What type of debuff magic awaits us?
No point worrying about it.
Let's just go and find out.
"Everyone, prepare yourselves mentally. The moment we advance, we'll be hit by debuff magic."
"Ah, understood. I hope it's not [Poison]."
With furrowed brows, they nodded.
Amidst this, Piel asked calmly, "What type of debuff magic is it?"
My answer was simple.
"I don't know."
It was a pointless question.
The debuff magic at the fourth branch is random.
There were no rules.
Even as someone familiar with the original game, I don't know either.
"Understood," Piel nodded quietly.
Having warned the team, it was time to move forward.
'Please let it be [Silence]... Let it be [Silence]!'
I silently wished as I stepped into the fourth branch.
However, my hope didn't come true.
My heart rate increased, and my stamina started draining rapidly.
It was [Poison], even more potent than at the third branching point.
'I must remove this quickly.'
I quickly cast [Magic Nullification] on myself.
Now, I had only one use left, which would refill after 24 hours from the first use.
Given I used it for the first time only a couple of hours ago, I needed to wait about 22 hours for the four uses to refill.
I had to decide who to grant the last [Magic Nullification] to.
Thinking this, I observed the team.
"Hm? Aside from not being able to wield mana, it's not a big deal? It's a little suffocating, though."
Travis is afflicted with [Silence].
Then, he's a pass.
"Uh, ugh. I can't see anything in front of me. It's so dark·····."
Monica is under [Blind].
She might feel suffocated because of her blindness, but it wasn't as deadly as [Poison].
"No, no, Sally! If you go to him too, ah, no······!"
Andrew flailed his arms, tears streaming down his face.
······Andrew seems to be [Confused].
'If it's Sally, she should be a first-year student in the Knight Department.'
Sally, known for her innocent, rural maiden-like purity and radiant smile, wasn't a heroine of the original game.
However, her popularity among users made her almost a sub-heroine.
She came from a humble background and often worked part-time.
Anyway, the last [Magic Nullification] should be used on Andrew.
For someone meticulous like him, a debuff like [Confusion] could be particularly dangerous.
This is because crossing this branching point doesn't signify the dungeon's completion.
We still have to defeat the dungeon boss, and Andrew plays a critical role in that.
With that in mind, I walked over to Andrew, casting a glance at Piel.
Piel was panting heavily.
Does she also have [Poisoned] like me?
I don't have an extra [Debuff Recovery Potion] or [Magic Nullification], but I need to check her condition.
In defeating the boss, Piel's role is as crucial as Andrew's.
If need be, I might have to use the magic stored in the [Magic Cartridge].
'First, let's remove Andrew's debuff.'
I knelt down, directly casting [Magic Nullification] on Andrew, who was crying pitifully.
Immediately, his sobbing stopped.
"Phew... That was really horrifying. I owe you one, Theo."
Andrew let out a sigh.
But... why does he look like that?
Despite his words of gratitude, Andrew was gazing at me with a furrowed brow.
My voice carried an unusual hint of irritation.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"······It's nothing, Theo. I apologize."
Andrew slightly lowered his head.
He must have struggled with the [Confusion].
Given that Andrew is currently our team's ace, I should be understanding.
With the most urgent issue resolved, it was time to help Piel.
"Yeah, Andrew, take care of yourself."
As soon as I said that, I hurriedly approached Piel.
Just then.
Grrrrrrr--
Grrrrrrroooow--
The ground shook violently, and a stone wall began to rise from the floor.
This wasn't present in the original game.
...Perhaps due to the difficulty increase.
"What's happening? What's going on now...!"
"Ahhhhhhh--!"
The screams of Travis and Monica were soon cut off.
The rising stone wall reached the ceiling, effectively blocking any sound.
Damn it.
I thought things were going a bit too smoothly.
I sighed and turned to Piel, who was now trapped with me in this small space.
"Trapped with no way out."
That was my conclusion after examining our surroundings with my enhanced [Observer's Eye] for around five minutes.
Yes, our team was now split.
I had no idea how long we would be stuck here.
'Damn it'
Thud, thud!
In frustration, I hit the wall hard with my fist.
But it only resulted in my hand hurting.
The stone wall was incredibly sturdy.
If it's this solid... even Andrew's most potent fireball would probably only scratch it.
With no other options available, it seemed we'd have to wait until the stone wall disappeared on its own.
Given that this was a low-tier dungeon, the wall should disappear within a few hours at most.
While thinking this, my gaze fell on Piel, who was trapped in the same space.
Piel was still on her knees, her head bowed deeply.
She seemed to be struggling with something, her breath heavy─
"······Huuuuh. Ha, haaaah······."
No.
She was panting.
'Something's not right.'
I initially thought she was suffering from [Poison], but her symptoms seemed different.
Piel's cheeks were bright red, flushed with heat, and her body was drenched in sweat.
Sweat was continuously trickling down her pale coffee-colored neck.
'Could it be...'
Was it [Heat]?
Out of everyone, it had to be Piel.
'I have to use the [Magic Cartridge].'
Of course, the [Magic Cartridge] contained the healing spell [Cure].
I wasn't sure if it would alleviate Piel's condition, but... even if it drained all my mana, I needed to help her recover.
It was crucial for the upcoming boss fight.
At the end of this juncture, there will be a massive door, behind which resided the dungeon boss.
This dungeon was categorized as a ghost-type dungeon.
We had never encountered a ghost before, but it earned its classification due to the ghost-type boss.
Ordinary blades like practice longswords couldn't inflict damage on ghost-type monsters.
This was what made ghost-type monsters such a nuisance.
Things might have been different if we could wrap mana around our weapons.
Of course, since my mana was at zero, Andrew and Piel were indispensable.
In the 'Kyren Zena Chronicles', unlike other works where 'Aura Blades' or 'Sword Masters' existed, being able to infuse mana into a weapon in a controlled manner labeled you a genius.
In fact, among the first-year students of the Hero Department, only Neike and Piel were capable of doing this.
The immediate task at hand, however, was to cure Piel from her current state, which closely resembled being in [Heat].
With this thought, I approached Piel─
"······D, don't come. Huuh······ Haahaaa."
She held up her hand, gesturing me to stop.
Standing in front of Piel, I calmly said.
"What are you talking about? You're obviously in pain."
I was still new to controlling magic.
Even though it's possible to use [Cure] from a certain distance from the target, that's typically reserved for experienced practitioners.
There was a risk that the spell could miss.
Naturally, I would lose mana even if the spell failed.
In my gaming experience, I've cast countless spells, but reality was different.
Just as I was about to place my hand on Piel's shoulder once again─
"D, don't touch me! Haah, haahaa······."
She screamed and forcefully slapped my hand away.
While she couldn't lift her head, she was panting and speaking intermittently.
"······."
I frowned, looking down at her.
Frustration was bubbling up inside me.
I couldn't say for certain what experiencing [Heat] would feel like in reality, but surely we should get her cured as quickly as possible.
“Stop talking nonsense, Piel. You don't look good. As a core member of our team, we need to cure you quickly.”
As I voiced my thoughts, I gently placed my hand on Piel's shoulder.
She tensed under my touch but didn't reject it this time.
“Try to endure it for a bit, Piel.”
Just as I was about to cast [Cure] on Piel─
“No.”
Piel mumbled in a weak voice.
Then she lifted her head.
Her cheeks were flushed, streaked with sweat.
Her eyes trembled, hinting at her discomfort.
She wasn't in a good state at all.
But Piel stared at me with clear eyes and continued speaking.
"······I can't endure it any longer. You were the one who started this, right······?"
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