CH 63

To put it simply, the was a copy of the , only with twice as many stone statues attacking.

In the , only one of the stone statues moved, but in the , you would have to face two of those stone statues, and as you advanced further, two additional stone statues would apparently begin to move, making it a total of four stone statues you would have to face against.

When I saw the two stone statues approaching at the same time, I felt nothing but despair, but the strategy should almost be the same as before.

Faced against the initial two stone statues, I moved closer to one of them and parried its attack.

If I tried to go through the side of the one that got stiffened, depending on my position and my attack, the other knight’s attack may be blocked by the parried knight…… and I may manage to get through.

All I had to do was to hope that this luck of mine would happen twice in a row.

(……I don’t really like depending on this kind of luck-driven approach though.)

Though I say that, I don’t really have any other good ideas.

It would be heartbreaking to do the and have to start all over from the again if I failed, but by the time my failures can be counted in both hands, even though I felt exhausted, I managed to pull off a successful pattern and light another fire in my magatama.

(……With this, only one trial left huh)

With a slight smoldering feeling in my heart, I returned to the central room, holding the magatama that had regained its original form after lighting up its two fire slots.

[Don’t tell me, there’s no way the last trial would have triple the number of stone statues, right?]

I returned to the path with a little doubt in my mind, but it seemed that I didn’t have to worry about that.

Just as in the and , the place where the last trial is located can be accessed from the central room.

The only difference was that this trial was closed by a large door.

Also……

【Final Trial】

Waiting at the end of the Dragon’s Path

Show your Courage, Offer to me the Perfect Key

A huge door leads to the final trial.

On the floor directly below that door, such words were embedded in powerful strokes.

[……The Dragon’s Path huh.]

I couldn’t imagine what it would be like inside, but I could guess that this trial would be completely different from the previous two.

Driven by a somewhat ominous premonition, I followed Rex’s instructions and held up the magatama to the door, and the huge double-sided door opened with a low thud.

[Wha!?]

What I found there was a completely different room from the previous two trials.

It was an endless, bottomless abyss, and on top of that abyss was a snake-like winding path of only about 10 cm wide.

[……I see, so this is the Dragon’s Path huh.]

This certainly is worthy of its name, a path for a “dragon”…… a snake that soars above the sky.

Suppressing the excitement in my excitement, just like an Adventurer, made a proper observation of the situation.

The path, about 10 cm wide, snakes its way to the far end of the room.

On the wall at the far end was a carving that appeared to be a dragon, and directly below it was a pedestal with a familiar shape.

Considering the trials so far, the goal of this final trial must be to place the magatama there.

There was no foothold accessible other than the “Dragon’s Path”, and the path basically continued without narrowing or thickening from its initial width, with the only exception of a one-meter diameter platform in the middle of the room.

That is probably the halfway point of the path and a resting spot at the same time.

When I looked down, I only saw endless darkness ahead, and even though I was told that my life wasn’t in danger, I felt an instinctive fear.

[That “Show your Courage” part talks about this huh. Walking through this certainly takes courage, doesn’t it?]

This place makes me feel a sense of danger, making me think that even if I know I won’t die, I sure as hell don’t want to fall……

(Surprisingly though…… This looks possible.)

With this trial having a different nature from the previous two, I could feel this place resonating with me.

It’s true that the path is narrow, and it’s rough how everything is over when I slip, but I’m confident in my sense of balance, and I’m not afraid of heights, probably because I grew up in the countryside and climbed trees a lot.

Perhaps, if the previous trials were to test the combat skills required of a Treasure Hunter, this final trial is to test one’s nimbleness and judgment in exploring an unexplored area.

However, this makes it more convenient for me.

(I’ll clear this in one shot!)

If I fail here, I would have to start all over again from the First Trial.

It would mean that I would have to complete those 2 extremely difficult trials again.

And most of all……

—————I don’t want to be glared at by Resilia anymore!

For Resilia, and for the tranquility of my heart, I slapped my palms filled with fighting spirit on my cheeks and took my first step on the Dragon’s Path!

※　※　※

[……This makes it half of the path huh.]

Mumbling so, I wiped off my sweat.

Walking through the narrow, meandering path was more strenuous than I had imagined.

When my gaze ended up below me, toward the endless abyss, I felt dizzy, and when an arrow suddenly flew from the wall halfway down the path, I thought it was over.

However, I guess my reflexive ducking at the sound paid off.

The trap arrow passed just a little ahead of me in the nick of time, and I had narrowly evaded it.

There were several arrow traps from that point on, but knowing that there are traps ahead, there was no way I would fall into the trap.

Despite the time and attention whittling away at my psyche, I managed to make it to the circular foothold in the middle of the Dragon’s Path.

(However, I will not let my guard down.)

From the foothold, I looked around at the walls, and I figured out where the latter half of the arrow traps might be.

The Dragon’s Path itself, as far as I could see, appeared to be free of any traps.

(Almost there. I’m almost there……)

I stare at the pedestal, both feeling near and far from where I am, as if I were looking at a foe.

The design of the pedestal, which is more rugged and simple than the previous trials, appears to me to be more sacred.

I’m well aware that I’m starting to feel hasty now that the goal was in sight.

Fortunately, there’s no time limit for this trial.

I was conscious of the fact that I was going slowly and surely, taking tens of seconds to complete a few steps……

That’s when it happened.

—————Dodon!

Behind me, I heard a sound.

It was a sound that I had become so accustomed to hearing over the course of the day, but one that I should never have heard just now.

That was the sound of a man-sized chunk of stone that had landed on the ground.

[You’re joking, right……]

My voice trembled.

Sweat slides down my forehead.

Shouts like “You’re kidding, right!? This can’t be happening!”, and a feeling akin to resignation, telling myself “Ahh, I knew that guy would appear here” also appeared in my heart, but they were all jumbled and mixed up in my head.

I slowly turned around.

I looked back to the place where I had rested until a moment ago and felt relieved that I was almost there.

At the halfway point of the Dragon’s Path, there was a stone statue knight kneeling on one knee.

(Where the heck did that come from……!?)

When I looked overhead, I saw a red magic circle floating in the air, looking as if it had just spat that thing out.

(That is also possible!?)

Reflexively swearing to myself, it happened at that moment.

With only the movement of its neck, the stone statue knight looked at me with a glare.

[Hyiihh!]

Not even the slightest thought of fighting it had crossed my mind.

Even back in the previous trials, the stone statue knights aren’t opponents I could properly fight against.

However, the stone statue knight glaring at me now was clearly a Boss monster.

It’s one size larger than the knights who participated in the past trials, and holding a huge spear in his right hand and a rugged sword in his left, giving it the air of an expert.

Worst of all, I was on a narrow foothold where I could hardly move, while my opponent was on a perfectly circular foothold.

There was no way I could win here.

[D*mn it!]

I struggled to move my feet, trying to get as far away from the knight as possible.

—————After all, I was so close.

When measured in a straight line, I was only a few meters away from the knight.

If only I could somehow shake this guy off and get to that pedestal, that would be enough to make all the hard work I’ve exerted worth it……

[……Ah.]

However, I saw it.

The stone statue of a great being standing behind me held the large spear in its right hand aloft, as if it was carrying it on its shoulder.

[Sto———-]

I couldn’t even react.

The huge spear, flying with a thunderous roar, pushed my body to the side and easily shattered the magatama……

[U- Uwaaaaahhhhhhh!!!]

Losing my balance, my body fell off the Dragon’s back and fell into the deep, deep abyss.

※　※　※

I wonder how long have I fallen?

Probably 10 seconds at most.

Or perhaps, it may have actually been a few seconds.

When I came to, I was magically teleported and was lying on my back in front of the pedestal in the central room.

I had been hit so hard and fallen from such a height, yet I was without a scratch.

However, I couldn’t get up from this spot.

[……Doesn’t this make it look like a coward?]

A swear reflexively spilled out of my mouth.

However, I know more than anyone else, that those words were that of a sore loser unwilling to accept defeat.

(D*mn it!)

Looking back, I had been caught in the trial’s trap from the very beginning.

I struggled through the first two trials, but the last one somehow went well.

That makes it look like I was doing better than what the trial, what the creator of this place had in mind.

However, that was the whole point of this trial.

The challenge was to show the wary challenger through the an obstacle that would take some time but wouldn’t be difficult to break through……

They let the challenger avoid an arrow trap flying from the wall, a trap that even a first-time challenger could just barely evade, and misled them into believing that this trial was mainly a trap-oriented one and not a battle-centric trial……

It would then let them rest at the midway point for the final finish, giving them hope that they will be able to finish the trial anytime soon……

(They threw the biggest bomb at the most effective moment, when I’m most relaxed!!!)

It’s in those moments when people see hope that they are more likely to break.

Besides, the longer they spend and the harder they work to get there, the stronger they feel that they can’t fail at that moment.

There was no way people could perform at their usual level of ability in that situation, where one misstep means falling, without shrinking away.

(All of my actions had been manipulated!!!)

I struck the ground.

Understanding that I’ve been played for a fool, I’m feeling frustrated.

……However, even so……

I just couldn’t muster up the will to go through that trial again, nor the vision to overcome it.

(D*mn it……!)

I remained in the same posture as when I had just fallen from that abyss, sprawled out on the floor, staring at the ceiling.

At that moment, a shadow cast over my face.

[You got harshly defeated, Radd.]

It was Rex.

[……Shut up.]

I hid my face with one arm and bluntly replied.

Master…… Rex is the only one I don’t want to see me in this state.

[I’m just thinking of a strategy right now. Don’t interfere.]

I lied.

The only thing filling my chest was a sense of defeat, and no strategies were in my mind.

However, I didn’t want Rex to think that I was that pathetic of a person.

[I see…… In that case, you won’t mind if I take on this trial this time, right?]

[Eh……?]

The unexpected words made me reflexively move the arm that was covering my face.

Looking up, there was Rex with a fearless smile on his face.

[—————I don’t know if this will help you or not, but I’ll show you my own way of going through the trial.]

Upon those words, I look beyond the closed door with the face of the Hero I look up to in mind.