Labyrinth Renovation

Episode 15: It’s pitch-black!

　After resting, we moved on to the next level.

　I opened the door to the level where the hydra grass was growing and went up the stairs that led to the next level.
　It's long this time too. Fiona says that the stairs in the shallow layers are not this long.

"Wow, it's completely pitch black! "
"You're right. Light! "

　When I opened the door, the room was pitch dark, with not a single glimpse of light.
　Fiona conjured up a small ball of light with magic, but it disappeared after a short time.

"This is bad. Maho, this place feels like a dark zone"
"What's that? "
"It's a rare occurrence. A place where there are no light bugs. It's rarely the case that the entire layer is a dark zone. Even if you generate magical light, it will be swallowed up by the darkness just like now. If you have a torch, it can light up the area to a certain extent, but……"
"If torches are okay, then we should be able to manage, huh? "
"But if you carry a torch, you can't fight, can you? Besides, torches don't illuminate much, so there's a high possibility of being caught by surprise……"

　Oi oi, don't you understand the awesomeness of the hardware store yet?　Fiona-chan.
　All we need is light, right?　And we have it. There's more than enough to sell!

　I went back to the Hardware Store with Fiona.
　It's a bit of a struggle to get up and down, but even my beloved hardware store can't help with this.
　It would be nice if we could lay down an agricultural monorail, but of course, something that specialized to that extent is not sold even at a hardware store. Maybe if it's handmade…… we could manage to build it. But it is beyond my knowledge and skill.
　Well, it seems that I've leveled up a little after defeating the Hydra Grass, so I'm a little more nimble, so it's not so much of a struggle. There's plenty of time, so I might as well think of it as training my body. I just need my protein shake.

"We could use fire for light, but we'll go with electricity."
"What are we going to do? "
"I am installing this."
"What is that? "

　From Fiona's point of view, it's a mysterious object. It's a balloon-shaped LED light. This has a fairly high illuminance, and it's for outdoor construction, so lighting up a closed space is definitely no problem.
　What's more, because there is an infinite stock, we can install as many as we like.

“Now then, what kind of layer is this……?" "

　I started the generator and turned on the balloon-type lights.
　The light that Fiona conjured up was quickly swallowed up by the darkness, but the light from the balloons seemed to hold its own against the darkness, and it lit up the area around it.
　However, for some reason, the area that was brightened was smaller than I had anticipated.
　Hmm, it looks like we'll need to install a lot of them.

　As far as I can tell from listening to the sounds, there is no sign of any monsters at the moment.
　That said, there are all sorts of possibilities, like monsters suddenly falling from above, or ninjas coming at you at incredible speed to slash at your neck.
　We gradually expanded the range of light, starting from the front door.
　Because there was a limit to the amount of cargo that could be carried, it was necessary to go back and forth between the top and bottom many times, which was quite tiring.
　It looks like my thighs will get thicker.

"……Hm?　This place…… There's a crack in the floor, or rather, in the ground…… That's scary!　I can't see the bottom! "
"Ah, it's a Pit. It's rare to see one this big."
"I wouldn't say it's big, but…… Doesn't it go all the way to the other side?　Like a chasm? "
"True. I wonder why it's like this. To drop adventurers without light? "
"Well, of course. If it's a trap, then..."

　The gap is large, and it is impossible to jump to the other side. I think we may have to go the long way round. We can bring supplies from the hardware store and build a bridge, but I'd like to avoid that as a last resort. Bridges built by amateurs are too scary.
　The thing is, I'm not good with heights.

　For now, we'll set up the lighting while bypassing the rift.
　The layer is wide, but there are no walls to be seen at the moment.
　It's probably just the outer perimeter, like the floor below.
　I threw some powerful flashlights, but so far they haven't hit the wall.
　Incidentally, there are no monsters around at the moment. It would be easier if this floor was simply an environmental trap, like the floor below……

"Maho, it looks like you can get from this side to the other side."
"The rift suddenly stops. What is this? Is it like a maze? "
"Maybe so."

　Fiona gazed into the pit without seeming to be bothered.
　I was so scared that I backed away.

"You're too close to the hole. It's dangerous. I mean, aren't you scared, Fiona?　I instinctively fear infinite pitfalls like this……"
"Of course, I'm scared too, but…… Hmm, so even Maho has things that scare her."
"Of course. I'm just a normal girl who's scared of dark places and deep pits."
"It's impossible for you to be normal, Maho."

　Back on Earth, I was still in the “slightly eccentric” category, so I should be safe.

　Before installing the equipment, we threw outdoor lanterns around to secure lighting and then installed construction lighting every few meters.
　At least, we're prepared to run away quickly if a monster appears, but even if it's not a dragon-class monster, if a strong monster appears, both Fiona and I will be dead in an instant.
　Even though we are proceeding while checking for safety, I wonder if it will be okay……

"But still, how far does this hole go?　Let's drop something that makes a sound."
"Usually, dungeon pits lead to the floor below, so maybe it's connected to the floor where the hydra grass was."
"No, it's in the wrong place, and there was no hole in the ceiling of that layer."

　That said, dungeons are mysterious things to begin with. There is a possibility that the unthinkable could happen.

"Well, let's try dropping various things. Let's throw out the trash while we're at it."
"Trash……?"

　For example, the equipment used when burning the paralysis (hydra) grass seems to be covered in paralysis poison, so it's dangerous, and in the dragon room, there are a lot of smashed containers and storage batteries scattered around, so I was worried about that.

　We threw the garbage into the rift, and then we threw in plates and glasses as things that make noise.
　The things I threw in disappeared into the darkness without a sound.
　Sometime later…… We waited for about 20 minutes, but there was no response.
　
　I thought it might have fallen to the floor below, but there was nothing there.
　In other words, they disappeared into the depths of darkness.
　Or maybe the sound is too deep to come back, or maybe there's no air and the sound just doesn't come back.
　In any case, certainly, you will not be able to survive if you fall.

"Alright. We could use a drone to investigate, but…… this sure is a deep hole. It would be better to build a fence or something………………Uh? "
"What's wrong, Maho? Rubbing your eyes."
"Over there…… Isn't there something there? "

ToC

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Labyrinth Renovation – 015 (2024)

Episode 15: It’s pitch-black!

References