Ouroboros Record ~Circus of Oubeniel~

Exploring the dungeon for adventurers is not as easy as heading for the day you decide to do it. It is a harsh environment for humans, and it is not excessive no matter how well prepared they are beforehand, such as entering places that are also the nests of demons. Gearing up equipment and buying all kinds of chemicals are essential, as is preparing the camp. In any case, most dungeons are nowhere near as far away as you can go on a day trip (as soon as they do, the city will be attacked by demons), and it is impossible to explore and cut them off in a day when they become huge objects like The Great Tree Sea of Darkness. Therefore, it is necessary to dawn on the move and during exploration. In some cases, for days.

The first thing you need is sunny food, and drinking water. Some demon conductor can magically water it out, but it naturally drains the magic from it. Magic is one of the trump cards in adventure, the very raison d 'être of a magician. Wasting it should be abhorrent, and magically covering the water for everyone in the party, no matter how magical it is, is enough. So it's one of the iron rules of adventurers to keep the necessary amount of drinking water from the start. Of course, if there is a water-supply point, such as spring water, in the dungeon, the burden can be somewhat reduced. Fortunately, several outcrops have been identified in the tree sea, so it would be easier and more sensible to hold up a pot for boiling than to increase the amount of water you take.

Don't forget tents, sleeping bags and blankets to sleep safely and comfortably. Because fatigue and stress interrupt concentration and are more likely to make unusual mistakes during battle or make serious overlooks during exploration. It can also reduce the risk of being stabbed by poisonous insects while asleep. A tent that also acts as a mosquito net may be said to be a must-have, especially for disease-mediating mosquito species. Even when demonic raids occur during the camp, the tent cloth becomes an easy barrier. It's a piece of cloth, but it will surely squander one action to tear it apart. There are also surprisingly many cases where one of those behaviors separates light and dark. It is forbidden to let go of a blanket when adventuring in another hot region. At night, the cold ground takes your temperature and your health is consumed to regain your lost temperature. In the first place, the ground is hard and hard to sleep, and I'm just tired of lying down. When I go into my sleeping bag, I just plant a blanket on my back and I can get rid of it a lot.

Other things, unexpectedly, I can't neglect to change - especially my skin and underwear. There will also be voices of doubt as to whether we can afford to be concerned to that point, but this sounds surprising. At any rate, the adventurer is a constantly wounded business. What would happen if it wore unhygienic objects? The concept of bacteria and the like is only known to the Zanktogaren Academy of Magic Instruction, which is also part of it, but what happens if dirt gets on the wound. As much of a brain as you can imagine it, it should be ready for everyone. It is possible to keep your body as clean as possible and to considerably contain the development of tetanus and the like. Nevertheless, during an adventure where a drop of water is a drop of blood, you can't possibly bathe, wash, etc. So at the very least, it was well known that we should get dressed.

In this way, adventurers heading into the dungeon must be prepared with substantial supplies. It costs money just to set it up, and when it comes to carrying it, this is another struggle. Of course, no matter how tough the fierce will be able to fight satisfactorily with their luggage in their arms. So the probable adventurer hires a luggage carrier (porter) to leave the load to it, and we dedicate ourselves to the adventure as much as we can. It is often the adventurers of other parties of lower rank who serve this, but cases can also be seen of slaves who are willing or the property of a city with guilds.

In the case of this "guardian's balance," I took a way to hire another adventurer for Orthodox. All of the Joels do not like the manipulation of using slaves, etc., and "The Great Tree Sea of Darkness" is not a sweet dungeon where the level of arm pride in the town dives to make it safe.

"Ooh, of the balance. We should just stick it up here, huh?

A corner of the tree sea that removes disturbing shrubs and is as well tidied as empty land. The torso sounded raised by a middle-aged adventurer.

This is the boundary between the tread compartment and the untapped compartment of the Great Tree Sea. It was also the end of the entrance, of an ever-expanding forest.

"Yeah. We're going back, so please hold the campsite in between. I intend to return every day as much as possible. but in case you don't return for more than a day or two, you'll be asking for a report to the Alliance."

"Ha-ha-ha! Well, I hope not, Cleric Husband."

Folding with Mariano is the leader of one of the two D-rank parties that asked to carry luggage and maintain a temporary base. Since every negotiation is unsuitable in a young, straightforward Joel, it is his turn in these cases. Naturally, it's not good for the weather to leave anything thrown at Mariano, so Joel and I were only trying to show her face without pinching her mouth.

But I don't know if you know it or not. The story flew in from one side.

"Hey, boy. All the prey we've had so far is half as good as us and this one, right?

"Oh, it's not... Gohon. Yeah, I don't mind."

Respond while inadvertently misrepresenting what was about to become a legalistic way of speaking. The crusade proof sites and materials of the monsters that had been knocked down on the road were all under the contractual condition of giving way to two sets of parties with baggage carriers. The rewards were greatly overpriced because of it, but most of the profits from the Guardian's Scale have also disappeared. This adventure will be the result of a tremendous amount of legs if we finish off the big guy in the depths of the tree sea we're headed to.

I'm not prepared in advance for that, and I'm not wasting it so unplanned that it goes bankrupt with a single mess. I have also worked out measures to recover the damage, but I still didn't feel good when I was moved forward with happiness.

"I'm relieved to hear that. You know what I'm talking about, Nova?

The adventurer hits his shoulder with a twisted hand, reinforcing the color of the bare corn. Clearly, it was a breeze that made a mockery of me. For the most part, I don't even know if I can make money. You're laughing at the Guardian's Balance, which raises blood trails to adventures.

There are two ways an adventurer can earn money. One does the quest requested by the Alliance. Have the other voluntarily crusade the area of the monster assessed or sell the material. The latter, in fact, are less lucrative. Anyway, I can also sell the material of the monster that I have defeated at the request, so naturally the former is better for me. Regardless, if we can monopolize the hunting ground, as Raymond does, we can make a lot of money in the latter. But in Joel's case this time, he's giving away all the rice seeds he gets on the road. This will not give you a satisfactory reward.

Indeed, from the point of view of pursuing profits, it is a foolish place to work. Because you are throwing away from me the reward of risking your life to fight. The leader who serves up such imitation, and the party that goes with it, was utterly insane.

What do you know?

But that's not what I found out for Joel. That was the best part of the party. And this time, the goal is to bring home even a small amount of information about the depths of the Tree Sea, moving the upper levels of the Alliance and the higher-ranking adventurers. I believe that doing so will prevent a crisis in Marlan. No one asked me to, but Joel believes it's the right thing to do.

There are a few jinxes in the Adventurer Alliance, but there are some of them.

- A first-rate adventurer is a madman, not least.

If we were to call a strong belief not dictated by interest madness, surely Joel met first-class credentials.

"It's an honor and a compliment. … but"

He cuts out so in the tone of the park boy himself.

"Good payment means that that's all work requires certainty. I don't think this is about telling your veteran opponent, but please keep in mind your liver, okay?

It's not particularly amazing, but telling people to say the obvious things in public discourse. But the adventurer who saw Joel's eyes was unconsciously taking a half step back.

"Hehe... naturally, I'm twice older than you, I'll do my job, I'll do it."

When I say it with excuse and quick mouth, it mixes colors that turn around and make me laugh.

The adventurer was under barometric pressure by Joel. of a sweet-faced boy with a middle meat mid back, a glow that dwells in his eyes. The light, which attracted Rosalie, Mariano sent a letter, and Silan cut open his heart, was too dazzling for this man to burn himself. The real feeling was expressed as a threat.

"What are you doing, Joel! Let's go, or the sun will go down!

"... Mariano too. Interaction with the approximate is also important, but time is limited.... I think we should hurry"

"I know, I'm going now!

"So we are around here... may God bless you all"

The women rush me and Joel and the others leave the camp in a hurry.

The adventurer, who was not intimidated but swallowed, shook off his back.

You were suspicious of how it went, the leader of the other party slaps you on the shoulder with a look of surprise.

"Hey, what's going on? Get confused."

"... you monster"

"Huh?"

"Once upon a time I saw a guy with a similar eye in the old days... I had the same, yes, no more damned eye... Are you sure he's the same adventurer, no human? Damn... more monsters than monsters..."

Continue that repetition without going into consciousness about the surroundings either.

The leader of the other party who spoke spoke spoke to the fellow man when he frowned.

"Hey, what happened to your heads? You're not gonna get a job like this."

"Ha... But to us, too, so... oh, speaking of which."

"What, do you have any idea?

"You probably did something similar a long time ago. When I was in Brossenne, it was when the leader went to pick up the request by himself. I fled back to the inn to say that the adventurers were caught up in each other's troubles, but you said you saw a monster with a crazy eye for everything. I'm sure he's..."

Two hours have passed since we stepped into the back of an untouched tree sea.

"The Great Tree Sea of Darkness" is an undeveloped forest that covers mountain ranges that are said to house mineral veins. There's nothing shallow about it, but if you go back, you'll climb the slopes of the mountains, bypassing the trees that block your way. Then my strength is relentlessly shredded, on top of being easily lost not knowing if I'm really going straight.

Over his head, the branches grew so as to block the sun, and the darkness dominated the forest enough to make him forget that it was now noon. The surroundings are quiet. Instead of signs of demons, there is not even a constant voice of birds. In such tranquility that my ears ached, the only sound lived was the footsteps of the face of "Guardian's Balance", which separated the grass and proceeded.

"So far so good -"

"I know. That doesn't feel good, this."

Joel whispers to Mariano.

It's too quiet for a monster to live in. Not to mention here, in the depths of the 'Great Tree Sea of Darkness', where even near the entrance there are a lot of class D-C crusaders. I could see how different this tranquility was.

Though quiet, there is no serenity. Only the ominousness of the creatures around us as if they were dying is there.

"Even though there's no sign of a creature, the magic of the air is only slightly thick... the feeling is going to be stupid. How about you, Silan? Can you hear anything?

"... nothing. … surrounded by 200 meters, completely silent.... here, really woods? No sign of a bug."

Both Rosalie, who was good at magic sensing as a magic guide, and Silan, a master of hearing and hearing, who was both archer and wild, were bewildered by this environment.

"Let's be careful. Big guy among demons - especially when there's a type that doesn't make a herd, it seems the woods calm down like this"

"Because it drives away other demons and animals, right? Even so, it's a strange story that nothing hangs on Silan's ear."

Rosalie was right. If any other organism has been eradicated, the dominion of a powerful monster, there should be signs of that monster and a sound of life. It's strange that it doesn't even exist.

The four of them, remembering their perplexity, continue to the back with constant vigilance.

The line was in orthodox forms such as two men moving forward and the women stiffening the back.

Joel is dressed in a banded armor that focuses on ease of movement and brackets a well-rounded buckler around his left arm. Not only does it attack the enemy as a swordsman, but it also serves to shelter the guard's allies.

Mariano says he weaves feathercoats embroidered with the Sacred Mark from above wearing plate armor, cementing the gutter and the protection. Because you don't need to move around as much as a swordsman. The recovering magical cleric is also a tough shield for himself.

Meanwhile, Rosalie and Silan were lighter dressed than the men. As for Silan, who wears leather armor, Rosalee wears a cane and weaves a thick robe, which later equals plain clothes. The troublesome thing about magicians is that, unlike clerics who use magic, they are incompatible with metallic and animal materials that scatter magic. So most of the protective equipment is also made of fabric. Metal protective equipment for magic conductors is very high due to the scarcity of materials and is overly heavy for purchase and maintenance at the C-rank age. Therefore, the Adventurer Party is asked how to protect a Mage inferior to his defense.

"... hundred steps"

Walking a predetermined number of steps, Silan took out a knife to mark a nearby tree trunk. It is an exploratory row in the woods without maps. The idea was not to lose sight of your way home and be shipwrecked.

Cuttlefish, and make a dry noise and scratch the tree.

……

An unexpectedly odd feeling struck Silan.

Tremors. A slight vibration was felt from the left hand on the trunk.

She accidentally jumped away and set herself up.

"... trembled now?

"Trembled, that tree?

"Could it be Trent?

What Mariano says is a monster close to the spiritual species that the trees have willingly moved out. Also known as the patron saint of the forest, it is a relatively warm category among the monsters, but it strikes relentlessly at people threatening habitat, such as loggers. Not to mention, if I were to have scratched that body, it must have rammed out mad.

"But you're not moving, are you?

"It's your fault, isn't it? I've never heard of Trent, who can't move with a blade in him."

"... yes, I wonder"

Remember the unintelligible thing, Silan tilting his neck. To her, Joel made a suggestion.

"Why don't you lightly bring the fire closer? Wood sperm hates flames, so why don't you react?

"... no, let's stop.... there's nothing you can do to make me angry."

If it was Trent, it wouldn't be nice to stimulate him poorly and become a fighter. Since the whole body is made of solid wood, Silan's arrows have a bad street and Mariano's mace would be one effect right now. Still, Joel's sword or Rosalee's magic would make sense, but I wanted to avoid blade destruction and magic drain on the sword. I don't like the sound of crusading the tree sperm, which has the power to improve the forest environment, into pranks. It is a delicious prey because it can be stripped of fine wood, but this is behind the "Great Tree Sea of Darkness", a danger zone. Fighting that never serves a purpose should be avoided.

"... first, if it was off, Matsui would be wasted"

"So is that. Let's hurry up here."

"Okay. Not as good as Trent in the first place to shut up a bunch of demons around here. Are the big guys still ahead of us?"

To conclude so, a line rushes ahead.

But Siran cared about the tree.

The feeling of tremor transmitted to my hand is still vividly in my hand. Sticky sap seeping out of the wound. That doesn't really remind me of blood. It was the result of tension exploring the unknown, but it didn't get me out of my head inside. Should we still have made sure? No, if I did, if I was really Trent, a futile battle would - make my thoughts grand.

You shouldn't do this, you have to be vigilant, and the moment I shook my head gently,

"Hih!?

Rosalie, who was going in the middle of the row, jumped bickly.

"What's up, Rosalie?

"No, something cold is on my face... rain"

"It won't. It doesn't sound rainy."

As Mariano puts it, this sea of trees is covered with tall trees stretching long branches like ceilings. If it rained in such a place, I should have hit the branches over my head first to make a noise before hitting the rosary walking on the ground.

"Don't surprise me. Even the rest of the morning dew fell from the top."

Joel looked upstairs joking about things like that. The face was stretched as if frozen.

"What is it, Joel? What's up there... Hih!?

Rosalie, too, bites off a small scream. Both Mariano and Silan looked at it and glanced at it.

On a tree about three metres overhead, something of a human shape is caught between the strands of the branches.

A corpse. A corpse that exposed the dead face upside down, dictated by the intestines and solidified by the expression of fear, was draped into the void as if it were a show.

Regardless, the body is not human. Corruption was not progressing and new for example mountain masters and search party adventurers, and no matter how much they say it has changed, its appearance is far too far from human.

"... troll ghost"

A monster that boasts a body and physical ability that surpasses it, instead of being inferior to an orga in intelligence, even with monsters that take the same human shape. Crusade rank is so strong that you have to call it C-rank, top, or even B-rank adventurer if you are a herd.

The anomaly is that it hangs wrecks on trees like this. That's not one or two either. Even at first glance, five trolls hung from the branches. A line of "Guardian's Balance" stops like it was in a gold bondage to the sight of a wave of fear. Because of the total elimination of the Alliance in the example, I understood that there was a presence behind the tree sea that had to be easy. But what the hell kind of monster lurks when even fierce trolls become like this?

"It's like Moz's..."

"So these trolls are bait? To save it, like this..."

"... dangerous. We should leave soon."

Everyone immediately complained about Silan's claim. More than bait is secured, this is the place for those who eat it, or its immediate. It is also of an unusual monster. No matter what time you get raided, it's no wonder.

At the earliest opportunity, I couldn't tell you that I was going to find evidence for exploration. Thus he could not feel any sign until he had stepped into the feeding ground, and could not even find a trace. There was no way I could risk fighting such a cunning and powerful monster.

We have no choice but to retreat.

But I had lost that decision late.

- Vaguely vaguely.

From overhead, the sound of pressing and folding raw trees approaches. The thick branches blocking the sun were screaming that the stiff branches that also supported the carcasses of the trolls were still intolerable to this. Something big and heavy comes down from the top with tremendous momentum.

- Zushin.

A giant over a bull horse lands in the ground.

It was the alien monster who showed up. The thick four legs with nails resemble a tiger, and the giant wings in the form of a dermis remind the bat. Intimidatively shaken long tails were like producing countless thorns on it of a scorpion, with a thick needle stretching from the tip dripping toxic mucus. It has a grumpy hyena on its head. It is also like a lion when you describe it that way, but the impression you actually get is different. An eye shining with evil joy, a greedy nose shaping, a mouth distorted from ridicule and appetite... everything in its face resembled a person by the time it was blasphemous.

"Manticore......"

Someone at the party whispers the monster's name.

Manticore. A warcraft that lurks in the woods, combining multiple beast sites with humans. The name was a distant old word, meaning 'cannibalism'.

Strength, intelligence, witchcraft, traits, all of which are dangerous areas for mankind. The crusade rank is B and is located at a high level that requires extraordinary skill.

"Sacrifice...! Sacrifice...! Give it, give it, let it eat. WOW!!

The monster with the ugly man's face could manipulate and roar people's words, naturally. The atmosphere trembles and the leaves of the trees shudder. Malicious fluctuations took away freedom of movement by wrapping four C-rank adventurers.

I mean, they can't run anymore.

"... in the woods, there was no sign. … Could it be from the sky -"

"Not if you're thinking about it, Silan!

"Stand up, everyone! They're coming!

"Yeah, I know!

Joel and the others were splendid just to shake off the stiffness quickly and get an interception attitude. Even C-rank adventurers are likely to be incapable of combat due to one intimidation. You have to fight it first, you don't deserve to fight. Those who could not bear it are eaten without being able to do anything. That's what challenging a high-ranking monster is all about.

Manticore laughs at the small resistance of the prey.

At the next moment, I wondered if that giant was sumptuous.

"Guaah!?

"... cum!?

Joel was blown away and Mariano was stepping back on a dance. The monster packed the distance in one breath and hit the two avant-gardes with both his forelegs.

But that's not the end of it.

"Mariano, eh! Jump!"

"Joel?... Ugh!?

Gow, a tail with a poison needle approaches Mariano at the same time that you hear a roar. Binary attack. Joel was blown away, not because he was never unconscious. Conscious or unconscious, he thought there was a tail chase. Mariano, who stomped badly on the contrary, has not been removed from its area of attack.

Mariano bounced back as directed by Joel. With a single hair, an armed tail passed with needles and thorns, as it plundered his chest.

I succeeded in avoiding it. However,

"My armor..."

There is a burning hole in the surcoat, and the erosion reaches the chest armor beneath it to raise the skunk and the poisonous smoke. It was the work of the venom dripping from the tail of the manticore. Just a few showers, a sanctuary coat and metal armor look like this. What happens if this hangs on your skin or is struck directly into your body with a poison needle? I imagine there is something horrible.

"Silan, stop with the bow, please!" O fiery genie - "

"... cum"

Silan unleashes an arrow on Rosalee, who speaks magic to fight back.

To the healthy resistance of the two maidens, the monster narrowly distorted his evil eyes.

"Little wise, child of man. Fool, son of a man. Wow!

A swing of the tail. Only then will the three arrows released by Silan into one breath be played vainly and danced into the universe.

And

"Despair wo...!" To the Dark God, the Parent of our devil, lay down and pray and serve -]! "

"Said it was magic!?

I started casting spells all the time saying that this would also be natural, more than holding a person's head and talking in a person's voice.

Moreover, due to the ominousness of the chant as in the cult's eulogy and the intensity of the swirling temper, the magical power to activate can be inferred.

If I let you hit me, it's awkward.

The hunch drove Joel into the offense.

"... Prepare for exorcism defense wi! Siran can do it for me, shoot him!

Shouting instructions instead of a raid call, he slashes the sword with one hand as it is.

"Okay!" O God, the Father of all things, the Holy King of mankind - "

"... try to avoid it."

Mariano enters my state of annihilation and utters the Holy Word, and Siran also shoots a bow with a sad look. Rosalie also continued her magical chant by trying to bite the rush to death.

(Come on, come on, activate it, you idiot! Joel's in danger. Come on!

"Whoa, whoa!

In addition to his companions' gaze, Joel continues to roar and resolutely attack, taking arrows as he told them to shoot regardless.

The machete aimed at Tangzhu's head was paid with nails. Horizontal hibiscus rolling out into restraint is prevented by the thorn of the tail. The thrust after I took a step back was also missed by a head thrust like I made a small fool of myself.

Then again, all over Tangbamboo...

"... ha!?

Before rolling it out, he was punched in the chest with his forefoot and blown away.

Joel can bounce the ground a few times and beat it to the trunk of a tree. The flesh responding to pain in the thorax peristallizes pointlessly in an attempt to exhale an unpleasant breath, even though it is said to be empty, such as air in the lungs, in succession of apnea exercises.

"Whoa... Gu...!

Still, if the leader can't sink himself, he rises on his cane with a sword protruding on the ground.

In his hazy vision, there was a manticore laughing proudly at him.

The spell that Joel was casting while attacking was complete.

"'- Put the souls of those who live here in their fireworks! Ignis Fatas: WOW!!

Moments later, supernatural flames spread from the monster's feet.

At the same time, the members of the Guardian's Balance move aggressively.

"... Joel!

covered so that Silan would throw down his bow and shelter him,

"'- Give us no shield protection! Holly Protection: Ah!

Mariano activates the sacred magic of protection,

≪――――≫

Rosalie also unleashed some kind of magic on the subject.

But Manticore's chanted magic, Ignis Fatas, swallows and spreads everything on the spot. Unlike normal flame attribute magic, an evil flame with unnatural brightness, such as the imposition of countless candle lights in one. It burns only the flesh and spirit of the wrapped without burning a single grass tree in the sea. It was an unclean flame with a colour of abuse, worthy of being waved by the demon's family.

"Ahhhhhhh!?

"Hi-ha-ha..."

"- Eh!"

The fire blames the adventurers, wondering what they found out about the priest's holy guardian.

Rosalie was spasmodically depressed by the intense pain of burns and the pain of being deprived of her breath, while Mariano held Joel in her arms.

Eventually, when he saw all four of them exhausted and lay low on the ground, Manticore raised the laugh of victory.

"Sacrifice! Sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice!! Guuuuuuuuuuuuu! Guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!