Chapter 47: Logical Error It was utterly ridiculous.
Though not an expert herself, Rose had worked with a few Climbers before, yet even so, she couldn’t recall ever hearing of an ability capable of one-shotting an opponent in an instant.
Did something like that even exist?
She certainly couldn’t be called normal either. Her Azure Flames possessed the power to both incinerate and heal. Normally, only those with a divine affinity could manifest healing abilities, but her case was different. Her flames were a paradox in themselves, capable of both destruction and restoration, of breaking apart and rebuilding what was lost.
A flame of purification, and a flame of devouring.
However, that didn’t mean her Mythic Ability was omnipotent. Like any other Squire, she could use her dormant power almost indefinitely due to its low essence consumption, but overexertion was still a real threat. Moreover, there was no guarantee her flames could completely annihilate a target. Excluding their unique properties, they were still, at their core, just flames.
The inflicted target could easily resist or survive if their essence density surpassed hers. Against a being with strong resistance or regenerative traits, her Azure Flames would prove lacking.
Rose knew this well. She had learned it the hard way. Her flames, magnificent and awe-inspiring as they were, had limits.
Which was why Nightingale’s ability unsettled her so deeply. There had been no buildup or visible strain. One moment, the Great Fiend was charging toward him, and the next, it was brain-dead, the light in its eyes snuffed out in an instant.
Even more absurd was his casual claim that he had crushed the creature’s Spirit Core using that same ability.
To make matters worse, he had done it with nothing but his eyes.
𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶 No matter how much she turned it over in her mind, his Mythic Ability appeared overwhelmingly powerful, irresistible, absolute, and seemingly without flaw. Of course, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
If Nightingale could hear her thoughts, he would probably be shocked. From her perspective, he seemed less like a man and more like some hidden Lovecraftian horror lurking beneath human skin.
Of course, she knew that couldn’t possibly be true. Still, the seed of doubt had already begun to take root in her mind.
...Could he be the same as her?
’Of course, he’s not. At least... I think he’s not... Whatever.’
She let out a resigned sigh and shook her head, as if forcing the thoughts to scatter.
Not wanting to waste any more time — or, more accurately, not wanting to dwell on Nightingale’s bizarre and unorthodox ability — Rose stepped forward toward the fallen rhinoceros.
She wanted to extract its Spirit Shards. Before she could though, Nightingale raised a hand to stop her.
"Don’t do that."
Rose paused and looked at him. Even with the mask covering her face, her questioning gaze was unmistakable.
"Why?"
"Haven’t we discussed this already? We’re planning to use that guy as bait to find our way out of here. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten. I didn’t take you for the forgetful type, Ms. Rose."
"I didn’t forget. But why do we need to leave the Spirit Shard untouched? Isn’t that a waste?"
After all, collecting Spirit Shards from creatures in the Tower was the entire purpose of their arrangement. Naturally, she couldn’t help but question the reasoning behind his actions.
Nightingale merely shook his head.
"No, that won’t do. Even the Spirit Shards has to be sacrificed. Well, um... just trust me on this one, alright? Besides, I’m the one who killed it, so I get to decide what happens to the shards!"
Trying not to seem unmotivated, he stepped closer to the slain monster and crouched near its exposed abdomen. Summoning Fallen Glory, he slashed through its thick hide, allowing the dark, viscous blood and shattered innards to spill outward and strain the floor.
The stench that erupted from the wound was overwhelmingly putrid but he couldn’t falter!
With his preparations complete, Nightingale motioned for Rose, and the two of them slipped back behind the broken pillar.
All that was left now was to wait.
Moments later, a distinctive rumble echoed through the corridor, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
One, two, three... several Carcass Beetles crawled out from the shadows of the winding passage, drawn by the thick scent of blood. They advanced cautiously at first, clicking their mandibles in anticipation. But when they saw the Ravager lying helpless and bleeding out, their hesitation vanished, replaced by a sickening, predatory confidence.
Wasting no time, they encircled the Great Ravager and pulled at its hulking body, dragging it into the shadows.
The two Espers emerged from behind the shattered pillar and quietly followed the lowly creatures into the winding pathway.
From their observations, it appeared that the Carcass Beetles had chosen to carry the paralyzed Ravager deeper into the Labyrinth rather than devour it on the spot. Needless to say, this was uncharacteristic monster behavior.
Deeper and deeper they went, careful not to make a sound.
The faint glow from Rose’s Azure Embers illuminated the path just enough for them to see something moist and pulsing clinging to the walls. Upon closer inspection, the surface seemed to be made of raw, meaty organic extension of some unseen horror lurking deeper within.
It was gruesome, nauseating... and unmistakably living.
The air grew heavier the farther they descended. The stench of decay mingled with something far worse, a cloying sweetness that made Rose’s stomach churn. She had ventured through countless twisted floors before, but this place felt different.
Eventually, the masked Esper turned to him and asked,
"Perhaps I should have asked this sooner, but what exactly do you hope to achieve by following those beetles?"
Nightingale considered her question for a moment, weighing his words carefully before replying simply,
"I’m looking for something that shouldn’t exist."
Rose tilted her head slightly.
"Something that shouldn’t exist?"
"Guess you wouldn’t know anything about that, huh? Tell me, have you ever played an RPG before?"
"I have played a few, but what does that have to do with anything?"
Nightingale looked genuinely offended, letting out a short, incredulous snort.
"Forgive this old man for sounding rude, but could it be that you have no imagination whatsoever? The RPG itself isn’t the point, what’s inside it is. There are three kinds of bosses you can find in most of them: the main story bosses, the field bosses, and the hidden ones. Field bosses can sometimes count as hidden, but the real difference is... context."
With a thoughtful pause, he lowered his voice and continued with an almost, lecturing tone. It was his area of expertise, after all.
"...The main story bosses are the ones you’re meant to fight. They exist for the progress of the narrative. You defeat them, and the story moves forward. Field bosses, on the other hand, are tests. Completely optional, but rewarding nonetheless. They’re placed there to measure your strength... or your greed."
He paused briefly, his gaze fixed on the beetles ahead as they disappeared around another bend.
"But the hidden ones are... somewhat unique and self-explanatory. They’re not meant to be found. They don’t serve the story. They exist outside of it. Glitches in the world’s logic or things the creators themselves might not have intended to exist at all. A computer programmer would call this a ’logical error.’"
Rose frowned slightly, trying to follow his analogy.
"You’re saying something like that exists here?"
Feeling her deep stare, Nightingale scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Well, anything is possible, right? The Black Mire is a place overflowing with mysteries and when I say mysteries, I don’t mean Mysteries. I’m talking about «Mysteries!» Wait... does that even make sense? Ugh. Just forget about it."
He sighed then continued from where he stopped.
"In any case, the Tower is a world built on rules. Floors, monsters, stories, even death; all of it follows a system. But every system has its flaws. Things that slip through the cracks. So yes, I assume something like that is here."
A wry smile crept across his lips.
"Of course, this is just speculation. There’s no guarantee we’ll actually find something like that down here. Call it simple curiosity. For all we know, we might just stumble into a nest full of Carcass Beetles instead." He gave a soft, careless laugh. "Honestly, I wouldn’t have dared to come this far alone. But since you’re here, I suppose we’ll be fine."
Behind the mask, Rose’s eyes went wide.
"Wai... W–What...? You...!"
She was about to call him a few curse words and perhaps scream, but before she could, Nightingale silenced her attempt with a hand gesture.
"It looks like we’re here."