Nozomanu Fushi no Boukensha (LN) - Volume 4 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: To the Labyrinth of the New Moon 

I found myself with some free time on my hands. Today, I’d been summoned by the adventurer’s guild, so I supposed the payout from the Tarasque carcass was due. With that in mind, I made plans to visit the blacksmith, armorer, and even a general merchant at the tail end of it. To that end, I ensured that I had enough time to complete my tasks. While I’d obtained quite a bit of coin from the sale of the Tarasque, the amount I received was hardly enough for the extravagant schedule I’d initially planned for today. 

Ah, yes. A failure on my part... 

On another note, while I was making trips to the blacksmith and general merchant to procure basic adventuring equipment and weapons for Alize, the trip to the armorer was personal in nature. I had quite a fair amount of clothing of course, accumulated over my lifetime spent as Rentt Faina, a regular human. Needless to say, there were hardly any openings in the back. As such, it was safe to assume my wings would have a hard time finding their way out of said garments—and that was a bit of an understatement. 

It was with those thoughts in mind that I’d set out to purchase some bespoke clothing. It was all made to order, and tailored to specifications that allowed it to brave the dangers of the labyrinths. As a result, it was considerably more expensive. I’d assumed the payout from the Tarasque would be more than enough, but, of course, I was very much mistaken. 

Damn it. 

To make things worse, the clothing I originally owned was already quite tattered and in dire need of repairs. Due to my relatively low income at the start of my journey, I hardly made any unnecessary purchases, and, on top of that, I’d been wearing the clothes on me for quite a while now—through both my Ghoul and Thrall evolutions. They were dirty, to say the least, with some less than usual detritus stuck in the fabric. After all, blood and fragments of flesh weren’t exactly normal to find in clothing. 

I did do my laundry daily...but that wasn’t the issue here. Now that I was almost indistinguishable from a normal human, the mere thought of me wearing the clothes I’d worn when I was still more monstrous... Well, it was a difficult thought at the very least. This was an opportunity as good as any other, so I set off to purchase replacements. 

Unfortunately...it wasn’t meant to be. 

The main issue, of course, was of coin. I’d receive a fair sum from the dissection and sale of the carcass, yes, but if I were to order some bespoke clothing, I would hardly have anything left for Alize’s weapons, equipment, and the like... Not to mention Lorraine’s tutoring fees. 

I suddenly felt myself under immense financial strain. I could feel the weight of debt crushing my very being. 

Ah, to be an individual with multiple debts... To think I would have to live like this, hand-to-mouth and shouldered with debt... What sins, exactly, had I committed in my past life to warrant this? I couldn’t help but think I should have lived a more pious, upright life in my previous incarnation. 

Well... In any case, I suppose this was how things were. Rather than complaining repeatedly that I had little in the way of coin, I should instead come up with some sort of plan. Yes, a plan to earn a considerable sum of coin. Sooner or later, the undamaged carapace of the Tarasque would sell, and, when it did, I’d be blessed with a remarkable windfall. Until then, I’d just have to continue living my hand-to-mouth lifestyle, saving where I could... 

But alas... 

These thought patterns were precisely why I was currently in this unfortunate situation. 

I shook my head. If I were to live my life depending on the next windfall to come, I’d never have any sizable amount of savings to call my own. 

Rentt: are you not an individual who is capable of restraint? You did save up enough coin to purchase a magical pouch before. If you put your mind to it, saving some coin is hardly an impossible task. Surely there could be some way I could set about solving this problem. Some...idea... Hmm. Think, Rentt... To save...to scrimp. 

What was the most basic means by which an adventurer could save themselves some coin...?

Ah, yes—the provision of materials. An adventurer would present the craftsman with the appropriate ingredients when creating new equipment, gathered by their own hand. 

At least, that was what I thought. However, due to the currently unique nature of my body, and the fact that the equipment I required was largely made to my specifications, gathering the appropriate materials was difficult at best. 

Take my sword, for instance: an instrument capable of channeling mana, spirit, and divinity. Surely such a feat wouldn’t be possible without some rare, hard-to-obtain materials. To make things worse, few craftsmen would be so eager to educate an adventurer specifically on how their equipment was made. This made things difficult, as I didn’t even know what to bring the craftsmen in the first place. I could place an order, then be told by the establishment what I had to fetch; even so, unless I was explicitly instructed on what to bring, I couldn’t just assume. See, only a skilled craftsman would know what they required to craft an item. This would make attempting to save on the construction of my weapons and equipment problematic. 

But for Alize... 

Yes, she could use a stronger weapon, or at least one that met my expectations in terms of quality. But there was no need for her very first weapon to be overly fancy, reason being that if an adventurer were to use a specially constructed weapon from the very start, they’d become dependent upon it, eventually leading to imbalances in their martial prowess. In fact, there was a high chance of said adventurer becoming one that was severely lacking in adaptability. While that wasn’t strictly fatal for an adventurer, one should be prepared for all eventualities. For her sake, I should guide Alize away from this potential pitfall. 

All things considered, gathering the materials for Alize’s equipment by hand wasn’t too bad an idea. Average materials with average performance... That was what I’d set out to gather. It was by no means an onerous task, and, thankfully, I had some free time on my hands. I could very well use the entire afternoon to scour the Labyrinth of the New Moon. 

Hmm... If the search took longer than expected, I’d likely return to Lorraine’s abode tomorrow morning. I supposed I should make a trip back and let her know. I had no need for sleep, after all. Even if I had to work through the night, I’d just keep moving until I completely ran out of stamina. My stamina had become somewhat inexhaustible in nature, a fact I’d discovered having lived this way thus far. A special trait of the Undead, one could say. Mental strain could possibly build up over time, but that would be the only sort of exhaustion I’d refer to if I spoke of it. 

Now that I had an idea of what I wanted to do, I turned, intending to discuss matters with Lorraine back at her abode. 

“A weapon for Alize, Rentt? You do have to prepare one, yes... But is there really a need to assemble the very raw materials themselves?” was Lorraine’s response as I informed her of my thoughts upon my return. 

She was hardly disagreeing. If anything, she was expressing her thoughts on the matter. In fact, it wasn’t hard to understand why she felt that way. In most cases, equipment for new adventurers was usually settled by blacksmiths and armorers; such equipment was hardly difficult to manufacture. 

However... 

“It’s a matter of coin, Lorraine. I thought to save on costs, somewhat, and decided to gather the materials myself...” 

“Ah, is that so? I understand then. In that case...you have yet to sell the Tarasque carcass, no?” Lorraine inquired. 

If anything, Lorraine had most likely already figured this out this very morning, and, as it turned out, it had gone just as she predicted. I continued my explanation, all the while feeling a little deflated at the accuracy of Lorraine’s deductions. 

“Yes... The matter became quite troublesome indeed...” 

“Hmm? Explain yourself, Rentt.” 

I supposed even Lorraine hadn’t envisioned the entire picture, given the strange turns in recent events. Lorraine remained inquisitive, her head tilted to one side as I explained what exactly had occurred in the guild’s dissection chamber. As I did so, Lorraine’s expression slowly changed to one of worry and exasperation. 

“It would seem like sticking your head into strange affairs has become quite the regular occurrence for you, Rentt...” 

Quite exasperated. 

“Don’t be like that, Lorraine. For starters, it was the auctioneer who requested this of me. The corpse wouldn’t sell itself if it were simply left there. It’s also a large, somewhat respectable establishment, so ensuring our interests align would lead to rather...considerable gains in the long term. Don’t you think so?” 

“Yes, yes. I suppose there are merits to the whole thing, and this is not exactly a situation that can be simply ignored. However, consider this, Rentt: The risk of your true identity being discovered is very real. In this particular case...that would be the sole, but still quite large, demerit.” 

I could hardly argue with the validity of her statements. However, so long as I continued living in Maalt, I’d eventually be forced to deal with either issue. When I thought about it that way, I somehow felt being bolder with the entire auction affair was the right way to go. 

I expressed these thoughts to Lorraine. 

“I do understand your angle, Rentt. Hmm... Personally, I would advise against it, but it is true those two problems present themselves as inevitable developments. If not here, then another place, another time... You would equally be as likely to get found out. If one were to think about it in that particular way...I suppose your idea would not exactly be a bad choice.” 

It appeared Lorraine had understood my line of reasoning. But she wasn’t quite finished yet. 

“If you sense any danger, any danger at all, Rentt—escape as quickly as you can. It is not something I enjoy thinking about...but you see, even Lesser Vampires are worth quite a hefty sum. I would not discount the existence of individuals who seek to capture them alive. If you had headed into this whole thing with the aim of selling something at an auction, then woke up to find yourself as one of the items in the catalog... I cannot even laugh about this, Rentt. If the time ever comes, I will assist you in escaping Maalt...escaping beyond the borders of Yaaran. So...do keep your wits about you, Rentt.” 

Lorraine’s expression was grave. I nodded deeply in reply. 

“I understand...” 

However, something Lorraine said had caught my attention. 

“How much, exactly, could you sell a Vampire for...?” 

For a moment, Lorraine once again had a look of exasperation, perhaps from the fact that I seemed to show little concern for the dangers I could potentially be exposing myself to. But she soon gave it some thought, then answered me seriously. 

“Well... It would be raining platinum coins, Rentt. Not a colossal enough sum to swim in, I suppose, but surely not an amount an ordinary person could hope to pay...” Lorraine’s brows furrowed, then she continued her train of thought. “You... Rentt. You do not mean to tell me... Are you attempting to sell yourself for funds?” 

Lorraine’s gaze bored into me as she narrowed her eyes. 

“Don’t be daft, Lorraine!” I shook my head in a panic. “There’s no way I could do anything of the sort!” 

“No, Rentt.” Lorraine was quick to continue on. “Not in that fashion—at the very least, not your entire self... More along the lines of, say, blood or flesh samples. There is a possibility of you doing that, I suppose...” 

I swallowed deeply. Lorraine was right—I had considered it...at some point. Just a tiny bit. I’d thought of the prospect only ever so slightly. Vampire blood had quite the medicinal value to nobles, you see. It was seen as an elixir of everlasting life, of immortality. While I wasn’t sure as to how much of an effect said blood would have, I was sure to obtain a handsome amount of coin for it should I ever attempt to sell a vial at an auction. The auctioneer would certainly have some means of determining the blood’s authenticity, so they’d be able to verify if it truly came from a monster. A Vampire, to be precise. So long as one had enough coin, it was possible to send a sample straight to the Monster Research Institution at the capital of Yaaran. There, the sample could be adequately tested to verify its authenticity. As such, I’d thought it as a fast and easy way to earn vast amounts of coin. 

But I wasn’t entirely reckless, and had given the matter more careful thought. While the blood of Vampires had the effect of bestowing immortality unto an individual, namely by turning them into an Undead as well, it also had another purpose, its original purpose, perhaps: a Vampire’s blood was used to create underlings, familiars. 

By that line of reasoning...would an individual who drank my blood become another one of my familiars? Much like Edel, the Puchi Suri, had. 

Like...Edel though? That...would be most troubling. But I should set that thought aside. In any case, having an increase in the amount of familiars, just like that... 

Logically, we could assume only the rich and powerful would be able to purchase something as expensive as Vampire blood, or at least consciously desire it. It would certainly feel like a net gain to suddenly have an underling that had financial and social power, but I couldn’t quite wrap my head around suddenly being able to command another individual in such a fashion. “Right, you work for me now,” I’d say... No. It was no good. I couldn’t picture myself with such a disposition. 

No...more like impossible. That was the overall feeling I got. 

In the end, I shook my head, as if these thoughts had never crossed my mind. 

“No, I never had such thoughts. I was just thinking about the dangers involved... Coin is an easy metric to understand. I was just...slightly taken in by the image.” 

Honestly speaking...the very thought of it raining platinum coins was quite terrifying in and of itself. Under no circumstances should I ever get caught. 

Lorraine’s monetary estimate, however, largely factored in the fact that I was a special case. By comparison, the more common Lesser Vampire would still fetch a good amount of coin, albeit a less ridiculous amount, since they were seen more occasionally, despite being rare monsters. They were also incredibly difficult to capture—that was the truth of it. 

Most Vampires tended to live in a cluster of sorts, commonly and collectively referred to as a “flock,” with the highest-ranked Vampire dominating all the rest. Commonly, it was a Middle Vampire acting as a de facto leader, dictating the actions of the Lesser Vampires under its command. In turn, Thralls and human servants answered to Lesser Vampires, to describe a common scenario. In such a case, even if one were to somehow capture a Lesser Vampire, there was still the influence of its leader, the Middle Vampire, to consider. For instance, its blood could be remotely controlled, and it could be made to go berserk, then be detonated by its leader, perhaps when the Lesser Vampire was being detained by its captors. After it was robbed of its powers by the Middle Vampire that created it in the first place, its vampiric strength would have nowhere to go, and the resultant forces would cause it to become unable to maintain its humanoid form. At least, that was one explanation for the phenomenon, with the real reason for this happening remaining unknown to this day. 

The important takeaway from this was that Lesser Vampires could die the very moment they were captured, or perhaps shortly after they’d been captured. Their powers would be stripped from them by higher-ranking Vampires, then they’d explode and the flying pieces of flesh and bodily fluids would no longer have vampiric properties. This made it easy to understand the difficulty in capturing them. Really, it was more the futility of the affair even if one were to capture them. 

But in my case...there’d be no high-ranking Vampire to detonate me even if I were caught. Taking all this into consideration, even materials from a Lesser Vampire would be considerably rare, and would fetch a high price. Excluding special cases like me, the only Vampires that could be captured were solitary Lesser Vampires that naturally resided in the labyrinths. With the exception of those individuals, most Lesser Vampires would have a leader and belong to a flock. 

I now understood just how rare of an occurrence I was. I would surely be hunted and caught. 

Terrifying... 

Simply put, the Vampire materials floating around these lands were either harvested from a leader, or from Lesser Vampires that didn’t have their powers stripped by their superiors upon capture. As for the vial I’d obtained from the Latuule family, I couldn’t be absolutely certain. However, I hadn’t felt any presence dominating my mind thus far, so I assumed it would have been blood from the latter. Of course, there was always the possibility I was simply too far away, or that the powers within me were actively fighting this supposed domination... Whatever the case, so long as it remained dormant or under control, there wasn’t much point to overly worrying about it. 

Laura did warn me of the dangers involved, so if anything did happen... I supposed I’d have to cross that bridge when I came to it. At that point in time, I felt like I couldn’t reach my next stage of Existential Evolution had I not drank the contents of the vial. In the end, I couldn’t find any other solution or path forward, and regretting it after the fact would take me nowhere. 

“Is that right...? Very well, then. In any case...do be careful, Rentt. Oh, yes, you were going to gather materials, right? In that case, I have a few requests of my own. You may deduct the relevant expenses from your tuition fees.” 

Saying so, Lorraine rattled off a list of items she wanted, including a few magical ores and other, various materials. It didn’t take me long to realize what her goals were, judging by the items she’d asked for. 

“Are you thinking of gifting Alize something as well?” 

“Verily so. If I were to teach her the ways of the mage...she would surely need a magical focus, if not several. In the first place, I had also intended to deliver some lectures on the creation of magical foci...hence the materials.” 

“I suppose this is why you asked for several of the same thing...” 

My guess was ever so slightly off though. Magic, or perhaps magecraft in general, benefits from the effects of a magical focus, which allows the mage to cast spells more easily, and amplifies the magical output as well. In some cases, certain types of spells required a magical focus to be cast in the first place, and at those times a mage was expected to be capable of crafting their own focus. This was why mages generally had a basic grasp of alchemy. It was good to gain practical experience, which was probably why Lorraine wanted to educate Alize on this particular subject. 

I was included in the lesson too, of course; materials for three people, after all. That much was clear. 

“That is the gist of it, yes. One’s first weapon is a special thing, Rentt. I thought it would be good for Alize to try her hand at the subject.” 

Judging by how Lorraine had described it, I could infer that creating one’s first focus wasn’t what a run-of-the-mill mage could do. A magical focus required a certain degree of technique and skill, so even a basic focus of average output was by no means a simple affair. For Lorraine to teach Alize how to go about it... I supposed it was also Lorraine’s wish for her student to enjoy her lessons and training. I, too, wanted Alize to have some enjoyment. 

“Are you not doing the same, Rentt?” Lorraine continued. “You claim to gather materials in the name of saving some coin, but is that really all there is to it? If you really just wanted something in your pouch, a vial of blood here and there would be more than enough to do it. You, however, decided to gather materials by your own hand, all for the sake of creating a weapon—a gift for Alize. And so the two of us end up doing the exact same thing. How very peculiar...” 

Peculiar? Was it really, now...? No, I didn’t think so. 

“Is that not something any master would do for their student? In fact, it is said that such were the traditions, a long time ago, that a student’s first weapon would be a gift from their master.” 

Nowadays, it was more common for a student to procure their own weapon. It made perfect sense, considering the practice of taking students or disciples under one’s wing was becoming increasingly uncommon. In addition, those who did have private tutors of some sort were often well-off. 

“An old practice, yes.” Lorraine nodded. “Few engage in the practice now...but I suppose there is no issue in us reviving the tradition.” 

Lorraine smiled at her own suggestion. 

And so it came to be that I found myself arriving at the Labyrinth of the New Moon. Of course, this was all for the sake of procuring materials to craft Alize’s weapon. 

Skeletons and Slimes were a common sight on the first floor, and Orcs were found on the second—such were the names of these compartmentalized areas. Since the labyrinth’s total amount of floors remained unknown, I wasn’t sure what to call its deepest level. Whatever the case, it was quite a deep labyrinth. By contrast, the Labyrinth of the Moon’s Reflection seemingly ended on the very first floor...discounting the unknown areas and that one strange teleporter, I supposed, but that was neither here nor there. In the general public’s knowledge, that was the only known floor of the Moon’s Reflection.

“My time in the spotlight... Who knows when or where...” I muttered to no one in particular. 

In the past, I’d taken pains to walk long, circuitous paths around the first floor, all for the sake of filling out the Map of Akasha. Now, however, I found myself leisurely strolling through the halls. Although it was the most shallow floor of the labyrinth, monsters did appear, as par for the course. One could savagely slay some of the monsters that showed themselves, and basically impress upon this floor’s denizens that they had no chance of winning. An adventurer walking calmly along, however, would most likely be assaulted one way or another, regardless of their innate strength. 

I just found myself walking along without a care in the world, seeing as Edel was fighting Goblins and Slimes right before my eyes. As I had intended to perform a thorough search of the labyrinth today, I brought Edel along to assist in the search. His small size would help him easily locate and retrieve more minute materials in the area. Unexpectedly though, Edel chose to make himself useful in a combative capacity instead. He wasn’t exactly a huge boost to my combat potential; regardless of his large size, he was still a Puchi Suri. The fighting capabilities of a Puchi Suri were lower than that of a Goblin or Slime; even a child of about ten years of age had a reasonable chance of defeating one as long as they had a weapon of some sort. Puchi Suri were truly the absolute weakest type of monster. Even though there was quite the show of strength during our encounter with the Tarasque, my assumption was that that was the result of Edel snatching my reserves of power to strengthen himself. Basically, as long as I didn’t provide Edel with mana, there would be a limit to his capabilities. 

But reality was quite different. I was, at this point in time, noticeably restricting the amount of power I shared with Edel. While Edel had initially taken a noticeable chunk of my reserves without any indication, I discovered after the event that I was able to control and limit the flow of power from myself to my familiar. But regardless of that...I now bore witness to Edel taking on Goblins and Slimes alike without many issues. 

Edel’s small body...wasn’t all that small any more. He was, say, about the size of an average Goblin’s head. He freely darted this way and that around the monsters, scaling the walls and launching himself at the monsters, body slamming them in the process. 

As a Bronze-class adventurer, I had to infuse my single, well-placed attack with spirit to expose a Slime’s core. Slimes were troublesome buggers. Edel, on the other hand, began spinning during his body slams, using the resultant centrifugal force to disperse the Slime’s body into fine powder. The Slime’s fragments found themselves unable to reform, and were now just stationary on the ground. 

“...Gigi!” 

A Goblin sputtered, as if bewildered by the sheer destructive power of Edel’s body slam. Before it could react, however, Edel had already closed in, and the Goblin found itself unable to avoid my familiar’s attack. With a most intense, high-speed rotation, Edel’s entire body slammed straight into the Goblin’s head, pulverizing it in the process. From my angle, it was almost as if the Goblin’s head had been blown apart by an explosive force. 

’Twas a most grotesque sight... 

“...Linpio.” 

With a wave of my hand as the incantation left my lips, a soft, glowing light enveloped Edel for a brief moment. As soon as it appeared, the light faded, only leaving a pitch-black—well, he was pitch-black to begin with—clean Edel, with no spatterings of gore on his fur. As he was covered in Goblin blood, guts, and bits of pulverized Slime mere moments ago, it was only imperative I had him cleaned. 

Even so...cleansing him now may have been a bit of a wasted effort. We’d crossed paths with many monsters on our journey here, and we would unmistakably encounter some more as we ventured deeper; surely Edel would become filthy again soon enough. 

I was hardly concerned about some streaks of blood and monster detritus, however. It was a given—I also swung my sword here and there, and dissected the monsters we’d slain. Adventurers in the labyrinths didn’t really have high standards of hygiene. 

But in Edel’s case...the circumstances were once again slightly different. His basic form of attack was to tackle his foes while spinning at high speeds. The aim was to pulverize the enemy with his sheer speed and centrifugal force. With those considerations in mind, it was easy to conclude that Edel would dirty himself in a similar fashion again relatively easily. I supposed I would just have to cleanse him with Linpio each and every time then. 

Linpio was a type of Livelihood Magecraft I’d picked up recently. Offensive magic was one thing, but so long as one understood the theory, structure, and incantation of Livelihood Magecraft, one would be capable of casting it. As such, I’d learned quite a few of these spells from Lorraine, and I was now a step ahead of Alize in that department. But I’d only known these spells for a short time, so I wasn’t used to casting most of them and still had many unnecessary motions and delays in execution. 

If I had to cast Linpio over and over again, though, fighting on my own was preferable, if only because it was easier on my reserves. While I was sure the amount of mana used would decrease should I become more used to the spell itself, it wasn’t something I could master today or tomorrow. 

“Don’t you have any other means of attack, Edel?” 

Unable to think of a solution, I decided to directly ask Edel for his opinion. While fighting by myself seemed the most optimal alternative, I realized it was also imperative for me to observe Edel’s tactics on the field. The possibility of us coming up with some sort of combination attack was well worth considering. If anything, I should continue observing how Edel took on these weaker monsters, then consider what positions and attacks I could use should I enter the fray. I wanted some time to think. Edel, too, seemed to pause at my words, as if giving them some thought. Without warning, he jumped up, staring at the fallen Goblin corpse...then fired something at it. Almost instantly, a huge gash made its way across the Goblin’s corpse. 

“Magecraft...? Is this magic, Edel?” 

I received a mental affirmation. To think Edel had mastered the use of offensive magic before his master... I couldn’t help but feel some degree of annoyance. 

Is some credit for your master too much to ask, I briefly thought. There were, however, some differences between magic used by monsters and the magecraft used by humans. Broadly speaking, they were both the same: phenomena materialized with willpower and mana. But humans built magecraft up as a sort of structure, understanding it and building upon it, and basically cast spells with the aid of incantations. In the case of a monster, mana was often instinctively turned into some sort of phenomenon directly. Most monsters were like this, although the intensity of said magic did vary. More humanoid monsters, such as Goblins and Vampires, were known to use something that more closely resembled the magecraft system of humans. 

That said, most monsters were probably born with this instinctive knowledge of mana conversion. For example, the reason why a Goblin was able to fight on equal footing with a grown man despite being half his size was due to the subconscious activation of a strengthening magic reinforcing its body. Similarly, there were tales of Vampires being able to charm a weak-willed human just by looking into the human’s eyes, convincing the human to serve them. This, too, was an application of magic: a charm spell cast with its eyes. 

In other words, Edel may have picked up some of this mana-to-phenomenon ability somewhere along the line. While normal Puchi Suri were capable of nothing more than a sort of bodily reinforcement similar to that of Goblins, elemental evolutions of mice were a little different. Take, for instance, a Fire Puchi Suri, the Fuu Suri. It was capable of breathing small but functional fireballs from within its body, despite never having been taught how to use magic. Even so, these simple spells monsters were naturally capable of casting were by no means overwhelming in power. A Vampire’s Eyes of Charming, a Fuu Suri’s tiny Fireball, a dragon’s breath attack... They were all the result of certain specialized organs in the eyes or throat of the creature. It was due to the presence of these organs that said attacks were effective or powerful. Even if one were to assume a monster knew all the appropriate structures and incantations for a spell, and hence became capable of casting magecraft, it would still be best served by bodily enhancement spells. 

With Edel, the utilization of mana was of no import. Since he was a Puchi Suri with no specialized organs whatsoever, he shouldn’t have been able to do what he just did. If I had to guess, some physical changes had overcome Edel the moment I evolved into a Lesser Vampire. Strictly speaking, he was probably no longer just a simple Puchi Suri. At least, that was my educated guess. As for where exactly this change had manifested itself in Edel’s body... Well, a simple glance at him was enough for me to see it, really. 

Edel looked very much like me. 

Put plainly...Edel had grown some sort of wing-like structure. 

But of course, they weren’t shooting out of his back. If anything, he’d grown some membranes on his underside, stretching from his underbelly to his hind legs, much like a flying squirrel of sorts. I suppose he was capable of gliding should that membrane be pulled taut. 

Curious, I asked for a demonstration, and, unlike me, Edel was able to fly relatively easily. The structure of his flight membranes were strange to say the least, but Edel was capable of not only gliding, but also silently hovering in place. Compared to my hovering, violently darting, and torch-capable wings, Edel’s were clearly a cut above when it came to flying. 

I felt like I could ponder the issue for more than an hour. How could this be? That the familiar would have higher specifications than its master? Was this the intent of the Gods? Or perhaps some underlying, unexplainable logic of the world? 

I felt my faith dwindling. 

Even so, I didn’t feel that my divinity had diminished in any way. Then again, the spirits that had conferred their blessings upon me probably didn’t desire faith or worship in the first place. I could never really know, of course. It was impossible to seek confirmation, given all the time that had passed. However...I did have some thoughts as to why Edel was able to maneuver so freely through the air. 

Mainly, there was a difference in weight between Edel and myself. With my permission, Edel could even draw from the very same reserves of mana, spirit, and divinity that I possessed. If anything, Edel, who was only a sixth of my weight, most likely found it much easier to float about comparatively. This was why he was able to zip around as he pleased, without paying too much attention to energy expenditure. Plus, Edel was born a monster, so command over his powers most likely came naturally to him. 

How enviable. 

As I was currently limiting the amount of resources Edel could receive, his movements didn’t include too many aerial acrobatics. Should I increase the amount by a small percentage, however, Edel was sure to begin soaring through the air. To think that Edel, who had no tutor or lessons of any kind, was slowly becoming stronger and stronger... If anything, his growth had already hugely exceeded mine! 

How terrible... 

But, if Edel were capable of it, I, too, would be able to do the same, albeit with some practice. I would do well to make a mental note of that particular direction of self-improvement... 

Amidst my contemplations, I realized I should have Edel show me the magic he’d just used. While I would no longer have much work to do should Edel become any stronger than he already was, I couldn’t deny that he was a valuable asset, and couldn’t complain about this recent turn of events. In any case, I had to understand its raw attack power, how much mana it used, its range and spread, and if Edel was capable of using any other type of magic. 

“I suppose we should search for a Goblin or Slime...” I suggested, with the intent of conducting our experiments on the unsuspecting monster. But Edel refused, instead mentally communicating to me that he wished to demonstrate his prowess on an Orc. 

Now, Orcs weren’t weak. Judging from Edel’s movements as he fought Goblins and Slimes, I felt taking on an Orc would be a little too much for him at this point in time. 

“Would that be prudent, Edel? Orcs are nothing like Goblins or Slimes.” 

Edel responded simply, that should he ever be in danger, all I had to do was jump in and help him. 

Honestly... Who is the master here, Mister Mouse, was what I thought...but I supposed such an experiment wasn’t entirely unreasonable. Even if Edel had grown stronger and was now capable of using offensive magic, I was still unmistakably stronger in terms of fighting strength. I supposed the fact that Edel still depended on me was something. 

Exasperated, I no longer knew what I should be saying. 

“...All right. We’ll find us an Orc, then,” I said to Edel, who was currently mounted on my head, as I continued my descent to the next floor. 

I could see the setting sun in the distance. The evening sun drowned the world in crimson. These colors of sunset would inevitably give way to a world of darkness, but this was hardly a mysterious sight. If anything, it was quite a mundane one, repeated again and again on a daily basis... 

At least, that’s what anyone would have said...assuming they weren’t deep inside a labyrinth. 

“Feels pretty strange, right...?” 

And yet here we were, on the second floor of the Labyrinth of the New Moon. 

Now, it was nowhere near the evening; in fact, the sun was probably shining bright high in the sky outside the labyrinth’s confines. It was plain to see that the passage of time within the New Moon, and perhaps labyrinths in general, didn’t align with that of the outside world. While I’d heard tales of it before, this was the first time I actually felt a labyrinth’s floor shift in time zones, seeing as the previous floor felt perfectly in sync with the world outside. 

If I had to guess, night fell upon this floor when the sun rose in the outside world, and vice versa. This was probably a normal occurrence in this particular labyrinth, though. Walking to a floor that had yet to have daylight in its hours was one thing; walking to a new floor in pitch-black darkness was quite another. To most adventurers, this would be a most troubling thing, but there were many ways to go about the situation. For example, a particularly skilled mage could easily cast a spell that granted them night vision. However, most adventurers would simply give up then and there. 

I supposed our arrangement today was unlucky as I had arranged to return at night, which would be when the sun rose on this floor. But on the other hand, I was lucky enough to be here at this point in time. It was now evening, and I still had ample light for vision and combat. Though, even if the sun should set, my eyes were of a special make. I found I could still see well enough at night; I could see much further than a regular human. If anything, the vision of an Orc was closer to that of a human. As such, this situation was to my advantage since it was easier to fight an Orc in the dark. 

Now how would Edel fare? Since he was my familiar, his vision at night should be improved. 

“Orc... Orc... Orc. Where would one be?” I hummed, as if singing some sort of strange incantation while I plodded along on the second floor of the New Moon. 

Around me were forests and plains under a natural-looking sky. It looked so wide that it was impossible to tell where this sky ended. I’d heard adventurers could occasionally discover a place on the floor where the sky ended, but also of instances where they could never seem to find it, no matter how hard they tried. All this was supposedly normal. 

While Orcs were quite different when compared with your average human, normal Orcs tended to roam in groups, or at least exhibited enough intelligence to flock in small numbers. As such, locating one Orc would quickly lead to the rest. Conversely, if an adventurer were to be discovered by an Orc, they would most likely have to contend with a few others at the same time. As such, adventurers usually progressed cautiously in these parts. 

I, on the other hand, was currently seeking such a situation. Of course, if a stronger type of Orc appeared in vast numbers, it could very well spell trouble, but this was merely the second floor. Such monsters had no reason to be appearing in these parts. But...it was still possible for a single, special monster of some sort to appear on the second floor. Should such a thing ever happen, all I had to do was run. 

Perhaps it was due to everything going so well recently that I’d almost forgotten, but the reason I was how I was currently was all due to an unfortunate encounter with the pinnacle of all monsters: a legendary Dragon. Such special monsters could very well exist, since I’d run into one before. 

Again, I reminded myself to be careful. If I was ever forced into a situation where I had to draw my sword, I could calculate my chances of victory in that moment. If it was impossible for me to win, all I had to do was run, and that would be a victory in and of itself. 

“Orc... Orc... Hmm? Huh?” 

I turned my head abruptly. I was suddenly assaulted by a strange feeling. 

Something was...off. 

What is it, exactly, I wondered, only to realize that my head felt unnaturally light. 

Raising a hand up to my head, I finally realized what was missing. That which had been there before was no longer present... 

Edel was gone. 

Where’s he gone off to...? 

I sharpened my senses, conducting a search of the area. Due to the connection we shared, some degree of focus was all I needed to pinpoint his location. Upon doing so, I sensed a presence near the entrance of the forest. Exasperated, I approached the destination. 

“Edel... I told you you shouldn’t...” 

I stopped short as I parted the undergrowth. 

“...Braaaagh!!!” 

“Gububu! Buruuuu!!!” 

“Gigibu! Buuuruuuu!” 

Nonsensical sounds greeted me. Surrounding Edel were three Orcs, seemingly preoccupied with their conversation. Their weapons were drawn. 

You’re in quite the tough spot there, huh, Edel...? 

Thinking so, I decided to act like any master would. I was about to intervene when I stopped dead in my tracks. My eyes hovered to the Orcs’ weapons and armor, which were made of a metallic material. 

This was worse than I’d thought. These were no Normal Orcs... 

They were Orc Soldiers. 

Orc Soldiers were a type of powerful Orc, a step above the normal Orcs one might commonly find in the labyrinth. They were twice as big as normal Orcs, and had equipment forged from metal. Those were their primary defining traits. There were also the Orc King and Orc Generals, monsters that were much stronger than the typical metal-armed Orc Soldier. However, those monsters hardly appeared on shallower floors, and wielded visibly different weapons. 

While the Orcs surrounding Edel were armed with metallic weapons, their equipment was mostly made of bronze, or metals tainted with various impurities. In addition, their equipment didn’t look particularly sophisticated. Compared to those creatures, an Orc General could very possibly wield a mithril weapon—a truly fearsome thought. 

An Orc General also possessed a fair amount of skill on top of its unique weapon. Common wisdom on the matter stated that only a Platinum-class adventurer would be able to take it on. It was quite monstrous. To make things worse, Orcs of a higher caliber often dominated and ruled over those weaker than themselves. Depending on just how strong the Orc in question was, one could expect the Orcs under its command would be stronger, and more numerous. In the case of an Orc King, it could very well control every single Orc in its territory, and I could hardly think of anything more fearsome than that. 

Of course, even an Orc Soldier had some degree of dominative leadership; a little, but some nonetheless. They, however, would only be able to lead Normal Orcs, and only one or a few of them at that. 

Finally, their cries were also capable of summoning more of their kind, the sound echoing far across the stratum. Taking too long to defeat them could be potentially fatal. If one were pursued by a large group of Orcs, escape would be extremely difficult. 

“...Edel!” 

This was why I drew my sword, running toward the Orc Soldiers that had surrounded Edel after a short series of thoughts. The message in my actions was simple: we had to defeat these enemies as quickly as we could. Edel agreed mentally, squeaking as he did so. 

“Chu! Chu!” 

With a series of squeaks, Edel started drawing upon my reserves of power, with me loosening my grip on just how much he could take. If I had been too careless, Edel could very well absorb everything from me. While I’d thought to be a little more stingy over it, now wasn’t the time for such concerns. Perhaps it was because they detected the change in our presences, but the Orc Soldiers no longer saw Edel as prey. They, too, readied themselves for combat, assuming battle stances. 

But the Orcs were far too slow. Already up close and personal with the monsters, I picked out the most arrogant Orc Soldier among them—the leader perhaps—and quickly thrust my blade at the nape of its neck. I’d thought it was a solid ambush, but even so, the Orc Soldier I was targeting reacted, raising its sword and deflecting my blow. 

You’re pretty good... 

Ending it all with a single quick attack was too much to ask for. However, this would only be the case had I been fighting alone. 

While the Orc Soldier had turned toward me and deflected my strike mere moments ago, its expression was now one of marked confusion. But of course it would feel that way. It had been looking in my direction before, but it was now looking straight up at the sky, as if it had been somehow launched through the air. 

The reason for the Orc Soldier’s sudden change in perspective was because Edel had slammed into one of its legs with his signature body slam, tripping the Orc and causing it to fall backward. Although it had a giant body far greater than that of any man, it paid an equally heavy price for its metallic equipment. Its body, weighted down by these implements, toppled over almost hilariously upon losing its balance. Down it went, with its head hitting the ground. The Orc Soldier, as if understanding that it was now at a disadvantage, attempted to get back up...but it was too late. My sword was once again at its neck, ready to strike. 

Now prone and in a clumsy position, the Orc Soldier wasn’t able to draw its own weapon in time. With a single, smooth motion, I beheaded the monster, cleanly separating its head from its body. With its head now gone, a fountain of blood dramatically spurted forth from its neck. I couldn’t help thinking that it was such a waste. Quite the delicious meal, I would think, but the battlefield was hardly a place where one could idly sit and sip on a fresh fountain of blood. 

All this had transpired in but a few seconds. The two remaining Orc Soldiers, however, quickly understood what had happened, and moved to attack us. Unfortunately, the Orc that Edel and I had just slain was most likely the leader of this motley crew of Orcs, just as I’d predicted. 

For a moment, it seemed like the Orcs were wondering which one of us to take on, Edel or myself. Almost immediately, however, they split up, one coming after each of us. 

Edel and I could not have asked for a better outcome. After all, I valued speed and technique more than strength, and Edel was of a smaller physique. The last thing we wanted to go against was an enemy with a numbers advantage. If only one Orc came at each of us, fighting them would be very much doable. In fact, it was even possible for us to defeat them alone. 

An Orc Soldier rushed at me with its sword raised, as if to strike. I made a quick step toward its center, landing a hit on its hand. Protected by a metallic glove, my blow failed to cut the Orc’s hand off outright. I did, however, succeed in disarming it, the impact of my strike causing the Orc Soldier to drop the sword it had been holding. Panicking, the Orc Soldier attempted to pick up its sword, but I had no intentions of letting it do so. I struck out at the Orc again with a quick thrust, not allowing it to retrieve its weapon. The Orc Soldier seemed to have anticipated this, as it bent its body downward, almost ducking as it narrowly avoided my blade. It then proceeded to laugh and snort, as if to mock me. Not the best course of action for this particular Orc, I thought. 

As the Orc Soldier attempted to stand, I gave the sword it had attempted to pick up a solid kick, sending it flying through the air. The sword, sailing in a straight line, soon embedded itself in the back of the other Orc Soldier who was currently locked in combat with Edel. Not a deep wound, of course, but even so... 

“Bugii!” 

Quite the cry of pain, I’d say—and yet another mental affirmation from Edel. “Doin’ good,” he said. 

What are you now, mouse? My superior? 

No matter. Though it was now completely disarmed, the Orc Soldier seemed intent on fighting to the death. It raised its fists, adopting a fighting stance. The monster was nothing more than a pig on two legs, yet it seemed to have the fighting spirit of a true warrior. It was something I could appreciate. 

Even so...it was precisely because of this that I couldn’t go easy on my opponent. Without any hesitation, I rushed the Orc Soldier, unleashing another thrust of my sword. The Orc, now no longer having any means of defense, attempted to block the blow with its gloves. It was a desperate attempt, but alas, the monster didn’t have quite enough reach. With a sickening crack, my blade made contact with its head, fracturing the Orc Soldier’s skull. 

Some people would probably say the brain matter of an Orc would be delicious...but having to take that into consideration while fighting would be difficult. If I’d put more power into that blow, I could have finished it then and there, but the search I was on today was far from over. At the very least, I’d leave the head and brain of one Orc intact... That would just have to do. 

Regardless, monsters were tough creatures. The Orc Soldier was still moving, despite its now-fractured head and exposed brain. Being partially lobotomized, the Orc no longer had the mental capability left to coordinate an attack. Instead, it was flailing around in place, its movements messy and careless. 

I should finish it, I thought, raising my sword for one more strike. 

As expected, beheading a monster was the quickest way of neutralizing it completely, so I did just so. 

It was finally over. 

This was still all quite different from slaying a normal Orc, though even I couldn’t deny the growth I’d exhibited. To think a day would come where I’d be able to slay Orc Soldiers with ease... I’d have never believed it, even if I’d been told as such in life. 

Suddenly... 

Thud! 

I turned in the direction of the loud sound. Edel had just finished his fight with the other Orc a short distance away, the sound emitted being the finishing blow. As if heeding my previous wish, Edel had slain the Orc not with a spinning body tackle, but with magic, cleanly severing its head from its throat. I stared as its head went rolling, coming to a stop as its large body collapsed onto the ground. The Orc Soldier was now very much dead. 

A Puchi Suri slaying an Orc Soldier with its own power... No matter how I phrase it, no one will believe such a tale... 

Such thoughts flickered across my mind as I stood, surveying the carnage before us. 

And now it was time for dissection; the Orc Soldiers had to be adequately taken apart. Given that these Orcs were a cut above their normal Orc brethren, the taste of their flesh was almost guaranteed to be just as high-quality. 

One would usually only encounter Orc Soldiers upon the tail end of the second floor, or on the third floor of this labyrinth. So why would three of these monsters appear here of all places, then...? All things considered, I suppose it wasn’t an impossible occurrence. Perhaps they’d evolved much like I had, with time and experience. That was the logical assumption at least. 

The same could be said for their equipment and weapons. Salvaged from fallen adventurers, perhaps. Orcs did have some degree of intelligence after all, so they’d be capable of that at the very least. 

As I removed the pieces of metallic equipment from the Orc carcasses, I quickly became aware of the numerous amounts of stitches on the bodies. In addition, some holes appeared to have been punched through parts of the carcasses. If the Orcs hadn’t evolved, then there was the possibility they could have traveled up from a deeper floor. But the likelihood of that was somewhat small. Labyrinth monsters weren’t known to stray from the floors they belonged to, let alone move freely to other floors. 

The concept of what a floor was, however, was a mostly human definition. As such, the separation between one floor and another could sometimes be vague. One also had to take into account the actions of the monsters in question. Maybe it was out of territorial concerns or some other inexplicable reason, but most labyrinth monsters were limited to a certain range of movement—what people define as “floors.” There were no known cases of a monster wandering outside of this seemingly predetermined range. In fact, there were cases where the division between floors was visible to the naked eye. Monsters behaved like as if they couldn’t see such a division at all, and acted in a similar fashion. 

Orc Soldiers in the Labyrinth of the New Moon, in turn, mainly lived on the fourth and fifth floors, and they weren’t known to leave these areas. There were exceptions, of course, where in rare cases, a monster could move past this boundary, or somehow cross between floors, eventually ending up on a floor markedly different than its normal habitat. The Orcs that we’d just encountered may have very well done something similar. Though that was neither here nor there, really... 

In some cases, a phenomenon known as a “flood” or “surging wave” could happen, causing monsters from within a labyrinth to spill outside its confines. Unless something like that happened, however, monsters leaving their floors was highly abnormal. Sightings of monsters from lower floors like this were often thought of as premonitions, indicators of an upcoming flood or surge. I suppose there was some truth in that, so I made a mental note to inform the guild of what I’d seen upon my return. Not a compulsory thing to do, of course, but I should at least have a word with Sheila. 

At the very least, this was by no means a dire situation. If a flood was indeed upon us, the signs would be much more visible. Floods were said to occur once every decade or two, and the last time one had happened, even I was made to participate in the defense of Maalt. I didn’t really know much else, given that I wasn’t near the outskirts of any labyrinths at the time. 

However, from the rumors I’d heard, monsters from relatively deep floors were found roaming on the first floor. The actual flood happened about two days after that sighting. As such, even if what I’d just witnessed was a sign of a coming flood, said event wouldn’t happen for at least a week, if not even a month. Time was a luxury we had. If such an event would come to pass once more, all I had to do was join in with the rest for the defense of Maalt, which should be sufficient in preventing the town from suffering huge losses. That was how Maalt had survived all the past occurrences. 

Either way, there was something else I should be doing now—namely, the gathering of materials. 

Weapons and equipment for Alize... 

I recalled Lorraine’s list. The materials she’d asked for were magic crystals from monsters inhabiting the third, or deeper, floors, and wooden materials from a Jyulapus Ent. While there were many types of magical foci, the most famous among them was undoubtedly the wand. It was also faster to craft, which was more than enough for beginners at the art. 

Eventually, Alize may need worn foci, such as a ring or a bracelet, but crafting such items would require a generous amount of coin. Due to the intricate nature of crafting worn foci, Lorraine settled with the wand, which was enough for our purposes now, or so I was told. 

Although we’d taken Alize as our disciple, there was no guarantee she was going to become an adventurer. As such, it’d be best not to burden her with unnecessary debt. So long as I fetched some third-floor or deeper magic crystals and materials from a Jyulapus Ent, Alize might very well be able to craft the required foci herself. 

The main consideration in this entire matter was if I could even take down a Jyulapus Ent... I’d never actually taken on this monster alone. I’d done the adequate reading at Lorraine’s, in addition to having her answer any questions about the monster’s capabilities, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that it was by no means an easy opponent. While dealing with strong but simple monsters like Orcs was somewhat straightforward, Jyulapus Ents were a wood elemental of sorts, so it wasn’t easy coming up with a strategy to deal with them. I was equipped with an Undead body and physique, and shouldn’t suffer too many ill effects; even so, I couldn’t quite gauge the difficulty of the encounter until I’d actually fought it myself. 

I continued pondering upon the matter as my hands moved, dissecting carcass after carcass. Before I knew it, I was already done. The magic crystals had been harvested, and the neat cuts of Orcish meat for self-consumption and sale were clearly marked, wrapped, and placed into my magical pouch. If I overloaded my pouch now, I’d have no space for the Jyulapus Ent materials later on, let alone other materials I might find on the way... So I finished gathering up the last of what materials I did need. 

“We should get going, Edel,” I said, setting out into the labyrinth once more. 

Next was the third floor. Remaining cautious as we continued on was the one singular thought in my mind as I walked forward. 

“...Perhaps even more troublesome than the second floor’s veil of night...” I said upon entering the third floor. 

Stretching out before my eyes was what appeared to be an infinite ocean of trees. Looking up, we could tell there was a source of light from above, with small bits of light that had managed to leak through the greenery. It was by no means bright, as the path that Edel and I were advancing on had as much illumination as a small torch could provide. Not to mention our surroundings were pitch-black. The trees around us, which had grown so tall, effectively ended up blocking out most of the light from above. Even so, this was hardly a problem for Edel and I since we both had eyes better suited to seeing in the dark. 

The problem was something else entirely: the branches of these huge trees grew and spread in all sorts of directions, obscuring our view. Regardless of whether we could see well at night, having an actual, material obstruction blocking our line of sight was something else altogether. While our eyes also had the ability to identify a living creature by its body temperature, that ability also seemed highly unsuited for this, so there simply didn’t seem to be a use for it. 

“Kii kii!!” 

A voice rang out behind us. Reflexively, I drew my blade. Something descended onto the forest floor right where we’d been standing moments ago. 

It was...what appeared to be a monkey. 

It was a slim monster, not particularly large, commonly known as the Kesem Kofu. Many lived on this particular floor. Their population was numerous, much like the Slimes and Goblins on the first floor. 

But one couldn’t really consider these monsters as weak. This was the third floor, so monsters here were adequately cunning. One could no longer come out on top simply by rushing headfirst into an encounter, sword drawn. 

“...Hunh!” 

Upon drawing my sword and turning to face the Kesem Kofu before me, I felt a presence behind me, and I immediately lowered my head. A slight movement of air alerted me to the fact that something had just passed over my head. Turning around, I saw another one of the beasts hanging upside-down from a vine, claws at the ready. It had been attempting to swing at my head just moments before. Having failed once, the monster appeared to understand that a second attack would lose the element of surprise. The Kesem Kofu nimbly climbed up the vine it had descended upon, and it was soon lost in the canopy. 

Focusing, I soon noticed the presence of many beings around us. It seemed like the Kesem Kofu didn’t attack alone—that much we understood very clearly. 

“Watch yourself, Edel,” I said, only to receive a similar mental note from my familiar. 

Considering that Edel was a mouse, and probably didn’t seem like anything other than a snack for the monkeys of this floor, I considered his answer sufficiently reassuring. 

All things considered...there really were quite many of them. If there were just two, or perhaps three of the things, we could have easily slain them without too much effort. From what I could sense however, there were at least 40 of the beasts currently surrounding our position. With the sheer amount of Kesem Kofu present, another attack was to be expected. This was compounded by how they jumped and swung from branch to branch. I found the situation quite difficult. 

This was by no means the first time I’d fought in a forest. I had set off on gathering trips to nearby forests, and had taken on Goblins and Slimes in the past. In the worst-case scenario, perhaps an Orc would appear. But this? Monsters that moved freely through the branches, utilizing the terrain to launch surprise attacks? I had no experience dealing with such foes. I did do my research prior to arriving at the third floor. I’d gathered information on Kesem Kofu beforehand, but seeing the monster in person was another thing altogether. Nothing in the descriptive passages I read could compare to what I was currently seeing. 

For starters...it was difficult to get a grasp of one’s surroundings. No matter how hard I looked, all I could see were shadows and branches. The monsters moved quickly, and I just as quickly lost sight of them. 

Strictly speaking, the correct way to go about this was to infuse oneself with mana or spirit, then conduct a search of the surrounding area. However, I was still a beginner when it came to learning how to channel mana properly, and I didn’t know many spirit techniques, barring simple bodily enhancements. Something like sensing the surroundings or sharpening one’s senses was currently not doable. I lacked the technique, and perhaps even the innate talent for such things. My divinity, too, didn’t seem to do very much for me in this case. I supposed there was nothing more I could do, other than rely on instinct. 

Dodging the attack of yet another Kesem Kofu by the breadth of a hair, I swung my sword, but I could hardly get any attacks in; their movements were simply too irregular. The way they descended from those vines was most irritating. 

Should I just set this entire forest ablaze? 

Hmm... Perhaps not. If I started a fire here, I would no doubt cremate myself in the process. I really didn’t want to become a skeleton again... 

Honestly, it seemed like the only way to handle this was to slice at the vines in question—reduce their length, so to speak. A grueling task to perform, especially when I could be attacked from any angle at any moment...but I suppose there was no other way around it. At the very least, I wanted to disrupt their coordinated assaults, but that was probably a little too much for me at this point in time. Even if I did somehow climb up a tree, there was no way I could catch up with them. 

I continued to worry about the issue, when suddenly... 

“Chu!!!” 

With a familiar squeak, Edel infused a pair of his limbs with mana before bolting up a nearby tree at an astounding speed, his claws digging into the bark. To think he was capable of something like that... I was genuinely surprised, if only because it was a feat I couldn’t duplicate. Even if I were to try channeling mana into my feet, walking up a tree in that manner would be remarkably difficult. If I had to guess, Edel probably strengthened his claws, giving him more friction to achieve such speeds. If I were to try anything similar, a slender tree would most likely snap after I had taken a few steps. Edel was able to do what he did because of his small size. 

Unable to do much else, I continued dodging the attacks of the Kesem Kofu swarm on the ground, all the while slicing off what vines I could see in a most boring manner. 

“...Kii!” “Ki kiii!!!” 

With a few high-pitched wails from above, a Kesem Kofu fell, hitting the ground with a resounding thud. Numerous scratches had been carved into the monster, making it clear that this was Edel’s doing. 

However, those scratches were by no means fatal. Upon hitting the ground, the monster attempted to get up and scurry into the trees once more. I wasn’t so kind as to let this opportunity slip. With a burst of speed, I closed the distance, bringing up my weapon for a two-handed swing. 

I swung with such impunity because one could hardly harvest any useful materials from a Kesem Kofu. Its skin was thin, and its fur was hard and spiky; there was hardly a use for either material. They also tasted quite bad, and couldn’t really be eaten. The only thing that could be recovered from them were magic crystals. 

The magic crystal of a Kesem Kofu was next to its heart. So long as I didn’t direct any careless swings at that region, retrieving the crystal was relatively simple. A large wound in any other location hardly posed any issues. 

I followed up on Edel’s advance, finishing off the Kesem Kofu that continued to fall. Finally, Edel made his descent, landing in a small clearing where none of the beasts had fallen. Edel landed with an audible thump, but it appeared he was largely unhurt. He’d balled himself up, most likely using the considerable amount of fat on his body as a sort of cushion to absorb the impact. 

In any case, I was glad that Edel was unhurt. 

I did not, however, bear witness to anything that Edel had done. I decided to ask after Edel, only for him to inform me that he had had quite the battle up in the branches. While I didn’t witness him in action, I could tell from the wounds left on the carcasses that Edel had put in a considerable amount of effort. 

Since I’d largely been solo adventuring for most of my life, I wasn’t used to this division of roles. I suppose Edel was quite useful, depending on the enemy’s characteristics. Needless to say, it was impossible to know what waited for us ahead. I made a mental note to train myself for these situations in the future so that I could have a viable course of action should I be fighting on my own. 

In any case, it was now time to move on to the dissection. As we were only harvesting magic crystals this time around, it didn’t take long for me to finish my task. In the end, there were only about ten or so of them, and they ultimately didn’t pose much of a threat. 

Though, having Kesem Kofu ambush us time and time again would indeed prove tiresome. If anything, I should have Edel remain on alert and scan the surroundings, with us advancing on routes without the annoying monsters as much as possible. 

I had to search for a Jyulapus Ent and harvest from it the materials required so Alize and I could each craft a wand of our own. As for the magic crystals... In the worst-case scenario, we could use some harvested from the Kesem Kofu. 

Honestly speaking, though, I would have preferred a crystal of higher quality. Crystals harvested from Kesem Kofu were the least impressive on the third floor of the New Moon since they were small, somewhat translucent, and didn’t have much power in them. If I were to gather crystals, something more respectable would be preferred. 

Lorraine did mention, however, that it would be preferable to use a magic crystal that wasn’t from a Jyulapus Ent for our wands. This made sense from an alchemical perspective, as the crystal was commonly mounted on the top of the wand. Having a crystal from another monster would serve to greatly amplify one’s magical output. Should a crystal from the Ent in question be used, the mana within the wand would simply gather at one spot and stagnate, making the focus difficult to use. A well-balanced wand required adjustment and calibration by its crafter. Alize and I would be taught these skills in the process of making them of course, but the difficult part was actually gathering the materials from different monsters. In some cases, a wand crafted from a single type of monster was more efficient, but the basics called for some variation here and there. 

Even so... 

It was easier said than done, especially considering that this was the third floor. All I had to do was do my best. Just one more floor, Rentt... 

With all that said and done...it really was difficult locating a Jyulapus Ent. They were formidable opponents, so it made sense that finding them in the first place would be equally difficult. Especially in a dense forest like this, of all places. Once they’d blended into their surroundings, it’d be all but impossible for an amateur to tell a Jyulapus Ent apart from a regular tree. 

Jyulapus Ents were the result of mana gathering and accumulating into a tree. In essence, they were monsters born from trees, so simply staring at them wouldn’t do one any good, seeing as they were basically the same thing. However, due to the nature of their creation and the mana accumulated in them, a seasoned mage would be able to tell one apart from a tree at a glance, but I wasn’t capable of doing such a thing. 

There were other ways, too; for instance, a magical tool that resembled glasses and made mana slightly visible to the viewer. Said tools were expensive though, and would often only last for one use. To be precise, tools like that were enchanted to only last for a day at most, and I had no intentions of paying for such a frivolous thing. 

In the end, the search was proving difficult, and I found myself wishing that I’d bought such a tool in the first place... A pointless consideration at this point in time, no doubt. 

This was why I turned to my final, most drastic solution. It left much to be desired in the safety department, but I had few choices left. My solution: I set about about swinging my sword into everything, shrubs included. Now what would happen if one of my swings just so happened to hit a Jyulapus Ent? The outcome was quite predictable, really. 

A Jyulapus Ent was originally a tree during some point in its life, but it was still turned into a monster. With the exception of a few notable examples, monsters were usually vicious and violent creatures. Should they be ambushed or struck by an object... 

“...JYUUURRRRRRUUUVVVAAA!!!” 

A rumbling sound, hardly one that a tree should be making, rang out from a relatively small, shrub-like plant that my sword had struck. Under normal circumstances, branches and vines shouldn’t be able to move, but they were now thrashing about, visibly alive. Soon enough, those very same vines swung at me like a whip, while the monster’s branches extended and thrust out at me, as if it were a wooden spear. It was evident to see that the tree in question was dead-set on attacking me. 

Originally, vines and trees didn’t exactly get along. This seemed somewhat changed, however, probably a result of the tree becoming a monster. Both tree and vine were now taking aim at me, as if attempting to strangle and pierce me to death. I’d strongly prefer to not die by either of those methods... 

A desire from the bottom of my heart, indeed. I continued chopping down the vines that struck out at me, all the while avoiding the sharp branches shooting in my direction with a few well-placed twists. Fortunately, what seemed to be the core part of the Jyulapus Ent appeared to be a thicker wooden trunk of sorts, so the monster couldn’t move around freely. 

The vines that I had cut down slithered about like snakes before planting themselves into the ground, growing new roots where they could. 

Why won’t you die? 

The vitality of these things is truly impressive, was what I thought to say, but an Undead like myself really shouldn’t be one to talk. 

Would strangling and piercing me in multiple places even kill me? To kill a monster that had vampiric properties, its heart would have to be pierced by a weapon made of silver, or one coated with holy water—or so the folk stories said. In reality, Lesser Vampires were indeed dealt with in that specific way. If memory served, there were also a few cases of such measures successfully slaying Middle Vampires, too. 

I’d heard no tales of vampires beyond that level being slain by such methods, however. In fact, I wasn’t even sure if that was a possibility. I should just be more careful around silver and holy water. 

Come to think of it, I was hardly affected by holy water before, so just silver then. But even then...I’d handled silver during some of Lorraine’s experiments and didn’t feel ill from doing so. I seemed to be very, very different from normal vampires, judging by all our differences. Did this mean I would die if strangled or pierced, then? I had absolutely no idea... 

Disregarding my rambling thoughts on my own physique, I felt a bit relieved. I’d sliced off some of the monster’s vines and branches, giving me some breathing room. The roots sprouting from the fallen vines seemed to grow at a slow pace, but its growth was still clearly visible. At the very least, it was growing much faster than a normal plant would. Would they grow into new Jyulapus Ents if I left them alone...? 

More important was the monster before me. As its appearance would suggest, a Jyulapus Ent was a tree that had become a monster—a moving monster tree, so to speak. A most vicious, hateful face had surfaced upon a particularly thick trunk, marking the core of the monster, perhaps. It was most disgusting and hardly a pleasant thing to look at. Vines were wrapped along its branches and trunk, and its eyes and mouth were illuminated by a dim light that flickered as it moved. It was a mystery as to when these appeared, whether it was when it was still a tree, or after it had become a Jyulapus Ent. 

According to the tomes I’d read, some specimens of this monster type came with vines, and some others didn’t. If I had to guess, this tree was probably entwined with vines long before it evolved into a monster. The Jyulapus Ent before me, which was still thrashing around and attempting to impale me with sharp wooden branches, did have a bit of a white tone to its wood, so it was probably a birch tree at first. 

Regardless, I didn’t have very much knowledge when it came to forestry and trees, so I had no way of ascertaining the suitability of this particular wood in wand-making. According to Lorraine’s answers on the matter, any wood from a Jyulapus Ent would cause the output potential of a wand to increase. That much was visibly evident in how the monster was able to use its own body as weapons, branches, vines, and all. 

I’d swung my sword at it with quite some force, but the tree didn’t snap or break in half. I could infuse my weapon with mana or spirit to cut it down, but the same could be said for most wood materials. In other words, there was little need for me to worry about the wood’s suitability or strength. 

As for how much wood I actually needed... Considering we were making short wands, I couldn’t see us using more than forty centimeters of raw material. I really didn’t need any more than that. But with this being the case, I had a good mind to secure several specimens for this purpose since I couldn’t spend too much time on a single monster. 

From my repeated clashes with the Jyulapus Ent, one thing was clear: it didn’t have any special means of attack. The most it did was flail its vines or attempt to pierce me with its branches, and maybe a body slam too, if it got close. That was all there was to it. So if it stuck to this routine, an all-out offensive seemed fit for my purposes. 

Believing my assumptions to be true, I waited for the Jyulapus Ent’s next attack. I neatly dodged the monster’s flurry of branches as they flew toward me, slicing some of them off along the way. Closing the distance, I stabbed my sword deep into the monster’s eye socket, an easy opening on its grotesque trunk-face. 

The space behind the monster’s face seemed hollow and empty, but there was more to it than met the eye. To be precise, this empty hollow was the so-called main body of the Jyulapus Ent itself. The monster wasn’t just a tree or some wooden bits; the true form of a Jyulapus Ent was that of an amorphous spirit, housed within the hollow. That meant this particular monster had a glaring weakness. Under normal circumstances, one would strike at that particular part of the Ent, but few individuals did so. 

It was probably to be expected, though. After all, the so-called core of this monster was an immaterial spirit. A normal, physical attack wouldn’t be capable of dealing much damage to it at all. But there was a purely physical way of taking down a Jyulapus Ent, by destroying its trunk outright. 

The rationale for such attacks being effective was that the spirit within a Jyulapus Ent was highly unstable, and didn’t have much of a grip on the material plane. Should the trunk that it possessed be destroyed, it would lose a medium to bind itself to, and in the process basically stop existing. Not exactly the best way to go about harvesting wood from an Ent. Even if I didn’t really need that much wood from the monster, I wanted to gather as many materials as possible. If we had any wood left over, it would sell for several times the price of normal lumber. Now, I always had “saving coin and making gold” on my mind, so I had no intentions of destroying it physically. What, then, would one deploy against an immaterial opponent, impervious to physical attacks? 

Mana and Spirit were options. Unless an adventurer was armed with one of the two, fighting an immaterial foe was impossible. Usually, the most effective means of combating spirits was divinity. However, individuals who wielded divinity were rare, and there were no commonly known methods for slaying monsters with it. 

Nonetheless, I already had a plan in mind. Burying my sword deep into its eye socket, I channeled and coated my weapon with mana. Almost immediately— 

“GIGGGIIIAAAYAAA!!!” 

A high-pitched wail blasted out from the Jyulapus Ent’s somewhat disturbing mouth opening. As the wail subsided, a wispy, black substance wafted out from the Ent’s body, almost like a trail of smoke, before dissolving into the air and disappearing completely. With that, the light in the Ent’s eyes and mouth slowly faded. As the tension faded from its branches and vines, the monster collapsed, its body falling onto the ground with a thud. 

I supposed it was now slain. 

The vines on the ground, too, stopped growing their roots as rapidly as they had before, returning to a more normal rate of growth. At the very least, I couldn’t visually discern them growing from where I stood. 

The Jyulapus Ent’s main body, now on its side, was mostly unscathed. I could confidently say there were more than enough materials to be had off its lifeless shell. After conducting a quick scan of my surroundings and confirming there were no monsters in my immediate vicinity, I moved to collect the materials I’d come for.