World Strongest Rearguard – Labyrinth Country and Dungeon Seekers

The Alliance is still busy with Seekers today. Me and Theresia were almost on a facial pass, and Luisa's junior led us through to the deepest private room we'd been in before.

Without waiting any longer, Mr. Louisa comes in and serves tea. And I looked through the record of my licensed behavior using monoculars (monoculars) as an example.

"The names of these people are... you're a member of 'The North Star'. I can't believe I rescued him before the Guildsaber..."

◆ Results from this exploration ◆

· Ten points that broke into the 'Forest of Calling' 1F

· Ten points that broke into the 'Forest of Calling' 2F

· Forty points with level of 'Misaki' at 4

· Eighty points for crusading two 'Fir Torrents'

- 100 points for crusading five 'Dirty Mashes'

· 1200 points for Crusading "Star Sprout Puppeteer"

-Three hundred points increased party member confidence

- 100 points for rescuing 'Georg'

- 100 points for rescuing 'Sophie'

- 100 points for rescuing 'Jake'

- 100 points for rescuing 'Mikhail'

- 100 points for rescuing 'Tyler'

- Fifty points for bringing back one "Black Crate"

Explorer Contribution - 2290 points

District 8 Historical Contribution Ranking 1

District 7 Contribution Ranking 294

"I have no complaints about my contribution. Congratulations, Mr. Atobe's party has been granted permission to travel to District Seven. We will be registering 'cracks' in your license"

"A cracker?"

"Yes, you can also see it on the license screen, but we call the permit for which district you can travel to a 'crack'. Be careful, if you don't have a quota, entering a district without permission will force you to eliminate it"

Because of the mechanism, if you can't infiltrate a superior district with skills beyond walls, etc., that would be the case.

It's not necessarily without a loophole, but I can't think of it as it stands. Violating the rules would raise karma, and if possible, it's something I don't want to be held captive about.

"You kept Luisa in touch with Guildsaber, didn't you? In the labyrinth, I met Mr. Serafina."

"Yes, I'm not supposed to be dispatched to the labyrinth in the Eighth Ward... this time it's special. They left for Stampede and stayed in the Eighth Ward."

Does that mean it's usually a superior district, serving as a rescue for the Seeker? If you're that busy, you don't get to look at each other very often.

"Dear Atobe, you will be paid a rescue fee. We're rescuing everyone at the party, so there's a bonus calculation… 12 gold coins per person, that's 60."

"Thank you. Can you guess how much Georg and the others are paying for their treatment?"

"Is that... Are you sure? I think they have some savings for treatment, too."

"It's a short period of time, but it's a pleasure to use the same quarters. Because I want to help at all."

Mr. Louisa looked a little confused. But I wish I could help Georg with something, even if it's called hypocrisy.

I don't know if it would be easy for me to get back together if I'd been manipulated by The Sprout Puppeteer and had to run away.

Even Georg was frightened and frightened. It will be difficult to be a searcher back to normal, so much so that you can tell just by looking at it.

"... Atobe thinks that a little more explorers will be able to stay active for a long time..."

"Sometimes it's what we get for them being attacked by demons. It's not in the fisherman's interest... so I want to do something. It's not like I'm going to sin."

"You mean 'Black Box'. Sure it's a precious treasure, but the demons that have it are attacking so many seekers...... if you crusaded it, you should be admired. It means that many explorers who have tasted carelessness have fought their enemies."

It makes me feel easier when you say that. Maybe it was more sinking than I thought when I saw Georg's party devastated and screwed up by the blubber.

If your people are manipulated by demons and attacked. If I can't help you and I can only escape. I never want to think about that.

"I'm going to visit 'North Star'. Luisa, when you're ready to go to District Seven, will you celebrate with us again?"

"Yes, by then, I pray that your feelings as well as those of Atobe are brightened"

◆ ◇ ◆

Head to the medical clinic near the guild and head to the hospital room where the Georgs are. The four male members were in the same room and were still asleep except for Georg. He was sucked into strength by the "Sprinkling Puppet Master" and was in a state of extreme debilitation.

"... Alicht. You're here."

Georg had a bandage around his head, and his injuries still didn't seem to have fully healed - but his eyes had regained some brilliance, as if he had been lying when he saw him in the labyrinth.

"That was tough. A little sooner, we..."

If only I could go rescue. Before saying so, Georg gently raised one hand to control.

"After everyone got hit by that grass monster, I couldn't move from the second tier for a while. You make me laugh...... I was scared and I couldn't move my legs. From the woods, I could hear Sophie being manipulated the whole time. Be nourished, too."

"... that was quite a vicious demon. You don't have to take an exam in the labyrinth with that one, you might as well have done it elsewhere."

"Right. But I avoided that labyrinth and went to 7th arrondissement, not necessarily without a similar demon. Avoid" bad "and we'll get stuck one day... which means we didn't deserve to go to District 7 yet"

Georg didn't even mock himself, he was pale. There's even a laugh on its side.

"To tell the truth, our party was almost broken up. There was another companion besides Sophie... but she retired from the Seeker after being badly injured when we came first in sequence. Mikhail and Tyler had a thing for her. It would make me laugh, I was using two women as motivators for exploration with four men."

"... is that what happened? But even though it was manipulative, it didn't feel good to use color eyes on our members."

"Well... Mikhail and Tyler each like women in different shapes. I apologize if my people worked disrespect. I'm sorry."

Let me joke, Georg makes me seem as sorry as I am.

"... the first person to be manipulated was Sophie. Then there was nothing we could do. If I let him die, that's the end of it."

"But I was safe this time. Then we can get back on track. I guess it's irresponsible to put it so simply."

"No... that's not true. I appreciate the word 'give up' right now, but it's the hardest part. If you're still inspired, you'll be saved."

Like a retired fellow, he leaves the Seeker and turns to his supporters. That would be one way of life.

Not necessarily, I don't think we should. But "good luck," and I can't even give you an encouragement without contents. Still, I don't want them to end up like this.

"Don't you have to hunt yourself down too much. With all those labyrinths, it's weirder not to get stuck. I may seem to be doing well too, but there are so many things I don't feel comfortable living in battle."

"... even you who defeated that monster, do you ever think you're scared?

"I do. I can't tell you how scared I am in front of my people."

Georg heard my answer and laughed for the first time in a long time. It was a nostalgic laugh, the same as when we met in the dormitory.

"Thank you so much, Alicht. I need you to keep it this far and say this... there's just one more thing I need you to do."

Georg was hesitant to continue. But never, squeeze your voice out of your throat.

"Will you go and pay Sophie a visit? I'll talk to the healer."

"... something happened to her?

I could help - I thought so. But from the look on Georg's face, there was no other way to realize that that was just my optimistic imagination.

"If you're Alicht, who helped her... Or maybe you can get a voice. Whatever... Whatever words she might react to..."

"... Georg"

I couldn't speak to him any more now. What does it mean to lose to demons? I hadn't been able to really understand yet.

◆ ◇ ◆

Though there was an introduction from Georg, I thought it was an easy one to meet, but the healer at the clinic took me to Sophie's hospital room when he found out we were the party that defeated the 'Sprout Puppeteer'.

When I open the door, Sophie is in bed - her upper body is awake, but her eyes are vain and she doesn't respond when we come in.

"Explorers taken over consciousness by demons may not fully recover from time to time. So much contact with demonic consciousness is a burden for humans."

The healer is an elderly woman, and Sophie and I are as far apart in age as my mother and daughter. Is that why too, I could see how badly heartbreaking it was to see Sophie.

"... I thought if I defeated the demon, that would set me free. My thoughts were sweet."

He seemed to grab his chest and couldn't speak well.

If I could have helped sooner. But such a tragic event is probably happening all over the labyrinth country just because I didn't see it.

"Is there anything I can do?

"... there is no certainty. But if your party crusaded the demons that manipulated her consciousness, it's possible"

"Possibility… what is it…"

"Still, it's possible she's being manipulated by demons. Plant demons sometimes leave behind 'seeds'. Terribly, the seed is still conscious, and just for one purpose, it can use the host to build up nutrients for germination."

It's just one purpose - that's what they said, I imagined.

What does the demon think of the Seeker who defeated him? I can't help but think that if they knock me down, etc.

"Yes... though it is dangerous. When Sophie approaches someone the demon is hostile to, the demon seed may react."

"That's... if you germinate, this is the time for Sophie..."

"It would have been nice to have had a skilled owner who could safely remove seeds from the body...... someone with good medical skills is now in the upper districts as a seeker. And it won't be easy for you to respond to our requests."

"... what happens to Sophie if she stays like this?

"Seeds suck 'nutrients' out of you, and one day... if you germinate them early, you can get away with that. And there is also the possibility that the seeds can be removed"

That's only a bet, and the healer woman knows it. Still, you brought me here - to leave Sophie any chance of survival.

"Okay. Can you leave me and leave the room? Perhaps with others, 'germination' won't happen."

"... I'm sorry. Your actions are honorable, even if you just rescued them. It's not a good thing to be a promising adventurer, such as making it even more dangerous…"

"No, never mind. I was the first one to slap the main body of the enemy. Probably because I'm the most hostile one."

A tremendous scream when he used "Backstand" and shot the sling into the body of "The Puppeteer of the Sprouts".

Even plants, if they are demons, are intelligent. You must remember me well and wait for the time of revenge now.

(… although I would like to eliminate the risk wherever possible. You're not here to kill Sophie)

Ask the healer woman to go outside. But Theresia stayed in the room.

"Teresia, a demon might not react when there's anything but me. Once you're out..."

She shakes her head. You understand that what's about to start is dangerous, and you can't stay away from me.

You don't have to keep up with your enemies' favorable conditions. If my people are going to stay close, it's better that way.

"... ok. Theresia, stay there. If anything happens to me, will you go outside and get help?"

Teresia snorts. I approach Sophie - shaking her white hair, Sophie moved her face and looked at this one.

Liveless eyes. Can you really, really put her back together?

The moment I thought about it that way. Faster than I could perceive, Sophie's hand was moving, grabbing my hand.

(... Huh!?

A simple shirt worn by the patient. The grass that emerged from that cuff is tangled in my hand.

"... you too... be one with me"

Blue lips spin words. Vision is distorted at the next moment, consciousness is taken -.

When I realized that I was on my knees in a dark space out of light, unable to move one thing.

(What... this, grass... what the hell is this place... the spiritual world...?

There's a crawl all over my body, and I can't move. In front of me like that, a white thing floats - it was Sophie's figure, tangled up in the grass like mine, and turned into a twister.

"Sofi......!

There is no response to the call. Instead, the twigs strewn around the periphery move like creatures, tangled together, creating something like one giant bud in front of me.

The buds open in front of me - the same white flowers as the main body of "The Puppeteer of the Sprouts". It was one girl who emerged from that flower.

A figure worthy of the expression flower incarnation. I cover only part of my body with something like a petal, and I look at this one with my emotionless eyes - when it comes to plants, yes.

"You... are the identity of the puppeteer of the spreading grass...?

"... by merging Sophie and consciousness, I formed 'this me'. By making you obey me on this occasion, I will put you under control."

"Can you talk normally... I've never heard a demon talk before"

"You just have to shut up and be sucked on the nutrients. Your precision is quite sucking, so I'll keep you alive for a while. If it works, you can use it for a long time."

It's growing a lot - she only looks like a girl around ten years old, but she's a demon.

"... earlier, it hurt. Your attack hurt the most than being chopped with a sword, or pierced with a spear, or shot with a bow."

"Gu......!

An entangling grass tightens up your whole body with a force like all-powerful - as if it were even tightened by a giant snake.

"Come on... accept my reign. Or do you taste the pain that crushes your spirit? There's no such thing as an unbreakable creature."

(Again, it's my spirit being attacked right now... if I don't let Sophie go here, she won't go back...!

No gear, no companions who can 'support'. In this state, what can be done - considering how sweet it is to embrace domination and look at opportunities, that is the end of a volume.

"... for a long time... demons do things in a shady way..."

"It's the same for humans not to choose the means. Some thought of burning us down every forest. You know the pain of being burned alive?"

"... I can only imagine that. I don't choose that way."

"... why laugh. I should have told you what would happen if you were crushed. It's not a threat."

I notice you say it - I'm laughing. I get my whole body tightened up and gasping for severe pain, and still no crying comes to mind.

"I don't know what to say to myself... but I give up badly... I'm good at lean patience"

"... then fine. Crush one arm. Regrettably..."

- It's late. Yes, before "The Sprout Puppeteer" speaks.

"- Huh!!

What's been interrupting in front of me - it is.

A naked woman with some covered in scales and lizard tails. Theresia, who could not have come here, was kicking out for a spreading puppet master.

"Gu......!

Though the Spiritual World, the Spring Grass Puppeteer can only exert his powers as they appear, and he does not receive a kick from Theresia.

"Theresia... how, here..."

"... a soul eroded by the labyrinth... just like us... well. Stick my body into myself and follow the 'Mark' connection..."

Theresia, who watched over me, herself pierced and eroded the spreads of 'The Puppeteer of the Spirit', entering the spiritual world.

Behind Theresia's neck is also inscribed the 'sign of servitude' in the figure of the mental body. It forms a definite bond between me - she must have followed this and come this far to help me.

"... Huh!

"Do you fight the curse and help humans? You can't even be a demon. What can you do?"

Theresia is turning her back on me. Becoming only a figure of spirit, she was not wearing a distinctive lizard mask.

- Dark hair long enough to take on the neck. I'm about to be deprived of consciousness by the way she looks, knowing it's not the case, even though she's protecting me.

"To the 'unarmed', you cannot defeat me. You were drawn here, and your loss was decided."

A bunch of cranberries get up. In this space, which precipitated in darkness, there was not a single escape - still, Theresia spread her arms and did not pull a single step.

"- No more, get out of my way!

A whip of cranberry strikes Theresia. I'm sorry if I can stop you.

That was if there was nothing 'to protect Theresia'.

"Teresia, 'support' eh!

"Huh...!!

I'm behind Theresia. Even if it is a mental body, if the positional relationship is behind it, it is a 'rear guard'.

An invisible wall plays the 'attack' of the crawling grass. If I was trying to detain Theresia, my backup defense wouldn't have worked.

I don't know if he was aiming that far, but Theresia guided the action of a spruce puppeteer brilliantly and made him 'attack'. I was born because of that, it was my only opportunity to be excellent.

"- Please, Theresia!

"... Huh...!!

Long time no see, I heard Theresia breathe. The kick rolled out is reinforced by my Supportive Attack, which adds' Supportive Damage 11 'to the body surgery by the psycho.

"Ku......!!

A puppeteer with kicked grass is blown away.

It's supposed to be only eleven damages - but for an enemy who wouldn't have thought it was going to take damage, that was the blow that determined the battle.

The grass that was intertwining Sophie with me withers away. To the leftover clown puppeteer - the white-haired girl, Theresia approaches quietly.

…………

The marshmallow puppeteer didn't even move. It seems extremely brittle for the blow, just as the flowers, her main body, were.

The figure of a human being, created by the puppeteer of the crawling grass touching Sophie's consciousness. It also looked like he had made Sophie look a little younger as she was.

I didn't expect the backup attack to work so effectively. Even if magic attacks don't require support, they work for 'direct attacks by mental bodies' - I don't know if getting this information will help in the future.

Thanks to Theresia, I escaped my predicament. The crawling grass that was eroding from my arm also disappeared, with some pain but no problems.

The body of Sophie and the Sprinkling Puppeteer starts glowing, thinning - and disappearing. Later, I just have to hope Sophie wakes up safely. Our mental bodies are starting to fade, too.

"... Theresia. You've come to help me, really..."

I try to convey my thanks. Theresia tries to look back after a little hesitation.

…………

In his fading vision, he did move his lips so that Theresia could say something.

But before I could see that face, my consciousness was drawn back to reality - and when I realized it, I was back in Sophie's hospital room.

On the hand grabbed by Sophie lays the hand of Theresia, who rode herself out of the back. Sophie is lying on her bed - seemingly unconscious, still unsure if she's back to normal.

"... thanks. Don't worry, I'm sorry"

Apologizing, Theresia pulled her hand - just like that, hugging her from behind.

I was surprised, but strangely calm, and now I lay my own hands on Teresian hands grabbing my clothes by my chest and clinging to them.

I'm glad you're safe. Even with no words, I thought that's what she was telling me.

(... hmm?

And then, when you see something in your sight, something you didn't have before you were drawn to the spiritual world, and you turn your attention to it -

On the bed, something like seed falls. I just passed out in the spiritual world, which means The Sprinkling Puppeteer is still alive.

I'll take care of this. You'll be free to do that. I had a few ideas about what to do with a strong enemy big enough to ride in the palm of my hand.