Labyrinth Renovation – 022 | Sousaku – 創作

Episode 22: A Magic Array!

"Well then…… let's open the next door, Fiona."
"Maho, if it's a difficult level, there's no need to try and force our way through, okay? I've been thinking recently that it wouldn't be so bad if the two of us lived here together forever, you know? "

Fiona seems to have suddenly relapsed into a depressed mood.
She never said that before, not even when we were with the gecko or the water dragon. I wonder what's wrong.

"Fiona. Certainly, if there's the hardware store, you'll be fine if you just want to stay alive, right? But even if it's alright now, living in a place like this for 10 or 20 years would definitely drive you crazy, you know? "

I think that not being exposed to the sun causes a serotonin deficiency, which makes you unhealthy both mentally and physically. There's even a possibility that one of us could get sick.
I may have said that we could live here forever, but that was just a way of encouraging her.
There is no way we can live in this closed environment for many years.

"Now that we have the leisure of mind, we should take advantage of it and conquer it quickly. There may even be levels that take a year to conquer."
"B-But……"
"It'll be fine. Up until now, there have been no monsters that attack us as soon as we open the door. In theory, the monsters should get weaker as you move up a level. Right? "

If we follow the pattern so far, there should be a transfer monument in this layer, or if not, there should just be a single boss.
If you break down the layers so far, you get earth (poison), darkness, and water. Next up, wind or fire? No, maybe the Red Dragon was supposed to be in that role. There is also the possibility of light.
Fufu…… This way of thinking might be a symptom of playing too much video games.

When I opened the door gently, I found a large, empty room inside.
It has a different feel to it. Even though I called it large, it is not really that big.
There is a magic array in the center.

"There's nothing here. There's a magic array, so is this a resting stage!? Where is the transfer monument? Is it that? "

Is that magic array a transfer monument? Or perhaps it's a save spot. Or rather, why would there even be a save spot?

"That's not a transfer monument. I wonder what that magic array is…… I've never seen it before, and it might be dangerous. Maho, I think we should go back……? "
"No, no, no, we'll end up having to find out anyway. Don't worry, I've packed a lot of things in the bag."

I took Fiona's hand and walked into the room.
After walking a little further, the magic array in the center suddenly started to glow.
The room is bright enough to begin with, but this light is so strong that it brightens up the whole room.

"W-What is it……"
"Hey, Maho. I have a bad feeling about this……"

The light continued for a while and then stopped.
At the same time, there was a loud bang as the door behind us slammed shut.

"Eh, Eeeeh? Hey, Maho, you're here, right? Who is over there?"
"I see. Of course. I completely understand."

Two figures appeared above the magic array.
Compared to the real thing, the color was a little dimmer, but it was not hard to tell the difference.
That's me and Fiona.

"Eh, eehhhhhhh!? That's…… me and…… Maho? "
"It seems so. ……Wow, how fantasy-like!"

It's a classic that appears in labyrinths.
A double of the two of us.
In other words, a doppelganger.
The door we came in through has closed, and it doesn't look like it's going to open.
This means that you can't get out of the room unless you defeat it.

◇◆◆◆◇

"Fiona. This level is a piece of cake! "
“Eh, eeeehhhh, why? We're trapped in here, aren't we!? "
"Well, the me over there doesn't have a magic bag, you know."

They have the same equipment, but for some reason, they don't have a magic bag.
Perhaps the nature of doppelgängers is such that they cannot copy tools.
There is no doubt that it is a very troublesome monster for adventurers who enter from the normal route to fight. If they also copy the tools, they will be able to use recovery potions and the like, and it will become a complete war of attrition.
Even if you clear this stage, you still have to fight through the Water, Darkness, Poison, and Red Dragon stages, so it's really tough.
This is a place that was designed without having items in mind. Or rather, the person who made this dungeon must have never dreamed that the one to conquer it would be someone solely relying on items.

"I'm glad I put so many things in my magic bag. We're suddenly saved."
"What are we going to do? "
"Of course, we'll kill us."

The doppelganger drew its weapon and came towards us.
There is no time to hesitate.

"Fiona, please take care of the fake Fiona."
"I understand, but what are you going to do? "
"I'll stop her movement, so kill her immediately. You can't hesitate just because they look like you, okay? It's a monster."

Well, without any items, we're nothing more than weaklings.
I might have improved a little, but I don't have any armor or weapons, just a hatchet.

"Yoisho." (TLN: Like carrying something up)

I took the fire extinguisher out of my bag.
I had a hunch that the next layer would be wind or fire. But it ended up being used for something completely unrelated.

"Hey! Eat this! "

After removing the safety pin, I squeezed the lever and sprayed the fire extinguisher at the Doppelgängers.
Buhu! White powder scattered around, and my vision went completely white.
Both Doppelgängers covered their eyes and stopped moving. They don't even make a sound. After all, they're poor imitations.

"Fiona! Finish her off! "
"Yes! "

A lightning-fast blow.
Fiona's sword erupted in flames, and the head of the fake Fiona was cut off and turned into a magic stone.
No matter how high your level, there's only so much a human can endure. In other words, the first person to land a valid hit wins.
I took the dumbbells out of my bag and threw them at the fake Maho.
The 5kg iron dumbbell hit her head directly, and the fake Maho also popped with a bang, scattering the magic stone.
I thought I'd have to pound an axe or sledgehammer into it if it didn't work, but it was quite fragile.
A complete victory with plenty of leeway!

"Hey! Good work! Fiona, you were amazing! "
"You were amazing too, Maho! What is that red thing? "
"You mean the fire extinguisher? This is something that puts out fires."
"There was no fire, you know??? "

It's hard to explain, but it's a smoke screen and a blinding device. Well, the force of the spray is also strong enough to scare the opponent.

"Now, now, that's beside the point. Let's pick up the magic stones and see what's on the next floor."

When I said that, Fiona, who had been picking up the magic stones, looked at me.
She had an indescribable expression on her face.
She looked troubled and sad.
What is it?
Don't you want to go outside?

"Fiona~. I'm going to leave~."
"W-Wait a minute. I'm coming too……"
"Hurry up."

Something is up. Judging by Fiona's state, there is no doubt about it.
With each level cleared, she started to act more and more strangely.

We opened the door and went up the stairs.
And beyond that――

"Oh, there's no door."
"You're right…… I wonder why……?"

The end of the stairs. We've reached the next level, but this is the first time we've come across a doorless room.
There is also the possibility that it is a normal layer where monsters run rampant.

"…………A small level……I wonder? It feels the same as the floor below, but. There's something over there."

There, at the lowest point―― A black stone monument-like object like the one on the floor of the Hardware Store.
It was similar to the stone monument that granted Fiona's wish.