Chapter 88: Twenty-third Floor, The Ascending Path (1)

I was delaying the punishment of the slave traders for one simple reason: there was an unidentified individual I had to escort to an unknown destination within a thirty-six-hour time limit.

If my earlier assumption was correct, which seemed likely, then the escort target was one of the slaves. Plus, that also implied that an enemy ambush was inevitable, whether the slave traders were present or not.

There are about thirty slaves.

I still had no information about how many enemies there would be, their strength, or even what they would look like. Hence, punishing the slave traders now would mean I would have to move through this scorching desert with civilians incapable of fighting. It would be too dangerous to face an attack from unknown enemies without knowing which of the over thirty slaves was the escort target.

Since I couldn’t afford to risk the escortee getting hurt, I had to stick with the caravan until more information was revealed. Rushing in without understanding the situation rarely ended well.

Of course, if rescuing the slaves turns out to be a hidden mission, who knows where I could end up...

I would have to see the enemies first before I could decide, though.

I reinforced my decision to hold off, if only for the sake of those who were captured as slaves.

Meanwhile, walking through the desert proved to be more difficult than I expected. My feet were sinking into the sand with every step, and I felt as though I was walking on a heated floor.

I can probably only manage this thanks to my Fire Resistance.

Without it, I would probably feel as if I was walking on a scorching hot griddle.

What bothered me the most, however, was the sand that constantly found its way into my shoes. Combined with the grains kicked up by the person in front of me, I had accumulated a small mound of it rolling around inside my shoes after two hours of trudging through the desert.

As I glanced down and grimaced for the second or third time, Comet, who was walking beside me, struck up a conversation.

“Is it uncomfortable?”

“A bit, yeah. The armor’s fine, but I find the slipping and sinking annoying. Plus, a lot of sand is getting into my shoes.”

“Yeah, those shoes do look uncomfortable in the desert. Even the best mercenary wouldn’t be immune to discomfort. Hang on a sec.”

Comet rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a pair of footwear that resembled socks.

“What are those?”

“Spare desert shoes. Since we’ve still got about a day’s walk until we reach our destination, you can borrow mine.”

So they’re shoes, not socks...

Comet casually handed them over, and I immediately noticed they weren’t made of leather but of some kind of animal fur. They looked like socks, though.

Seeing my confused expression, Comet added, “They’re made from wool. Judging by your reaction, you must be from up north.”

“Ah, I see. Thanks.”

“

Heh

, don’t just thank me with words. If we get into a tough spot later, make sure you’ve got my back.”

“Will do.”

“

Phew

, that’s a relief. Now I don’t have to worry as much.”

Comet chuckled as I stepped aside to swap my shoes. The moment I put them on, I immediately understood why they were called desert shoes. They insulated me from the heat and gripped the sand well. While they didn’t prevent my feet from sinking, it wasn’t as bad as before.

“Thanks again,” I said with sincerity.

“We mercenaries gotta look out for each other. Nobody else does.”

As Comet smiled slyly, I noticed the dagger hanging from his belt. It was old, with chipped edges and a worn handle, but not rusted. I figured a small gift in return wouldn’t hurt, especially since I had plenty of unused weapons stored in my inventory.

I had sold off most of my gear at the rest area, but I made sure to keep a variety of weapons just in case an unforeseen situation arose.

As I reached into my belt to pull out a dagger, I was careful not to let Comet notice the mimic in action. Given the circumstances, it didn’t take long for him to catch on. His eyes gleamed with curiosity, clearly aware of what was happening.

“It’s nothing big, but consider it a token of thanks for the shoes.”

I handed him the dagger nonchalantly, and Comet quickly accepted it, pretending not to be too eager but inspecting it closely. While it wasn’t an extraordinary weapon, it was still a decent piece.

“Wow, such a precious gift...”

Realizing its value, Comet gave me a deep nod.

“Thank you.”

He carefully sheathed the dagger, clearly satisfied with the exchange.

***

[Escort. Time remaining: 34 hours 29 minutes.]

For an hour and a half, we trekked through the desolate desert and I didn’t see even a single trace of green.

Despite the monotonous surroundings, boredom never set in. I spent my time sharing water from the mimic with Comet and conversing about this world. One interesting thing he spoke of was the Nine Kingdoms and their unique cultures.

Although I stayed alert, listening to tales of such an unfamiliar realm made me feel like I was on a journey rather than a mission. Perhaps, after my confrontation with the out-of-specification Overseer, I had gained a bit of time to relax.

“And that’s why the famous mercenary house in the west is called ‘The Sword That Never Returns.’”

“It’s related to the eastern group Plundering Spring, right?”

“Exactly! The lyrics of ‘The Sword That Never Returns’ start like this: After crossing the Resin River—”

Just as Comet began singing the first verse, we were ambushed. Although the caravan had deployed scouts on camels, they were still caught off guard—the attackers were springing from the sand.

The dunes surrounding us exploded upward like geysers, sending waves of sand into the sky. Strange figures moved within the dust storm, barely visible.

Before we could fully grasp what was happening, a commanding voice rang out like a thunderclap, “Kill them all! Leave the slaves untouched!”

The attackers charged through the swirling sand, their enormous scorpions racing toward us with terrifying speed. Even discounting their tails, the creatures still stood nearly two meters tall. Though smaller than a Burning Nepla, they were still formidable.

To make matters worse, they weren’t the only threat.

What the hell is that...?

A monstrous worm, the size of a small building, emerged from the desert and towered over the battlefield.

A notification window appeared and identified the beast.

[Greatworm]

According to the window, the beast had incredibly tough skin that granted it terrific magic resistance. Lightning wouldn’t be enough to bring it down.

I had to deal with it first—the raiders could wait. With its massive size, a single twist of its torso could wipe out half the escort troops.

Damn it, I should have worn Kashatum’s Sky Shoes. I need to jump at least ten meters to reach its head.

Unfortunately, there was no time to change shoes now.

Well, I guess I have no choice but to jump.

“

Aaaargh!

It’s a greatworm!”

“We’re surrounded! Form a defensive formation and stick to the plan!”

“Reserves, reinforce the right flank!”

Amid the shouts of the caravan guards scrambling into action, I noticed Comet had frozen up, his eyes locked on the greatworm.

I grabbed him by the shoulder and yelled to grab his attention, “Comet! Snap out of it!”

“Ah? Y-yeah!”

“If it looks like you’re going to die, don’t be a hero. Run.”

“R-right!”

“And Doppy, stick close to Comet.”

“

Kriee!

Got it!”

Doppy squeaked and drew its sword with newfound determination. That was the most I could do for them.

Without wasting another second, I sprinted toward the greatworm. It had just lowered its head to crush a mercenary, giving me the perfect opening.

My feet were still sinking with each step, but I pressed on. A raider and scorpion pair stood in my way, but rather than fight, I decided to use them.

Timing it just right, I launched myself off the ground, landed on the scorpion’s back, and leaped again. The raider swung his blade wildly, but I had already gotten past him and used the scorpion’s tail as a springboard. The tail bent under my weight, coiling like a spring, before launching me high into the air.

Its thick hide makes it highly resistant to magic.

If I could lodge my axe into its head and release a burst of lightning, I was sure it would cook the beast from the inside.

Seemingly sensing my attack, the greatworm opened its massive jaws wide, revealing countless rows of razor-sharp teeth.

But it was too late. I was already above it.

At that moment, I felt a familiar sensation wash over me. Even though I hadn’t activated Flash Strike, time seemed to slow down. I had experienced this feeling once before during my earlier battles.

This reminds me of my first battles on the earliest floors.

Back then, this strange phenomenon always guided me to make the best possible move. As time slowed, I instinctively locked onto the greatworm’s weak spot. Though it had no visible eyes or nose, I knew where to strike.

The massive worm twisted, trying to catch me in mid-air.

Not happening, you bastard.

Mustering all my strength, I brought my axe down and buried it into the greatworm’s head.

Crack!

Its hardened shell shattered instantly, my axe cleaving through its thick hide and slicing into the red flesh beneath. A stream of dark brown liquid oozed from the wound.

Using the embedded axe as a conduit, I unleashed a torrent of lightning.

“GRROOAAAHHH!”

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

The greatworm convulsed violently, its roar reverberating like thunder inside a cave. Its once-tough skin blackened as the smell of burning flesh and ichor filled the air.

Satisfied, I wrenched my axe free and dropped to the ground. It had been an easier fight than I expected. Or perhaps, I had simply grown stronger.

As I landed, I looked around and noticed that everyone on the battlefield had stopped to stare. Feeling the weight of countless gazes upon me, I realized that the greatworm’s death cry had drawn their attention.

Then, one of the caravan mercenaries shouted, “The greatworm is down! Push forward!”

“Kill them all!”

With that rallying cry, the battle resumed. Watching the fight unfold, I realized the raiders wouldn’t pose much of a problem. Even though I had been assigned a different trial from the other climbers, the enemies didn’t seem as strong as those on my personal challenge floors.

Well, it is still early days for this floor.

There was always the possibility that the raiders would grow stronger later. Regardless, for now, I needed to deal with the remaining enemies. Tightening my grip on my axe, I charged toward the nearest scorpion.

Its tail lashed out but I sidestepped, twisting my upper body just in time to avoid it. Deflecting an incoming spear thrust with my axe, I launched myself forward once more.

I drove my axe into the scorpion’s head and then yanked it upward, splitting its exoskeleton. As the raider riding it tumbled to the ground, I followed through with a strike and shattered his jaw.

Without pause, I vaulted onto another scorpion’s back and swung my axe at the next enemy. Although I had slain the greatworm, the battle was far from over. There were still many enemies left to face.