"Fish savings! Umm... she says there’s a magic crystal."
"A magic crystal, huh?"
"She says it wasn't there before the fight. It must have just formed."
Roxanne translated for me as Miria held out a black magic crystal.
That was impressive. She could tell the exact moment it appeared? As expected of a Cat-kin; their night vision was no joke. I doubted even a blade of grass would be left standing once they’d passed through an area.
"As expected of Miria," I praised.
"She said she noticed it immediately because it glowed," Roxanne added.
No, that couldn't be right. Black magic crystals didn't glow.
"It's a magic crystal. Try saying it. Magic crystal."
"Magic crystal, desu."
Had I not taught her that word yet? I taught her the Brahim word for magic crystal and took the item from her. I also received the loot from Sherry. Apparently, it was called Hange.
While I was at it, I swapped out my Warrior job for Herbalist and tested my Crude Drug Synthesis. The Hange in my palm transformed into three vials of Nourishing Medicine. It really was a medicinal herb.
"So you truly can do it," Sherry remarked, looking impressed.
"Is it that unusual?"
"No, but I’ve heard that even Herbalists strong enough to defeat a Nepenthes often can't process Hange themselves at first and have to sell it raw."
Wait a minute. Hadn't Sherry told me that Tonic could be made on the 13th Floor? If Tonic was possible there, then Nourishing Medicine should certainly be possible on the 12th.
"I-I see."
"Of course, I assumed you would be able to handle it, Master."
"As expected of Master," Roxanne chimed in.
"As expected, desu," Miria echoed.
I didn't quite feel like I was being praised for the right reasons. My Herbalist level was only 4. When I was churning out Nourishing Pills a while back, I’d left the job equipped because swapping was a hassle, so it had leveled up quickly. There was no way a Herbalist capable of reaching the 12th floor would normally be level 4.
If an Herbalist above level 4 typically couldn't make the medicine, then the ability wasn't determined by level alone. It likely depended on total MP capacity. My MP pool included bonuses from not just Herbalist, but also Mage, Monk, and Hero, making it quite substantial.
"Well, this much is to be expected," I said, trying to sound cool.
I stowed the Nourishing Medicine and the magic crystal in my Item Box and left the Boss Room.
"The monsters on the Quratar 13th Floor are Flytraps," Sherry explained as we stepped onto the new floor. "They aren't fundamentally different from Sarracenia. They use Water Attribute Magic and their normal attacks can inflict poison. They are resistant to water but weak to fire."
With Roxanne leading the way, we soon confronted a Flytrap. It was a plant monster identical in size and shape to a Sarracenia, with one key difference: its head wasn't a pitcher. It was split into two halves that could snap shut. It really was a carnivorous plant.
I kept a close eye on its head while I fought, eventually defeating it with a barrage of Fire Magic.
"It didn't attack with its head," I noted.
"True, but we mustn't be careless," Roxanne cautioned.
"Higher-level variants are said to use a special snapping attack with their heads," Sherry added.
If the snapping attack was reserved for higher levels, we could probably handle the 13th Floor without much trouble. Still, Roxanne was right about not being careless. Even a regular Sarracenia could pour digestive juices on you from above.
I received a dropped item called Onji from Miria. Since I still had Herbalist equipped, I used Crude Drug Synthesis immediately. I produced three Tonic Pills. The yield was the same as the Nourishing Pills.
"Alright, since we can handle the Flytraps, take us to a spot with a high density of them."
I gave the order to Roxanne and began the hunt in earnest. Both Flytraps and Sarracenia were weak to fire. By spamming Fire Storm, we could handle almost any number of them. This was much better; before I’d reinforced my cane, these fights took forever.
"It's coming!" Roxanne shouted mid-battle.
It was a ranged attack from a Flytrap. I expected Roxanne to block it, but she dodged instead. A bolt of water flew directly at me from where she had just been standing.
"Whoa!" I barely managed to dive out of the way.
Being positioned behind Roxanne was definitely a hazard.
"Umm... I'm sorry. Magic cannot be fully blocked with a shield," she explained.
"Is that so?"
"Yes. A shield can reduce the impact, but some damage will always leak through."
I wished she’d mentioned that sooner. I decided to keep a bit more distance from her. Since she was the primary target at the front, I needed to make sure I wasn't standing on the line of fire between her and the monsters.
We continued our hunt on the Quratar 13th Floor. The water magic was a nuisance and the monsters were noticeably tougher than those on the 12th, but it was manageable. I tried borrowing the Ring of Determination from Sherry while using Durandal, but I didn't notice a clear difference. Since Durandal already increased my attack power, perhaps the effects didn't stack.
After defeating several more Flytraps, I amassed a large stock of Tonic Pills. I gave ten to Sherry to carry for me.
"Now that we have the pills, should we go for the Tonic liquid as well?"
"Yes, that would be wise," Roxanne agreed.
"It is only rational to be fully prepared for emergencies," Sherry added.
"Yes, desu."
With everyone’s consent, we set out to challenge the 13th-floor boss. Having fought this much, I was starting to understand the Labyrinth’s logic. From the 12th to the 22nd floors, the pool of monsters remained the same, but their specific floor assignments varied between different Labyrinths. A monster that was a regular enemy on the 22nd floor of Quratar might be a boss on the 12th floor of another Labyrinth.
This meant that if we could defeat a boss on the 12th floor of one Labyrinth, we were likely capable of fighting the same monster as a boss on Quratar’s 22nd floor. We had already beaten the Nepenthes on the Quratar 12th Floor. That same Nepenthes would be a boss on the 22nd floor somewhere else, so there was no reason we couldn't handle it.
Of course, they wouldn't be identical in strength because of the level difference—like the Green Caterpillar Lv 11. Higher levels meant more frequent and dangerous skill use, like spitting silk. Even so, they were fundamentally the same. We didn't need to be deathly afraid until the 23rd floor, where the difficulty spiked.
"Alright. Lead the way."
"As you wish, Master."
Since we had a complete set of maps for Quratar, we moved quickly. Roxanne guided us straight to the 13th-floor Boss Room. After Miria confirmed it was empty, we entered. We faced the 13th-floor boss, an Animal Trap, accompanied by a single Sarracenia.
"So the add was a Sarracenia this time."
"Any monster from the current floor has a chance to appear alongside the boss," Sherry explained.
The Animal Trap was exactly what Sherry had described: an upgraded Flytrap. The accompanying monsters in boss rooms were a pain from the 12th floor onward, but as long as we nuked them quickly, the fight was ours. We surrounded the boss, let Roxanne tank the front, and I beat it from behind with Durandal. It was a perfect winning formula.
Sherry brought me some Dried Tangerine Peel. This was the Animal Trap's drop. I used Crude Drug Synthesis and created three bottles of Tonic.
"The monster on the Quratar 14th Floor is the Hat Bat," Sherry briefed us as we stepped out of the Boss Room. "They are small and they fly, so attacks are difficult to land. They often fly over the front line to target the rear, so be careful. They are weak to water, wind, and earth magic."
A Hat Bat, huh? That sounded like a nightmare for a rear-guard mage like me. There was no reason to push our luck.
"Actually, let's skip the 14th Floor for now and head back to the Halber Labyrinth."
Since we’d replenished our emergency supplies, it was time to get back to business. These potions were for true emergencies anyway; for normal healing, we relied on the Monk’s First Aid. Three bottles each of Nourishing Medicine and Tonic were plenty for now.
Roxanne and Sherry looked a bit disappointed. I was surprised that even Sherry was being so aggressive. Perhaps she thought it was only logical to test our strength since we were already there. Miria was the only one who didn't seem to care.
Cat-ears really are the best. Obedience is a virtue.
"We don't need to force a fight right now. Right, Miria?"
"Yes, desu. Not fish, desu."
So she only wanted to fight if it involved seafood. Fair enough.
We warped from the entrance of Quratar’s 14th Floor back to the 12th floor of Halber. We emerged in the small room where the thieves had stayed. Since the Duke thought I was a normal Adventurer, I had to be careful not to let anyone see me using Dungeon Walk—or Warp, which was even more suspicious. If necessary, I’d just have to grant someone the Explorer job to cover my tracks.
We explored the area around the small room. When we exited through the side opposite our previous route, we found the Boss Room almost immediately. Just as I’d suspected, the thieves had set up their camp right next to it. They probably acted helpful to lure strong parties toward the boss while they waited for a chance to strike. They hadn't targeted us because we looked weak; they were just blinded by greed—specifically for Roxanne’s charms.
The waiting room was empty. The Halber Labyrinth was as silent as if the ambush had never happened. If I looked closely, I might find a bloodstain, but it was too dim to tell.
"The boss of the Grass Bee is the Killer Bee. You must watch out for its poison; it has a skill that guarantees infection."
A Killer Bee. It sounded like a nightmare. We entered the room and found a Killer Bee accompanied by a Grass Bee. It was annoying to have a Grass Bee as the add, but it was statistically likely. I used Rush to take it down instantly before the Killer Bee could even react. Roxanne held the front with her usual stability, making it impossible for the boss to land a clean hit. She likely would have dodged even the guaranteed-poison skill. I joined the fray with Durandal, and the Killer Bee went down without a fight.
Another victory for the formula. Having an extra monster in the room was a nuisance, but with Roxanne, the bosses from the 12th floor up weren't a threat.
"The monster on the Halber 13th Floor is the Pig Hogg," Sherry informed me.
"Right. Weak to water magic, if I recall."
"Correct."
Next was the 13th Floor. However, I had a problem. I was still carrying the Intelligence Cards of the thieves I’d killed. When I eventually went to claim the bounties, I’d be asked where I found them. Even if not asked directly, it would be unnatural to avoid the topic of where we were exploring when talking to Gosler.
The thieves had been on the 12th and 13th floors. Even if I kept quiet about being attacked twice, it was better to be honest about our exploration progress. If we pushed ahead to the 15th or 16th floors now and someone saw us, they’d wonder why we were claiming to have fought thieves on the 12th. I decided to hold off on entering the 16th or 17th floors of Halber for now to keep our story straight.
I needed to reach Explorer Lv 50 and get the Adventurer job as soon as possible. Only then could I pass an Intelligence Card check without raising eyebrows and claim those bounties. But until then, our progression was capped by social caution. Maybe I should spend more time in Quratar instead. I’d promised the Duke to explore his Labyrinth, but staying on the 13th floor on purpose felt like a waste of time.
I would level up faster on higher floors. In fact, just making Tonic Pills on Quratar’s 13th floor had pushed my Herbalist job to Level 6. Miria’s Diver job was already Level 20. The leveling speed was definitely increasing. Higher-floor monsters simply gave more experience.
It was time to grind. I performed a Character Reset and set myself up with Required XP 1/20 and 20x XP Gain. It was the only way to prioritize leveling. At Explorer Lv 37, I had 135 Bonus Points. Required XP 1/20 cost 63, and 20x XP Gain cost 63. I needed to keep the Character Reset slot, so after buying up to Fourth Job for 7 points, I only had 1 point left.
I had to keep Explorer and Mage. I needed Explorer for the level goal and Mage to actually kill things. That left Hero or Monk. Since taking zero damage was impossible, I needed Monk for healing, even if I only swapped to it when necessary. But in an emergency, having it ready was better. Hero was also too good to pass up, especially with the Overwhelming skill as an insurance policy.
I settled on Fourth Job and put the final point into Chant Shortening.
"I've fought Pig Hoggs before, so just take us to a spot with plenty of targets."
"Understood, Master."
Roxanne led the way. The mix of Grass Bees (weak to wind) on the 12th and Pig Hoggs (weak to water) on the 13th was a bit of a hassle for my MP efficiency, but that was just how it went.
"Water Storm!"
I blasted a group of monsters with water magic, focusing on the Pig Hoggs first since they were more numerous. Two pigs—or boars, whatever they were—collapsed. I picked off the remaining Grass Bee with Breeze Ball. It took a bit longer since I wasn't always hitting weaknesses, but that was the price of progressing to higher floors. My front line held firm the entire time.
"Umm... Master, why are you calling out the spell names?" Roxanne asked.
I really wished she’d let that slide. I couldn't exactly tell her it was because I didn't have enough points for Chant Omission. I needed a plausible excuse for my sudden onset of "cool-guy syndrome."
"I'm doing it for confirmation for a while. We need to work on our coordination training."
"I see! That makes sense. I understand."
"G-Great. Next group, please."
It was a little worrying how easily she accepted that. I didn't even know what I was supposed to be confirming.
"Yes. A group of four Pig Hoggs or four Grass Bees would be ideal so the attributes match."
"I doubt it'll be that convenient."
"If not four, then a three-and-one split. Even if one is left over, the fight won't last long enough to be an issue."
If Roxanne—the one who had to tank the leftover monster—said it was fine, then it was fine. She was so reliable.
"Ideally, we'd want more Grass Bees in a mixed group," Sherry noted.
"Because we can kill the poison-users first?" I asked.
"Exactly."
However, Pig Hoggs were the primary inhabitants of this floor, so getting mostly bees was unlikely. We’d just have to manage.
Roxanne was true to her word, finding us groups of four or three-and-one. When two or more Grass Bees appeared, I prioritized them. If there was only one, I just watched out for its stingers. We were managing the poison risk well.
I swapped to Durandal occasionally to recover MP. Even with four jobs, I could swap Mage for Warrior without issue. I thought about dropping Monk, but decided against it. Usually, if anyone was going to get hit when we were on the offensive, it was me. Sherry would rotate to the back, and my presence in the front seemed to draw heat away from Miria on the flank. Roxanne was always in the thick of it, but she was Roxanne. If I took damage, Durandal healed me right up.
Since Durandal didn't care about elemental weaknesses, I used it to thin out the Grass Bees first. The fact that Pig Hoggs were more common actually made things easier when I had the sword out.
Our exploration was going smoothly—too smoothly, perhaps. I wanted to reach Level 50, but I didn't want to advance too many floors. It was a classic dilemma. And as if to punish my indecision, disaster struck a few days later: Miria got poisoned.
We were fighting a pack of two Pig Hoggs and two Grass Bees. Both bees targeted Miria at the same time. It was just bad luck. It happened right as she was closing in to attack, so she couldn't retreat in time. She dodged one, but the second needle caught her.
"Ah... ah... ah..." Miria groaned.
That was definitely poison. I’d felt it myself, so I knew the sound. I pulled out an Antidote Pill, but I had to finish the bees first or the situation would only get worse.
"First Aid! Breeze Storm! Roxanne, hold them for a second!"
"On it!"
Since I was already using wind magic, the Grass Bees went down quickly. I fired one last Breeze Storm, popped the Antidote Pill into my own mouth, and pulled Miria to me. I pressed my lips to hers, forced her mouth open with my tongue, and pushed the pill inside. I kept my mouth sealed over hers until I was sure she’d swallowed.
Miria’s tongue was trembling, gasping for air. I overlapped our tongues, gently soothing her. She clung to me, her tongue entwining with mine in a way that was surprisingly passionate. It was the most active she’d ever been during a kiss.
I wanted to stay like that forever, but Roxanne and Sherry were still busy with the two Pig Hoggs.
"Water Storm!"
I broke the kiss and chanted the spell. Without Chant Omission, I couldn't cast while kissing. If only I had that skill, I wouldn't have had to let her go. Was it worth another Character Reset? Probably not.
"I'm going, desu!"
Before I could decide if I should kiss her again, Miria lunged back into the fray. A pity, but she was recovered, and that was what mattered. I took out my frustration on the remaining monsters, obliterating them with water magic.
"Poison really turns things south fast. First Aid. Is everyone okay? First Aid."
I moved around, healing everyone. Roxanne had taken a few hits too, likely while trying to cover for Miria and me.
"It's nothing, Master. I'm fine now."
"I see. First Aid. Sherry?"
"I only took a couple of hits. The battle line was never in danger of collapsing."
"I am okay, desu."
They were all so tough. I was grateful for their high morale.
"Alright then. First Aid."
"I really am fine, Master." Roxanne smiled.
I moved on to Miria. "Next is you. First Aid. That poison must have been a shock. First Aid."
"Surprised, desu."
"I bet. But as long as we’re in the Labyrinth, you have to be ready for this. First Aid. Though I’d rather you didn't have to get used to it. First Aid."
"Yes, desu."
"I'm counting on you. First Aid."
Without Chant Omission, I really did look like someone with a very specific, weird fetish. I needed to level up and get that skill back. Level 50 was still a distant dream, but Chant Omission was a much more reachable goal.
We finished the day's exploration without further incident. No levels, no new floors, just steady progress. I decided we all deserved a nice long soak in the bath.
I went home early and got the water ready. After the scare with Miria, I just wanted to relax. After dinner, we all got into the tub. Miria floated on her back, looking completely content with just her face above the water. Roxanne and Sherry sat on either side of me. It was heaven.
"Today was rough, but this feels amazing."
"Yes, it's the best," Roxanne agreed.
What was actually "the best" was Roxanne's tail. I reached under the water and wrapped my arm around her, enjoying the sensation. When I pulled her closer, her soft curves pressed against my chest.
"You feeling good too, Miria?"
"Yes, desu," she replied, drifting lazily toward the far end of the tub.
She was so carefree. Even though the tub wasn't that huge, her tail still brushed against my leg occasionally.
"Miria, about that fish dish with the new pot... can you make it quickly?"
As soon as Roxanne translated, Miria shot toward me with incredible speed. She climbed right onto me, her face inches from mine.
"Can do, desu!"
"In this case, it's 'I can make it.' You can make it?"
"Can make it, desu!"
Her smooth stomach pressed against my most sensitive area, but she didn't seem to notice or care. She was just staring intently into my eyes, waiting for the verdict.
"Alright... how about the day after tomorrow for dinner?"
"Can do, desu!"
Having secured her answer, she immediately drifted away again. Talk about being motivated by food. I knew a fish dinner would make her happy, and two days was the perfect lead time. Tomorrow was too soon, but four or five days was too far to keep her excited.
Unfortunately, the "goodnight kiss" that evening returned to its usual, brief self. I guess the passion from earlier was strictly a side-effect of the Antidote Pill. Oh well, I still had Roxanne for the passionate stuff.
The next morning followed the same pattern. Miria was back to her usual, somewhat distant self. After the morning kisses, we headed back to Halber’s 13th Floor. Levels were slow, but the floor was nearing completion. We’d probably hit the 14th Floor by tomorrow. It felt like we were making progress, but I still worried about the bounty situation. If we were already on the 18th floor by the time I claimed them, saying we were hit on the 12th would look suspicious.
I ended the day's exploration still undecided on my social strategy. My Explorer level had hit 38. One more to go until I got Chant Omission back.
When we got home, there was a message from Luke the broker.
"He says the bid for the Kobold Skill Crystal was successful. 5,400 Nahl. Also, he wants to see you immediately," Roxanne read from the note.
A Kobold crystal, finally. I wondered what the rush was. If it was "immediately," I should probably go now rather than wait for tomorrow. I hated the idea of a potentially unpleasant request, but putting it off wouldn't help.
"I'll head out for a bit. You three start dinner?"
"Of course, Master. Safe travels."
"Watch out for that broker," Sherry warned.
I warped to the Merchant Guild and asked for Luke. He was still there and showed me to a private room.
"Sorry for the short notice. Here is your Kobold Skill Crystal."
"Thank you."
I used Appraisal to confirm it was genuine, then paid him 59 silver coins, covering the crystal and his fee. Luke had proven himself reliable so far.
"To be honest, the last Kobold crystal also went for 5,400. A competitor who anticipated my bid snagged it. It's a pain when people figure out your maximum price."
"That sounds tough."
"So, I had to hit the ceiling again to secure this one."
I wasn't sure if he was being entirely honest, but it didn't matter.
"Well, this is the last Kobold crystal I need for now, so it's fine. Was there something else?"
"Yes. I have a message from the Duke of Harz’s knights. They want you to come to the estate immediately."
The Duke? I wondered if there was news about the mirrors I’d sold.
"The Duke's knights? Alright, I understand."
"I've passed on the word, then."
I took the crystal home and had Sherry fuse it into her Steel Spear immediately. Now she had the Chant Interruption skill. It might not be used every day, but it would be a lifesaver eventually.
The next morning, I left the girls to finish breakfast and headed to Bode alone. I emerged from the lobby wall and found a guard.
"Are the Duke or the Knight Captain available?"
"Yes, they should be in the Duke's office."
I thanked him and made my way through the familiar hallways. I knocked on the heavy office door.
"Enter," a voice called out. It was Gosler.
"It's Michio. I heard you were looking for me."
"Ah, Lord Michio! Thank you for coming so quickly," the Duke said from behind his desk.
"Of course."
"Actually, a rather troubling matter has arisen."
"First, please, take a seat," Gosler added, gesturing toward the sofa.
The Duke looked as impatient as ever. I sat down, wondering what kind of trouble required my immediate attention.