Chapter 47

We moved to the eighty-sixth floor of the Great Labyrinth.

There, the space is so vast that it hardly seems to be underground.

It's an open area with a vast grassland stretching out, and the sky above looks as if it extends endlessly.

The middle floors of the Great Labyrinth are cave-like spaces, but from the lower floors, various environments spread out like this.

The eighty-sixth to eighty-eighth floors are open grassland areas with good visibility.

First-time explorers are pleased with the comfortable environment, but of course, this place is not so easy.

Everyone is doing their final checks for equipment in the safe zone.

When I look at Will, I don't see any armor or shields.

I'm not surprised because I knew from the meeting, but I still feel a bit odd since I have a fixed idea that defenders should wear armor and shields.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Will, you don't equip armor or shields?"

I asked about what I was wondering when we discussed everyone's combat styles in the strategy room.

"Yeah, I'm not a typical defender. That's why I almost got converted to a front-line attacker."

The defender who doesn't use armor or shields that comes to mind is definitely her, the S-rank.

"Are you aiming to be a dodging type in the end?"

"Huh? No, no, it's impossible to dodge everything like her. Well, I'll manage to generate hate and create a good fighting environment for Orun, so leave it to me!"

Will boasts confidently.

The other members don't seem to have any particular objections, so it should be fine.

I only know Will's skills as an attacker.

He had the skills of an A-rank ace even as an attacker, but how good is he as a defender, his main job?

From what I've heard, Will's style requires a considerable level of proficiency.

◇ ◇ ◇

After walking while being cautious of the surroundings for a while, a clump of magic flew from the right.

I judged it to be an attack from a monster and was about to activate the waiting "Reflective Barrier."

But,

"I'll take care of it!"

Will shouted and moved towards the attack.

In the next moment, a weapon was gripped in his right hand.

The weapon has blades on both ends of the handle.

— Its name is the double-bladed sword.

It's a weapon that is very difficult to handle, and there are very few people who can use it proficiently.

In joint hunts, he used two swords of different lengths.

As a defender, he apparently uses the double-bladed sword.

"Raaah!"

Will skillfully swung the double-bladed sword, and when the blade touched the clump of magic, it vanished without a trace.

(That's a really interesting idea. Will's magic control to use it effortlessly is quite impressive, and he has a lot of courage. If he fails, it's a direct hit...)

"Lucre!"

When Selma called out to Lucre,

"I've already found it! [Flash]!"

Lucre activated [Flash], and a red light exploded about two hundred meters ahead in the sky.

"[Magic Power Boost]"

Selma cast a buff to increase Rain's magic power.

"Lucre, Selma, thank you! Then, to celebrate Orun's joining, I'll give a big celebratory blast! [Super Explosion]!"

A ball of fire appeared where the red light exploded and plummeted.

When it hit the ground, a loud explosion enveloped the surroundings.

Starting with a top-tier fire magic...

I couldn't keep up with the sequence of events this time.

Well, it wasn't a situation where I needed to force my way in.

From this series of actions, I can tell that these people are highly trained.

Regarding Selma and Rain, their spell construction is fast.

Especially Rain.

Top-tier magic is powerful with a wide attack range, but it requires a lot of mental processing.

In other words, it takes time to construct the spell.

To construct it in a few seconds, even if the power is moderate, is impressive.

An ordinary person would take nearly twice as long as Rain to construct the spell.

I knew it, but they are truly skilled explorers who have reached the deeper levels.

And Lucre.

Her ability is undoubtedly useful.

It's not just a minor thing.

Finally, Will.

I knew the characteristics of his weapon in advance, but seeing him dispel the clump of magic is still surprising.

Will is doing something as timing-sensitive as my [Instant Ability Boost] to dispel magic.

My [Instant Ability Boost] is basically a spell to match an attack.

In contrast, Will is doing it against a clump of magic coming towards him.

If he misses the timing, it could lead to serious injury.

The fact that he can do it effortlessly suggests a lot of hard work.

"That was... pretty amazing..."

My honest reaction to the sequence of events slips out.

"Hehe! This is the power of our strongest party, the Silver Hare of the Night Sky!"

Lucre puffed out her chest proudly.

Yeah, it's not often. I won't say where, though.

The party's atmosphere relaxed a bit with Lucre's comment,

"Alright, let's go finish it off."

At Selma's command, everyone switched their focus.

Yes, we haven't defeated it yet.

The one who attacked us just now is probably it.

If so, it should have taken damage, but it shouldn't have turned into a magic stone yet.

We head towards the epicenter while being cautious of the surroundings.

From the eighty-sixth to eighty-eighth floors, more than half of the area is open grassland, with some forest.

Except for our target, the Noxious Sheep, almost all the monsters here have ranged attacks.

This means that ranged combat is the main focus here.

Therefore, it's said that front-line attackers don't perform well in this grassland area.

There are several ways to get close, but it's more efficient to fight mainly with magic.

Thank you for reading to the end.

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