Chương 110: The Nineteenth Floor

The passage to the Nineteenth Floor looked as if it had been carved from a giant tree. The walls and floor were made of bark, and green and blue moss glowed softly across every surface. Leaves, unknown flowers, and strange plants decorated the passage until it looked like something from a fairy tale. To potion makers, it would have been a treasure house. The Great Tree Labyrinth contained nearly sixty percent of the magic herbs used in potion making. Their shoes rustled through the grass.

Dew soaked into the ground and dampened their soles. The moment they stepped out of the passage, the air changed. It smelled like deep forest plants, mixed with a faint damp rot. The Nineteenth Floor was completely different from the passage. Tall trees crisscrossed everywhere, and green filled their vision. Branches covered in glowing moss blocked much of the light. Visibility was less than thirty meters. Beyond that, they could only see overlapping shadows of trunks. The first impression was simple. Deep forest.

That was why this region was called the Great Tree Labyrinth.

"Visibility is low," Tengen said.

"It reminds me of the Twelfth Floor's Natural Arsenal."

"The more limited the view, the greater the danger," Shinobu said. Giyu's hand moved to his sword.

"Quiet. They are already here." Before anyone could properly take in the new world, the first fight began. A humming sound like a swarm of insects came from the misty forest. White sparks flickered between the trees. Then came a rapid clattering sound. Countless poisonous steel needles shot out from the mist like a glittering storm. The party moved at once. Lili was protected at the center.

Semicircular arcs of sword light overlapped around her like an overturned bowl, and the needles struck them with a storm of metallic impacts. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"Fast," Lili said, her face tense.

"Completely different from the earlier floors. Other adventurers say monsters from the Nineteenth through the Twenty-Fourth Floors generally reach upper Lv. 2 potential." She had not even seen the monsters clearly before they attacked. The swarm drew closer. More than thirty bee-like monsters appeared from the fog. Each one was about the size of a soccer ball, with curled abdomens and poisonous steel needles firing from their tails.

"Blade Wing Bugs," Lili said.

"Projection, start." Cael blocked with one sword while projecting another in his free hand. He fired it into the swarm. Red light bloomed. The explosion swallowed the insects, and Blade Wing Bugs dropped from the air before turning to ash.

"Middle Floor monsters may only have Lv. 2 potential," Lili warned while collecting Drop Items, "but please do not be careless. Many have special abilities. Think of them like weaker Blood Demon Arts." The first battle on the Nineteenth Floor was not difficult, but responding to unknown abilities consumed attention and energy. Once the party saw an ability once, the second response became much cleaner. Less than a minute later, the second wave arrived. Red shadows rushed out of the mist with sharp cries.

They moved with impressive agility, each holding a long stone club taken from the Natural Arsenal.

"Lizardmen," Lili said.

"Front!" Kyojuro and Tengen exchanged a glance, then charged forward. Cael projected a bow into his hand.

"Ranged combat is more elegant and saves effort." With his other hand, he projected a long sword and set it against the bowstring. The sword shot forward with a sharp whistle, pierced a charging Lizardman, and nailed it to a tree. Fire expanded from the blade, and the monster burst into ash.

"You can use it like that?" Shinobu asked in surprise.

"Of course. Anything that fits on a bowstring can be fired." Before Cael could boast further, more rustling sounds came from deep in the mist. Shinobu's expression grew serious.

"More monsters are coming."

"I am ready with healing Magic," she added.

"I have practiced enough to chant during battle, though the chant is still long." In only two days, Shinobu had reached the point of using Concurrent Chanting in combat. As one of the finest talents of her world, that progress made sense. Kyojuro and Tengen were already fighting a dozen Lizardmen under the tree shadows. Each slash was clean. Each movement flowed into the next. Watching them from a distance was almost beautiful. Individual monsters here had not yet reached Lv. 3, but groups were different.

Even the Hashira would grow tired if they let monsters surround them endlessly. Numbers could wear down even strong fighters.

"Move!" Cael shouted.

"If we stay in one place, more monsters will gather." He ran into the dense forest after cutting down another Blade Wing Bug. His speed was controlled for Lili's sake. She was still a basic Lv. 1 adventurer, and the party could not leave her behind. They moved while killing monsters along the way, heading toward an open area recorded in Guild information. On the Nineteenth Floor, that clearing had fewer monsters and could serve as a temporary rest point. The Nineteenth Floor was larger than the Eighteenth.

By the time they reached the clearing, two hours had passed. The main delay came from the constant waves of monsters. Blade Wing Bugs, Lizardmen, and several unfamiliar creatures kept appearing from the forest. Everyone's cooperation improved quickly under pressure. When they finally entered the open area, the trees thinned, and visibility widened.

"No monsters nearby," Giyu said. Cael exhaled.

"Finally. Lili, set up camp. Tent, fire, food. We rest here, then return before nightfall."

"Before nightfall?" Tengen asked.

"Apollo Familia's banquet is tonight," Cael said with a smile.

"That is our chance to get rich." He sat down on a root and stretched his shoulders.

"We cannot miss it."