Chapter 9: Chapter 3 -First Job- 1-3

As soon as I entered, the atmosphere noticeably shifted.

By just passing through that one door, I felt as if I had arrived to a faraway land. I took it as a sign that I had entered the otherworld.

The different atmosphere evoked tension.

We decided to follow the shortest route to reach the Lansa Aranea Regina at the 5th floor.

Albeit we did encounter some Araneas along the way, the journey itself was smooth-sailing. Besides, they were cleared up in a matter of seconds. By the way, the remains of the defeated Araneas were left as it was, since we didn’t have time to dismantle them.

How wasteful...

Then, I noticed that another team was gradually catching up with us.

Are they another fledgling explorer?

He was a leather-clad man with a long sword. His eyes were a little slanted, while the man itself looked unapproachable.

There were various kinds of leather equipment. Naoto and his friends were probably wearing leather armor made by a Scaly Hound. Some of them had scales on them, giving a sturdy look.

On the other hand, I didn’t know what kind of leather the man who approached us was wearing. Rather than scales, it gave off the impression of an ordinary leather armor. Despite that, it was probably made of otherworld material.

So as to not get too involved, I was at the back of the group. But of course, there was a clear distinction between me and Naoto’s team...

The leather-clad man gave me a strange look.

“Hey! Have you forgotten your equipment?”

...That was his first statement.

Alright, I’ve decided.

Now that I had some money to spare, I’d buy at least a breastplate.

“I, I can’t afford them. Besides, I usually explore in plain clothes...”

I wasn’t proud of how creepily I answered him.

“Is that so!? I see, so people like you exist, too... Why can’t you afford them?”

“Uh, well, you see... I was a bit unemployed—or more like, for a long time...”

“I see! So, you’re unemployed! Ahaha! Oh, well. It happens.”

“Y-yeah...”

“In these kind of circumstances, you probably can’t use a sword well, either. Then, can I borrow it?”

“No, that’s—”

As the conversation ensued, a man noticed us. He was probably one of the leather-clad man’s team members.

The man was strict-looking. Not only that, he was also tall, and was equipped with both a spear and a shield. Moreover, he was also wearing a breastplate. At a glance, I could tell that he was a vanguard.

He had reddish-brown hair and wore ear and nose piercings.

Ah, another troublesome person has appeared...

“What’s happening here? Hey, Kyota, did you give him trouble?”

Apparently, the name of the longsword-user was Kyota.

“Nope, not at all! I was just curious why he didn’t wear any armor despite participating in a raid battle! Geez, I merely asked him some questions—right?”

‘Right?’

...He did give me trouble, though?

Of course, I couldn’t say that out loud.

However, despite the not-so-good first impression, Kyota could be a decent guy. After all, people couldn’t be judged by appearance.

Then, the tall man with a spear and a shield bowed his head down.

While thinking that he shouldn’t have gone to such an extent, I felt that I could relax a bit.

“Please forgive this guy’s rudeness. By the way, my name is Kumashiro Kaito. As a battle companion, I’d like to thank you for partaking in the same request.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m Shiranui Haruhito. Uh, the same goes for you. I’ll be in your care, I guess...?”

...Well, I’m fully aware that in the exploration of the otherworld, it’s important to protect yourself. Before exploring, everyone must’ve prepared themselves. It’s my fault for not having what everyone else has...

Kyota, the longsword-user, clicked his tongue and went away, possibly to regroup with his team.

“...Again, I’m sorry. Don’t worry about him. Argh, why does he always act like this?”

“It’s alright. Then, let’s do our best...!”

Most likely, the tall spear-user was the leader. It must’ve been a difficult position, where you had to put up with a lot of things.

 

—Grand Palace Otherworld, 5th floor.

The search proceeded smoothly, and we finally arrived at the 5th floor, where the Lansa Aranea Regina was located.

Since it was my first time to set foot on that floor, I could feel the shifting between the levels of the otherworld.

Up to the 4th floor, there were LED lightings installed by the city. But from the 5th floor onward, there was no such thing.

In a cave surrounded by darkness where no light could be seen, we took out flashlights and lamps as a light source.

I checked the officially-released map and confirmed that we were currently at the West-Southwest part.

Roughly speaking, we were stuck at the bottom left.

The terrain was steep, while steep slopes and rugged rocks blocked the path.

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I’ll just do my best to follow them...

People who were used to exploring the 10th to 20th levels navigated through the steep terrain with ease.

The same went for Mina, who had invited me to this request. She effortlessly passed through the floor. I could feel the difference in our exploration experience.

As we tried to make our way through the difficult terrain, the Araneas relentlessly attacked us.

The leader of that raid was equipped with a long sword and a shield. Regardless of the change in the terrain, Kakeru never lost his footing. While keeping a firm grip on his sword, he slayed one Aranea after another.

I wonder if I can do that with my own sword.

Right now, I still can’t, but I hope I can do it someday...

I envisioned a future in which after getting surrounded by the enemy, with a flash of my sword, I defeated every single one of them.

Then, I’d say, “How slow.”

In reality, I had to fight desperately every day to the point that I thought I was going to die.

As such, I had no choice but to do my best for the sake of my future.

If possible, I’d like to win. At the same time, I couldn’t help but curse at myself, who couldn’t attain that height of awesomeness. It’d be far more likely for me to be defeated in the future.

As I admired the strength of the veterans, we arrived at a large opening.

On the map, we appeared to be in a large cavity at the Northernmost tip.

Since the cave was wide, rainwater accumulated in some places and flowed constantly.

“Now, according to the information, this is where we enter the territory of Lansa Aranea Regina. There’s no information that there’s one or more individuals. We can assume that Lansa Aranea Regina is a huge Aranea, since it’s about 15 meters long and 10 meters tall. It attacks with its sharp, tough limbs and scissored claws. One of its attack patterns is to slam the opponent with its overwhelming weight. The strategy is thus as follows. First, we’ll advance forward and hold the front. Meanwhile, the newcomers will attack from the flanks. Afterwards, I’d like to discuss which team will attack from which direction.”

There were four teams, including mine.

A team of three, which was led by Kakeru, a longsword and shield wielder, alongside Naoto, the swordfighter.

On the other hand, there was also another team of four, led by Kyota—the man from earlier, and Kaito, the tall shield and spear wielder.

The remaining two members of Kaito’s team were a long-haired and hooded woman who carried a great sword on her back, and a woman with a bow and a quiver of arrows in light armor.

That’s right.

The otherworld was a mysterious place in which the difference in power between women and men disappeared due to the increase in physical ability.

Therefore, no wonder a woman had a sword that exceeded her own height.

The other woman, who fought with a bow, also exuded an intimidating aura.

I had looked into the research about the increase of physical ability, but not much had been discovered.

Then, Naoto and Kaito had a discussion.

As a result of the discussion between Naoto and Kaito, Naoto’s team would be attacking from the left side, while Kaito’s team would be attacking from the side.

To match the numbers, the team of fledglings would be assigned to Naoto.

“Well, this strategy is based on the most recent battle against Lansa Aranea Regina, which took place three months ago. The tanks will provide aggro. If you think it’s too much for you, now is the chance to retreat. I’ll be in charge of the frontline. Shin, who wields the dagger, and Kay, the archer, will cover everyone else, so don’t worry.”

“Yessir! Rest assured, everyone. Just focus on the offense!” Said Kay, the archer.

“...” Without saying anything, Shin stared into the darkness.

“As for the attack patterns, the Lansa Aranea Regina will mostly use jump attacks. There are two patterns in all. The first one is the lunge. This is monotonous, as it’ll try to gain momentum with its hind legs before rushing, making it relatively easy to avoid. The second is a claw thrust. Since the movement is fast, it’s difficult to avoid. The key to success will be whether the vanguard can break through this barrier. The above is the preliminary information on the attacks of Lansa Aranea Regina. There are few patterns, but don’t underestimate its gigantic body. Anyone have any questions about the strategy and the attack patterns so far?”

There was a deafening silence as the sound of falling pebbles echoed, before disappearing completely.

In such silence, Kakeru looked at everyone’s faces—

“Then, let’s go!”

—and triumphantly stepped into the wide cave.

With the faint light that illuminated the darkness, we treaded carefully.

This is my first-ever raid battle. Likewise, for the other fledglings.

While feeling nervous, I walked on the rugged path instead of the flat ground.

After we proceeded along the path for about 10 minutes, everyone halted.

“...We’re close.”

The fleeting voice of Kakeru reached everyone’s ears.

The faint, barely audible, footsteps that weren’t human raised everyone’s tension.

Despite this, nothing could be seen.

Even if we looked around, our surroundings were pitch-black.

It went without saying that the visibility was poor.

But I somehow understood that something was there.

I could hear the eerie echoes. After a while, the noise disappeared.

But then, there was a gust of wind.

“Everyone!!! Lookout!!!”

We immediately scrambled away.

As soon as we left, a tremendous earthquake and a loud explosion deafened my ears. My heart almost stopped.

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