Chapter 76: The One who guide, The one who springs forth
“Alright, let’s go!”
The camp attacked upon arrival, its security stabilized. We thus finally decided to enter the mine.
“As originally planned, A-Rank adventurer teams are preceding, subjugating monsters in the mine, ensuring safety. We will enter the cavern connecting from the mine’s depths, and establish a second camp in a relatively large hollow near the ruins. The camp setup squad will not participate in combat; conserve magic and stamina.”
From here, it’s more dangerous than outside, so Risou, from the guild staff, is to instruct everyone as leader.
“”Roger!!””
When we entered the mine, we saw figures of several adventurers at branch path entrances. Their role is to guard, lest any missed Demons attack us, just in case. Honestly, this being-protected position feels awkward.
“Still, it’s surprisingly bright.”
The mine walls have light magic or lanterns attached here and there, so though dim, progress is easy. Many lights were prepared; it’s probably to eliminate places where Demons might hide.
The sounds of clashing swords and exploding magic heard sometimes are likely because the preceding adventurers are fighting Demons living inside.
Perhaps because the preceding adventurers secured the path, we advanced deep into the mine without encountering any Demons.
And after advancing awhile, the mine’s appearance changes. Feeling the path grow gradually distorted is likely because it’s near where the ruins’ cavern connects the tunnel.
“We’re entering the cavern interior soon. Inside the cavern are many branches; past surveys haven’t revealed its entirety. Be careful not to stray.”
“””Roger!”””
Receiving Risou’s warning, everyone tensed up. This is the real thing!
◆
Entering the cavern, the lights prepared by the preceding adventurers disappeared; we attached light magic to our equipped weapons and shields.
Not using torches is to prevent air loss during a sudden cave-in, and to prevent hands being filled by torches. We don’t know what dangerous Demons lie ahead. Nobody has leeway to hold combat hindrances.
“The air’s gotten quite cold. There might be a water vein nearby.”
One of the preceding thieves says that.
“You can tell?”
“Yeah, feels colder than inside the mine. Proof something emitting cold air is near. I had a similar experience exploring a large cavern before, and encountered a large water vein then. Be careful not to fall into the underground stream. Fall into a fast stream, with cold, dark, and narrowness, you won’t survive.”
As expected of a veteran, just the cave’s temperature tells him that. Truly, experience is the greatest weapon.
“Alright, increase lights, alert to surroundings. Watch for holes and cliffs.”
“””Yeah!”””
The mages cast floating light magic, illuminating surroundings. And advancing cautiously for a while, a cold wind brushed my cheek.
“Look, this side is a cliff. Magic light doesn’t reach; it’s deep. Also, listen closely; a roaring sound echoes. An underground stream probably runs below this.”
Just as the thief said, an underground stream really seemed to run below.
“Don’t get too close, there’s risk of collapsing.”
“Got it.”
We narrowed our formation slightly, then resumed moving.
“Still, no Demons are appearing.”
“True, considering the number that attacked camp, it’s unnaturally quiet.”
“Weren’t the Demons that attacked camp the majority of those inside?”
So, other adventurers voice optimistic opinions.
“That possibility can’t be denied. But since a dangerous Demon like a Hell Basilisk was in the mine, there’s doubtless an equally dangerous Demon deeper inside. Don’t let your guard down until camp two’s complete.”
“We know.”
While joking, everyone warily scans around; I too search for Demon reactions with detection magic. I feel Demon reactions inside, but luckily, those reactions are lower than our position. This cavern probably extends not just sideways, but downwards. Looks like no worry of immediate attack.
And the cavern gradually widened, eventually reaching an open space.
“This is the place from the documents. Alright, we’ll set up camp around here.”
Receiving Risou’s command, the mages begin erecting walls with magic.
“Prioritize strength over habitability! Make the walls as thick as possible!”
“””Roger!”””
Wall construction to protect the camp began; surroundings started being covered.
“Once the wall’s complete, we can relax.”
“Yeah, true.”
At the sight of the wall completing instantly, senior adventurers sighed relief.
“Hey, hey, not finished yet, don’t relax. Times like this are most dangerous.”
So, Rody, an S-Rank senior, tightens the lax atmosphere.
“S-Sorry.”
An S-Rank’s words have weight; the senior adventurers hastily correct their posture. And as if proving Rody’s warning correct, detection magic conveys a Demon’s presence.
“Demon reaction! Climbing from underground, our direction!”
“Underground!?”
“Probably climbed up that cliff from earlier! The number’s really large!”
Damn, the space is connected, so I should’ve considered the possibility they’d come through.
“All hands, battle stations! Setup squad, prioritize wall completion! Everyone, watch the unfinished gaps; don’t let them through!”
“””Yeah!”””
Receiving orders, the adventurers begin forming ranks. Not like knights with harsh training, but with prior guidance on tactics, everyone quickly finished battle preparations.
“Hey kid, good chance. Wanna compete who kills more Demons?”
Rody, coming beside me, suggests such a thing.
“Again?”
This guy’s consistent.
“We’re fighting anyway, enjoying it is better. Right, let’s invite other teams. Hey, you guys! Wanna compete who subjugates the most Demons? Join as teams or individuals, doesn’t matter. How ’bout ten gold a share!”
Ten gold coins, what a lavish bet.
“Teams are advantageous for kill count, but prize money’s split. Individuals are tough, but the reward’s all theirs.”
“Alright, I’ll join as an individual.”
“We’re participating as a team.”
I thought they’d call it inappropriate, but participants were many. Maybe this composure is what makes them A-Rank adventurers.
“Now boy, what’ll you do?”
Hmm, what should I do?
“Rex, let’s accept as a team!”
Said Liliera, full of motivation. Right, the Demons are attacking anyway, so we must defeat them regardless. Then there’s no reason not to. Winning is pure profit.
“Understood. We’ll accept.”
“Alright, the bet is on!”
“”””Oooh!””””
The adventurers let out high-tension battle cries. Surprisingly, Rody’s bet seems to have raised everyone’s morale.
“Seriously, what a handful.”
Muttered Risou of Twin Great Fang.
“Hey, ‘Storm’! Don’t get carried away!”
“I know. This is just pre-game warmup!”
As Risou sighs at Rody’s quip, the sound of Demons approaching echoes from the darkness.
“”Here they come!!””
Rody and Risou instantly shift focus, readying their weapons. And from the darkness, the Demons appeared.
◆
“What’s this!?”
It was a swarm of white Demons, almost burying the floor.
“Whoa, what a huge number.”
The Demons look like lizards walking on two legs, small, about 30cm. But this terrifying number evokes instinctive danger just by sight.
“Be careful! They’re Antraptors! Like their name, they’re Demons that attack in huge swarms, like ants!”
The thief from earlier calls the Demon’s name, warning everyone. So these are Antraptors. It’s my first time seeing them.
“Crap, I heard S-Ranks were joining this request, so I thought I could leave the dangerous ones to them, but now my life’s instantly in danger!”
“We specialize in exploration, not combat… Maybe should’ve refused this request?”
“”Too late now!””
So, nearby adventurers are grumbling. Seems this exploration request recruited adventurers for specialized skills other than combat. Just like Foca, the recovery magic user called Saint, those people specialize in exploration.
“Here they come!”
At Risou’s voice, everyone returned to their senses, as the Demons called Antraptors charged us like an avalanche.
“Fireball!”
“Wind Cutter!”
“Freeze Ball!”
Immediately, the mages begin intercepting with area-effect attack magic. The Antraptors were just so numerous, you’d hit one without even aiming. But Antraptor reinforcements appeared one after another from the darkness, increasing rather than decreasing.
“These damn lizards!”
Everyone swings their weapons, attacking the approaching Antraptors.
People confident in their speed or wielding maneuverable weapons like daggers managed well, but those with greatswords or axes couldn’t finish them off, due to the Antraptors’ small size and agility. And before they could finish the injured ones, new ones attacked, swarming over their bodies.
“Gah!?”
“Damn it, get off!”
“Ouch! Don’t bite me!”
Not good, must help! I hurry, cut down the swarming Antraptors, and rescue the person.
“S-Sorry.”
“Healing you, Heal!”
Luckily, thanks to their small size, damage was minor; treatment finished quickly.
But this is bad. I want to handle this number at once, but in this melee, sloppy AoE magic will hurt allies. Maybe I should just put everyone, friend or foe, to sleep with magic?
Just when I thought that.
“Rock Thorn!!”
Stone thorns sprouting from the ground pierced the feet of Antraptors running around. The Antraptors fell, screaming in pain. Stone thorns sprouted one after another, injuring the feet of running Antraptors.
“Be careful not to step on thorns!”
That was magic from Chain, the mage in Rody’s Team Cyclone.
“Everyone, calm down!”
In the gap where Antraptors flinched at thorns, movements dulled, Rody shouted.
“Individually, Antraptors aren’t fearsome opponents! Mages, use magic that hinders movement rather than attack magic! That way!”
Saying that, Rody slashed an Antraptor whose leg was hurt by thorns.
“Finishing them becomes easy like this, and if the front ones stop moving, the back ones also get blocked by allies, unable to advance! Vanguard, prioritize attacking enemies slowed by disabled feet!”
“G-Got it! Earth Bind!”
“Then this, Plant Lock!”
“Don’t overextend! Fight while protecting each other’s backs!”
The adventurers, judging they’d lose fighting individually, immediately changed tactics, following Rody’s command. Thanks to that, slowly but surely, enemy numbers began decreasing.
“Amazing, Rody!”
His smooth commanding style is like he’s led these members for years. My past self was more of a solo actor, so fighting with many allies isn’t really my forte. Bad attacks get allies involved.
“As expected of Rody ‘Storm’. Doesn’t he seem used to leading people?”
So Risou calls out to me.
“He does.”
Even now, he’s fighting skillfully while instructing everyone. He truly seems accustomed to leading people.
“Rumor is, he was a knight serving a certain country. Some even say he was a general.”
“What!? Rody was a knight!?”
I can’t believe Rody was a knight!
“Haha, just a rumor. But, he’s surprisingly good at getting into groups of people. And before you know it, he’s liked, standing in the group’s center. And his judgment ability in a melee is particularly high. He gives appropriate orders to allies, while advancing fearlessly himself. That’s why even guys without parties trust Rody and follow his orders. His figure is truly a storm stirring the battlefield.”
Indeed, his skill in instantly calming a situation that was halfway to panic makes it seem true.
“I see, so that’s why Rody’s nickname is ‘Storm’!”
“Right, usually he’s like the sun, center of a circle, but in battle, it’s this. His being a bit of a clown is his only flaw.”
Haha, wondering if it’s about the bet?
“Among the eccentric S-Ranks, his personal strength is said to be high A-Rank, but that’s not all his power. His true worth is when fighting alongside comrades.”
Even now, Rody defeats an Antraptor trying to attack an ally from a blind spot. Not obsessed with fighting upfront, he skillfully changes position according to the situation, changing the battle. That’s Rody’s strength, Risou must be trying to say.
“Well, rumor is that competence caused jealous colleagues to drive him from his country.”
Wow, that stuff doesn’t change after centuries. I saw it plenty in my past life.
“Don’t spare potions! Magic gone? Recover immediately with mana potions! These Antraptors are numerous!”
While this happens, Rody commands allies, intercepting the Antraptor swarm.
“The camp wall is complete! Hurry inside!”
Hearing the voice from behind announcing the wall’s completion, we quickly flee inside. Attacked from behind, but nobody minds minor wounds. If injured, get healed later; besides, A-Rank adventurers buy suitable armor. Pros spend money on equipment, so they survive longer. We also need to get better gear.
And as the last person fled inside, the setup squad’s mages chanted stone wall magic, closing the tiny remaining gap.
After finishing the few Antraptors that got in before the entrance closed, we finally took a breath.
“For now, with this wall, they can’t get in.”
At Rody’s declaration, everyone sighed in relief.
Amazing, Rody. The S-Rank adventurer name isn’t just for show. Rameez the magic master, Foca with recovery magic, and Rody with command ability. So then, what specialty does Risou have?
We were soaking in momentary victory, but we’d learn reality isn’t so sweet right after this.
◆
“This… is bad.”
Having successfully led my comrades inside the rampart, I immediately climbed atop it to check outside. Fortunately, considering the first camp’s wall was destroyed by Demons, we’d made the second camp’s wall quite thick. Thanks to that, the second camp’s wall top secured enough space to use as a simple fortification or watchtower. But now, that convenience has backfired, showing me a despairing sight.
With the rampart complete, we temporarily escaped danger. And then, whether the Antraptors give up, or not, attacking from the rampart over time, we’d eventually win. That’s what I thought…
“To think they’d try getting inside using this method…”
The Antraptors, realizing they couldn’t jump over the wall, were actually using allies’ bodies as footholds, approaching the wall.
“Dammit, isn’t this just like walking into a cage?”
What to do? What should I say to them, who thought they were saved!? One-on-one, our strength is superior. Fighting normally, they’re opponents we can beat. But, this number is impossible. This isn’t a problem tactics or morale can fix. It’s like watching a huge swarm of insects, like their name. Though, these are ants of vastly different size and danger.
Even now, the Antraptors increase, steadily climbing the wall. At this rate, they’ll break through the rampart in minutes. Since the first camp was destroyed, increasing not just wall thickness, but height, was a blessing.
“Rody, how’s it look outside?”
Chain, the mage, asks while drinking a mana potion distastefully. Marcha the swordswoman is being treated by Almo the priest, huh.
“Yeah, it’s a little bad.”
Lying to Chain, a close companion, she’d know immediately. Or rather, she’s surprisingly sharpest about such subtleties. Well, even if she senses it, she rarely says it.
“…I see.”
She must’ve guessed the situation’s bad from my tone. Chain’s face grew grim.
“Get Risou, Rameez, Foca, and… the kid. Need them fast.”
“Got it.”
Chain hurried, but jogged to get Risou’s group so others wouldn’t notice. And Risou’s group came quickly. But Foca wasn’t there.
“Where’s Foca?”
“She’s treating the injured. That’s her main job, after all.”
Saying that, Risou climbed onto the wall.
“I see. This is the worst.”
He must’ve expected it when Chain called; Risou was surprisingly calm.
“Even for my magic, this number is tough. Well, if it comes to it, I’ll flee with flight magic.”
Rameez boldly declaring he’d escape alone made me laugh. It means even this audacious man feels the growing crisis. …He wouldn’t really flee, right?
“Wow, that’s an amazing number.”
Does the kid not understand this situation? He’s just surprised by the number. No, no need to teach him the hopeless reality.
“Now then, any good way to overturn this, gentlemen?”
“Well, how about asking the mages to put a lid on this wall?”
A stupidly simple idea, but it might just work.
“No, doing that, we’d die from oxygen deprivation. Besides, making a ceiling to cover this area is impossible. Making a magic stone wall then cutting it might work, but lacks strength and time.”
I thought it was a good idea, but Rameez immediately pointed out technical problems.
“…Kid, any good ideas?”
The kid’s subjugated dangerous S-Rank Demons before. Maybe he’ll have an idea. Still, even he likely can’t handle a crushing attack by overwhelming numbers.
“Let’s see. They’re reptiles, so how about hibernating them with cold magic?”
“Hibernation? Specifically?”
At the unexpected countermeasure, I ask details.
“Yes, reptiles hibernate in winter. And with exceptions, reptilian Demons also hibernate. So, if mages usable cold magic all cast from the wall, their body temperature will drop, and I think the Antraptors will hibernate. Luckily, we and the Antraptors are separated by the wall, so no worry of allies taking cold damage.”
Hmm, if it works, we can incapacitate them without defeating them. No other options anyway, might as well bet on it.
“Alright, let’s try that. Everyone, listen up!”
Time was short; I immediately called out to the comrades inside.
◆
“Wha!? What is this!?”
“Just how many are there!?”
“Don’t lean out too far! If you fall, we can’t help!”
When Rody explained the situation, everyone who fled inside screamed. And voices arose blaming Rody for ordering the retreat, but seeing this sight, everyone quickly shut up. Understanding they were alive precisely because they fled inside, that Rody’s judgment was correct.
“Alright, chill the Antraptors with all your might! If we succeed in hibernating them, it’s our victory without fighting!”
“Guess we have to…”
“There’s no escape route.”
At Rody’s words, the mages also resolved themselves. Those unable to use magic also readied weapons, preparing for the moment.
“Okay, don’t think about later! Just lower the temperature with full power!”
“”””Yeah!!””””
With no retreat, everyone’s spirits are high.
“Alright! Do it!”
At Rody’s command, everyone unleashes their strongest available ice magic.
“Frost Storm!”
“Blizzard Wall!!”
Among them, Chain’s and Rameez’s magic was on another level. Both are chilling the surroundings with ice storm magic, but they’re positioning the camp at the storm’s center, avoiding ally damage. From their magic’s influence, the surrounding temperature dropped sharply; adventurers protected by the wall began shivering, rushing to the central bonfire.
“H-Hey, make the fire magic stronger!”
“N-N-No, to hibernate the Antraptors, fire use must be minimal!”
“Th-Then huddle up more!”
“Chill it more! Enemies are deep, beyond the light! Just chill it!”
Hearing Rody’s command, the people waiting inside shriek.
Alright, I have to try hard! With allies protected by the wall, I can go all out!
“Prison Cocytus!!”
“Ugh, cold!?”
With my magic’s activation, the temperature dropped further; the mages cowered.
“C-C-Colder than my magic!? I-I-Is that Lost Magic too!?”
Rameez is saying something, but lowering the temperature is priority.
Around the camp, an absolute zero ice fog, called infernal ice, formed, chilling all Antraptors regardless of elevation.
Then, Antraptors, surfaces frozen by fog, stuck to neighbors, further sealing their movement. The Antraptors’ sheer numbers, hindering their own movement, proved disastrous; they were trapped one by one in cages made of their allies’ bodies.
Alright, at this rate, I can lower the temperature enough to hibernate all Antraptors hiding deep inside!
“Th-Th-Th-Th-That’s enough, k-k-k-k-kid!!”
So, as I chilled them with spirit, Rody stopped me.
“Huh? But if I don’t chill more, we can’t hibernate all Antraptors.”
“I-I-I-It’s e-e-e-enough!”
Saying that, Rody pointed outside, his fingertip trembling.
“Th-Th-They’re all f-f-f-frozen!!”
“Eh?”
Looking, the outside Antraptors were all frozen solid, gaps filled with ice; a glacier-like scene. And the glacier continued deep into the cavern, disappearing from view.
“Oh? They’re already frozen? They were unexpectedly weak to cold.”
“That’s not the issue! This is way too much cold! Even a Salamander would freeze in this!”
Shouted Liliera, cowering, while protected by body enhancement magic.
“Huh? But Frost Dragons needed more cold before they’d hibernate.”
“””””That’s definitely not hibernation, they just froze to death! And how do you even freeze a Frost Dragon to death!!”””””
For some reason, everyone retorted at me. That’s weird… Master said reptiles usually stop moving when chilled, so attributes don’t matter.
