Chapter 5

The status ailment “Poison” began to whittle away at my vitality.

About fifteen minutes after I started using <>, I got into a fight with a Rank 1 monster. I had been avoiding monsters this whole time, but I happened to stumble upon one that wasn’t moving. It was Rank 1 and looked for all the world like it was fast asleep.

Beneath a pile of rubble that I never would have noticed without <>, there was a large, motionless frog. Its name was a simple “Big Frog,” so I figured I could earn some easy experience points without any risk. I used my sword to crush it.

When I did, its bodily fluids sprayed everywhere.

The strike killed the Big Frog instantly, but the fluids ended up all over my body. The problem was that my body was currently a wreck, covered in open wounds. The fluids seeped into my injuries, and just like that, I was afflicted with the Poison status.

I turned pale as I confirmed the poison on my Status screen and immediately used an Antidote from my items.

However, the poison didn’t clear.

I checked the details of my remaining Antidotes and realized the severity of the situation.

My breathing suddenly became labored.

According to the “Display,” it seemed there were different types of antidotes. In other words, I only had a 5% chance of getting rid of this toxin. Sure enough, that 5% chance never hit, and I used up every last Antidote I had.

“Th-this is bad. This is really bad.”

My composure vanished. I was sweating profusely, and my health was steadily draining.

I kept a piece of ice from the <> spell in my mouth to stay hydrated, but I had no way to restore my numerical HP. Unable to help myself, I checked my Status again.

My health, which had naturally recovered to nearly 30 at one point, was now down to 17. The poison, which reduced my HP by 1 every few minutes, was eroding my mind with anxiety even faster than it was draining my actual physical strength.

“Haah… haah… haah…!”

My breath grew ragged and my consciousness began to blur. If this continued, I was going to die.

I racked my brain for a solution. I came up with several ideas, but the probability of success for any of them was low. I filtered through my options and decided to sacrifice my remaining MP to cast a much more powerful, layered version of <>.

This was a method I’d discovered while using <> for hydration; I’d realized that even with the same spell, the effects could vary depending on the intensity of the power channeled into it and the amount of MP consumed.

“Di… <>!!”

My range of perception expanded several times over.

As I sensed a multitude of distinct monsters, I narrowed my focus solely on things that might lead to a solution. Then, just as my sensory range reached about fifty times its original size, I found a significant change in the corridor.

That part of the corridor was well-maintained.

The floor was leveled and coated with some kind of mineral. Lights were installed at regular intervals; it looked like a completely man-made path.

I expanded my senses further around that area. I realized that several groups of people were walking along that maintained path.

I immediately cut off <>. My remaining MP had been drained down to single digits.

“Phew! Haah… haah… haah…”

I found people.

Moreover, those people were passing other groups without any conflict breaking out. I predicted that the reason was likely because that path was different from the one I was currently walking.

I recalled the conversation from when I was attacked. That man had said, “In the Labyrinth, and in the ‘Unmanaged Zone’ no less—”

This meant that since I was currently in an Unmanaged Zone, conflict occurred, but because that path was within a Managed Zone, peace was maintained. There was a high probability of that being the case. Or rather, I had no choice but to bet on it.

“I’ll use a minimum-output <> and head there in one go…!!”

I walked toward the maintained path with everything I had. I stopped checking my dwindling HP and just focused on finding people.

I had gotten the Antidotes from a corpse. Whether I received it as a gift or had to take it by force, nothing could happen until I actually met someone. With bloodshot eyes and a desperate grip on my fading consciousness, I kept my legs moving.

And then…

“——Shall we try pushing to the 10th floor today?”

“Sounds good. We’ve been in top form lately. Going that far should turn a better profit.”

“I’m in.”

I eavesdropped on the men’s conversation from the shadows. Based on what they were saying, these three men seemed to make a living in the Labyrinth.

However, none of them looked like upstanding citizens. In my world, they’d be the type of scary-looking guys who might be in the Yakuza. It had been the right call to use my meager MP for a boosted <> to overhear them first.

By the way, my remaining MP was now 4.

I continued to think while hiding near the maintained path. Ideally, I wanted a one-on-one interaction. Furthermore, someone younger, female, or kind-looking—any of those criteria would be best. But I couldn’t afford to be picky. My HP was still dropping due to the poison.

“…Magic, <>.”

I used the last of my MP (though I left 1 point remaining since I was terrified of hitting 0) and began searching for someone who fit my criteria. After scanning about 200 meters of the surrounding area, I found four parties.

First, the trio of men from before. Next, a group of five in mismatched gear, and a group of four in silver armor. Finally, a pair of women.

I decided on the pair of women instantly. They seemed quiet and kind, so depending on how the conversation went, they might help me.

However, since the group of five and the silver-armored group were between us, I decided to wait in the shadows for them to pass. I held my breath, intending to stay hidden—or so I wanted, but…

“You there, hiding in the shadows. Show yourself.”

One of the people in the silver-armored group saw right through my hiding spot. The mismatched group of five hadn’t noticed me, but for some reason, this group knew exactly where I was despite being in their blind spot.

My heart began to hammer against my ribs.

Still, they were my second choice of the groups available. I pulled myself together and composed a dialogue in my head. Then, leaving my one-handed sword in the shadows, I slowly stepped out onto the maintained road.

“Hmm. Just a petty thief, then?”

One of the men in silver armor questioned me as if it were of no consequence.

Unlike the people I had encountered so far, the four individuals clad in silver armor looked remarkably affluent. However, one among them—a young girl—was hauntingly eye-catching.

She looked to be about the same age as me and nearly the same height. And she was beautiful—yes, the word “terrifyingly” felt appropriate for her beauty. She had long hair that looked like flowing golden sand and features so perfect a doll couldn’t replicate them.

I immediately averted my eyes from her. Her sheer aura of unreality threatened to strip away my own sense of reality.

I had no choice but to fix my gaze on the tallest, most honest-looking man and address him.

“Um, I’m not a thief… I wasn’t feeling well, so I was resting.”

“Then you should have rested on the ‘Main Path.’ Don’t tell lies that are so easily seen through.”

The man dismissed my explanation instantly. I could sense a trace of irritation in his voice.

Apparently, this well-maintained road was called the “Main Path”, and it was considered the proper place to rest. My decision to layer caution upon caution by staying off the maintained road had backfired.

Blood drained from my face as I realized I’d made a blunder on my very first move.

“I… I had reasons why I couldn’t rest on the ‘Main Path’… I have no ill intent. Please, believe me.”

Judging that lying would be counterproductive, I appealed to him with sincerity. He seemed offended that I had tried to deceive him. If he was as honorable as he looked, it was better to match that tone.

“…Hmm. True, one person wouldn’t be enough for an ambush.”

The man’s expression softened slightly. The other men began to voice their agreement.

“He’s just a kid. Either way, it’s not an issue.”

“Most likely, he either got lost or recklessly tried to challenge the depths. Or perhaps he was a porter for a party that got wiped out, leaving him as the sole survivor.”

The men interpreted the situation conveniently for me. It seemed that a bedraggled person like myself wasn’t viewed as a significant threat. I remained quiet, watching them closely, hoping things wouldn’t escalate.

“Don’t scare the boy too much, Hein. It goes against our code of chivalry.”

“…I know. But one should always exercise the utmost caution, right?”

A playful atmosphere began to drift among the comrades. Hearing the word “Chivalry,” I felt a glimmer of hope that these people fell into the category of “good-natured.” Their wealthy appearance suggested they had room for leniency. If I were to make a gamble, now was the time.

I steeled my resolve and prepared to speak up about the poison—

“U-um—”

“You… are quite interesting.”

My words were cut off by the girl standing nearby. Without my noticing, she had drifted closer to me. Her ethereal golden eyes locked onto mine. Those eyes were so beautiful they felt like they were chipping away at my very soul.

Startled by her sudden movement, the men spoke up.

“E-err, My Lady… did you have a request…?”

“Ah, my apologies. It’s nothing major.”

Even as she said this, the girl continued to close the distance. I wanted to scream. I wanted to yell at her not to come any closer. But my throat was parched and tight; I couldn’t form the words.

“W-wait a moment! Please refrain from contacting other adventurers!” one of the men barked.

“Oh, what’s the harm? You won’t let me touch anything else, so at least let me have a little chat.”

“Well, that may be, but…”

The men seemed to find some merit in her words, and their protests died down. Thus, the girl approached until she was well within arm’s reach.

“You really are interesting—”

She whispered it so that only I could hear.

“Interesting. I’m almost jealous. Truly… Truly, I’m so envious it’s sickening…”

Her whisper was for my ears alone. I glanced at her face. It was contorted. It was an expression that showed she truly, deeply resented me. Because of the angle, I was the only one who could see it. The men simply watched on, oblivious.

“Must be nice… Must be nice, must be nice, must be nice…”

She continued to whisper like a living curse. I could do nothing but endure the stream of maledictions spilling from her goddess-like lips.

“I-Is something the matter? Or did you see something with ‘those eyes’?” the man asked, his patience wearing thin.

At that, the girl’s expression instantly vanished into a blank slate. Then she broke into a smile and turned back toward the men.

“Yes, something like that.”

She spoke in a cheerful voice, as if those previous curses had been a lie.

“Ah, I see. So, does he have some interesting skill?”

“No, it’s not that. It seems this gentleman… is afflicted by poison and is low on health. I thought I would cast a healing spell on him.”

A small “Eh?” escaped my lips. Like frozen limbs bathed in sunlight, my blood began to circulate again.

“I see. That makes sense.”

“Then, being the incredibly kind person I am, I’ll provide some assistance~”

With that, the girl turned back to me and began to chant a spell.

“—‘Sing to the stroking sunlight,’ ‘May the combing water be a phantom, blood that returns not,’ ‘Shield the heavens and the earth’—”

Pure white light overflowed softly from her hands, enveloping my body. Along with it, the fatigue and pain clinging to me began to fade. My body started to feel light, as if everything that had happened until now was a dream.

I could only stare at the scene. Since she was providing healing magic, I had no reason to resist.

“Magic, <>. There, all done.”

The girl stopped the fountain of light and beamed a smile at me. In that expression, there wasn’t a trace of the resentment from moments ago. Then, she peered closer at me as if inspecting her work.

“Hmm, I see, I see. So that ‘Confusion’ isn’t a bad status effect after all. How interesting. Ah, also, the treatment for your burn was too late, so it’s going to leave a scar.”

The girl nodded to herself, impressed.

She said “Confusion.” If she meant what she said, then I—

The word “Confusion” remained.

And… can this girl see this “Display” too? Even if it isn’t the exact same thing, she clearly perceives it in some form.

Watching my reaction, the girl gave a thin smile and spoke softly, only for me to hear.

“Let’s meet again, Kanami Aikawa. My name is Lastiara.”

“…My Lady? Was there something else?”

At that point, the knights joined her, having confirmed the healing was finished.

“No, nothing at all. Ah, helping people really does feel good. Now, let’s head deeper. We’re running out of time.”

The girl who called herself Lastiara walked away from me as if she had nothing left to do. I managed to squeeze out a voice at the last second.

“Th-Thank you very much…”

“Don’t mention it. I’ll be having you pay me back soon enough.”

Lastiara replied with a smile plastered on her face, like a predator eyeing its prey. Of course, it was an angle only I could see.

“Well then, kid, see ya. Stay safe.”

“Head straight home.”

“Exactly.”

The other men gave small smiles as well. Unlike Lastiara, I felt no malice from them. Their smiles were born of the relief and satisfaction of having protected the weak.

I didn’t mind the knights. However, I needed to get away from this Lastiara person as quickly as possible.

“Yes, you’ve been a great help. Well then, everyone, until next time—”

With that, I headed down the “Main Path” in the opposite direction of the group. This should be the way to the exit. The men waving me off didn’t seem to find it suspicious.

I responded with a forced smile and parted ways with the group.