEEEN…!”
“Raphne can’t be petrified because of the pendant. So please bear with it just this once.”
“Don’t do this…! Please, please don’t! If it’s about climbing the tower, I’ll do my best!! So please…!!”
“This is the best option.”
We didn’t have the luxury of time to leisurely climb a tower nearly 100 floors high.
With that much time, the demon lord’s army would start to notice us.
We have to climb the tower as quickly as possible.
I turned to Adrian.
“Then, I will leave the rest to you as explained.”
“Ah, don’t worry about it.”
With a serious face unlike his usual playful smile, he nodded.
I then walked past Raphne to the spot I had just examined on the ground.
“Ken…!! KEEEN!!”
Raphne’s desperate calls weighed heavily on my steps, but I continued onward.
When I reached the ground, my target area:
“Ken.”
I heard Siegfried’s voice from behind me.
I turned to look at him, and he continued to speak, still facing away.
“Make sure… to come back alive.”
I responded with a grin to his words.
“Don’t worry. Please take care of everyone!”
Probably all of this was being seen and heard by Mary and Emily, as well as Siegfried and Adrian, who would carry out future plans.
And finally, by Raphne, who was searching for me and crying.
After answering in a way everyone could hear, I turned my body again.
Then, with one last step.
I stepped forward onto the ground.
…SHHHHHHHH!
From an apparently solid surface, a black liquid sprouted forth and enveloped me immediately.
…。
When the darkness enveloped me and I felt a strange sensation, I opened my eyes to find myself in a location that could truly be called hell.
“…So it’s been a year, huh.”
I was prepared, but experiencing it myself felt overwhelmingly daunting.
“…Sigh, how did I end up in this mess.”
But it couldn’t be helped.
The only way to keep Raphne safe was by using this method.
Purple barren lands.
Bare, gaunt trees without leaves.
A dark sky filled with black clouds.
And in the distance, numerous kinds of monsters could be seen.
I had to survive here from this point on.
‘First, I should find food and water before supplies run out. And then set up a tent near the water…’
I began moving forward, contemplating what I had to do.
Then suddenly.
“KEEEEN…! Huh, KEEEEEEN━!!”
Raphne’s last wailing voice echoed in my mind.
Her sorrowful cry pierced my heart.
I looked up at the sky.
Right now, all I could see was the cloudy, dark sky, but I hoped she could hear me.
“Just wait a week, Raphne. …I’ll be back soon.”
As those waiting would have a week, I would have to survive for a year.
The timer for achieving each of our missions began to tick down.
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