Chapter 256: Doubts about Abilities
Something I noticed after observing Glasses use magic several times was that his magic required either verbal incantations or written spells, or even both.
Whenever he wrote something with his fingertip, tiny spirits that look like water fleas get sucked into his breast pocket, which would then glow faintly, attracting other small spirits. I’m bothered about that pocket of his.
The number of people lessened further when we reached the 12th level. Dean’s group, another unfamiliar party group and I are the only ones making our way down now.
The materials that would be worth all the effort usually appear around the 13th to 14th level after one to two nights of hunting. Some adventurers would try to forage for materials that the previous group of adventurers missed, while some were here to test their strength. Some would even try to move forward through the Labyrinth without going down the cliffs.
Usually, those who had already been to the Labyrinth once would head straight to the cliffs-cum-shortcut because it’s convenient. That’s because they already know that the materials that would fetch them gold were in the deeper layers. Majority of adventurers came to the Labyrinth to earn money after all.
We took a break at the entrance to the 12th level, which is a hole in the cliff. Time for some calorie replenishment. Yup, not even a meal or snack, just replenishing calories.
The shortcut to the 20th level was situated a little distance away from the entrance to the 12th level. The cliffs we descended continued on for miles, but the entrance to the 20th floor was a bit far away from them.
We returned to the cliffs after finishing our break.
「Allow me to be in charge of this. 」
Glasses said, then he rummaged through the pouch he wore on his waist before sticking something onto the wall.
A straight beam of faint light reminiscent of a glow stick shone down, revealing a makeshift path made by the pioneers jutting out of the cliffs. It was made quite a long time ago, with sturdy, fine-grained boards placed over wedges that were about a meter long. Chains were attached to every few wedges, reinforcing the structure.
The thing he did on the wall — he must have stuck a magic stone on it, huh? So when he said he’ll be “in charge”, he must’ve meant this as his thanks-slash-payment. The light stretching up to my knee was faint, but it was very much welcome in this pitch-black place.
The Adventurer’s Guild also issued a commission to replace the damaged boards on the pathway. The chains that support the wedges extend diagonally from the cliff, and although they are installed for safety, they’re in the way. It’s still okay for Ash and me, but what about folks like Khan!?
Oh, Khan and Dinosso smoothly made their way down the cliff like cats in the midst of the darkness. Butler’s gait seems to be no different from usual. He’s probably nonchalantly going down, totally unruffled by the whole business.
And as for me, I unwittingly named every single wind spirit I came across, from A to Z. In case something happens, I’ll ask them to soften my fall. Ack, it’s creaking, it’s creaking!
We finally reached the 20th level after descending that unstable foothold through the pitch-black cliff. It was a lot faster than walking through every single layer, but it also sent my heart into a frenzy. Ah, but maybe it’s because I’m not used to it.
We didn’t use fire even during lunch. There’s a limit to the baggage we could carry, so we had to use fuel wisely — I totally understand why folks with 【Storage】get targeted.
We still need to transfer the embers from the old makeshift torch made out of wrapped grass to a new one. I opened the bark, blew on the old grass so that the fire would cover a larger area. It won’t blaze up since the grass is pre-treated, but it’s hot enough to toast the jerky and warm the thinly sliced bread.
It’s nice because the warmth takes away a little bit of the blandness.
「Please allow me to ask you something. You probably already know, but I am Iscal, the Deputy Guild Leader of the Adventurer’s Guild. To be honest, I came here to investigate the traces left by the hero. Judging from the condition of the spirits, there is a high possibility of a disturbance occurring below this floor. Please proceed with caution, and if you confirm any abnormalities, please have someone go up right away to inform the guild as soon as possible. The guild will offer a reward that is worth greater than three days of activity on this level. Depending on the circumstances a star may even be granted. 」
「Then our party will be the one to report it! 」
The other party’s representative quickly speaks up after being prodded by the other members.
It’s okay, there’s no need to rush because no one else will accept the request. It’s just Dean and my party — oh, I’m not even in Dean’s party huh.
「Hey, you there, you can stick with us until we know what’s going on over there. Are you on your own? It might be a little too cramped, but you can come over here. 」
「Yeah. 」
I replied to Dinosso’s invitation. Yes, I can finally join them!!
Glasses and the other party who accepted the reporting commission looked taken aback. They probably weren’t aware of me. Seems like they didn’t see me talking to Retze and interacting with Dinosso and Ash back at the cliff, so it’s like they already forgot all about me? That’s quick.
Hmm, I wonder how this ‘being forgotten’ business works? It is still in effect even if the spirits don’t show up, just like all the abilities I got from the deities in the beginning. Maybe the abilities work as long as I’m within the scope, or range, of the deities’ power, even if they don’t show up, or maybe it’s because I’m borrowing the power of their kin, at least that’s what I thought.
But then, I was able to 【Teleport 】to the desert that’s supposedly outside the scope of the map they gave me, and even 【Storage】 worked over there. Maybe my speculation that “
the area shown on the map is the territory of the spirits contracted to me” is wrong? Does this ‘anonymous’ ability work like my physical strength?
By the way, En’s 【Storage】is a hard working squirrel packing its cheeks to the brim. It’s convenient, but I’m kinda bothered about how these abilities work.
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
I Got Transferred in the Middle of a Mountain
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 80 hours
Thanks.