STGB Episode 507

Basement Level 1 (3)

Let’s clarify one fact before moving on: they will die.

The moment Berzark appears here. For 70% of the explorers here, this will be their last expedition.

Of course, this is assuming they flee as soon as they see Berzark. If they decide to fight, then everyone will be going on their final journey together.

‘These bastards… Don’t they value their lives?’

The more I look at them, the less sense they make.

Much time has passed since Berzark was summoned, but people are still arriving.

A group of about a dozen explorers arrived in shambles, having seemingly tripped every trap along the way.

The first thing they said when they saw the other explorers was:

“Is the portal open? Has the portal opened?”

“They’ve killed the ninth Lord of Terror, and Berzark has been summoned, right?!”

Are they insane?

They came here instead of going to the second floor, solely on the belief that there might be a chance.

Fine. For those who were already here when Berzark was summoned, that’s one thing. But these newcomers are another matter entirely.

As I let out a hollow laugh, Amelia nudged me.

“…Jandel, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. It seems I underestimated the greed of explorers.”

“It’s not the explorers, it’s the people. There have always been such people, no matter the era or place.”

These days, whenever I talk to Amelia, I feel like I’m speaking with some wise sage.

But this time, her insight isn’t particularly helpful.

So what? If she expected this, she could’ve warned me in advance.

“Haaa…”

‘Sigh… Let’s calm down.’

It’s a headache for sure, but taking it out on my companions isn’t right.

Instead, I should be finding a solution.

‘The biggest issue is that with so many people around, it’s risky to open the portal…’

If the portal opens, all these guys will surely try to hop on for free and suck it dry.

That means there’ll be less of the “sweet nectar” left for me.

‘What’s worse, word will spread.’

Even if only a certain number of people can enter the portal—and only we can go in—that alone will make it known throughout the city that we’ve discovered a hidden area.

Then, on our next expedition, we’d be tailed, blocked, or harassed; there’d be a ton of annoying complications. As someone who just wants to quietly enjoy the rewards, that’s not the scenario I want.

However…

“Th-the Watcher of the Abyss…! That monster is spawning…!”

That’s the end of taking our time to think of a solution.

Once that thing shows up, Berzark is guaranteed to appear.

“Ugh, uaaaah! G-Get away!”

“Don’t push me!”

“Aaaaaargh!”

The moment the Watcher of the Abyss spawned among the explorers, chaos erupted.

Knowing that it would draw the aggro of whoever attacked it, the explorers are busy running away from a mere Level 9 monster, while the monster kept hitting them with basic attacks.

Splurt

By the way, the basic attack was spitting.

Like a water gun, venom shot out from its eyeballs.

“Ah! Move! Get out of the way!”

It was utterly ridiculous to watch.

To see high-level explorers panicking at a mere level-9 monster was almost comedic.

As I was watching this ridiculous scene from a distance…

Splurt

An explorer, hit by the venom, flailed in panic and struck the Watcher of the Abyss.

And immediately…

Whoosh!

It turned into a burst of light and disappeared.

“……”

“……”

A heavy silence followed the chaos.

“N-no… this can’t be…”

The explorer who had killed the Watcher began to tremble. At the same time, the situation took a new turn.

“S-Start moving elsewhere, quick!”

Someone among the explorers – not sure who – shouted in desperation.

“If you stay here, Berzark will come! Hurry and escape to the second floor!”

“B-but… I can’t make it to the second floor alone…”

“Then why did you kill it?!”

Ugh, are all explorers psychopaths?

“Enough.”

Unable to stand it any longer, I intervened.

“Baron Jandel…?”

“…Baron! If he stays, we’ll all die! We need to get rid of him!”

Their logic was laughable.

What, were we not going to die if he escaped to the second floor? The moment the Watcher appeared, it was a given that Berzark would come here.

Anyway, seeing this, I became even more convinced. Waiting longer won’t make these guys willingly go to the second floor.

So, that’s why…

“I said, enough.”

“But—!”

“I’m going to open the portal now.”

Once again, Plan B.

“…!”

As soon as I said that and started moving, the explorers pressed themselves against the walls to make way. Even the ones near the monument did the same.

“Everyone, step outside.”

“…Huh? Oh, yes! Everyone, don’t interfere and step outside!”

The announcement of opening the portal must have been shocking, because with just a few words, the room with the monument quickly cleared.

“Versil, can you make it so they can’t see us from there? Oh, and make sure the sound doesn’t leak.”

Versil quickly used magic to create a barrier, blocking the view from the other side.

Okay, so at least we have some privacy.

As I was about to start, Amelia spoke to me.

“Jandel, are you sure about this?”

“What can I do? I can’t just let them all die.”

“Maybe if we wait longer, they’ll go to the second floor? No matter how reckless they are, they must value their own lives.”

Hmm, I did consider that, but…

“I don’t think they’ll give up on this place.”

“…You’re surprisingly calm.”

I wouldn’t say calm—more like resigned.

If this works and the portal does actually open, the thought of all those freeloaders following us makes me sick to my stomach.

But…

“If this plan fails, we’ll have to run to the second floor to escape Berzark. So, it’s too risky to wait any longer.”

I explained the real reason for my decision, and Amelia accepted it without further comment.

So, I took the nameless fragments we had collected from the third floor and approached the monument.

Then, I stopped in front of it and gave a new order.

“Versil, cast a binding spell on the other six, excluding yourself.”

“Huh?”

“If the portal really opens, it’s likely we’ll receive a lot of experience points.”

“Ah…!”

Realizing the point, Versil used the binding spell again. After all, mages don’t need experience points.

“It’s done.”

Alright, then.

‘Please, let this work.’

I swallowed hard and placed my hand on the monument.

And at that moment…

Whoooooosh!

The air swirled around the monument, and a brilliant multicolored light erupted.

「You have opened the portal to the hidden area for the first time. EXP +99」

Yes, this is it.

***

The portal opened.

A portal leading to an unknown space where no one has ever set foot.

Because of that, many thoughts crossed my mind.

“Versil, cast the Binding Spell once more.”

“On whom?”

“I’ll split us into two teams. Team 1 will be me, Erwin, and you, Versil. Team 2 is everyone else. If we enter and the portal closes behind us, Team 2, you head upstairs to the second floor immediately. Emily, your role is critical. You can handle it, right?”

“Don’t worry. If the portal closes, that should knock some sense into these idiots. I’ll convince them to go to the second floor together. It’ll be safe.”

“Good… If they follow us in and start in a different location, you’ll need to handle that too. Understood?”

“I’ll do my best.”

Alright, then the contingency plan is set…

“Then I’ll go in first.”

Carefully, I stepped into the portal.

Flash!

A blinding light filled my vision and for a moment I lost sight of everything. I felt my body float for a moment. Then my vision returned.

「You have entered the Basement Floor 1 Record Repository.」

「This is the first time this achievement has been accomplished.」

「Your great feat will be recorded forever on the Stone of Honor.」

As someone accustomed to using portals, I naturally regained my balance and landed on the ground.

Thud!

I raised my shield to protect my upper body and quickly scanned the surroundings.

The floor tiles were made of stone.

Visibility was about 100 meters, but beyond that, nothing particularly noteworthy was visible. Just a rugged rocky terrain.

And…

Whoooooosh…

Is that the sound of waves…?

‘At least there don’t seem to be any monsters.’

Just as I was thinking that, a flash of light appeared above my head, and my companions followed me through.

“…!”

“Ugh…!”

First, Erwin and Versil from Team 1.

And then…

“Woahhhh!”

Starting with Aynar’s shout, followed by Auyen, Misha, and Amelia.

‘…Thankfully, the portal didn’t close.’

As I breathed a sigh of relief, I realized something.

“…There’s no exit.”

Just like when entering a Rift, the portal spat us out and sealed itself off again.

***

It’s a one-way trip; there’s no going back to where we came from.

This made me feel a little ominous, but I tried to stay positive.

“…Nothing’s really changed.”

After all, the first floor closes after seven days.

Naturally, once that time passes, it’s impossible to go up.

“The problem is when this place will close…”

That’s the kind of information we need to figure out through exploration.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I walk up to Amelia.
“Emily, what was it like when you entered the portal after us?”
“It was basically the same—only the portal’s color was a bit different. Otherwise, it was just like any other portal. Once Gowland’s barrier disperses, more explorers will start coming down here.”
Hmm. So that’s how it is…
“All right, everyone. Stay alert and check your status in this environment. If you notice anything unusual, even if it seems trivial, report it to me immediately!”
“Bjorn! S-something’s weird with me!”
“Weird how? Where?”
“M-my face is hot and my heart is pounding so hard!”
…That’s just you being excited.

“Emily, how was it when you entered the portal after us?”

Anyway, as I was checking the members’ conditions and trying to figure out if this field had any unique characteristics, the explorers started pouring down from above.

“Ooh! A new floor! A new floor…!”

“Kuhahaha! My name will be recorded in history!”

There were some who seemed to have a few screws loose, but there were also plenty of normal ones.

“Everyone, stay on guard…! We don’t know what might come out, so don’t let your guard down!”

Those who immediately grouped up with their comrades and prepared upon entering.

I don’t know if it was intentional, but for some reason, they all gathered at a reasonable distance around us.

Did they think it was safer to be near us?

Well, I couldn’t tell, but surprisingly, the flood of explorers quickly came to an end.

And then…

“W-what? Why aren’t they coming in?”

“A-ah, Mr. Zeltan hasn’t arrived yet…”

“Kurdo! Kurdo hasn’t come in yet either!”

One more piece of info.

Unlike portals connected to other floors, this portal closes when certain conditions are met.

Hmm, So what are those conditions?

‘There doesn’t seem to be a time limit…’

I quickly counted the number of people.

Let’s see, one, two, three, four, five, six…

‘Fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty…’

So, the portal closed after 60 people had entered.

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