NOVEL NEXT Chapter 103
I don’t need to mention the 20 gold coins; an item of B-rank is on par with the Silver Dawn I equipped, right?
There’s no reason to refuse, so I gladly accepted.
“I’m going to cast an area healing spell, so hurry and bring the injured near me.”
“Not a concentrated healing, but an area one…? Anyway, I’ll trust you!”
While Dyson was bringing the injured, I summoned Solas and raised my voice.
“If you need healing, please bring the injured with items or gold around me! Payment is in advance! Remember, it’s not free!”
Rustle rustle.
Just then, as the place became noisy, a Lion Beastman approached with his mane fluttering and asked back.
“Healing, huh? Are you sure you can actually heal them? You look like an ordinary mid-level priest.”
“Well, what can I do? We can’t even leave here, so do you think I’d run off after collecting payment? I wouldn’t even have mentioned it if it was impossible in the first place.”
“Umm. Fair point.”
“And everyone has used up their potions and has no priest in the party or is struggling with mana, right? If someone offers healing, shouldn’t we grab at least a straw?”
The Lion Beastman rumbled, realizing his short-sightedness, and apologized to Yeriell.
“I’m sorry, priest lady. I didn’t mean to look down on you.”
“It’s okay.”
Well, he has a decent character.
“Here, one piece of equipment and 10 gold coins. This is the best I can do right now.”
“… Here. There are two of us. Please.”
After putting the offered payment into my backpack, I prepared for the healing.
Alright, it should flow just as I thought.
After all, all I have to do is infuse some mana and click the skill. No need to be nervous.
I placed my hand on the chest area of the Silver Dawn.
Slowly, I infused mana, feeling it spreading gently throughout the armor.
Dazzling light.
[Cast ‘Dazzling Light’.]
Whoosh!
[A field lasting for 30 seconds is created around the user.]
[Allies within the field continuously recover health and take reduced damage from hostile entities.]
Dazzling light.
As it means the light of dawn or a sign of hope, a white and blue light broke through the suspended space and illuminated me.
“Ohhh.”
“Blood! The bleeding is stopping!”
But this isn’t the end.
Radiance.
[Cast ‘Radiance’.]
[‘Radiance’ has a certain probability of blinding hostile entities within a 100m radius and heals the wounds of allies.]
Gripping the handle, I fully infused my mana, causing the blade of Solas to shine brightly.
Flash!
The moment the light shot up, it emitted an enormous amount of brightness, but fortunately, the skill itself had clear divisions between enemies and allies.
Neither I, the caster, nor the people around complained about being blinded or harmed.
Good. This is equipment value.
Skills with cooldowns of 30 days and 7 days respectively.
Although the cooldowns are long, both were worth it.
At least right now, I was a walking healing totem and a paladin healing everyone.
“Now, show me your wounds!”
In the meantime, Yeriell approached several seriously injured people, using healing to assist them.
“Be healed by the light.”
Her single-target heal, though a bit lacking, was significantly boosted when combined with my skill, proving sufficient.
I’ve received the payment, and more importantly, we still have mana left.
It was certainly a big deal that Yeriell, the priest, had passed through this ordeal without fighting.
Whoosh.
As 30 seconds passed, the blue light gradually dimmed and eventually disappeared.
The groans coming from everywhere subsided, and the place filled with admiration.
As soon as I checked the state of the frontline, Dyson came approaching and bowed his head, forgetting his age.
“Thank you so much.”
“Please lift your head. I did it for the payment anyway… it’s a bit embarrassing.”
“Haha. This is a little secret, but the truth is, I stepped forward because I’m the elder here, but the real leader is that guy. So, you saved the pivot of a party.”
What?
I’ve been completely duped.
“That guy would have died, and the Erebon party would have been dismantled.”
“Is it that serious?”
“Indeed. Merely good will without compensation is not righteous. Anyway, thanks to you for saving us, it’s not like I can’t express my gratitude, right?”
Not just Dyson, thanking me in place of the fainted Douglas, but all the other healed injured were expressing their gratitude.
The serious Lion Beastman’s subordinate also chimed in.
Grr. Thanks! If it weren’t for you, I would have had to amputate my arm due to necrosis. Surviving in a party without priests or clerics thanks to just one piece of equipment is a great deal!
Even the silent knight’s elf archer and the masked thief spoke up.
“I thought I was going to die with my injuries… thanks to you, I survived.”
“Bro, really grateful. You’ll be blessed.”
Hmmm. Well, it doesn’t feel bad.
I awkwardly scratched my neck.
By the way, was the difficulty of this ordeal really no joke?
It might have gotten harder based on each person’s strength.
Tsk. If you’re going to give the rewards at the end, why not send us back after healing us a bit?
This labyrinth or whatever is definitely not easygoing.
*
“By the way, I just realized I don’t even know your name. How about we introduce ourselves? You know my name, right?”
“Ah, I’ve heard the elder’s name, but I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Aren. No surname, just call me casually.”
“Good. Aren, if you ever need help, just tell them you’re looking for me at the Magic Tower’s Elemental School. I’ll gladly help you once.”
Looking closely, I feel like I’m being surrounded by wizards, who are quite rare among many occupations.
Dyson scratched his beard and asked.
“By the way, Aren, were you a paladin belonging to the Light Church? Your equipment seems a bit off for that.”
It’s understandable to have been misled by the skills I just used, but if I just casually accepted it, I’d end up taking a shortcut to trouble.
Impersonating a priest, cleric, or paladin is a crime, you know.
If rumors spread that the adventurer Aren was actually a paladin emitting light from his sword and blessings raining from the sky! It would be a headache.
“Haha. Just a joke. That’s just how I look due to my traits. I’m neither a paladin nor a member of the church.”
Hehe, right? I had my doubts for a moment.
Anyway, as the injured issue got resolved and the atmosphere improved, I took the opportunity to ask a curious point.
“Hmm? What came out of the portal we entered?”
“Yes. We had to stay put until everyone came out, right? To exchange information and pass the time.”
Hehe, could be.
…Oh no!
I only just realized after speaking.
What was a trial, merely a treasure chest for us, had turned into a hell where lives were taken for them.
Damn. Stupid me. Everyone was praising me, and I got a bit carried away.
“I’m sorry. I think I misstepped with the topic. Shall we move to another subject?”
“No. You asked well. I’d like to unload my feelings about the one we lost onto you as a third party.”
Dyson started to unravel his story with nostalgic eyes.
The portal Dyson’s party entered for the second time led to a portal where the forgotten Evil God, self-proclaimed Demon Lord, resided.
Rather than taking on trials one by one like us, their entire party had to go through a number of gates equivalent to their numbers.
And those gates unleashed mid-tier named monsters, on top of that, their mental barriers didn’t even work.
“Did you say your side suffered no physical injuries in the trial? Oh my. We had no concept of spirits. We just died if we died.”
Madness.
The malicious Demon suddenly appeared and pulled out the hidden intentions everyone had, sowing seeds of discord before they perished.
With the pride and greed leading to nearly breaking the party.
In the effort to resist the Demon of Lust, the frontline’s Douglas kept self-harm to regain consciousness.
Then, in the crucial final round, the Demon of Sloth caused them all to fall apart.
When the deceased cleric set himself ablaze with divine light in his body, they managed to pass through and he heroically exploded in the process.
Although the labyrinth had granted an enormous reward corresponding to such high stakes, Dyson shook his head, saying at least they’d take a few months off upon their return.
“Us remaining four have gained unique items each, but… who knows? Well! That’s it for us. Now it’s your turn!”
Forcing a bright voice.
I also tossed off my solemnness and tried to sound as cheerful as possible while continuing to talk.
Of course, I left out the overly personal details.
The reactions were just what I expected when I got to the part about nearly losing my life.
…By the way, why are the remaining two portals so slow?
Could it be that both parties have been wiped out?
“Look! They’re coming out!”
At someone’s shout, I instantly turned to glance.
Who could it be? Logan? Or maybe the little ground-kid?
Thump.
“I’m alive!”
“Honestly, you fools. Didn’t I tell you to trust me? Didn’t I say the number 7 wasn’t just thrown around? That feeling was spot on!”
“Yeah, you were right about the rewards being something else.”
As the seventh portal vanished, one by one, the Halfling Archer’s party descended from the air.
“Huff. So tired. Huh?”
The battered Halfling looked around until he spotted me and rushed toward me.
But no way!
BANG!
She ran right into Veronica’s shield and bounced off.
“Gah!”
“Are you crazy? Just running at someone when they’re not in your party?!”
“Ow ow. That hurts.”
Could this be another party of clumsy misfits like Dyson?
I couldn’t tell if she was just trying to appear harmless or if it was a trait of her kind.
“I’m so happy I couldn’t help it! Ah, handsome big brother! Thanks to you—”
Just as the Halfling was about to hop and say something to me.
Boom!
[The path to the Seven Stars is now completely closed.]
“Gyaah!”
“Ugh!”
What?
Looking back at where the fourth portal was, not only did the entrance disappear, but Logan’s party of five was nowhere to be seen either.
“Looks like that warrior’s party was wiped out… Yikes, seeing his disposition, I thought he’d die early.”
…
If you think about it, the poor four who aren’t at fault aside from Logan are dead because of me.
Consider it your bad luck for meeting a bad party leader. Anyway, one of the parties had to go in regardless.
Yeah, oddly enough, I felt no guilt.
Thump. Crash.
Kaboom—!
“Gah!”
“Gyaaah!”
“Hold on tight, all three of you!”
Suddenly, the space crumbled, and before we could even say goodbye, everyone got sucked into somewhere.
*
The 4th Floor.
Similar to the 3rd Floor, a lush forest filled with Goblins and Hobgoblins.
Did we just skip a floor?
We suddenly dropped down to the 4th Floor, bypassing the 3rd.
“Keye?”
Right near the village where the portal was.