Chapter 141 — Things You Should Avoid Always End Up Finding You

1

In the garden.

The team, now split into two groups, each walked their separate paths.

Manus explored the area without a care, while Kael’s group was captivated by the unfamiliar surroundings.

The plant-based walls seemed like they would be vulnerable to fire magic.

Anais attempted to ignite them with a small flame, but failed.

As expected, the Ziggurat was not a place made carelessly.

Would it take at least 8th-Class magic to burn down these walls?

“But… why is this place so vast?”

“Yeah, Emerson. How’s the path?”

Emerson shook her head.

Her ability was to predict the weaknesses and patterns of monsters, not to find paths.

She corrected them with a hint of exasperation.

“You’re mistaken if you think I’m the guide here. My expertise is in sensing emotions, and identifying patterns and weaknesses, not navigating.”

“R-right. This place is just too big…”

Unlike the first area, there seemed to be no end in sight.

It felt as if the plants could spring to life at any moment.

[Screeeech—!]

At that moment, they encountered a Demon for the first time.

Two tentacles.

A gigantic flower.

A green mask buried within it.

These creatures moved with surprising speed, walking on their intertwined stems.

Their first battle began.

The team quickly assumed their battle formation and commenced the fight against the unknown enemy.

“The enemy’s Arcana is the Empress! Watch out for tentacle attacks! Its weak point is… huh?”

“What?!”

“I can’t identify the weakness! I’ll need more time.”

“Got it—.”

Crunch—.

Melanie stepped forward, drawing the enemy’s attention.

Plants cannot penetrate solid rock.

Moreover, they should be vulnerable to intense flames.

[Melanie’s Exclusive Skill: Incorporo]

[Enchantment: Salamander]

Whoooosh—!

Her hair blazed intensely, heating the surroundings.

Perhaps sensing the threat, the Demons roared ferociously.

[Screeeech—!]

The battle began in earnest as the tentacles lashed out.

Thud—!

The force of the tentacle was no joke, and Melanie frowned as she deflected the attack using Matuak.

They were strong.

Much stronger than any Demon they had encountered before.

Their destructive power reminded her of the guardians on the 40th to 50th floors.

Melanie gulped.

This could turn dangerous if it became a prolonged battle.

“Let’s finish this quickly. These things are no joke.”

“Understood—.”

Pearson cast a buff spell on the team.

Simultaneously, Alano and Anais launched their attacks.

[Ignira]

[Altus]

Crash—!

As expected of Alano.

She effortlessly unleashed power comparable to a 3rd-Class spell.

The plant-like Demon, engulfed in flames, writhed before succumbing.

[Screeech…]

“Good! These things may be strong, but they’re lacking in durability!”

“Pour it on!”

Rumble—!

Empowered by Pearson’s buff, the team unleashed a barrage of magic, burning the Demon’s mask to ash.

The enhanced attack power of the Demon was enough to instill a sense of caution among the team.

“Well done, everyone.”

“Phew… For our first battle, that wasn’t bad, was it?”

“It’s because everyone’s skills have improved. Trace, how do you feel?”

Trace, who had been fighting alongside them, nodded absentmindedly.

When he had fought alone, those tentacles had caused him all kinds of trouble.

Approaching was hard enough, and it was no easy task to plunge a sword into the mask.

But this team, with their flawless coordination, had swept the enemies away in an instant.

He couldn’t help but admire their synergy.

It was evident they had been working together for a long time.

He spoke quietly.

“You’re amazing. But… do you think I can fit into such perfect coordination?”

“Don’t worry about that. We’ll teach you.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best.”

Alano smiled warmly.

Seeing her smile filled Trace with a strange sense of relief.

It was only natural that he didn’t want to see her frightened.

No one would want to see their benefactor in fear.

Trace steeled his resolve.

As a member of this team, he needed to pull his weight, even if it meant learning through trial and error.

“I’ll give it my all.”

“Great. Then let’s keep moving.”

Their firepower was more than sufficient.

Alano led the group as they resumed exploring the labyrinth.

The path upward remained elusive, but they managed to find it, albeit with some difficulty.

[Hehe—]

And the shadow that cautiously followed them also ascended the stairs.

2

[Screeeech!]

A Demon was incinerated by a simple spell.

Manus picked up the fallen magic stone and handed it to Guillermo, who was with him.

“Thanks.”

“Hey, why don’t you give me one?”

“I’ll give you a bigger one, Senior.”

“…Fine.”

It was already the tenth one.

Her expression was gradually becoming more displeased.

Manus watched her briefly before resuming his pace.

Guillermo, secretly handing Nia a magic stone, whispered.

“I don’t understand why she’s acting that way.”

“Hmph, she’s probably scheming to get me out of the league. It’s so obvious.”

“…”

Manus clearly heard their conversation but pretended he hadn’t, continuing to walk.

He was still concerned about what the Apostle had said.

Magic stones were items from the Erosion Zone.

If Nia kept absorbing them, there was a chance she might be consumed by the Tower—.

He planned to give her a large one and observe her carefully.

Of course, he wasn’t aware that Guillermo had secretly given her a magic stone.

Even he didn’t have eyes on the back of his head.

“You better give me a really big one, got it?”

“Don’t worry.”

Manus sharpened his senses and meticulously searched the area.

Finding the path to the next floor wouldn’t be difficult with [Dux], so now was the time to enjoy a special event.

The “Wanderer” that randomly appears between the 1st and 5th floors.

It was a hidden boss that, once defeated, would yield a massive reward.

The fixed reward was an artifact and a few magic stones, and it was the most useful defensive artifact in the entire 2nd area.

‘Where are you hiding?’

He intended to give Nia just enough magic stones, while the defensive artifact would be better suited for Melanie or Guillermo.

He didn’t need a better artifact for himself.

The Memorize Ring was sufficient for now.

‘I’ll grab the defensive artifact from the guardian and use it casually.’

Equipping items wasn’t the primary focus in this game.

They were good to have but not essential.

But as a veteran, he knew that to enjoy the hidden dungeons the developer had secretly placed, gear farming was a must.

That would come much later; for now, clearing the Tower was the priority—.

“So, what exactly are we looking for?”

“We’re searching for the Wanderer.”

“The Wanderer… is that the one you warned us about earlier?”

Manus nodded.

Guillermo asked out of curiosity.

He had warned the first-years and Alano, but could they really handle it?

No matter how monstrous Manus’s skills were, there had to be a limit to what he could do alone.

“Can we defeat it?”

“Of course.”

“On what basis?”

“Emerson isn’t the only one who knows everything about our enemies.”

Guillermo and Nia were shocked by his words.

Emerson’s foresight and detection abilities were incredibly powerful.

If she were as skilled in combat, or even just at Pearson’s level, she might have taken the top spot among the first years, instead of Kael or Anais.

But Manus also had such abilities?

Was that even possible?

Nia’s golden eyes stared at him in a daze.

“With that, I suppose I can believe it. You wouldn’t lie about something like this.”

“With us, it’ll be enough. The magic stone that drops from it will be yours, Senior.”

“Oh, yeah. Of course, it’s mine. I didn’t have any to begin with.”

They set their goal and moved forward.

Manus’s group still hadn’t made it past the 1st floor.

Unaware of the paths diverging, they each moved toward their respective objectives.

[Hehehe—]

Meanwhile, the Wanderer quietly hid, watching everything unfold.

3

Who would have thought that the exploration difficulty would skyrocket just by moving to a new area?

Kael and Anais were gradually growing weary.

They were only on the 2nd floor.

They had to fight countless Demons, gradually depleting their stamina and mana.

Even Alano, who was usually composed, seemed increasingly flustered as she started losing her pace.

It was strange.

It felt like the Demons knew their location and kept coming at them.

She looked around cautiously.

‘There’s nothing suspicious. Could the Ziggurat be aware of us?’

Various hypotheses flashed through her mind.

Maybe Manus would know what’s going on.

She paused and infused mana into a communication orb.

“This is Alano, Manus, do you copy?”

“I hear you. What’s the matter?”

“We’re on the 2nd floor, and it feels like the Demons keep swarming towards us. The kids are getting exhausted—.”

She could hear hurried footsteps from the other side of the orb.

Manus’s voice also sounded a bit more urgent.

“How long has it been since you reached the 2nd floor?”

“Ten minutes? No, twenty?”

“Retrace your steps. Quickly.”

Nodding at his urgent command, Alano listened as Manus explained.

“The Wanderer is on your tail. The enemies will keep coming. Get to the 1st-floor stairs as fast as you can.”

“-Got it.”

Alano ended the communication and urgently shouted to the others, who were on standby.

If they stayed here any longer, they’d wither away.

And after that, only terrible things would follow.

She didn’t want to experience a death that no one would remember.

“Run! Back the way we came!”

“What? Suddenly? Didn’t you say something bad would happen if we stayed here too long— Aah?!”

“Stop talking and move! Unless you want to die!”

Alano grabbed Pearson by the collar and dragged him along.

Everyone recognized the urgency and began using their magic.

Alano reactivated the boost magic she had used before, Melanie called upon the wind spirit, and Anais and Kael used flame magic to propel them forward.

They all ran at full speed.

They could hear the sounds of Demons in the distance.

The cries of the enemies approaching from behind awakened a deep-seated fear in them.

“Aaaahhh—!”

“I don’t want to dieeee—!”

Pearson and Trace screamed as they ran frantically.

The two, who barely had any magic to use, could only rely on their physical strength to flee.

They ran through the tangled maze.

As everyone ran on instinct, Pearson suddenly shouted.

“H-here, to the left!”

“Are you sure?!”

“I don’t know! But it feels right!”

What does that even mean?!

Anais screamed, but her instincts urged her to follow him.

Pearson had indeed stepped into a strange world.

But the sensation quickly faded, leaving only a faint afterimage.

Fortunately, they hadn’t gone too far, and soon they spotted the stairs leading downward.

Most Demons couldn’t descend to another floor, but the Wanderer was an exception.

As the last one to descend, Alano looked back.

[Hehehehehehe!]

A mysterious creature clung to the wall, rapidly approaching.

A black mask with the Roman numeral IX was chasing them down.

It reminded her of something from the past.

The feeling of helplessness, as if no attack would work.

The rattling of chains.

The sinister laughter.

“-You guys.”

“Senior! Hurry up!”

“Go find Manus. I’ll handle this.”

“But—!”

“It’s okay. If we keep going like this, it’s only a matter of time before it catches up.”

Alano made a rational decision.

She was here to protect.

Her resolve would not waver, even in a place where no one was watching.

“And besides, this seems like a wall I need to overcome.”

Alano had her own answers to find.

Answers are always born from trials.

Alano fearlessly plunged into the trial.

–TL Notes–
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