1. At the Second ChallengeーーWe are at the 『Labyrinth』
The image’s inside of the Labyrinth might vary from another person. Probably the image like mirror house in the theme park or there might be a person who imagines like a graffiti drawn on the paper.
But, a kid like me in my present world, should be thinking like in the game.
When mentioned about a Labyrinth, it should be about a dungeon and ruby. It is what most teenager thinks.
That is why I’ll say it again. ーHere is『Dungeon Labyrinth』
Inside here is humid and lightened by the dim stone, and also the smells mixed with animal’s blood. Only a little smell will make you think this is different like the dungeon in the game.
On the dark road, I keep going. Together with the red hair hairー
「Uhum, Sieg, I discovered the monster in the front」
Accidently I met this girl and she’s guiding me inside this Labyrinth.
Her face is innocent and pretty. With a burning red eyes.
Perhaps she has the height like the primary schooler. Depending on the person, she looks like a lovely child who likes playing.
But not for me. Instead, I always take my posture ready to battle at any time. The risk of death is haunting me. I always keep my 《Gladiate Dimension》activated. If I think like in the game way, this is to antic.i.p.ate the boss.
It is just expected. Because of the boss, the red girl is here near with me.
「Tenth Guardian」The one who steal the fire.
I proof that she is a monster by using my 『Indication』on her.
The name of the red girl is Alty. Even the Allied Nation wasn’t able to knock her down even spending ten more years until now.
「Got it Alty. Get ready. I will support you from behind」
In this way, we met many combats.
Thanks to magic 《Dimension》which is able to sense the surrounding, I can keep my surrounding’s situation under my control. The monster with a quick figure like a rat is running forward.
I know the name of the monster is “Grain Rat” thanks to the 【Indication】that used on it. The rank is low but, its speed is fast. It might be difficult for other explorers to catch its movement. However, it is different for Alty.
With the maximum speed of her small body, she runs through the dark corridor inside the Labyrinth. Her speed and the movement of its attack pierced the monster is the same as the fight that I had yesterday, the fight with “The one who steal the Darkness” Tidus.
Though I’m a little worried about whether the flame ignites to her clothes indeed, she is the one who steal the flame after all. The adjustment of her thermal power is just perfect.
She cut the grain rat with her flame sword, then the rat becomes the light and disappeared.
The monster that died in the Labyrinth, its corpse will not remain. The only thing left is the ore that is called “magic stone”
With a proud face, Alty picked it up and throws it towards me.
Judging by her looks, she wants me to praise her. It is just like the cat succeeds to catch its prey.
「Ok, ok. you are amazing, amazing. That’s enough, so let’s move on」
I treated Alty cold but, I can see her face is inflated.
「Uhum. You are so cold toward the person who have good intention to you. Don’t you think, in this chance, you should have praised me honestly?」
(Watermark, Please visit the original link be fooled, at the moment I haven’t gave permission to any site that published my translation, thanks and enjoy)
「Wasnot I just praised you? Well,. that was just expected since you are the boss monster」
「Sieg, you are not being honest!」
Alty dropping her shoulder while feeling relieved, we begins to go forward to the deep inside.
Being alert and watch her carefully.
Alty is being cooperative. Surely, even though she is talkative she is helping me a lot to explore this Labyrinth. Her goodwill is shown by her action.
Still, I can not come to trust her at once. Because she is still so suspicious.
Just this morning I met her and heard about her wish.
I still vague about her wish that “To be able to “LOVE””
That doesn’t mean she has the person she like in her mind at all. Seems like to be more accurate words is, she wants to fall in love. But, she claimed that she is not the existence like would be able to fall in love.
So the plans are to introduce her to someone whom she will be able to fall in love with.
For her to be able to fall in love will make her regret be cleared.
This is a common problem. That’s why, she is so suspicious. Her story is doubtful in my ear.
However, I wasn’t able to decline her.
When Alty is talking about love, she is not suit to talk about love with that kind of body. Her eyes is so sparkling like a maiden who wanted to fall in love. If I refuse to hear her talk, she will be deeply shocked. I don’t know how she will reacted. Well, she is dangerous beings If I came to offend her. Since she has the power that equal to that beings, Tidus.
For the time being, I intended to just pretend to take her wish.
It is the best to put off the fight with Alty since she has no intention to fight at all. Above all, like there’s possible for me to aim at her who has that kind of girls face with a sword. In addition, it is more safe to not have a battle with Alty.
ーTherefore reluctantly, I walk together with Alty inside the Labyrinth now.
Alty who want me to trust her, leads me triumphantly inside this Labyrinth. Between on it, sometimes she talks about her story. All this time when I entered the Labyrinth, she was thinking about to make appeal towards me.
「ーSieg, in other words, For me who is a little girl died without knowing what is love, that just a little bit…」
「No, like to begin with a little girl like you should have don’t know about love yet?」
「Hmm, even though I’m living in 1000 years already?」
「Won’t you be a grandma already? Just go die peaceful already. It’s for everyone’s sake」
「Sieg, you are a rude guy. Why are you able to call me a grandma, though I’m a lovely girl? You are treating woman badly 」
「Well, whatever. I’m not treating a woman but, a monster」
We did a self-introduction and listening to each other, so we already shared our name. Thus we became party. However, I don’t have any intend to let my explore of this Labyrinth with this pressure forever. I will expose Alty’s real intention sooner or later. I have finished thinking about those plans.
I will intentionally let my guard down and fall to the monster and expect Alty to help me. The plan will succeed if Alty decided to come to attack me instead to help. That will caught her real intention. On the contrary, If Alty really helped me, then the plan still will succeed. I will pretend to praise Alty who helped me in order to gain her trust. After that, it will raise my plans efficiency. Meanwhile, it is perfect to gain my level too.
Meanwhile while walking, I measure a timing to carry out my plans.
Then, by going each level of the labyrinth one by one finally, I found a perfect monster.
「Oh, Alty, this is my first time to see such a monster. Since its movement is really fast, let’s deal it together」
「Good idea. Then, I will make myself turn behind of the prey」
It is a beast monster with four pairs of legs to walk, seems like it is already on alert and be agile. Unquestioningly, Alty approved my Idea.
We make its movement became smaller while we are approaching the monster together.
We do the tactic by having Alty surround the monster’s back and I take the front, at the same time attack it together.
Well I knew that if I fight like I usually do, I can knock it down at once. But, I’m going to run my plans. I confirmed that Alty separated from the monster a little and let me attack the monster but, I do on purpose to let my sword dropped.
Me who lost the weapon, is full opening for the monster. Of course, I’m already preparing on behind my right arm to draw out the spare sword at any time from my “Storage”.
Then I’m doing a performance that took a blunder.
「Kuh…no way!」
I let my situation can be seen by Alty. While doing a action that need her help, how is she feeling about me? let me see your real intention, Alty.
However, Alty’s reaction is just so simple.
「Sieg!」
She makes a hurry action and runs forward. She is not aiming me but, the monster. She put all of her might to pierced the monster.
Thanks to Alty, I escaped from danger. Alty is still in that way, she begin to blow her flame in order to burnt the monster to death.
After that, the monster turned into light and disappeared. Then, her face turned towards me.
「Sieg, are you alright!?」
I don’t feel any malice from her at all. Instead, her words is purely worrying me.
The dirty and malice is myself alone in this place.
「…I, I’m alright. Thanks, Alty. Me, just a coward being helped by you」
「Thankfully… fufu, don’t mind that. This is just expected as the partner, isn’t it?」
This is just expected, that’s what she said.
I’m pleased with this situation even while my bandage being cut and bleeding.
Only my guilt is remains. I don’t even have confidence to reply her with laughter.
Alty is the boss monster. I’m not possible to trust a monster. I understand. But, my doubt is fading out after she touched me again and again. (Note: He means by helping him a lot, not real touching ok?)
The one that judged Alty as the monster is my 『Indication』 Then, Alty calling herself. So for now lets just called her as demi-human in another world. Then my life here is melted between the existence of monster and beast man. If I didn’t use my 『Indication』on her, Alty didn’t call herself as the monster, like in this way to approach me friendly, without doubt we could become partner more easily. Yeah. She is so close to resemble human. She has the intellect, feelings and appearance like humans have. This is troubling me. This shakes my feeling and weakening my determination. Really, is it better to just reject Alty? as the human is that the things that shall be done? as the human is it better to just see her as the monster one-sidedly? …let’s just stop this already.
More than this, it will activate my skill of “???” again.
I got the condition activation of the skill “???”. If it was activated even thought I understood the condition it will make me looks like a fool.
All the monster at my surrounding are cautious. For first, it is the safest way If I can just devote to myself now.
Therefore, I started to trust Alty.
「Hahaha, is it giving your hand just as expected? Got it. I acknowledge you. Alty you want me to fulfil your wish, won’t you? I got it now, you really don’t have any malice towards me at all」
「Huh? you are already believe me? I thought that I shall be more patiently to wait though」
「If I just stubborn to myself while you much done a lot for me, it will make myself look like a kid. I decided to trust you little by little」
「Hmーjust a little? Well, that’s enough. Since we are a human and monster after all.」
Seem like Alty is glad and make nodded posture. I found that is still pitiable feeling.
「Then, shall we advance? Indeed, you stand by side is making the battle more easily. Let’s go to the deepest part as much as possible」
「Fufu, Sieg. It is fine to just leave everything to me you know」
Alty looked happy. She laughs like a human do, then, she is guiding me on the way.
At the behind her back, my dark feelings whirl in my mind.
As much as possible I don’t want my face now to be seen by Alty, then, the labyrinth”s explore start again.