Cursed Villainess' Obsession-Chapter 60

I didn't want to end up as a roasted pig.

Of course, I understood Adrian's reaction.

Like the first floor, a large number of monsters were swarming us due to our high stats.

The sight of hundreds of bugs buzzing their wings and rushing toward us sent chills down my spine, even as a man.

That's why it was a pity that our party's flamethrower was sealed.

However, our party had two professional magic users.

Although Adrian's area attacks were blocked on this floor, we still had Mary.

━Kwahaha!

A wave of chilling energy filled with magical power enveloped the swarm of bugs, freezing them all in an instant.

Kwahaaaaaang!!

Then, Zikfrit and Laphne teamed up to shatter the ice mass.

“Ahhhh! Ken, I hate bugs so much!”

Moments ago, Laphne had been bravely slaughtering the bugs up front, but now she clung to me, sounding weak.

Seeing this, Emily, who had collapsed to the ground, shouted.

“Don’t joke around! You weren’t scared at all!”

“Emily’s just overreacting,” I chimed in.

“But isn’t that disgusting? You can’t tell me Mary isn’t scared!”

“Hmph, I’m not scared at all.”

As she said that and placed her hands on her hips, I noticed Mary’s shoulders trembling.

She was trying her best.

“Well, let’s take a short break here before we continue.”

“Ugh... How many more battles like this do we have to do?”

“Well... According to the map, we should reach it in about two more fights.”

Currently, not far from our safe zone, there was an entrance leading up to the third floor.

Once we got there, we’d bid farewell to these bug swarms.

Of course, we would encounter them again on our return.

‘Still, I’m really glad I got that map from the shop.’

In the game, a mini-map always displayed on the screen, so having this map in reality was a huge help.

While it might not be as detailed as a program’s mini-map, it at least showed the general layout and locations of the tower.

However, this only covered up to the 42nd floor that the advance team had tackled, so beyond that, we would have to navigate without a map.

The fortunate thing is that our party won’t need a map for the floors above the tenth.

After our break, we proceeded through the second floor again.

After several battles, we reached the exit of the second floor, the entrance to the third.

There sat a familiar figure to me.

“Oho, a young adventurer party, I see.”

An old man was perched on the wooden roots near the entrance to the third floor.

Though his hair and beard were white, and his face wrinkled, his body was sturdy, and the scuffs on his leather armor spoke of his experience.

As he leaned on his sword, he greeted us as we approached.

This old man was one of the NPCs from the second floor in the game.

I never expected to see him here in reality, so it felt strange to meet him in person.

“Are you all heading up to the third floor?”

The old man stopped us as we passed and asked.

In the game’s lore, the reason he sat here was solely to deliver a warning to players entering the third floor.

“Be careful on the third floor. There’s a dangerous trap that wasn’t present on the second floor.”

“…A trap? What kind of trap?”

As Mary earnestly asked about the old man’s words, he chuckled and explained.

“It’s a dangerous trap unlike the usual ones. Once you fall in, you can never escape. If you enter, you’ll fall into hell.”

“H-Hell?”

“They say if you fall, you’ll end up in some twisted place of time and space. And escaping from there is said to be impossible.”

Emily gasped at his words, and Laphne tightly grasped my hand, clearly anxious.

“Then do make sure not to die.”

Having finished his role, the old man waved us off as we continued.

“Ken, about that trap the old man just mentioned... Can we find it like before?”

“It seems incredibly dangerous. Alternatively, we could return for a bit today and gather more information…”

Emily and Mary expressed their concerns on the stairs leading to the third floor.

But I smiled and reassured them.

“Don’t worry. I’ve already gathered enough information about the traps on the third floor.”

“R-Right? Well, you are Ken.”

Emily smiled faintly at my confident answer.

However, Mary still looked uneasy.

“Um... Ken, will it really be okay? I feel uneasy for some reason.”

Even Laphne, who had been quiet, chimed in with similar worries.

It seemed that everyone sensed something unusual about the old man’s warning as he sat at the entrance.

I gently smiled and patted Laphne on the head.

Then, we moved forward, keeping a close eye on our surroundings.

“...Enemies approaching! It’s skeletons!”

Mary’s shout, having spotted monsters approaching from a distance, marked the start of our first battle.

Fighting on the castle walls.

Since we were in a narrow passage, the number of monsters coming at us was fewer compared to the first and second floors.

However, the narrow corridors made it difficult for us to coordinate with one another.

I thought we would have a tough time, but—

‘…This is manageable.’

━Kwahaha!

I could see the skeleton soldiers floating in the air from my position at the back.

It was like leaves being blown away by the wind, and this was all thanks to Laphne at the front.

Perhaps eager to quickly clear the uneasy third floor, she seemed to be putting in extra effort.

The skeletons overwhelmed by Laphne's fierce attacks fell one after another without much resistance.

We pressed forward without encountering significant dangers and soon reached the entrance leading into the castle.

“I’ll take the lead from here. The trap I mentioned is inside the castle.”

Just as we had in the ruins and jungle, I began to lead the way, checking for traps.

When I discovered a trap, I would either maneuver around it or take an alternate route.

Unfortunately, while I could locate traps using my gaming knowledge, I didn’t know how to disarm them.

“...Ken, be careful.”

Laphne, who had been leading until now, stood behind me, speaking in a worried tone.

“It’s easier to find than I thought, so I’m fine.”

I reassured Laphne.

It wasn’t a lie.

The traps on the third floor were designed to be much easier to spot compared to those on the first and second floors.

Even if it wasn’t the trap leading to hell that the old man mentioned, traps like arrow traps or mimics were easy to recognize.

While I was leading the way and checking the map, I suddenly raised my hand and halted the party.

“Wait.”

“What? What’s up? Is there something?”

“There’s a trap. We can’t pass through here.”

After inspecting the ground, I responded to Emily’s inquiry.

“Could it be the trap you mentioned earlier…?”

Mary followed up with a question, as it seemed to weigh heavily on her mind.

“No. This is just a simple collapsing floor trap. You don’t need to worry about it.”

“See! I told you it wouldn’t be a problem with Ken around!”

“Emily, weren’t you really anxious just now?”

Once it was clear that it wasn’t something to be overly concerned about, everyone finally smiled in relief.

“Then let’s take a short break here.”

“Wait? Here? Right next to the trap?”

“Monsters won’t come near the trap. It’s actually the best place to rest.”

“…Hmm, okay.”

Everyone set down their heavy gear and began to sit down, relaxing as I suggested.

They started checking their equipment.

“...Ken.”

And during our break, Laphne naturally came over to my side.

However, the difference from usual was that her expression wasn’t the bright smile I was accustomed to but rather a look of unease.

I smiled softly at Laphne and stood up from my spot.

Then, I glanced over at Adrian and Zikfrit, who were seated nearby.

The two locked eyes.

Then I approached Mary and Emily, who were engaged in conversation.

“Hey, Ken? What’s going on? Do you need a healing spell?”

“Did you get hurt somewhere?”

Emily greeted me with a bright smile, while Mary looked worried at her side.

I didn’t respond to their questions and rummaged through my pockets instead.

“Hey, do you two remember this?”

I showed them what I pulled out of my pocket.

“Uh? ...This is.”

“...This is from before.”

As Emily and Mary paused, contemplating what I held in my hand—

I activated the magical tool.

━Pahh!

Unlike me, who had experienced petrification firsthand, the two, seeing this method of petrification for the first time, couldn’t evade it and soon froze in place.

“W-Wait…! Ken?!”

“K-Ken?! Why…?!”

Before they could finish their sentences, the petrifying magic had completely solidified them.

I bowed my head to the two, who I knew still had their sight and hearing.

“I’m sorry, both of you. Just wait a moment, and I’ll free you.”

Having said what I needed to, I turned away.

“K-Ken…!! KEN!!”

As Laphne’s voice called out to me, filled with confusion about the situation unfolding, I could see the understanding in her eyes.

I felt a pang in my heart at Laphne’s expression, but I had to proceed with my plan.

“Zikfrit!”

At my call, Zikfrit immediately responded.

“Wait, what are you doing?!”

Following my signal, Zikfrit held Laphne from behind.

“Ken! KEN!! What are you doing?!”

Realizing her fears were coming true, Laphne shouted.

The anxiety on her face wasn’t due to her own safety.

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It was entirely out of concern for me.

Even in her captured state, she worried for my safety, and I smiled softly at her.

“I’m sorry, Laphne. But don’t worry. I’ll be back safely.”

“N-No…! Ken, don’t! There must be another way…!!”

Tears began to well in Laphne’s eyes as she shook her head, trying to persuade me.

But there was no escaping Zikfrit’s grip, and no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t break free.

I stepped closer and gently stroked her head.

“Trust me. ...And I’m sorry for binding you like this.”

“Ken…! Huh, KEN…!”

“Laphne can’t be petrified because of the pendant. So please bear with it this one time.”

“Don’t do this…! Please, don’t! If it’s about climbing the tower, I’ll work hard to help!! So please…!!”

“This is the best option.”

We didn’t have the luxury of time to leisurely climb a tower with nearly 100 floors.

If we took that long, the Demon King’s army would surely catch wind of us.

We needed to ascend the tower as quickly as possible.

I turned my head to Adrian.

“Then, I’ll leave the rest to you as I explained.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it.”

He nodded with a serious expression, not his usual playful smile.

I approached the ground I had just inspected earlier, aiming for the target.

“KEN…!! KEN!!”

Even as Laphne continued to call my name from behind, it weighed heavily on my heart.

But I kept moving forward.

And as I stood before the spot on the ground that was my goal—

“Ken.”

Zikfrit’s voice came from behind me.

Turning to look at him, Zikfrit had his back to me, continuing to speak.

“Make sure to come back… alive.”

At his words, I grinned and replied.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be counting on you all!”

I was likely being watched and heard by Mary and Emily, as well as Zikfrit and Adrian, who would carry out our plans.

Finally, there was Laphne, who was crying while searching for me.

After responding so that everyone could hear, I turned back again.

Then, taking one last step forward.

As my foot touched the ground—

…━Splat!

A black liquid oozed from the seemingly solid ground, swallowing me whole.

The darkness enveloped me, and after a strange sensation, I opened my eyes to find myself in a place that could only be described as hell.

“...Was it a year in here?”

I had prepared myself, but the overwhelming feeling of despair hit me once I physically experienced it.

“...Haah, how did I end up in this situation?”

But it was unavoidable.

This was the only method I could think of to ensure Laphne’s safety.

The ground was a desolate shade of purple.

Bare, leafless trees stood around me.

A dark sky filled with black clouds loomed above.

And in the distance, various types of monsters could be seen.

I now had to survive in this place.

‘First, I need to find water and food before my supplies run out. And I should set up a tent near the water….’

I moved forward, thinking of what needed to be done.

Then suddenly—

“Ken…! Huh, KEN—!!”

The last memory that echoed in my mind was Laphne’s voice, calling out for me.

Her sorrowful cries tugged at my heart.

I looked up at the sky.

Now, all I could see was the dark, cloud-covered sky, but I wished she could hear me.

“Wait for a week, Laphne. ...I’ll be back soon.”

For those waiting for me, it would be a week, but for me, who needed to survive, it would feel like a year.

The timer for each of our missions had begun to tick down.