There are people already on the forty-seventh floor, but I can tell right away from the reactions on Map that it’s not that allied clan.
I tell that to everyone else.
“It has to be Guardian Sword. I had the opportunity to interact with them a bit, and I remember them having a pretty big army.”
Says Siphon, and his party nods. We also talked with them a bit before we left Majolica.
“I don’t know how long they’ve been here, but let’s just start. We should find fewer monsters, because they’ve been taking them down.”
I can see on Map that Guardian Sword have cleared about half the floor.
Even if we avoid fighting as much as we can, it will still be hard to catch up with them. Then again, our goal is to conquer the dungeon, but we don’t have to be the first ones to do it.
They can have the glory if they want it. In fact, if we have information about bosses, that’s less risk for us.
“Thinking about it that way, shouldn’t we have gone to Prekes first, since there’s plenty of information about the dungeon there?”
That thought crossed my mind, but different dungeons have different kinds of monsters, so it’s best to finish one dungeon before going to the next.
“How are Guardian Sword doing?”
Siphon asks after we have dinner.
“Are you curious?”
“They are kind of like our rivals.”
He says, but it’s not like we’re competing.
“Normally, adventurers would try their hardest for fame and fortune. And since we’re exploring the dungeon with so few people, we make plenty of money.”
That’s true, the further down we go, the more valuable the materials become, including magic stones.
Clans have to divide it between more people, not to mention the operating costs, so each person gets less.
But the perks of being in a clan aren’t bad either. Especially being able to receive advice from people more experienced than them, when they’re still figuring things out.
They get that favor as they grow, and when they become veterans, it’s their time to pay it back.
“So, are you all going to take it easy and live a quiet life when we’re done here, Siphon?”
“Maybe. Or maybe we’ll still be adventurers.”
“Yes. If he doesn’t spend it all on drinks, we could even have that kind of life with the money we have saved up now.”
Says Yuno with a sigh.
A lot of adventurers tend to drink after they’re done with work. I kind of look up to that idea too, of having fun with everyone, talking about their adventures over drinks.
Even if not all of it is true, or at least exaggerated, it’d still be fun to hear if it’s creative.
But I’ve also heard of adventurers who were ruined by alcohol when I first started, and adventurers who ended up working just to buy alcohol.
“Sora, make sure you don’t become like this.”
Says Yuno, and everyone in her party except Siphon nods. Especially Jin.
Siphon is at least a little self-aware about this, and doesn’t say anything.
As for the dungeon, we fight monsters here and there, but it’s going smoothly.
The gap between us and Guardian Sword gets shorter with each passing day, until we’re close to the staircase, and Guardian Sword.
But then, something happens. Me, Chris, and Mia are the first ones to notice. It’s clearly displayed on Map.
“What is it?”
Asks Siphon, because it probably shows on my face.
“Guardian Sword are surrounded by monsters!?”
There are a lot of them, at least three times more monsters than members of Guardian Sword.
Also, it was shown as a pathway, but it turned into a large room. Is it a trap?
I said we were close, but it would take about two or three hours to get there, even if we ran. And that’s assuming we’re fast.
“Do you think they can handle it?”
“I don’t know what kind of monsters they are.”
Gigantes appear on this floor. They use weapons to attack from close and long range, and some use magic. But their levels are a little lower compared to the ones we fought in the boss room.
The problem is their numbers. Also, when traps are activated, sometimes monsters that are usually not on those floors appear. Like what happened with Leila.
They felt a big shake back then, so I think this trap is different…
“Let’s just try to get there as fast as possible. Worst case scenario, Sora and the others can go ahead of us.”
Yes, we might get there faster if we’re alone.
Chris and Mia are slow, but they can ride the dog golem.
Splitting the parties would carry a bigger risk for us. And should Siphon and the others use a return stone if we do that?
That’s our conclusion, and then we hurry towards Guardian Sword.
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