The camellia oil shimmered with an unstable, viscous sheen, coating everyone's bodies in a thick, slick layer that made their skin feel impossibly smooth.
The oil glowed with a mysterious, wet luster.
Skin slid against skin, lubricated by the dripping oil.
A pageant woven from lustrous flesh and slick oil.
A tapestry unfolded by soft skin and slimy oil.
A torso of beautiful skin and sparkling oil.
Blood circulation promoted, fatigue recovered, appetite increased.
What pleasure can be found without knowing this?
What is a life lived without knowing this?
A man cannot speak of dreams without knowing this.
"Without even touching / the hot tide of blood / beneath that soft skin..."
The next morning, brimming with a hundredfold energy, we made a rapid advance through the Labyrinth.
When I say "a hundredfold energy," I don’t mean that the specific parts energized by the oil massage were a hundredfold energized.
I—I’m not entirely sure what I’m saying, but that was the level of energy I felt.
Whether it was a Spike Spider, a Busaiku Spider, or a Kozaiku Spider, they were all nothing to me.
The boss of the 36th Floor of the Quratar Labyrinth is called the Spike Spider.
It was a monstrously massive arachnid.
Its height easily exceeded Sherry’s stature.
It reared up, lifting its front legs high before slamming them down.
The force was so great I thought it might punch a hole right through the Labyrinth floor.
It was terrifying.
Taking a direct hit like that would be the end for anyone.
But those attacks were dodged, dodged, and dodged again with relentless grace.
By Roxanne, of course.
As expected of her.
That said, from the 34th Floor onward, bosses appear in pairs.
As for the other Spike Spider, Vesta was keeping it firmly suppressed.
No matter how large the Spike Spider was or how high it raised its front legs, it wasn't much of a threat to someone as tall as Vesta.
If Vesta simply extended her arms, she could reach the spider's front legs before they even began their descent.
And when she brought her two-handed swords—one in each hand—into play, the result was predictable.
Even if the Spike Spider raised its legs to drive its spikes home, Vesta’s blades were already waiting for it before it could gain any momentum.
Still, it was a monster.
It struggled to find an opening, forcing its attacks whenever it could.
But before its front legs could reach a dangerous speed, they were intercepted by the massive Vesta.
At its worst, the moment the spider even tried to lift its legs, Vesta simply used her superior reach to press down on it from above.
As expected of Vesta. She was practically indestructible.
The only downside was that since the monster couldn't build up any speed, the damage it took from being blocked by a sword was relatively small.
Well, that hardly mattered.
As long as the attacks were neutralized, it was Miria’s turn to shine.
Miria circled around Vesta’s side and hammered in a series of quick strikes, eventually petrifying one of the bosses with her Estoc of Rigidity.
Once one was out of commission, the remaining one was being handled by Roxanne, so we were in the clear.
While Roxanne continued to dance around the boss's attacks, Miria could petrify it from the flank, or we could simply wait for my magic to finish the job.
For Roxanne, a task like this was a breeze.
Besides, coming here was her request in the first place.
Since no additional monsters spawn in the Boss Room, we could take as much time as we needed.
Ultimately, Miria petrified the second one as well, bringing the Spike Spider battle to an end.
"At this rate, the 36th Floor Boss Battles should be no problem at all."
Whether it was a Spike Spider or a Mosaic Spider, they were no match for us after an oil massage.
Soft skin is better appreciated through oil than through a mosaic filter.
How could its motivational power possibly be inferior?
"With Master and the rest of us here, something like this is no issue at all."
"I do not believe there will be any particular problems," Sherry added.
"It is okay, desu," Miria chirped.
"I think we'll be fine," Vesta concluded.
I had no worries about Roxanne, and if Vesta—the other one facing the monsters head-on—said it was fine, then it was fine.
"Alright then. I’ll distribute the Kyosaku sticks Sherry made for us."
We moved to the 37th Floor, where I handed out the Kyosaku to everyone.
They were flat, long wooden sticks.
They weren't as sturdy as a wooden sword, so they wouldn't do much damage.
"Is it this?" Roxanne asked.
"Beep Sheep start appearing from the 37th Floor. If anyone falls asleep, use this to wake them up."
After Roxanne, I handed one to Sherry, who explained the concept while giving the stick an experimental swing.
Given how lightly she moved it, the attack power was practically zero.
"Like this?"
Roxanne swung her Kyosaku as if testing the weight.
Whoa, hold on.
Don't put your back into it.
This isn't an Army Spirit Injection Stick.
"Yes, desu."
Miria started swinging hers too. I told you, it’s not something to be brandished like a weapon.
"I think it's fine."
I really don’t think it’s fine.
When Vesta swung hers, it actually made a whistling sound as it cut through the air.
And she was doing that with one hand.
At that point, it was a lethal weapon.
Furthermore, they were all swinging it with the flat side of the Kyosaku held vertically.
That looked like it would hurt.
Listen, everyone, it’s not for that.
It's not meant to be used like a sword.
It couldn't be helped.
I would have to demonstrate the proper technique myself.
"This humble monk shall show you the way. Roxanne, step forward."
"Hage? You mean 'bald'?"
It seemed my attempt to refer to myself as "Gutoku"—an ignorant monk—had been lost in translation.
Roxanne tilted her head in confusion as she stepped toward me.
The way her dog ears wobbled when she tilted her head was undeniably cute.
"It's 'Gutoku,' isn't it?" Sherry noted, seemingly recognizing the term.
At any rate, I had Roxanne stand with her back to me.
"When a comrade falls asleep, you strike their shoulder to wake them. Grip the Kyosaku firmly with both hands, raise it slowly, and then bring it down. The secret is to rotate your wrists inward, like wringing a wet rag, just as you strike. Then, stop the movement abruptly at the shoulder. You must not strike with brute force; that only wastes energy. Now, I shall demonstrate. Roxanne, ready?"
My explanation was a bit of a mess, mixing in Kendo techniques, but it would do.
I had never actually used a Kyosaku before, nor did I know the proper etiquette.
What mattered was the "atmosphere."
I had no idea what I was doing. We were performing Zen based entirely on vibes.
"Yes. Please, Master."
"Do not be deceived by others. If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha; if you meet a patriarch, kill the patriarch."
Adopting as solemn an atmosphere as I could muster, I swung the Kyosaku.
I rested it briefly on Roxanne's shoulder, then raised it and struck.
A loud, sharp crack echoed through the area.
It was a satisfying sound.
"Ohh."
Everyone looked impressed.
Actually, I was the one who was impressed.
I didn't know it would make a sound like that.
However, I decided to play it cool and pretend I had expected it.
Atmosphere is everything.
One must not show surprise.
One must not be led astray.
One must not be deceived by others.
If you meet the Buddha and he tries to preach to you, kill him; if you meet a teacher and he tries to instruct you, kill him.
Master Rinzai, you certainly had a way with words.
"That didn't hurt at all, but I feel like it would definitely snap me awake."
"Deceived by others?"
While Roxanne praised the tool, Sherry was busy contemplating the deeper meaning of my words.
It was just for the atmosphere, Sherry.
No need to overthink it.
Then again, if I told them to "kill the Buddha," in their case, wouldn't that translate to "if you meet your Master, kill your Master"?
It probably would.
Honestly.
Rinzai really didn't think things through, did he?
"Namu Amida Butsu."
To maintain the solemn vibe, I pressed my hands together and bowed.
In China, Buddhism isn't strictly divided into the Tendai, Rinzai, or Jodo Shinshu schools like it is in Japan. Instead, "Nembutsu Zen," which integrates all of them, is still mainstream. Apparently, monks in those temples greet each other by saying "Namu Amida Butsu."
I once saw a dubbed Hong Kong movie where a Shaolin monk greeted someone with that phrase and wondered why he was chanting the Nembutsu there, but that seemed to be the reason.
So, this was fine.
It was all about the atmosphere.
The "vibe" was the critical component.
In India, the birthplace of Buddhism, they don't bow to Amida Buddha these days, but they do greet people by saying "Namaste," so the function is the same.
This was definitely the correct atmosphere.
"Namamugidabutsu?"
Sherry was trying to decipher it, but it wasn't a tongue twister about the Namamugi Incident or Richardson being killed by Satsuma samurai.
It was just atmosphere.
Purely aesthetic.
There was no meaning.
Don't think.
Feel.
"Well, let's test it out against some Beep Sheep. We won't know if it actually works until we try. Roxanne, lead the way."
"Yes, Master."
At the end of the day, practical experience was the only real teacher.
We moved through the 37th Floor to find some monsters.
Roxanne led us straight to a group of three Beep Sheep.
Three right away?
That might just be the standard for this floor.
Though with Roxanne, I always had my suspicions.
If she were truly being serious, she’d probably drag us to a group of six. Since there were only three, she was clearly holding back.
I put those idle thoughts aside.
I needed to focus on the battle.
As we closed the distance and intercepted them with magic, the Beep Sheep, fortunately, didn't stop to use their skills. They just charged straight at us.
I say "fortunately," but perhaps "unfortunately" was more accurate, since we actually needed to test the sleep skill.
Then again, if three of them put us to sleep in sequence, it could turn into a disaster.
"Fortunately" was the right word.
Wait. Whether it was good or bad luck, even thinking about it was a mistake.
Every Day is a Good Day.
Every day is a perfect day for the hunt.
Every day I am at the top of my game.
There is no good or bad, no luck or misfortune.
I would simply slay the Buddha if I met him, and slay the patriarch if I met him.
Magic circles began to glow beneath the Beep Sheep, but Sherry immediately canceled them.
We could have let one through, but she likely judged that three simultaneous skills were too risky.
I would simply slay the monster if I met it, and slay the skill if I met it.
"Did it, desu!"
The Beep Sheep that had been denied their skills were promptly cut down by Miria.
Well, she only petrified one of them.
Still, once one was out of the fight, the Front Line had a much easier time.
Miria circled around and petrified a second one with a relentless assault, while the final one was beaten down by the entire party, with Miria naturally providing the final petrification.
Honestly.
It was almost enough to make me feel sorry for the monsters.
Roxanne wouldn't allow a single physical attack to land. Even when they tried magic, Sherry shut them down. From the flank, Miria hammered them with petrification attacks with the persistence of a debt collector, while Vesta drummed away from behind with her dual swords.
It wasn't a festival drum, for heaven's sake.
"Hmm. The Beep Sheep weren't quite as impressive as I expected," Roxanne noted.
I wondered what exactly she had been expecting.
Actually, if a monster appeared that actually met Roxanne's expectations, I think we would be in a world of hurt.
"T-This was just a trial run with three of them."
Since the fight was cut short by Miria's petrification, we would have to reserve final judgment until we fought a larger group to the end.
"That's true. There's a much larger group just ahead. What shall we do?"
"If it's a long walk, let's just go back to the 36th Floor for a Boss Battle."
I hurriedly retreated to the previous floor.
A "larger group"?
She said it so casually, but there were definitely six of them.
I wasn't falling for it.
After completing a Boss Battle, we ventured back onto the 37th Floor.
"The enemies from before are close by."
Roxanne moved toward them with genuine glee.
In the end, it always came to this.
The word was written as "enemy," but she clearly read it as "prey."
I was starting to learn.
And sure enough, a group of six appeared.
There was even a Drive Dragon among them.
That cheating bastard with resistance to all attributes.
It was exactly as I had feared.
"Did it, desu!"
Since there was only one dragon, we managed.
By which I mean it was the very first thing we eliminated.
"W-We made it through, even with six."
"As expected of Master."
I had intended to say that fighting six at once was far too dangerous, but I had learned that Roxanne would just cheerfully disagree.
We had "managed," but it wasn't exactly a victory walk.
We barely scraped by. It was a close call.
Right on the edge.
"Still, the battles are definitely taking longer now."
"Not at all. We can handle much more than this."
Apparently, even that wasn't enough to satisfy Roxanne.
If we fought something that actually satisfied her, we’d be at death's door.
"Indeed. This much is to be expected. The real fight begins when the battles get even longer," Sherry agreed.
So even Sherry felt that way.
Well, if Sherry said so, this must be the global standard.
It was a world overflowing with monsters, after all.
"Will do, desu."
"I think it's fine."
Maybe it really was like this.
I was starting to feel that way.
But that feeling was only because I was being influenced by the two of them.
I really wished they had a bit more of a sense of crisis.
"Shall we head back to the 36th Floor?"
There seemed to be no more "prey" in the immediate vicinity.
We continued this cycle, repeating the 36th Floor Boss Battles.
Whenever we transitioned to the 37th Floor, we managed to handle the encounters thanks to Miria's petrification, even though the all-resistant Drive Dragons were a pain.
When the dragons didn't show up, Miria focused on the Beep Sheep, putting them down before they could ever use a skill.
No one fell asleep.
The Kyosaku never saw any action.
We fought numerous Beep Sheep, but it seemed they didn't spam their skills as much as I’d feared.
Maybe the frequency was roughly the same as an All-target Attack Magic?
That meant we would eventually get hit by it, but we didn't have to worry about being hit by a constant barrage.
Miria’s petrification worked perfectly fine on them.
Just because they used status ailment attacks didn't mean they were resistant to them.
Though, if they had any resistance, it would probably be against sleep.
Well, I couldn't afford to keep grumbling and overthinking these trivialities.
I had to harden my heart, empty my mind, and focus solely on the hunt.
Think of nothing.
Feel nothing.
The spirit of "Munen Musou"—free from all thoughts. "Bouga Senshin"—total concentration. "Meikyou Shisui"—a heart like a clear mirror and still water.
Don't think.
In truth, because the 36th Floor Boss Battles were our primary focus, our actual combat time on the 37th Floor wasn't that high today.
There were no issues.
I just had to fight with a hollow mind.
During the day, that was enough.
Don't think.
But when I thought about tomorrow, the nights became filled with anxiety.
At this rate, I wouldn't be able to sleep at all.
I also had to think about how they managed to get the subway cars into the underground tunnels.
Fortunately, there were other things to occupy my time.
Don't think.
Feel.
And then, the next day brought the real challenge.
"Still not enough, is it?" Roxanne remarked to the monsters of the 38th Floor.
So, tomorrow would be the 38th Floor Boss Battle. I understood.
"The battles have certainly grown longer, though."
"No, no. We can go much further."
"Well, it's not as if it has become painful for us yet," Sherry added.
First Roxanne, and now even Sherry.
"Will do, desu."
"I think it's fine."
I hadn't expected much from those two in the first place.
Well, as the battles grew longer, Miria was successfully petrifying monsters left and right, and Vesta’s ability to physically dominate monsters from above was nothing short of reliable.
It couldn't be helped.
I had to fight without thinking.
"Ichii Senshin"—single-minded devotion. "Isshin Furan"—wholehearted concentration. "Kakunen Musho"—a mind as vast and pure as an open sky.
A state of mind as broad as a fortress wall, untethered by notions of holiness or anything else.
Since we were repeating the 37th Floor Boss Battles, the number of encounters with the 37th-floor trash mobs—the Beep Sheep—was higher than the day before.
I struck them down with a vacant mind.
"Munen Musou"—free from all thoughts. "Shikantaza"—just sitting, or in this case, just fighting. "Hisou Hi-hi-sou"—neither thought nor non-thought.
It wasn't that I was thinking, nor was it that I wasn't thinking.
I just fought.
I fought with everything I had.
Don't think.
......
......
............Hah!
A sharp strike to my shoulder snapped me awake.
It seemed I had been asleep.