The other team members heard their captain's words, but they were still unwilling to give up.
They'd chased for so long; just give up like this?
It wasn't just them; even Gordo, the captain, was unwilling. They were about to catch the spider monster, but then this unexpected obstacle appeared.
But what could they do?
Gordo looked at the newly created wall of boulders, sighed helplessly, and patted his teammates on the shoulders.
"Sigh… Let's go."
As the captain, he understood his responsibility.
The Elroe Great Labyrinth wasn't a playground; you couldn't just come and go as you pleased. Only high-level, experienced adventurers could enter, and even for them, each exploration required intense focus and caution. Even then, there was no guarantee of safe return.
The longer you stayed, the more dangerous it became.
Humans could only explore the relatively safe upper and middle layers. Almost no one had ever been to the lower layers, or at least, he'd never heard of it.
Each layer down increased the danger exponentially.
The bottom layer of the Elroe Great Labyrinth remained an enigma to humans.
As the captain, Gordo had to ensure his team's safe return. It was his responsibility, his duty!
They hadn't dealt with the spider monster this time; who knew how strong it would become…? Gordo led his dejected team out, a bad feeling in his heart.
That spider monster and the Gunerush could become a huge threat in the future.
So strange…
Those two monsters were the strangest he'd ever seen since becoming an adventurer… Those eyes didn't look like those of a monster; they were full of emotion and intelligence… and even fear!
Gordo had to report this as soon as possible, hoping the government would take it seriously.
Of course, it depended on the situation. The government might not care about a small monster, thinking they were making a fuss. If that happened, there was nothing he could do but leave it to fate.
…
Ryu Takeno, who was escaping, didn't care about maintaining a powerful image. He wasn't a powerful being; in this great labyrinth, he was just a slightly stronger ant.
Survival was more important than image.
He stopped only after he felt safe.
"Finally… finally stopped."
Kumoko, who was following him, collapsed to the ground, legs in the air, looking utterly defeated.
The long run had drained her energy; her red stamina bar was almost empty.
In this world, monsters and humans both had stamina bars.
Like a game, using Appraisal showed HP, MP, and SP bars.
HP represented life force; zero life force meant death. MP represented magical power; using magic and skills consumed MP; running out of MP meant inability to use skills or magic. Finally, SP represented stamina, with two bars—yellow for current stamina and red for total stamina.
When the yellow stamina bar was depleted, the red stamina (fullness) would be consumed.
When the red stamina bar was also empty, it meant all the body's stored energy was gone, leading to exhaustion and death.
Food… I need food…
Kumoko's only desire was to eat a huge meal. The run had drained her stamina; she hadn't brought any food, and her stomach was growling.
Ryu Takeno saw her state and looked helpless, turning and disappearing.
Eh? No way, the countryman just left me mercilessly?
When Kumoko saw Ryu Takeno leave, she felt terrible.
She'd finally caught up, but this powerful ally didn't seem to like her and abandoned her again.
She didn't have the strength to chase, so she lay still, recovering her strength to hunt later.
Even without a powerful ally, I can still…
Bang—!
Before Kumoko could finish her brave words, a black object was thrown before her, interrupting her.
A frog! Another frog!
Ryu Takeno looked at Kumoko, who stood up, raised her front legs, and struck a strange pose, looking puzzled.
"What are you doing? Forget it, eat."
"Ahahahaha~ Nothing, I was just praying for the boss's safe return."
Kumoko scratched her head sheepishly.
He hadn't abandoned her; he'd gone to find food…
"Ah~ I'm so moved! Mmm mmm… Though frog meat isn't the best, it's not bad~"
-----
You can read advance chapters in my: [email protected]/Veora
Drop some spirit stones if you like the story ^^
And Reviews ^^
-----