Chapter 91: Ch. 88 – Noise

I'm still stuck in the fortress cellar area, but I think I'm starting to figure this nonsense out. It seems like as long as I don't take the same direction three times in a row, I'm not sent back. Though there also seems to be a time limit. By my estimate, I must reach the next passage within 3 minutes or it doesn't matter which direction I choose. Likewise, turning back also brings me back to the start instantly. Or just taking a single step back...

As long as I keep running into monsters that I can take out instantly via spells, this is not a problem but anything that forces me to move to not get my face clawed in, is basically a one-way ticket back to the beginning.

But still no signs of anyone else. At least in the party and familiar menus is everyone still present so that should put my mind at ease, for now. Though it doesn't tell me their status, I can only hope...

And the system clock is still frozen at 11:42, so still no hope of randomly running into a rescue squad. I really should've added unlimited deus ex machinas on command to my list of demands when I agreed to this life...

Lucia on the other hand seems to have made more progress. About half a day ago, she has written that she left the ice cave behind and is now in a mountain-like area ornated with bottomless chasms.

I'm not sure if this brings us closer to each other or further apart.

Anyway, I continue my aimless journey through the labyrinth, trying different combinations of turning left or right but eventually, I always reach a dead end where I have to turn left or right for the third time in a row. And given that it takes between twenty and thirty corners before that happens, taking notes only gets me so far. I'm honestly relying more on dumb luck to finally find the right way...

On my next trip, I run into a human-adjacent creature wrapped in toilet paper.

Growl

It moves slowly and thanks to [NO EXP] doesn't have any skills worth mentioning.

Thinking about it, I never had an opportunity to test Water Magic or find out what its status effect would do. Maybe I should take this opportunity to correct that.

I raise my hand toward the shambling figure and start casting the spell. A moment later a ball of water shoots forth and rams into the rummage sales reject.

---