NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 33
Chapter 33: The Samurai is Astounded
As Kurosu leaned against the wall of the labyrinth, gently stroking it with the back of his hand, he looked over his slumbering companions and reflected on what he had learned that day.
“…”
According to the meddlesome adventurers who had explained it to him, they were inside the belly of a colossal monster. Had he heard this story before learning of foreign lands, he might have laughed it off. But in this country, whose full nature still remained unseen, dismissing it as absurd or mere nonsense gave him pause.
When he was a child, his mother used to tell him bedtime stories from a collection of tales. Among them was one very similar to their current predicament. It featured a man only one foot tall who aspired to be a warrior, who, upon being swallowed by an ogre, fought valiantly from within its belly and defeated it.
Even as a child, hearing this story, he had thought it childish and trifling. Yet, he never could have imagined he would find himself in such a situation. As the saying goes, “Blessed are those who know not, and doubly so those who see not.” Life, it seems, is unpredictable.
The essence of martial discipline is the path of defeating evil and bringing righteousness to light. Given that he was in a land which had already challenged so many of his preconceptions, he must judge matters for himself with his own eyes.
“…”
In any case, there was no way Kurosu could sleep in such a bizarre place, surrounded by armed adventurers. Like a doctor checking for a patient’s pulse, he spent the night stroking the wall.
…
After departing the safe zone, the group finally arrived at the gatekeeper’s chamber of the fourth floor. No figures stood before the door, suggesting they wouldn’t have to wait this time.
“Alright, there are three Goblins here, all armed differently than the monsters we’ve encountered before.”
“Should we repeat our previous strategy?”
“I want to try the shuriken technique I was taught. Is that okay?”
“That’s fine. I might as well give my short blade and chain a try as well.”
“Then Pamela and I will handle one of them.”
“I think the Goblins are perfect for testing our skills, though I don’t have any targets myself…”
“In that case,Cross, I’ll leave tactical decisions to you this time. Consider it training.”
“Understood.”
Upon opening the door, three goblin-like creatures in the central hall noticed them and charged forward.
“Pamela and Barth, you’ll wield clubs. Mauri, use a spear. Franz, stick to your sword.”
Following Kurosu’s orders, each prepared to face their foes.
“Barth, if you could easily fend off the ogre’s attacks, a Goblin should be nothing. Pamela, focus solely on offense.”
Barth’s shield easily deflected the goblin’s club, creating an opening that Pamela exploited by attacking its feet with her staff. Despite wearing armor and a helmet, the Goblin’s feet were left unprotected, causing it to cry out in pain and crouch down.
Pamela then struck the Goblin’s club with her staff, sending it flying far across the room. With nothing left to defend itself, Barth dealt a mighty blow with his shield against the Goblin’s face. A dull crackling sound followed, and the Goblin’s helmeted head was violently turned aside.
“Mauri, your strength can pierce even those helmets. Aim for the face, chest, or legs. Show us how you can defeat them before they get close.”
Mauri held two knives in each hand, drew his arms back, and threw them with all his might. The first knife embedded itself in the Goblin’s thigh, stopping it in its tracks, while the second and third struck its torso. The Goblin’s leather armor proved no match for Mauri’s blades, which penetrated deeply.
As the Goblin fell to its knees, bleeding profusely from the mouth, Mauri delivered a final knife to its face. The Goblin’s body convulsed violently before collapsing with a low groan.
“Franz, use the chain to snatch away their weapons and the short blade to finish them. Remember, their reflexes are slower than yours, but be careful not to lose a finger.”
Franz waited for the Goblin to approach, deflecting its attacks with the shield. When the Goblin swung its sword, Franz caught it in his chain, pulling it free from its grasp. Quickly coiling the chain, he then struck the Goblin’s helmeted head with the weighted end of the chain from close range. Even through the metal, the blow was powerful enough to knock the Goblin unconscious. Removing his helmet, Franz retrieved the hidden short blade from his left hand and delivered the finishing blow to the Goblin’s exposed head.
“Everyone, that was magnificent work. Excellent.”
“Damn… It sounds weird saying it myself, but that was easier than I expected.”
“Same here. I felt like I had more time to read their movements and respond compared to before.”
“It comes from gaining confidence in battle. There was even time to plan my next move while being attacked.”
“I’ve noticed that too. It doesn’t feel as stressful when enemies get close anymore.”
“Understandable. You’ve all trained day by day, committing techniques to memory, feeling them in your bodies, and mastering them one by one. At this point, the amateur sword swings of our earlier foes must seem like child’s play.”
While Franz and the others congratulated each other, Kurosu began searching for a treasure chest. This so-called treasure chest was a mysterious object, one akin to the mysterious items featured in the tales he’d heard as a child, and Kurosu hoped it wouldn’t be cursed or cause someone to age prematurely upon opening.
“There it is, Mauri.”
“Yeah, hold on… Damn, it’s trapped.”
“I’ve never seen a chest with a trap before. Can you disarm it?”
“Most likely, it’s triggered by vibrations. Everyone, back away.”
Mauri threw a knife at the chest from a distance. Sure enough, blades shot out from the lid.
“Alright, it should be safe now. Let’s open it.”
Carefully avoiding the potential for further blades, they opened the chest to find a weathered leather bag inside.
“Another dud?”
“No… Could it be… Barth!!”
Franz handed the leather bag to Barth, who carefully inspected it and broke into a wide grin.
“Jackpot!!”
As the group erupted in cheers, Kurosu remained standing by, bewildered.
“Why would a simple bag be considered a treasure?”
“It is, indeed! This is what we call a Magic Bag, an extraordinary treasure that can only be found within a labyrinth!”
“This bag, despite its appearance, has immense storage capabilities and is the envy of all adventurers!”
“To find one in a shallow level is extremely rare! This one alone is worth at least twenty gold coins!”
“The specifics of its abilities can only be discerned through appraisal… Regardless, let’s test its capacity!”
Barth placed his large shield into the bag, and astonishingly, it absorbed it whole. He continued to empty his supplies and loaded them into the bag as well.
“Incredible… This is astonishing. I can barely believe it.”
“Wow, the capacity seems pretty damn large, doesn’t it?”
“Let’s try the rest of our supplies!”
One by one, they added their belongings, yet the bag showed no sign of expanding or becoming heavier.
“All of it fit! This is amazing!”
Even after loading every one of their possessions, the Magic Bag still seemed to have room.
“This thing holds everything, but it’s almost weightless. Can this really be possible?”
“Go ahead and try putting your hand inside.”
Kurosu followed the advice and inserted his hand. He could feel the various items, but despite reaching deep, he couldn’t find the bottom.
“Amazing… Truly, no other words come to mind.”
“It’ll make exploring much easier!”
“At minimum, we should test if it stores time. If this turns out to be a time-stopping Magic Bag, it will be worth over a hundred and fifty gold coins!”
“What is this time-stopping?”
“Magic Bags come in different qualities. The best prevent time from passing within them, preserving food and drink indefinitely.”
Kurosu was astounded by the revelation. Even for someone who had made countless journeys, the utility of this item was unmistakable.
“Even for someone like me who’s not particularly learned, I can think of countless uses. This would be a merchant’s dream, no doubt.”
“Indeed, it’s often said that ‘a merchant’s worth is equivalent to the Magic Bag he owns.’ They’re not something that can be freely bought or sold. There’s always fierce competition over them.”
Excited chatter about the Magic Bag accompanied the group as they descended to the next level. However, upon reaching their destination, they all came to a halt, dumbstruck.
“Wait… Were we in a cave just a moment ago?”
“We were definitely heading downward from a cave, weren’t we?”
“Could we have accidentally exited? Look, we can see the sky.”
“No, we should be on the right path. From the map, the fifth to ninth floors are marked as ‘forest zones.’ Unbelievable as it seems, we’re still within the labyrinth.”
Stepping down the staircase, they found themselves surrounded by tall, dense trees in a lush forest. Everywhere they smelled greenery and earth. The bright sunlight warmed their skin, and a gentle breeze caressed their necks. It didn’t feel they were underground at all.
“This reminds me of when I first entered the Forest of Demons from Japan.”
“Don’t say that! Look, we can still see the way back.”
Turning behind them, they noticed a rocky slope and the staircase they had just descended.
“The monsters here are said to differ dramatically, and we need to be cautious of attacks from the trees.”
With Franz leading the charge, the group set off into the mysterious forest, faces set with determination.