Chapter 73

Leaving the Silver Water Jug Inn, we moved to the White Goat Inn, where we completed our pre-meeting with the other explorers. Then, we teleported to the sixth underground floor of the labyrinth.

Those who teleported with us to the sixth floor were the two from the Red Twins Inn, Zekt's party, the top-class party from another guild, and the elite guards selected from the Orland and Stollen families.

We had already arranged for us to take the lead, so we left the rear to the other members and headed for the seventh floor, passing through the sixth floor. The sixth floor was a straightforward stone-built labyrinth, not a maze, and we could pass through it without getting lost. Still, it would take about an hour to walk through it normally.

"Such a vast space makes you want to set up a teleportation magic circle on each floor."

"It would be nice if we could increase the number of transfer crystals, but we haven't figured out the principle behind them yet... Oh, that's right. Dick, I made the adventurer strength measurement device last night."

The master had asked for a bag when she left the guild, and she opened it in front of the entrance to the seventh floor, taking out the magical device inside.

"This... is completely different from the measurement devices we've used before."

The master had processed the difficult-to-work magic crystal into a spherical shape. The sphere was adorned with gold, silver, and copper decorations and a metal chain, making it look like a pendant.

"Wearing this, it can measure the adventurer's strength from several factors. The magic circuits embedded in these three metals analyze physical strength, the absolute amount of magic power, and the skills possessed, and output the results to the magic crystal. The analysis takes a little time, so please put it on in order, starting with those who want to be measured."

"I see, so the decorative patterns are the circuits. The master's metalworking skills are incredibly precise..."

"The circuits are so fine that you can't see them without a magnifying glass. If the control of magic power isn't extremely precise, the circuits wouldn't work. The finer and smaller the magic circuits, the higher the performance, and the master's skills are undoubtedly the best in the kingdom, if not the continent.

"As a master of Dick, I'm proud. So, who wants to be measured first?"

"Hmm... I thought there was no point in measuring, but if there might be someone stronger than Verlaine, it might be necessary to know my own abilities again."

"Then, let's start with Verlaine. I think everyone is curious about how strong the Demon King Verlaine is."

"Um, I understand. I'll put this on."

Verlaine took the pendant, loosened her collar, and smiled when she noticed me.

"You only show your admiration at times like this. If I say that, I might be suspected of having an exhibitionist habit."

"If there's a need, I don't think so."

"Wow, that's a bold statement. You're saying it's okay to see me naked if there's a need. What kind of need is that?"

"Such a thing... I can't come up with an answer even if you ask me."

Verlaine turned her back to me, tied the chain of the pendant around her neck, and turned back, putting her collar back in place.

The pendant's decoration was inside her clothes—though it might be inappropriate to say that women have different storage places than men, it seemed to have been stored in one of them.

"Mmm... It's a bit cold, but it's warming up against my skin. Can it measure now?"

"Yes, if you use magic or fight while wearing it, the measurement will be completed faster. When it's done, the color of the magic crystal will change, so please give it to me. I'll analyze it."

It might take a while for my turn to come, but at this rate, I might have to wear the measurement device, warmed by everyone's skin—this is not excitement, but a sense of curiosity, and there is no ulterior motive.

"I'll have mine done after Dick."

Cody alone seemed to notice my thoughts and said that. Does he really want to know the warmth of my skin? But this is not the time to ask such a trivial question.

"Cody, what's the seventh floor like? It seems to be quite a different environment."

"It seems that sand is mixed with the wind blowing from the lower floors. I probed with light, and it seems that the seventh floor is a sandy area."

"Sand... I hope it's not so fine that it will get stuck in our feet."

"Don't worry, there's a dust spirit. If we borrow its power, we can avoid sinking into the sand. Earth spirits, wind spirits, and fire spirits, when their powers are in a certain balance, create a dust spirit... Spirits, respond to my voice and lend me your power. 'Sand Walking.'"

While it's possible to cover shoes with magic to make them less slippery, it's not enough to prevent sinking into the sand. Verlaine's spirit magic, however, can adapt to the environment by borrowing the power of the spirits if they exist.

We covered our mouths with cloth to keep sand out and descended to the seventh floor. The stone floor gave way to sand, but thanks to Verlaine's magic, we could walk without sinking, as if floating on the sand.

Spread out before us was a desert that stretched as far as the eye could see, illuminated by light from somewhere. Water, forest, stone labyrinth, and desert—our party could handle it, but an ordinary party would be easily stopped by this sandy floor.

"Aileen, please take care of the rear. Cody and I will go ahead and secure safety before proceeding."

"Okay... Wait, is something shaking?"

"... Everyone, look over there. Something huge is... in the ground..."

Just as Miralca was speaking, a huge creature burst out of the sand from the ground.

That's a Sandworm. It moves through the sand like it's swimming and feeds on creatures on the surface.

After a thousand years, it has grown to a terrifying length. The Sandworm, which seemed to have targeted something, bit into the side of a sand lizard's body, which was as large as a fire dragon, swallowed it in an instant, and dived back into the sand.

"Isn't it too big...?"

"It's big... and it looks very hard. After a thousand years, the Sandworm's skin becomes as hard as stone."

"Cody, can we ignore it and proceed?"

"The entrance to the next floor is blocked by part of the Sandworm's body. Only a small part is visible, but the Sandworm is spread out over a wide area of the sand in this floor."

It seems that even if we try to ignore it, we can't avoid being noticed by the Sandworm—so, in that case.

"Dick, we can eliminate the visible part, but..."

"No, it would be too exhausting to spread out over a wide area. Miralca is the main cannon, so she should conserve her strength now."

"Yes, I understand. Yuma should also observe with me this time."

"Dick, are you and Cody okay? Should I help?"

"Master, please let me handle this. To finish the adventurer strength measurement quickly, I want to fight with all my strength once. Master, can you fight with me?"

"Yes, I think we'll be fine, but be cautious until I'm back to full strength."

Verlaine smiled and raised her hand toward the front—on her hand, the magic device, the Demon King's weapon, was summoned. It was a rod called the 'Scepter of the Spirit King,' adorned with a large dark purple gem.

The magic the Demon King wields is not limited to spirit magic. Using a magic device, she can activate her own 'Lost Magic,' which is a factor in her SSS rank.

I've only seen one of her Lost Magic, but it can be described as a dimensional enhancement of each spirit magic. As long as she has it, Verlaine will never lose to a spirit magic user—unless an opponent with an equally powerful magic device appears.

"Old Scepter, grant me the power of the king once more... 'Return of the Spirit King'...!"

Verlaine's body was enveloped in light from the scepter, and the servant's outfit she usually wore disappeared, returning her to the familiar appearance of the Demon King.

The outfit, which only covered parts of her body, seemed to be stuck to the parts that needed to be hidden, and it was questionable whether it could even be called clothing. However, its defense was far from ordinary, as we who had once fought her knew best.

The queen of the dark elves and the ruler of the Elsain Demon Kingdom. She had returned to her true form after a long time.

"It's been a while, heroes... Should I say that? I thought I would never return to this form after losing once, but there's no problem if it's a joint battle."

"Yes, it's reassuring to have you on our side."

"... Is that so? If you had relied on me so honestly, I would have... sooner..."

"Dick, Verlaine, the enemy seems to have noticed us... Let's not be careless!"

"Understood!"

Verlaine and I responded in unison, and I jumped out first to draw the Sandworm's attention. I ran through the air and struck the first blow on the Sandworm, which was approaching with a ground-shaking rumble while burrowing through the sand.

"---Aaaaah!"

The slash from my magic-enhanced sword struck the head of the Sandworm, which had only a mouth full of teeth. The worm recoiled with a roar, but it didn't stop its momentum and opened its jaws again to attack me in the air.

Intentionally being eaten and destroying it from the inside was not impossible. However, before the Sandworm's teeth could reach me, Cody's countless light swords pierced the Sandworm's head, deflecting the attack. The Sandworm's body pierced through just beside me—although it was called a worm, its skin was as hard as a dragon's scales, as Miralca had said, and although Cody's attack had penetrated and caused bleeding, it was not a fatal wound.

And, as I had somewhat expected, the Sandworm's larvae—though they were so large that they could swallow an orc whole, even as larvae—were parasitic on the parent's skin and burst out of the holes made by Cody's light swords to attack.

If asked if there was a monster I was weak against, a creature with such a ridiculous ecology would be difficult for anyone—especially since the Sandworm itself had a shape that seemed to be designed only for hunting, making it hard to feel any affection for it.

"To grow to this size, Sandworm, you are undoubtedly the king of this floor. However, the path must be opened. Because my master wishes it...!"

While I and Cody were cutting down the approaching Sandworm larvae, the main body's head dove into the sand and, when it resurfaced, changed direction to attack Verlaine, who held the magic device.

However, she did not flinch, raised the magic device in front of her body, and began to chant. It was a different 'Lost Magic' from what we had seen before, and she seemed confident that it would finish the Sandworm.

"End your long slumber and cry out once more. Crawl out from the depths of the abyss and devour my enemy... 'The Unfulfilled.'"

A pitch-black darkness deeper than the labyrinth's darkness was born from Verlaine's magic device. It looked like a barrier large enough to block the Sandworm's charge—however.

With a deafening impact, the barrier caught the Sandworm, and its massive body was gradually swallowed by the black barrier.

"How much can it devour... It's not a very pleasant magic, but I don't know any other ritual."

The Sandworm eventually stopped moving, being sucked into the darkness—this must be the power of the spirits, if that's what they are. They are certainly not the kind of existence I know.

It was unclear where the Sandworm's central nervous system was, but Verlaine's darkness disappeared after swallowing about half of the Sandworm that was visible on the surface.

The magic stones contained in its skin sparkled like stars on the sand. It seems to be a magic that only devours living things. I couldn't understand all the principles from just one look.

"Such magic... You didn't use it when you fought us...?"

Hearing Miralca's voice, Verlaine turned to her, landed on the sand, and answered.

"If Miralca's magic is based on theory, I always borrow the power of the spirits, no matter how far I go. There are times and places where I cannot summon certain spirits... Also, the stronger the summoner, the more magic power is consumed..."

"---Verlaine!"

Before she could finish speaking, Verlaine stumbled. I and Cody repelled the Sandworm larvae that were attacking her and supported her body from both sides.

"Are you okay? Is it the backlash from using a big move after a long time?"

"Perhaps I tried too hard to show my best to my master... But..."

With her outfit changed, the pendant-type measurement device on her chest was visible to me. She gently pulled it out, and the color of the embedded magic crystal had changed.

It was a rainbow color, but could it really show the exact value? The master came over, and when she saw the magic crystal, her eyes widened.

"Amazing... I didn't expect it to turn such a beautiful color. You must have used a lot of power. The rainbow color is the SSS rank, but it's far more than 100,000. Let me calculate it, so please show it to me for a moment."

The master took the measurement device from Verlaine. It was unclear how intelligent the Sandworms were, but they no longer targeted us.

Would I have to carry Verlaine on my back again, given her revealing outfit and the way she was leaning? When I looked at her, her purple hair was sticking to her neck from sweat, and she smiled at me as if to say she was relying on me.

I had only seen her recently as a competent bar owner and maid, but her fighting strength had not declined at all compared to when she was the Demon King. Honestly, I could only admire her.

"... I didn't use my power just to be carried by my master."

"I know. After you rest and recover, you can walk on your own."

Cody laughed as if it was no big deal and entrusted Verlaine to me. Aileen was a bit pouting, but I intended to carry her when she was exhausted, so I hoped she would let it slide this time.