The Darkness Was Comfortable for Me

Chapter 92: Magic Silver Rank’s battle and a Thread of Hope

We begin the exploration in the 3rd Floor, the Straying Big Mist Garden, that has mist shrouding it.

Because each group went their separate ways, it didn’t take long for the other teams to come out of sight.

“If we find the Demon Lord, how do we regroup with the other teams?” (Hikaru)

“For the 3rd Floor, it would be the hunting horn.” (Rifreya)

“Hunting horn?” (Hikaru)

According to Rifreya, the hunting horn is a Wind Spirit Tool, and depending on the location of the 3rd Floor you are in, you blow on it in a certain way, and we tell each other the location of the Demon Lord in that way.

“Then there’s the need for practice.” (Hikaru)

“That’s right. I haven’t participated, but the guild does group training every now and then. Cause if you don’t know the phrases, you won’t even know where the relayed location is after all… So I say, but apparently it has been several years since a Demon Lord has come all the way to the 3rd Floor.” (Rifreya)

“What about the 4th Floor?” (Hikaru)

“The team in the 4th Floor that finds it would shoot fireworks towards the waterfall. You can see that waterfall from almost anywhere on that floor.” (Rifreya)

“I see. They have thought it through.” (Hikaru)

The 3rd Floor is a mist floor. Even if you find the Demon Lord, what’s the point if they can’t even rush to support each other. That’s why they use the hunting horn phrases to relay each other’s location.

Moapple-san, who went ahead inside the mist, returned.

“2 Gre, 2 Tro.” (Moapple)

The names were shortened just like a veteran party. Must be a mixed party of 2 Gremlins and 2 Trolls.

It is a pain of a combination within the monsters that show up in this floor.

Now then, what to do.

“Hikaru, you haven’t properly watched how other explorers fight, right?” (Rifreya)

“I have but, now that you mention it, not high ranked explorers.” (Hikaru)

I would say silver rank at most. It would be my first time seeing gold, and more so mithril rank which is higher than that.

The leader of the party is the red haired one.

All 6 are combatants. When it comes to parties of that level, it seems there’s no ‘member that doesn’t fight’ regardless if they are porters or any other role.

“So they aren’t hiring a porter.” (Hikaru)

“They have a magic storage bag after all.” (Rifreya)

“What’s that?” (Hikaru)

“You have a dark storage in your Spirit Abilities, right? It is a magic tool that replicates that.” (Rifreya)

“There’s even something like that…? No, there’s a Magic Tool that can replicate water healing abilities, so this is natural, huh.” (Hikaru)

The Deposition of Darkness, Shadow Bag, is the 3rd or 4th ability I learned, if I remember correctly. It is not like it is some advanced ability. So it is not impossible to turn it into a magic tool, huh.

“It costs around 25 gold coins though.” (Rifreya)

“That much?” (Hikaru)

Magic tools are expensive to begin with, but 25 gold coins is really something. That’s a price that could build a house.

Well, that must be testament to how important it is though.

By the way, that it has the same storage capacity as Shadow Bag means that it has enough space to store Spirit Stones for a single exploration.

Spirit Stones that Mithril Rank parties can get from monsters are mostly pretty big, so it must be pretty rough to move with a rucksack full of those.

“Ah, they have begun.” (Rifreya)

A mixed party of Gremlins and Trolls are apparently pretty problematic if you fight them upfront.

We have only fought with the method of separating the Gremlins and Trolls, so I only know about how annoying they are from information though. The Gremlins apparently get in the way of defeating the Trolls by using Spirit Abilities, and that’s apparently a pain.

Gremlins are mostly at the back of the Trolls, so if you fight them normally, you would have to defeat the Trolls first, or you won’t be able to get to the Gremlins.

While you are taking your time with the Trolls, you will be annoyed by the Spirit Abilities of the Gremlins, and the frontline is prone to crumbling from that.

Now then, as for how the Mithril Ranks fight…

“Aah, I see…” (Hikaru)

It ended in an instant.

First, one of the Gremlins was defeated by the shot of an arrow, and at the next instant, the thin sword of Moapple-san pierced the other one and died.

I honestly couldn’t tell when Moapple-san had slipped past the Trolls and got at the back.

One of the Trolls was split in two by the sweeping strike of the red haired leader’s giant axe, and the last one was slain by a spear.

“It was so impressive I couldn’t learn anything.” (Hikaru)

“That was overwhelming. As expected.” (Rifreya)

It was literally ‘on a whole other level’.

It is close to that feeling of low level monsters in games not being an opponent at all. So this is how it looks in real life…

“What floor do they dive in?” (Hikaru)

“The 6th Floor. They are the few explorer parties that can get through the 5th Floor, Hell to Glory.” (Rifreya)

“6th Floor! Isn’t that the current lowest floor?” (Hikaru)

It still isn’t known how many floors this dungeon has in total.

However, by having someone exploring till the 5th Floor and bringing information back, other explorers can hunt monsters more safely.

Diving to the 6th Floor, the Dawn of the Great Plain, that has no information circulating would be like wearing a blindfold. You would be fighting unknown monsters.

That is an ‘exploration’ in the real meaning of the word. You could even say these girls are one of the few ‘real explorers’ in this dungeon.

“Uhm…Hikaru, there’s no way this is possible, but could it be that you don’t know about them…the Crimson Vials?” (Rifreya)

“Nope, didn’t know.” (Hikaru)

“Eh?! They are the most famous explorer party in this city…! And here I felt something was off when we were talking…” (Rifreya)

“It has only been about a few weeks since I came to this city… Then, those people are the Crimson Vial party?” (Hikaru)

“That’s right. They are all Undine Mithril Rank. It is said the leader Garnet-san is close to reaching Salamander Rank.” (Rifreya)

That’s impressive. Salamander Rank is the number one rank -in other words, the highest.

This city currently doesn’t have anyone in Salamander Rank, so that means this is the party with the highest contribution, huh.

In my previous world, physical work was normally handled by men.

But this world has Tiers and Spirit Abilities.

That’s one of the reasons why a relatively short man like me can fight.

Of course, there’s no issue with women fighting as well. What’s most important in a party is teamwork.

“You know a party like that? That’s impressive, Rifreya.” (Hikaru)

“At the time when I was forming a party with the girls of my household, we were also a party mainly of girls, so they treated us well. They said it is also the duty of the ones above to look after their juniors.” (Rifreya)

“I see. Well, it is true that it is mostly men after all.” (Hikaru)

It is not that I know a lot about explorers, but it is true that a cursory glance at it made me feel that it is an industry with mostly men.

It would feel constraining for the women, so they must have taken a stance of helping each other out.

“The party of Gloria-san is also famous, you know? The Sneeze of the Goddess is a cute party name, but it is powerful.” (Rifreya)

Only the 6 of the Crimson Vials participated in that battle just now.

Us and the remaining 6 were on standby. Those other ones must be the Sneeze of the Goddess.

Beginning with the brunette Gloria that has wavy tied up hair, everyone has heavy equipment, and they are a party that seems like they have strong rushing force.

“Wait, Rifreya-chan, you are calling this delicate and cute maiden ‘powerful’? Call me elegant, beautiful, and strong.” (Gloria)

“Oh, you were listening, Gloria-san?” (Rifreya)

“Of course I would. When speaking of powerful, you fit the bill more, Rifreya-chan -using a ridiculously big sword like that.” (Gloria)

“I am aiming to become an explorer that doesn’t lose in power against monsters after all. I am far from reaching my master though.” (Rifreya)

It seems Gloria-san and her group are the same generation as Rifreya (a bit older though), and it seems like she is in a more casual relationship with the Crimson Vials.

“Even so, the crimson lady and her party really are impressive. The 3rd Floor monsters are nothing to them.” (Gloria)

“Crimson lady?” (Hikaru)

“Ahaha, the nickname of Garnet-neesan.” (Gloria)

Bright red armor, red hair, and swinging a giant red axe. You could even say Garnet-san is the incarnation of fire.

That red color of hers might have the effect of attracting the monsters -like a matador.

“Whichever the case, it seems like today will be a cozy exploration. It would be a different story if a panther shows up, but that doesn’t show often.” (Gloria)

“Eh? The Demon Lord won’t show up?” (Hikaru)

“Ahaha~. A Demon Lord takes several days to go up even one floor and accumulate power after all~. If it has been found 2 days ago in the 5th Floor, the chances are that maybe it is in the 4th Floor or maybe not. Even so, there have been past exceptions, so we are simply confirming the 3rd Floor properly too.” (Gloria)

I see. It is fine to face it in the 3rd Floor, but it would be dangerous if they search the 4th Floor and then it ends up with the Demon Lord having already arrived at the 3rd Floor and going up to the 2nd Floor, huh.

This probably is telling of how big the increase in power is as it goes up in floors.

“Then, tomorrow will be the 4th Floor?” (Hikaru)

“That’s right~. Hikaru-kun, do you have experience in the 4th Floor?” (Gloria)

“None.” (Hikaru)

“Then, stick to the backs of these onee-sans, okay? We will protect you.” (Gloria)

Gloria-san winks at me.

But at this rate, there’s the chance I can see the monsters in the 4th Floor I haven’t seen yet. If we go down all the way to the 5th Floor, I can see from up-close the clearing method of veterans.

The next ones fighting will apparently be them, the Sneeze of the Goddess.

I watch that from a faraway location and think.

(I am glad I managed to get 1st place on viewers.) (Hikaru)

If my current Real Time Ranking wasn’t 1st, I might have gone as far as going down to the 4th Floor alone to meet the Demon Lord.

I was completely tormenting myself yesterday until Rifreya brought me out, and I actually did intend to do that.

However, if I am in a situation that can help me maintain 1st place, then the story is different. It would be scarier to push myself and end up dying.

It might be a negative way of thinking, but failing after coming this far…is what scares me the most.

I can get the Resurrection Gem. I can feel that I am this close already.

I operate the Status Board and read the description that I have seen several times already.

[Resurrection Gem: Sacred Treasure. The God Gem that brings back your important someone to life. The ones who died on Earth, the ones who died in the parallel world; it can be used for any of those two. Be careful as this will revive them at the place they died. If it isn’t someone important to you, it won’t be possible to revive them.]

If I get 1st place, I can revive Nanami.

I don’t know in what way that will change my life, and maybe it might not change it at all.

Even if I manage to revive Nanami, the place she will be revived in is ‘the place she died’. In other words, in her room on Earth.

I don’t have the means to even know if she actually revived.

But that’s fine too.

Right now, even if I can’t think of anything, even if I can’t find any meaning in living in this world, if I can accomplish that one thing of reviving my childhood friend, I will -at the very least- feel that coming to this world…being hated by the whole planet had meaning.

I don’t know if that’s hope or pointless sentimentality.

Even so, that’s the only thing I can cling to.

I can’t return to my original world, and have no choice but to live in this world while being exposed to the gazes of curiosity.

I have no choice but to do this…until my last days.