Chapter 119 : Chapter 119
Chapter 119 : To the Labyrinth (5)
What are the chances of meeting a young child inside Akiro's Labyrinth?
My answer was higher than one might think.
The reason for that was simple.
Among the things encountered in Akiro's Labyrinth, non-human entities were also occasionally mixed in.
My thought was that the child who barged into our campsite right now is also highly likely such an entity.
It cannot be said that there are absolutely no children among the players of World of Justice, but even if so, what are the odds that a child would come to Akiro's Labyrinth?
“Help me, please…….”
The child, whose appearance was delicate enough that it was hard to tell if it was a boy or a girl, pleaded.
“Wh, What? What's going on?”
Naturally, Luna, who couldn't hide her drowsy state amidst the commotion, also kicked off her spot and got up.
“……Huh? A kid? Why is a kid here? Is it a dream?”
Luna seemed to accept what happened just now as unreality, but that won't do.
“It's not a dream.”
“Uh… then what is it? What's with that kid? Don't tell me it's a hidden child or something─”
“Still half-asleep I see.”
What a hidden child.
Saying something disastrous.
Anyway, there was no time to deal with Luna drunk with sleep.
“Help with what?”
As I looked at the child and spoke, the child's pupils trembled violently.
“Someone, someone is following me. Please help me, please…….”
“Who?”
“Monster, it's a monster!”
Entities worthy of being called monsters aren't rare in Akiro's Labyrinth, but rather than that, to my eyes right now, this child looked more like a monster.
I don't know what kind of scheme it has, but I shouldn't let my guard down.
In Akiro's Labyrinth, it's not strange whatever happens.
Among the anomalies of Akiro's Labyrinth 1st floor I know, there is no anomaly in the form of a child looking like this, but I don't know every anomaly inside the labyrinth.
“Where is the monster?”
“So, it definitely followed from behind…….”
“Means it's not there.”
If a monster really followed as this child said, it should have revealed itself or shown signs long ago.
However, beyond the darkness right now it was extremely quiet.
As if there was no such thing as a monster from the beginning.
“Go back.”
“Ye, Yes?”
“I have no such leisure to take care of you, so go back.”
“That is, well…….”
“If you won't go back, I will cut you.”
As I drew the Fang of Blazing Fire and spoke, the child tried to say something but was speechless, and not long after burst into tears.
“Wait! Why are you like that to a kid? What fault does a kid have?”
Unable to watch that sight, Luna intervened.
“Not an ordinary child. It's better in many ways to be wary than to create useless variables.”
“Still, it's a kid!”
Luna patted the crying child.
“There, stop crying. Good boy.”
“Heuaaang…….”
“That older brother said mean things, right? I'll scold him. Yap yap.”
Saying so, Luna took actions as if hitting me.
It's probably just an act, but if those punches flew in earnest, I had no means to survive, so it was also true that I was strangely tense somewhere.
Should I say my head could explode from one blind punch?
“What do you intend to do?”
“Of course, take care of him. Said a monster is chasing? Then just taking him roughly to the safe zone should be enough, right?”
“Unnecessary work.”
“No, it is necessary.”
Luna added with a voice that held conviction somewhere.
“For some reason, I feel that way.”
***
Since Luna said it to that extent, I allowed accompanying the child for now.
As far as I knew, Luna's intuition had a special corner somewhere, enough to have a separate trait, and thus it was difficult to completely ignore Luna's intuition.
Of course, that didn't mean Luna or I lowered our guard against the child.
Luna patted the child and said.
“What is your name?”
“……Lion, it's Lion.”
“Okay, Lion. Just how did you come here?”
“……I don't know. I can't remember. When I opened my eyes, a monster was chasing me.”
“Really? You mean you don't remember.”
Luna gently shifted her gaze toward me and signaled with her eyes.
It was just those words, but with just that, it was easy to know that Lion wasn't a normal player or a human of the Lagna Continent.
Then just what is the purpose of that something in the form of a child……?
“The monster that chased you, what did it look like?”
At my question, Lion seemed flustered for a moment, then moved his arms and legs explaining the monster's appearance.
“Bi, Big. It was big and had dozens of tentacle-like arms, and there were dozens of eyes burning red too.”
“And?”
“And……? Ah! Sharp and long horns sprouted from its head, several of them, and teeth were sharp with tusks protruding!”
As expected, it was an appearance not present among the anomalies or demonic beasts appearing on the 1st floor of Akiro's Labyrinth that I know.
The conclusion is one of two.
Either Lion is deceiving us for some reason.
Or the monster really exists.
Naturally, the answer to that couldn't be known right away.
Both Lion and the monster were variables I didn't know right now.
“I'll stand watch now. Since I'm up, I might as well switch.”
“Will you be okay?”
“Yeah. Sleep has fled anyway.”
“You know the points to be mindful of while standing watch, right?”
It meant not to neglect surveillance on Lion while standing watch.
“Huh? Ah, of course.”
Luna also nodded as if she had no objection to that part.
Luna looked at Lion and said,
“Lion, you sleep now too. Use my sleeping bag here.”
“……Is that okay?”
“Since we have to stand watch anyway, sleeping in turns in that sleeping bag is fine.”
“Still…….”
“Don't feel burdened. It's a spare sleeping bag anyway.”
“……Thank you.”
If it were me, I would have just made him sleep on the bare ground, but honestly speaking, I didn't understand that inexplicable goodwill Luna had towards Lion.
‘Must be intuition.’
Anyway, having switched, I laid my body in the sleeping bag and prepared for any eventuality.
[‘Orb of Water’ protects the wearer.]
[‘Orb of Water’ deploys ‘Stagnant Waterway’.]
[‘Nak's Legacy─Jeon’ activates authority according to the wearer's will.]
[‘Nak's Legacy─Jeon’ deploys ‘Protective Current’.]
The authority of the Orb of Water and the power of Nak's Legacy hovering gently over my body.
Adding the Demonic Energy Emission hovering around my body constantly to that, even if ambushed while sleeping, it would endure until the time I wake up from sleep.
Despite preparing in my own way, sleep didn't come easily.
Hearing the gentle breathing sounds from Lion, it seemed he had already fallen asleep, but that didn't become a reason for me to be relieved.
‘First, it is certain that Lion's identity is not an ordinary player or a native of the Lagna Continent. It would be right to see him as a kind of anomaly appearing inside the labyrinth.’
‘But even assuming that's so, just what the monster Lion spoke of remains a question. It's sufficient that it's just a kind of deception to trick explorers.’
‘But if the monster really exists, it's clear there is some relationship between Lion and that monster.’
As I practically stayed up all night amidst this and that thought, time passed quickly before I knew it.
“Ca… no, it's your turn. Wake up.”
“Understood.”
“Whoa!”
As soon as I answered, Luna's body fell backward flat.
It seems she was a bit startled thinking I was sleeping.
“……Ah, you weren't sleeping?”
“Just woke up.”
“I, Is that so? Hmph hmph, okay.”
Luna took off and threw the plague mask set she was wearing and went into the sleeping bag I was using until a moment ago.
“……It feels bad because it's warm.”
“If you dislike it, sleep on the floor.”
“Wh, Who said so?”
Saying so, Luna hid her face inside my sleeping bag.
“……Doesn't smell weird as I thought? Rather, it feels like it smells fragrant. Do you have detergent or something?”
“Don't smell it.”
“Wh, What! Who smelled it? Just saying it is so.”
“Just sleep on the floor.”
“I hate that. I'm sleeping first!”
Saying so, Luna hid her appearance inside the sleeping bag.
I thought she might say something about the smell soon, but she didn't show particularly such signs.
‘Hmm.’
Thinking there might be some strange signs, I examined Lion, but Lion was still sleeping quietly.
‘I should look into it once.’
[Connecting to the Anonymous Bulletin Board.]
Entering the anonymous bulletin board, the most talked-about topic was, as expected, Akiro's Labyrinth.
-Hesen : This body, descended to the 3rd floor.
-Anonymous332 : Wow, I saw the Divine Sword too lol It was real. Barely survived and ran.
-Anonymous7777 : Anyone on the 2nd floor of Akiro's Labyrinth? How do you go to the safe zone...?
-ImABabyNewbie : Ah, fcking labyrinth not doing this sg I'm leaving. But where is the way out?
Just in case, I searched for the existence of a child appearing on the 1st floor of Akiro's Labyrinth, but as expected, there was no information about it.
As if we were the only ones who encountered Lion.
‘Better to look more into the Divine Sword.’
Don't know in what form the Divine Sword Levatein appeared here, but clues would come out if looking at the bulletin board.
-Gusada : But is the Divine Sword really in Akiro's Labyrinth? Why is that there?
-Magician114 : But if that Divine Sword appears because of something like Cain's illusion, it seems it would be a real chaos lol Akiro's Labyrinth is such a place.
-Anteater : Then well, everyone dies.
As I was examining information about Akiro's Labyrinth on the anonymous bulletin board like that, I discovered a noticeable post.
-AggroJoa : Anyone saw the Plague Mask Duo at the entrance of Akiro's Labyrinth? lol Doing that in this heat.
-Anonymous111 : I saw too, lol Seems like attention seekers.
-Anonymous55 : Obvious they'll die doing that lol
Hmm…….
Remember all you bastards here.
As I was examining the anonymous bulletin board like that, night passed and dawn came before I knew it.
It was time to move slowly.
“Wake up.”
“……Huh? Already switched?”
“Let's move slowly.”
“Eh? Already? Hasn't it been much time yet? Seems like dawn…….”
“This much is enough.”
“Skin gets ruined if you don't sleep enough.”
Is this truly something a woman who was dying from the Destruction Dragon's Demonic energy just a while ago should say…….
“Just wake up.”
Luna got up while grumbling and organizing the sleeping bag.
“Hmph. Lion, wake up.”
“……Eh, ah. So, sorry! I fell into a deep sleep without realizing.”
“No. Sorry for waking you early. Still, we're going to move now, so let's get up?”
“Ye, Yes!”
Roughly finished organizing the site, and covered the extinguished bonfire with soil.
Traces wouldn't be completely erased with just this, but there was no need to erase them completely either.
“Then let's go.”
Although an unplanned companion appeared out of nowhere, we would part ways once we arrived at the safe zone anyway.
Should just hope useless variables don't occur until then.
“Let's avoid this path. It's Manticore's secretion. Doesn't make much difference taking another path anyway.”
“Huh? Can't we just catch a guy like that?”
“Words truly like you, but right now we have a target to protect.”
“Huh? Ah. That's true.”
To Luna, a Manticore might be nothing much, but not only to Lion, a Manticore was a threatening demonic beast to me as well.
Manticore is a demonic beast normally treated as level 7 or higher.
Better to avoid in advance rather than taking risks uselessly.
However, as worldly affairs usually go, not everything works out easily.
Especially if it's a variable I cannot control, even more so.
“N, No! Run, have to run away!”
The lion suddenly stopped his steps and trembled.
“Lion, why suddenly?”
“……Coming. The monster is coming!”