The Unwanted Undead Adventurer: Volume 4 Read online

  What would happen if one fell into that seemingly bottomless space...? None of those who knew had ever returned. At least it seemed that way; no one knew anything about it. One could probably fall into the bottomless darkness and see what laid within. With one’s own eyes of course.

  Jokes aside, there were indeed a few fools who floated a robe or something similar down into the empty space. But they ultimately couldn’t tell just how far down the space went. It appeared even floating spells and magical tools were disabled upon falling off an edge, which made it impossible for one to investigate the apparently bottomless point.

  Now, I myself had wings, yes, but there was a high chance I could fall either way... I didn’t have the guts to try it out. I did, however, know that the fourth floor’s main segment was that very same mountain I was currently looking at, suspended in mid-air.

  The mountain was like a floating island of sorts. I found it most mysterious that something like this could exist in the labyrinth, but I supposed it was too late to be saying such things.

  To begin with, the mountain was at a much higher plane of elevation than the stairwell I’d just exited from... One could almost say that the platform the stairwell was on was floating in the opposite direction. The stairwell extended straight into the floating rock I was currently on, but the rock had nothing else around it. It was a mystery as to how such a stairwell could even lead an adventurer back to the third floor.

  Ah... They’re here.

  As I stood, absentmindedly admiring the strange scenery of the fourth floor, I noticed something faintly moving in the distance, along the path leading up to the floating mountain.

  Those were, of course, monsters.

  I’d heard rumors of this, about how they’d rush up to any adventurer entering the fourth floor, as if to welcome them.

  What an unnecessary welcome.

  It was a barren place, so to have one’s prey simply approach them in such a fashion did save the adventurer the trouble of looking for them...but location was an important factor to consider as well. There were no handrails at the edge of the path, just the snaking path itself and the endless ravine of empty space to either side. The adventurer would have no choice but to fight on that narrow space. Exhausting, if nothing else.

  Originally, the fourth floor was a place only recommended for Silver-class adventurers and above—and this was one of the reasons.

  There were many ways to deal with this situation, with methods often varying with party composition. A method that everyone could engage in was to run along the path as quickly as possible before the monsters appeared. They’d then be able to make it to the other side, and in doing so fight properly on solid ground, without any risk of falling. But due to the fact that I’d spent all this time staring at the scenery, this method was no longer available to me.

  Chance factored heavily into the potential success of this option. Monsters could very well appear in the middle of that narrow path, and the party would then find themselves in a dire situation. It wasn’t a method I could recommend.

  What methods could be employed, one might ask. The safest, and simplest, method was to attack from afar with magic. Since the winding stone path was an important part of the labyrinth, it was deceptively strong, and it couldn’t be damaged or destroyed by normal magic attacks. As such, it was possible to aim and fire long-range spells at the monsters as they ran along the path. If done well, an impact need not be fatal; it just had to knock the monster off-balance, causing it to fall into the bottomless space off the edges. In such a case, retrieval of materials would be regrettably impossible. There were many more monsters on the floating mountain, though, so there was little to worry about in that regard.

  This method was also effectively useless to me. I hadn’t learned any long-range magic spells, and couldn’t even use offensive magic. All I had was my Livelihood Magecraft.

  Edel still seemed tired as well as he was sprawled out on my head, unmoving. It appeared that Edel had no intentions to engage in combat for quite some time. While I felt Edel should have more stamina upon becoming my familiar... Well. That was probably the difference between master and familiar.

  In the light of all this, I only had one viable solution: a head-on clash with the monsters in question.

  I’d proceed carefully along the path, taking care not to fall off, while at the same time striking and pushing my opponents into the void. If I were to fall for whatever reason, I’d have a good opportunity to test out my wings, though I couldn’t be sure if they’d work. It’d be most preferable if I didn’t fall at all...

  Well, then, we should get going.

  The monsters were already at the halfway mark of the stone path. There were three of them in total. It seemed the labyrinth itself had a certain awareness about these things, which was why there were only three monsters as opposed to a horde. If one were to stay in this spot, unmoving, the amount of monsters advancing down the path would keep increasing. They most likely wouldn’t keep coming if one advanced normally.

  That said, I had no idea as to how much time I precisely had. It’d perhaps serve me best if I defeated the beasts quickly...

  ◆◇◆◇◆

  Although monsters of all kinds appeared on the fourth floor, the members of this specific “welcome party” were set in stone. These monsters walked on two legs, much like humans did, and their entire bodies were covered with shiny, glistening skin, on top of which sat shining scales. Rows of sharp teeth could be seen in their jaws. They were armed with metallic equipment and weapons, with glittering eyes sitting in long, vertical slits. Through those very same eyes, they glared in my general direction.

  These creatures were none other than Lizardmen.

  In fact, Lizardmen looked very similar to the Wyvern-folk. The latter, however, were beastmen, and were simply a different type of sentient race, as opposed to monsters. But Lizardmen were nothing more than another type of monster, and would often attack any people they chanced upon.

  As expected, those very same Lizardmen began making a mad dash for me the very instant I set a single foot on that narrow path.

  The monsters held a variety of weapons in their hands: swords, spears, and even shamshirs (curved hunting blades). While I did momentarily wonder where the monsters would have procured their weapons from, I quickly assumed that they behaved much like Orcs did. In other words, said weapons were either stolen from fallen adventurers, or they appeared having already been equipped with them when reconstructed by the labyrinth. The weapons weren’t of very good material or make from the looks of it. If I had to guess, they were most likely armed with the latter. After all, adventurers who did make it to the fourth floor were usually armed with somewhat respectable armaments.

  Channeling mana into my body and blade, I braced myself, moving forward as I did so. Even then, I couldn’t move toward them too quickly, lest the impact of our weapons launch me into the air. I deliberately placed one foot in front of the other.

  The Lizardmen didn’t seem to have similar concerns in mind. They were running straight ahead, perhaps to gather enough momentum to push me into the depths upon contact. Considering that the Lizardmen were heavier than the typical adventurer, they may have assumed that such an impact wouldn’t result in them losing their footing.

  It would be most dangerous if we had any sort of bodily impact... But just then, a Lizardman was already before me, swinging its weapon in a large horizontal arc. I quickly crouched, dodging the blow, before sending a straight thrust into the monster’s armored chest.

  “Gigiii!!”

  With a surprised, grating cry, the monster before me was sent flying backward, only to slam straight into the very next charging Lizardman. The Lizardman in question was at least two times, if not three times as large as me. I could only assume it was that much heavier as well.

  The last charging Lizardman, unable to stop its attack due to the momentum in its motion, collided with the two before it, then promptly lost its footing
, falling sideways down into the void. The Lizardman’s expression just before it fell somehow communicated great sorrow and regret, almost as if it were saying, “Ah, I’ve gone and done it now...”

  “Gi! Gi...gigi...”

  Its cries echoed as it continued falling into the abyss, until it could no longer be heard. In the end, would that Lizardman continue falling for eternity? Or would it eventually meet some sort of surface, only to be crushed by the impact? It was impossible to affirm from where I stood.

  All I could think about was how I would like to avoid a similar fate. To that end...I supposed I’d have to ensure that the remaining two Lizardmen went down as easily.

  I turned my gaze to the two remaining monsters, now on their guard after witnessing the unfortunate death of their compatriot. The Lizardmen retreated slightly, placing some distance between us.

  The Lizardman behind the first crouched down low, as if to avoid any collateral damage should the one before it be sent flying back again. The one in front, in turn, adopted a defensive stance, lowering its center of gravity to prevent being launched again.

  A somewhat troubling development, but I supposed that much was fine. I’d only decided to push one of them over the edge and into the abyss out of convenience. I could defeat the remaining two normally. I did require monster materials, and energy for Existential Evolution, so it was best to keep the remaining two on the surface.

  As of late, I’d discovered that monsters around the level of a typical Normal Orc didn’t provide very much, if any, life energy at all. I assumed monsters on the fourth floor would be able to provide me with what I needed.

  On another note, I didn’t feel the energy of the Lizardman who fell off the edge flow into me. It was either still alive, or perhaps monsters disposed of in such a way didn’t release any energy at all.

  I advanced slowly along the narrow path, intent on closing in on the two Lizardmen before me.

  Lizardmen in general were somewhat tall monsters, and they did appear somewhat larger as I approached. However, humans of such a size weren’t exactly a rarity. The monsters’ large sizes didn’t do them many favors when it came to precise maneuvers, either.

  As I approached, the Lizardman closest to me swung its weapon wildly, hoping to get a good attack in. I, however, moved faster than the Lizardman. Before it completed its swing, I’d already closed the distance between us, placing a good slash across its chest.

  This was the fourth floor. Considering the relative hardness of a Forest Wolf’s hide, I’d expected the skin of a Lizardman to be even tougher, and had infused my sword with even more mana as a result. But my blow merely grazed its flesh.

  Hmph. Only a flesh wound...

  The Lizardman before me retreated quickly as I continued my internal monologue. I supposed it had the upper hand when it came to brute strength. If I were to stray too close to it, the battle would become a simple comparison of strength, and I’d be at a disadvantage.

  I deduced that a hit-and-run strategy, much like the one that I had employed just now, would be more effective in this particular case. If I’d used a Fusion Art with mana and spirit...I’d surely leave a mark, if not a deep wound. Such a move, however, was resource-intensive. I had no idea of knowing just how many strong enemies laid in wait beyond this path. For now, I had to conserve my strength.

  In addition, while the blow I’d landed on the beast was but a scratch, it was by no means entirely harmless. I’d landed a well-placed slash on it, so a few more of these attacks, and the Lizardman would surely fall. As such, I could only justify using a Fusion Art if I was backed into a corner with no other choice.

  With that, I readied myself once more, adopting a combat stance as I approached the Lizardman. The Lizardman, on the other hand, changed its stance somewhat, withdrawing its arms and keeping them close to its body, as if to defend against similar attacks. Perhaps it was trying to prevent me from slashing its chest again.

  But with its stance now altered, the Lizardman had inadvertently shown me a weakness, an angle of attack. It was a defensive stance, yes, but not a perfect one. Due to the fact that its weapon was now close to its body, its reach and range had drastically decreased. The only reason I’d approached the Lizardman in the first place was due to its large body, so I was at a marked disadvantage when it came to attack range.

  As such, I made a quick strike, closing the distance between us as I struck. Even if the monster were to abandon its advantage for the sake of defense, the battle would only swing in my favor.

  I broke into a run, bringing my blade down on the monster once more. As expected, the Lizardman raised its own sword to guard against the blow, but its actions were significantly slower than before. Though, it did succeed in protecting its chest and torso region, and in doing so, had achieved its goal.

  But the beast didn’t expect me to follow up with a quick second strike to its face, and it couldn’t defend itself in time.

  “...Gigi!”

  With a pained cry, the Lizardman reared up, swinging its sword randomly in a mix of pain and fury. I disengaged in response, avoiding the blows.

  Now at a safe distance, I looked up at my foes once more. The Lizardman with the injured face had stopped swinging its sword, and was currently glaring daggers at me. Drops of blue blood fell down onto the ground, giving rise to white streams of wispy smoke upon impact. Their blood was strongly acidic, I assumed. I supposed this would be one adversary I wouldn’t be consuming...though I had quite some gluttonous tendencies myself.

  The Lizardman was now considerably hurt. Should I go in for the kill on my very next attack? I wasn’t quite sure.

  As I thought it over, the Lizardman before me slowly stepped backward, exchanging positions with its comrade who had been behind it all this time.

  Ah, yes. A logical move on their part.

  This particular Lizardman wielded a spear. A most troublesome foe, given the circumstances... Not a foe that I wanted to fight, but... Oh, but of course. I just didn’t have to fight it then. That was a solution in and of itself.

  With a well-practiced motion, I propelled myself forward, approaching the Lizardman at a speed greater than any I had used in the current encounter. As expected, the spear-equipped Lizardman thrust its weapon at me, as if to knock me off this narrow path. I parried its spear with the back of my blade, increasing my momentum as I continued running at the monster. I was now near its chest, and even then I didn’t stop, instead neatly stepping to its side and running past the beast. It was a narrow path, yes, but there was enough space for the Lizardmen to change positions with each other—and that meant there would be enough space for me.

  With that singular motion, I was now behind the Lizardman with the spear. Yet I continued running, making a beeline for the sword-equipped Lizardman I’d injured earlier. I supposed the monster had intended to rest, or even spectate how I’d deal with its spear-wielding friend. But it could now only stare in surprise as I vaulted past its comrade. To think that Lizardmen were capable of such expressions...

  But that was neither here nor there. The injured Lizardman was now visibly panicking.

  But it was far too late. My sword was faster than its reactions.

  I swung my blade horizontally, catching the monster straight in the torso, cleanly launching it off the narrow path. The impact of the blow had horizontally displaced the beast, and it sent the beast falling, eternally, into the bottomless abyss below.

  Now was hardly the time to stop. I regained my momentum, and continued running toward the floating mountain. I knew there was one more Lizardman remaining behind me, but it was impossible to continue fighting here. I wasn’t too fond of fighting while constantly saddled with the fear of falling into the abyss.

  I also wasn’t very good with heights. While I did like some aspects of them, situations in which I could possibly fall were undoubtedly terrifying. This was why I continued sprinting forward, for the sake of reaching solid ground... All so I could reach that floating m
ountain, where I wouldn’t have to fear the abyss again.

  Turning around momentarily, my eyes met with those of the last Lizardman, chasing after me. Its eyes were bloodshot, probably furious at the loss of its friends, if I had to guess.

  Well, then, perhaps it made more sense to not group up in a trio, and not run down such a dangerous, narrow path. At least, that was what I thought, but given the mysteries surrounding the general ecology of labyrinths in general, it was impossible to guess their motives. Maybe they were forced to behave in a certain way by the labyrinth—in this case, to mindlessly attack anyone that set foot onto the fourth floor. In fact, from what I understood, these three Lizardmen always appeared so long as someone entered the area. To them, this may all be some sort of curse in and of itself.

  Even so, I had no intentions of going easy on the monster.

  The Lizardman stopped, facing me and readying its weapon once more, charging at me at full speed.

  Up until a few moments ago, I would have been terrified at this prospect. Its weight, combined with the reach of its weapon, compounded my fears of falling into the abyss. But now that I was on solid ground, there was nothing to fear.

  I ran straight at the monster as well, intent on meeting its charge head-on...only to step to the right at the last second. With a well-placed horizontal swing, my blade dug into its torso. Almost immediately, I followed through with a swing at its leg, and the Lizardman momentarily lurched forward at the force of the blow. This was the moment I’d been waiting for: its neck was now exposed. Channeling a significant amount of mana into my weapon, I brought my sword down upon its neck, pushing the weapon through skin, sinew, and bone. While my blade was met with quite a bit of resistance, it didn’t last, and soon the Lizardman’s head fell.

  It was a development very different from the hit-and-run encounters I had prior. I supposed not having much space to work with was significantly challenging to me. Yet another reminder that practice was required in such scenarios, so that I may fight at full capacity.