Chapter 37 – Time To Go Up.

“Is there really no other way?”

“ (•̀ᴗ•́ )و “

“You promise not to drop me? I’m not really talking about that Gleam.”

A somewhat frustrated living armor gave out a sigh in a very human way before turning towards a white ball of light. Since receiving advice from the Demon King, some time had passed, and both Rusty and Gleam had been occupied. The plan for escaping this place was deemed somewhat dangerous and wasteful, prompting Rusty to explore the area in search of alternative options thoroughly. Ultimately, he even reached out to the Hero, hoping to hear an opposing viewpoint.

“I’m not sure, depends if you are in a rush?”

“Well… there aren’t any monsters left here, it does feel like a waste of time to remain… Right Gleam?”

“ ( `−ㅿ−´) “

“Yeah, it has gotten boring with no one to fight, you’re right.”

The two turned to the white ball of light, seeking advice on this predicament. It was evident they were eager to depart from this place. While Aburdon’s idea wasn’t without merit, it entailed abandoning his lair and the resources they had painstakingly gathered. There remained a substantial amount of mana crystals, copper ores, and various other valuable resources that would need to be left behind. For Rusty, who had invested considerable effort to reach this point, this was a sobering reality to confront.

“I guess we could wait a bit more but how long do you think that could take?”

Rusty turned to the orb of light for some guidance and the Hero responded quickly.

“I’m not sure but there are two possibilities. Either those insectoid monsters gathered here when they were much smaller, like the ants you faced that were G-rank.”

“Would that change anything?”

“Yes, they would be much smaller and able to travel through smaller tunnels. This is only a theory, but they could have fled from something like the spider monster you encountered and crawled through one of those openings in the walls you found.”

“That’s a possibility…”

Rusty arrived here after falling into a large chasm and then had to run away from a strange creature there. He managed to land on a small ledge and then crawled inside of one of the tunnels created by the ants. Together with Gleam they had retraced his steps and arrived at that area but it wasn’t the only one, there were several other ways in that all led out into that great big hole.

“What’s the second possibility?”

“The second one, could be a now collapsed tunnel, I think you’ve seen a few of them while you were trying to find a way out already?”

“Oh those, yes some of them looked unstable…”

After receiving the idea from the Demon King, Rusty embarked on a search for an alternative escape route. He dedicated several days to exploring the tunnels and meticulously mapping out the area. With Gleam’s assistance, they also unearthed pockets of tin and copper, which they mined diligently.

However, their efforts failed to uncover any viable escape routes that Rusty could fit through. If the second theory held true, it suggested that the monsters had traversed a larger tunnel that later collapsed, leaving them trapped in this area. The only apparent exit appeared to be the chasm infested with spiders. While the ants might have been capable of climbing back out, the shadowy arachnids would have swiftly dispatched them.

“If this were true, then there is a possibility that you could eventually mine yourself out of here and it’s probably the safer way out of here. But, even when your body doesn’t tire you might have to mine for weeks, maybe months, or longer…”

“Months sound long…”

To someone who hadn’t even existed for a year, the prospect of mining for a month seemed daunting. Adding to the challenge was the issue of direction, with multiple seemingly collapsed tunnels complicating matters even further. They had no clue where to even begin, and without knowing the correct path, this endeavor could be futile. Even Gleam’s scouting through the smaller ant tunnels yielded no results, making this option less promising.

“Yeah, it does sound long… and we don’t even know which way to start mining…”

“ ( •̀ – •́ ) “

“You want to go with Aburdon’s suggestion? But it could get dangerous, without my body I won’t be able to help you with those spiders.”

“ (•̀ᴗ•́ )و “

“I’m glad that you are confident in your abilities but let me think it through…”

Rusty began contemplating as in the end, it was up to him to make the decision. He was given two options, one that seemed faster yet more dangerous and the second one that could take forever. There wasn’t a need for that much contemplation, as he knew that one choice seemed more promising for various reasons.

“Hm… I have decided!”

“That was quick. I suppose you don’t need me anymore, but before I leave, could you tell me your choice?”

“We will… follow Aburdon’s plan!”

“Hah…”

The hero of light gave out a sigh as if he was disappointed with the answer and then quickly posed a question.

“Is there something wrong with that choice?”

“I’m not sure, why did you decide on it?”

“Hm…”

Rusty looked up at one of the glowing crystals and tried to think. While mining was safer, it would also be extremely boring. With no monsters around, there was no one to fight or to train their skills.

“It wouldn’t be that exciting or fun… I think. Is that a good reason?”

He wasn’t sure if there was a good enough reason to put himself and Gleam in danger but for some reason, the faster route sounded more appealing to him. Even the ant started dancing around, taking his side.

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“I see, it’s more exciting, I guess that’s a good enough reason.”

“Is something wrong? You sound … weird.”

Ever since he called the Hero here previously, he has been acting a bit strangely. When they were in the Soul Forge, he was way more eager to teach him the basics of smithing but now he sounded sad and without energy. The Demon King on the other hand, always talked with a lot more energy as if he had some underlying goal which the Hero lacked.

“Weird? Well, this whole situation is bizarre. I suppose you reminded me of the past. There was someone I knew who also rushed into things… Never caring what the future might bring… “

“Oh, there was? They sound like a fun person to be around!”

The Hero chuckled softly, and if he had a face then a wistful smile would be crossing it.

“I’m not sure about that, they were quite reckless and an idiot… But, anyway… I think this is fine right? You should probably conserve your mana for your great plan.”