REMANTIA'S LABYRINTH, SEVENTY-SECOND FLOOR
Once the store is closed and we've earned about 1.2 yen in total sales, we shift to our usual labyrinth run and leave Puck at home as usual.
Right now, Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, Pinna, Salacia, Manas, Lilith, and I explore the seventy-second floor. Manas and Yomogi walk side by side up front with Pinna's Observer Unit floating between them as our frontliners. Chantal walks in between the front and mid lines. The middle remains the same as Kimberly walks next to Lilith and Pinna, with the latter's Crawler Unit slithering on the ground between them. And finally, there is me in the rear with Salacia.
If my guessing is correct... then in this floor, we will encounter Puncher Woods once again after they reappeared at the fortieth floor. And obviously, I can't wait to set our stats and help Yomogi collect the flowers like we did back then.
But then, Salacia suddenly stops walking beside me, and I turn to her.
"What's wrong, Salacia?"
Salacia beams and reaches into her dimensional inventory, holding several sleek, new-looking vials.
"I made new potions today~. They're stamina potions, and I want everyone to try them~!"
"Ohh!"
We immediately gather around her. One by one, she hands out the bottles, and curiosity ripples through us.
Yomogi takes the first sip, and her eyes light up.
"Mmm! This is amazing, Salacia! I can feel the stamina flowing right into me already!"
Chantal takes her sip next, letting out a delighted sigh.
"Yaahh... why are your potions always this good, Salacia? This is crazy delicious!"
Kimberly drinks hers slowly, savoring it.
"It's… more gentle… than most... stamina potions... I've ever had… truly delightful, Salacia…"
Pinna sips hers and analyzes as usual.
"High vitamin density. Excellent mineral balance. I can detect a prolonged enhancement in muscular endurance. This formula displays advanced craftsmanship, Salacia."
Manas lowers her vial with satisfaction.
"Kraken's concoction hath never yet failed to please me."
Lilith only takes a small sip, then shivers.
"Mmh~… what is this? I've never drunk a potion before… I didn't know they could taste this good. It's almost like alcohol~…"
Salacia clasps her hands together, her smile practically glowing.
"I'm so glad everyone enjoys them~! I hope they help our labyrinth run today!"
The girls' answer overlaps naturally.
"Absolutely!"
Finally, I lift my own bottle and take a sip, savoring the light fizz across my tongue.
Unlike her restorative potion that tastes like sports drinks, her stamina potion is definitely in energy-drink territory. But this is not like the two overly sweet canned brands that spike your adrenaline into orbit. This one is smoother and softer, more like those Japanese energy drinks that come in small brown bottles with twist caps.
And I can't help but praise her.
"This is very good, Salacia."
"Fufu~... thank you, darling~! I can't believe my experiment with your soda actually worked… and that everyone loves it~!"
"You really did a great job, you know."
Yeah, it's true.
Recently, she asked me for plain soda for something she didn't explain. And now, when I found out she manages to blend carbonation with her sea plant concoctions and turn it into a functional stamina potion like this... it just solidified her as a brilliant alchemist.
With everyone feeling refreshed and energized, we continue to walk.
And it doesn't take long for Chantal suddenly to stop in our tracks, and her ears twitch as Manas turns back to her.
"What dost thou detect, Chantal?"
"They're... monsters that matter to us..."
Even though Chantal doesn't say what they are, some of us know what she means. These monsters are from the eighth floor, then reappeared at the fortieth floor on the first loop... and they've returned once again here, at the seventy-second floor, as a part of the second loop.
Up ahead, Yomogi's posture is firm and isn't trembling anymore. With that, I ask Chantal, Kimberly, and Pinna.
"Chantal. Kimberly. Pinna. You three want to help Yomogi again?"
"Hell yeah, Motegi-kun."
"I will... Motegi-sama..."
"Affirmative, Master."
Yeah, of course they would. These three stood beside her at the fortieth floor back then, after all.
And this time, our party is bigger. Manas and Lilith weren't with us back then, so they don't know what those monsters mean to Yomogi. But as I look at them now, I can feel they're ready to fight. Not out of understanding, maybe, but because they want to be part of this.
As I silently activate [Temporary Boost] and set everyone's Luck stats to infinity, eight towering tree trunks with boxing gloves come into view and charge at us without hesitation.
"Rrraaahhh!"
Yomogi growls, and this time, she's just composed, with no glistening eyes in sight. She slams her fist into one of the Puncher Woods with full force, pounding against it relentlessly until it finally collapses under her fists.
Then, Lilith tilts her head...
"I don't really get why everyone's so fired up about these things, but maybe I should lend a hand~…"
And she raises her hand, cooing toward two of the oncoming monsters.
"Now now, be good boys for me, hmm~?"
The two Puncher Woods freeze mid-motion, completely trapped by whatever illusion that Lilith plants in their minds.
"Thanks for the setup, Lilith! I need these flowers for my nephew, you know?!"
Chantal shouts and drives her daggers down across both trunks. One slice, then another, then another — arms, trunks, all of them.
"Thinkest thou I wouldst be left from this fray? Perish the thought! Fire Stratos!"
Two more come roaring in from the side and head straight for Manas, but she raises her hand and casts Fire Stratos. Pillars of flame erupt from the ground in layered bursts, engulfing the two monsters in a swirling inferno until they turn into ash.
"Wind... Cannon…"
"Guoouoouoohhh...!!"
A sphere of spiraling air bursts from Kimberly's palm, rocketing forward and tearing the two other Puncher Woods apart.
"Engage."
WHAM!
"Master. Engage."
"Got it!"
Finally, Pinna's Crawler Unit pins the last Puncher Wood onto the ground with gravitational force. And when she calls out to me, I immediately dash forward and slice it clean through with Yamitsuki.
And then, the white flowers drop where they died. Yomogi falls to her knees, reaching out and gathering all eight as she pulls them into her arms and presses them against her chest.
"Thank you… everyone. With this many… my son will be delighted for years to come."
Chantal pulls her into a warm, tight hug.
"Of course he will. He had an amazing mom like you, after all."
Yomogi sniffles against her, but her smile is full of light.
Around them, Kimberly, Pinna, Salacia, and I are smiling too. Even Manas and Lilith curve their lips warmly as if they understand how these monsters matter to us.
Yeah, this party has really grown, hasn't it?
And with that, we press onward and continue defeating more Puncher Woods until we descend to the seventy-third floor.
REMANTIA'S LABYRINTH, SEVENTY-THIRD FLOOR
Arriving here, more returning monsters appear, which are Blitz Sheeps this time. They're actually from the ninth floor, and they already returned at the forty-first floor. But once again, they reappear on this floor.
Honestly, out of all the monsters we've encountered, Blitz Sheep are probably the most resourceful. Their normal drops are wool, which the boutique pays more than the guild, and the rare ones are meat, which I obviously know that those are what the girls want.
As eight Blitz Sheeps come into view, I just silently activate [Temporary Boost] again and set all everyone's stats to infinity. Then, the sheep charge at once in their classic zigzag formation.
One crashes into Manas's shield...
CLANG!
But she stands her ground and shouts back at me.
"Mine king, cleave it whilst I bind it so!"
"Got it! Haahh!"
With that, I let Yamitsuki slash across its neck cleanly, and the head tumbles off after that.
"Rrraaahhh!"
Another slams straight into Yomogi, but she grapples it mid-charge. With a roar, she lifts the sheep up and slams it backward into the ground in a massive suplex.
Two more bolt toward Lilith, but she just raises her hand and coos again.
"Ohhh, you poor fluffy babies, it's time to sleep~. One~… two~… three~…"
She keeps counting softly, slowly... until the sheep begin to wobble and their zigzag turns become sluggish. I don't know why, but her illusion here is like counting sheep, but in reverse. Instead of humans falling asleep while counting sheep, sheep become sleepy because they're being counted.
"Thanks again, Lilith!"
Without hesitation, Chantal darts forward and slices both in a flash.
"Wind... Bullet..."
"Gruuoohh...!!" "Gruuoohh...!!"
"Engage."
BOOM! BOOM!
"Gruuoohh...!!" "Gruuoohh...!!"
Finally, Kimberly and Pinna finish off the last four Blitz Sheep. Kimberly raises her arm and pierces through two with a sharp, concentrated wind, while Pinna's Crawler Unit detonates the remaining pair.
After that, we reach out to collect the meat drops. But then, I see Salacia approach Yomogi and brush her hand across the latter's shoulders.
"Let me handle that for you, Yomogi~..."
"Yes, please!"
"Heal."
In an instant, Yomogi's bruises are gone, and her skin is flawless again.
"Thank you, Salacia."
"You're welcome, Yomogi~!"
And just like that, we continue forward, defeating more Blitz Sheeps and gathering more meat until we descend to the seventy-fourth floor.
REMANTIA'S LABYRINTH, SEVENTY-FOURTH FLOOR
Arriving here, more returning monsters appear, which are Sleep Donkeys this time. They're actually from the tenth floor, and they already returned at the forty-second floor. But once again, they reappear on this floor.
Let me tell you what these monsters are. Their normal drop is a thick, sticky glue paste, which can be used as medicine. And their rare one is the skill crystal, which can be fused into accessories and grants immunity to hypnosis or sleep effects.
However, my [Blacksmithing] and [Lapidary] skills apparently can't do the crystal fusing thing. But still, for adventurers like us, it's better to get the rare items because they're worth a lot more. So in the end, I just silently activate [Temporary Boost] again and set everyone's stats to infinity.
Then, Lilith lifts her hand with a soft giggle.
"Ohoho~... such naughty little donkeys, aren't you~?"
All eight of the yawning Sleep Donkeys immediately stop in place. Their heavy-lidded eyes lock onto her like they're enchanted. They begin waddling toward us, sluggish and swaying, drawn in by her voice like puppets on invisible strings.
Honestly, it kinda reminds me of her mind games battle with the Ushabti Witch back then. I mean... all three of them — Ushabti Witch, Sleep Donkeys, and Lilith — deal in status effects. But in every case, Lilith's illusions have come out on top.
And we don't wait.
"Rrraaahhh!"
"Who sayeth… mine shield… cannot kill?! Hah!"
Yomogi and Manas burst forward, each one of them launching an uppercut to one donkey with their fist and massive shield and sending the monsters crashing into the ceiling.
"You're way too ugly, you know that?!"
Chantal shouts, her twin blades decapitating one cleanly.
"Wind… Boomerang…"
"Earth Spikes!"
Kimberly and I lift our hands together as each one of us takes down two donkeys. Kimberly's wind crescent sails forward, slicing through a donkey's neck before curving midair and decapitating another one. And my own Earth Spikes impale two donkeys at once from below.
"Engage."
Finally, Pinna's Crawler Unit fires a wire onto the last donkey's neck and then yanks it sideways, slamming it into the walls over and over again.
After that, we reach out to collect the skill crystal drops. And we continue forward, defeating more Sleep Donkeys and gathering more skill crystals until we descend to the seventy-fifth floor.
REMANTIA'S LABYRINTH, SEVENTY-FIFTH FLOOR
As we reach the seventy-fifth floor, I cast my teleportation spell and turn to the girls.
"Shall we go home now?"
"Yes, Motegi-chan!"
"I think we're done here, Motegi-kun!"
"Me too… Motegi-sama…"
"Proceed to return, Master."
"Anywhere you go, darling~..."
"Thou hast but to command, mine king..."
"Lead the way now, honey~..."
"Alright, then."
And just like that, we step into the portal together and end our labyrinth adventure for today.
BACK AT MOTEGI'S HOUSE
Arriving home, Puck immediately launches toward me, landing perfectly on my chest.
"Kyuu!"
"Hahaha! We're home, Puck."
"Kyuu! Kyuu! Kyuu!"
Then, I turn to everyone.
"I'll take charge for dinner tonight."
"Yes, Motegi-chan!"
"Use that Blitz Sheep meat, okay? I'm seriously craving meat, Motegi-kun!"
"Got it."
With that, I gently pass Puck into Yomogi's waiting arms, and the others join to pamper our little puffball as I turn toward the kitchen.
First, I open the fridge and pull a couple of onions and three carrots from Drill Carrots, slicing the onion thin and julienning the carrots. Then, I measure out Heiligeichen's long-grain rice, rinse it thoroughly under cold water, and set it aside to soak in a bowl.
I drizzle oil into the biggest pot we have, letting it heat while I cube the Blitz Sheep meat into perfect chunks. Once the oil is ready, I toss in the meat and onions, stirring them all up until they're all browning.
After that, I add the carrots, followed by a mix of cumin, coriander, bay leaves, black pepper, salt, and a little turmeric. I stir it all together before I pour in just enough water to cover the base, then seal it with the lid so the carrots can soften.
Once the carrots are tender, I drain the soaked rice and carefully scatter the rice into the pot. Then, I add a bit more water to cook the rice up and place a whole garlic bulb right in the center before I close the lid again.
Yes, I know the traditional recipe requires chili flakes and raw chilies. But I still don't want Puck to eat something spicy, and honestly, making a separate tiny portion tonight would be too much of a hassle. So I skip the chili entirely.
About thirty minutes later, I turn off the heat and let the pot rest for a few minutes.
When I finally lift the lid, a cloud of fragrant steam escapes. I pull out the garlic bulb and fluff the perfectly cooked, golden rice gently, making sure the grains stay separate and light. After that, I spoon the pilaf onto a big plate, and then I carry it out to the table.
"Dinner's ready, everyone. These are called pilaf."
I quickly serve Puck its own tiny dish. After that, the girls don't waste time after that as they scoop servings onto their plates. As the first bites land, the same reaction flows across the table from everyone.
"Mmm! This is so delicious! The meat is so tender, Motegi-chan!"
"So much meat! I love it. Thank you, Motegi-kun!"
"Rice dishes... are just… perfect. So warm…"
"What is this, darling~? It's so yummy~!"
"I daresay... I begin to find appeal in dishes less spicy than I once demanded, mine king..."
"Mmh~ this is just too good for me, honey…"
"Moisture content is optimal. Flavor profile is well-balanced. Texture of the rice is fluffy yet structured. Nutritional value is high. This result is satisfactory."
Even Puck also chirps delightfully as it nibbles on its own portion.
"Kyuu!"
Finally, I take my own bite and let the warm spices, soft carrot, and perfectly tender meat and cooked rice spread across my tongue.
"This is really incredible..."
Sure, the lack of chilies makes a difference. But seeing the girls and Puck enjoy the dish so much feels like it doesn't even matter anymore.
And just like that, we continue our dinner, surrounded by laughter and delicious smells in our growing home.