He had carefully revealed his aspirations to us in the tavern; he took his job as a scout very seriously. It wasn't even such a far-fetched dream. In fact, his ability to find paths was removed respectably. He knew nothing about the other floors, but at least on the first, where he gave it his all, he belonged to the category of highly skilled scouts. If he could shake off two more hours, that dream could become a reality show. Although it wouldn't be easy.
"Then let's go up."
Enough talk. I went into the portal with Missha.
[You have entered the Desert of Rocks on the second floor].
The sand crumbled beneath my feet. Hot air rose from below. Shadows of stone debris followed the flickering torch as it moved through the total darkness.
"It's the Desert of Rocks."
Of all places... I led Missha back up to the first floor. Then, following the compass, we headed east.
Since we landed on the opposite side, it will probably take us two days to get there.
If we had entered the maze in the normal way, it would only take us a day to get anywhere. Well, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Furthermore, the EXP gained by opening the portal may only be 2, but it was a type that accumulated permanently. If I could win this just by walking one more day, it was definitely a win.
«Ugh, I'm definitely sorry for Rrrotmiller's absence now».
In about three hours, we left the outermost part of the dark zone. Even if we followed the compass, from time to time we ended up at a dead end.
«Still, isn't it nice that we both walk together»?
«What are you talking about?»
«It's just that... It's nice to be as loud as five, but this isn't so bad either».
At first I wondered what he meant, but hearing that, I think I knew what he meant. Hikurod and Dwalkie talked too much. To be honest, I couldn't say they didn't make me laugh sometimes, but most of the time I was exhausted just listening to them.
«Gigeek!»
After escaping the dark area, we were walking through the softly lit glass cave when monsters attacked us. The monsters that appeared in this western district were gnomes. As rank 9 monsters, it was a one-shot kill.
«Gik...?!»
It was like a clay doll that turned into porridge with a single blow and disappeared. Killing them wasn't a problem, but it was annoying. The gnome's active ability was Unification. Since it was a stealth skill, you had to be within a 3 meter radius to see it.
If Rotmiller were here, we could have killed everyone as soon as he saw him.
Maybe it was because we had been working as a group of five people until now. I may not have missed the dwarf, but I did miss the other guy. His position was that of the «cat of all trades» who always did his job silently in the rear. Oh, and Dwalkie. If he were here we wouldn't have to collect the mana stones ourselves.
«Bjorn, someone's coming!» While I was lost in thought, Missha elbowed me in the side and called out to me in a low voice. As a beastwoman with highly tuned senses, she felt his presence before me. «What are you going to do?»
What else could be done? They must have felt our presence a long time ago.
Clink, clink.
Soon, a group of five appeared ahead, an official group with a magician and a priest. As expected from a group of scouts who had come this far in just three hours, the quality of their equipment was considerable.
...It has to be at least the sixth floor.
He didn't know what essences they had, but the grade three and four team that covered them from head to toe demonstrated their level. A scout's equipment was similar to his identification. However, it seemed to be the same case for them.
«Hmm.»
His eyes as he passed us were suspicious and cautious. Well yes. They wouldn't have thought to meet a barbarian and a beastwoman dressed only in second-rate materials here, right now.
Please keep walking.
Fortunately, they passed us by without speaking to us. Instead of being the result of my desperate desires, they probably just didn't have time.
«Mr. Levron, let's speed up a little.»
«I will.»
It was lucky they were accelerating. They may not have known how we got here, but they probably assumed that other competitors might have moved even faster.
You are already the fastest.
Since we were moving backwards from the portal, I knew these guys were in front. Well, even if they were, all they would see would be a portal that had already been opened.
«Wow, those people really run everywhere». Missha exclaimed her admiration at seeing scouts running at full speed for the first time. It took them less than two seconds to come into view and pass by, but it still seemed to have been quite impressive.
«What are you looking at? Someday we have to do it too».
«...Us?» Missha tilted her head.
No matter how much he told her now, it wouldn't look familiar. It wasn't long ago that her family treated her like a fool because she couldn't even contract a Spiritual Beast.
«Sometimes, Bjorn, it seems like you have big ambitions. Is it because you're a barbarian?»
«... Are you being sarcastic?»
«Idiot, I meant it's cool!»
«Hmm.» This guy could be too direct sometimes. Did she think she was a barbarian or something?
***
«Did you see the gun that swordsman Anteees was carrying?»
«Do you mean the sword made of Orichalcum?»
«Yes that! So it was Orichalcum. I wonder how much it would cost to make a gun out of it...».
After that, Missha continued talking about the party we met earlier. She seemed to have a longing to be a high-ranking explorer. Well, it was a much more positive emotion than jealousy or arrogance, but longing alone wouldn't bring him anything.
«Stop talking and move your feet».
«Hmph, if anyone hears you, they'll think I've stopped moving».
Anyway, as we continued walking east, the frequency of encounters with explorers gradually increased. At first, like the group we saw before, most of them were high-ranking explorers. As time passed, their levels gradually decreased.
I took out my watch. It was 6:57 p.m., 7 p.m. from the opening of the maze. That meant we had spent the whole day walking. Thanks to that, we were already at the starting point. In other words, we had reached the center of the glass cave on the first floor. Therefore, there was no need to worry about raising the suspicions of the high-ranking explorers we encountered.
Huh, I didn't expect this.
When we actually arrived, we still got attention.
«Did you just see that? The size of that mace...»
«I think the backpack is also extendable».
The explorers looked at us with envy every time we passed. We sure looked strange. Instead of hunting on a much higher floor as we seemed to be able to, we were in the middle of the first floor.
«Why is someone like that still here?»
It was more or less the time when we were looking for a companion to spend the night. Every time we came across a group of three or four explorers, they all made comments. It seemed a little strange to me.
There was a time when I was like that too.
When I first entered the maze, like them, I found a companion at night and took a break. The problem was that the first person I met was Hans A.
«Why are you laughing suddenly?»
«I was just thinking about the past».
Remembering how I had to pretend to sleep with Hans A next to me while I was actually very tired made me laugh. Before I met Erwen, I went through all kinds of hardships.
I wonder how it will be.
Since he had a rich sister he was sure she was doing well, but he was curious. She was the first companion I had in this world. Should I go look for her?
As I walked with those thoughts in mind, a man caught my attention, not that I was doing anything particularly remarkable.
Damn, what a striking man.
I didn't like his look. I could feel envy and greed shining in those disgusting eyes above me. But for some reason, it made me laugh again.
I have really matured.
In the past, I would have gotten nervous inside, assuming the worst with just that look. But a lot had changed since then.
Not that I've gotten softer, but...
I smiled satisfied. Now there was no reason to be scared by goblins. It's not that he was a goblin, but comparing just combat power, it didn't make much difference. Even coming from someone who always assumed the worst of the worst. I couldn't imagine myself being stabbed to death by that crude knife.
Yes I'm sure... But why does it keep bothering me?
There was a reason to check it.
«You». When I suddenly stopped and looked at him, the man stood up, startled, from his posture of leaning against the wall. The dirty eyes were only full of vigilance. «Do you have something to tell me?».
«N-no...?»
«Then why are you looking at me like that?»
«...I'm sorry.»
When the man apologized, Missha punched me in the side. «Bjorn! What are you doing? He hasn't done anything wrong.»
For some reason, I felt like I had seen a scene like this on the streets before. When some bully started a fight with a passerby, his girlfriend had restrained him.
This guy's look was especially dirty.
«You, what's your name?»
«Hanst Ivan.»
«Hanst? Not Hans?» The man trembled at my question. It must have been insulting when a savage suddenly approached him and made fun of his name, but this was really important to me. «Is it really Hanst? Haven't you been confused?»
"It's actually Hanst..." Hmm, was that really my mistake? As I continued to stare at him, trying to organize my thoughts, the man nervously added, "It was originally Hans, but I changed it because it was too common."
"What?" Damn, no wonder I felt so dirty. Still, she changed her name, so I decided not to say anything and go on my way. Of course, I should give her some advice first. "Never go back to your original name. Keep living as Hanst. Understood?"
"I will." Hanst nodded briskly.
Dddddd!
That's when the labyrinth begin to shake as if there had been an earthquake. Startled by the sudden phenomenon, Missha looked at me. "Bjorn?" Her eyes searched for an answer.
Of course, I knew the answer. There was only one thing in the labyrinth that accompanied this phenomenon.
"Runs!"
A crack would soon open, and right now, before the first day had even passed.
Fuck.
Few people knew it, but normally, the cracks took at least three days to form naturally.
What a bastard he is!
That mean that someone had beaten us to it using the method I was planning to use.