40. There Are No Monsters Here

"Uoooooh!"

Just before the Black Wolf’s razor-sharp claws could tear into Halfa, Rei threw himself into the fray. He executed a full-power Shield Bash, successfully intercepting the beast's strike. But that was the extent of his success. Despite the weight behind his blow, the Black Wolf didn't so much as flinch.

Still, it seemed he’d succeeded in drawing its attention. Marking him as an obstacle, the Black Wolf shifted its focus entirely toward Rei.

Claws and fangs lashed out in a relentless assault. Even with Rei’s skill, he couldn't deflect every blow, and he gradually began to sustain injuries. In this fight, every scratch meant being further afflicted by the Plague Curse. His stamina would be whittled away bit by bit until he finally collapsed.

I have to do something before it's too late!

"Sally! I’m throwing the staff! Aim for it!"

They didn't need any more explanation than that.

I pulled the Gambler's Staff from my Storage Ring and hurled it toward Ludovis. Shiroru was nearby as well, but sensing the danger, she quickly put distance between herself and the man.

"On it! <Fire Arrow>!"

My intention had been conveyed perfectly. Sally loosed a bolt of flame. Just as it had when we breached the wall of the hidden passage, the staff triggered a violent explosion the moment the Fire Arrow made contact. Ludovis and his cohorts were caught completely off guard. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to take any of them down, but the blast clearly dealt significant damage.

"Guh...! Black Wolf, protect me!"

A wary Ludovis ordered the beast back to his side. This was our chance... or at least, I hoped it was.

"Everyone, gather around Rei!"

Having borne the brunt of the Black Wolf’s attacks, Rei finally slumped to the ground. He was still alive, though. I had the Prayer Stone of Benevolent Rain in my possession. If we could just survive this moment, we might make it out!

Ludovis and his group were bunching up as well, likely trying to regroup. But I wasn't about to give them the chance to reset. If my hunch was right, this would work.

"Crystal, activate!"

I pulled the Return Crystal from my Storage Ring and held it high. I didn't actually need to shout the command, but it felt right given the stakes.

"Tort, no! The Return Crystal won't work while monsters are near—"

Sally, realizing my plan, tried to stop me. However, her warning was cut short.

The crystal let out a brilliant flash, and a shroud of white light enveloped us. It was the unmistakable sign of the crystal activating.

After a brief sensation of weightlessness, the scenery around us shifted. Ludovis and his group were gone.

"H-How...?" Sally stammered, her eyes wide with shock.

The logic behind it was actually simple enough.

"The condition that blocks a Return Crystal is the presence of monsters. Ludovis and his group are enemies, but they aren't monsters. And according to Shiroru, the Plague-Cursed Black Wolf is more of a curse than a living creature. I gambled that it wouldn't count."

In truth, even if the wolf had been classified as a monster, I had a feeling it still might have worked. I suspected that only monsters managed directly by the dungeon interfere with the crystal’s activation.

Dungeon monsters behave fundamentally differently from those found in the outside world. They cooperate across species and dissolve into nothingness upon death, leaving only drop items behind. If that difference is the result of the dungeon's system, then the dungeon must have a way to identify the monsters under its control.

Since the Return Crystal is an item produced by the dungeon, it stands to reason that its "interference check" only looks for monsters registered within that same system. The Black Wolf was an entity sealed into the dungeon from the outside; it wasn't a part of the dungeon's management. Thus, we could teleport.

Of course, that was mostly just my own theory. It had been a massive gamble, but I’d figured we had better odds of the crystal working than we did of winning a head-on fight against Ludovis.

Now, however, wasn't the time for lectures.

"Let's get out of the dungeon for now. They might come after us, and we need to treat Rei."

Rei was completely unresponsive. He didn't seem to have any deep gashes, but his consciousness was clouded, his body ravaged by the Plague Curse. We had to help him immediately. With the Prayer Stone of Benevolent Rain, we should be able to purge the curse.

The Return Crystal had dropped us near the entrance of the First Floor. We hurried outside, with Dolga-san carrying Rei over his shoulder.

Once we were clear of the dungeon entrance, we laid Rei down on the ground. I could sense the surrounding adventurers stirring with curiosity, but I didn't have the luxury of worrying about them.

"Shiroru, how do we use this thing?"

『It shouldn't be that complicated. It is a Prayer Stone, after all. Perhaps you simply need to pray?』

"I guess that makes sense."

I looked at the stone I’d pulled from my Storage Ring. Even Shiroru didn't seem to know the exact procedure.

"Let me try," Sally said.

She cupped the Prayer Stone in both hands and held it to her face. Closing her eyes, she bowed her head and offered a silent plea.

"O Benevolent Rain... please, wash away this plague."

As if answering her voice, the Prayer Stone of Benevolent Rain began to glow. Almost immediately, raindrops began to patter down—a gentle, shimmering drizzle.

"Wow, it's beautiful!" Halfa exclaimed.

The rain looked as though it were made of liquid light. It carried a sense of profound purity, as if it were washing away everything foul and unclean. The prayer had reached its mark.

"Ugh... nngh..."

"Rei! Can you hear me?"

"Y-Yeah..."

The effects of the stone were dramatic; Rei regained consciousness almost instantly. Even while struggling against the curse, he had managed to block the wolf’s strikes effectively enough that his physical wounds were minor. They were well within the limits of what Sally and I could handle with <First Aid>.

For now, the crisis had passed. I felt a wave of relief seeing everyone safe. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that we weren't done with Ludovis yet. We would have to settle things with him sooner or later—I was sure of it.