Team Play (3)
Team Play (3)
The 4th floor, Tower of Heaven, has a stage-based structure.
After completing a trial, a door opens, and you choose one of three staircases to proceed to the next stage.
For reference, there are four types of staircases.
Courage, Wisdom, Patience, and Fate.
We’ve never chosen the Stairs of Fate until now.
First of all, its appearance rate is less than 5% compared to the other staircases…
…and the Stairs of Fate has too many variables.
There was no need to choose it.Not until all three doors are Fate.
“Hmm, can’t we just enter any of them? Nothing happened when I chose it before. Just monsters appearing and that’s it.”
Of course, Fate isn’t always dangerous.
As Misha just said, even if you choose Fate, you usually go through the trials of Courage, Wisdom, or Patience.
However…
“It seems like Miss Misha was just lucky. I read in a book that the type of trial is random.”
…the problem is that there’s a 20% chance of experiencing a different type of trial instead of the three staircases.
There were a total of 32 types in the game.
Being sent back to the 1st floor, a 5th-grade monster appearing, being suddenly trapped in a sealed room, and so on.
‘They were ridiculously difficult, the rewards were shitty, and some of them were just there to screw you over.’
So unless you were aiming for a specific reward, Fate was a trial that you should always avoid if you were there to hunt.
Well, it’s a bit different now, though.
Just as I’m organizing my thoughts…
“Bjorn, why are you just standing there?”
My companions, who were discussing what to do next, ask for my opinion.
“We’ve agreed that it’s better to just enter any of them. It’s a bit disappointing to just waste the remaining time, isn’t it?”
I nod in agreement.
“That’s true.”
We’re in the later stages of the 4th floor.
At our current hunting speed, we can earn up to 300,000 stones in four days.
That’s per person, not before dividing it into five.
Since we spent most of our time traveling to get here, each day here has a significant impact on our total income.
Right, it’s only natural for them to think that way.
‘They don’t know what this means.’
Three Stairs of Fate never appear at the same time on the 4th floor.
If they do, it means one thing.
That we’ve reached a special stage.
And that we can now enter one of three hidden fields.
‘…The probability is 1 in 3.’
I look at the three doors and contemplate which one to choose.
And then I realize something and chuckle.
“Misha.”
“Huh?”
“Why don’t you choose which one to enter?”
If I choose, things will probably go wrong.
_____________________
Misha looks at the other party members as if asking for their opinion.
However, they just shrug as if to say they’ll trust her choice.
“Ah, this is a lot of pressure…”
In the end, Misha sighs and then glares at me before approaching one of the open doors. It’s the door in the center, based on the stairs we climbed up.
“Just so you know, I’m not responsible if a strange monster suddenly appears.”
The dwarf chuckles as Misha covers her bases.
“Hahaha, what are you talking about? Are you trying to avoid responsibility?”
“…What? You crazy dwarf!”
“Hi, Hikurod, stop it. You’re making Miss Misha uncomfortable…”
It’s the usual bickering of Team Misfits, happening three times a day.
I sigh and look to the side, making awkward eye contact with Rotmiller and smiling.
“Alright, everyone, stop it and let’s just go.”
As Rotmiller mediates the situation and takes the lead, everyone stops talking and gets into formation.
Bang!
The door closes, and darkness envelops us.
It’s a darkness so thick that we can’t see an inch ahead.
Courage, Wisdom, Patience… it’s a different beginning from any of those trials, and everyone is momentarily flustered.
Rotmiller then mutters briefly.
It’s the most important information when you’re in an unfamiliar situation.
“There are no immediate enemies.”
The presence or absence of enemies.
Rotmiller first informs his companions of that and then warns,
“Stay still. There might be traps.”
He’s a good scout, after all.
He must have made that judgment in a split second.
What he needs to do.
Of course, it’s the same for the dwarf.
“Bjorn, I’ll watch the rear, so just focus on the front.”
His voice is serious, devoid of his usual playfulness.
The moment their voices overlap, the surrounding darkness lifts.
Straight passages branching out in all directions like a maze.
Torches are hanging on the walls at regular intervals, creating an eerie atmosphere.
I quickly check my surroundings and come to a conclusion.
「Character has entered Larkaze’s Labyrinth.」
Larkaze’s Labyrinth.
One of the three hidden fields in the Tower of Heaven.
Its characteristic is that even Guides can’t use their abilities in this labyrinth.
And…
「Field effect – Guardian of Balance is applied.」
「The stats of all entrants are adjusted equally.」
…the total stat points of all characters are redistributed based on the number of people.
“Wh, what! What is this! Did I choose the wrong one? Rotmiller!”
Misha, who has checked the surroundings, looks at Rotmiller with an anxious expression.
However, there’s no way he could answer.
“I’m sorry. I don’t have any information about this phenomenon either.”
“I, I’m the same. I’ve never heard of a phenomenon where the Stairs of Fate lead explorers to a place like this.”
“Ugh, it’s not dangerous, right…?”
Everyone keeps their mouths shut at Misha’s question.
It’s ironic, but the thing that explorers fear the most is the unknown.
“…….”
A chilling silence falls.
However, it doesn’t last long.
They start talking hurriedly, as if the silence from a moment ago was a lie.
“…How about we just stay here? There are only 4 days left, so we can just endure.”
“We don’t know anything about this space yet. If it’s a space with a similar structure to a rift…”
“Then we’ll be trapped here forever in four days!!”
All sorts of speculations and anxieties are poured out.
Well, it would be different if it were the 5th floor, where information sharing is almost non-existent…
…but how could they have known that they would end up in a place like this on the 4th floor?
“How about we check our condition first?”
“Huh?”
“Misha, do you feel any different?”
I pretend not to know and lead them to check their condition first.
“Ah, come to think of it… I feel a bit lighter?”
Misha’s reaction is uncertain.
“Hmm, I don’t really feel anything. Isn’t it just your imagination?”
The dwarf, who has average stats among the party members, doesn’t feel any change.
Unlike Rotmiller or Dwarkey.
“It’s not imagination. I can’t not notice this overflowing vitality.”
“I, I’m the same. My mana capacity has increased significantly. At this rate, even 6th-grade magic should be possible, but what the hell is going on…?”
What’s going on?
It’s all because it was converted from my stats.
Even though I only have three essences, they’re all essences with ridiculously high base stats.
Damn communism.
‘Just how much muscle loss is this…?’
I rest my mace on the ground to distribute the weight, feeling heavy.
Misha is the first to notice my action.
“Bjorn? Are you hurt?”
“My body feels strange. I feel weak.”
“What?!”
While Misha approaches me with a worried expression…
…Rotmiller offers a guess.
“There must be a condition. It’s not a space where everyone just becomes stronger.”
“Condition? What kind of condition makes me weaker and you guys stronger? This is unfair!”
I subtly drop a hint while pretending to ask.
As expected, Rotmiller comes up with a plausible hypothesis.
No, is it even right to call it a hypothesis at this point?
“Maybe our stats got mixed up…”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I’m not sure yet, so I’ll tell you later when things are sorted out.”
Hmm, it seems like he’ll explain it to them without me having to do anything.
So I move on to the next topic.
We don’t have time to keep chatting.
“Then what are we going to do now?”
“Bjorn, what do you think?”
“I think it’s best to explore this place and find a way out.”
“Why?”
I answer without hesitation,
“If it’s a place that others don’t know about, doesn’t that mean the rewards will be greater?”
“That’s a very explorer-like perspective.”
I puff out my chest at Rotmiller’s comment.
No matter what you call it, the ultimate goal of an explorer is money.
And I’m definitely motivated.
“Well, we’ll be trapped here in four days if we just stay put…”
“Hahaha, we’re explorers, aren’t we? It would be good to at least explore the surroundings.”
A spark of enthusiasm appears in the eyes of the three who were anxious and uneasy.
Of course, Dwarkey’s words were the decisive factor.
“Ah, ah! I just thought of this, but maybe this is a part of the last Archmage’s plan!”
“What? You mean Gavrilius’s plan?”
“Indeed… that’s possible. The three Stairs of Fate appearing at the same time, and this strange phenomenon.”
Gavrilius’s plan.
In short, it’s what these people call the ‘hidden pieces’ that I refer to.
The dwarf exclaims with ambition,
“Right! It’s still part of the 4th floor. There’s no way a ridiculous monster will appear!”
Four days left until the labyrinth closes.
And so, the final expedition of Team Misfits begins.
______________________
Larkaze’s Labyrinth.
It’s not the type of hidden field I was hoping for when I let Misha choose.
Although it has the best final reward among the three…
‘…it’s probably impossible to clear within four days.’
It takes a long time because of its maze-like structure.
Finding the boss is one thing, but defeating it with our current strength requires a lot of preparation.
Therefore, I also decide not to push it.
Unlike what these guys are worried about, it’s not a place where you get trapped if you don’t clear it within the time limit…
…and there are some pretty attractive rewards scattered throughout the labyrinth.
“Then let’s go.”
We get into formation as planned and step into the labyrinth.
“It seems like it’s okay to keep going.”
I take the lead, and Rotmiller follows closely behind, checking for traps.
Ah, and the dwarf is at the very back.
Because monsters don’t just appear from the front here.
“Miss Misha, don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
“What are you talking about? I should be the one protecting you.”
“Huhu, then let’s protect each other.”
“…What are you talking about?”
Anyway, because of that, our two main damage dealers are positioned in the center.
It’s the safest place, and they also need to be able to support both the front and the rear depending on the situation.
[Meeek, meeek, meeek!]
About 3 minutes after we start exploring…
…a monster appears from a fork in the path.
It’s the first reward of Larkaze’s Labyrinth.
“It’s a monster I’ve never seen before. Bjorn, be careful.”
A monster we’re encountering for the first time.
That alone is like a godsend to us.
[Dungeon and Stone] is a game where you can’t even reach level 5 even if you kill all the monsters up to the 4th floor.
Isn’t that ironic?
You need to absorb at least five 6th or 7th-grade essences to hunt safely on the 5th floor, but you can’t reach level 5 without going to the 5th floor.
‘This is why there are no newbies.’
Ah, wait, if you reach the 5th floor, you’re not a newbie anymore, are you?
I dismiss the unnecessary question and grip my shield with both hands.
It feels a bit awkward without the mace…
…but it’s too heavy to swing with one hand at my current strength, so I put it in my backpack.
I judged that it’s better to just leave the damage dealing to the damage dealers.
[Meeek!!!]
The monster, which was hesitating in the distance, roars and charges towards me.
And at the same time, Dwarkey shouts,
“Ah, I saw this in a book! It’s a Vykuntus!”
6th-grade monster, Vykuntus.
It’s easy to imagine if you think of a bipedal goat.
Its height, including its majestic horns, is about 2.5 meters.
For reference, its weapon is a giant halberd that it holds in both hands.
Kwaaang!
The halberd strikes my shield, and I feel its heavy weight throughout my body.
I’m glad I decided to leave the mace behind.
It would have been difficult to hold out in this state if I were using one hand.
‘Damn it.’
Is it because I shared my precious physical stats with my companions?
It feels like I’m fighting a 5th-grade monster, not a 6th-grade.
Well, the battle itself isn’t difficult.
「Liol Wobu Dwarkey has cast the 8th-grade support spell [Freezing Enhancement].」
「Liol Wobu Dwarkey has cast the 8th-grade attack spell [Ice Spear].」
While I’m blocking the goat’s attacks, Dwarkey completes his single-target attack spell.
“Bjorn!”
Dwarkey calls out to me, and I immediately dodge to the side as we practiced.
This is something that always happens.
But what is this?
Whoosh!
The size of the ‘Ice Spear’ that grazes past me is different.
The wind pressure alone makes my skin cold.
And naturally, the result is also different from usual.
Kwaaang!!
It’s an impact sound that wouldn’t be out of place if a ‘Fireball’ had hit it.
“Huh?”
Misha, who was waiting for the right moment to follow up, lets out a gasp.
It’s understandable.
The Vykuntus, a 6th-grade monster, is already disappearing into light.
「Killed Vykuntus. EXP +4」
Geez, my physical stats decreased so much…
…it’s all because it was converted into his mana.
“Is this… my magic…?”
I look at Dwarkey, who is muttering to himself, and realize…
…that he’s no longer a half-assed mage in this place.
That means…
‘This changes things.’
It wouldn’t be bad to aim for clearing this place.
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