Chapter 101: After the Cataclysm (1)
2nd Floor of Ludera’s Tower of Labyrinth
Inside the Apostle’s Room within the Great Pyramid
Rustle, rustle.
Even though it was late at night, a young girl sat at a desk, diligently processing documents.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
Creak.
The door opened, and the Beast King Brigand stepped inside.
“You’ve returned! Was everything resolved?”
“Yes. It was just the usual old grudges between the different races. Nothing too troublesome. But are you still working?”
The Beast King’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.
“There’s just so much work…”
Zenith, the warrior who had succeeded Princess Rebecca as the second apostle of the GM, didn’t stop her work even as she spoke with the Beast King.
“Hah… Even so, working this late into the night isn’t good for your health.”
The new apostle, whom the former apostle Rebecca had asked to be taken care of, was still adjusting.
When they announced that someone new would take the position after the princess’s misdeeds toward the GM, he hadn’t wanted to accept it.
There was no one else who could lead the beastmen and serve as the GM’s connection in both power and influence.
She had been the only one.
Thus, when he first met the young girl before him, he wondered how remarkable she would be.
To his surprise, she turned out to be a diligent and kind-hearted young woman.
“Aren’t you tired, Beast King, after returning from mediating and resolving the conflict between the beastmen and the other races?”
Her kindness and capability were matched only by her strength, which was nearly on par with the princess’s.
It became clear why the princess had said this girl was more suitable for the position of apostle than herself.
“I simply did what I had to do. It wasn’t difficult at all… But the situation is different for you. I’ve heard that you haven’t slept in days and have been working non-stop.”
“Ha… So you knew?”
Despite her youthful appearance, still retaining some baby fat, and her fresh, lively personality, no one questioned her role as the apostle.
Or rather, no one dared oppose her, not even to the Beast King.
“You have much work to do, but rest is also important. You’re still in the prime of your growth, Apostle.”
Perhaps it was because of her strong yet delicate appearance that the Beast King was reminded of his daughter, who was currently studying at the academy, every time he saw Zenith.
“Ha ha. Thank you for your concern, but how could I rest when the GM is in slumber, and I am His servant?”
This child…
She’s truly upright.
Because of the many miracles the GM had performed, His believers had grown in number beyond reason.
But not many followed Him sincerely, like her.
Most people sought Him for selfish, material gains.
Compared to them…
‘I understand now why the GM chose this girl as His apostle.’
Hadn’t he too followed the GM with the selfish desire to save his people, the beastmen?
In that sense, Warrior Zenith was indeed the most fitting person for the role of apostle.
“Then does that mean none of us, His servants, are allowed to rest?”
“Huh?! No, that’s not what I meant! Not at all!”
The Beast King chuckled at Zenith’s flustered reaction.
After the GM’s sacrifice to protect the continent from the extradimensional threats, the GM’s Church had grown in power, but many problems had begun to sprout.
‘Even so, with this apostle here…’
Waking the GM might be possible.
***
“Over there!”
Wald’s voice echoed from deep within the forest.
Boom, boom.
The sound of something large running approached.
“This time, it’s my turn. Sand Spear!”
Clang!
Perizet leapt forward, summoning his power.
Suddenly, spears made of sand shot up from the ground like traps.
Roar!
At the same time, a massive boar emerged from the forest, its size akin to that of a large dump truck.
It was the Wild Boar, an elite monster that resided on this floor.
Crash, crash!
The sand spears were strong but not strong enough to stop the Wild Boar’s charge.
But that wasn’t the goal.
“Albus!”
“Leave it to me.”
From the beginning, the sand spears were meant only to buy time.
Wooooom.
Magical energy gathered in my right hand.
At the same time, the longbow in my left hand grew significantly.
Roar!
The Wild Boar shattered the sand spears and charged toward me.
Aiming my bow at the beast, I released my grip with my right hand.
“Yagne Yastra.”
A bluish flame arrow flew toward the Wild Boar.
Boom!
Ding!
- You have defeated the Elite Monster Wild Boar.
A notification appeared, announcing the monster’s death along with the powerful explosion.
Cough, cough!
“It worked!”
Through the smoke left by the explosion, Wald emerged, having chased down the Wild Boar.
“Man, no matter how many times I see it, it’s amazing! You took down that monster with insane defense in one hit! Did you bring the strength of a mage into an archer or something?”
Wald marveled at the power of the arrow.
“It’s on a whole different level from you, who can barely manage to use both magic and sword skills simultaneously.”
Perizet landed on the ground nearby, shaking his head.
“Oh?”
“Did you say something? Coming from someone who can barely make a toothpick out of sand? You couldn’t even last one second. Albus could have been in real danger!”
“Oh? Do you want me to test the durability of my spear? I could shove it right through that body of yours if you like.”
The two bickered, like siblings constantly at each other’s throats, teasing and provoking one another.
They had grown close after spending months together.
“Enough, both of you,” I interrupted, stepping between them to stop the squabble.
“We only managed to win because Wald chased it down and Perizet immobilized it. You know my technique is all about raw power. I can’t do anything alone.”
“Albus… You’re always so kind,” Perizet murmured.
“I wish a certain beastman beside me would learn from you.”
“…………Albus, I’m sorry. This won’t do. I can’t hold back anymore.”
Perizet grabbed his dagger and lunged at Wald again.
Barely managing to stop them from fighting once more, we headed back to the village.
***
“Albus.”
“Hm?”
As we walked into the village, Wald spoke up.
“Today’s hunt was successful, but it was way too dangerous.”
Was it because I shot the arrow right in front of the Wild Boar’s face?
“I agree, Albus. Though I don’t doubt the power of your abilities, had my spear missed by even a little, you could have been seriously hurt.”
Perizet chimed in from beside us.
I hadn’t really thought about it, considering I could mitigate or nullify most damage, but it seemed my friends didn’t see it that way.
“So, I was thinking… How about recruiting a tank?”
“I think it’s a great idea. Not bad for a fool,” Perizet added, surprisingly in agreement.
“You really want to go at it here? Even in the village, I won’t hold back!”
A tank, huh?
Wald could serve as a mage or a swordsman, Perizet could handle assassination and traps, and I dealt with long-range attacks.
With a main tank, our party would be complete.
“Sounds good. Let’s look for someone who fits the role.”
We made our way to the adventurer’s guild in the center of the village.
It was the best place to recruit party members or find missions.
“Wow, it’s busier than usual today.”
The guild was always bustling, but today it was particularly crowded.
As we opened the door, we found out why.
“Congratulations on clearing the 5th floor!”
“Whooo!”
A large group of people raised their glasses in celebration.
So, they’d cleared the 5th floor?
Now that I thought about it, I had heard that an advanced party had taken down the 5th floor boss yesterday.
I hadn’t paid much attention to who had cleared it, but it seemed like these people were the ones.
“We’re finally catching up to the regular labyrinths!”
“We’re still a few floors behind, but at this pace, it’s only a matter of time before we surpass them!”
“It’s all thanks to our guild leader, Dua!”
Watching the cheering crowd, I thought I must have misheard something.
‘……Dua?’
I rushed inside, scanning the crowd, until I spotted a figure being tossed into the air in celebration.
Our eyes met.
The small girl who had briefly looked away after seeing me.
It was my daughter, Dua.