Chapter 94

Then the group arrived on the nineteenth floor. They traversed the sixteenth and seventeenth floors without much difficulty and didn’t run into any traps. A few monsters appeared here and there, but even Cloffe and Clofia handled them with ease. The corridors had grown considerably wider, so Cayna surmised the traps were probably inside the small rooms. On the eighteenth floor, they encountered a lot of small ogre-type monsters such as goblins and imps. Cloffe and Clofia once again dispatched these effortlessly, but Cayna stepped on occasion to help with the larger volume. Simple Fire Magic usually did the trick. Clofia glared odiously as Cayna rained down a hail of fire arrows with only a few words. Cloffe tried to admonish his sister, but almost everything Cayna did infuriated her. More ceiling traps awaited Clofia on the eighteenth floor. Her head developed a new bump over the one that finally stopped swelling, and her eyes pooled with tears. Things only got worse for her, so Cloffe strongly suggested he lead the group instead. Leaving monster duty to the werecats, Cayna took up the rear and decided to confirm if memory served her correctly. “Kuu, about before.” “Hmm?” Kuu, who was cheerfully humming to herself on Cayna’s shoulder, looked puzzled. “You interfered with my spell and set it off on your own, right? How’d you do that?” The fairy cocked her head and bent at the waist, then twirled her arms for good measure. Cayna wondered if it was some kind of dance but really didn’t have the slightest clue. It was apparently Kuu’s thinking pose. After twisting to the left and right, Kuu thrust out her chest with a proud grin that said, Nailed it. “Uh, no, I’m not saying you nailed it. I’m asking why you did it.” After Cayna repeated her question, Kuu pressed a hand to her mouth and pondered something. Then her eyes welled with tears. “Was I bad?” she asked. “N-no, you weren’t bad. Really. I wanted to thank you. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. Don’t cry, okay?” Feeling like she just picked on a little kid, Cayna patted Kuu on the head and tried her best to console her. Clearly, asking more questions of the fairy and her limited vocabulary wouldn’t yield any answers. As Cayna expected, the idiot holed up on the bottom floor was the only person she could ask. She vowed to add this item to the beatdown she had lined up for him. At any rate, their current issue was what awaited them on the nineteenth floor. Whooooooooooooooooooooooosh. A dumbfounded Cloffe and Clofia stared, mouths agape, at the powerful white winds blustering past. “Right, this,” Cayna mumbled wearily. Unlike previous floors, the terror of Mother Nature was in full force here. The trio were greeted by rolling, snowy hills and a driving blizzard. The sky was thick with dim gray clouds, and not a single shadow or seam could be seen along the presumed ceiling. For players like Cayna, these dungeon scenes were entirely commonplace. There wasn’t anything special about finding a field here. The sky, the forests, the mountain ranges in the far distance were like CG wall projections, and the layout actually wasn’t much different from the eighteenth floor. There were no passageways, however, so the challenge was finding the next flight of stairs. Considering the size of the hills, the ceiling was pretty high up. Although the cold was unpleasant, it was far better than some frozen hellscape where they’d be exposed to frostbite. “U-u-u-u-u-um, L-L-L-L-Lady Cayna. What is this place?” “Hmm. Looks like your average dungeon floor to me. Nothing unusual here, right?” Cayna answered plainly. Cloffe and Clofia shuddered. Cloffe noted her composure and didn’t bother telling her this wasn’t normal in the least. Even if Cayna had told them such sights were common two hundred years ago, it would feel no less strange. He couldn’t help but wonder if similar dungeons were prevalent. Rare, underground structures from that era had been previously discovered, but no sightings like this had ever been reported. If one plunged deep enough, identical dungeons could be found all across the continent. Nevertheless, modern adventurers were so stunted that they could never hope to reach that far. The one person among them who not only had firsthand experience with the dungeon but actually helped create it stepped into the soft snow and looked around. It was dim, and visibility was poor. Even the hills didn’t look like much more than bumpy, white silhouettes against the dark sky. As mentioned earlier, the biggest pain in a dungeon like this was finding where the stairs to the next level were buried. The staircase itself was probably packed with snow, too. Will we have to dig…? I don’t have a shovel, though. Magic? “You have a tracker beast, do you not?” I can summon my kirin after I take out all the Active monsters. We might have casualties otherwise. Casually chatting with Kee, Cayna set off through the snowfield and began digging in a spot a stone’s throw away from Cloffe and Clofia. She poked through the snow with her magic staff, and anyone lacking basic knowledge of these types of dungeons would think she had lost her mind. Cloffe watched Cayna without any idea as to what she was trying to accomplish. Clofia tugged at her brother’s clothes. “What is it?” “Brother, what’s your relationship with that woman? You speak so politely to her… Is something going on?” “Oh, right. Yeah, I guess I should tell you before your rudeness crosses the line.” Just as Cloffe was about to reveal Cayna’s connection to Clofia’s beloved Queen Sahalashade, they heard a strange thud from behind. With the greatest of caution, the two turned around to find three pairs of coal-black eyes staring at them. The werecats quickly jumped back to get a better look at the newcomers, and the discovery confounded them. They wore buckets on top of their vertically stacked, rotund bodies, and gloves hung from their tree-branch arms. Checkered scarves around their necks, coal eyes, impressive eyebrows, and carrot noses—no matter how you sliced it, these were definitely snowmen. Realizing this was their territory, Cloffe readied his weapon. After a quick glance around, he knew they weren’t alone. A mass of similar shadows hovered on the other side of the blizzard. He had no idea how these foes appeared out of nowhere. Cloffe wouldn’t dare let his guard down, even in the middle of a conversation. While indeed snowmen, their official name was Snow Demon. At level 100, these magical creatures were a considerable challenge. Snow Demons preferred wintry plains and could move anywhere within their element. This allowed them to silently ambush prey from behind, and unless you struck their slime-like core, defeating them was a herculean task. Snow Demons were born from snow, so swords and arrows didn’t faze them in the least. No matter how great the swordsman, swinging one’s blade on frosty, unknown terrain wouldn’t do much good. After all, even a maimed snowman could simply absorb the surrounding blizzard and revive itself. Clofia rushed to Cloffe’s aid and sank her arrows into the Snow Demons, but to no avail. As the siblings stood there at a loss, their foes barreled across the snow toward them. The intense onslaught would jolt them to the very core. Avoiding a direct attack was simple enough, but the werecat siblings had to stumble across the unfamiliar snowscape. After a hit or two, damage accumulated, and the pair fell to their knees. As they looked around them, Cloffe and Clofia watched the Snow Demons swiftly multiply. Five became seven, and just as they counted more than ten, non-snow-bunny Clofia slipped and rolled around as the Snow Demons glommed onto her. They immediately pounced on Cloffe’s back next, and he sank under a pile of snow. “Ngh…” Cloffe glanced beside him and watched Clofia hopelessly plunge into the snow as well. He tried to move but failed. Just as all seemed lost and he would soon meet an icy end… Magic Skill: Iyah Flare Shot …several crimson rays cut through the blizzard and struck the Snow Demons. Their heads and torsos melted on impact, and the creatures scattered in every direction as they were mercilessly mowed down. When Cloffe stood and raced over to Clofia, she was covered in snow but managed to rise up from her own hollow cavity. Cayna watched the Snow Demons flee in desperation. “You won’t get away that easy,” she said with a wave of her arm. Summoning Magic: Load: Flame Spirit Level 7 “We’ll find the stairs if we melt all the snow, right?” A fiery torrent surged from the crimson magic circle in front of Cayna. The scattered flames boiled like magma, and the moment they fell across the snowy plain, giant clouds of steam rose up to create holes. Flames spewed endlessly from the magic circle and flew in all directions. Even the earth beneath the snowmelt made a bubbling noise as it boiled and evaporated. Then everything turned red until a giant, burning gorilla finally burst out of the circle with shoulders squared. It was level 770 and nearly as tall as a two-story house. The gorilla Flame Spirit, Solar Prominence, was made mostly of magma, and flames erupted all over its body. Since it produced a never-ending heat wave, the surrounding temperature skyrocketed upon its arrival. This had no effect on Cayna, the summoner. However, she cast Flame Resistance on Cloffe and Clofia to protect them. Kuu seemed perfectly fine as she joined Solar Prominence in a mighty roar. The gorilla landed, and every last drop of water evaporated beneath it. Even the stone floor started to melt. “GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!” Solar Prominence howled and beat its chest as blazing rings of fire surrounded the summons at several meter intervals. There was no trace of the Snow Demons left, and the once-wintry landscape was already nothing more than a stone space. The rings moved in rhythm with the Flame Spirit’s arms and, with an upward swing and wild howl, thickened and shifted from red to bluish white. In short, several pale hoops surrounded the beast as it raised both arms high in the air. The only option left was for them to come back down. The gorilla struck the ground with gusto, and the blueish rings sank into the cobblestones. They melted straight through the floor, and cracks spread all over until the nineteenth floor completely caved in. Every last bit of debris that came in contact with the blue-white rings evaporated. As the floor’s destruction caught up with them, Cayna cast Fence around everyone and added Float to slow their descent. Fiery dregs continued to fill the air, and scattered bits of building bubbled and dissolved midflight. Its purpose now complete, Solar Prominence grew quiet as its existence faded into nothing. With one mighty swing of its arms, the gorilla had ruthlessly destroyed two entire levels and sent the trio to a corridor on the twenty-first floor. Melted stone dripped incessantly from above like a leaky roof. “Uh-oh. I might’ve overdone it.” ““……………”” Cloffe and Clofia stared wordlessly at the broken ceiling and catastrophe around them. Even if neither knew the spirit’s exact level, it was obvious that whatever Cayna had summoned was no chump. It shattered two floors in a single hit. They didn’t think anything capable of destroying dungeon floors of unknown material and solidity in the blink of an eye would just roll over. Cayna’s only intention was to summon Solar Prominence to help melt the snow, but it was apparently so excited to be summoned that it went all out. Cloffe once again failed to hide his disbelief. The queen’s aunt possessed extraordinary powers, and he could only be thankful that Cayna hadn’t turned her full strength on his sister yet. This aforementioned sister had feebly collapsed to the floor. The thought of that same power smiting her filled Clofia with terror. Cloffe walked over and offered her a hand. “Here, let me help you.” “O-okay… Thanks, Brother…” “All righty. Looks like it’s full speed ahead.” The dungeon air still scorched from the aftermath. Not minding in the least, Cayna trotted ahead. Cloffe pulled Clofia to her feet and sluggishly trailed behind. His sister was walking along in a state of shock as well but remembered their conversation before the gorilla interrupted. She asked Cloffe to continue where he’d left off; the revelation was enough to rattle the very foundation of her worldview. “…………Huh?” “Lady Cayna is Queen Sahalashade’s aunt.” “……………What?” As Cloffe pulled his sister along, Clofia recalled her previous behavior. Her mind went blank. They neared the twenty-second floor. Clofia’s head hung low, and Cloffe continued to tug her along. Cayna led the way, the siblings obeying her intermittent warnings as they traversed the twenty-first floor. The trio stuck to walls, cleared uneventful corridors, and avoided running into any traps. Their guide, Cayna, didn’t understand the sudden lack of obnoxious comments but could hear Cloffe telling Clofia about her relation to Sahalashade. Well, she’d deal with that later. This floor was their current problem. As they descended the stairs, the three were greeted by a pitch-black space with a faint light all the way at the end. Cayna tried using a Light spell, but the glowing orb in her hand was snuffed out in a second. “An anti-magic field?!” For whatever reason, even the werecat’s magic floodlights had significantly weakened upon entering this floor. As soon as Cayna recalled the phenomenon she deemed to be the culprit, her face darkened. Cloffe and Clofia’s support wouldn’t be nearly as effective now. “Lady Cayna, what is this ‘anti’ thing you speak of?” “It’s an anti-magic field. It means there’s a good chance we can’t use magic on this entire floor.” “We can’t use magic?!” Incredulous, Cloffe and Clofia raised their hands overhead to see if she was right. By their increasingly thunderstruck expressions, their shock was palpable. “H-how is this possible…?” Cloffe asked. “It’s not that unusual, really… Oh, right, I guess you don’t have this sort of thing nowadays!” “C-correct. Situations where one cannot use magic are limited to audiences with royalty and nobility.” “It’s not like you can’t use magic in those places, though, right? Won’t you just get thrown in jail if you try without permission?” “Yes, well, I cannot deny that.” “Gweh.” Cayna grimaced at the bad news. She was suspicious of how Kuu could still fly around like normal but chalked it up to fairy magic just being a bit different. Cayna then turned her attention to the light far up ahead and peered into it. Thanks to her various skills, she could see a single path cutting through the darkness. “I knew it. Opus being Opus, he’s telling us to take the one dark road. However…” Cayna extended her magic staff and poked the inky black ground. As she suspected, everywhere else was an empty cavity. If you slipped, would you arrive on the next floor or fall into the pits of hell itself? She warned Cloffe and Clofia behind her of this fact. By this point, challengers could only hope luck and physical ability were on their side. Cayna said a brief farewell to this lively room rife with event flags and stepped forward. Cayna’s Intuition immediately sensed danger, and she ducked her head. Half a second later, she heard something faint fire off on her right, and a silver light passed through where her head had just been. It vanished into the darkness on her left. “Is he trying to kill—?!” BOOOOOM! Before Cayna even had the chance to complain, the flying silver light that disappeared to the left set off a huge explosion and released a smoldering shock wave. The two watching from behind thought it was an extremely thick arrow, but it actually seemed to be some kind of ridiculous explosive. The shock and heat chipped the wall and sent bits of stone flying. Cayna’s Equilibrium skill and Kee’s defensive shield protected her, but it was no less of a surprise. Cloffe’s and Clofia’s faces twitched at the sight of the lethal projectile. “Um…” “Wh-what in the world is going on…?” “Damn youuuuu, Opusssss! Why the hell did you put missiles in here?!” As she said, it was a missile. An item that really didn’t belong in a fantasy RPG. Cylindrical arrow-shaped ones were called missiles, and round throwable ones were pineapples. You only had to be a midlevel player to access the quest needed to obtain the skill, but it was a weapon that inflicted damage equivalent to one-fifth its creator’s level. If someone like Opus or Cayna decided to make one, no player below level 200 would stand a chance. The advantage here was that the level required to use these items was low. Even beginners could take down an enemy with ease if they got their hands on one. Needless to say, pineapples made by Limit Breakers were a highlight at auctions. And such an item just mercilessly flew out of nowhere. Since its creator was a certain someone, there was no question Cloffe and Clofia would have been blasted away if they’d taken a direct hit. Cayna looked back at the siblings and quietly ignored the fear in Clofia’s eyes. She beamed and proposed the best plan she could come up with. “Run for your liiiiives!!” ““R-riiiight!”” They were only able to confirm reaching the other side, but that first attack was apparently the only lethal one. Anyone would be on edge after being shot at like that. Realizing she fell for the mastermind’s scheme hook, line, and sinker, Cayna sighed and suddenly felt very tired. They descended the stairs at the end of the corridor and reached the twenty-third floor. This was not an anti-magic field. However, there was still the chance of lethal traps, so Cayna said they should check the path ahead. “In—in that case, I shall act as reconnaissance!” “Vetoed.” Wondering where the hothead she knew suddenly went, Cayna frowned and cut Clofia down point-blank. “Why?!” “Weren’t you listening? There might be more missiles and mines. It’s too dangerous.” “But with my skills, those traps—” “Argue all you want, Clofia, but we don’t have a vote after getting caught this whole time. Let’s do as she says.” “…But, Brother…” “I’m telling you to drop it.” “…Fine.” Clofia tried to get Cayna to see things her way, but Cloffe’s harsh rebuke put her in line. “I apologize, Lady Cayna. It feels like we are only weighing you down.” “Maybe, but it’s not really your fault. Actually, I’d be more worried about sending you two back on your own. Think of this as a learning experience.” “I’m terribly sorry for the bother…” “Don’t sweat it. Anyway, I’m gonna go scout ahead, so just wait here a bit.” “Understood.” “……” At the bottom of the stairwell, Cayna cast Isolation Barrier in a corner of the passageway to create a temporary break room. She headed deeper into the floor and left the siblings on their own. They leaned against a wall and caught their breath after the mad dash upstairs. After she calmed down a bit, Clofia spoke glumly. “…Wh-what do you think I should do, Brother…?” “Do you mean about Lady Cayna?” “…Yes.” Clofia seemed to wilt as she brooded. Although Cloffe told her the truth, he never thought it was anything to get so worked up over. From what he could tell, Cayna was an amiable force of nature who shunned power and privilege. Most people too strong for their own good had a tendency to look down on others, but that wasn’t the case with her. Normally when you tell someone you’re a foreign spy, they get nervous and avoid you. However, not only did Cayna not care about this revelation, she even befriended him and his brash sister. Cloffe wouldn’t hesitate to say she was the strangest person he’d ever met. Furthermore, he now understood why the queen warned him not to get on her bad side. Cayna did things Cloffe had never heard or seen before, like summoning the aid of a bone-chilling beast at no cost to herself. Nevertheless, considering her “overdone it” comment, evaporating those two floors probably wasn’t even the most she could do. Cayna was a powerhouse, and when she (unaware of his motives) allowed the duo to accompany her into the dungeon despite their obvious inferiority, he thought he’d struck gold. However, now he couldn’t help but feel guilty that she was protecting burdens like them. Even if it was out of duty, Cloffe wanted to punch his past self for asking to come along in the first place. He couldn’t speak for Clofia, but he had multiple regrets. “We can only bow our heads in apology.” “Wh-what do you have to apologize for, Brother? I’m the only one at fault here!” “My inexperience has caused a lot of problems for Lady Cayna. That’s all.” “Excuse me?” came a voice. “That’s not true, Brother!” “Hello?” “Haven’t you noticed the difference in strength between us and Lady Cayna? We’re just in the way, Clofia.” “Well, yes, I suppose…” “I said excuse me!!” ““Who keeps talking—?!”” The two whipped around in surprise at the sharp voice and were doubly surprised to find a stranger standing there. “I cannot pass when you are in the middle of the road.” Cloffe and Clofia had started out along the wall but fell so deep into discussion that they ended up blocking the path. The newcomer was a beautiful elf woman with a mischievous smile. She had lovely gossamer hair that was black as night and indigo eyes. Her long locks tumbled down her back, and she carefully held a paper parcel in her left hand. Her gorgeous proportions were the envy of every woman, and she wore a maid outfit that would make anyone to scratch their head and question if they were really in a dungeon. To be honest, it was a surreal sight. Even adventurers like Cloffe and Clofia faced deadly enemies at every turn here. It wasn’t any place for a housemaid to check off her shopping list. The fact the maid was inside their shield made the pair even more uncomfortable. Cayna had erected the barrier to keep out anything malicious. If she entered it with no trouble, she had to be harmless. “Pardon me. A fine day to you.” The elven maid with the paper package politely bowed to the flabbergasted pair and disappeared off into the dungeon. “What’s up, you two? You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something…” After the siblings watched their visitor leave, Cayna returned from the opposite direction. They saw her and collapsed in utter exhaustion.