Chapter 164: Chapter 164 Exploration (3)

Exploration (3)

Exploration (3)

My sleepy head cools down rapidly.

It’s a similar principle to how a cooling fan starts spinning when a computer overheats.

‘There’s a rat…’

My heart beats slowly, and my thoughts accelerate.

The Tower of Heaven is an independent floor.

Once the color of the portal changes, no one can follow. There’s no item or hidden piece that I know of that can bypass this.

That means…

‘He entered before the portal changed color.’

He entered with us from the beginning.

Of course, we also waited for a while to make sure no one was following us, and we used a detection spell before departing to prepare for stealth abilities, but…

‘If it’s a 2nd-grade or higher stealth skill, it’s possible to avoid detection. Most magic can’t detect it.’

Of course, that’s just assuming the worst-case scenario.

It’s unlikely that this guy is a big shot with a 2nd-grade essence.

After all, he was caught by the detection spell.

It’s more likely that he used an item or a skill to avoid the detection spell only during the initial entry.

‘The fact that he’s been tailing us until now means he’s not confident in his combat power.’

Alright, I’m suddenly feeling courageous.

Raven is also calmly briefing us on the situation, so it seems like she’s not that scared.

Now, how should I resolve this?

[It doesn’t seem like he’s going to attack me right away. So please think carefully and act accordingly. My life is in your hands—]

I found the answer right away.

“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!”

I quickly get up, shouting the name of the ancestor god.

And I immediately run towards Raven.

[Crazy!!]

Raven screams directly into my head…

…but this is the best option.

If I try to do something clever and she gets taken hostage, it will be a real headache.

And besides, he doesn’t know that we’ve noticed him, right?

People tend to lose their ability to think rationally when they’re surprised.

“Raven! Are you okay!! You appeared in my dream!!”

I even throw in a suitable line as I run.

To make him think, ‘Huh? They didn’t notice?’ even for a brief moment.

I’m giving him false hope.

Of course, I can’t be sure what kind of judgment he’ll make in that split second…

“Kyaak!”

…but he doesn’t break stealth until I reach Raven.

How kind of him.

“What’s going on!!! Is it an enemy!!!”

“…What the, I was sleeping soundly.”

The three of them are startled awake by the commotion in the middle of the night.

It’s the second effect I was hoping for when I shouted the ancestor god’s name.

With this, we can prepare for the rat trying to ambush or take the others hostage.

But did they hear my shout properly even in their sleep?

Misha, who makes eye contact with me, hangs her head low.

As if she’s been shot through the heart.

“You appeared in his dream… so, you two were that kind of relationship…? I, I didn’t know. Right… I didn’t even know… nyaha, haha, ha…”

What is she talking about again?

I just shout without any preamble,

“Battle stations! There’s a rat in here!”

As expected of explorers, the words ‘battle stations’ are absolute.

The three of them instinctively take out their weapons, form a tight formation, and start looking around cautiously.

I quickly move to their side.

“Bjorn, a rat? Do rats appear on the 4th floor?”

“…It means another explorer is hiding in here.”

“I, I see? I was really surprised, thinking it was a real rat!”

…Shouldn’t you be surprised that it’s not a rat?

I have a lot to say, but I hold back.

That’s not what I should be doing right now.

“Raven, where is he?”

“Uh, he’s gone. He’s not caught by the detection spell.”

Right, so he’s in detection avoidance mode again.

I don’t know if it’s an item or a skill.

But if it’s not a passive ability, but an activated one, there’s definitely a time limit.

“Keep using it. Until he appears.”

I send Raven, who I’m hugging, behind me and give another order.

“He has a stealth ability, so focus. He’ll have to reveal himself when he attacks.”

My companions, who seem to have finally grasped the situation, start looking around with serious expressions.

The silence continues for several minutes.

“…….”

He still hasn’t shown himself.

But he won’t be able to hold out forever.

He just needs time to organize his thoughts.

Although he probably won’t find any answers.

“Mr. Yandel…”

“Don’t be impatient. Time is on our side.”

We’re in a stone chamber with all four doors tightly closed.

There’s no way to escape.

If there were a Stairway of Fate, I could create a variable, but there isn’t.

“Just come out. I’ll kill you painlessly.”

That’s when, as I’m looking around and muttering…

“I found him!”

“Where is he?”

“Near the door!”

Right, he was there.

“Can you dispel it?”

“It’s possible since the target is specified.”

“How long will it take?”

Raven doesn’t answer.

She just extends the wand in her hand.

「Arrua Raven has cast the 8th-grade support spell [Expose].」

The jewel embedded at the tip of the wand glows.

And…

Swaaa!

…blue light particles cling to something transparent, forming the shape of a person.

And when the light disappears…

…the figure of the guy who was in stealth is revealed.

“He’s dressed like a rat.”

A masked stranger in a tight-fitting stealth suit.

“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!”

“……!”

Just as I’m about to push off the ground and dash towards him as soon as our eyes meet…

Clack.

…he opens the door wide open as if he’s made up his mind and climbs the stairs.

“Bjorn! He’s running away!”

“Don’t panic and just gather our things first.”

I gather the scattered luggage instead of chasing after him immediately.

Because the door will close if no one is left inside.

Then we won’t be able to come back down to get our things.

Well, there’s also the option of leaving one person here…

‘But why bother?’

There’s no reason to rush.

The place he opened and went up to is none other than the Stairs of Courage.

Monsters don’t even appear until we all go up.

In other words, he’s already trapped.

“I got everything.”

“Then let’s go.”

We shove everything into our backpacks, including the sleeping bags, and then chase after him.

Bang! The stone door closes as soon as we all enter.

I climb the stairs with my shield in front, leading the way.

‘Judging by his eyes, it doesn’t seem like he just ran upstairs mindlessly…’

I’m a bit nervous.

What the hell is he planning?

I’m even more wary of my surroundings since I have no clue.

The stairs soon end…

…and an empty stage is visible beyond the open door.

Well, it’s not exactly empty, is it?

‘Tsk, I didn’t expect this…’

A stone chamber about 40 square meters in size.

A single corpse is melting in the center.

__________________

Kwaaang!

The door closes as soon as we all enter the stone chamber.

And a group of monsters is summoned.

“Is he not caught by the detection spell?”

“No.”

“Fight as if he might be hiding nearby.”

We first maintain a defensive formation and take care of the monsters.

It takes about 6 minutes.

As soon as the battle ends, everyone’s gaze naturally turns to one spot.

“Bjorn, that corpse…”

Misha trails off.

I know what she’s trying to say, so it’s not a problem.

She’s asking if it’s real, right?

I call for the expert.

“Raven.”

“It’s not fake. I can sense traces of mana.”

“In short.”

“It means it’s a recently deceased body.”

“Is there a chance—”

“There’s no way it’s someone else’s corpse. Although it’s faint, the mana wavelength is a perfect match.”

…Right, so that’s how it is.

‘Damn it.’

He committed suicide.

Before we could even exchange a word.

That fact makes me uneasy.

You know those scenes in novels, right?

Where a member of a secret organization swallows poison before being captured.

‘I didn’t even consider this since it’s my first time encountering it.’

I’ve met many bastards, but they all wanted to live until the very end.

This is my first time seeing someone run away and commit suicide like this.

And we didn’t even have a proper fight.

“…I need to check.”

I slowly approach the body and remove the mask.

However, I can’t tell his gender or race.

Because his facial muscles have all melted away.

It’s like a faceless ghost.

“Mr. Yandel, should we take off his clothes?”

I follow the mage’s instructions and remove the corpse’s clothes.

And an even more gruesome sight is revealed.

“As expected, his entire body has melted. It’s not acid or anything. His clothes are fine…”

Raven approaches without hesitation and pokes the corpse here and there with something like a metal rod.

“His bones are intact. His hair is also fine. It seems like a substance that only decomposes protein…”

I can’t help but ask as I watch her examining the corpse without even flinching,

“Are… you okay?”

“Yes? With what?”

“You were throwing up when you saw the Corpse Golem—”

“Ah! That’s because I suddenly smelled something rotten while I was chanting. I’ve seen much more disgusting things while doing experiments, so this is nothing.”

“…I see.”

I think to myself that she has a personality that doesn’t match her appearance.

Even the bear-like man, a 10-year explorer, is looking away.

“…Yandel, are you sure he’s dead?”

“It seems like it.”

“Then I’ll go rest over there. Cheese is my favorite food.”

“Cheese?”

“If I keep looking at this, I won’t be able to eat cheese.”

It’s a reasonable excuse, so I let her go. Ainar and Misha also leave for similar reasons.

“Ch, cheese? I don’t know what it is, but it sounds delicious.”

“Bjorn? I don’t think I’ll be of much help here…”

…Right, there’s no need for everyone to suffer.

“You two go rest.”

I focus on my conversation with Raven.

“Did he take poison?”

“Yes. I don’t know which alchemist made it, but it’s a very unique poison. As soon as you swallow it, the components of the medicine are released through your sweat glands, and your skin melts away.”

“It’s the perfect poison for suicide.”

“Right. Especially if you need to hide your identity.”

I feel even more uneasy.

Who the hell was this guy?

He’s definitely not just an ordinary marauder.

Clank.

I take off the equipment he was wearing.

It’s loot, and…

…there might be a clue that could help us deduce his identity.

“There’s no ID card.”

“…That’s strange.”

It’s more than strange.

You can’t leave the city and pass through the checkpoint without an ID card.

‘Could he really have been sent by the Dragonslayer?’

If he’s from the underground city, it would explain why he doesn’t have an ID card. I continue searching his expandable backpack with that thought.

There aren’t many items.

A few exploration supplies and food.

And…

“Wow, this guy must have been a professional. He has all sorts of things, from Sleeping Herbs to Basilisk Paralysis Poison.”

The rest are all consumables for PvP, and some of them are even rare enough for Raven to be envious.

‘He really was only thinking about killing us.’

I shudder, even though I didn’t even exchange a word with the masked man.

A wicked looting method that exploits the unique characteristics of the 4th floor.

If it weren’t for Raven, he could have really caused a disaster.

“But what were you doing at that time?”

“…I was washing up.”

Ah, right, she said that.

“Why didn’t you do it when everyone was awake?”

“…Um, this is my second time entering the labyrinth, you know? And I’ve only known Mr. Urikfrit for less than a month.”

Right, it’s an adjustment period.

She’s so meticulous that I didn’t even think about it.

Anyway, did she finally realize her appearance?

Raven, who was wearing a thin dress, frowns and opens her subspace pocket to take out clothes.

“Tell me next time. I’ll set up a tent or something.”

“It’s fine. I’m an explorer now. I don’t intend to make a fuss over something like that.”

“If you say so.”

We examine the corpse and chat for a bit longer, but there’s nothing noteworthy.

Therefore, we cover the melted masked man with a cloth and all go to a corner to sleep.

Ah, of course, we decide to keep watch just in case.

I’m the first one.

“….”

As I’m replaying the events of the day in the silence…

…I hear a groaning sound.

It’s coming from Raven’s sleeping bag.

Is she having a nightmare?

Just as I’m wondering if I should wake her up…

…Raven slowly opens her eyes.

“…Mr. Yandel.”

“You’re awake? Don’t worry and go back to sleep. I’m guarding this place.”

“It’s not that, I have a question.”

I tell her to go ahead, and Raven hesitates for a moment before speaking.

“What would have happened… if I hadn’t used the detection spell back then?”

Her tone is completely different from her usual confident self.

That’s when I realize…

…that no matter how calmly she acted and composed herself afterwards…

…she couldn’t have possibly been unaffected.

“Do you want an honest answer?”

“Yes.”

“If we were unlucky, we would have all died, and if we were lucky, one or two of us would have died.”

A moment of silence follows.

“Is… exploration always like this?”

I smile bitterly and nod.

“Yes.”

That you never know when or where you’ll encounter a bastard.

That my life could disappear any day.

That’s what exploration is.

But…

“But don’t worry. It’s not always difficult and horrifying.”

Although I don’t know if it’s comforting…

…I tell her about what happened in Team Misfits.

Dwarkey, who was disheartened after encountering marauders for the first time.

The beautiful scenery of the 3rd floor that Rotmiller showed him.

“The seniors said it was a meaningless mana supersaturation phenomenon.”

Raven chuckles and mutters.

I wonder if this is a traditional mage’s sentiment…

“But I want to see it next time.”

“Okay, I’ll wake you up before midnight next time.”

Soon, I hear a slightly more relaxed breathing sound coming from Raven’s sleeping bag.

And so, Day 8 comes to an end.