So the negotiation between both sides finally concluded, and Meradis left to discuss things with the other spirits. Meanwhile, I got pulled back by Seina.
What's this about now?
"Are you still playing dumb?? Are you going to continue with the task Queen Marakia asked of you earlier or not?" Seina asked. "Even if you're a complete idiot, I'll still let you decide."
I mean, seriously... did she really have to call me an idiot?
But… this problem…
I couldn't really think much about it earlier with Meradis around, but I can't ignore it either. There could very well be some trap waiting for me, and I'm the one being thrown right into it.
But still, it was really strange how Queen Marakia so easily agreed and even offered me such benefits, despite not knowing if I would actually go through with it.
Oh no.
She must have seen the future and already knew whether I would do it, so she used that knowledge to tie me down with benefits, huh?
So what did the me of the future decide?
Do it? Or not do it?
Hummmm…
"If it's too hard for you to decide, then let's just do it for now. But when the critical moment comes — when Queen Marakia is resurrected — we'll prepare a few countermeasures," Seina said.
Hmm, that plan of Seina's actually sounds pretty reasonable.
Alright, then we'll do it!
After that, we continued discussing the matter of rescuing the spirit race on the 40th floor, but no matter how much we debated, we couldn't come up with any good solutions. The difference in power was just too overwhelming.
Half-King… I don't even know what level that is or how powerful it really is. Heck, I'm not even sure how many evolutions I need to reach that level.
"For now, we should head to the 10th floor. I think that, like on the 5th floor, there are probably some special things on each unique floor that can help you boost your strength quickly," Seina said.
Yeah, that makes sense.
But although I really wanted to go right away, we still had to wait for Meradis to finish her talks with her people. And judging by the shouting I overheard, the conversation wasn't going smoothly.
Hopefully, she can handle it.
…
Three days later, Meradis came to find me and informed me that everything had been resolved, and we could now proceed to the tenth floor.
I didn't hesitate. I transferred all the spirits into the Virtual World for Seina to take care of. With both Seina and Meradis there, I didn't have to worry about anything going wrong, so I could travel with peace of mind.
And I wasn't just idling around during those past few days, either. I had to help the spirits nurture some Chorus eggs with [Soul Repair], study magic with Suzu, and assist Seina in organizing some things before the spirits entered.
Man, being a spider sure isn't an easy job — it's non-stop work!
Later on, I'm definitely going to ask Seina to implement some work benefits. I mean, this is just unfair. Even if I'm technically working for myself, I still deserve some perks!
Anyway, putting that aside, I set off for the tenth floor. But the exit was quite far from my current location because the map had changed, so I took the opportunity to warm up a bit by taking out some monsters along the way.
It's only been a few days, and these things are already repopulating, so I might as well clean them up again before they go to waste.
…
Phew!
After two more days, I finally arrived at the tenth floor.
The landscape here is still a cavern, but unlike before, there are no branching paths or narrow corridors. Instead, it's one massive open area. So large, in fact, that even with [Heaven Eye], it took me quite a while to spot the entrance to the eleventh floor on the far end.
And the most remarkable thing is the massive arena located at the center of this area.
With a quick scan, I could detect thousands of energy signatures coming from the arena, and a few hundred more scattered around.
Looks like I'm about to rake in some juicy experience points. But I wasn't in a rush — I wanted to observe what these creatures usually did here. So I climbed up the arena and concealed myself carefully to watch.
On this arena, I saw only two races: Goblins and Orcs. These species are so common that I wasn't surprised, but what did shock me was their numbers. Even though I'd already scanned them beforehand, seeing it with my own eyes made my skin crawl.
There were over a thousand adult Goblins and Orcs each, and that's only counting the grown ones. I also scouted their lairs and saw who knows how many younglings and newborns.
It looks like on the tenth floor, these two races are the dominant powers. Not only do they outnumber everything else, but their overall strength is insane too. I counted at least a few dozen mutated individuals on each side.
Huh??
Something seems off…
What are they doing?
Since they live in the same area, I thought they'd be fighting fiercely over territory, but instead, they were battling in a very structured way. Each side would send out fighters, who then duelled in the center of the arena. The losers would be taken as prisoners or trophies by the winners, and these matches just kept going on and on.
The Goblins had the advantage in speed and used ranged weapons like bows and spears — by the way, I have no idea where they even got those from. Meanwhile, the Orcs relied on their massive size, toughness, and brute strength. Their main weapons were clubs and hammers, which they used to smash down relentlessly.
The two sides were very different, but surprisingly balanced. From what I could tell, it was still a draw overall...
Wait, are those referees and judges???
Nai wa!
Could they really be… more intelligent than the average specimen?
"Indeed," came Meradis's voice suddenly.
When I turned around, she was already sitting on my back. Well… I didn't really mind that, but why didn't she just fly over?
"When we passed through here before, we had a battle with them too," Meradis said.
"Oh? Tell me about it!"
I was genuinely excited. This was the first time I'd seen such an organized form of combat. Until now, it was always just mindless brawling — hit on sight with no rules.
"They asked us to fight in the arena. If we won three matches, they would let us pass. But if we lost, we had to leave one person behind as their prize."
"So... how'd it go?"
"Heh. Even though we were injured at the time, their kind couldn't withstand attacks targeting the soul. So we won all three matches. And true to their word, they let us pass."
Oh…
So they really are that intelligent?
"Shiraori could try it too. If an outsider enters this floor and challenges them, they'll offer a reward for each victory."
Wait, there's a reward system???
The moment I heard the word "reward," my eyes lit up, and I immediately imagined myself dramatically appearing in the center of the arena, challenging everyone present with a bold declaration…
Ah, just thinking about it made my whole body tingle with excitement.
"Yes, Shiraori is very cool," Meradis said.
Uhh… I appreciated the compliment, really, but her tone felt off somehow… and the way she kept saying my name gave me the sense I was being seduced by a dangerous woman.
Still… I wonder what kind of rewards they offer?
"Just random things they've collected. Most of it is stuff from humans who entered this place and either got stuck here or were killed right away."
Ugh, that's creepy!
So basically, they're asking me to loot corpses??
"You haven't done that before?" Seina suddenly chimed in.
That's different!
I was given those — it's not the same as just taking them!
"Alright then, go ahead and get it over with."
Ok!
I was starting to feel pumped to fight now.
"Wait a moment," Meradis suddenly said again.
"Hm? What is it?"
"If Shiraori wins, don't accept the reward. Just keep winning — one hundred times in a row — and they'll lead you to a secret place."
Oh? There's a secret too?
"Tell me!"
"Sure. When I came through here, I sensed something strange beneath the arena. But due to the situation at the time, I couldn't investigate. Later, before I left, I secretly read the memory of a Goblin and learned that something is sealed beneath the arena — something only accessible by those who've won one hundred consecutive matches."
Something mysterious?
"Were you able to identify it?"
"No. It's highly unstable. Sometimes, it just emits screams like someone is yelling in pain. Other times, it releases a terrifying burst of energy that instantly kills any creature it touches."
Nai wa!
There's something that dangerous!?
"Are you trying to get me killed!?"
"Of course not. As long as Shiraori follows the proper method, nothing bad will happen. There was once a Goblin who managed to reach that place. No one knows what happened down there, but that Goblin is now the tribe leader of all Goblins here. He has immense power — one punch can shatter dozens of walls."
That strong!?
But… isn't there any way besides following the rules? Can't I just bust in?
"Remember that creature I mentioned before — the one that rampaged everywhere looking for food?"
Ah, the Cerberus...
"This place was one of its targets too. When it tried to force its way under the arena, a burst of energy transformed into a slash that wounded it so severely, it had to stop its slaughter and flee far away."
So it really is that powerful…
If I act carelessly, even the residual shockwaves could probably obliterate me.
"Wait… how do you even know all this?"
"Spirits are very good at hiding. I used that advantage to read the memories of a few key Goblins and Orcs — that's how I learned all of this."
!!!!
"You didn't happen to read my memories too, right?"
"Of course not. If Shiraori doesn't give permission, I won't read them. Besides, your soul is protected by an extremely powerful barrier. Even for me, breaking into it without being detected would be incredibly difficult."
There's something strange about this girl's attitude, but… since we're allies for now, I'll just trust her.
Alright! Enough talking — now it's time for me to shine!