S25 Elro Great Labyrinth攻略②

Day five since entering the labyrinth.

We had traversed half the labyrinth.

Due to our small party size and the fact that all members possessed high stat values, we were advancing at an extremely aggressive pace along the shortest route.

At one point, concern arose that Imperial soldiers might be lying in wait within the labyrinth, but Busgas stated this was impossible.

The Empire avoided the labyrinth entirely. Moreover, ambushing within it would be inefficient and highly dangerous.

The labyrinth’s complex, maze-like structure made it impossible to determine which route an enemy might take, rendering ambushes unfeasible.

As a result, the only enemies within the labyrinth were monsters.

Thus far, those monsters had not posed a significant threat.

The monsters in the upper levels of the Elro Maze are predominantly poisonous, yet most party members possess healing magic.

Even when poisoned, recovery is immediate. Most opponents have low stats, so taking damage was rare to begin with.

Frontline: Hyalins, renowned for impenetrable defense, serves as shield. Rearline: the instructor, possessing high magical aptitude.

Additionally, both frontline and rearline roles are covered by myself and Katia, with Busgas adjusting position based on situation.

A makeshift team, yet functioning effectively.

Except for one.

"Stop. We should pause for a brief rest soon."

The call halts movement across the group.

Busgas quickly scans surroundings for safety, then spreads out supplies to prepare for rest.

Among the group settling into their own rests, one figure alone collapses onto the ground, breathing heavily through her shoulders.

"I'm sorry..."

A whisper, barely audible.

I shake my head without speaking. Gently, I tap her shoulder.

Anya is a skilled mage.

Yet among those gathered here, she inevitably appears lacking.

Her stats favor magic, which inherently limits her physical endurance.

Without frequent breaks, her stamina would not sustain the pace of our movement.

The instructor, too, is a slow-growing elf. Her physical stats are low, but she compensates with excess magic, channeling it to strengthen her body.

She appears as a child, yet can handle close combat.

Is this the difference between pure elves and half-elves? Or is the instructor exceptional?

Likely the latter, but Ana is visibly strained—physically and mentally exhausted.

She was already under considerable pressure, and now the burden of dragging everyone down adds further psychological strain.

Perhaps bringing her was a mistake after all.

Yet leaving her behind would have been equally concerning.

In either case, there was no correct choice.

If that is so, then having agreed to her coming, I must take responsibility for her well-being.

Everyone else seems to understand this—no one speaks.

Busgas likely does not know the circumstances, but he is a professional regardless of the guest’s pace.

He never complains, no matter how slow the traveler.

Only Katia appears slightly dissatisfied.

It might be better to mention that casually later.

"Right, we've reached halfway through the labyrinth. Let's decide on the route ahead."

Busgas speaks to me.

I set Anah aside for now.

"There are several paths ahead. A high-risk shortest route. A comparatively safer detour. And another route whose danger level is uncertain, but has a reputation. Roughly speaking, these are the options. Which one do you choose?"

"Ah, yes. Just how dangerous is the shortest route?"

"The upper levels of the Elro Maze feature two types of pathways. The narrow, standard corridors like the one we're currently in. And the other, known as the Great Passage."

He pauses briefly, then offers me a drink.

I accept it gratefully.

"The Great Passage refers literally to a passage wider than the standard ones currently in use. It's no longer merely a passage—more akin to a grand hall. The Great Passage extends endlessly. That route is what we called the shortest path earlier. However, the Great Passage hosts monsters far stronger than those found in standard passages. Swarms of C-class monsters. Occasionally, even A-class monsters appear—dangerous territory."

A-class.

That level of threat warrants military deployment.

Generally, B-class monsters are considered the upper limit for small parties to defeat.

Humans possess inferior stats compared to monsters.

To counter this, they refine skills, form groups, and coordinate through strategy.

They achieve victory over monsters with superior stats through these means.

But such tactics only work up to B-class.

A-class monsters differ fundamentally from those encountered previously.

Their stats are exceptionally high—beyond mention—and their skills become notably superior.

Even the human advantage of skill acquisition is matched.

Some possess unique, monster-specific abilities. Such individuals are typically problematic.

A-class exemplars include high-tier dragons.

My summoned light dragon barely qualifies for this rank, yet it grows stronger at an alarming pace—directly challenging me, its master.

It may surpass me soon.

"How much of a difference in days would there be between the safe detour route and the shortest path?"

"Considering our current pace, about four days."

Surprisingly large.

The detour is considerably longer.

"What about the final route?"

"Ah... that one..."

Busgas suddenly hesitates.

After a pause, clearly uncomfortable, he scratches his head and begins to speak.

"Frankly, that's the route I don't want to take."

"Too frank. Is there a reason?"

"It's a nightmare."

"Excuse me?"

"That place... used to be territory claimed by a nightmare. So guides avoid that route. Bad luck. Especially me—I've met that thing directly. Honestly, I'd rather not go near it."

Nightmare.

The myth-tier monster we discussed earlier.

But wasn't that thing already gone?

"By the way, is that route faster?"

"Slightly slower than the shortest path. The shortest route should be faster by about a day, maybe less."

Shortest path—dangerous. Longer path—safe, but significantly detouring. This one—unknown.

"Is the nightmare gone?"

"Yeah. The core entity is gone."

"Core?"

Tilting her head at Busgas’s peculiar words.

As if speaking of something not quite a nightmare.

“We call it the remnant of a nightmare.”

“The remnant of a nightmare?”

“Yeah. A monster shaped like a nightmare. Now scattered across a wide area of the upper levels, but the highest concentration is in that course.”

“Is that monster strong?”

“Strong. And troublesome.”

A monster that even Busgas would describe as strong and troublesome.

One best avoided, if possible.

“Still, it shares the same habits as a nightmare. It won’t attack unless provoked.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

A voice of disbelief.

A monster with such peculiar habits—can it even be called a monster?

Monsters are usually thought of as attacking without warning.

"Just… it stretches invisible threads everywhere. Cut one, and it attacks immediately."

"Threads?"

"Yeah. I didn’t mention it earlier. The nightmare is a spider creature. Residue of the nightmare, too."

A spider.

"Invisible threads. Once caught, impossible to escape—strong adhesive, incredibly durable. Bad enough on its own. But the main body’s powerful too. An absurdly unfair monster. Back then, burning spiderwebs on sight was common sense. Now that nightmare residue appears, the rule changed: if you see a spiderweb, run. It’s the worst kind of monster among the upper tiers."

That’s another extremely troublesome creature.

Uses threads as a trap, and the body itself is strong.

Almost like a monster with human cunning.

It would be preferable not to encounter that one.

In that case, that route is out.

Remaining options are the shortest route or the detour.

"Everyone. I would like to hear your opinions—should we take the dangerous shortest route, or the safer, longer path?"

I called out to the others who had been resting.

Just earlier, I had been warned by Busgas about this.

I could not decide alone on a hazardous route.

More importantly, could I impose further strain on Ana, who was already near her limit?

The decision was difficult.

Yet, the longer I delayed, the more the situation would shift.

While we are here, Yugo might already be attacking the elven village.

"I believe we should proceed along the shortest route."

The teacher's words.

Katia appeared to agree.

"But isn't that too dangerous? If multiple A-rank monsters appear, even we would struggle to handle them."

"A-rank monsters don't usually appear in groups, so don't worry. Even if we encounter one, it'll be a single target."

"Then we should manage."

Katia declared with confidence in response to Busgas's words.

"Still, I believe crossing a dangerous bridge isn't worth the risk."

Hylins favored the safe route.

Then again, Hylins had opposed my plan to go to the elven village from the start.

Safety for us takes priority over reaching the elven settlement.

That makes it two to one.

Busgas remains neutral. The rest are me and Ana.

"What do you think we should do, Ana?"

"My opinion is insignificant. You may disregard it."

"Not acceptable. You're part of the group. Speak your mind without hesitation."

A firm tone directed at Ana.

Ana appeared hesitant, paused, then made a decision.

"Let's take the shortest route."

"Are you sure?"

Carrying the unspoken thought: Can you keep up? Are you certain?

"Yes."

The response was a firm affirmation.

Then there is nothing more I need to say.

"Let us proceed along the shortest route."

The decision was made—forward, knowing the danger.