REMANTIA'S LABYRINTH, FORTY-EIGHTH FLOOR
Once the store is closed, we shift to our usual labyrinth run with bright spirits, especially after we earned about 700,000 yen in total sales and my first weapon sales turned out to be a success.
Right now, Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, Pinna, Salacia, and I explore the forty-eighth floor with our new member, Manas, who joins us for the first time. And there is a change in our formation today: up front, Yomogi walks side by side with Manas, instead of Chantal, as Pinna's Observer Unit floats between them. Just behind them, Chantal, who is usually at the front with Yomogi, now walks in between the front and mid lines. The middle remains the same as Kimberly and Pinna walk side by side with the latter's Crawler Unit slithering on the ground between them. And finally, there is me in the rear with Salacia as usual.
Before Manas came in, we were still encountering old monsters from the labyrinth's "loop" mechanic. After the Puncher Woods on the fortieth floor, the next monsters we defeated were Blitz Sheeps with their rare meat drops, Sleep Donkeys, the Hando that had grown with six fingers, the same loud-screeching Trumpet Cranes we'd anticipated with my Earth Wall helmets again, the same cabbages that launched explosive heads called Catapult Cabbages, Bitch Leeches, and the tumbling tumbleweeds called Tum Tumbles. Those are monsters from floors 9-15, and they returned to floors 41-47.
And of course, everyone's wearing their usual outfits again. Yomogi walks up front in that bridal robe with her bare shoulders and exposed tempting cleavage. Chantal's back is completely bare as always, thanks to that barely-there bikini armor. Kimberly with her halter dress, its neckline deep enough and high slits as sinful as ever. Pinna glides forward in that skintight bodysuit, looking completely like a sci-fi character thrown into a fantasy world. Salacia's seashell bikini literally brushes my skin and is within my eyesight as she clings to my arm and presses her soft chest against me. And finally, Manas is dressed in the same cheongsam-style dress from the day she first transformed, and its high slits rival Kimberly's.
But still, Manas is really the one who stands out as she holds her massive pavise shield in one hand and honestly, I can't wait to see her in action. For someone who used to be an invincible dragon, now choosing to become a shield-bearer who casts protective spells... I obviously want to witness if her pride is matched by skill.
As for me, I also have something else to carry, which is a small brown sling bag with the pilus follis egg inside. Since Manas told me it needed to be exposed to the labyrinth's anomalous energy and not stored in my dimensional inventory, I bought this bag just for the job for five silver coins.
Then, Chantal suddenly stops in our tracks and her ears twitch as Manas turns back to her.
"What dost thou detect, Chantal?"
"I hear something buzzing. Lots of it."
And I lean forward toward Pinna's back for confirmation.
"Needle Bees?"
"Confirmed. Six airborne entities. Species: Needle Bees. Approaching at high velocity."
"As I thought."
Yup, they've returned from the sixteenth floor, so I guess we should welcome them properly.
Without hesitation, I silently activate [Temporary Boost] and set all our stats to infinity. And just like that, six Needle Bees burst into view and immediately launch their poisonous stingers toward us.
Then, Manas's voice suddenly rings out.
"Stand thou behind me, all of thee."
We instinctively obey and form in line behind her, and then...
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
A rain of stingers hits Manas's pavise without even touching us, and she tips her head back and mocks the bees.
"Hah! Art these pitiful darts all thou canst muster? How feeble!"
The bees surge forward and dive straight at us, but Manas already lifts her free hand.
"Fire Stratos!"
"Kheeee...!" "Kheeee...!" "Kheeee...!"
In an instant, sheets of flame rise upward in perfect layers. The bees hit the first layer and scream, and more shrieking comes as they push through and hit the second. The third stops them entirely as their bodies ignite and twist in midair.
"Mine king! Kimberly! Finish what remains!"
"Got it!"
"Understood..."
With that, Kimberly and I raise our hands together and cast the same spell.
"Wind Cyclone!"
"Wind… Cyclone…"
Each cyclone catches three of the scorched bees, their bodies whirling violently until they disintegrate in the rushing air. And just like that, we get their honey drops thanks to our infinite Luck and our new member, Manas. As we gather the honey, Yomogi, Chantal, and Kimberly surround Manas and praise her.
"That was amazing, Manas!"
"Yeah, your defense is insane!"
"I've… never witnessed… a shield-bearer… cast a spell… of such magnitude…"
Manas laughs proudly.
"Hah! Still invincible, it seems. Thy praise pleaseth me well... expect far greater feats yet to come."
Yeah, she's not bluffing. Her strength, her confidence, and her control over both flame and shield are incredible.
Even her Fire Stratos was beyond my imagination. Magic starts with choosing an element, then shaping it through imagination. Magic casters share the same mental images, so that's why so many spells in this world look identical, from Fire Ball to Wind Wall to Earth Bullet and many others. So seeing her layering flames into strata instead of casting Fire Barrier is completely blowing my mind because I think nobody has done it before, and I can't help but be amazed by her imagination.
Also, with her ability to both tank and cast barrier spells, I'm starting to consider she's a Guardian class.
And speaking of Salacia, she leans against me.
"It's fun, isn't it, darling~? Having another incredible member in our party~?"
"Yeah, it really is."
Pinna nods thoughtfully.
"Prediction: Manas's frontline resilience will enable expanded offensive combinations. Her presence increases our ability to control space, redirect aggression, and initiate multi-angle engagements with minimal risk."
"Couldn't have said it better."
And then, I approach Manas and smile.
"You were amazing, Manas."
She stiffens just a little and then blushes, cheeks turning red.
"'Tis but a queen's duty… to protect her king."
"Hahaha…"
As we advance forward, more Needle Bees ambush us, but the pattern becomes almost routine.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
"Fire Stratos! Mine king! Kimberly!"
"Wind Cyclone!"
"Wind… Cyclone…"
The bees fire their stingers, and Manas blocks them. The bees charge, and Manas summons Fire Stratos, and Kimberly and I finish them up with the same Wind Cyclone spell. And we also don't forget to collect their honey.
Eventually, we reach the boss area, and I turn to the girls.
"Ready?"
"Yes!"
And with their unified voice, we step inside together.
REMANTIA'S LABYRINTH, FORTY-EIGHTH FLOOR - BOSS AREA
Arriving inside, I can feel an unusual rush of anticipation. This will be the first boss we've encountered in this loop mechanism, and since Kimberly said that bosses would return as the evolved version, I really can't wait to see how that thing evolves.
Then, a heavy thud breaks the silence as a familiar armored clay humanoid with a mustache emerges from the shadows... but he isn't exactly the same either because he doesn't look like a soldier. He's like someone who commands from above and rides a chariot.
So, I ask Kimberly for confirmation.
"Hey, Kimberly... is that the emperor?"
"Yes, Motegi-sama… that's… the Terracotta Emperor…"
I mean… it's the same thing, right?
Terracotta was my very first serious floor boss in this labyrinth, appearing as the eighth floor's boss, to be exact. And I encountered it way back when the party was just me and Yomogi. That boss dropped their clay, which I used to make the ceramic goods in my store and other ceramic things at home. And now, he's returned in this evolved form.
"What's the drop this time?"
"It drops... blue clay, Motegi-sama..."
"Blue clay?"
Now that's amazing.
I remember blue clay is known for its gentle properties on skin and is used in natural cosmetics. But since my [Hygienics] skill can't make any skincare products, maybe I can save it for future use.
Then, the Terracotta Emperor lifts a hand, and a riderless clay chariot appears, pulled by four large clay horses. And suddenly, the reins snap and the horses scatter, charging towards us.
"The left beast be mine!"
Manas raises her shield, and the first clay horse crashes into her defense, then she calls out immediately to Yomogi.
"Yomogi, strike now!"
"Got it! Grrraaahhh!"
Yomogi growls and drives her fist into the clay beast's flank, shattering it. Then, the chariot itself lurches, and a clay cannon mounted on its frame launches a round directly toward us.
BOOM!
"Kimberly!"
"Yes. Wind... Cannon..."
Manas's shield absorbs all the explosions as she turns to Kimberly this time, and Kimberly understands as she launches a Wind Cannon spell, destroying the chariot.
"Engage."
BOOM! BOOM!
Meanwhile, Pinna already commands her Crawler Unit to slither forward, and it launches two explosive marbles at the two horses' bodies, blasting them both.
As for Chantal, she grits her teeth as she blocks the last one's charge, her twin daggers clashing against its solid clay neck.
"Tch, these blades aren't cutting it!"
"Water Ball!"
A heavy splash of water slams into the clay beast, soaking its body. Chantal's eyes gleam, and she turns back to me.
"Thanks, Motegi-kun."
"Now!"
"Got it!"
With that, she slices clean through the soaked clay, and the horse crumbles beneath her, which now leaves me with the Emperor himself.
"Dark Sphere!"
The shadowy orb forms in my palm and blasts toward him, obliterating him completely. That's the same spell I used to defeat the Terracotta back then, and I'm glad that it works too for the Emperor version. Then, I rush forward to scoop the blue clay he dropped.
As I turn towards the girls, I see Salacia is tending Yomogi's injury.
"Heal…"
"Thank you, Salacia. I feel better now."
"You're welcome, Yomogi~..."
A gentle blue light flows from Salacia's palm to Yomogi's bruised hand, and once it's done, Yomogi flexes her fingers.
And then, we continue to move forward.
REMANTIA'S LABYRINTH, FORTY-NINTH FLOOR
As we step onto the forty-ninth floor, I can't help but think. With the Needle Bees down and the Terracotta Emperor defeated, that means we've officially cleared the six-monster floors, which were from thirty-six to forty-eight. And starting from here, from the forty-ninth floor onward, we'll face seven monsters per floor. If it follows the same rhythm, that will continue until we reach floor sixty-three. Also, since the loop is still active, the monsters appearing should be those returning from floors seventeen to thirty-one.
And just as I expected, the monsters on this floor are Greed Mites, reappearing from the seventeenth floor with more armies and aggression. There are seven of them this time, emerging with their oversized mandibles clacking and their heads jerking.
Chantal immediately groans, yet she draws her daggers anyway.
"Ugh. Them again?"
And just like that, they quickly charge forward in unison, but Manas already raises her shield, and the first mite slams into it.
CRASH!
She doesn't budge, and instead, she sneers in disdain.
"Thou dareth to stain the sacred shield gifted by mine king? Foul insect... begone from this holy armament!"
With a powerful heave, she hurls the termite aside, its body smashing into the wall and slumping to the ground.
"Engage."
PSSSSHHH!
"Kheeee...!" "Kheeee...!"
Pinna's Crawler Unit skitters ahead and vents a dense burst of smoke that's thick enough to hide the mites' bodies. They termites writhe and shriek beneath the haze.
"Master, Yomogi, Chantal. Engage."
"Got it! Take this!"
I bring Yamitsuki down hard across the second mite, cleaving it clean in half.
"Grrraaahhh!"
Yomogi bellows beside me as she charges in, slamming her fist into the third mite and killing it.
"Let's just get this over with!"
Chantal darts past her and slashes two termites in one smooth cross-strike, one dagger to each.
As for the final two...
"Wind… Bullet..."
Kimberly finishes them off with Wind Bullet, piercing through both remaining termites until they dissolve into nothing.
Once we're done, we collect the familiar dry soil they drop. It's not exactly the most exciting loot, and it's no surprise that Chantal clicks her tongue again.
"Tch. I really hate this drop."
Then, I notice Salacia kneeling beside Yomogi, tending her again as gentle blue light flows from Salacia's palms to Yomogi's bruised hand.
"Heal…"
"Thank you, Salacia..."
Salacia says something with a slight pout, and Yomogi laughs sheepishly.
"You really should wear gloves, Yomogi. Your hands bruise way too easily."
"Ahaha… I know, but gloves are a little hot, you know?"
Salacia's smile fades slightly as her tone firms up.
"Still… it's for your own safety."
Yomogi stiffens just a little, caught off guard.
"I… I understand."
Then, I walk over to Yomogi and reassure her.
"Salacia is right. I'll get you a good pair later, okay?"
Yomogi smiles as she looks between me and Salacia both.
"Thank you. You two are too kind, Motegi-chan, Salacia..."
Salacia and I just turn at each other and share a quiet smile. And with that, I ask the girls again.
"So, should we keep going?"
"Of course, Motegi-chan!"
"Let's go, Motegi-kun!"
"Yes… Motegi-sama…"
"Affirmative, Master."
"Always, darling~..."
"Let us proceed, mine king."
And with that, we continue to move forward.