Death March — Fixed

“Tek here, relatively few people play the non-obligatory tutorial parts of games. The Players don’t seem to realize that it’s hard to make the tutorials mesh, and they are made for a reason, you know?”

 

When we were tidying up, after training was over, I received a Telephone from Arisa, “T-This is Arisa Felspar speaking!”

 

She sounds nervous--maybe she is bad with phones.

 

“Did something happen?”

 

There is no doubt that something happened, so I look using Clairvoyance.

 

I saw Arisa, who looked flustered.

 

She doesn’t seem injured, but it sure is awful, “And so, we screwed up a bit, won’t you come and save us?”

 

“Okay, I’ll go immediately.” Replying to Arisa, I ask Aialize to get the Dryad to teleport us to the attraction where Arisa and the others are.

 

The place seemed to be famous, because we departed immediately when I told them the name of the attraction, which I had heard from Arisa.

 

***

The black building what looks like a deformed bat seems to be the entrance. I enter the red mouth that opens automatically. It really is like an attraction. One which has a lot of silly traps, and has become the playground for the Elven children.

 

It seems to be where children have to clear the eight attractions that are appropriate to their ages, children who don’t have very bad reflexes can clear them easily, but there are exceptions to everything--and one of them is Aialize. She wanted to follow me, but stopped when Lau looked at her with a frantic look.

 

When I went inside, there’s a Living Doll with a torn neck lying on the floor, judging from the marks it’s probably caused by Liza’s spear. She really shouldn’t break the attractions.

 

I use All Map Exploration, and check the internal structure of this place. It’s quite large, around 6-stories in height, and the size of a combination of 6 normal buildings.

 

 

Everyone seems to have been divided into three groups.

 

Liza, Lulu and Pochi are closest to me. Arisa and Mia are in the middle. The ones furthest from me are Tama, Nana, and the tour guide, Shagnig, the Leprechaun.

 

Huh?

 

Did Lulu and Mia go along as well?

 

I make use of the Quick Dress Skill to change from my ‘training’ clothing, into work clothes that are okay, even if they get dirtied. Setting the the shortest route, mostly-transparent marks appeared in the air, guiding me. I begin running with Sky Drive.

 

Among the innumerable traps that I found with the Trap Discovery Skill, I only cancel the unavoidable ones using Magic Hand from a distance. Every trap seems to have been constructed carefully, with concern to not injure.

 

Instead of poison gas, it spews a strange itching gas. There’s knee-deep water at the bottom of the pit holes. The arrows which are shot from the trap have shock-absorbing leather bundled instead of a pointed end, so even if you’re hurt by it, it won’t be serious.

 

When I avoid the traps, Living Dolls, that are designed to look like Monsters, attack from the back. There are colours painted on places that seem to be its weaknesses, and they stop if you hit that place with a wooden sword or your fist.

 

However, the layout is rather unpleasant. Like having another trap right after you’ve avoided a trap, or getting attacked by the fake Monsters just when you think that you’ve reached a safe zone.

 

I arrive at the room where Liza and the others are, in one minute. I had passed through quite a few corridors and stairs, it seemed to be quite deep underground.

 

Liza has been caught in a web trap, and been lifted about 6 meters high, pressed against the ceiling and looking very unwilling. There’s a wall modeled after a Monster’s face right beside Liza--and Pochi has been eaten, half her body is in the Monster’s gaping mouth. I see her feet hanging, full of discontent. Of course, she is unhurt, since it’s an attraction.

 

However, how did she even get stuck being eaten like that?

 

No, when I look closer, there’s a protrusion that seem to be used as a scaffold near Pochi. The trap is probably made to eat someone who climbs to save their friend.

 

So, where is Lulu?

 

I turn my head and see that she seems to have been caught in a wire trap with both her legs and one arm lifted--and cannot move. Near the place where the floor has disappeared is the door at the other end of the room.

 

It seems that Lulu’s legs have been lifted in different directions, her posture looks embarrassing. I fix her rolled up skirt with Magic Hand, before entering the room and calling out to them.

 

“I’ve come to help.”

 

“Ah, Master!”

“I’m very sorry, Master.”

“Master, Pochi is over here, heelp!”

 

I quickly rush to Lulu and cut the hemp ropes with a dagger--supporting her long soft legs, one-by-one, so she could stably get down…and I could touch her legs.

 

After settling her onto the ground, I go up beside Pochi with Sky Drive, and press the release button right next to the trap, to save her. I quickly catch her in my arms as she slides out.

 

She wraps her arms around my neck and hugs me, before speaking, “Thank you. Mia said that there’s a button to save Liza, on the other side of the wall.”

 

I see.

 

I use Magic Hand to press the button, since it’s clearly right there. I hear some rattling nearby, and then the rope holding Liza, lowers. It’s quite particular about the details, as it’s lowering slowly, to prevent injuries.

 

“Master, please save Arisa and Mia. The two have fallen into this hole.” Lulu points to the caved-in floor, a deep hole. It looks like Arisa and Mia are over there.

 

“I understand.”

 

“Those two must be alright, aren’t they?” Lulu joins her hands together, like she is praying, as she asks.

 

“Yeah, they’re alright, of course. Arisa was the one who called me here after all.”

 

When I confirm on the map, consecutive cave-ins don’t seem like it’ll happen, so I evacuate the three to a relatively structurally-safe place. Liza and Pochi wanted to come with me, but meekly withdrew because they had shown me a ‘shameful sight’.

 

I took out a bag with some canteens and baked sweets from storage and gave them to Lulu.

 

With a wave at the three, I jumped down the hole. While regulating my speed using Sky Drive, I checked the collapse. Apparently, some things are advancing through the underground, and have created many crevices in the floors around this area. Those somethings are level 20 Worm Monsters.

 

The map shows that they have a nest underground 2 - 3 kilometers ahead.

 

I’ll take care of them later.

 

***

At the end of the descent, the two girls are wrapped up by the feelers of a Living Doll posing as a Plant Monster.

 

“Thank you for waiting.”

 

“Fast. What kind of cheat did you use this time?”

“Tek.”

 

I’m not sure Arisa completely understands how cheats work.

 

“The Dryad helped me come here.”

 

“Hmm?” Arisa raised an eyebrow, “You mean the little green girl, who you kissed?”

 

“Well--yes. But that didn’t happen this time.”

 

She’s energetic, even though she’s being wrapped in green, tentacle-like feelers.

 

I looked for the release device, but I couldn’t reach it, since it had been buried under the collapsed floor stones. Since it can’t be helped, I cut the feeler and release her. I might be destroying the attractions, but it’s already half-destroyed anyway.

 

“Thank you.” Arisa says, hugging me, “Hehehe, I know you would have preferred it if it was tentacles eh?” She winked at me.

 

I ignored her and freed Mia.

 

“Thanks.” She hugs me, clinging to me and rubbing her face on my chest for a few seconds before looking up, “Why tentacles?”

 

I gently place her on the ground, and as I am trying to think up an answer to her innocently asked question, Arisa comes over and starts whispering in one of Mia’s long pointed ears.

 

Ignoring the now blushing Mia and giggling Arisa, I bend down and pick up a long wand--giving it to Mia. She has said before that her aiming sucks when she doesn’t use a wand.

 

I wrap an arm around each, pulling them against my side…and accidentally causing Mia to smack the side of my head with her wand. Then I create a platform with Sky Drive, and then move it upwards like an elevator--the two girls snuggling against me.

 

When I get back to the upper room, I see Tama peeking through the open door on the other side of pit. She quickly pops out and waves enthusiastically at me, I see Nana and Shagnig behind her.

 

Apparently, Tama and the others were going ahead to save Liza and the others who were caught by the traps, but the floor where Arisa and Mia were standing collapsed right after they entered to the next room. Tama and Shagnig tried to go back in a hurry, but the door seemed to have been warped and they couldn’t go back.

 

Arisa seemed to have contacted me first thing, after considering the possibility of other members getting injured from other collapses.

 

Good Job, Arisa.

 

She smiled up at me when I praised her, gently stroking her silky violet hair.

 

“I am truly ashamed. Letting such a dangerous situation to happen during my tour.” Shagnig apologizes, but I explain that unexpected accidents aren’t really his responsibility.

 

I would have thought that Leprechauns would have better luck?

 

I would probably get smacked by Arisa if I said that.

 

Since he had checked the place three days ago, the worms probably appeared 1 - 2 days ago. Today’s exploration has ended, since the facility is going to be reinspected.