Chapter 66 - Field Boss (Part 2)

 

Floor Lords are field bosses that existed on each floor:

Their names, attributes, and behaviors were unique, but they all had one thing in common. It was impossible to cope with them at the level of a researcher. For example, in order to conquer the Lord of the 1st floor, it was necessary to organize an expedition of more than 30 people. Of course, this assumed that each of them was at least a 4th floor researcher. This was the absolute minimum.

This made both Misha and I think. If the two of us encounter the Lord of this floor, it will be the end of the game, because it is impossible to overtake them at normal walking speed. So where do we go? Instead of just trembling and hoping we don't run into it, what can we do to improve our chances of survival even a little?

The solution was to go to the Orc colony, like most of the explorers here.

"Why are there so many of them here, Bjorn?"

"Because of the presence of the Dzarvi clan.

The Zarvi was a large clan that operated on the 6th floor and above. Hikuroda estimated that the number of its members was in the hundreds. They couldn't all be in the same place at the same time, but at least ten teams had to arrive. Even though it was only the 3rd floor, so many people were needed to control the hunting grounds. Even with so many people, it would be difficult to subdue them.

Well, if you're willing to take the hit, then that's not a bad plan...

But it assumes that you know the right battle strategy and have been planning it for months. However, if we stay with them, we will buy time to escape, even if we run into the Lord of the Floor.

I led Misha through a dense crowd of researchers, making a balanced decision based on practicality. A thrilling scene was unfolding.

"Hey!" I heard that there is a high mage among you! Please use portal magic on my behalf! I'll pay you everything!

"You!" You've summoned the Lord of the Floor!

"What will happen to us?" They're not going to kick us out because they're a big clan, are they?"

Among them were those who sincerely begged, those who refused to accept reality and sought a purpose for their rage, and those who calmly tried to make sense of the situation. While such a diverse group of people was huddled together, one of the leaders of the Zarvi spoke.

"Calm down, everyone. It's safe here. Our priest has proclaimed [Destruction of Evil], and our scouts are already on the alert in all directions. As stated in the agreement between the royal family and the Guild, we, the Dzarvi clan, will do everything we can to keep as many explorers alive as possible in this catastrophic situation. But! If someone disobeys our orders or starts rioting, please understand that we have no choice but to take deportation measures!

It seemed a bit wordy, but it was a pretty straightforward announcement. Since the screamers were no longer screaming, the final warning was particularly effective.

"For now, we don't have to worry about being kicked out," I said to Mike.

"Phew, I feel relieved.

I sat down with my back to the tree in a suitable place, looking around for a while.

— ... Aren't you too relaxed?

"There's nothing more we can do. We needed to rest while we could. No one knows what will happen in the future.

"Hmph, that's right.

Mike sat down next to me, accepting my explanation.

"I'm asking just in case, Misha, but are you sure of your ears?"

"I'm not sure. People used to tell me they liked my ears.

What does it bring?

"I mean, can you hear sounds well from afar?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure of that.

"Then listen carefully to the conversation over there. But don't make it obvious by looking at them.

"Good.

At my order, Mike leaned back and closed her eyes. Her triangular ears perked up as she focused.

"I'm not sure, but they seem to be arguing.

"For what reason?"

"I can't hear the details because they're too far away. One thing I can say for sure: They're discussing Lord Floor.

Okay, good. What else can managers discuss in this situation? It would be too obvious to get any closer to them than it is now. This is the best we can do.

"Please keep listening." And please let me know if anything else comes up.

"Good.

Putting Misha into eavesdropping mode, I slowly looked around to see the reaction of the crowd. Apart from a few minor complaints and anxiety symptoms, the atmosphere was generally encouraging.

"I thought I'd just be thrown out of here, but you never know what's going to happen.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about. Only a clan of this size could have a priest capable of such a large-scale spell [Slaying Evil].

"I can only say that the gods are on our side. The Lord of the Floor has appeared for the first time in 10 years, but why are these guys here at the same time?

Whatever evil the Dzzarvi clan had done in occupying the Orc colony, most of the Orcs were pleased and grateful for the current situation. Not all, of course.

"Are you two alone?"

The man walked over to me as I surveyed my surroundings. He couldn't be looking for trouble at that moment, could he?

"What exactly?"

"Nothing special, but shouldn't we unite in moments like this?"

"Get straight to the point.

"The Zarvi promised to protect us, but we have no idea what's going to happen. How about working together?

So he wanted a short-term union?

"About 30 people have already gathered for this. It looks like you've lost teammates in this incident, so it would be nice to have someone to lean on for a while.

Before answering, I double-checked one thing.

"My name is Bjorn, and I'm Yandel's son. How should I address you?

— Jack Fletcher.

As long as it wasn't Hans.

"Good.

For now, we will say "good". If things seem to be going badly, we can simply retreat. We do not sign a paper contract.

"A barbarian with a tough character. Then I'll leave right now. Get some sleep. If anything happens, I'll get back to you later.

"Good.

The man soon left, and the next two hours passed without incident. The Spirits of Chaos couldn't even get closer, due to the priest's deployment of [Evil Destruction]. There were no obvious variables either. At least, it seemed so from the outside.

"Wake up, Misha.

I shook Misha, who had switched from eavesdropping to sleep mode.

"Is something wrong?"

— No, not yet. But if my predictions are correct... It will be soon.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Look around; There are too many people here.

The Dzarvi clan sincerely accepted the refugees.

Finally, the upper limit was reached. The area declared for [Evil Elimination] was only twice the size of the school running field. We were also in the woods, not in a clearing, but it seemed that there were already more than 500 people here.

"Hey... Shouldn't we keep more people out?

"More people, and we won't even be able to sit down.

"If the monster gets here in this state...

Selfishness is always fueled by context. A sense of unease was growing among those who arrived first, and gradually such statements began to appear.

"What are we going to do now, Bjorn?"

Well, it depends on how the Dzarvi decide to act.

Whether they accepted people until they reached their limit, or stopped accepting and closed the doors, the clan had to make a decision.

Soon after, the clan representatives made another announcement.

"Due to the announcement of the [Destruction of Evil], this is the only safe zone on the 3rd floor. This is truly a miracle that will never happen again. However...

The content made it easy to edit unnecessary fragments.

"The priest would like all of you to pay your respects to God.

Respect. It should be noted that this did not imply any intangible values such as prayer, conversion, or worship.

"One million stones for each person must be paid immediately, on the spot. Mana stones or items can be used.

No one believed that this was the priest's demand. There must have been an agreement between them, but the clan should have offered it first. At first, they pretended to be noble, emphasizing their pact with the royal family, but in the end, they chose their own interests. If they hadn't let the refugees in, they'd have been condemned for their decision, so it looks like they've decided to make money out of it.

Of course, there would be a backlash.

"We don't have that many mana stones!"

"Are you suggesting that we give up our equipment?" You're just suggesting that we die in this situation!

Jack Fletcher was the one who shouted the loudest.

"Your tyranny will be impatient with our 100-man squad!" Jack looked around. Anticipating this, I avoided his gaze. Was it the same with the other 100 people in the group?

"Uh... Everyone, please speak louder. We cannot resist their tyranny if we remain silent! Jack stuttered, stunned.

The short protest came to an end.

"A million stones are a tribute to the gods and the price of your protection. Some of your gear may go missing for a while, but what are you worried about when you're with us?

Of course, we're worried about you bastards.

Even if proclaiming [Slaying Evil] was a cheat skill, for Lord Floor, it was nothing more than a piece of paper. Of course, these were complaints that I made up in my head because I was a barbarian who could compromise with reality.

"Misha, leave consumables like potions and give them only what we don't need."

"Good.

We, like other researchers, rummaged through our backpacks for items that could be exchanged for money. We didn't have to take off our clothes because we had some equipment looted from looters.

A million stones for a night on the dirt floor...

The price was prohibitive, but the proclamation of [Destruction of Evil] was worth the price. In addition, he said it himself: "This included the cost of our defense."

"If these guys aren't going to lower prices, then this should be enough.

We collected a few pieces of gear from the religious fanatic's group and were ready to give them away, but not everyone was doing as well as we were. Giving away the equipment they were wearing should cost a million stones for the 3rd floor explorers, but...

"Are we going to starve to death if we don't have that?"

"Would you give a million stones to live for one day?" It's just ridiculous.

Many people refused to give up their equipment and chose to leave. The clan did not hold them, continuing to demand a fee of at least 300 people from newcomers.

During this time, they earned 300 million stones? All in one day...

It was, in fact, copied money. After all, strength really makes you invincible and a god. After all, these guys were praying to the same gods. If Lord Floor had appeared, the market would have immediately fallen.

These people would have paid for protection if they had assumed this from the beginning.

These cretins, as usual, lacked intelligence. Of course, I was sure that they had reasons for such a decision. Since the 3rd floor was so large, they probably thought that their chances of meeting the Floor Lord were slim. Since today was the 15th day, they also felt that they only needed to survive today. With so much combat power, this should be possible.

I was sure that was what they thought, with the utmost enthusiasm and as much as possible in their favor. But they needed to know. They had never imagined that they would find themselves in a situation where the Lord of the Floor would be summoned and all the explorers on that floor would be forced to stop hunting.

Well, this applies to me as well.

But at least I imagined the worst thing that could happen to me. Of course, most often such scenarios did not become a reality, but... How about this time?

I think I'll have to find out.

I quietly closed my eyes. After that, time passed as on the eve of a storm. It was [19:07] – 5 hours before the end of the 15th day.

*Cap... Cap... Cap... Cap*

Rainwater fell through the trees and soaked the ground to blackness.

[The area deteriorated. [Destruction of Evil] removed].

In an instant, the pure white pattern covering the ground lost its light.

"Whooshhhhh!"

Outside the forest, a huge beast howled.