Going back to that talk about being able to visit places that you have yet to visit yourself though… I remember that when I was still gathering the funds for Roxanne's purchase, I once saw those two guys who appeared in the Adventurer's Guild building, asking is anyone wanted to get along for a ride to that one town with them. In that sense, I guess traveling to the places you have yet to visit yourself could also work like that. Let's assume that there are two Adventurers who can use Field Walker, but one of visited a town that the other one did not, once they move to that town together, they both will be able to travel there from that point onward. It might not be on the level of cars, plains and trains from my old world, but I guess in this one people also can travel pretty much anywhere rather freely, as long as they will make an active effort to do so.
We approached the entrance to the Labyrinth once again. The Explorer at the entrance didn't even flinch when we went past him. He just stood there, back against the wall and his hands crossed on his chest, looking all cool. I wonder if there are cases where he takes people to certain floors but has to take them right back because they get overwhelmed by how strong the monsters are, to the point where they actually decide to skidaddle the hell out of there and re-enter the Labyrinth at a lower level? I just hope I won't have to make such an embarrasement out of myself, now and never.
When we approached the black portal's wall, I noticed that I could now choose the point that I wanted to be teleported to. Up until no we were only exploring the first floor, so I didn't have much of a choice of where to go, but because we have defeated the Floor Boss and ascended to the Labyrinth's second level, the options available to us have increased. Well if that is the case, then second floor it is!
Thinking about the second floor, I marched into the portal with lively steps. The small room serving as the entrance point was not all that different from the one at the first floor, to the point where it could be said that they are basically identical. Well, since I came through the portal then we should be at the second level, so I don't think there is any reason for worrying just yet. Before we head back to face the first floor's Floor Boss one more time, I might as well test something out. Dungeon Walker!
One of the places possible to go on the list was {First Floor: Waiting Room before the Boss Chamber}. Choosing that travel point I wanted to go through the portal… but I couldn't do it. *Sigh* So I guess that confirms my suspicions that even when using Dungeon Walker, there are places where you can go, but also the ones that you cannot go to. Waiting Room before the Boss Chambers seem to be one such place. Could this be… a prevention method of sorts? Maybe against one Party challenging the Floor Boss over and over again, since it would bother the other Parties wanting to do the same?
「So you won't let me take the easy way out? I see, so that's how it is. I understand, I totally get it! But it's fascinating nevertheless. Who would have thought that it just wont work this way?!」
「Uhm… I… I see?」
Roxanne looked at me with worried eyes filled with pity.
Okay, alright. It's a bummer that we cannot go straight to the Boss Chamber, but that is nothing to be salty about. As they say, failure is the mother of success, much in the same way as boobs are the source of every man's libido (TL Note: Well excuse me, what about those who prefer butts over boobs, huh?!). For the time being, let's just move on to the warp point closest to the Boss Chamber. Maybe we would have been able to go straight to the Waiting Room by using Warp to get there, but there is always a possibility that other people might be there, and things would definitely get heated if they started asking questions about how we got there. And as for trying to use Warp to get into the Boss Chamber only to find out that that there is already a Party fighting against the Floor Boss… yeah, so I'm not even going to bother trying that.
「Okay, we're here. Do you know where we are, Roxanne?」
「Yes, we should be pretty close to the Boss Chamber, so we should be able to go back there without any issues.」
「All right, then let us go straight there. Without any needless stops, if at all possible.」
「Roger!」
I ask Roxanne to guide us there. We proceede3d forward while swiftly dispatching any Needlewood that came into contact with us. The door to the Boss Chamber opened as soon as we reached our destination. Looks like we are in luck; no one seems to be fighting inside.
If it's like that then we could have Warped here no problem, but now it can't be helped since we're already here. Once we stepped into the proper Boss Chamber, clouds of green smoke began to gather, revealing the figure of Udowood. So, we meet again, huh? Can't say it's been that long since we last met or that I am missing you, so be a good monster and die now!
Together with Roxanne, we stood at the opposite sides of it. In response, it shook its branches at us. I hurriedly stepped back to get out of harm's way. Roxanne also dodged its attacks by twisting her upper body. I wish I could be right there next to her to help her, but with my sluggish, clumsy movements it is unavoidable. My safety is my top priority.
Roxanne, who evades the incoming attacks with barely any movements slashes at the Udowood's branches whenever she can. I firmly grabbed Durandal with both my hands and lowered my stance.
Udowood took a big step and swung its branches at her from overhead. Roxanne stepped back and avoided it, even though after such a strong attack the entire surroundings shook and trembled from the impact's force.
Now that we put some distance between us, I noticed that something started glowing at Udowood's feet. A geometrical pattern shining with a pale blue light…
That was a magic circle!
Crap, this is not good!
I don't know if it's an Attack Magic circle or Summoning circle, but whatever that thing is it's obvious that is nothing good! Literally every fiber of my body is screaming that I should not allow it to activate or else!
A Skill, spell, or summoning smaller monsters to aid it, which one of those it's going to be?! In any case, if I don't want to find out the hard way, I'll have to defeat it quickly!
I hurriedly smacked the Udowood with Durandal. When I did that, the magic circle, which started to glow so brightly that it began to hurt my eyes, disappeared. What the hell?
Then I remembered that one of Durandal's Skills was the Chant Interruption. That is probably why the magic circle disappeared when its blade came into contact with the Udowood's body. Come to think of it, that thing doesn't even have a mouth, so technically it cannot use chanting, so that's why it wanted to use a magic circle instead? In that case, the magic circle could really be called a substitute for chanting, meaning that it could also be interrupted with a Chant Interruption Skill. Yeah, that makes a surprisingly large amount of sense!
「Master, look out!」
Roxanne screamed towards me. I was so absorbed in my own thoughts that I didn't even noticed when a branch started heading my way. I was being targeted!
Oh crap! I won't be able to dodge it in time!