Chapter 295: Strategies for Navigating the Centipede Labyrinth
“I didn’t expect this… It really does look like an anthill.”
Rest, along with Isis and Ula, pressed deeper into the mine, aiming for the Centipede Queen. Unfortunately, the tunnels did not lead straight to her lair. Initially, the path was a straightforward tunnel, but it soon became a labyrinth, with countless side passages branching off in every direction. These tunnels were not excavated by humans; they were undoubtedly carved out by the centipedes.
As they thought they were getting closer to the queen, they found themselves veering away instead. Just when they felt they were making progress, they would realize they had strayed once more. Relying on the Light Sphere conjured by magic, they pressed on, but the destination remained elusive.
“Life Search can detect the presence of living creatures, but it can’t reveal the structure of the tunnels… This is turning out to be more challenging than I anticipated.”
“Should we dig a tunnel?”
“Don’t even think about it. We can’t afford a collapse.”
Ula raised her hand to voice her suggestion, but Isis quickly dismissed it. While it was easy to use magic to dig, carelessly doing so could lead to a cave-in.
“Shararararararararara!”
“All we encounter are these weak centipedes… What a hassle.”
Rest unleashed a blade of water upon the centipedes that appeared. They had already defeated over fifty, yet the centipede numbers showed no signs of dwindling. Just how many of them were there? It seemed that the only way to eliminate them was to take down the queen.
“But… Life Search doesn’t reveal the path to the queen. All it shows is the direction…”
It appeared that they would be spending more time than expected. As Rest pondered their next move, Ula began to conjure water with her magic.
“Water Control!”
“Ula?”
“Is something wrong?”
“I’m flowing water.”
Rest and Isis inquired, but Ula simply replied shortly, continuing to pour water into the passageway, splashing it everywhere.
“Ah… I see what you’re doing!”
Isis was the first to catch on. She also began to summon water, directing it into the tunnel.
“Isis too…? Are you both trying to flood the centipede nest? That seems a bit far-fetched…”
Children sometimes playfully pour water into ant hills, causing them to flood. Rest had never done it himself, but he recalled seeing classmates engage in such mischief in his previous life.
“Flooding such a large nest is impossible, and it could have repercussions on the surface…”
“No, that’s not it. This water is magical. It’s created by magic.”
“Water… Oh, I see now!”
With Isis’s explanation, Rest finally understood.
“Water Control!”
He too conjured a massive amount of water and directed it into the side tunnels. The water flowed through the tunnels, cascading into more side passages.
“Life Search.”
Then, as he activated the magic to probe for magical power, the structure of the nest appeared vividly in his mind. The water created by magic naturally contained magical power. By using magic to search, he could determine its location. By flooding the nest with water, they could discern the structure of the tunnels through the magical power embedded in the water.
“I see… That’s quite clever. Well done.”
“Mm, praise me.”
Ula said proudly, nudging her head toward Rest. As he blinked in confusion, she continued to push her head closer.
“Pet me.”
“Oh… I see. I don’t mind.”
Rest placed his hand on her purple head, gently stroking her hair.
“Good girl, good girl…”
“Ah…”
A blissful sigh escaped Ula’s lips. He could feel her slender shoulders trembling slightly. As he continued to pet the girl, Rest thought to himself.
(What am I doing… This feels kind of amazing?)
It felt surreal. He was petting the head of a girl who was neither family nor a relative.
(And now that I think about it… What about the promise to give a ring as a gift? Giving the same gift meant for my fiancée to another girl seems pretty inappropriate…)
Since being reincarnated in this Other World, so much had happened that his judgment felt clouded. Perhaps it was due to the closeness he had shared with the beautiful girl, sleeping beside her and bathing together.
(But even so, I can’t just back out of the promise now… It feels like I’m walking through a minefield, thinking it’s just a pleasant stroll.)
“Muu… I’m so envious. I wish I could have that too…”
Isis murmured something beside him, but Rest continued to stroke Ula’s head, feeling an inexplicable sense of danger creeping over him.