NOVEL NEXT Chapter 53
The day after resting at the shelter.
I sprang up without any warning.
‘Oh, right, I fell asleep at the shelter.’
[Chaos says to relax because everything is fine.]
Level 1 is filled with trash, Level 2 with transcenders.
Nothing ever passes by normally, so I must have been too on edge.
I awkwardly scratched my cheek.
“Haahm. I slept well.”
“Ugh. ⋯It certainly feels good to relax since the shelter is a place where monsters don’t appear.”
As the first one to wake up and sit there in a daze, I saw Yeriell cutely yawning and Lumia stretching like a cat with a lazy expression.
I loosened my stiff throat and spoke up.
“Did everyone sleep well? Alright, let’s get our focus back. We should pick up the pace starting today.”
It felt like the right call to get out of here quickly.
Although they said Level 3 is a wide-open forest area, there’s no shelter there either.
Having experienced Level 2, especially the swamp area, I knew it wasn’t a good place to linger.
Everyone silently agreed, and then began to quickly pack up their sleeping bags and pull out ration food for breakfast.
I left the torches to the two and took out the compass and map.
“Did we forget anything? Let’s get moving.”
I stepped outside the shelter, hoping for a smooth day.
*
For the first few days since departing from the shelter, everything unusually went smoothly.
Even when encountering monsters on the road, it was just bouncing slimes or a few mermen swarming together; that was all.
I didn’t step on any traps or come across other adventurers.
‘This labyrinth isn’t letting me go to the next level this easily.’
At this point, since there shouldn’t be any incidents that need to happen, I was rather becoming anxious.
Had the time I spent in the labyrinth been too intense compared to other adventurers?
‘Isn’t this actually normal? For the first time, I could explore the labyrinth like everyone else.’
Such hopeful thoughts swirled in my head… that’s all I had to say.
Swish—
“Kyah!”
Another group of mermen, it’s really getting annoying.
A chilly sensation tingled in my hand.
The newly acquired trait, Frozen Frost.
I was told I could manipulate weak cold, so I was trying to get used to it by using it whenever monsters appeared.
As far as I’m concerned, the condition of consuming magical power offered me no restrictions.
So I had spent my time focusing on testing the traits and checking their effectiveness.
‘They said it’s weak, but even so, it’s really weak.’
The damage inflicted directly on the enemy was just too low.
At least for the time being, it seems useful for CC or support, but not for offense.
For now, I should focus on the fact that it has potential for growth.
And the fact that there are no penalties like ‘after using, a headache occurs depending on the scale of the technique’ like the purple lightning.
I began experimenting with wrapping cold around my weapon or freezing the ground beneath me.
Lumia and Yeriell saw my experiments with the new trait and cheerfully commented.
“Aren, even though you’re a swordsman, you’ve got these elemental abilities, right? Watching you conjure up lightning and spread cold is kind of fascinating, you know?”
Yeriell giggled.
She ended our conversation with a joke about how the people from the magic tower might find me interesting and want to study me.
“⋯.”
Lumia nodded in agreement and added that if I captured the attention of some eccentric high-level wizard from the magic tower, it could become a headache.
I silently nodded.
‘Indeed, I heard from a book that it’s rare for someone other than a wizard to handle multiple elements.’
Didn’t the magic tower sit at the boundary connecting area 2 and area 3?
It seems like a place I would eventually have to visit as an adventurer, but… I was rather hesitant.
Hearing the word ‘wizard’ brought back memories of the deceased Scarlet; her appearance in the third floor flashed through my mind and made me uneasy.
It wasn’t guilt, but just a weird feeling.
‘Ugh, don’t dwell on it… forget, forget.’
I closed my eyes and shook my head vigorously.
Shoving away unnecessary thoughts and continuing to keep an eye on my surroundings as I moved forward—
Walking, hunting, eating, and sleeping. In this repetitive cycle, I checked the map; how many days had passed?
Before I knew it, we had reached the vicinity of the portal.
“Just a bit further, and after turning the last corner, the portal should appear.”
Both of their expressions brightened.
“Phew, finally leaving this annoying Level 2… no matter how long the next one takes, I’m sure it’ll be at least ten times better than this swamp area.”
Yeriell sighed in relief.
Aside from everything else, it seemed the damp and suffocating environment had been bothering her a lot.
Lumia felt the same way.
“Definitely, they said Level 3 would be nothing but forests and plains. Ugh, I want to escape already.”
“Everyone’s so eager. Alright! Let’s go quickly.”
With a boost of energy, we quickened our steps and turned the final corner toward the portal.
No. I was about to turn.
Thud!
Suddenly, Lumia tugged on my sleeve urgently, making my ears perk up.
“I think we should stop. I can hear the monster’s cries from here. It’s clear there’s a battle going on up ahead.”
…If it were just a regular group of monsters fighting, she wouldn’t be making such a serious face.
“What’s the scale and the actors involved in the battle?”
“There’s a party of adventurers—about 4 to 5 of them—fighting against a single monster. Most importantly, the monster looks quite big.”
[Chaos is worried that it might be a troublesome situation again.]
Hah, damn it.
Did I get too buoyant just because I had been moving comfortably for the past few days?
Nothing ever goes easy till the end.
The party should be manageable, but a big monster, huh?
Slimes, a bunch of blind cave mermen, and cave snakes.
These three don’t fit the conditions that Lumia mentioned.
However, if we take out the ones mostly appearing in the swamp area, what else could be left? Special species? Rare species?
Or could it be, higher species?
Whatever it is, it’s bound to be a challenging fight…
If that party up ahead has the strength to finish the battle effortlessly.
Just getting closer could stir up trouble.
From one perspective, merely watching and waiting for them to miss their chance to jump in could be seen as a Steal Fox.
But on the flip side, if the adventurers were struggling or in mortal danger, it would be a whole different story.
What should I do?
“Let’s not approach recklessly; let’s first slowly circle around and observe the battle.”
Nodding in agreement.
Okay. We’ll keep our distance and watch; if it looks like they’re about to bite the dust, we’ll jump in.
If it seems they can take care of it on their own, we’ll just wait behind, even if it takes a bit longer for them to teleport.
I don’t want to stir up trouble just before heading to Level 3.
Sending a signal backward, I cautiously began to walk forward.
Shaaaa—!!!
A wild, ear-splitting howl erupted from afar, drilling into my ears.
As soon as I turned the corner, I saw—
“Robert, I’ll draw its attention, so back off and recuperate!”
“Ugh… I’m sorry!”
A clear view revealed a struggling party of five and a horrifying monster with the form of a sea serpent, its long, huge body.
The moment I laid eyes on it, I instantly recognized it from the knowledge I gained at the library.
That’s… a higher species known as the Pool Serpent.
*
Pool Serpent.
Among the vast tomes related to the labyrinth at the library, I somehow found it in the monster compendium of Level 2.
It’s characterized by using various patterns of water-type attacks, having a tough hide, and being incredibly ferocious, with a body length between 5 to 10 meters.
They are extremely rare; it’s almost unheard of seeing one in Level 2 unless you’re immensely unlucky.
If only it could be captured, its components like the horns or scales are highly valuable, and there’s a chance for randomly dropping items.
Yeah. If only it could be caught.
Shvwoosh!
Boom!
“Gehk.”
With a monstrous roar, the area around the Pool Serpent gathered water into a sphere before exploding with a resounding blast like a bomb.
The tank who was drawing aggro to buy time for the healer got slammed as he nimbly dodged the Pool Serpent’s attack, getting hit straight on by the water bomb and going flying.
“Gail!! Ugh…!”
[Robert casts ‘I will protect you’.]
The tank snapped back to focus and, despite not fully healing, returned to the fray.
‘This could lead to a vicious cycle. Did they underestimate such a higher species before engaging them?’
Even the fragmentary information I have about higher species suggests…
They’re simply stronger than regular entities from the level where they spawn and also capable of employing unique abilities, making them much more formidable and tricky.
‘If this continues, they might get wiped out. I can’t just keep watching; I need to add to the fight.’
After all, to use the portal, we have to deal with the creature blocking our path in the first place.
I believe that with my current strength, I can manage to take it down…
Of course, I’m no fool.
However, even if it looks doable, I don’t see a reason to just stand by while five people get torn to shreds.
So, I’ll help defeat the Pool Serpent and express my gratitude, then carry on.
But if they happen to say something rude like “We could’ve handled it ourselves without you,” when it’s all said and done, I can deal with them then.
“Let’s go. We have to fight to get to Level 3, whether it’s with three or eight of us. Yeriell, buff!”
“Okay! May light bless your blade, and the winds surround your body!”
[Thanks to Divine Weapon, your strength increases by one level for an hour.]
[Thanks to Haste, your agility increases by one level for an hour.]
I instructed them to take a safe position after me and support me.
Bang!
I burst the amassed magic in my feet and rushed forward.