"H-how has that woman been following us! Didn't you say the Witch's Fort is safe?" Missha shoted, looking exhausted.
"You stubborn bitch!" Hikurod said.
I agreed. If only I had logically anticipated this situation instead of just cursing... As soon as we entered the forest, that damned fox wouldn't have been able to track us, so she would have looked for a suitable explorer to manipulate, posing as a poor priestess who had lost her companions to ruthless raiders.
"Look, it seems there's some kind of misunderstanding. That woman is a priestess of Karui-"
"What!" cried the explorer. "Now I see that they were not mere plunderers, but followers of an evil spirit!"
"No, so it's not us, Elisa-"
"Come and put your neck out and be decorated by God!" Hikurod tried to use his words, but the man whose brain was apparently picked under God's blessing could only hear what he wanted to hear.
"Lord! Please deliver the Lord's iron mass to those wicked men! That way, my comrades who wander in the afterlife can lay down their grudges and return to the arms of God."
At the same time as Elisa shouted, the opposing group of explorers drew their weapons. The same thing happened to us. In conversations with the explorers, sometimes fists spoke louder than words.
"Don't worry about your wonders, focus on killing your enemies! Reatlas's blessing will be with you." Telling them that Elisa would heal them, even if they caught like dogs, the leader of the opposing team charged at us with blazing eyes, shouting that damned slogan: "May the blessing of the twilight star be with you!"
To be honest, it was hard to understand why they were doing that to help that bitch. He seemed to be a devout believer, but the others didn't have to do the same.
"Fight with all your might! If we kill them, our team will win a priestess!"
"Ohhhhhh!" That's what it was. They were trying to kill us for practical, not religious, reasons. Now that I saw that the bitch seemed to have made them promises as some kind of reward... Okay, to a certain extent I understand the situation.
Boom!
Once I took the blow from that bastard chief's ax with my shield, I yelled, planting the seed of a mutiny. "You fucking idiots! Which one of you will abandon the team when the priest arrives?" These bastards were a team of five from the start. If a priestess joined, one of us had to be kicked out.
When I pointed this out, the chief exclaimed in bewilderment, "Don't be fooled by his wicked wit!"
What evil? It was obvious they hadn't even thought that far ahead. "Huh?"
As if to provide it, the four explorers, excluding the leader, stopped for a moment. Unfortunately, it didn't last long.
«Um, but it probably won't be me?»
«Hey, isn't that something to think about later?»
«One of us could even die today».
«I don't care about the priestess. Just by selling your team I'll earn enough to screw up an entire year».
Shit, I forgot these were explorers. Each of his reasons were psychopathic.
So all they need is money and a cause, right? Yes, it's actually better that you be immutable.
I built a shield wall with Hikurod and analyzed the opponent's combat power. Three melee warriors, two long-range warriors, and a disguised priest... As scouts to enter the Witch Forest, it was safe to say that our level difference was almost non-existent. They even had one more person than us. This time, there was nothing more to judge. Even considering that Elisa was unable to bring out the power of the evil spirit due to her cosplay, it was clearly a disadvantage. To come up with some kind of strategy...
The only option is to finish them off with a single surprise attack.
I immediately called the magician on our side. «Dwalkie!» No long words were necessary.
«Ten seconds! Just wait ten seconds!» As soon as I said his name, Dwalkie responded to show that he had more experience now.
But the other side did not lack experience either. «Wizard! There's a wizard on the other side!» Realizing Dwalkie's existence, the other side concentrated their attacks.
The three melee warriors could have been covered by me and Hikurod, but it was physically impossible to block the arrows and skill projectiles flying towards the chanted Dwalkie.
Whip!
But I wasn't too worried. Weren't we a team of explorers? I didn't have to do everything myself.
«Ugh!» Missha shot down a flying arrow with a dagger, and Brown blocked a projectile with a shield. By then, the spell was complete.
[Riol Warb Dwalkie has released Rank 8 Ice Spear.]
It wasn't a reinforced ice spear, but it didn't matter. The opponent wasn't even a big monster. This was enough to send them back into the arms of god in one fell swoop. Of course, this was based on the premise that it would hit a vital point.
Wiiip!
Preparing to cast magic on people, not monsters: The time to show that determination came much earlier than expected. What decision would Dwalkie make?
Bam!
Contrary to my concerns, the Ice Spear fired precisely at Elisa's head. Unfortunately, it was not a success. This was the reason why scouts were more difficult than monsters.
«Wow, that was dangerous. You're OK?»
«Yes! Thanks for saving me!»
The other team knew that a magical attack had been launched, and that it would probably be aimed at the priestess. There was no reason they couldn't block it. An explorer who crosses from the third floor to the fourth should have both physique.
Once again... humans are the most annoying bastards of all.
We were not moving forward easily. Just as Brown and Missha were able to successfully protect Dwalkie, our opponents did not suffer our attacks. It was time to make a final decision. By now, we had tested enough.
«Dwalkie! Use voice control magic!»
«Okay!» When I gave a vigorous order, clearly rejecting further questions, Dwalkie cast the magic spell without any objection.
Voice control was, quite simply, a convenient magic that allowed for team talking. Now, even if we talked to each other, the other side wouldn't hear us. I looked at my opponents aggressively and shouted: «Hikurod!».
«What's wrong!»
«Let's bounce!»
«Hahahaha! It's a great idea!» Fortunately, the dwarf who had the right to give an order in an emergency situation agreed with my decision. Hell, he wasn't that stupid. Even if we won this fight, it was likely to end with injuries. When that time came, that crazy bitch would use the power of the dark god without hesitation. No matter how hard we tried, only a bleak future awaited us.
«Missha! When you're ready, bring Dwalkie!»
«Okay!»
«Hikurod, use that object when it gives you a signal!»
«I will!»
Missha and the dwarf nodded without disagreeing. That left Brown with the most important task, but he didn't need to tell him what to do. With one look, he understood what he was thinking.
«When I'm gone, everyone follow me closely!». The only one he could trust was Brown. Anyway, it seemed like there was nothing more to report at this time. «Now!»
The moment I gave the signal, Missha finished preparing to jump with Dwalkie on her shoulders, as she had little stamina. At the same time, the dwarf's wristbands shone with their own light.
[Hikurod Murad has worn a Guardian bracelet].
No.3112 Guardian wristband.
In the game, the item reduced damage by 5%, and had the effect of increasing power in proportion to the reduced damage. But there was another effect of its use.
[The user heavily knocks down enemies and all allies become temporarily immune to all damaging effects].
Large counterattack and debuff elimination area. As an object numbered at 3,000, the judgment took priority over field effects.
[Loss of orientation status anomaly removed. The state abnormality Auditory Hallucination is eliminated. Visual Hallucination is eliminated. The Increased Pain status abnormality has been eliminated].
The moment the three melee warriors were thrown away, our curved field of vision returned to its original state and became brighter, but that did not last long. I didn't know how much beating this guy had taken in that time, but it was about 20 seconds at most. This time also took into account Hikurod's characteristic, which increased the effectiveness of the numbered item by 1.5 times. This would be enough to make time to flee.
«What are you doing! Run!»
Somehow it seemed like we were being chased here and there throughout this expedition.
***
The first to perceive the enemy's movement and guide the team members towards an efficient route was the scout. So what qualities were needed to become an explorer? The answer was extremely simple, data accumulated through prior knowledge and experience in the maze. With just these two things, you could find your way around the first and second floors, not to mention the third, which was a kind of open world concept in which the topography did not change.
However, from the fourth floor onwards it was another story. To be precise, I should say that it started with the Witch's Forest, where the portal to the fourth floor was located.
[Guardian Wristband's effect duration has expired. Field Effect-The Witch's Forest is active].
The compass was dead, we were completely lost, and the only landmarks were the trees, but these trees also moved as if they were alive. Therefore, the explorer's special abilities were necessary from here on out to find the way.
«Over here.» Brown's main ability was his sense of smell. Having adjusted his olfactory stats through an essence, he was able to accurately navigate the path to the fourth floor, even in this hideous forest. When your sense of smell reached a certain level, you could smell the aroma of mana, allowing people like him to find their way. I didn't fully understand it, but broadly speaking it worked like that.
«The scout on that side doesn't seem like an ordinary person either. They are reducing the distance to our exact location».
Those sons of bitches were still following us very well. Of course, I couldn't even feel his presence. But if Rotmiller said it, then it must be true.
So in the end, the key is who gets to the fourth floor portal first.
When I was organizing the current situation in my mind, Brown spoke as if it were of the same opinion. «Let's accelerate from now on».
Now, it was a race against time. If we arrived earlier, we could avoid unnecessary fights. On the other hand, if they reached us before? Then we would have no choice but to fight until one of the groups was defeated.
The problem is that everyone is tired...
Life doesn't go the way you want, especially if you are exhausted.
«Miss Karlstein, give it to me!» Hikurod decided to take over Dwalkie for Missha, and this was where the accident occurred.
«Ah!» The mistake was trying to hand over Dwalkie while he continued running, to win, even if it was just a little time. Missha lost her balance and fell. Fortunately, Hikurod grabbed Dwalkie and wrapped him around him like luggage.
«Cambre! I think I have a foot cramp! Doesn't move!»
Yes of course. It was obvious that he had twisted it when he fell. «Don't move and stay still». I immediately stopped, grabbed Missha by the back of the head and picked her up.
The moment I placed it on my shoulders, the light disappeared and a deep darkness covered my eyes.
What the fuck? What is this? Hikurod was holding the torch next to me...
«B-Bjorrrn?»
«...Shut up». I calmly opened my backpack and took out a torch. Then, I lit a fire by measuring the distance with my hand and put it in the slot of my helmet. As expected, the team members who were next to me a few seconds ago were nowhere to be found.
«Have we lost them?!» missha shouted.
I answered. I didn't want to believe it, but... «It seems that... we have done it». In a matter of a few seconds, we were left behind.
«Then what are you doing! Follow them!»
When Missha noticed, she was quick to urge me, but I chose to stay still. How was I supposed to know where they were going?
«Over there! They - whisper - have gone that way! »
That was only in our eyes. In the Witch Forest, you shouldn't rely on the view. If we took the wrong path and ended up walking away from the team, we would only be wasting our time.
«In times like these, it is better to stay still». Trust your colleagues and your own judgment. Wasn't Brown an olfactory explorer? By now, he must have realized we were missing and would come looking for us.
«Hey, Bjorn...»
Surely, that should have been the case...
«How long do we have to wait?»
Even after a minute, the group did not return. Damn, what was it? Should I wait any longer for now?
The moment my problems worsened, I faintly heard a small scream in the darkness. «Aaagh!»
«Bjorn! Have you heard that? It was clearly Hikurod's voice!»
I couldn't be sure, but that seemed to be the case. If it weren't for another accident, they would have come looking for us by now. Except...
«They must be in trouble. We should go help...»
«Lower your voice.»
«Because?»
«Because we could end up in trouble, too.»
It wasn't a good idea to make noise. We still didn't know what had happened there. If it had simply been an encounter with a monster, there would have been enough free time to come find us.
«Which's more reason why we should go he-»
Even if I wanted to help him, there was no way. Maybe if I could hear a continuous sound at the same level, but I wouldn't be able to locate it among someone's screams in the agony of death. The Witch's Forest was such a place.
"Mm!" That's why I momentarily covered Missha's mouth with my hand and focused on my ear.
"...miller...bitch is...there."
«... to do g...»
"Ha....he can't...and let-!"
"At least... explorer... defeats... so... he can run...!"
"...oh! Ru-!"
After that, I heard faint voices, like death rats, several more times, and soon they vanished completely into a forest where not even the lightest breeze could be heard. A silence enveloped me, but I remained still and waited for about five more minutes. The vanished group hadn't returned. It was too soon to be sure whether they were alive or dead, but one thing was clear: waiting any longer wasn't going to bring them back.
"We're screwed."
That meant I was left alone with a beast girl in a maze of monsters and looters, in the middle of the Witch's Forest, from which it was impossible to escape without a scout.
Fuck.