NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 14
Sasha’s Journey 1
“Camping!! Mm~… What a lovely sound!!”
“Myuane… You don’t have to be amazed by everything.”
Myuane pouts as Cress retorts.
Sasha and the others make steady progress southward, arriving as planned at a rocky area suitable for camping. Thanks to the many markers Tycoon made on the map, they had no trouble finding it.
Under Sasha’s direction, preparations for camping began right away.
“Reynold, Tycoon, set up the tents. I’ll prepare the stove. Robin and Piasora, start getting the meal ready.”
Meals were prepared by everyone.
Piasora let out a sigh.
“I think I’ve gotten used to meal prep… but it’s still such a chore. Hey Sasha, can’t we just buy an item box with a time-stop feature?”
“Piasora, we do what we can ourselves. That’s the rule.”
“Ugh… but back when Haise was around, I didn’t have to do anything…”
“D-Don’t bring that up…”
Sasha gave a wry smile.
It was true—when Haise was there, everything had been left to him.
But after exiling Haise and the incident, they decided to handle everything themselves. Setting up tents, preparing the stove, making dinner—it was all difficult at first.
“Hey, we’re done over here. Sasha, I’ll handle the stove.”
“Thanks, Reynold.”
“Robin, use your magic to get water. Here’s a pot.”
“Got it, thanks, Tycoon.”
Cress raised a hand.
“Hey, let us help too.”
“I want to try meal prep!!”
“Really? Then cut the vegetables. Heh, I wonder if you can manage?”
“Hey, Piasora, don’t mock me! I can handle that much!!”
Myuane snatched the knife from Piasora.
Sasha had a bad feeling—and it turned out to be correct.
“Ouchhhhh!?”
Myuane loudly cut her finger, throwing everyone into chaos.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
Piasora healed her, and somehow dinner was finished.
The meal consisted of bread stuffed with grilled meat, vegetable soup, and sliced fruit for dessert. Myuane’s eyes sparkled.
“Onii-sama, camping food!! Camping food!!”
“I can see that. Don’t get so worked up…”
“But it’s been my dream!”
Sasha understood.
As a princess of Heiberg, the largest kingdom in the human world, Myuane was accustomed to meals prepared by renowned chefs, far removed from such humble fare.
She bit into the bread.
“Mm, salty… but delicious!!”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Yes!!”
Cress patted her head, and Myuane beamed with joy.
“You two get along well, don’t you?”
“Of course! He’s onii-sama, after all.”
“What does that even mean? Geez…”
Cress smiled wryly.
After the meal, they cleaned up and had tea.
Tycoon, a tea enthusiast, brewed tea for everyone. Even Piasora, usually full of complaints, said nothing. Everyone loved Tycoon’s tea.
“Ahh… delicious.”
“Naturally.”
Myuane sighed contentedly, while Tycoon adjusted his glasses, looking pleased.
Sasha addressed the group.
“Now, we’ll take turns keeping watch. Cress, Myuane—”
“We’ll do it. Right, Myuane?”
“Y-Yes… yawn… of course.”
Already yawning, Myuane’s fatigue spread to Robin, who also let out a big yawn.
Thus, the two were assigned the last watch, while Sasha and Cress took the first.
“Aww, I wanted to be with Sasha! Why do I have to be with Reynold?!”
“…You don’t have to hate it that much.”
“I’m thrilled to be alone. Quiet reading time.”
“Goodnight, everyone…”
Myuane and Robin entered a tent together and promptly fell asleep.
Tycoon, Reynold, and Piasora also retired, leaving Cress and Sasha sitting by the campfire.
Cress added wood to the fire.
“Not cold, are you?”
“I’m fine. Thanks.”
Sasha remained in her armor, sword within reach, staring at the fire.
Cress asked.
“Sasha.”
“…Yes?”
“What’s your goal as an S-ranked adventurer?”
“It’s clear: to form the best clan and take on the Forbidden Six Labyrinths with the best team.”
“The Forbidden Six Labyrinths, huh.”
“Yes. The six highest-difficulty dungeons in the world, still shrouded in mystery even thousands of years after their discovery.”
“There’s a story in the royal archives. The Forbidden Six Labyrinths were created by demons to destroy humanity.”
“…What?”
Demons—the enemies of humanity, dwelling in a world as vast as the human realm.
“Sasha, challenging the Forbidden Six Labyrinths means fighting demons. They’re said to seek the treasures hidden in those labyrinths.”
“…”
“Can you fight demons?”
“Of course.”
Sasha answered without hesitation, her smile unwavering and full of determination.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
The Forbidden Six Labyrinths.
Dungeons were first discovered thousands of years ago.
Classified by size and difficulty, they ranged from C-rank to B-rank, A-rank, S-rank, and SSS-rank.
Above even SSS-rank were six extraordinary dungeons—the Forbidden Six Labyrinths.
Why “forbidden”?
The reason was simple—once you entered, no one ever came out.
These six dungeons were:
• The Infinite Labyrinth of Delmadrome, a vast underground labyrinth
• The Great Salt Lake of Dilolomans, with its unique ecosystem
• The Frenzied Magnetic Forest, where a mysterious magnetic field distorts perception
• The Aerial Fortress Drena de Stal, a flying castle that appeared only once
• The Necrofantasia Mountains, a mysterious range in the demon realm
• The Divine Garden of Legend, whose existence is uncertain
Among these, Sasha’s destination lay southward—the Infinite Maze of Delmadrome, managed by the desert nation of Dizarra, and the Dilolomans Great Salt Lake, controlled by the frigid northern nation of Frized.
Both were accessible with permission, though no one had ever returned alive.
Cress advised, “If you’re going to challenge them, be fully prepared. Build a stable clan foundation and gather everything you need. Maybe by your early twenties, you’ll be ready.”
“…”
Sasha fell silent—Cress’s advice mirrored Tycoon’s exactly.
“Cress.”
“Yes?”
“Tomorrow, Myuane and I will join the battle. I’ll explain our abilities so you can integrate us into your formation.”
“Understood. So, your abilities are—”
They discussed strategy until Tycoon woke up.