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The Four Eastern Stars Ventures into the Labyrinth, While the Masked Boy Leaves – Part 06

Selyse’s question had already been addressed by the Beastmen soldiers in Gerhardt’s advance party.

It had been roughly twenty days since the dungeon’s appearance, yet they had only managed to reach the sixth floor. Why?

The answer was straightforward: the sheer number of enemies.

Before entering the dungeon, they had to first clear out the monsters swarming the mountain, a task that Bios’s temple guards assisted with. A different group from the Knights Templar, these troops swore allegiance to Pope Luvain, but their strength was lacking, and they suffered significant losses in battle, hindering their progress into the dungeon.

Despite the intensity of these battles, there were few visible traces.

Beastmen favored close combat, and the clergy’s holy attribute magic wasn’t terrain-destructive. Moreover—and this was the most important factor—dead demon-type monsters disintegrated into black dust, leaving behind black magic crystals imbued with evil mana. These matched the characteristics of the monsters that lurked beneath the holy city. The mana crystals were hazardous, so Bios collected and stored them away.

Given Gerhardt’s strength, Selyse mused, they should have advanced further than the sixth floor, but considering the battle outside and the dungeon’s challenges, their progress seems reasonable.

There was, however, another factor limiting their progress: the labyrinth’s vastness.

Even with knowledge of the route to the second floor, it took Selyse’s group four hours to reach it. And they didn’t encounter any monsters. After consulting with Marius of Azura Blade Nebula, they decided to head straight to the fourth floor. They should reach it by day’s end if they maintained this pace.

In the large chambers connecting the corridors, evidence of battles fought by Gerhardt’s team was scattered—a heap of black crystals and remnants of meals and trash.

It’ll be late at night by the time we reach the fourth floor.

Moving late at night was not advisable. In dungeons with consistent lighting, losing track of time was risky. Many adventurers recounted moments when they abruptly lost focus or couldn’t walk due to exhaustion. These situations often stemmed from extended activity caused by losing one’s sense of time. The Four Eastern Stars, and even beginner adventurers, carried rough timekeeping tools when entering dungeons.

Despite the risks, they persisted in moving even late into the night so they could rescue Gerhardt.

Gerhardt had been engaged in fierce combat on the sixth floor, and it had been five days since the last report of his situation. Six days from today. They needed to get to him as soon as possible. One day could make all the difference.

Thankfully, we have the Azura Blade Nebula with us.

Unlike Selyse, who knew Deputy Leader Jillarte, the adventurers sent from the Kingdom of Ponsonia didn’t care about the fate of the Confederacy’s leader, the monsters spilling out of the dungeon, or any crisis befalling the holy city. They mainly operated in Ponsonia, and this incident had no impact on the kingdom. Groups like Kinga Wolf were solely interested in obtaining rewards from the dungeon and enhancing their reputation.

Marius, however, was different. An earnest individual, he always responded promptly to the Adventurers Guild’s requests. While the members of the Azura Blade Nebula were undoubtedly skilled, they lacked charisma. Despite this, Marius’s character had propelled them to Rank A.

Upon hearing Jillarte’s firsthand account of Gerhardt’s situation and sensing her genuine concern for his well-being, Marius wasted no time in selecting the quickest route to the sixth floor.

Meanwhile, trailing adventurer parties like Kinga Wolf were expected to check the unexplored areas of the first floor. Gerhardt’s group had already cleared most of the monsters, and these uncharted regions promised hidden treasures.

Seems like Marius’s party members are a bit discontented.

From what Selyse observed, some members kept sighing while others eagerly eyed the unexplored paths. Nevertheless, none openly opposed Marius, likely because of his firm grip on leadership. Following Marius meant securing lucrative opportunities and a better chance of survival.

“What’s on your mind, Selyse?” Sophie asked as they walked.

“Just thinking about the Azura Blade Nebula.”

“I see. By the way, I’ve noticed a change in the atmosphere since we entered the third floor. We should proceed with caution.”

“Got it, I’ll stay alert,” Selyse replied, immediately upping her guard.

While Sara typically took on the role of scouting, the monsters in this dungeon emitted miasma, and Sophie was better at sensing such malevolent energy.

Sure enough, shortly after, Sara came to a halt.

“I hear sounds of battle up ahead!”

“Is it the Azura Blade Nebula?”

“Most likely!”

“Let’s pick up the pace.”

Despite the distance between them, it felt as though they were right there. In a spacious room past the pathway, the Azura Blade Nebula were clashing with monsters.

Selyse felt adequately prepared for her first battle in the dungeon, but…

“Huh?!”

Upon entering the room, a sinister aura descended on them, causing Selyse’s head to spin. A nauseating sensation enveloped her chest. The air here would make ordinary people buckle and vomit.

“O’ God who art in heaven, cleanse this evil with thy power.”

Sophie instantly cast holy magic. Her body glowed with golden light, and golden, powder-like substance enveloped Selyse and the others. A simple but very effective spell. It kept the miasma at bay, and Selyse’s mind cleared.

“I’ve never seen this magic before.”

“After the battle at the pit, I’d been thinking about malevolent energy. With Paula’s help, I found this spell in the Church’s archives.”

“Thank you, Sophie. Let’s move, Sara, Serika.”

“Righto!”

“Got it!”

With Sophie behind them, the trio stepped into the room where the Azura Blade Nebula was locked in fierce combat.

Selyse froze at the sight before her. The foe, though small, clearly belonged to the dragon species. Its sleek black scales gleamed, and atop its thick frame sat two small wings. Its two heads lunged forward, assaulting the frontline of the Azura Blade Nebula.

Though smaller in size compared to the White Dragon Selyse fought previously, it still stood at five meters tall. Two frontline fighters wielding large shields were repelling its onslaught.

“Watch out for its breath attack!”

The black dragon’s maw opened, and there was a spark. In an instant, black flames burst forth, but the shield-bearers managed to withstand the attack. One was a burly human, while the other appeared to be a crossbreed between a Beastman and a human, albeit with sparse fur.

“The incantation is almost complete!”

“Keep diverting its attention!”

Dashing to the left, an archer let loose a powerful arrow, drawing the dragon’s focus away. Immediately after, two mages at the rear lifted their staffs in a perfectly synchronized motion. Their identical faces painted them as twins.

“Rock Blizzard!”

The spell conjured glittering, white lumps. Like projectiles from a catapult, they hurtled towards the dragon, one striking its face and the other its neck, swiftly freezing upon impact.

It was high-level, water-type freezing magic. The frost rapidly expanded, severely impeding the dragon’s movements.

“Marius!”

“On it.”

Marius darted past the shield-bearers, closing in on the dragon with his hand on his sword.

A radiant light emanated from the magic gem embedded in his exquisitely crafted scabbard. There was a faint click, like a switch flipping. He unsheathed his sword, revealing a blade cloaked in a fiery blue light.

“Hooooohh!”

Marius unleashed a mighty diagonal swing. Accompanied by a resounding thud, the blue light extended from the blade, cleaving the dragon’s body in half.

As the upper body slumped, black dust billowed forth, stirred oddly by the air current. With a shriek that stoke human instincts of fear, the dragon turned completely into dust.

“Wow! Incredible!” Sara said, genuinely impressed by their defeat of the dragon without needing assistance. “It’s the first time I’ve seen the Azura Blade Nebula in action. That sword seems special, Selyse. Did you know about it?”

“Of course. That’s the magic sword, Blue Flash. You can embed elemental magic stones or magic gems in its sheath and charge it with mana.”

“Is it similar to the White Ray Blade you used?”

“It’s close, but unlike the White Ray Blade, you don’t need to charge it with your own mana. As long as you have magic stones, you can use it repeatedly.”

“Wow!”

Selyse had been lent the magic sword White Ray Blade by the Church, which could cut anything when fed with mana. However, it broke during the battle with the mad scientist Ranna in the great pit.

For this dungeon conquest, Selyse naturally brought a sword purchased from a prestigious blacksmith in Ponsonia’s royal capital. Though it was a high-quality weapon costing hundreds of gold coins, compared to the White Ray Blade, it was nothing but an iron sword.

The White Ray Blade was sharper than the Blue Flash, but the latter was more user-friendly. Found by Marius in a dungeon, its blue light led to his party being called the Azure Blade Nebula.