After leaving the A rank party, I aim for the deep part of the labyrinth with my former students
As expected—that was the feeling.
The moment I passed through the entrance of the “World Tree,” I felt a sense of rejection, as if I’d become an alien presence... or as if the place itself whispered that I didn’t belong.
Those who can’t resist that feeling... turn inside out to adapt.
“…It feels kind of lonely here.”
Marina murmured as she looked around.
I could understand why she felt that way.
This place was utterly different from the image evoked by the phrase “Cradle that crosses dimensions.”
A uniform floor made of some unknowable material.
Something like wood, stretching out as if twisted and pulled from that floor.
And a ceiling far above, shrouded in darkness, with no end in sight.
For a cradle of elves—beings who live in harmony with nature—this place was far too artificial, and carried a certain melancholy.
Still, we couldn’t just stand around commenting on how strange or sad it felt.
We had to cross this vast, pathless space and catch up to Silk and the others.
“No footprints in sight. Or rather… this floor, it’s probably moving.”
“Moving?”
“Yeah. You see those faint patterns on the floor?”
Prompted by Nene, I stared at the floor.
What had seemed like a marble pattern was slowly swirling in a spiral motion.
“The floor itself is moving, probably.”
“Then even tracking with Footstory would be tough.”
“…Biblion can do it.”
Rain, who’d been listening to our conversation, extended a slender arm coiled with a white snake.
In her hand was the Seeker’s Compass.
“I’ll synchronize my magic with Biblion’s... and we’ll head toward where Silk is. How’s that?”
“You can do that?”
“I got the idea from what you did earlier. I’m similar to you, Yuke.”
Her words made my stomach drop.
That was something she shouldn’t be doing.
“By the way, what about your wound? How did you close it?”
“Uh…”
“Hey, I’ve been cut by that thing before too, y’know?”
Jamie poked my stomach.
The wound had fully healed—no pain remained—but I figured she wouldn’t let it go without a proper explanation.
“Maybe I didn’t explain it fully to you before.”
“I heard you’re a retainer of Lady Persephone and under her curse, right?”
“Exactly. The goddess who inverts life and death—her power exists in me as a separate element.”
Naturally, as a mere human, I can’t control life and death itself.
What I can do is exchange and convert those elements.
By forcefully converting my severely depleted life force into mana—via the Odo, the energy of existence—I managed to survive that moment.
Luckily, I’m naturally rich in mana, so I could push my fading life into that magic power.
But doing something so unnatural isn’t something to be taken lightly.
That’s why I’m deeply concerned about the unofficial technique Rain just used.
“I only linked Biblion’s heart to my magic. It’s okay.”
Rain gave me a small smile in response to my worried gaze.
“You and Rain are always pulling reckless stunts. Okay? If it gets bad, you tell us. We’re all going back together.”
“Yeah. Thanks, Jamie.”
Rain nodded slightly, then pressed the activation switch on the Seeker’s Compass.
The needle spun gently… then stopped, pointing in one direction.
“That way.”
“Roger! I’ll scout ahead—everyone else, prep and rest up!”
Nene dashed off into the strange forest without a sound.
Watching her disappear, I pulled out a few tools from my magic bag.
We were now in the heart of the dungeon.
And the atmosphere here… was eerily similar to the “Achromatic Darkness.”
Since Overflow had been confirmed, monsters were likely nearby.
We couldn’t afford to let our guard down—we needed to be even more alert than usual.
Especially now, with our dependable sub-leader absent.
I had to be fully prepared to support my companions.
“Jamie, if I—”
“Nope. Not hearing any ‘ifs.’ And don’t even think about replacing Silk.”
Before I could even suggest it, Jamie shut me down flat.
Had she seen right through me?
“I’ll help as a teammate, but I’m still the newbie, okay? Don’t go pushing the impossible on me.”
“What happened to ‘senior privilege’?”
“That’s different.”
Jamie puffed out her cheeks slightly and smacked me on the back.
Quite hard, too.
“I hate to say it, but that part of you? I didn’t like it much back in the ‘Thunder Pike’ days either. You need to have more confidence in yourself.”
“Mm. Yuke’s weirdly cowardly at the worst times.”
“You worry too much. You always push yourself so hard, but all you ever think about is what happens if it goes wrong.”
Rain and Marina chimed in after Jamie's words.
With everyone ganging up on me like this, I couldn't help feeling a little down.
“I am trying to think ahead and plan accordingly as the leader, you know…”
“That’s not it, Yuke. You have to believe that you’ll still be there, in that future you're planning for.”
Marina, unusually firm, scolded me.
“The future we're imagining and the future you’re imagining—it has to be the same! We’re a party... and, well, I am your girlfriend, aren’t I?”
“Marina... good words.”
Rain nodded along with a satisfied hum.
Next to her, Jamie looked a little dejected.
“Ugh, now I’m jealous. Maybe I haven’t thought that far ahead… guess I’m getting a bit jaded.”
“Jamie too, you know?”
“Me?”
“Yeah. You saved our lives. You’re here, helping support Yuke. Actually… sometimes you support him even more than he supports himself.”
Jamie stiffened, giving me a look that was somehow both sour and accusing.
I’d always known she had a self-sacrificing streak, but I didn’t realize they saw the same trait in me.
“…I’m back. Uh… what’s with this vibe?”
“We were lecturing Yuke. Got anything to add, Nene?”
Marina asked, and Nene tilted her head slightly.
“Not really, no. …More importantly, I’ve gotten a rough sense of the layout. And honestly? This place is way more dangerous than it looks.”
I was a little relieved the topic had shifted, and focused on analyzing the information she was about to share.
By the time she finished explaining, it became painfully clear:
This quiet, lonely “World Tree” really was a dangerous place—one that had more in common with the “Achromatic Darkness” than we’d hoped.
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