All we have to do is defeat the 30-layered guardian in a flash. That's what they don't break promises, the Palinkron ones.
I won't tear up ......, but I can get away with it successfully.
Sure, though that's highly unlikely: ......

　After confirming that there would be no guild work for a few days, we had come to the 20th level of the labyrinth.
　We took a shortcut from the office with the 《Connection》, so we had plenty of time to get there.

''There's no point in getting burned out. Either way, we have to dive into the labyrinth. We have to deal with the Palinclones, but we also need to be strong enough to counter that pair. And the labyrinth is the perfect place to do that.
...... sure. If Kanami can overwhelm those two, we won't have anything to worry about.
'I really wish Snow would just tell me in the wash: ......
"...... I'm talking all over the place. I told you everything I needed to say on the first day. All that's left is for Kanami to make a decision and act on it. It's a story I don't even know the details of in the first place.
'Okay, ....... I'm sorry I keep asking. I'm sure Snow is on my side. --Okay, get back on track, it's a labyrinth. I'll aim for a deeper one today.
...... I'm just following along.
That's fine. It's not as secure.

　I've proven the day before yesterday that as long as you follow me, you'll help me, despite your mouth.
　I take the less-than-obedient Snow and move to the 20th level, heading for the stairs leading down.

　I descend to the 21st level.
　The goal has changed from 20 to 30 layers, but the policy is the same as the day before yesterday.

　You can easily get to the next level by just following the path to the 23rd level where the "path" is drawn. In addition, the warding of the "path" will also keep enemies away. Although the occasional large monster would invade, it wasn't too much of a problem.

　Sure enough, as I'm walking through the 21st level, a four-armed monster, Fury, attacks me.
　I intercept it with plenty of time to spare. It's an enemy that I was struggling with not long ago, but it's no longer a problem. When I was here before, I was level 12, but I'm already level 15. All of their abilities have increased dramatically.

　It didn't take me more than a few seconds to defeat Fury.
　With swords stabbed all over his body, Fury falls to the ground.
　At the same time, they turned to light and disappeared, their stabbed swords falling to the ground with a clank.

　I pick up the magic stones and swords.
　Some of the swords are still usable, and some swords have spilled their blades.
　I put all of them back into my 'possessions'. Thanks to Mr. Alivers, I have a good chance of reusing them, so I have to save them.

'I think Fury has called his people, so let's hurry up a bit.
...... Got it.

　It seemed that Snow understood Fury's special abilities as well.
　I can see her wealth of experience from the way she runs out as a matter of course.

　I ask Snow as I run.

'How far have you dived into the labyrinth, Snow?'
...... 20 layers.
Twenty layers?　But you seem to know a lot about 21 layers of Fury.
'...... This is still an academy student, so I know a lot about it. Plus I've heard stories from my brother.
Oh, I see.

　If you think about it, Snow has the strongest explorer in his brother.
　No wonder he knows so much about the maze.

　I'm sure that the information about the strongest explorer is a treasure that cannot be exchanged for money.
　Along the way, I decided to ask Snow about the labyrinth. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to be a part of it or not.

　--I'm not going to be the only one who's been in this situation.

　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in the world. The magic that vibrates a large area causes Rio Eagle to lose its sense of balance and not be able to maintain its altitude. It's a simple task for me to slice and dice it there.

　Thus, we reach the 23rd layer and we come to the edge of the 'right-of-way'.

...... This is where The Positive Way is cut off. What do we do now?
It'll be fine. I've been here before. I know how to get there. Yes, I've been--

　Before?
　Have I come this far by myself before?

　Yes.
　It would be strange if it wasn't.
　Otherwise, there's no explanation for the 23 layers of the "map" that are buried in my field of vision.

　I frantically dredge up my memory.
　Then I remember that I defeated a boss named Flame Squall in the 23rd layer. But I'm just a little stuck.

　That Flame Squall by me, level 12, by myself ......?

What's wrong with ......?
'Yes, no, this layer, it's a bit hot: ......'
...... Yeah, that's right. It might be a little hot. I'm fine with it.
Hello?　It's a hell of a hot day, huh?
You're a dragonborn. There's plenty of room for this.
Race difference or ......
That's what I mean.

　If you look closely, Snow isn't even sweating.
　He understands the strength of the race of the Dragon Man (Dragon Newt). It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　I move on, envious of Snow's body.
　The "right path" was cut off, but because of the "map", it wasn't long before we reached the 24th level.

　I reach the lava field on layer 24 and see that the 'map' is broken at this layer.

I've only been to the middle of this layer, and this is where the real work begins. This is where the real work begins.
...... Got it.
"Watch out for the lava. There's a lizard monster lurking inside.
...... I know.

　Apparently, the strongest explorer, Glenn Walker, had come to this layer before.
　Snow didn't need to be told, but he kept his distance from the lava.

''But this heat is unbearable. I'm going to use freeze magic to lower the temperature just around me. --Magic 《Freeze》

　I try to control the heat around me with Freeze and feel uncomfortable.
　The passage of magic power is too good (・・・・・・・).
　I surprised myself with the smooth operation of that icy magic.

''Eh, that?''
...... Me too?

　The 《Freeze》 suppressed the temperature not only around me, but also to the extent that it included Snow.

''No, I didn't mean to do that, but somehow my freeze magic is strangely good. Against heat, freeze magic is easy to use, or something like that: ......

　It was a phenomenon I didn't understand myself.
　It's hard to put it into words and tell Snow about it.

　It's really a sensory thing.
　A heightened understanding of heat - or is it a heightened understanding of fire - in a sensory sense?

　We know in detail how the molecules are vibrating and how to suppress them. And somehow my body understands how to suppress them.

　I'm not sure if it would be better to describe it as my magic remembering.
　The freezing magic automatically performed the optimal molecular motion control for me.

''What's going on, is it very easy to cool down the heat?''
...... Yeah. Well, I'm glad to hear it. There's nothing wrong with that.
'Yeah. Yes. ......

　I continue on through the 24 layers without getting it right.
　I'm using Freeze, but I'm not cutting Dimension off either. It's like deploying a very thin Dimensional Winter.

　And the Dimensional Winter showed unparalleled strength at layer 24.

　When I came before, Dimension did not penetrate into the lava.
　But with Dewinter, it was able to extend its senses into the lava. It was the equivalent of stripping the monsters hiding inside the lava naked.

　The Poison Salamander, a monster moving through the lava, crept up behind us.
　Seeing our blind spot, the Poison Salamander leapt out of the lava and flashed its claws.

　As soon as I turn around, I take out a sword from my 'possessions' and throw it.
　The thrown sword pierced the Poison Salamander's head, and its glowing claws never reached it.

''--Gwuah!

　With a short squeal, the Poison Salamander expired.

...... huh?
'Instead of being able to dive into lava, it's like a monster with low basic abilities. I could take it down in one hit.

　I put my sword and magic stone in my 'belongings', leaving Snow unsure of what happened.

''...... There's a monster behind you?''
There he is. But don't worry about it. I won't let Snow touch you.
...... mmmm. You're going to have the type of monster that even I can't pretend to be. Yeah, let's just stay close to Kanami. I'll figure it out. We'll figure it out.
It's good for us, too.

　Snow walks right behind me.
　He's ready to make me the enemy if something goes wrong.

　I use Dimension to keep an eye on the inside of the lava as well, and continue on my way.
　Then I reach the point where the map is broken.
　This seems to be my previous limit.

''--Magic 《Dimension Multiple Expansion (Multiple)》''

　In the same way that the guild's work spreads the Dimension over the city, it spreads the magical senses thinly. In the labyrinth where there's a lot of magic power in the way, it's a little harder to spread it than on the ground.

　But thanks to my experience on the ground, I manage to find a staircase that leads to the 25th level.
　At the same time, I also figured out the special areas and bosses on the 24th level.

　--and I find one strange thing.

　It was an altar, a rare artifact in the labyrinth.
　The altar, which could only be thought of as man-made, had been built surrounded by lava. And in the center of the altar, a single sword was dedicated.

'...... stairs, did you find them?'

　Snow sees what I've done and he hears the results.

'Yeah, I found one. But I found some weird stuff too.
...... Is that weird?
In the back, there's a sort of an altar with a sword on it.
...... altar, sword. Oh, I see.

　Snow listens to my words and is alone in his understanding.

'I see?　What do you know about it?
'I know ....... But I can't talk about it.
No, tell me: ......

　I don't want to be able to get rid of it with one word of trouble.
　Information in the labyrinth can be fatal.

　Snow understands that as well.
　So he begins to explain in a small voice even though he doesn't want to.

''...... Probably, the labyrinth drop (・・・・・・・).''
Drop?　You mean the magic stones that monsters drop?
'...... Yes, just like that one. The labyrinth (...) is 'recalling' (dropping) items from the past. Those things remain untouched in the 23 layers and beyond, out of the reach of the searcher.
Past Items: ......

　I don't know much about this world.
　I've only known the labyrinth for a few weeks.

　But Snow is different. He's known this labyrinth for years and has learned a lot of knowledge at the Academy. He seems to know a lot of things I don't.

...... To begin with, this is where the continent spits out the legacy of the past. The labyrinth also serves as a circulatory unit that converges and spits out the magic and past that has accumulated in the earth. -- and I learned that at the academy.
That's a new one. I didn't know the labyrinth had a feature like that.
Not many people at ...... institute know about it. Anyway, I think that altar is a relic of the past. Maybe that sword, a famous sword from the past or something.
'I don't know what the hard part is, but that's the most important thing for us to talk about. I'm going to start looking into that sword from here.

　It's an interesting story.

　Then I began to think about the existence of the labyrinth in my own way.
　After listening to what you just said, I can no longer believe that this labyrinth was created naturally. If people say that this is a different world and that's why there is a labyrinth like this, that's the end of the story. But I have a feeling that this is not the case.

　The only thing I can think of is that this labyrinth was created by someone (...) with a purpose.

　If someone made it, it would explain why the labyrinth is such a convenient place for people to be.

　If so, who made the labyrinth?
　Who--

　[Dimension] to 'gaze' at the sword on the altar and get information.


[Ruf Bringer]
　Attack power 7.
　Mental Pollution +2.00


'Kanami, how are you doing?'
I'm sure it's a rare one. ...... but it looks dangerous.
Do you want to collect ......?
Let's do it anyway. I could make some money.

　I walked with Snow to the suspicious altar.
　On the way, a few poison salamanders attacked us, but they weren't my enemies that I could grasp into the lava.

　Then, after a few minutes of progress, I reached the altar, which was surrounded by a river of lava.
　Normally, the lava would be in the way and I wouldn't be able to get close to it, but with my current physical ability, I should be able to jump over it. The river is less than ten meters wide. However, in my worldly sense, it's a distance close to a world record. I'm a little scared of myself for thinking that's a comfortable distance.

"I'll jump over it and get it.
...... have a good day.

　As a matter of course, Snow doesn't jump.

　I make sure it's safe in the lava and jump with enough help.
　As expected, I succeed in jumping over it with plenty of time to spare. As I approach the altar, I observe the sword.
　If you look closely, the magic power in that sword is quite impressive. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to get the same amount of magical power as a mid-level wizard.

　Most importantly, the sword was beautiful.
　It has a unique form that ignores the beauty of function, and a design that is all black. It's a little stinging, but it's also a tasteful touch. It was never something that would detract from its beauty.
　And the beautiful sword is colored with - a beautiful purple magic. It doesn't detract from the unity of the jet-black sword, and as an accent to the purple, it makes the sword stand out more.

　The sword I came up with with Alivers-san was great, but this type of sword wasn't bad either.
　Ah. Above all, how beautiful it would be if bright red blood dripped down this black sword's body--

Blast impulse!

　A shockwave of magical power hits my back.
　It jumps to the side and I dodge it by the skin of my neck. And then I shout out an accusation at the person who carried out the attack.

''Snow--!　What are you doing all of a sudden?

　However, the person in question, Snow, replied matter-of-factly as he built up further magic.

...... No, I was fascinated by the sword. For now, I thought I'd blow it up and bring you back to your senses.
'Fascinated?　Me?
...... sword's magic was about to enter Kanami's body. It's pretty bad, that.

　I keep Snow's words in my head and look at the sword again.

　I notice the abnormality of the sword.
　The magical power of the sword, which resembles a devious grudge, was writhing inside my body, trying to enter my body. It is far from the beautiful magical power that I had felt earlier, and just by looking at it, I can understand that it is the kind of thing that humans should never touch.

　This kind of sword that looks so bad to look at, did I think it was beautiful?

I know, it's not good. ......
...... You showed your true colors when Kanami approached you. What do we do now?　Give up?　Maybe I'll turn into a killer if I have it.
No, I'm not giving up. I don't want someone else to own it and become a killer. Perhaps my magic can have it, so--
...... Yea, no, I disagree. I feel like it's probably the most dangerous thing in the world for Kanami to have.
'I won't touch you, don't worry. From this distance (・・・・・・), I will neutralize the sword. --Magic, "Dimensional Winter (Di Winter)
...... carefully. Remember, if I fail, Kanami will kill me first. Be really careful.

　Leaving the anxious Snow behind, I deploy my magic power.
　Of course, I'm trying to retrieve it because I'm confident.

　My "Dimensional Winter (Die Winter)" can interfere with the magic from this distance as well. From a few meters away, the magic power of the sword that is trying to approach me with Dimensional Winter (Die Winter) is moved away.

　At the same time, I gradually move closer to the sword.
　I move forward step by step, trying not to touch the sword's magic.

　After a few minutes or so, I finally reach the front of the sword.
　This is where the real work begins.

　While still keeping the magic away, I cast the Ice next.
　Of course, my aim is the sword itself.

　The sword felt the danger of its own safety, swirling its magic power and rejecting the cold air. However, he reapplies his magic power to 《Dimensional Winter (Di Winter)》 and prevents it.

　A few seconds later, I completed one of the ice-attached magic swords.
　I pay close attention and put the sword into my 'possessions'.

'...... Phew.'

　I take a breath and wipe the sweat from my forehead.
　The seal is now complete.
　I jump over the lava and return to Snow.

"I'm home.
...... good night. Don't put that out in the labyrinth.
Yeah, I know.
...... Hmmm, I'm nervous. Can we just break it here already?
'No, rather than destroying it, I think it would be better to call Mr. Alibers and others who can use sacred magic to dismantle it. It could be something to make something out of. Maybe even have the potential to make some great money.
...... Sure, I think it would be worth the money if we could dismantle it. But I'm still worried.

　Unusually, Snow bites down.
　That's how anxious he must be. I had no choice but to take out the Rufbringer from my possessions.

"If you're going to go that far, I can at least break it.
...... Yeah, let's fold. I'll take care of it.

　Then, Snow placed his hand on the ice block of the Rufbringer and cast a spell.
　It is a good thing that you have a good idea of what you are looking for.

　At the same time, you can feel the vicious magic power that was overflowing out of it subside. With this, the value of this magic sword might have been lost. However, I was able to gain some relief instead.

'Yeah, that's it. Thanks, Kanami.

　Snow thanks me and hands me the 'Rufbringer' in two parts.
　I shake my head as I place it in my 'belongings' and reply.

''No, I was the one who forced you to collect it. There's no need to thank me.

　Snow smiled thinly in response.
　Then he pointed to the depths of the labyrinth and said.

''Then let's move on.

　There seemed to be a little bit of tension in Snow's voice.
　It was really slight, but he seemed to be motivated.

''Yeah.''

　I hurriedly resume my search for the labyrinth so as not to extinguish that little flame of motivation.