Vigilantly watching the surrounding situation, we slowly moved forward.

That was a change that happened to us a few minutes ago. As soon as we stopped running to the 2nd floor, we began to pay more attention to safety. It was an inevitable choice, because the fog that prevented us from seeing began to fill the entire cave.

—... I've heard about it. This is black magic that was used by sorcerers in the last conquest.

His heart beat dullly.

*Tudum!*

Even when Raven removed the fog with wind magic, visibility was limited to a radius of 5 meters. In such an environment, it was difficult to protect oneself from danger. Since I wasn't in a game consisting of HP and MP, one mistake could have caused death.

There was no "Repeat" button.

*Tudum!*

I had to be on the alert to come back alive and not lose anyone.

"Mr. Yandel...

In the past we were too weak to defend ourselves and therefore we had to lose a teammate. It was a crisis that could not be overcome otherwise. But what to do this time?

Yes, I'm a lot stronger than I was then...

To prevent my body from going numb from tension, I fixed positive moments in my head.

"Mr. Yandel!"

"Don't shout.

"Then answer the first time.

"What did you mean?"

Raven, riding on Einhar, asked cautiously.

— Is it right to go to the 2nd floor now?

"What do you mean?"

"There are many knights from the palace here. Plus there are many large clans. Wouldn't it be safer to join them?

It was a fair proposal. Actually, if we were not far from the starting point, I would also choose this option. But in the current situation, it did not look like a particularly good choice.

Only something needs to be corrected.

"Raven, more than half of the major clans have not entered the labyrinth.

I heard about this from the Fox at the Round Table. Large clans, dissatisfied with the palace, staged a mass boycott.

The few who understood that the palace kept a record of these clans on the list refused to participate, but their number was not that large.

— ... Why now?

In fact, I think they attacked precisely because it was the right time.

"Abman, in what direction?"

"There."

I asked Mr. Bear for the location of the portal and continued to pave the way. This was also another change that occurred after the cave was shrouded in fog: the compass stopped working.

—... Will everything be fine if we find the portal?

"It won't be safe on the 2nd floor either. But we just need to get to the 4th floor.

The Sky Tower was an independent floor. If we can get there, then even in the midst of the war, we could safely return to the city. This is the best thing we can do right now.

— No, I don't. I meant that there could be a guard next to the portal.

"What do you mean?"

— In the literal sense. If I were a tactician on Noark's side, I would first look for a way to eliminate the path to the 2nd floor.

This is... faithfully. But so what? We had to at least try. Thanks to the use of the phenomenon of dimensional instability, we were already in the farthest part anyway.

"If it becomes impossible to go up to the 2nd floor... What are we going to do then?

Unlike usual, Raven kept asking me questions. She seemed to be worried too. Well, I was sure that she needed to rely on someone, after all, she didn't have much experience in such matters.

"Then we'll join the people from the city, as you suggested." There is no other way.

I tried my best to speak calmly. I didn't know if this was really the best way, but at least someone should be calm.

"If that explanation is enough, let's continue.

"Okay...

When we were moving at full speed to the 2nd floor, we met the researchers.

"At last, a man. Guys, do you know what's going on?

The crew consisted of three people and two beastmen.

Their equipment level was the same as ours, or even higher. Well, the explorers who had made it this far at this time couldn't have been low-level.

If they join us, then our combat power will increase significantly.

However, there was something to check before that.

"First the identification tags.

Are these bastards really trustworthy?

***

"They're real.

"Did you think it was a fake?"

As soon as we met, each of us confirmed that we were from the city by the identification tags on our wrists, and naturally, a conversation ensued. Normally, after checking the marks, we would have gone in different directions, but this was clearly an emergency.

"Do you know anything?"

— Not much. Except that Noark did something.

"Noark...?" Clearly.

The leader on their side nodded at my words.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Are there any mages on your team?"

It was common knowledge that there were few ordinary Magi on Noark's side.

The leader just shrugged his shoulders confidently.

— As you can see, we are a team aimed at obtaining achievement points. We don't need a magician.

Hell, that made sense too. Mages rarely participated in a speed pass. Not only were they ballast due to their slowness, but also mages could not get experience points in the speed pass.

"Bjorn, son of Yandel."

So, I tried to introduce myself, believing that the interlocutors might have heard of me, nicknamed Little Balkan.

— Hansen Colders.

"Hansen?"

"Oh, do you know me?" Perhaps we have mutual friends-...

"I don't think so.

I shook my head. I shuddered only from an ominous feeling. It was the first time I had heard that name. Then what should I do?

Just as I was thinking about it, Hansen and his teammate exchanged whispers.

"Little Balkan?" About! A barbarian since Lord Floor's attack!

It seemed that one of them knew my name. Hansen's gaze became a little more benevolent.

"Now I see you're a celebrity?" Why don't we move together? I don't think this is the right time for either of us to be involved in the expedition," Hansen was the first to suggest teaming up.

"Can you give me some time?"

"Only a few minutes. I wouldn't want to stay in one place for long.

After asking Hansen for understanding, I took time to discuss with my colleagues. After all, there's something called collective intelligence—maybe they noticed something I missed.

"I don't know. With a lot of people, of course, it is safer, but... I'll do as you say, Bjorn.

"I'm just like Misha!"

At first, the melee sisters expressed their intention to fully follow my decision. Mr. Bear was on the opposite side.

"Something's wrong. At their level, they should be pretty famous, but I've never heard their names. Maybe they're not from the underground city, but there's a chance they're looters.

This bothered me a little, as Mr. Bear had the most connections among us.

"Raven, what do you think?"

"I... I don't think there's anything strange about it. Wouldn't it be better to just join them? Their ID tags are fine too.

Hmm, I see.

Internally, I relied on Raven the most, but it seems that I will have to change my mind on this matter. Maybe because it was the first time that this had happened to her, her gears did not turn as usual.

"Don't think about ID tags and think strictly about the person.

"What?" What are you... Oh!

Raven gasped as she understood the meaning of my words. Now that the situation had reached such a point, it was foolish to rely on identification tags. There was a possibility that they had made a fake.

There were two options: either they failed to imitate the tags and simply played it safe, or they successfully mimicked them and used it as a means of defense to provoke this incident. I don't know what it is yet, so I have to trust my intuition. Like in Dungeon & Stone, where one mistake meant the end of the game.

"I... I do not know. Just decide for us, Mr. Yandel.

Raven was confused and left it up to me.

Why was she so out of her mind?

"Raven, pull yourself together. You were fine even when there was an assassin hiding next to us in the Sky Tower.

"It's not the same as it is now. Now, if I make a mistake, others will suffer.

Oh, that's it. I learned something new about Raven. I never thought she could be indecisive when it comes to responsibility. Not that I couldn't understand it.

Someone may die because of my choice. Overcoming this pressure to make a decision was not easy because it was not a game. It didn't just end with the death of the character.

Bloody hell.

Ultimately, the decision was in my hands. However, this was nothing new.

What a pain in the ass.

I sighed and watched Hansen's group in the distance. If only there was a mage among them, or if they were famous explorers, or part of a famous clan, then it would be a little easier for me to trust them.

But none of this happened.

Unfortunately, the time allotted to me was short.

— Have you made a decision?

"Yes," I soon finished my thoughts. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but I'm refusing your offer.

My final decision was that there was no need to take any risks.

"Yes?" It's a pity.

To my surprise, Hansen nodded, showing no displeasure. He seemed to understand why I had made this decision.

"Cautious people live longer. I hope we will see each other again in the future.

"What are you going to do?"

"We'll go to the 2nd floor first, although I'm not sure if it's safe there, but it should be better than here.

- I see. If there is an opportunity, see you in the city.

"What are you doing?" Let's move. After a short conversation, Hansen's group left first and disappeared into the fog.

Did I make the right choice?

*Smirk*

I forced myself to smile, as if to get rid of my doubts and anxieties.

When did I make a choice, knowing its result?

"We're leaving."

I could only believe and move on.

***

About 5 minutes after parting ways with Hansen's group, we found five corpses. These were not the bodies of Hansen's group, which left first. Their equipment was completely removed, but it was not difficult to establish their identities.

"It's a knight.

— ... Knight?

— Yes. Tattoo on the back of the neck. This is the symbol of Viscount Tertain.

"Is this the family coat of arms?" It's almost like a stigma.

More precisely, as if he were an object, and not a person.

I was struck by the fact that in this world, even knights are treated as expendable.

There was a bitter taste in my mouth.

—... Not all nobles are like that.

Leaving Raven behind, who spoke as if protecting them, I collected my thoughts. The corpses of one knight and four soldiers, as well as the lack of traces of battle, meant one thing.

"There's a monster here.

— Yes. Judging by the wounds, everyone was killed with one blow. Judging by the fact that the scars are the same, it doesn't look like they were several people.

Knights who were able to use the Aura were the most effective in fighting humans.

In a world where magic and special abilities existed, they were swords that protected selfish interests. And such a person died without being able to do anything. I realized that we were once again in the eye of the storm. The knight, who had wielded a sword all his life and enjoyed great authority, died as an extra. No, they continued to die now, as during the conquest of Noark that took place underground a few months ago.

"The time of death?"

"About 20 minutes ago.

This means that the enemy may already be far away. It was a positive sign, but it was too early to calm down. Anything could happen next.

"These guys... Are they really going to start a war? Mr. Bear muttered, frowning. Seeing the knight's corpse, he seemed to understand how things were.

True, we have not fought with anyone yet.

I said it bluntly.

"They're not planning, Abman. We are already in a state of war.

We were lucky to be on the outskirts, so we haven't felt the effects yet. Well, it was only a matter of time now.

"What are you going to do?"

I sighed when I heard Raven's question. I didn't know how many times this had happened since we went down to the 1st floor. We found ourselves at a crossroads again.

"There is only a portal in this direction.

"You don't have to explain. Whoever killed this knight had to go there.

The portal on the 2nd floor was the only way I could think of an exit. There's a monster lurking there. However, the situation remained no less grim even if we turned back. The battle, which began in the center, will soon cover the entire 1st floor.

Damn it, Beast Lair or not, we shouldn't have gone down to the 1st floor.

I couldn't help but regret it. To think that such a trivial decision put me in such a shitty situation. This heartless world seemed to test my strength: Choose what you want, but the responsibility for it will fall on you.

My gaze, unconsciously, shifted to my teammates.

—…

Misha, Einar, Raven, and Mr. Bear were also looking at me, as if the decision was mine.

—... Let's go back.

Soon I made a decision. I didn't know who was in front of me. It could have been one of the Orcules, for such a strong man is a rarity in Noark. When I was about to turn around...

"Ha, are you really going to just go back?" A voice came from behind the fog.

*Top!*

The sound of footsteps followed.

*Woouuh!*

Immediately, Raven sent a gust of wind to drive away the mist. A man stepped out of it, wearing no gear, only a simple black robe.

On his face was a mask in the form of a skull.

"What kind of shy barbarian is this?" And?

My body tensed at this voice. I've never heard it before, that's for sure.

"Hee-hee."

However, the voice was somehow familiar.