Beyond Abyss 50

Chapter 50 Interlude Eight – Battle & Slips

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Edited by: Kanaa-senpai

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 When the usual light burst forth, it revealed the surroundings enclosed by stone walls – the 2nd floor. It was the same place where I had dived with Maekawa-san and the others before.

 ”Over here, Tsuchimiya-kun.”

 Maekawa-san and the others descended from the Magic Circle, aligning themselves into formation as they walked towards the northern exit.

 Following the plan, I positioned myself to the right of Nishina-san, the rearguard. Unless the situation became dangerous, I intended to focus on protecting Nishina-san.

 The fairly spacious room was filled with many parties resting or holding meetings, making it feel cramped.

 It was the first time I had seen so many students in the dungeon. For some reason, it felt like everyone was looking at us.

 ”Are we being watched?”

 ”Maybe it’s… Tsuchimiya-kun’s spear?”

 ”The Kondou Spear, perhaps?”

 ”That’s really standing out.”

 The revamped Kondou Spear, also known as Mrk-II. There is no trace of the homemade feel it used to have. If I had to say, it’s just like a decorative cloth. In the previous dive, Maekawa-san and the others were worried about why I wasn’t using the Goblin Spear, but now it has become a splendid deep blue spear.

 ”In this area, there aren’t many people who have such beautiful weapons besides gifts. The security is still good here, but in areas where Demiurge gathers, I’ve heard stories of people getting their gift weapons stolen, so you should be careful of theft.”

 ”My weapon looks nice despite its performance, so I’ve almost been targeted before.”

 It seems pretty rough here. Especially since a spear is long, it stands out even more. By the way, Tina said that White Lady, Hano-san’s gift sword, has fairly high latent abilities.

 Maekawa-san and the others leave the room, walking confidently down the corridor, while Nishina-san checks the map to confirm the position.

 After a while, as we turn a corner, I notice monsters approaching from ahead. Before I can warn the group, Satou-san speaks up first.

 ”There are two or three coming from ahead. Be careful.”

 The group halts, and Nishina-san prepares her magic.

 Despite being only Level 2, it seems Satou-san has acquired the skill of sensing presences.

 As the group turns the corner, hobgoblins appear, and Nishina-san fires off her magic preemptively.

 ”Ice Arrow!”

 The ice arrow pierces the chest of one hobgoblin directly. The remaining two charge towards us, but as Nishina-san steps back, Maekawa-san and Hano-san, the vanguard, calmly prepare their stances. It seems they’ve got their coordination down pat.

 Hano-san suddenly jumped out in front when the distance closed in.

 ”Oh! Chika!”

 Maekawa-san exclaimed in surprise, but Hano-san ran through the space between the two and the hobgoblins fell forward and tumbled over in their momentum.

 ”Hehe! Lucky♪”

 At first, she was really nervous and stiff with the two hobgoblins, but now she’s quite used to it.

 ”Hey, hey! How was that just now?”

 Hano-san asked happily.

 ”It seems like you’ve gotten used to fighting the goblins. You’re definitely getting stronger.”

 ”Right, right! Keep praising me more!”

 ”But what you just did wasn’t good. It was quite dangerous.”

 ”Huh!?”

 ”Maybe you’re judging the reaction speed of the Hobgoblins based on experience, but you didn’t anticipate being attacked at all. Sometimes, there are creatures on lower floors that have skills. I can’t say for sure that Hobgoblins don’t have skills. If a sharp attack had come, you would have been hit hard. You were too careless.”

 ”Uh, umm…”

 ”You’re already catching up to regular Hobgoblins in speed, but you still haven’t mastered the basics. It’s better to practice fighting with stronger opponents in mind. No matter how strong you become, death can come in an instant with just one mistake. There’s no second chance, so let’s not let your guard down.”

 ”Yeah… you’re right. I’m sorry.”

 Hano-san looked down, feeling remorseful. It might seem harsh, but I really want everyone to be careful. With that ‘voice’ around, I’m always worried about the safety of this party. Since I don’t get many chances to dive together with them, it’s even more important to be cautious.

 ”Um, Hano-san is really good at being decisive. It would be nice if you could make me feel more at ease.”

 ”Yeah! I got it! I’ll do my best!”

 It’s also nice that Hano-san is straightforward despite her appearance. Her movements have improved a lot, and I can tell she’s been practicing.

 ”Hehe, it was definitely a good thing to have Tsuchimiya-kun come. Chika was getting too carried away, and there were many nerve-wracking moments.”

 Satou-san leaned in and whispered softly.

 ”Thanks, Tsucchi! You were worried about me, right?”

 Just when I thought Hano-san was running towards me, she hugged me and kissed me.

 ”!?”

 A smooth tongue entered my mouth and licked the back of my upper jaw as we separated.

 ”Alright! I feel better!”

 Hano-san smiled and went back to the vanguard. Then, Nishina-san wrapped her arm around mine and snuggled up close, staying glued to me even as the line moved forward.

 After that, we continued to encounter goblins and hobgoblins frequently. Even when a white hobgoblin appeared, Maekawa-san and the others quickly defeated it without panicking.

 ”Everyone has become reliable, huh?”

 ”Yeah… It’s thanks to Tsuchimiya-kun. And also because I’ve become an Evold, but I’m not as scared as before. It used to feel like we could be wiped out at any moment. Now, the dungeon is kind of fun.”

 Nishina-san lifted her face and smiled. Fun… huh. It seems like it’s necessary for girls to adapt to the dungeon by becoming more inclined to attack. I think becoming more inclined toward other things too might be a bit much, but maybe these are inseparable parts of the relationship here.

 They had advanced quite deep when they sensed the reactions of over ten monsters in a large room ahead. What will Maekawa-san and the others do?

 ”There are a lot of them in the previous room. Probably more than ten. Be careful.”

 Satou-san warned quietly.

 ”Let’s go with retreat plan A.C. Tomo-chan, please get ready.”

 ”Okay!”

 Nishina-san put away the map and positioned herself behind the vanguard at Maekawa-san’s command. Satou-san switched with Hano-san to become part of the vanguard, while Hano-san moved back to keep watch from behind.

 As Maekawa-san and Satou-san entered the room, the goblins inside began to shout, and their footsteps approached.

 As Maekawa-san and Satou-san made their way back to the hallway, Nishina-san cast a spell.

 ”Iceburn!”

 Near the entrance, it was frozen and covered with frost. The goblins who rushed in slipped and fell. Maekawa-san poked the goblin that had fallen in front of the entrance with a spear and finished it off. Satou-san stabbed and killed the hobgoblin who had put its hand on the entrance and raised its sword.

 The two of them continued to back away and took down the hobgoblins jumping into the passage one after another with their spears.

 It was difficult to even approach the narrow passage with spear wielders with long reach. The hobgoblin corpses lined up in the passage in no time.

 Soon, five or six of them jumped into the passage together.

 ”Let’s go, Tomo-chan!”

 Nishina-san thrust her staff when Maekawa-san shouted. I thought, “Is it Ice Spear?” but Maekawa-san slammed a Water Ball into the leading hobgoblin. The splashing water stopped the group’s charge.

 ”Permafrost!”

 When Nishina-san shouted, the group of hobgoblins covered in frost stopped moving. Water droplets in the air froze, sparkling like jewels. This must be the evolved form of Iceburn!

 ’That girl is amazing. By scattering water first, she makes it easier to freeze and compensate for the lack of power from low levels.’

 Tina said, floating on my shoulder without me noticing.

 Maekawa-san and Satou-san charged forward, finishing off the monsters that had become as still as snow sculptures. In the end, they defeated fourteen monsters without much difficulty.

 ”You’re incredible. Your decisions are spot on, and the combo of Water Magic and Ice Magic is powerful.”

 ”Hehe, I got lots of advice from Tsuchimiya-kun. I’ve been thinking about whether Waterball could be used for something.”

 Maekawa-san smiled gently as she said that. At first, she didn’t seem to understand anything about fighting, but now she can fight according to the situation. I think Maekawa-san is quick-witted, calm, and suitable as a leader. Also, she had been thinking about using the Water Ball to drown the enemy.

 ”About the Water Ball, can it be used to drown the enemy?”

 ”Drown them?”

 Maekawa-san looked surprised.

 ”Oh, actually, there’s a magic like that in the game. It seems like the Water Ball can be controlled finely, so if you cover the mouth and nose of a monster with water, it might turn into a nasty attack magic.”

 ”I see… I hadn’t thought of that. It does seem useful. I’ll try it later.”

 Having knowledge like this definitely gives an advantage to otaku in dungeon exploration.

 While we were talking, Maekawa-san suddenly had a surprised look on her face.

 ”Oh… it looks like I just leveled up.”

 Maekawa-san hugged her arms and shivered a little.

 ”Congratulations, Hiromin! Did you change classes?”

 ”Just a moment. Um… I’ve changed to ‘Magic Spearman.’ I’ve learned skills like ‘Water Mirror Shield’ and ‘Cleansing (Aqua Wash)’ magic.”

 ”It’s a hybrid class! Hiromin, you’re definitely suited for the vanguard!”

 ”I don’t know if I’m suited, but I only learn life magic and hardly any attack magic. I guess I have to do my best as a vanguard.”

 Maekawa-san says with a wry smile.

 ”Hiromi, maybe you should get used to it first?”

 ”I wonder… I don’t feel the discomfort like when I reached level 2.”

 ”Sometimes unexpected power can come out in a sudden step, so it’s good to pay attention to the details of your movements.”

 ”Got it. I’ll take a little time.”

 It seems we’ve reached a large room where hobgoblins are gathering in front of us in the morning. While Maekawa-san is getting ready, Satou-san goes out as a scout to scout out the planned exploration points.

 Satou-san’s movements are being checked on the automap, steadily expanding the exploration area while defeating or bypassing encountered monsters. Eventually, when we reach what seems to be the room where the boss is, we start to head back this way.

 At that moment, my phone suddenly vibrates, and when I look at the screen, there’s a message from Himeno. It’s not on silent, so it must be for conversation. I guess I can communicate between the dungeon and the academy. I have no idea how the distance works.

 Right now, Maekawa-san and Hano-san are having a mock battle, while Nishina-san and I are watching.

 As I open the screen, I can’t help but almost let out a sound, keeping an eye on Nishina-san.

 The attached image shows Himeno wearing light blue underwear, facing away with her hands on her hips, twisting her upper body to look back. Her legs are long and pose like a model, but what catches the eye is her almost exposed white round butt covered by a thong underwear.

 I can’t help but be mesmerized. I’m definitely saving this forever.

 Just as I’m thinking that, another image is sent.

 This time, she’s facing forward, but she’s not wearing a thong this time. Only a single string is covering the important parts. This is a string panty!

 Oh no! It’s so s*xy!

 Furthermore, images keep coming in one after another from Higurashi and Kanon.

 Higurashi is wearing daring black underwear with a garter belt and black stockings.

 She looks quite mature in the images and it makes my heart race. The material is really good, this one.

 Kanon is blushing and pushing out her chest in red underwear, looking a bit embarrassed, but her chest is really noticeable and it’s making me feel bad down there.

 What are you guys even doing?! This is awesome!

 Nishina-san glanced at me with a puzzled look, so I hurriedly closed the screen and put away my phone.

 I’ll look at it later when I’m not so distracted.

 About twenty minutes later, Satou-san came back. I hope she comes back in about ten minutes, even if the area is small.

 But this morning, when I entrusted Himeno with the reconnaissance as part of the training, she didn’t come back for more than thirty minutes. Watching on the auto-map, it felt like she was exterminating the monsters on the floor with the momentum of a slaughter drone.

 ”Akarin, welcome back! How was it?”

 ”I found the boss room.”

 ”We finally found it, huh? We were planning to recruit other parties and challenge it together, but what should we do now? Tsuchimiya-kun is here today, so it’s a chance, right? If Akari’s level goes up, it might be worth a shot.”

 Maekawa-san glanced at me briefly. With the current Maekawa-san and others, they should be qualified enough to challenge the floor boss.

 ”Actually, my level went up just now. My class is ‘Scout.’”

 A scout, huh? It feels like a lower-level class of Thief with many dedicated skills, but it’s specialized in exploration, so it’s not bad.

 ”Congratulations, Akarin! So, are we going ahead like this?”

 ”Well, about that… actually, the door to the boss room is open.”

 ”Huh? What does that mean?”

 ”It seems like someone already defeated the floor boss. Should we wait for it to respawn tomorrow, or should we just go to the 3rd floor layer as it is? What do you think?”

 ”…”

 Maekawa-san put a hand on her chin and then spoke up after thinking for a bit.

 ”We still have time today, so maybe it’s a good idea to go to the 3rd floor layer and see how it looks. If it still seems too tough, we can return using the teleportation Magic Circle on the 2nd floor layer. What do you think?”

 ”I agree! It’s reassuring to have Tsucchi with us today!”

 ”Yeah, sounds good to me.”

 ”I think that’s fine too.”

 Everyone was in agreement.

 ”Alright, then it’s settled. Is it okay with you too, Tsuchimiya-kun?”

 ”Yeah, no problem.”

 Judging by their appearance, Maekawa-san and the others seemed capable enough to handle the 3rd floor layer. I wished they could experience a boss battle while I’m here, but timing isn’t always perfect.

 Satou-san led the party forward while looking at a simple hand-drawn map. We encountered some Hobgoblins along the way, but we reached the boss room without much trouble.

 When weentered the boss room, we noticed a puddle of blood on part of the floor.

 ”Did someone get hurt?”

 ”Yeah, probably. If it’s monster blood, it evaporates quickly when defeated. Judging by this, it seems like a pretty serious injury.”

 Because monster blood and splatter disappear quickly when they die, we don’t have to worry about getting dirty, which is helpful. Actually, even if you’re hit with a poison attack, once the monster is killed, the physical poison disappears.

 ”Instead of using a lot of healing potions and then moving on to the next floor, wouldn’t it be better to go back to school and get proper treatment?”

 ”So, that means beyond those stairs…”

 ”No one’s there? This is our chance!”

 If we can find a chest popping up in its usual spot, we’ll be the only ones who know about it right now. If we come back when it respawns, we’ll have multiple chances to get it.

 With determination, we descended the stairs and entered a large, rough stone room. To the left of the stairs was a teleportation Magic Circle, and on the left and right sides of the square room were two exits each.

 There are bloodstains leading to the teleportation Magic Circle, but there are no other players nearby as shown on the map.

 Satou-san heads out for reconnaissance towards the exit on the right.

 After Satou-san scouts for a while, a party dives out of the teleportation Magic Circle. It seems like the party that had finished healing had returned.

 ”Oh, sorry to interrupt.”

 Maekawa-san awkwardly greets the party of three boys and four girls.

 ”Oh, hello. We hurried back, but it seems like you beat us to it.”

 The leader-like third-year boy responds with a wry smile. He looks surprised, but there is no tension in the air.

 ”I’m Jojima, a third-year student. In the future, it would be appreciated if we could exchange information on monsters, though I won’t go as far as saying we’ll cooperate.”

 ”I’m Maekawa, second year. That would be helpful for us too. Nice to meet you.”

 Maekawa-san reaches out her hand, and Jojima-senpai shakes it, exchanging a handshake.

 ”Right now, my scout is exploring the corridor ahead.”

 ”You’re using scouts properly. That’s good. We’ll search the eastern side. If you find the boss room, let us know when we meet face to face, we won’t get in your way.”

 ”Got it. Let’s help each other out as much as we can.”

 It’s good that they seem like gentlemanly people. I tend to go my own way without involving anyone else, but I suppose these lateral connections are important too.

 Just as Jojima-senpai and the others sent out scouts and we were chatting with them, Satou-san returned and we formed a line to enter the corridor.

 ”The party that defeated the floor boss has returned, huh?”

 ”Yes. They seem like nice people.”

 Maekawa-san is sociable and had already hit it off with Jojima-senpai and the others. Maybe I should learn from them in that aspect. It’s probably impossible for me though.

 ”In the passage ahead of this hallway, there were several bird-shaped monsters, so I turned back immediately.”

 Satou-san pointed to a side passage and said so.

 ”Those are ‘Sturges’, blood-sucking birds. They’re swift, so it’s best to knock them down when they fly at you.”

 Sturges are pink creatures about the size of crows, with sharp beaks that they use to stab their prey and suck their blood. They tend to gather in groups, so it’s quite troublesome when there are many of them.

 As we continued down the hallway, passing several checked small rooms, we saw the entrance to a room up ahead.

 ”I explored that room earlier, but there is something there now. Be careful.”

 ”Carnivorous monsters are attracted by the smell of humans, so let’s stay alert even on the way back,.”

 ”Got it.”

 Upon entering the room, a low growling sound echoed. Four brown wolves slowly approached while watching us.

 ”It’s Cave Wolves! They’re fast, so be careful! Nishina-san, Maekawa-san, use Ice Barrier in front of you!”

 ”Got it! Ice Burn!”

 A cave wolf pounces on the vanguard, but one of the Cave Wolves slipped on the ice and Maekawa-san pierced its body with a long spear while it was dancing around clumsily.

 ”Ohh! Oops!”

 Hano-san swung her sword, but the Cave Wolf jumped back and dodged it, while another one tried to attack from the side, which she managed to block with a shield.

 ”They are really fast. Should I join the fight too?”

 Satou-san asked, holding up her spear.

 ”No, while they are focusing on the vanguard, the ones left behind might aim for the rearguard. Just make sure you don’t leave Nishina-san’s side.”

 ”Got it.”

 As Hano-san tried to strike the fallen Cave Wolf with Ice Burn while moving around, she also slipped and fell dramatically.

 ”Aaaahh!?

 ”Oh no! Chika!?”

 One of them immediately tries to jump at Hano-san, but slips and hits Hano-san from behind.

 ”Chika! Don’t move!”

 Maekawa-san swiftly stabs the Cave Wolf lined up in a cross formation with Hano-san in the middle.

 ”Wait… Scary! Terrifying!”

 Hano-san pales as spears rain down on her left and right sides. Nishina-san finishes off the distracted creature with an Ice Arrow.

 Nishina-san is pretty calm under pressure too.

 ”We managed to defeat them. Chika, you’re getting too heated. Stay calm.”

 ”But these guys, my attacks aren’t hitting at all!”

 These are completely different monsters from goblins. The tactics are different this time.

 ”Everyone, these creatures respond to the lifting of your arms. Either wait for them to approach after lifting your arms up, or use small, quick jabs.”

 ”I hit it once earlier, but it didn’t cut at all and doesn’t seem to be effective.”

 ”It’s a general rule for magic beasts, but if you try to slice them normally, the blade slides on their tough fur. You either need to cut by sliding the tip in, or cut against the fur to slice properly.”

 ”Sliding the tip in, huh… I see. I’ll be careful next time.”

 The way to effectively fight against monsters varies, but you have to keep fighting and get used to it.

 After checking for safety and assessing the party’s condition, we took a short break while Satou-san is going out scouting.

 I asked Satou-san to come back in ten minutes. Scouting is a tough and dangerous job. If long reconnaissance missions become common, it can delay rescue efforts in case of trouble and become too late.

 This time, I asked Satou-san to explore a series of small rooms and a dead-end corridor a little ahead.

 When I looked at the auto-map, Satou-san returned after exploring about half of the area.

 As soon as Satou-san entered the room, she said with excitement,

 ”I found a treasure chest!”

 ”We found it! It’s the treasure chest on the 3rd floor!”

 With Satou-san’s guidance, everyone headed to the small room where the chest was located.

 At the back of the empty square room, the chest sat quietly.

 Satou-san took out her Thief Tool to examine the chest.

 ”There’s a Paralyze Gas trap set on it. It’s a hassle, so I’ll just open it with the Master Key.”

 Satou-san held a silver key in her hand. It was Satou-san’s gift, the Master Key, which supposedly opens any lock.

 ”Is it okay even if there’s a trap?”

 ”Yeah. It seems like any traps that interfere with unlocking are automatically deactivated.”

 When it comes to unlocking, it seems really versatile.

 ’I tried appraising that gift, but I don’t really understand it. If it has a strength close to Asagiri-san’s gift, it could become a seriously powerful ability. Well, being able to obtain the contents of the chest without any risk is already a significant advantage.’

 ”Don’t go around appraising people’s stuff without permission. It’s rude.”

 ’Sigh… Being serious at the wrong time, as always. By the way, that person, Shitone-senpai, I tried to appraise her stuff but couldn’t. The Magic to conceal status becomes available only after reaching level 10. If it’s a class skill… that’s more dangerous, so I don’t recommend getting involved with that person.’

 I wouldn’t want to get involved either if I could help it. She seemed kinda angry.

 With a click, Satou opened the chest’s lock. The lid of the chest opened, turning into particles of light.

 ”Wow! Looks amazing!”

 Hano-san sounded excited. It looked even fancier because of the armor inside.

 Coins scattered on the spread cloth, along with leather armor, potions, scrolls, a golden bracelet, a translucent purple gem, and a vibrant aquamarine stone.

 ”Is this an amethyst and turquoise?”

 Maekawa-san is examining a pebble about the size of a ping pong ball.

 ”What’s that? Could it fetch a good price?”

 ”Hmm… It might not fetch much since the quality isn’t that great by Earth’s standards. I’m not sure about this world, though.”

 ”A gold bracelet might fetch a decent price. Is that robe underneath? If Tomoko wears it, she’ll definitely look like a magician.”

 ’The potion is a Minor Healing potion with Strength +1. The robe is normal, but the leather armor is a magic item with a +1 bonus. The scroll is a ‘Fireball,’ and the rest are decorative but low-quality gemstones.’

 With magic items and decorative items that can be turned into money, it’s a good enough achievement.

 ”Leather armor can be cumbersome to carry around. Should we equip it, even though we haven’t appraised it?”

 ”They said in class that cursed items don’t appear in shallow levels, so it’s fine, right?”

 The leather armor is sized for girls. Equipment dropped in dungeons tends to be kind and suitable for party members for some reason.

 ”Who do you think should wear the leather armor, Tsuchimiya-kun?”

 ”If it’s leather armor, then Satou-san, the scout who wants to move silently. Since she often fight alone, it’s better for her to prioritize wearing armor.”

 ”Got it. Is everyone okay with that?”

 ”No objections!”

 ”That’s fine.”

 ”Thanks, that helps.”

 Satou-san equipped the leather armor, Nishina-san wore the robe, and after confirming the contents through magic, Satou-san took hold of the ‘Fireball’ scroll.

 After that, we continued to explore the 3rd floor for a while. Everyone was surprised or struggled with the new monsters at first, but they started to fight with ease as they got used to it. It seems like they’ll be able to manage even without me.

 About an hour later, we decided to end the exploration and returned to the safe zone.

 ”Thanks to Tsuchimiya-kun, we’re managing the 3rd floor somehow. Thank you so much.”

 ”I really didn’t do anything special. It’s just that everyone has become stronger.”

 ”If it weren’t for Tsuchimiya-kun’s advice, we would have had a harder time. I’m really grateful.”

 I did give advice, but I didn’t actually get involved physically. With this, I’ve cleared the quota from the School Management Committee, so I guess it’s fine to build up my strength on this floor for a while.

 We happily got on the Teleportation Magic Circle together, and the Magic Circle started glowing. Light started overflowing from the ground, creating a rippling effect.

 What’s this? Something seems different than usual.

 ’Master! The magic waves are disturbed! There is abnormal magic interference coming from outside the Magic Circle!’

 ”Huh? What do you mean──”

 Suddenly, my body floated up and I lost all sense of up and down.

 The next moment, I felt the soft ground sinking under the soles of my boots. The heat of the bright light enveloped my whole body.

 ”What… is this?”

 The sun beat down fiercely under a cloudless blue sky.

 ”Tsuchimiya-kun… where is this?”

 Nishina-san clung to my left arm, looking around nervously.

 A 360-degree panoramic view of the horizon.

 As far as my eye could see, there were only two colors – the blue of the sky and the yellow of the sand.

 ”No way…”

 Nishina-san and I were standing in the middle of the desert.

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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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