The portal shimmered like the northern lights. There was a heavy silence in front of him. Neither Misha nor Hikuroda said anything and just looked at each other. So unusual was the face that Rothmiller was now expressing.

*Crunch*

As in the expression "trembling teeth," Rothmiller's tightly closed mouth trembled. It was as if he had seen his limit for the first time. His inferiority complex had to be hidden in the very depths of his mind, under self-control and the desire to improve.

— ... It's not too late now," Rothmiller broke the silence. "Three teams passed in front of us. Even with the most advanced team, the time difference is only about 30 minutes. If we follow them quickly, we can get ahead of them on the 2nd floor.

At first glance, this sounded logical. However, if you consider each point, there were many contradictions in it. The problem was that even knowing this, everyone nodded awkwardly.

"Ah!" It will work. I don't want to give up, since we got here so quickly.

"Hahaha!" So I'm not the only one?

— ... I also agree.

Good guys.

It was obvious what they were thinking.

Instead of refusing, they probably decided that it was better to force themselves to agree and suffer.

"Bjorn... What do you think?

Eyes gathered on me, as I had not yet expressed my opinion.

Ha, so annoying. Why do I always have to play this role?

I sighed inwardly, but spoke frankly.

— Do you all have problems with your head?

On the 1st floor, there was already a 30-minute gap. On the 2nd floor, this gap will increase even more. In addition, we are already exhausted just by getting here.

"Do you want to overtake them in this state?" Do you really think that can happen?

All three kept their mouths shut and avoided my gaze. So I ignored them and stared at Rothmiller.

"Brown Rothmiller, that's enough.

—…

"I'll follow you on the 1st floor at any time. But the 2nd floor is too much for us. Do not put your comrades at risk because of your stubbornness.

Rothmiller closed his mouth in a fit of indignation. I didn't say anything else and just stared at him. The answer came a little later.

"I'm sorry. I must have lost my mind for a while. Forget what I said.

"I've already forgotten.

Rothmiller uttered the words of apology, and I ignored them. The other three exhaled, holding their breath. Fortunately, it seemed that the situation was resolved without dispute.

What a headache.

The problem was that nothing was over yet.

***

The scout position existed in order to reduce the time of movement in the labyrinth, where it is of great importance. Their combat power was insufficient compared to other positions, but their betrayal was always deadly. The intelligence officer was the only position that could cooperate with external forces.

Since the county governor knew this, he must have been trying to change Rothmiller's mind.

The scout led the journey through the labyrinth. In other words, it was quite possible to pretend to be a guide and lead us into the trap prepared by the head of the district.

... Perhaps I should have postponed this expedition.

I decided to trust Rothmiller because I knew his usual nature. His character was direct to the point of stubbornness. He was a sincere person who did not rely on luck and held on only by effort. I believed that such a man would not be tempted by any tricks of the head of the district.

But what was Rothmiller like today? So alien that he seemed almost a different person.

Maybe it's because of that bastard county head.

Of course, I still believed that the probability of betrayal was small. This man was not an idiot, and if he really wanted to betray us, he would have behaved normally. However, one had to assume the worst and be careful.

... I have to keep an eye on him for now.

Against the background of such anxiety, intelligence resumed. However, contrary to my misgivings, Rothmiller led the group with only a rational appearance, as usual.

[You entered the Rocky Desert on the 2nd floor].

He found the exact route in the desert even when the compass stalled.

On the morning of the 2nd day, he found a portal to the 3rd floor.

[You entered the Pilgrim's Path on the 3rd floor].

On the 3rd floor, where we got earlier than ever, there wasn't much difference.

We headed straight to the Witchwood with minimal fighting, and at [22:00] we took a break to catch our breath. The same thing happened at midnight, at the beginning of the 3rd day. We all woke up for a moment to see the 3rd floor being painted with a silvery light.

"Hahaha!" I don't know why I didn't look at it before, but just slept the whole time!

— Probably because there was no one to share it with.

"Dvalki, it was kind of vulgar.

Maybe this should be called a tradition inherent only in a team of losers? No one suggested it, but from the first intelligence it was always like an unspoken promise.

***

[You entered the Sky Tower on the 4th floor].

In any case, the expedition went smoothly after that. In the evening of the 7th day we reached the 4th floor. This also calmed me down. This meant that there was no longer any need to suspect Rothmiller.

Probably, it was my oversight.

The 4th floor was isolated. After entering it, after about 5 minutes, it became a space that other explorers could not enter. Throughout the first fights, I covered my back to see if anyone had entered, but no explorers entered until the 1st floor of the Sky Tower was cleared.

"Bjorn!" What are you thinking about so persistently?

"Let's go up."

So, I put my worries aside completely and focused on the expedition. Well, not completely. There was nothing I could do about the fact that it was a part of my identity. I believed that there is no such thing as 100% in this world, especially if you are on an expedition, where there will be nothing strange if something happens.

[You have chosen the Ladder of Wisdom].

[You have chosen the Ladder of Courage].

[You have chosen the Ladder of Wisdom].

Anyway, when we entered the 4th floor, we focused on climbing the Tower, alternately climbing the ladders of Wisdom and Courage.

[You have selected the Ladder of Patience].

There was a point along the way when all the stairs turned out to be the Ladders of Patience, but everything went more smoothly than I thought. It was a psychological test, but it was not too difficult to pass. Whoever appeared and whatever they were chatting about, you just had to pass it through the other ear.

To be honest, what happened after the ordeal was more annoying.

"Wahhhh, Bjorn...!"

"Stop crying. It's all over.

"If you leave me, I'll really be all alone!"

I didn't know what she saw or heard, but as soon as we passed the floor, Misha began to cry.

Hikurod was on his knees in despair.

"The swords I make are no better than scrap metal...

Dvalky stared blankly into space, as if he had gone mad, and Rothmiller silently clenched his fists. Both of them looked a little angry.

... This cannot but worry.

While they were recovering, I checked the crate in the center of the floor—the reward could only be obtained by choosing the Patience Challenge. If you were lucky, you could get a numbered item or a random essence of rank 6 and below.

But with me, there is no chance. Of course, there were only 12 rank 7 mana stones here.

"If you're all done resting, let's continue."

After an almost 30-minute break to recover, the expedition resumed. After that, nothing happened. We beat up more and more monsters and continued to climb the floors. Soon the 12th day came, and we reached the 100th floor.

"I think it's the first time I've come this far.

Starting from the 100th floor, the difficulty of the challenge was set to the highest level, and rank 6 monsters appeared more and more often. However, there was nothing too dangerous here either, thanks to the growth of our two main damage dealers. Their compatibility was also quite good.

[Riol Varb Dvalki cast a 7th rank spell [Ice Storm]].

[Misha Karlstein cast [Ice Shatter]].

Dvalki, with his hard-earned money, learned not only auxiliary magic, but also a 7th rank cold attack spell of a wide area of effect. With the addition of Misha, it was not difficult to deal with the rank 6 monsters. With two tanks and damage support, the team's stability increased dramatically. Well, if a rank 5 monster like the Troll reappears, it will be a different story.

However, I have prepared a lot with the team's money, so the situation should be much better than it was then.

In fact, it was ridiculous to worry about the rank 5 monsters on the 4th floor. We didn't even meet Hans on the way.

Rothmiller seemed to have come to his senses, too.

In contrast to the alarming beginning, this study continued smoothly.

The 19th day came.

***

[6:32]

I checked my watch and looked around.

All four of my teammates slept comfortably in their seats.

Awake alone, I felt like I was on the night watch again.

I buried myself back in my sleeping bag and closed my eyes, but I couldn't sleep, perhaps thanks to my increased Energy. No, maybe because there were only 4 days left before the closing of the labyrinth?

For some reason, I feel restless.

I've been feeling this way for the past few days, but our teamwork has improved a lot. It seemed that we finally had a good rhythm.

Even if I didn't give the command, each of them did the best they could, and they began to communicate with their eyes and gestures to some extent. No matter what happened, we gradually became a real team.

Compared to the first time, this is an absurd difference.

Only by looking at Dvalki could one notice the dramatic changes. He hardly seemed to be an amateur anymore, and his fighting instinct grew every day.

Except, while I felt a strange sense of gratitude, I also felt some regret. I knew that our days together were numbered.

Thoughts are rational, do not succumb to emotions.

It was my first permanent team formed in this strange world. I decided not to show affection to the people here as much as possible, but as a human being, I could not control all my feelings. I was sure that I would remember this team for a long time.

*Top*

When my thoughts reached this point, I suddenly felt someone's presence. I lifted my head slightly to check, and it was Rothmiller.

"Did I wake you up?"

— No, I woke up quite recently.

"That's good. I thought that this time you woke up because of me.

And this time...?

It seemed to me, or was there some meaning behind these words? I was sure that nothing. Rothmiller was quick-witted. He must have known that I was still watching him, even though he pretended not to know.

"Why don't we talk, since you're awake?"

— ... Ok.

I got out of my sleeping bag and sat down against the wall with Rothmiller.

There was an awkward silence. Ah, isn't this the first time the two of us have talked since that day? Feeling suffocated for some reason, I took a piece of beef jerky meat from my pocket and chewed it.

*Chavk, Chavk, Chavk*

Yes, the sound was a little better.

Rothmiller, who asked to speak to me, opened his mouth only after I had finished a whole piece of jerky.

— ... I plan to leave the team after this reconnaissance.

"Are you leaving the team?"

It was sudden, but not entirely unexpected. I had such a scenario in my head.

"It's because of me.

And?

"What does that mean?"

— ... Give me one of them.

When I handed over a piece of jerky, Rothmiller nibbled on it and continued. It was a bit of a long story.

"I cannot say that the proposal of the head of the district has nothing to do with this decision. Who am I not to be greedy for being given a position as a scout in a large clan? Even though I knew it was a lie, my heart kept pounding. It was the first time I realized that it was time to leave this team.

"Ah, but don't be too burdened by it. In fact, this is what I am used to. Other races... No, those who have talent easily rise to the top. I've been in a lot of teams in 8 years and there have been a lot of times where I've been left behind because I couldn't keep up with them. Sometimes I was kicked out, sometimes I left on my own until it got worse. This is how I survived as a researcher. But this time it was not easy.

"Why?" I spoke for the first time.

Rothmiller replied with a grin.

"Because I care about you.

—…

"I knew it was time to leave, but I didn't like to admit it. Therefore, I tried to hide what happened to the head of the district and take part in this expedition. I wanted this journey to last at least a little longer. But...

Rothmiller swallowed the jerky, which he chewed slowly.

— Everything ends someday.

At these words I was speechless. Rothmiller stared straight ahead and said nothing, as if waiting for an answer. Then the alarm sounded and the others began to rise to their feet one by one.

"It's time for everyone to wake up. I'm going to get ready, so get ready to leave too.

Rothmiller went off to pack his sleeping bag. I took my watch out of my pocket.

[08:00]

Before I knew it, the 19th day came.

***

Rothmiller was like me in many ways. He tried not to get attached to others, but he still experienced it. Still, he made smart decisions, not letting his emotions get the better of him. The only difference was that I was doing it for myself, and this person was doing it for us.

But it's not that I didn't have altruistic motives. If I had kept going up with these guys, the expedition game would have ended only when one of them died. Therefore, before that, I wanted to finish it with my own hands.

"Bjorn!"

To be honest, it tingled in the back of my head. I didn't think Rothmiller could think of anything like that. I was interested in how I looked in his eyes.

What was he thinking, feeling my gaze on him?

These endless questions swirled in my head.

"Bjorn!" Where did you go?

Misha shook me by the shoulder, waking me up from my thoughts.

"Stop fooling around and get ready.

"Okay...

I came to my senses and joined the organization of the camp. Then, having packed up and had a snack, we went up the stairs.

I'll tell him when we get back to town. We're going to leave together anyway, so there's no need for him to leave the team.

My thoughts were confused, but I decided to focus only on the expedition for the time being. There were still 4 days left. We were able to defeat the rank 6 monsters easily, but the Sky Tower was a place where the difficulty level increased drastically depending on the combination of enemies. I couldn't let my guard down until we got back to town.

[Challenge Completed]

After defeating a group of monsters, I froze in place. No, it wasn't just me.

— ... All three are Ladders of Destiny," Rothmiller said.

"What are we going to do?" Didn't you say they could be dangerous? Dvalki asked.

Wow, so they really appeared.