Episode 20: Eric’s Regret
~Side Eric~
We were gleefully stripping materials from Rank D monsters on the 12th floor, so engrossed that we lost sight of the Adventurer Party that had been ahead of us.
When we realized this, we were suddenly brought back to reality. The guilt of having scavenged what others had defeated, and the fear of being left behind on this floor where C and D Rank monsters roamed, which would undoubtedly lead to our deaths. The sudden change in the situation almost caused a panic, but as the leader, I couldn’t let my companions die. That sense of duty barely kept me sane.
I calmed the others down, and we immediately discussed what to do. There were only two options: quickly find a C-Rank party or retrace our steps. After consulting with the four of us, we decided to go back the way we came and wait for other Adventurers at the relatively safe stairs.
There are two habits of the monsters in the Underground Labyrinth. One is that “most monsters do not move between floors.” For some reason, the monsters that inhabit the Underground Labyrinth have their ranks determined by the floor they appear on, and they do not move from that floor. It is said that very rarely, monsters that freely move between floors appear, but the probability of encountering such a monster in this Underground Labyrinth is almost zero. We ourselves have never encountered one, and none of the senior Adventurers we know have ever seen one either.
The second is that “monsters do not fight each other in the Underground Labyrinth.” It is said that they never fight, even if different species meet, let alone those of the same species. However, it seems that different species do not cooperate to attack either.
Anyone who enters the Underground Labyrinth knows these two major principles. Therefore, it is common knowledge that the area near the stairs is safe. In fact, there are even parties that deliberately lure monsters to the stairs to level up. However, one must be careful because some intelligent monsters lie in wait near the stairs, targeting parties that have fled. Well, such intelligent monsters shouldn’t be in the shallow floors we can explore…
However, this is the 12th floor. Some of the C and D Rank monsters might be intelligent. A bad feeling crossed my mind. Even so, we had no other choice. We had to travel the path that would take several tens of minutes without encountering any monsters and reach the stairs to survive. Having made up our minds, we focused all our senses and slowly retraced our steps.
At first, it was smooth. We were just going back the way we had come, so the monsters had already been defeated, and it was relatively safe. But as time passed, that safety diminished. As time goes on, new monsters are born. That’s why we wanted to go back as quickly as possible, but making a sound could attract monsters. It was a frustrating escape.
In reality, it took about several tens of minutes, but it felt like several hours before we finally reached the stairs leading up to the 11th floor. Luckily, we hadn’t encountered any monsters, and once we got here, we could just rest and wait at the stairs. Perhaps sensing my mood, I could feel the members behind me sighing in relief. In the end, that moment of relaxation led to our predicament.
Thomas, the Shieldbearer, who had relaxed his guard, casually leaned against a nearby rock. It was probably almost unconscious. However, when Thomas leaned against it, his large shield hit the rock next to it. It was a sharp rock like an icicle growing from below. The impact broke the base of the rock. Thomas’s hand, which he had instinctively reached out, was too late. It looked as if the rock was slowly falling in slow motion.
Crash!
The rock fell to the ground and shattered into pieces. The loud noise echoed through the Underground Labyrinth. I could hear something stirring in the distance.
“Run!”
Feeling the sound approaching, we ran towards the stairs without a second thought.
The monster’s voices were getting closer and closer. Judging by the sound, it was probably a Goblin. Goblins are at least E-Rank. If it was just one, we F-Rankers might be able to manage, but if there were many, it would be impossible. Moreover, if there were higher-ranking species, even one would mean certain annihilation.
They were faster than us, but thanks to the short distance to the stairs, we seemed to be able to escape. If we turned that corner, we should see the stairs. If we made it to the 11th floor, they would probably give up and go back.
“Let’s go straight to the 11th floor!”
The feeling that we might be saved made my voice naturally loud and strong. I could hear strong replies from my companions behind me. But that feeling of relief crumbled in the next instant.
A huge monster appeared from behind a large rock next to the stairs. It was about 3 meters tall, with green skin, muscles developed like armor, and a club in its hand. It was humanoid, but it had two small horns on its head. It was an Ogre, a C-Rank monster. It must have been lying in wait near the stairs for returning Adventurers, its face twisted in a happy grin as if it had found prey in a trap.
We stopped in our tracks. No, we had no choice but to stop. There was no way we could dodge that thing and reach the stairs. At least two of us, and probably all four of us, would become fodder for that club.
As soon as we stopped, the Goblins appeared from behind. Leading the way was a Goblin Knight, armed with a one-handed sword and armor. It was a higher-ranking D-Rank. Next to it was a Goblin Mage with a staff. It was also a higher-ranking D-Rank. On top of that, it was a troublesome opponent that used magic. Behind them were two subordinate-looking Goblins. Even these two were a considerable threat to us F-Rankers.
A group of Goblins behind us, and an Ogre in front of us. We were beyond desperate, already certain of annihilation. The only choice we had was which one would kill us. Still, hoping for a last ray of hope, we readied our weapons.
In the Underground Labyrinth, monsters of different species do not fight each other. If it were on the surface, we might expect them to fight each other, but in the Underground Labyrinth, that was not an option. They wouldn’t cooperate to attack us, but since we couldn’t win against either monster, there was no benefit to them not cooperating.
Some time had passed since the Goblins had caught up to us, but we were still alive. The Goblins and the Ogre were sizing each other up, with us in between. Well, they might just be thinking about how to divide the prey.
Perhaps that sizing up was over, as the two subordinate Goblins were the first to move. The Ogre behind them didn’t move.
We four faced the two Goblins. Eric and Thomas each took one, the Mage Mary would support Thomas, and the Healer Helen would support Eric, which was our usual battle style. They were E-Rank, higher than us, but we could manage 2-on-1. I ignored the minor injuries and aggressively attacked the subordinate Goblin. I knew that Helen would heal any shallow wounds immediately. Next to me, Thomas was focused on defense, and Mary’s magic was steadily increasing the Goblin’s injuries.
If things continued like this, we would eventually be able to defeat the two Goblins. However, the higher-ranking species wouldn’t just watch silently. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Goblin Mage pointing its staff at us.
“Magic is coming!”
I kicked the Goblin in front of me in the stomach with all my might and covered Helen behind me. However, Thomas was doing his best to defend against the Goblin’s fierce attacks and couldn’t move.
A fireball about the size of a human head was launched at Thomas.
The Goblin that was attacking Thomas reacted to the Goblin Knight’s voice and dodged to the side. The fireball directly hit Thomas’s armor, and the blast blew Thomas away.
The impact hit us as well, but because we were a little further away, we only had our hair slightly singed. Of course, Helen, whom I was protecting, was unharmed.
However, Thomas, who took a direct hit, and Mary, who was knocked down as if caught in Thomas’s blast, were not unscathed. Mary got up quickly, but she was holding her right arm, which was hanging limply. She might have broken a bone. As for Thomas, he remained motionless on the ground. He might have lost consciousness, or perhaps…
In this situation, we could no longer maintain a 2-on-1 advantage. The three of us rushed to Thomas’s side, facing the two Goblins. As if aiming for the weakest point first, one of the Goblins attacked the injured Mary.
As I tried to intervene, I noticed that the Goblin was looking to my left, not at me. I felt a chill run down my spine, and when I looked in the direction of the Goblin’s gaze… an Ogre with a wide grin was about to bring down its club.
It was a miracle that my body moved reflexively, and I was able to block the club with my sword. However, the powerful attack from the C-Rank monster was more than enough to blow my body away, even after blocking it with my sword.
With a tremendous impact, my body was sent flying, bouncing off the ground several times before hitting a large rock. I managed to avoid instant death by instinctively protecting my head, but my sword was broken, my armor was crushed, and my leg was bent in an unnatural direction. My mouth was filled with the taste of blood, and I immediately spat out a large amount of it.
When I looked at my remaining companions, my vision was blurry, but I could see Mary screaming, and Helen, forgetting about Thomas’s treatment, was huddled up, offering a prayer.
The Ogre watched the scene with a smirk, and the Goblins approached my companions.
I regretted it.
I shouldn’t have gotten cocky, thinking we could easily handle the 6th floor.
I was angry at myself for thinking of a C-Rank party as just a guide.
I was being punished for scavenging the spoils of others.
But no matter how much I regretted it, I didn’t have the power to change this situation. I had no choice but to accept the deaths of my companions and my own death, which would likely follow soon after. Tears welled up in my eyes. I remembered the vow we made when we first formed our party of four. If we had acted correctly according to that vow, this wouldn’t have happened.
“…I’m sorry.”
However, that small murmur was not heard by anyone. Not by my companions, who were about to be attacked by the Ogre in the distance, nor by myself, who had uttered the words.
Because my murmur was drowned out by the Ogre’s sudden scream that echoed through the air.