My newly awakened head became sober from the cold. It was a similar principle to a cooling fan that worked first before severe overheating.
So there is a rat...
My heart beat low and my thoughts raced. The Tower in Heaven was an independent floor. Once the color of the portal changed, it was impossible for anyone to follow it. As far as I knew, no hidden object or piece could decipher it.
Did they enter before the color of the portal changed?
The bastard came in with us from the beginning. Of course, we also waited to make sure no one followed us just in case and ran detection magic in case of a stealth skill before leaving.
If they have a rank 2 or higher stealth ability, they may not have been detected. Ordinary magic cannot detect that.
Of course, this was just the worst case scenario. It was unlikely that this guy was actually a giant with a rank 2 essence. In the end, even they were caught with detection magic. It would be more correct to assume that they avoided detection magic only by entering using an item or skill.
The fact that they've been following us here probably means they have no confidence in combat.
Suddenly courage arose. Watching Raven calmly inform me of the situation, she didn't seem too scared either. Let's see. How should we solve this problem?
[«I don't think they'll hurt me right away. So think carefully about how you are going to move. My life is in your ha...»]
The response was immediate. «Behell-ahhhhhhhhh!» I shouted the name of the ancient god and quickly stood up, then ran straight towards Raven.
[«You're crazy...!»]
Raven screamed straight into my head in shock, but this was the best option. Doing something stupid and being taken hostage would cause a real headache. Besides, they didn't know we had noticed. By nature, humans were incapable of making rational judgments when they were truly surprised.
«Raven! You're OK!? You appeared in my dream!» Reciting a plausible line to make them believe, even for a second, that they had not been discovered, I ran. I let them get their hopes up. Of course, he couldn't be sure what kind of trial the bastard would make in that short moment.
«¡Kyaa!»
Until I reached Raven, they didn't let go of their concealment, fortunately.
«What's going on!? Is he an enemy!?»
«That... I was sleeping well».
The trio woke up startled by the nocturnal commotion, the second effect they expected as they shouted for the ancestral god. This allowed one to be prepared even if the rat ambushed another companion or tried to take them hostage.
But did he hear my scream perfectly even in his dreams? Missha met my eyes and lowered her head like someone receiving an arrow in the heart. «It appeared in your dream... So you two are so close? I did not know. Yes... I didn't know and I... ha ha ha...»
What was this boy saying? Without preamble, I shouted: «Prepare for battle! Here's a rat!».
For the explorers, the phrase «Prepare for battle» was absolute. The trio first drew their weapons and formed a dense formation to remain alert to their surroundings with conditioned reflexes. I quickly moved around him.
«Bjorn, a rat? Do rats come out on the fourth floor?»
«...It means there is an explorer hidden among us».
«I see? I was afraid he was a real rat!»
Shouldn't you be more scared by the other thing?
There were many things I wanted to say, but I held back. It wasn't what I had to do now. «Raven, where are they?»
«They're gone. I can't feel them with detection magic».
Yeah, so you're in null detection mode again.
I didn't know if it was an item or a skill, but if it was an activated rather than passive skill, there had to be a retention period.
«Keep throwing it until they appear». I sent Raven after me and gave orders. «The rat has a hiding ability, so focus. They will surely appear when they attack».
Finally understanding the situation, the team members remained cautious around with serious faces. The silence continued in that state for several minutes.
The bastard hadn't shown up yet, but he was sure they weren't going to resist forever. They probably just needed time to organize their thoughts, although there would be no solution.
«Sr. Candel...»
«Don't be nervous. Time is on our side».
In a stone chamber with all four doors firmly closed, there was nowhere to run. Having the Staircase of Destiny could change the situation, but that was not the case either.
«Just salt. I will kill you without pain», I murmured in the void.
"¡Meet them!"
«Where?»
«By the door over there!»
So that's where they were.
«Can it be lifted?»
«Since I have the specified goal, it is possible.»
«How long will it take?»
Raven didn't respond. He just stretched out the wand in his hand.
[Arua Raven has cast rank 8 Tracking auxiliary magic].
The jewel embedded in the end of his wand began to glow.
¡Shaaaaa!
A cloud of blue light attached itself to something transparent and formed the figure of a person. When the cluster of light disappeared, the figure of the hidden bastard was finally revealed, a masked assailant dressed in a dark, tight suit.
«Looks like a rat. Behell-ahhhhh!»
The moment our eyes met, I kicked the ground and ran away.
Rattle.
As if he had made up his mind, the rat slammed the door open and went up the stairs.
«Bjorn! They are escaping!»
«Don't panic and pick up your things for now.»
Instead of chasing them right away, I took care of our things scattered on the floor. If there was no one left here, the door would close. Then we couldn't get our things back.
Well, there is the option of leaving a person here, but is it necessary?
There was no need to rush. The door that the rat opened was the Staircase of Valor. Until we all went up, no monster would appear. In other words, they were a rat trapped in a cage.
«I have everything.»
«So let's go.»
I put everything, including my sleeping bag, in my backpack and chased them. When we all entered, the stone door closed with a bang. I went up the stairs on my head with my shield protecting my forehead.
Judging by their look, I don't think they chose just any door.
I was a little nervous. What were they looking for? Since I had no clues at the moment, I stayed more on guard as I went up. Soon, the stairs ended. Beyond the open door, I could see the next empty stage. Well, maybe empty wasn't the right word.
Wow, I wasn't expecting this...
In the center of a stone chamber of about eight square kilometers, a corpse was melting.
¡Bang!
Once all the group members entered the chamber, the door closed and a group of monsters were summoned.
«Nothing captured with detection magic?»
«No.»
«Fight assuming the rat is hiding nearby».
For now, we maintained a defensive formation and cleared the monsters. All of this took about six minutes. When the battle ended, all eyes naturally turned to one place.
«Bjorn, that corpse...» Missha interrupted herself. I thought I knew what he was trying to say, so no problem. She was asking if it was real.
I called the expert. «Raven?»
«It's not false. I can feel the remains of mana».
«Easier.»
«It means they have just died».
«Could be...»
«It can't be anyone else either. It's weak, but the mana wavelengths match perfectly.»
...So it is. Damn.
The rat committed suicide before we could have a proper conversation. That made me feel uncomfortable. It was like when in a novel, members of a secret society take poison before being captured.
This is the first time I've experienced this, so I didn't even think about it.
He had met a lot of scum in the past, but everyone wanted to live to the end. It was the first time I had seen one run away and commit suicide. It wasn't like we had a proper fight either.
«...We should check it first».
I slowly approached the body and removed the mask. However, neither sex nor race could be determined. All the muscles in his face had melted and were flowing down like a ghost egg.
«Mr. Yandel, maybe I should take off your clothes just in case».
Following the magician's instructions, I took off the corpse's clothes. Then an even worse scene unfolded than before.
«As he thought, his entire body melted. It's not acidic either. His clothes are intact...» Raven approached without hesitation and pricked the corpse with an iron stick to check here and there. «The bones are still united. There are also no abnormalities in the hair. It seems that this is a component that only breaks down proteins...»
Seeing her manipulate the corpse without blinking, I couldn't help but ask her: «Are you okay?».
«Excuse me? With what?»
«Didn't you vomit when you saw the corpse golem-"?
«Ahh! That's because the smell of rot suddenly exuded halfway through casting. I've seen worse things during experiments, so this is nothing».
«...I see.» His personality was very different from his appearance.
Even ten-year veteran scout Mr. Bear had to turn his head. «Yandel, are you sure they're dead?»
«It seems that way for now».
«Then I'm going to rest there. Cheese is my favorite food».
«Cheese?»
«If I look further, I don't think I'll be able to eat cheese again».
It was a pretty justified reason, so I told him to do it. Then Ainar and Missha left for similar reasons.
«Q-cheese? I don't know what that is, but it's probably delicious».
«Bjorn? I don't think it's much help either...»
Yeah, there was no reason for all of us to bother. «Let's both go rest». I focused on my conversation with Raven. «Is it poison?»
«Yeah. I don't know which alchemist made it, but it is a very unusual poison. Its components are released through sweat glands as soon as the skin is consumed and melted.»
«Perfect for suicide».
«That's right. Especially if you have to hide your identity».
The discomfort grew. Who the hell was this bastard? At first glance he didn't look like a normal looter.
Clic.
I took off the equipment they were carrying. It was loot, but I also judged that it could help me deduce his identity. «There is no identity card».
«...That's strange.»
It wasn't just strange. Without an ID card, you couldn't get through the checkpoint in the city.
Were they sent by the dragon hunter?
If this person was from the underground city, it made sense that he didn't have an ID card. With that thought in mind, I rummaged through his expandable bag. The objects that came out were not many, some exploration supplies and food.
«Wow, this guy must be an expert. There's everything from dormant plants to basilisk paralysis poison». The rest were all consumables for battles against other people. Among them were items rare enough that even Raven coveted them.
This bastard was really planning to kill someone.
Although I didn't exchange a single word with this masked man, it gave me chills. It was an evil method of looting that used the distinctive feature of the fourth floor. If it weren't for Raven, he could have ended up in big trouble.
«But what were you doing at that moment?»
«...i was cleaning myself.»
Oh, it's true. «Why didn't you do it while everyone was awake?».
«...Excuse me, this is only my second time in the maze. It hasn't even been a month since I met Mr. Urikfried.»
Correct, adjustment time. Since he was so aware, he hadn't even thought about it. Anyway, Raven finally realized what he looked like right now. Wearing a thin dress, she frowned and took clothes out of the subspace to put them on.
«Tell me next time. I'll set up a tent for you or something».
«Alright. Now I'm an explorer. I'm not going to make a fuss about something like that».
«If you say so».
Then I exchanged a few more words with Raven as I examined the body, but not much came of it. After covering the masked man who had turned into pudding with a cloth, we met in a corner and all went to sleep.
Of course, we decided to take turns guarding just in case. The first guard was mine. As I silently reviewed what had happened today, I heard a moan coming from Raven's sleeping bag. Was he having a nightmare? I was wondering if I should wake her up when Raven slowly opened her eyes.
«...Sr. Sandal».
«Are you awake? Don't worry and go back to sleep. I will monitor the area».
«It's not that. I want to ask you something». When I told him to continue, Raven paused before finally spitting out: «If I hadn't used detection magic then what would have happened?».
It was completely different from his usual dignified tone. Then I realized that no matter how calm she acted and no matter how well she seemed to control her emotions, it was impossible for her not to be shocked.
«Do you want an honest answer?»
«No.»
«If we had been unlucky, we would all have died. If we had been lucky, it would have ended with one or two of us dead».
There was a moment of silence. «Is exploration always like this?..».
I smiled bitterly and nodded. «Yeah».
Not knowing when or where you would meet a scoundrel, the fact that your life could disappear any day, that was exploration.
«But do not worry. Hard and terrible things don't always happen».
I didn't know if that would comfort her, but I told her the things that had happened with the Half Wit Team: Dwalkie discouraged after encountering a looter for the first time, and the beautiful scenery Rotmiller showed us on the third floor to cheer him up.
«My elders told me it's a meaningless phenomenon of mana oversaturation», Raven chuckled. I wondered if that was the sensitivity of a traditional magician. «Still, I hope to see you next time».
«Okay, next time you'll be awakened before you're sweet».
It wasn't long before the sound of comfortable breathing came out of Raven's sleeping bag. This is how the eighth day came to an end.