"Are you going down right away?"

Philon asked, as if reluctant to part ways so soon.

We could go down immediately, but there was no need to rush.

"Not sure. Maybe we should take a day to rest and resupply."

"Really?"

I felt a tug on my clothes from behind—it was Ray.

"What?"
"You didn’t say anything about staying."
"We’ll take a day to rest and resupply."

Ray still seemed a bit uneasy but released my clothes, understanding the logic.

"Then let’s book a place together. We’ve just returned from the third layer, so we could use the rest."

Nathaniel offered to cover the cost of the lodging, but I declined. Sure, it would’ve been nice to accept, but I didn’t want to rely on someone else when I could handle it myself. Favors like that often turn into unseen debts.

Even if there’s no formal obligation to repay, it leaves a mark on your conscience.

'That kind of thing is more trouble than it’s worth.'

When it comes to money, it's best to keep things clean.

"In the First Post, you only need to know three places: the blacksmith, the inn, and the general store. There are also branches for the magical schools, but most people stick to their own. By the way, did you mention which school you belong to?"

"Just me, not my teammates."

"If you don’t mind me asking…"

Nathaniel’s courteous demeanor matched his relaxed appearance, though I figured his unkempt beard was due to his time spent in the Abyss.

"It’s a small school, so you probably haven’t heard of it. It’s called the Telema school."

"Telema? Hecate’s school?"

"You know it?"

"I went on an expedition with Hecate once."

So Hecate had been an Abyss explorer as well. I always thought she was the type to stay inside the school building, delegating tasks to Meaemon and taking outside commissions. I wondered why that had changed.

"She was quite a formidable demon mage, so she left a strong impression. Now that you're part of her school, you’ll be hearing that name more often."

Formidable? Hecate?

That’s hard to imagine.

I know she’s skilled in demon magic, but her usual demeanor makes it hard to picture her as a fearsome mage.

"We’ve arrived. This place is a bit pricey, but it has the best facilities."

Nathaniel tried to book separate rooms for the men and women, but we refused. After everything we’d been through, it didn’t feel necessary. Ray and Leif also preferred that each team stick together. We were already used to sharing spaces during camping, so mixed lodging wasn’t an issue for us.

After booking the rooms, we took Nathaniel’s help to restock our supplies.

Later, Philon joined us in our room, making the total four. He even wanted to bring drinks to celebrate reaching the end of the first layer and before we ventured into the second, but I managed to stop him.

'Why would kids be drinking?'

Ray was 16, still young, and Leif couldn’t handle alcohol at all. I wasn’t sure what Philon was thinking.

Even without alcohol, the conversation flowed easily, as if we were swept up in the atmosphere.

"Do you keep in touch with the others?"

"No. You’re the first I’ve seen since getting my license."

While we had built a sense of camaraderie during training, forming a tight-knit community beyond just being peers, everyone eventually found their own place to belong.

Arthur joined the Frontier Guild, Fiona the Grand Duchess’s household, Alejandra the Alexandria School...

They were all doing their best in their respective positions.

In fact, Ray and Leif, who were still with me without any official affiliation, were the odd ones.

"That makes sense. I’ve been in the school ever since too."

Everyone probably realized their limits. They all must have come to terms with just how powerless they were against the cultists of the Abyss.

Only the top three—Arthur, Fiona, and Alejandra—might have stood a chance in a real fight. Maybe Ray and Teresia could have joined that lineup, as well.

'Maybe even Leif, given her current progress.'

As for me, I’m an anomaly, using space magic, which is already outside the norm.

"I had no idea you joined a school. Telema… that’s the one you mentioned during our training session, right?"

"Yeah, it’s not surprising you didn’t know. It’s not like we have real-time communication or anything."

Ray’s voice cut in after I spoke.

"That Number 1 probably knows, though."

"Number 1? The Grand Duchess?"

"Yeah."

Ray continued referring to people by their numbers, and Philon understood her immediately. Will they ever stop doing that? Probably not, considering we’d named our little group The Numbers.

"Wouldn’t Nachtblumer know too? The two of them are pretty close."

"Probably. But hasn’t she sent it yet?"

"Sent what?"

"You know, the reward for the Chromatic Fiend and the magic stones."

Ah, the payment for the fiend’s hide and the magic stones. I haven’t received it yet, but it should be on its way to the Telema School soon.

As the conversation shifted naturally from topic to topic, Philon seemed to drift into thought, going silent.

"Philon?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry."

"What were you thinking about?"

"Well, um… what you said earlier."

"Something I said?"

I wasn’t sure what he was referring to, but Philon quickly clarified.

"You mentioned there’s no real-time communication."

"Ah, that."

"I was just wondering if there’s a way to make that possible."

Real-time communication?

"Is that even possible?"

Of course, Ray asked the question I was thinking.

"It’s difficult. Telepathic magic, communication spells—they all become useless once you cross between layers of the Abyss."

If it were possible, they would have implemented it by now. Communicating across layers of the Abyss was considered impossible. That’s the current understanding.

"Still, it’s worth thinking about."

"Yeah, definitely."

The difference between having proper communication and not is significant.

It was strange that no one had addressed this issue until now. But perhaps the fact that all explorers were used to being in the Abyss made them overlook it.

With the topic of communication lingering, the conversation eventually wrapped up for the night.

Back in his room, Philon was greeted by a question from his teacher.

"Philon."

"…Yes, Master?"

"What do you think of that man, Roman?"

What did he think of Roman?

Philon’s mind flashed back to the first time he truly noticed Roman.

His fallen comrades. The enemy they couldn’t defeat despite their efforts. Teresia arriving at the last moment, barely securing victory. But by then, everyone had already sustained fatal injuries.

Philon had to make a choice. Whom should he use his healing magic on?

And in the end, he chose himself. He had no choice. If Philon, the only one capable of healing, didn’t tend to his own injuries, there would be no one left to save anyone else.

But in the end, Philon couldn’t save his teammates.

He had tended to his own wounds first, and by the time he checked on his comrades, their conditions had already deteriorated beyond saving.

Philon had watched his comrades die before his eyes. He felt their warmth fade from the hands he held. He heard their shallow breaths cease.

Roman was different.

Unlike Philon, who couldn’t save anyone, Roman had saved everyone. Without regard for himself. Burning his own life as fuel.

That scene had left an indelible mark on Philon. It was a moment that seared itself into his memory like a brand, the kind of moment that could make someone understand the feeling of witnessing a savior.

But the words Philon spoke aloud were far more subdued than the depth of his emotions.

"He’s just… a peer."

The next day.

We stood at the gate leading to the second layer, exchanging farewells.

"Well, see you later."

"Yeah. Be careful."

Instead of a long-winded goodbye, Philon simply sent us off with a short but sincere word of caution.

Ray seemed to appreciate it, flashing him a wide smile and a thumbs-up. Leif, who had been so talkative before, now only nodded quietly, perhaps feeling the weight of the Serapheon school members watching from the background.

Nathaniel’s gaze, in particular, was especially intense today. I could see how it might make Leif uncomfortable.

With our goodbyes said, we turned and stepped through the gate.

We descended.

To the second layer.

Thud! Thunk! Wham!

"Ugh!"
"Eek!"
"What are you doing?"

Three thuds and three voices.

Aside from Ray, who had great reflexes, Leif and I landed on the ground on our backsides.

"Ouch… that hurts."

Leif’s tearful voice perfectly echoed my own feelings. I rubbed my sore backside and stood up.

"What the hell was that for an entrance…?"

Ray, who had been floating in mid-air with her new ability, landed gracefully and said, "It feels like the mana here is unstable. And it’s thicker than on the first layer."

The mana in the second layer was indeed denser than in the first. If the first layer was like water, the second layer was more like syrup, with a sticky, heavier feel to it.

"It’s so dark too."

Unlike the first layer, which was relatively bright due to light seeping in from the outside world, the second layer was almost completely devoid of light. It was pitch black, with only faint silhouettes visible after your eyes adjusted.

"Light."

I cast a light spell, summoning a glowing orb to illuminate the surroundings, revealing what the second layer truly looked like.

There was no vast horizon or open sky. Instead of distant, hazy mountain ranges, there were walls close enough that you could feel their texture.

This was a completely different environment from the first layer.

This was the second layer of the Abyss.

The Great Labyrinth.