Published: September 10, 2025
Satou here. The labyrinths you find in games are basically designed to be clearable. No matter how insanely difficult they are, at least one member of the development team has adjusted it so they can reach the end without a single mistake. But it seems real labyrinths aren’t like that…
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“Isn’t it kind of hot?”
“You can use the air conditioning magic, you know?”
“No way~?”
“That’s not allowed.”
When I said that to Arisa’s grumble, Tama and Pochi chimed in with objections.
Their remarks showed they had more experience exploring labyrinths than I did.
Feeling a bit proud, I said, “Yeah, you’re right,” and patted their heads.
“Hehe~?”
“It’s been a while since Master patted me.”
Was it really that long?
“Master, I’ll also ask you to supply magic power later.”
“Sure thing.”
When I readily agreed to Nana’s request, Arisa’s eyes suddenly sparkled.
“No sexual harassment requests allowed.”
“Nooo~.”
Arisa pretended to collapse in tears, beaten to the punch.
“Master, I report that we’ve come out into an open area.”
“Looks like a cylindrical corridor.”
“And is that red stuff on the floor in the Great Hall lava?”
Following Nana, Lulu and Liza reported in.
The passage ahead opened into a cylindrical Great Hall about 100 meters in diameter, with a narrow corridor spiraling down the walls.
As Liza said, the lowest level was lava bubbling and releasing poisonous gas.
Several side passages branched off, leading to various places in the middle layer of the labyrinth.
Basically, the side passage closest to the lava connected to the hero’s relay base—the supply depot.
“Oh, someone fell.”
Almost at the same moment Arisa muttered, Liza threw a steel spear.
At the end of it, an adventurer had slipped and was falling straight into the lava—except…
Dangling and swaying, he was pinned to the wall by the spear Liza threw.
Of course, what was pierced wasn’t his body but his sturdy fire-resistant cloak.
The adventurer was pulled up by his comrades and shouted loudly in thanks toward us.
We saw the adventurers enter the side passage and proceeded along the corridor ourselves.
Soon we reached a place where the corridor ended abruptly.
There were steppingstones floating in midair, requiring us to leap across like in an action game.
“Stop!”
Tama’s tone like this meant she'd spotted a trap.
Wide-eyed and serious, she glared at the steppingstones.
“An illusion~?”
Pointing to one, Tama spoke in her usual tone.
She had found a steppingstone that was just an illusion.
“Looks like it. This one spins you off and drops you if you step on it.”
Right next to it was another type of trap.
Apparently, the dungeon master of this labyrinth was quite mean.
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“How far to the relay base?”
Opening the map to answer Arisa’s question.
—What’s this?!
“Hurry up! Everyone prepare to teleport!”
“Understood!”
After hearing Liza’s reply, I waited a breath and executed the teleport.
The passage had lava flowing down the slope, but clearly a different shade of red was mixed in.
“Over there~?”
Before Tama could point, I used spatial magic to teleport in the direction of sword clashes.
“Damn it, why won’t the Mithril Sword work?”
“Heheheh, blood thralls are one thing, but you think such attacks work on a true vampire, the dark lord’s kin—”
I cut down the drowsy vampire with the Mithril Fairy Sword.
They’re a nasty species who revive immediately even if turned to ash, so I could attack without hesitation.
Ignoring the loot—Blood Jade and demon cores—scattered at my feet, I prioritized healing the man.
“Hey, you’re alive, right? I’m giving you a magic potion now.”
“Stop, it’s useless. That vampire just sucked my blood. Soon I’ll lose myself and crave blood.”
The man spoke faintly.
The AR info next to him confirmed his words.
“—Open the Treasure Vault (Item Box).”
A black square appeared beside him.
“There are supplies for the honorable hero… Take out as much as you can and deliver to the honorable hero…”