Published: January 22, 2026
Once again, the five of us arrived at the 30th floor of the Great Labyrinth.
For a while after that, Sophie and the others kept fighting with their new weapons.
“Amazing! These are completely different from what we had before! Master, thank you so much for such an incredible gift!”
“You’re welcome.”
Carol was excitedly looking at the black daggers in both hands.
Seeing them so happy made me glad that I gave them.
“Um, Mr. Orun, can I ask you a question?”
Sophie spoke hesitantly.
“Sure. Are you asking about the red knives?”
“Ah, yes. Besides the black staff and the uniform, there were several red knives inside the storage magical tool. I wondered if they were put in by mistake, but you’re saying that’s not the case?”
Sophie produced a small knife from the storage magical tool I had given her and asked.
The blade of the knife Sophie summoned wasn’t metal, but a clear red jewel-like material.
“Yes. Those belong to you too, Sophie. They’re still prototypes, so I want you to tell me how they feel when you try them out.”
“That’s fine, but… I can’t do close combat using knives…”
Sophie slumped her shoulders, giving off a disappointed vibe.
“True, knives are sometimes thrown, but basically they’re close-range weapons. But with you, Sophie, you can wield them without holding them in your hands, right?”
“Without holding them? …Ah, telekinesis!”
“Exactly. Using telekinesis means you don’t need to hold them or get close to the enemy. You can strike from a distance. That’s an advantage only you have.”
“That’s true. I’ve only been focusing on using telekinesis to restrict enemy movement. I guess that’s no good…”
Sophie said bitterly.
“That’s not true. I think telekinesis is an excellent supernatural ability that can be useful in many situations. Try not to get stuck on one way of using it; explore various possibilities.”
“Yes! I understand!”
“As I said before, those knives are meant to be moved with telekinesis. Also, there’s a certain mechanism built into them. That’s the prototype part, but you should check out what kind of mechanism it is yourself.”
“A mechanism in this knife…”
Sophie murmured as she stared at the knife.
She seemed to be thinking of something already.
Maybe there are uses for the knives beyond what I imagined.
I’m looking forward to Sophie’s creativity on that.
◇
After Sophie and the others finished testing their new weapons, we returned to the entrance of the 30th floor.
“All right, since the disciples requested it, let’s give it our all. Luna, are you ready?”
“Yes. I’m fine. How about our coordination? Should we base it on Dawnlight’s pattern?”
“That’s fine. I’ll be the enchanter and frontline attacker; Luna will be the healer and rear attacker. I don’t think we need a defender, but if necessary, we can adjust according to the situation.”
“Understood. And by giving it our all, you mean…”
“Literally. Let’s approach this as if we’re conquering the deep layers.”
“But if we do that…”
I understood Luna’s concern.
If we give our all to conquer the 30th floor, Sophie and the others won’t gain much.
Still, I decided to give it my all.
“To clearly show the difference between us and them, this is the best way. Well, I’ll give it my all, but it’s been a while since we formed a party. I won’t forget to enjoy this conquest either.”
“…Understood. Then let’s show Carol and the others what an s-rank seeker can do.”
After finishing the briefing with Luna, we returned to Sophie and the others.
“Welcome back! Is the briefing done?”
“Yeah. Thanks for waiting. Let’s go. Stay close.”
“Yes! I’m excited. I’ll make sure to watch Master and Sister Ru’s performance closely!”
◇
About ten minutes after we began conquering the 30th floor,
we had almost cleared ninety percent of it, moving at a brisk pace without tiring and without engaging in any proper battles.
“Hey, hey… what’s going on here?”