Chapter 10

Early in the morning, I bought my necessities and had breakfast at the tavern. Then, with time to spare, I headed to the church, our designated meeting spot.

Inside, a priest was reciting something from a book resembling a bible, surrounded by many people offering prayers. Among them, I spotted Dia.

In this world, many people offer prayers to God. While many are simply devout, even adventurers with no real faith pray fervently. This is because the prayer itself is part of the “Level Up” magic. The priest’s incantations include formulas that facilitate leveling up alongside standard religious teachings; for that reason, people from all walks of life visit the church.

It seems the God here is different from the one in my world, who never did anything for me. If this is a religion that provides “Level Ups” for free, I can see how a “United Nations” of sorts could be formed around it.

After finishing his prayers and speaking briefly with the priest, Dia noticed my arrival and walked over.

“Oh, Christ. You’re already here.”

“Good morning, Dia. You’re early.”

“I thought maybe my level might have gone up while I slept… but no luck. Sigh.”

“I see. That’s a shame…”

As I replied, I casually checked Dia’s status.

From the looks of it, he’s right on the verge of leveling up. And, as usual, his stats are ridiculous. Especially that Magic stat.

We headed toward the Labyrinth, discussing our coordination.

“So, the plan is for me to draw the monsters’ attention, right?”

“Sorry, but I’m counting on you. With no strength, I can’t seem to damage monsters with normal attacks. So, starting today, I’m planning to use magic.”

Apparently, Dia’s sword can’t kill monsters. That explains why he was so obsessed with finding a partner. It makes sense; even if you have magic that works, you can’t use it effectively solo if you can’t create an opening.

Still, I thought to myself: Aren’t you basically not a swordsman then? Wouldn’t it be better to just leave the sword behind? But I kept that to myself. Dia seemed serious about his goal of becoming a swordsman.

“Got it. But I’m going to focus purely on dodging up front. I… want to avoid getting hurt as much as possible.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Just having a vanguard makes a world of difference for me.”

“Well, it’s probably the best formation. I’m suited for searching and disruption anyway.”

“Once my level goes up, I’ll fight with my sword too. Just bear with me until then.”

Actually, I think you should just stick to magic, I thought. Again, I didn’t say it. If I did, and he asked why I thought that, I wouldn’t be able to answer without explaining my [Display] ability.

“Alright, I’ll take the lead and scout for enemies.”

While we talked, we arrived at the Labyrinth entrance. Unlike the pristine entrance in Huzya, this one was quite rugged. There weren’t even any guards at the Wald entrance.

“Okay, let’s go.”

And so, I began my second challenge of the Labyrinth. My heart was racing. Anxiety and fear swirled inside me, but I fought to suppress them.

I had gathered as much information as I could up until today. I’d researched monsters in books until I knew them inside out. I’d listened to countless tales from adventurers at the tavern. My equipment was appropriate, and I had all the right tools. I had a reliable—if slightly concerning—partner overflowing with talent. I had learned to perform other actions while keeping my [Display] active. I was used to my magic and could apply it in different ways.

I was perfectly prepared for this challenge.

By mentally confirming everything I had built up until today, I calmed my nerves and stepped into the depths of the Labyrinth.

Our first monster was a Ripper Beetle.

We encountered it shortly after deviating from the “Main Path.” Since the northern part of the 1st floor near Wald is full of insect-type monsters, it was one of the enemies I had anticipated.

I seized the initiative using the scouting capabilities of [Dimension] and engaged it using an applied magic I called [Dimension: Gladiator]. This magic focuses the mental image of [Dimension] specifically for combat; while the scouting range decreases, it significantly enhances my sense of distance and focus required for battle.

Magic changes its form based on the user’s mental image. This was a perfect example. Thanks to this applied magic, I didn’t miss a single movement the monster made.

“Dia, it’s just this one. Let’s go as planned!”

“Got it!”

We moved according to our pre-arranged coordination. Dia began his incantation for a spell, and I stepped in front of him to block the monster’s line of sight, leveling my sword in a mid-guard stance.

I focused on parrying, deflecting, and dodging the enemy’s attacks, ensuring the monster wouldn’t turn its attention toward Dia. During the fray, the Ripper Beetle lunged at me. I swung my sword down with all my might to halt its charge.

With the magic active, I could see its movements clearly. The two dangerous horns of the Ripper Beetle didn’t even graze me. It had been a while since my last fight, but because it was a monster I’d fought before, I was able to handle it without getting nervous.

Above all, it felt significantly weaker than before. Perhaps my increased Speed from leveling up made the monster look slower? My Strength had also increased; I could see cracks forming in the carapace that I couldn’t even scratch before.

I didn’t feel the same terror as last time. But at the same time, I felt the sheer abnormality of this world’s Level system.

“Christ! I’m firing!!”

The signal came from behind. I immediately sidestepped so Dia had a clear view of the monster.

“—[Flame Arrow]!!”

Dia completed his spell, and a flash of light erupted from mid-air.

Flame Arrow. From what I’d heard beforehand, it was a basic fire-attribute spell. This was the only offensive magic Dia had, and it was supposed to fire an arrow of mana imbued with heat.

When I first heard the name, I imagined a literal “arrow of fire.” I pictured flames in the shape of an arrow being loosed from a bow.

—However, the reality was different.

It wasn’t an arrow; it was a line. In an instant, a white line was drawn through the air—a laser beam, essentially. Naturally, it was impossible to track with the eye. By the time I realized it had flashed, the line had already finished its path.

The Ripper Beetle now had a massive hole clean through the center of its body. A single hit.

“Yes!”

Dia pumped his fist, celebrating the successful strike, while I inwardly reeled. “Wait, what…?”

As the mortally wounded Ripper Beetle dissolved into nothingness, Dia cheered behind me.

“I did it! That was so easy!”

It seemed he didn’t notice me standing there, completely dumbfounded.

“C-Congrats…” I offered a hollow blessing.

“Yeah, thanks! That’s the first time I’ve taken down a monster that big!”

“That’s great to hear…”

I couldn’t stop breaking into a cold sweat. Dia didn’t realize the abnormality of what he’d just done. I hadn’t seen or heard of such magic in books or tavern talk.

If I recalled correctly, Dia’s Magic stat was 23 and his Attribute Magic skill was 2. Other factors were likely at play, but I couldn’t hide my unease at such a phenomenon occurring with those numbers. After all, for all future battles, I was going to have someone holding a literal laser gun at my back.

Even if I trusted his character, Dia and I hadn’t known each other long. Anything could happen. Even without malicious intent, an accidental misfire would put a hole in my stomach identical to the one in the Ripper Beetle.

I could feel my “chicken heart” trembling violently.

“Alright! Thanks to you, Christ, I could focus on my magic! Let’s keep this up!”

“…Yeah. Let’s keep it up. But be careful when you fire that magic, okay? Seriously. I mean it. Be very careful.”

“Yeah, I know! Leave it to me!”

Dia was incredibly excited after defeating the monster. Seeing him like that only made my anxiety grow.

“…Alright, let’s keep moving. I’m scouting, so stay quiet, please. Also, in case of an emergency, follow my instructions. Don’t fire your magic without my word. Absolutely, positively.”

I repeatedly cautioned him to prevent any magic accidents as I expanded my [Dimension] field.

“Yeah, I get it. I’ll follow your lead. It seems like everything goes right as long as I do what you say, Christ.”

Dia agreed readily. It seemed he had a certain level of trust in me. Relieved, I moved back into scouting mode while checking our experience points and MP consumption.

Even though Dia had landed the finishing blow, the experience was shared. My MP consumption for scouting and combat combined was around 5, while Dia had used about 3.

Dia is seriously incredible. Low cost, high power. I’m terrified that a single one of those lasers likely exceeds the total thermal energy a human should be able to produce. It’s ignoring the law of conservation of mass with total ease.

“Oh, Dia. We’re going to have an encounter as soon as we turn that corner.”

“Got it.”

I catch a large monster with my [Dimension] magic and report it to Dia. Checking the monster’s name and rank with my [Display], I cross-reference it with the information I’ve gathered. After simulating the battle in my head, I move to confront the enemy.

It’s a spider-type monster.

“Dia—!!”

“On it! [Flame Arrow]!!”

Following the exact same procedure as the previous fight, Dia’s magic is loosed—and just like that, the enemy is destroyed without a hint of danger.

“Whoa, Christ! Another one down!”

“That was… almost too easy…”

The ease of it all made my past self, who had been trembling in fear of the Labyrinth, look like a fool.

Since I’m using [Dimension] for combat, I don’t feel like I’ll ever get hit. In game terms, it’s like having a massive bonus to my Skill stat, giving me huge modifiers to accuracy and evasion.

Furthermore, Dia’s [Flame Arrow] is blatant overkill, and its projectile speed is so high that it’s practically a guaranteed hit. I seize the initiative with my scouting and take the optimal position. If the enemy hasn’t noticed us, we snipe them with [Flame Arrow]. Even if it misses, I’m standing on the diagonal line; the enemy can’t reach the “artillery” (Dia) without going through me.

The only way this could fall apart is if I lose in close quarters. However, perhaps because of the level gap between me—now Level 4—and the enemies, I don’t feel like I’ll be caught off guard.

One by one, we steadily take down the monsters.

“—Phew. Another one down without a scratch.”

“H-Hey… Christ. Is the Labyrinth always this easy if you form a party?”

Even Dia, who had been overjoyed at first, finally voiced his doubt after watching monster after monster die unilaterally.

“No, definitely not. There are deaths even on the 1st floor. Based on what I’ve heard from the adventurers at the tavern, I think we’re the ones who are weird.”

“Does that mean we’re strong?”

Exactly. Part of it is that Level 1 Dia’s magic has far too much attack power. However, if I just shower him with unconditional praise, I won’t be able to emphasize my own utility.

Ideally, I want to maintain a long-term relationship with Dia.

“Yeah. You have a talent for magic, Dia. No doubt about it.”

“…I see. But that’s—”

“But more than that, I think the reason is that our compatibility is just too good.”

“Even more than that? Our compatibility…?”

Dia looks surprised. Yes. Above all else, our compatibility leaves no openings in this tactic.

“It’s because I’m a mage with skills specialized for scouting that we get these results.”

“Come to think of it… Christ, you keep finding enemies in this pitch-black darkness. And from pretty far away, too…”

“I’m actually using magic to find them. That’s why monsters can’t get the jump on us, and why a ‘turret-type’ mage like you doesn’t get targeted. Plus, we can start the fight with you in the best position. In some cases, we can snipe them before they even know we’re there. I’m completely covering for you, since you need time to build up your firepower. I think that’s what creates this ‘sure-win’ pattern.”

“True. When I was alone, the monsters always found me first, and I never had an opening to use magic… But Christ, how are you finding them? I’ve never heard of magic like that.”

If I told him everything, he’d understand. My Dimension Magic, [Dimension]. The [Display] reflected in my eyes. He’d know that thanks to these two things, I never miss a single monster.

But my Dimension Magic is something I haven’t heard even a whisper of during my information gathering these past few days. And the [Display], goes without saying, is a power unique to me. I don’t want to invite trouble by revealing too much, and above all, as a coward, it’s hard for me to lay my cards on the table.

“Well… it’s an old magic passed down in my hometown. It’s considered a secret so I can’t go into details, but it makes it easier to find monsters when hunting.”

“Oh, I see. A rare skill, then.”

Dia seems satisfied with that explanation. In this line of work, it’s common sense not to reveal your hand too easily; Dia likely understands that.

“But the MP consumption is heavy. Truth is, I’m a hundred times more tired than you are.”

“I bet. You’re using magic even when we aren’t fighting, and then you’re drawing the monsters away during combat.”

Dia looks apologetic. Good. It seems I’ve successfully showcased my value and put him in my debt.

“I’ll let you know when I’m out of MP. It’ll be soon, but I can’t stay in the Labyrinth for long anyway. I have my job at the tavern, so it works out.”

“Alright, got it! Then let’s head a bit deeper and hit something that looks strong!”

“Sure. I’ve heard about the enemy distribution at the tavern, so I know which way the strong ones are.”

“Nice! Let’s go!”

Besides, I can see their Ranks with [Display]. Judging that the probability of running into something we can’t handle is low, I agree with Dia and we resume our exploration into the depths.

After that, we repeated our “sure-win” pattern numerous times, exploring the Labyrinth for about two hours. By the time we’d defeated about thirty monsters, my MP was running low.

“—Ah. I’m about to lose my grip on the magic.”

“What, already?”

It wasn’t even past noon yet. However, due to the continuous battles, my MP was looking thin.

“I’m leaving the Labyrinth. What about you, Dia?”

“Eh… Wh-What should I do? You won’t be my vanguard without the scouting magic, right?”

I wanted to snap back with an absolute “No!”, but I spoke gently.

“Well… the chance of getting hurt would go up, and it wouldn’t be efficient. Actually, I was using MP during combat too, so my close-quarters fighting would be weakened.”

“Wait… Christ, you were using magic while using your sword?”

“Yeah. It’s an application of that old magic; it sharpens my senses.”

“Then you’ve been using magic non-stop… I thought you were a swordsman because you’re so fast with a blade, but you’re actually a mage to the core, aren’t you?”

“Yep. So a mage (me) without MP is just a useless puppet.”

Honestly, I don’t want to fight without MP. The risk of injury goes up, and I might not be able to protect Dia. Without magic, it takes a massive amount of time and physical energy to finish off a monster. The longer it takes, the higher the chance of an unforeseen disaster. The more chances you give an enemy to attack, the more likely they are to hit you with some unblockable special ability. It’s a fight with zero benefits.

“Got it. I’ll walk you to the exit. After that, I’ll go solo.”

“Wait—”

However, Dia tries to charge down the exact opposite path of my intentions. Inwardly, I’m strongly opposed.

W-What are you saying…?! You’re just a turret-specialized mage, don’t get cocky…! If you die, I’m the one who loses out…! Armed with my selfish logic, I step in to stop him.

“Hold on. Wait, wait, wait. Dia, are you seriously planning to go alone?”

“Yeah, that’s the plan. I still have time, and I was alone until yesterday, so it’s not much different from usual.”

“By the way, how many monsters did you kill on your own?”

“Ugh…”

Dia immediately faltered.

“If you can really handle yourself alone, I won’t say a word.”

“Urgh… I mean, I have killed them before.”

“I’m sure you have. But how many? You’ve been challenging this place for a while, right? Until yesterday, how many did you manage to take down?”

“O… One…”

“Don’t go alone. I’d be too worried.”

I answer instantly. It might sound harsh, but I can’t afford to lose such a valuable partner.

“But! I killed a ton today! I think I’ve got the hang of it!”

“You killed them with magic. You can’t fire magic alone, which is why you couldn’t kill monsters until now, right? You know that better than anyone.”

“I have my sword too!!”

“And I’m telling you, you can’t kill them because the sword doesn’t work.”

I can see Dia’s status. Therefore, I know more about Dia than Dia does. Diablo Sith is a person specialized in magic. Using a sword will never yield results.

“But I don’t have time…! I need power, quickly… I need money…”

Dia muttered with a serious expression. I responded just as seriously.

“I’ll be blunt: no matter how much you swing a sword here, you won’t kill any monsters. If you were using magic, I’d understand. If you were in a situation where you could use magic, I’d nod. But that’s not the case.”

“No, it has to be a sword… I didn’t have a choice today, but I want to get strong with a blade. Fighting with a sword is my dream…! That’s why I want to train…!”

Honestly? You have zero talent for the sword! I wanted to break his heart right there. But I swallowed the words and continued.

“…Why the sword? If you want power and money, just polish your magic and slaughter monsters. You could become a great mage and get all the money you need.”

“Maybe so… but for me, it has to be the sword!”

This is trouble. Dia is—to put it nicely—not exactly a logical thinker. He’s clinging to the sword emotionally. Our relationship is still too thin for me to truly persuade him out of it.

“Is there no other way?”

“None. I want to forge my skill with the blade.”

I scratch my aching head and check Dia’s status. He’s accumulated enough experience to level up. Also, his HP is slightly depleted.

“…Sigh, fine. If you insist on using the sword, I won’t stop you. Being able to use both magic and a sword is a good thing, after all. But I want you to be fully prepared, so let’s get out of the Labyrinth and take a breather first.”

“O-Oh…” Dia agreed, looking surprised.

“What is it?”

“Nothing… I just didn’t think you’d agree. No one has ever supported me using a sword before…”

His swordsmanship must be truly pathetic. Since I’ve been acting as the vanguard, I haven’t seen just how miserable it is, but it seems it’s at a level where everyone else tells him to quit.

“…I guess it’s because I kind of understand that feeling.”

Even I usually choose sword-users when playing games. There’s the appeal of it as a boy, and in these kinds of worlds, the sword-user is usually the protagonist. I can understand the childish desire to use a sword even if it’s forced, just to be the “hero.”

Truthfully, I want him to fight only with magic. But if I push too hard here, Dia’s opinion of me will drop. Perhaps because of that cold calculation, my tone naturally became more accepting.

“Thanks… Christ…”

Hearing that, Dia scratched his cheek bashfully. His blushing cheeks looked cute against his golden hair. The gesture made me suspect again if Dia was a girl, but I held back. I didn’t see any benefit in prying into that.

Either way, I can’t ask. To me, Dia is a collaborator for conquering the Labyrinth. Nothing more, nothing less.

I use my remaining MP to avoid enemies as we walk toward the exit. On the way, we talk about the items dropped by the monsters.

“By the way, how do we split these magic stones?”

“Most party recruitment posters I saw said to split them evenly…”

“Then half and half it is.”

“Hmph. But in terms of the burden, Christ, you—”

“That kind of thing just leads to trouble. We helped each other, so it’s half and half. Always half and half. It’s simple, and it prevents grudges.”

“Muu…”

Honestly, I’d like to give some of my share to Dia. I want him to eat well, rest, and prepare his gear and tools properly. That would be the “best” move, but for now, half and half is reasonable.

“Also, go to the church once we get out.”

“Eh? But I went this morning.”

“You might be able to level up thanks to those back-to-back fights. You should go frequently while your level is low.”

Knowing Dia is ready to level up, I strongly recommend the church. I also give him advice on buying armor and tools, and on taking care of his health. I recommend that he doesn’t enter the Labyrinth alone and finds another party when I’m not around. Now that he’s Level 2 and has magic stones to show as proof of his achievements, he might find allies.

“I-I get it, I get it! I know you’re thinking of me, Christ. …But it’s hard to take it all in at once.”

“Remember all of it. If you’re going back in alone, what I just said is the bare minimum you need.”

Dia gave me a bitter look as I nagged him. But he seemed to feel that every word was advice intended to keep him alive. He listened seriously despite the complaining.

While talking, we made our way out of the Labyrinth. After that, I stayed with Dia and looked after him until my job at the tavern started. It was regrettable that I couldn’t help him in the Labyrinth without MP, but I did everything I could think of to ensure he wouldn’t die.

—If I only thought about “profit,” these actions were excessive and wasteful.

Dia is an exceptional talent. But if Kanami Aikawa wastes too much time on Dia, it defeats the purpose. I understood that well enough.

It’s a simple story. I’ve probably grown attached.

If I were to think cleverly, Dia is a tool to be used. Depending on the situation, I should turn him into a decoy—a tool for my survival.

—But Dia was my first acquaintance of my own age in this other world.

Above all, surviving the danger of the Labyrinth together in a party had created a sense of closeness. To me, Dia had become someone I could call my first friend.

In other words, in this world overflowing with alienation, I had—for better or worse—found a source of emotional support.

For better or worse… a place to belong.