152 151.35 floors.txt (2/2)

I can't explain aloud.

We use our body and hand gestures to inform the rear of the enemy's numbers.

At the same time, deformed fishes are approaching from behind the corridor.

Unlike the Gulfred Jerry's consort we fought yesterday, they are flat fish like stingrays. However, their horizontal fins are as sharp as blades. If it was a direct hit, it's easy to imagine that it would be cut in half as it crossed paths with you.

The battle begins as soon as you see the enemy not through the dimension but through sight.

There are four enemy shadows. They are equal in number, but they have the disadvantage of being underwater.

I made up my mind not to let them pass behind me, and as I held my sword at the ready...

Magical impulse

-- even though it was underwater, a roaring sound hit my eardrums.

A vibration follows, hitting his entire body.

I quickly unfolded the 'Dimension' and confirmed that the cause of the vibration was Snow's magic behind me. Earlier, Snow said that he was good at vibration magic. However, due to the presence of Dia and Maria, who are substandard wizards, he didn't see her as an expert (specialist) wizard.

But the sight that changed that assessment was reflected in her retinas.

The labyrinth trembled. Like a blurry photograph, the vision distorted.

And the movement of the fishes, which had been swimming briskly, was disrupted.

They lost their sense of balance and speed, like people walking through a great earthquake.

But for some reason, I'm in the vicinity and I'm unaffected. My vision is slightly reduced, but that's all.

I marvel at the accuracy of Snow's vibrational magic.

And I slash all four of my enemies, who have slowed down, with my sword.

It was easy to cut off the unrestrained opponents.

Lowered into two pieces, the monsters disappear into light.

I picked up the fallen magic stones, surprised at how much easier the battle was than I had planned.

Just as I was about to praise Snow in the rear, the Dimension detects a new enemy. The monster here might have been the type of enemy that would call for help. They're coming towards me from all sides.

I was trying to alert Snow behind me of the new enemy's approach.

Hmm, I know. Three from the other side.

Snow was the first to answer it. Even though he was underwater, Snow spoke normally.

Of course, it's not her mouth that is speaking, but she's using a method of vibrating magic to make sound directly into her eardrums. I'm not going to be able to get my hands on any of them.

I opened my mouth and was dumbfounded.

''Hmm, hmm ......?　Oh, well, the reason I know this is because ......, it seems that when you're underwater, you can tell where someone is by the return of the vibration. Also, is it very easy to pass magic?

No, that's not what I'm asking.

If you're going to talk underwater, you should tell me that first.

I'm sure you'll be surprised at how suddenly only one person starts talking.

It's just like the same one from before, so I'll use vibration magic to interrupt you again.

But my frustration doesn't get through to Snow. It's only the 'connected' leapers that get the message. He's smiling bitterly behind Snow's back.

I have no choice but to intercept the enemy's reinforcements with Snow's support.

Just like Snow said himself, the vibrating magic in the water is a great backup.

A wide variety of fish-shaped monsters approaching, one after another, were lowered into two pieces.

They weren't a match for them at all.

They could be defeated in almost an instant, so they weren't even a hindrance to their progress at all. You succeed in getting through the enemy's encirclement easily.

Occasionally, enemies will appear from behind, but they can be dealt with by Reaper and Dea's magic.

He uses the Reaper's darkness to confuse the enemy, and Dia's sacred magic wards to keep them away. There was no one better than the two of them when it came to avoiding enemy encounters.

They were advancing through the thirty-five layers at a brisk pace.

On the way, they heard a strange laugh from behind them.

''Heh, heh, I didn't know ....... Could it be that I'm good at underwater ......!''

It's a snowflake.

She swims as lightly as a mermaid, smiling and laughing. Her dragon's tail acts like a fish's fins, which is why her swimming level is so different from ours. That's why her level of swimming is not the same as ours.

Indeed, in underwater warfare, Snow is better than anyone else. It's not just simple swimming skills, but also the ability to apply vibrating magic.

I'm not going to be the only one who can do this.

...... ahehe, I knew it?

Proudly, Snow puffs her chest out.

I'm glad she's on top of things. I nod over and over again and continue to cajole an embarrassed Snow.

Finally, I gesture to her and tell her, ”Well, you'll take the lead.

Then, instantly, Snow becomes weak.

You can find out more about this at .......　It's really hard to move and I feel like I'm starting to have trouble breathing. Yeah, I can't fight at all, I'm not good at it!'

My strategy of cajoling him to work has failed.

I'd like to say it's okay if that's all you can afford to say, but I don't have the confidence to convince a stubborn Snow with gestures alone. More importantly, it would be a waste of effort, so I give up.

I take the quieted-down Snow and move further in.

This member of the team had a good ability to communicate, and the underwater exploration was smooth.

Then, around the center of the 35th layer, we find a strange side hole in the corridor. As far as the ”Dimension” confirmed, the space beyond was not filled with water.

We thought it was a special area where the boss lives, but we couldn't find any danger no matter how much we looked into it in Dimension, so we went into the hole.

The space is a cul-de-sac.

But an invisible wall was blocking the water. We are able to enter it without difficulty.

It reminds me of a nostalgic memory from my childhood. This is the phenomenon that when you submerge an upside-down tub in the bathtub, no air leaks out. This is the same situation in this space now.

As I recall, I have heard that the air mass is kept in the water because of the relationship between water pressure and air pressure.

However, the fact that there is a space where I can breathe so conveniently makes me feel uncomfortable. The balance between water pressure and air pressure in such a special space can only be considered as if ”someone” has been involved in it.

Someone went out of their way to create this space for the searchers who were challenging the 35th layer.

-- or, as I predicted, 'someone' must have a hand in it.

The ”parallelism” affirms my guess.

You can also force yourself to be convinced because it's a labyrinth in another world. However, the words I spoke with Rowen in the past convinced me of the existence of ”someone”. At that time, Rowen said, ”Someone who is kind to humans made the labyrinth with an uncharacteristic imitation.

In the end, he didn't tell us who that ”someone” was because it was a rule, but the way he spoke, we can be sure that there is someone who made the labyrinth.

That 'someone' made this 'resting point' so that it would be easy to clear this thirty-five layers. When I think about it, it explains the reason for this space.

Just like Rowen said, that 'someone' must be kind to humans.

And that 'someone' is--.

--whoever it is (・・・・・). Whoever that 'someone' is, it doesn't matter what I do now.

The only thing that matters here is what Rowen has guaranteed.

A great power - a miracle - awaits in the deepest part of the labyrinth. That the makers of the labyrinth are kind, and the labyrinth itself is also kind. The further you go in the labyrinth, the stronger you become.

If that's all there is to it, it's more than enough for me.

''Hey, Kanami. If you want to take a break, why don't we have a bonfire here?

As I'm lost in my thoughts, Dia speaks to me from the side.

I've been absent-minded, and I freak out and shake my shoulders.

Even though we were in the middle of exploring the labyrinth, I had been distracted. If this was a surprise attack by the enemy, I would have fallen behind.

What am I doing when I just regretted being careless yesterday?

It's ridiculous to die thinking about things I can't help but think about.

I refocused my attention back to capturing the maze.

...... No, let's catch our breath, refill our bags with air, and get going right away. There is only one way in and out of this place, so there's no place to run when the monsters attack,

All right. Then we'll cut the break early.

Dia nods back and helps me pack air into the leather bag I took out of my 'belongings'.

And soon we finish our break and jump back into the water.

The formation is slightly altered.

I reversed the position of the Reaper and I to spread the burden of the search for the enemy. This was to avoid a situation where only one of us was extremely low on MP.

I'm not going to be able to get my hands on any of them.

By using the Reaper's dark magic well, we can head straight to the next level without taking a detour.

Of course, we can't avoid all enemies, and the occasional battle will occur. However, we didn't have any leverage, as Snow was stronger than expected in underwater battles. Against the fish monsters, it was safe to say that vibrating magic was a weakness. Its ease reminded me of the fishing method of catching fish by hitting rocks, which was forbidden in the original world. Maybe yesterday's battle against Galfrad would have been a crushing victory if Snow had been there.

But no matter how dominant we are, I'm not going to just fight the boss. We were hurt too much yesterday. Unless there was something very bad, he wouldn't be conducting a boss fight in his first layer.

Thus, after exploring the 35th layer without letting his guard down until the end, he had found the stairs to the 36th layer.