Songs in the Void

Arifureta Universe, Tortus, True Orcus Great Labyrinth, 1st Floor. 

Walking hand in hand through the 1st Floor of the True Orcus Great Labyrinth, Tatsuo and Sumire went completely unseen by the magic beasts roaming the floor thanks to Tatsuo's [Stealth]. All the while, Tatsuo kept his right hand against the wall as they explored. 

During their short uneventful exploration, which had only been going on for an hour, or so, Tatsuo and Sumire came across quite a few more Lightning Wolves and Kickmaster Rabbits. And in most cases, whenever they came across the two together,, a pack of Lightning Wolves and a single Kickmaster Rabbit, the two sides would start fighting almost immediately. And unfortunately for the Lightning Wolves, the Kickmaster Rabbit would dominate the fight in every case. 

"So, the wolves really are the weakest monsters on this floor, aren't they?" Sumire said, a little surprised that the normally predatory wolves were so much weaker than the rabbit-monsters, which was usually at the bottom of the food chain in every other situation. "You told me about it before we got here, but this is really weird." 

"Well, different strokes for different worlds… or something like that." Tatsuo replied with a grin. "Either way, their too weak for us to concern ourselves with." 

"I know, but it still doesn't change the fact that it's weird." Sumire replied while watching a Kickmaster Rabbit kick off the air and bring its too feet down on the heads of two Lightning Wolves. 

"Well, it's definitely different than what you would expect." Tatsuo said without even looking in the Kickmaster Rabbit's direction. A moment later, he stopped his steps, causing Sumire, who was holding his hand, to stop, as well. "Oh, this is different." 

"Did you find it?"" Sumire asked. 

The "it" Sumire was referring to was the Divinity Stone, the item that was necessary for her and Tatsuo to raise their power quickly. However, Tatsuo shook his head as he pressed his entire palm against the wall. 

*Zap!* 

In the next instant, arcs of black lightning with purple sparks shot out from the wall surrounding Tatsuo's hand, as well as the [Transmutation Circle] carved into his wrist guard, as he used [Alchemy]. Then, after a few seconds, a fist sized chunk of black ore emerged from the surface of the wall. 

*Thwack!* 

"What is that?" Sumire asked as she stabbed her spear into the throat of the Kickmaster Rabbit who was alerted by the sparks of lightning that momentarily dispelled Tatsuo's [Stealth]. "You said the Divinity Stone is supposed to have a gentle blue glow, right?" 

"That's right." Tatsuo replied as he let go of Sumire's hand before pulling out his Status Plate. He then ran his [Energy] through the black ore while looking down at the Status Plate. "Yup, this is just what I thought it was. It's Taur Stone. On the Mohs Scale, it would rank eight out of ten in terms of harness." 

Like Hajime, Tatsuo also had the Class of Synergist. Though, it was not his only Class, making him the only person with dual Classes in Tortus' history. And after spending time during the class's training to develop his [Transmutation Magic], he had developed a few sub-skills. And the one he just used was [Mineral Appraisal]. And this sub-skill did exactly what one would expect, allow him to see the properties of a mineral that he was unfamiliar with on his Status Plate. 

"I guess that means you have a new material to make weapons with, don't you?" Sumire asked with a smile as she swung her spear, flinging the Kickmaster Rabbit's corpse towards the surviving Lightning Wolf. 

"Yeah, this mineral his harder than any of the materials I've ever dealt with before." Tatsuo replied with a nod as he put his Status Plate back in his pocket. "It's too bad we don't have any mana stones." 

"But don't the monsters in this dungeon have mana stones, too?" Sumire asked as she slung her spear on her back again. "I mean, We've seen them in the monsters we killed before the trap was sprung, didn't we?" 

"Yeah, I checked those out." Tatsuo replied. "They don't work the same as the ones in your world." 

'In fact, I didn't even expect to be able to do [Mana Crafting] with the ones in your world.' Tatsuo thought to himself. 'I only tried it because Everyone Else is a Returnee and ICDS were written by the same author. And I just happened to hit the jackpot.' 

"Oh, I see. Sumire replied. "I really need to get used to the difference in the worlds." 

"Don't think about it too hard." Tatsuo replied as he took Sumire's hand again. "The only reason the rest of us are coping so well is because we have knowledge of a lot of worlds thanks to popular media." 

"I guess." Sumire replied. "It's strange to think a medieval world like Alfonzo's and Lici's world has such advanced anime culture, though. I mean, Japan doesn't even exist there, right?" 

"Who knows?" Tatsuo replied as he placed his right palm on the wall again. "The multiverse is bigger than we could ever imagine. There are infinite possibilities out there." 

"You're probably right." Sumire replied. 

While the two continued to converse, Tatsuo extracted all the Taur Stone from the wall that he could find while storing it in his [Inventory] as soon as it popped out of the wall. Then, the two continued their exploration after a Tatsuo finished. 

After that, Tatsuo and Sumire spent the next six hours exploring the floor before they finally located the Divinity Stone. However, they managed to find two other, useful, minerals while they searched. 

The first was a glowing green stone that was embedded in the walls of the cavern in large amounts, simply known as Green Light Stone. These stones were responsible for dispelling the complete darkness that should be present in a cavern this deep underground. 

And like Hajime from the canon, Tatsuo intended to make these stones into flash grenades when he created a base for himself and Sumire to rest. 

The second of the two minerals Tatsuo found was a flame red ore called Combustion Stone. And just as the name suggested, this tone was highly flammable. And should it be set ablaze, it would continue to burn, using itself as fuel. However, if it was burned quickly enough, it would cause an explosion proportional to the amount of Combustion Stone present. 

Naturally, Tatsuo had the idea to substitute this ore for gun powder. And with the Taur Stone, he would be able to make much higher-powered firearms than the pistols in his [Inventory]. He even had the idea to combine his two primary weapons into one, versatile weapon. 

Then, right at the six hour mark, Tatsuo stopped once again. And when he did, his lips curved into a satisfied smile. Naturally, Sumire noticed Tatsuo's change in expression, too. 

"Did you finally find it, Tatsuo-Kun?" Sumire asked, a smile spreading on her face as well. 

"Yeah." Tatsuo replied simply. "Our search is over." 

Reaching that point, Tatsuo released Sumire's hand. Then, he put his now free hand on the wall, as well. 

"Alright, you'll be on defense, Sumire-San." Tatsuo said, his expression turning serious as he spoke. "I'm gonna have to use a lot of [Energy] to mold this whole section of the wall. And I'm sure that's gonna attract a little attention." 

"Got it." Sumire said in a resolute tone as she pulled her shield and spear off her back. "Don't worry, nothing will interrupt you as long as I'm here." 

Letting his smile reappear on his face in response, Tatsuo quickly reverted back to his serious expression as he started his work. 

*Zap!* 

Just like every time he used [Alchemy], the wall Tatsuo was touching began sparking with black lightning. At the same time, his [Energy] started saturating the area, basically becoming a beacon to all the magic beasts in the area. 

The first magic beast to arrive after feeling the large amount of mana flowing in the area was a Kickmaster Rabbit. And when it saw Tatsuo, the source of the disturbance, it narrowed its eyes before rushing towards him in a burst of speed, moving faster than Kouki's eyes would be able to track, even with his perception skills. 

However, Sumire, who was at least eighty percent stronger than Kouki was, stepped between Tatsuo and the fast approaching Kickmaster Rabbit. 

*Clang!* 

As soon as Sumire raised her shield , the rabbit's foot slammed into it, producing a loud noise that could undoubtedly be heard for a mile in all directions. Yet, Sumire did not budge in the slightest due to the impact. 

Instead, she adjusted the angle of her shield, pushed the Kickmaster Rabbit's foot to her left, and simultaneously thrust her spear at the rabbit's chest. 

Unfortunately, Sumire's Agility Stat was about on par with the Kickmaster Rabbit's. So, it was able to react fast enough to avoid a fatal strike, as it used its other leg to kick off the air and propel itself backwards. 

That said, the rabbit did not escape unscathed, as Sumire's spearhead managed to sink into its chest. However, it was about an inch short of piercing the Kickmaster Rabbit's heart as Sumire intended. 

Unfortunately for the rabbit, that was as far as its instincts would take it in this fight. 

Thanks to the hole in its chest, the blood loss caused by said hole, and the pain of the injury, it did not react fast enough to avoid Sumire's next strike. Instead, all it could do was widen its red eyes when it saw the head of Sumire's spear closing in on the spot between its eyes. 

"Savage." Tatsuo muttered while continuing to [Transmute] the space inside the wall. 

However, Sumire's defensive battle was not destined to end there. Only a moment after the Kickmaster Rabbit breathed its last breath, a pack of six Lightning Wolves made their way over to the location, as well. 

*Swoosh!* 

*Thwack!* 

As soon as the Lightning Wolves entered Sumire's range, she threw her spear with all her might, causing its blade to end up lodged in the forehead of the front most wolf, killing it before it could even whimper in pain. 

At the same time, Sumire was already on the move, sprinting towards the rest of the Lightning Wolves. 

Meanwhile, enraged by the death of their comrade, the five remaining Lightning Wolves' tails started sparking with red lightning. And just as Sumire reached her spear, they all fired the lightning at her. Luckily, Sumire was expecting to be in exactly this situation when she threw her spear. 

So, instead of pulling her spear from the wolf's head, she pushed it deeper. As a result, the spearhead pierced all the way through the wolf's skull, exiting through its throat before piercing into the cave floor. At the same time, she showed off her agility by flipping herself upwards, balancing on the butt of her spear with her right hand. 

*Zap!* 

The bolts of red lightning struck the spear shaft just as Sumire was out of the way. And because Tatsuo and Sumire expected to be in a situation like this one before coming down to the True Orcus Great Labyrinth, the spear she was using was not the one she used in her own world. Instead, it was one Tatsuo made for her that grounded electric currents rather aggressively as long as it was in contact with the ground. 

Once the spear shaft stopped sparking with lightning, Sumire flipped herself down to the ground and swung her weapon in a large arch. And as it just so happened, all five wolves' heads were in the spears path. 

As a result, all five wolves' heads were cut apart, spilling blood, bones, and grey matter all over the cave floor. Meanwhile, Sumire, after confirming the five magic Beasts' deaths, flung the blood off her spear before turning back to return to Tatsuo's side. 

"How's it going, Tatsuo-Kun?" Sumire asked as she took her defensive position next to Tatsuo. 

"I'm almost done." Tatsuo replied. "by the way, that was pretty impressive. Your spatial awareness is amazing. You managed to recognize that all those wolves were in your spear's range in a split second after landing on the floor again." 

 "It's not that big a deal.' Sumire said while her cheeks were dusted in a faint shade of pink. "I'm just really used to a spear of that size. So, I can always tell how much space I have to maneuver my spear." 

"I see." Tatsuo replied. "Then, you shouldn't have a problem dealing with the big guy whose on his way here right now, right?" 

"Huh?" Sumire intoned while tilting her head in confusion. 

A moment later, Sumire widened her eyes in realization, as she could feel the strongest source of magic power she had felt since she and Tatsuo arrived in the True Labyrinth. 

"It got so close before I could notice it." Sumire muttered in disappointment. 

Sumire's disappointment was reserved for herself in this case. And the reason was simple. Ever since she went to the Spider Den Event Dungeon in Yeongdeungpo with Tatsuo, Shin, Yungoong, and Hwaya back in her world, she had asked Tatsuo how he knew where all the spiders were before they showed themselves. And Tatsuo explained how he dispersed his [Energy] to the edge of his range of perception. He also taught her how to accomplish the same. 

"Don't be so down." Tatsuo said without looking in Sumire's direction. "You can't use your mana right now. So, it only makes sense that you can't use the [Mana Dispersal] method right now. But don't worry, that will be taken care of soon enough." 

"*Sigh* I know.' Sumire said as she raised her shield and spear for battle once again. "Anyway, I'll keep the bear thing off you. Just focus on your work." 

"Alright." Tatsuo replied. "Once I'm done, I'll come and help." 

"You don't have to do that." Sumire replied while shaking her head gently. "You're using up so much mana right now. Just leave it to me. You can rest when you're finished" 

"'ll be fine." Tatsuo said with a smile. "I'll help you take care of it when I'm done. It won't be long." 

"If you say so." Sumire said. 

Sumire wanted to say something along the lines of, "I'll probably have killed it before you're done." But since she knew the horrors of tempting Murphy, she only nodded her head as she stepped forward, making sure that the battle would not be so close that it could disturb Tatsuo. 

Only a few seconds after Sumire distanced herself from Tatsuo, a large, bear-like magic beast slowly walked towards her from the corridor. And when it did, it seemed to intentionally ignore Sumire. 

Instead, it looked towards the Lightning wolf corpses on the cave floor. Then, without even offering Sumire a glance, it leisurely lumbered towards the fresh corpses to have a quick meal. 

When the bear-like magic beast got closer, Sumire was finally able to get a good look at it. It stood at nearly eight feet tall while walking on four limbs. Its head, torso, and hind legs were exactly like those of a bear that could be found on earth. Like every other magic beast on this floor of the labyrinth, it had white fur, red eyes, and red vein-like patterns on its fur. 

However, when Sumire saw it's abnormally long, muscular, front legs and the claws that were at least a foot and a half long, she could understand why it was the magic beast on the top of the food chain on this floor. Adding the fact that it could coat its claws in wind magic to increase their length and sharpness, only cemented that notion. 

Ripping into the wolf carcasses with its sharp fangs, the bear-like magic beast made short work of the first wolf. Then, as it moved to start eating the second, it finally shot a glance in Sumire's direction. And that gaze held the meaning of, "Just wait right there. Your turn is coming soon enough." 

However, when the bear-like magic beast saw not an ounce of fear in the unfamiliar creature's eyes or posture, it stopped in its tracks, looking at Sumire in confusion. Never before had any creature in its domain not been terrified whenever it appeared in their vicinity. 

And to the bear-like magic beast, that was unacceptable. 

As the undisputed ruler of this floor the labyrinth, the bear-like magic beast demanded fear from its prey. Yet, this creature showed no signs of it. And when the bear realized that, it narrowed its eyes. Then, it walked away from the wolf corpses, intending to make this creature know its place by eating it alive. 

"I don't like the way it's looking at me." Sumire said quietly as she lowered her stance and raised her shield. "That look of superiority is annoying. Especially when coming from a monster." 

Even so, Sumire had no intention of making the first move. Because she did not know the range of the aforementioned [Wind claws], acting hastily could end with her taking unnecessary damage. And although Tatsuo had potions in his [Inventory], since they had no idea how long they would be in this labyrinth, it would be better to conserve as many resources as possible. 

While the bear-like beast slowly, and menacingly, approached Sumire, it did its best to intimidate her. Unfortunately, it was barking up the wrong tree, as Sumire had been fighting monsters on a daily basis for more than two years. So, there was no way she would be afraid of a monster that was more or less on par with her in terms of strength. 

Noticing that its attempt to intimidate the small creature in front of it were useless, the bear-like magic beast stood up on its hind legs and raised its front legs, prepared to remove the limbs on either side of Sumire's body with one swipe of each claw. Then, to assert its dominance, it opened its mouth to roar. 

*Swish!* 

*Spurt!* 

However, before any sound could come out of its mouth, a pair of arms, each hand holding a bladed knuckle duster, wrapped around the bear-like magic beast's neck from behind. Then, before it could react, those blades were jammed into its neck before the arms were flung outwards, tearing out the magic beast's throat in one attack. 

A moment later, the blades crossed once again. However, this time the blades crossed at the back of the magic beast's neck. Then, the arms disappeared from their place behind the bear-like magic beast. 

An instant later, Tatsuo, the owner of the arms, appeared next to Sumire, who looked a bit despondent. 

"What's with that look?" Tatsuo asked with a grin. 

*Bang!* 

Shortly afterwards, Sumire slowly turned her head towards Tatsuo with a deadpan on her face. At the same time, the bear-like magic beast's head shot up from its neck, accompanied by a blood geyser before the rest of its body fell to the ground. 

"What? I said I was almost done." Tatsuo said, his grin widening with every word. 

Instead of replying, Sumire only turned around. Then, she caught sight of the new hole in the wall where Tatsuo had been working before slowly walking towards it. 

"I was looking forward to that fight." Sumire muttered in a disappointed tone. "And you just stepped in and stole the kill. Tatsuo-Kun, you kill stealer." 

Hearing that, Tatsuo only smiled brightly before putting the bear-like magic beast into his [Inventory]. Then, he followed Sumire towards the base he had just finished creating.