Beyond Abyss 52

Chapter 52 Interlude Ten – The Prison Of Hot Sand, II


Edited by: Kanaa-senpai


 In front of us was a large, white, circular tent house that looked like something nomads on the grasslands might live in.

 The square entrance that opened suddenly was pitch black, giving us no idea of what was happening within. Despite the white flag flying, we couldn’t let our guard down. In this world, it might mean something like “I will kill you.”


 ”I’ll go check it out. Nishina-san, you wait here.”


 ”No, I’m coming with you!”


 As I prepare the Kondou Spear to enter, Nishina-san also readies her staff and stands by my side.


 Stepping into the dark, circular tent house, we see two candles lit in the center.

 A large crystal ball sits on a round wooden table, with flames flickering on the two candles beside it.

 A figure in a blue robe sits opposite us at the table, lit by the flames.


 Nishina-san holds her breath, grabbing the hem of my clothes.


 There was only a robe there. The face part seemed hollow like an invisible person, and there was nothing inside from the neck to the open chest and the arm resting on the table. The silhouette looked like a woman.


 ’Oh no! This is bad! Please apologize right away! It might still be okay!’


 Tina shouted, but my frustration hadn’t subsided yet.

 Then, a calm female voice came from the robe.


 ”O mighty god of the other world, please calm down. I’m the temporary manager of this floor. And one of the terminals of the Water Spirit King Varniora, named Valeria.”


 ’Spirit King! Come on, hurry and bow! Bow!’


 ”I’m just Tsuchimiya Takeru. I’m a kouhai to the almighty god Kondou-senpai.”


 ”Almighty god? Uh, I’m Nishina Tomoko.”


 It seems Kondou-senpai is treated like a god around here. Well, it’s not that surprising. Since I took on Kondou-senpai’s banner and got into fights, I can’t just easily bow down. That would be like smearing mud on Kondou-senpai’s face. There’s this thing called pride in this world.


 ”Do you wish to be just a mere mortal?”


 ”It seems there’s a misunderstanding. I’m just an ordinary person. What happened earlier was Kondou-senpai’s power.”


 I casually raise the Kondou Spear to show.


 ”I understand. If that’s what you wish for, then so be it. Now, I ask you, Tsuchimiya Takeru, what reason brought you to this abandoned floor?”


 ”It looks like we’re in the abandoned disposal floor after all… When we were trying to go back to the school from the dungeon, we got sent to this floor due to an abnormality in the teleportation Magic Circle. There should be three others who got sent here too.”


 ”That’s because this floor, which is filled with a different dimension, came into contact with the dungeon and connected to the Magic Circle. Since it repels you immediately, the contact should have been very brief, but it was unfortunate… No, this is…”


 Valeria waved an invisible hand over a crystal.


 ”Take… Takeru. You altered the fate of those girls over there who were destined to die.”


 ”Huh, me!? “


 ”So it was true after all. At that time, I heard a voice saying that everyone was added to the list of the deceased by Minazuki-sensei.”


 ”Tsuchimiya-kun…”


 ”That’s a divine revelation.”


 ”A divine revelation? “


 ”You knew about events that would happen in the near future. And you changed that future. The impact of that small change on the future seems to have been significant. This accident could be considered a backlash of fate.”


 ”A backlash? So, what about Maekawa-san and the others?”


 ”They are undoubtedly in a dangerous situation now.”


 Is some force at work trying to return to that future again? Can this person know where Maekawa-san and the others are?


 At that moment, the dim background turned pitch black. Nishina-san was gone without a trace. I could feel the floor beneath me, but it felt like it was somewhere far away. Countless lights like stars twinkled in the background. Only Valeria, who was still seated with me at the table, seemed to be floating in the night sky. No, Tina is here too.


 ”Oh? Is that the guide fairy? I heard about the concept, but it’s already implemented, huh?”


 ’Wow! You found me!?’


 ”This is the inside of your mind. No one can hear our conversation here. As the floor manager, I’m not allowed to favor specific players. However, I want to ask you something. As one of the rewards, I’ll tell you one piece of information you want.”


 ”Just one piece of information I want?”


 At that moment, Higurashi’s face popped into my head. I deliberately moved to a place where Nishina-san cannot hear me, inside myself, probably to Spell Arc. Does this person know? The means to cure Higurashi’s illness!


 ”The information I want right now is… the whereabouts of Maekawa-san and the others.”


 I mustn’t get the order wrong. Maekawa-san and the others are in danger now. I don’t want to sacrifice one for the other. I’ll find a way to help Higurashi from now on.


 ”I see. So that’s your choice. This is also one of the twists of fate. They have now escaped from a major crisis.”


 Hmm? Are you saying that Maekawa-san and the others were put in danger on purpose? If I had made a different choice, Maekawa-san and the others wouldn’t have been saved. Surely, there must be some meaning in creating that situation.


 ”I can no longer tell you the information you wanted to know. However, I can show you a divine oracle just once. It is your own power.”


 ”A divine oracle? Like the one with Maekawa-san and the others?”


 Maybe it’s Kondou-senpai’s power, but it doesn’t matter right now.


 ”That is a future that will definitely happen soon. However, the moment you know about it, it becomes uncertain. Because you, who knows it, will become an irregular existence.”


 ”A future that can be changed… I see. Show me the divine oracle.”


 ”Got it…”


 Then my gaze naturally shifted upwards, and in the darkness, I saw Higurashi wearing a uniform. The background was blurry, but it seemed to be indoors somewhere. At the same time, I felt a strange sensation as if I were watching a video in my head.


 Higurashi spoke with an unusually serious expression.


 ’Since everyone is gathered here, it’s just right. There’s something I want to tell only those who are here. I’ve been hiding something from everyone for a long time. I wished I could keep it hidden forever, but it’s becoming difficult to conceal it now. Some of you might already have a hint…’


 Is she talking about her illness? It’s getting difficult to keep it hidden… How far into the future is this?


 After pausing for a moment, Higurashi let out a self-deprecating smile and continued speaking.


 ’Actually, I’m… Kamen Papillon. …Hehe, it’s no wonder you’re surprised. But, this is the truth. When the morning star shines in the eastern sky, quietly glowing beside it is the star where I was born and raised, Papillon Star──’


 ”This is an event that will surely happen soon. However, now that you know about it, it’s also a future that can be avoided.”


 ”This oracle is so damn useless!!”


 ”Unfortunately, incorrect.”


 ”Don’t mess around, damn it! Give me back my money!”


 The next moment, I was back to reality. Facing Valeria inside the dim tent house, with Nishina-san grabbing the hem of my clothes to my left.


 ”What’s wrong, Tsuchimiya-kun?”


 ”Oh, it’s nothing…”


 My breath was rough from the lingering anger. Calm down, me. Stay composed. Let’s forget about the oracle for now.


 ”As promised, you’ll tell us where Maekawa-san and the others are, right?”


 ”Yes, I’m the floor manager here. I can locate players right away. I’ll guide you as close as possible. But first, here you go. You must be tired.”


 The lantern hanging on the tent house’s pillar lit up, making it somewhat brighter. The floor was covered with a carpet featuring ethnic patterns, and besides Valeria sitting on a quaint chair and a round table, there was nothing else, quite empty.

 Two wooden cups were placed on the table, filled with clean water.


 ”What’s this?”


 ”This is water from the recovery spring over there. I can’t drink it, but it’ll help you with your physical bodies.”


 ”Got it. Let’s have some.”


 I grabbed a cup and dipped it into the leather bag covering my face, then slowly drank up the water. The refreshing water soaked into my body, making me feel lighter. Nishina-san also nervously took a cup, took a sip, and then quickly drank it all down.


 ”Wow…I feel like all my tiredness just disappeared in an instant.”


 During that time, Valeria placed her hand on a crystal.


 ”I’ve found the first person’s location. Leave here and go straight for about 3km (1.86mil).”


 ”Got it! Thank you!”


 ”And, take this.”


 ”A wooden branch?”


 At the invisible end of Valeria’s hand, there was a thin branch that seemed to have just been picked. It was about 20cm (7.8inch) long with a few green leaves attached. What could this thing handed to me be used for?


 ”If you swing it through magic, you can come back here.”


 Some kind of magic item.


 ”This will be helpful!”


 ”Let’s go, Tsuchimiya-kun!”


 We rushed out of the tent house, and the sun rose rapidly, shining brightly. When I opened the auto-map, the path we had walked was nowhere to be found and the direction had changed.

 We desperately ran through the desert.


 ”I see her! That’s Hiromi!”


 Running for a few minutes, I struggled to keep up with Nishina-san, who was picking up speed.

 A small dot in the shimmering heat gradually grew larger.


 ”Hiromi!”


 Nishina-san hugged Maekawa-san, who was stumbling along with a spear. A thick snake, about 4m long, was stuck on the tip of the spear, and Maekawa-san seemed to be dragging it along as she walked.


 ”Tomo-chan…?”


 Maekawa-san hugged Nishina-san with vacant eyes.


 ”Maekawa-san!”


 ”Uh, um… Tsuchimiya-kun?”


 Come to think of it, she’s been wearing that leather bag the whole time.


 ”Oh, it’s me. I’m glad you’re okay.”


 When she took off the leather bag, Maekawa-san let out a relieved smile and plopped down.


 ”Hiromi! Are you okay?”


 ”Yeah, I’m not injured anywhere. I was just a bit worried. Tomo-chan looked like she was being chased by the Boogeyman.”


 Sorry, let’s not touch on that.


 ”Did Maekawa-san defeat that big snake?”


 If it’s a monster on this level, it should be pretty tough for Maekawa-san to face it.


 ”Thanks to Tsuchimiya-kun.”


 ”Me?”


 ”Yeah. Tsuchimiya-kun taught me how to defeat it using the Waterball Magic to drown it. This is the second one. The first snake was offered when it was attacked by a wolf, and I escaped while it was distracted eating.”


 Did she carry it as a decoy when attacked by monsters?

 I had a feeling that a Magic that physically stops breathing would be pretty dangerous, but actually using it seems quite brutal. It means she defeated two monsters unharmed, regardless of the level difference.


 ”The first time I met a big lizard, it didn’t work and I desperately ran around trying to escape, but eventually the lizard got caught in a big anthill and I was able to survive somehow. It’s best not to get too close to the dried-up bodies of monsters.”


 ”Oh, you did really well. I’m so glad you’re safe.”


 When I patted her head, Maekawa-san, who always had a smile on her face, clung to me with a face that looked like she was about to cry.

 Come to think of it, Maekawa-san only gives off a smiling impression compared to the cool Satou-san. It’s almost unnatural when I think about it.

 Maybe she’s good at handling situations, but in reality, she might not show her true feelings often.


 Maekawa-san’s hair and clothes are slightly damp. She must have been walking while cooling herself down with Water Magic.


 While still embracing Maekawa-san’s shoulder, I collected the dead snake’s body and took out a branch from the tree. I made eye contact with Nishina-san, and she put her arms around my neck from behind.

 After the accident with the Magic Circle, it was reassuring to have physical contact. When I channeled magic through the branch, it faintly glowed. With a swing of my arm, we were already inside a dimly lit tent house. The leaves of the branch shimmered white like snow as they softly fell.


 ”Huh? Where are we?”


 Maekawa-san raised her head and looked around.


 ”This is our base. You can relax now.”


 ”Base…?”


 ”Valeria, please get Maekawa-san some water.”


 ”Okay.”


 Valeria appeared from the shadows with a tray carrying a cup, and Maekawa-san flinched as she approached.


 ’Um… Master. Valeria-san is like a spirit king’s incarnation, separate from her ego. Could you please stop command her using your chin? It’s really bad for my heart.’


 ”Well, isn’t that just fine?”


 When Valeria kneeled and offered a tray, Maekawa-san timidly reached out her hand.


 ”Oh, thank you.”


 ”Oh, there’s enough for us too. How considerate.”


 There were three cups on the tray. Even though we had only been running for a few minutes in the scorching desert, I was also thirsty.


 ”There’s plenty, so please don’t hesitate, go ahead.”


 The three of us received water from the recovery spring, and Maekawa-san drank it slowly as if savoring the taste.


 ”Delicious… I haven’t been able to drink water for a while, so this helps.”


 ”Huh? Can’t you just get water anytime with a Water Ball?”


 ”Well, that’s pure water.”


 ”Oh, I see.”


 Pure water without impurities can temporarily quench thirst, but if you drink a lot of it, it can taste bad. To absorb water into your body, you need sodium, citric acid, magnesium, and other minerals. If you drink water with zero mineral content, it can deplete these minerals from your body and make you feel unwell. Even just absorbing water puts a strain on your body. That’s why they say to replenish salt when taking in fluids to prevent heat exhaustion.


 ”Next, it seems the two others are together and being attacked by monsters.”


 After drinking the water, Valeria announced in a calm voice.


 ”What!? We need to help them right away!”


 ”Please calm down. They’re not in immediate danger of losing their lives. They’re just in a difficult-to-explain location, so I’ll transfer the data to your guide fairy for the destination.”


 ”Got it! Let’s depart right away!”


 ”Tsuchimiya-kun! I’ll go too!”


 Maekawa-san offered to accompany them.


 ”Alright! Let’s hurry!”


 I put on the leather bag and picked up the Kondou Spear.


 ”Oh, so you’re wearing that after all. Because Tsuchimiya-kun might not understand, Akari and the others might be surprised.”


 ”I see. Just wait a moment.”


 I quickly took out a marker from the storage room, wrote ‘Tsuchimiya’ on the forehead of the leather bag, and put it back on.


 ”Now it’s okay!”


 ”Hmm… It seems like the madness has increased somehow… Well, as long as we’re together, it should be fine, probably. Let’s go.”


 After receiving another branch from Valeria, the three of us dashed out of the tent house.


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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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