Artemia: Journey To The Thirtieth Floor

20. Biggest Target

"Now!" I shouted to signal them that it was time to launch the attack.

We launched our strongest attack at the minotaur in the blink of an eye. A poisonous arrow from Freya struck the creature's skull squarely, causing it to scream out of agony. It was necessary for the three of us to fire our rounds simultaneously since I was collaborating with Dylan and Blake on a combined assault.

Something shining in the minotaur's breast drew the attention of my pupils wide. s**t! I quickly pulled Dylan and Blake away from the scene. As soon as they figured it out, we took off like it was the end of the world. Well, we can say that it's true! Because the minotaur was armed with a self-destruct button, I'm rather certain that it could have murdered us right then and then!

I turned around to see what was going on when we were at least five hundred meters away from it. The bomb had not yet gone off, but I could see the red light flashing rapidly! A large number of players may still be found in the vicinity. All of us are in danger of being murdered unless I act quickly.

"Set that barricade in place! Hurry!" I shouted as I put my hand in front of me. Blake and Dylan made the hand signals with me in the shortest amount of time possible.

"Way of Binding: Pillar of Raiden…"

Five pillars that were capable of electrocuting any creature dropped from the sky as it surrounded the minotaur. It burst as soon as the barrier went into action. Because of that, the force of the hit was much too great! My mouth went agape as I struggled to protect myself! To prevent me from being wounded, Blake made sure to grasp me around the waist at the right time. Because I am so light, this is all possible.

"Are you okay?" Blake asked as he looked back at the pillar.

"Yeah."

When I got to my feet, I started rubbing the dust off my clothing. At this time, there is nothing that can be done to fix it. Several grazes are visible on my exposed skin, and not to mention, my cloak was torn! And above everything, my hair is a complete disaster. Blake laughed and offered to assist me in fixing my hair. I looked away because I could feel that my heart was racing like crazy. I then pretended to be looking for the minotaur's whereabouts. What exactly is wrong with me...?

"Oh, there you guys are!" Freya yelled when she spotted us.

Dylan also came with her, who seemed to be a little down. The way he acted was beyond me, but I'll ask him later. Although I feel like I already know the reason, I don't think I would want to ask him about it right away. We have to hurry! All of the people were sprinting towards the minotaur, but we had to arrive first! Because of the debris and cottages in our path to use as a foothold, we could reach our destination faster. If we get a head start, we must investigate the minotaur.

"Shouldn't there be some kind of chip?" I quickly asked as I searched across the wires.

I have my doubts about whether or not the minotaur exists. A true monster, in other words. But this one is definitely now. If I had to guess, this robot is either created using modern technology, such as artificial intelligence or AI, or a creature created via the application of creation magic. However, there is a self-destruct option, so I'm rather certain that it's the latter choice. Despite this, there is still a chance that it is the former.

Just like how I wanted it to be, we were the first ones there. There was no longer a barrier, but there was a massive amount of smoke. We eventually got a decent look when Freya used a spell to clear it. Amazingly, all that's left is...a pile of ash. But of course, we will not back down. As I dug about in the ash, I looked for anything that might be salvaged from it. I continued until Blake intervened to prevent me from continuing.

"Let's just go back to the inn," he whispered when I looked up at him as he gripped my shoulder.

"A chip..." I expressed my dissatisfaction with the situation by shaking my head.

"Ivory, there isn't a single chip. After it self-destructed, there was nothing left of anything. Come on, we have to go back home."

"Ivory!" When Freya yelled my name, I knew it was the end and that I should stop it. "Let's get out of here before they come and make us clean this up."

This whole situation is being handled by no one since there are no authorities in place similar to those found on Earth. Our fate is sealed if the populace wakes up and realizes that we are the ones who defeated the minotaur. They are definitely going to hunt us to the end of the world. However, the three kings are unlikely to leave this place in this manner, knowing that people would be on the lookout. I doubt they would want to be questioned in case we talk about this whole thing.

Once again, we could not get information, so I rose to my feet, a heavy sigh. I swallowed the lump on my throat as I shook my head in dismay. It was a dark aura that enveloped us as we made our way back to the hotel. We must seek other tasks that will aid us in our investigation for the time being. A handful of hints, I'm very certain, are lurking in plain sight. But it would be difficult to get our hands on them if we are always at the center of attention.

"Hey..." I called as soon as we sat down.

Freya was on her way to the restroom when she decided to halt her progress and look around. "Hmm? What's wrong?"

"Do you remember the creature that I saw earlier?" I asked, so they nodded. I wasn't sure whether I should proceed to talk about it or not, but they urged me to speak. I sighed as I played with my feelings before talking. "Should we take the quest?"

"Yes, if there is such a thing exists. I see no problem in taking it as long as it is possible for us to do, but S and S+ missions are the only ones we'll consider since that's what you requested. Everything above that is too much for us right now will be rejected," Blake said as he proceeded to lay on his bed. He was showing me a thumbs-up to assure me that it was fine. "I'll be resting now."

I gave an excited smile. "But we should take a day off to relax. Fighting the minotaur had worn me out. I was really fatigued."

Froya sat next to me and pointed out that I had bruises on my arms and legs. "We have to heal this first."

"No, don't bother. It doesn't make a difference whether they heal or not."

"Hush," she said as she placed her index finger on my mouth. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

I sighed. "You don't really have to do it, I assure you. Please keep it in reserve for when we are in desperate need of assistance. It's not like I've been seriously harmed," I told Freya what I was going to say and turned my back on her so she could see that I was fine. "See? No broken bones whatsoever!"

Freya sighed and gave up on healing me. "Fine. However, use caution in this case," she replied, but she was still watching me like a hawk, prepared to heal me if I somehow let out a whimper.

My thoughts diverted to our present predicament, and I sat back in bed. All because of my ignorance, we're now being targeted by the kings. What a load of s**t. When I'm leading my team to our demise, what type of leader am I? As a team, things will get more difficult if we continue in this manner.

"Ivory!" Dylan called my name and motioned me to join him outdoors.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I looked straight into his eyes.

"There's nothing wrong. But I can kind of see through you. You think that you're a burden..." Dylan trailed off as he let out a groan. "Given that you're usually overthinking stuff, I'm concerned that you'll begin to think in this manner because of what happened earlier. This is why I wanted to speak with you about it in private."

What he said was on point, which left me speechless, unable to answer. Oh, gosh. Am I really that transparent when it comes to my thoughts and feelings?! What I don't know is if I'm right about me being obvious or whether he's just being too attentive. Damn. And here I am, thinking nobody would notice that because I'm confident in my ability to conceal my emotions? However, now that he has brought it to my attention, I'm at a loss for words. I'm taken aback by the fact that my being bothered...was noticeable for him. I guess he knows me that well...

"Uhm, based on your response, I'm guessing I'm...correct. I understand that it's been difficult for you to get your mind off of it, but I want to assure you that none of your actions have jeopardized the team at risk so far, and what happened earlier isn't your fault either. You might have been feeling this way because you've been a little stubborn. But these are the result of your kindness, which is something we've been conscious of from the beginning. You know, it doesn't matter to us whether you want to rescue people or not because we'd be happy to assist you in any way you needed."

"What? The fact that I am the leader does not give us carte blanche to do anything we want," I disagreed. I had to express my dissatisfaction with the situation!

Because of this, I feel much more guilty than I already do! Was it solely because of that that they've been following me all along? No, this is wrong and is clearly unfair to them in every way! Ah, I have been too selfish. I didn't take the time to consider whether or not they were happy with me taking missions since they said yes! I need to apologize for not giving it more consideration. I really have to do better as a leader...

Dylan held my shoulders and groaned. "It isn't because you are the leader at all. Your values are higher than everyone else's in our group, Ivory. The fact that you're the most human of all the players in this place says a lot about you. Because of this, we all...want to follow you."

Oh. Even though I kind of understood what they were trying to say, I felt horrible about everything that had transpired. Me? The most human? It made me want to laugh, but I know that this is a serious situation. I had to look Dylan directly in the eyes to clarify my intentions. They have lost their sense of being human in the process. Ha, it's probably because we've just been murdering strange species here and there for the last many months. Because our lives are on the line, there is no place for compassion...

Looking down, I realized that I shouldn't be wasting my time worrying about things that were completely irrelevant. We're moving forward because the three of them have agreed to look into this entire situation. My thoughts of being a burden must end, or else I will become one if I don't change my ways.

My face lit up as I smiled at Dylan after taking a big breath. "You no longer have to worry about me.:

"At long last! You're finally smiling without reservations..." he whispered as he caressed my hair. "Let's get out of here before someone comes looking for us."

We went back to the inn together and parted ways because we needed to wash one by one. Blake had previously prepared food for us, so we didn't have to be concerned about going outside to get anything to eat. Following the uproar we made earlier, it is probable that a large number of people are looking for us. How fortunate we are to enjoy such a fulfilling life.

"Hey!" Blake drew our attention to himself. "What were the two of you talking about?"

Dylan looked him in the eyes while smiling. "It has nothing to do with you."

So I didn't pay attention to their squabbling and concentrated on my food. Honestly, watching the two of them is the same as sitting in front of the TV and munching popcorn. Heh, what a load of drama. Hmm, I'd say they are the same as a married couple that got into an argument because of a third person. When I think about it, it's really rather amusing.

"Whoever finishes last gets to do the dishes," I said as I placed my plate on the sink.

Freya was still enjoying as she watched the two brawling with each other when I arrived, but once she realized what I was talking about, she completed her meal right away. We've decided to leave the two boys alone since they seem to be having fun with each other. Although Blake would most likely be upset about losing since he had already prepared the meal, I'm pretty sure that he would be fine.

I yawned as I collapsed onto the couch to rest, feeling fatigued all over my body. When Blake began to exclaim with delight, I figured that he won. His laughter echoed across the room as he sat beside me. Ah, this guy, seriously. Dylan must be moping about in the kitchen if Blake is happy. I suddenly felt like I was a mother of two children...

"Ivory," Blake called as he stared at me.

"Hmm?" I hummed in response, but he didn't talk right away. "What is it?"

"Are you bothered?"

"By what?"

"Because of the fact that you've become a major target for the kings and other players. Your battle with the minotaur was witnessed by everyone," he said with a low voice as he started to play with my hair.

I took a deep breath. "I honestly am. Nevertheless, it seems as if there isn't much that I can do about it."

"I'll defend you with my life," he said as he stared directly into my eyes.

I couldn't say anything, so I just stared back. He's been repeating this phrase a lot these days that I've learned it by heart. But I do not want him to put his life on the line for my benefit.

This is frustrating...