That Time a Bookworm Got Ascended in Tensura

Ch.57 Strange Metal

Tuuli's pov: 

Stepping onto the cobble in front of me I could feel my face get a little hot, the thought that it was Milim who had stepped in to help Rozemyne was just a shocking thought. I carefully placed my hand on the hilt of Nahenlicht and allowed myself a moment to breath while thinking about it. I felt safer in the moment while having my hand on the hilt, and thought out how it could have happened. I concluded I could only ask anyone who had been present, as of now I had left Rozemyne's side to go meet Ramiris, on Milim's request. I did not understand why, so believed I may need to put some thought into it. 

'Perhaps it has something to do with that Hinata had been talking of, getting the blessing of the queen of spirits. Though why would Milim want to push me down that path?' I didn't quite understand, but I decided to go through with it. What she had given me was a small stone that resembled a gem, however it was dull in color and did not appear to be special. If it had any magicules I could not sense them, so I simply stashed the stone away for the time being. I had to step onto a small cobble road to get under the Colosseum, to the place the entrance to the Labyrinth was located. I opened the large metal hatch with a bit of effort on my own part, and stepped down the stairs into the space. Once I was there, I casted a small ball of light to see with my eyes. I did not need to see with my eyes, however it was more comforting. 

I had to get relatively close to the door before I could actually see or sense it's presence, as Rimuru had hid it the last time he was here apparently. I lightly pressed my fingers into the large stone door and watched as it opened itself  naturally, however when I stepped inside I was not in the first floor of the Labyrinth as I had been expecting. Instead I was inside Veldora's section of the Labyrinth. It was hard to breath as the density of magicules in the space had gone up even more from the dragon's aura, I suspected he had released it recently. However I could not sense it currently being released or his presence here, so he was likely still up in the Colosseum watching the tournament. Though I supposed he could also hide his presence here, I am not as skilled as him despite his childish demeanor. 

I could see the small buzzing of a small yellow light off in the distance, and I could tell faintly that it was Ramiris, as I had sensed her aura several times. I was by far the darkest aura of all the spirits I had sense, and it sometimes left me mildly disturbed when sensing it. It felt sort of like Milim's and Guy's, but I did not understand why it did. However there was still a peak of serenity to it, similar to the aura Florencia had been letting off back up at the Colosseum. I stepped forward and got ready to do as Milim instructed. 

Suddenly a voice popped up next to me and I felt the center point of the fairy's aura shift, "Oh, it's just you, Tuuli-chan. What is it?" She questioned me while tapping me on the forehead lightly before landing on my shoulder. She seemed very calm at the moment. 

"O-oh! Ramiris-sama, I had something to show you. Sorry if I am disturbing you, I can come back later." It felt odd to be here with her alone, I could feel likely the chill creep up my legs and make my knees jiggle. It was uncomfortable, the shortness of breath from the concentration of magicules in the air was not helping. 

"No, no. It is fine. I am just doing some final touches on the Labyrinth, it really is great Rimuru gave me this opportunity. He is a good friend, I think." She smiled softly then seemed to tap her head for a moment and then paced in place on my shoulder before holding up her arm and speaking. "You got snubbed out of being in the tournament, right? It seems like you wanted to be. I think you should test out the Labyrinth the day after the Tournament ends, cause that should be a good test for you." She got a small bit of determination in her eyes to get me to agree with this, while grabbing onto the lobe of my ear. 

"Oh, uh. Sure. I think I could do that, if Rozemyne gives me permission, the Labyrinth gives you immunity to dying from what Rimuru said at the last meeting, right?" I thought about the concept of being able to cheat death like that, but only here it would seem. Myne had gotten lucky when she cheat death, the barriers are what kept her alive. Without them she would have died, they had also been what had caused her to collapse though, and were a symbol of the attack. It was a little bitter-sweet. 'Wait, I am getting distracted.' I thought to myself and started speaking to Ramiris again, "Milim wanted me to show you this." I pulled out the chunk of dull red gem stuff, I really wasn't sure what it was, however it was very heavy when I thought about it. Far heavier than even steel, actually. 

Ramiris gasped loudly the moment her eyes were laid onto the chunk, she seemed to get very excited as she started trying to shake me from my earlobe, but just ended up shaking herself. "Do you know what that is? That is crimson steel! That stuff is so rare, it takes thousands of years to make it! You said Milim gave it to you? That dragon-kid! Of course she'd have some!" She kept ranting like this before getting a small devil like smile and leaning against my neck.

"What is it, Ramiris-sama?" I questioned while looking down at the chunk of what I now knew was apparently a metal in my hand, 'Is it really that special?' I thought to myself while lifting it closer to inspect it more closely, I rubbed my finger across the surface and once I tried pushing some of my magicules into it I finally got a response. I could feel the metal react by shooting a stream of magicules back into me, it was far to much for me to handle and I could feel myself immediately get sore and my nose started bleeding again. The excess was quickly absorbed by Nahenlicht, luckily, leaving me without the excess to cause me more pain. 

"Careful, it is probably filled with a bunch of Milim's magicules." She warned me before she lightly rubbed my ear lobe, and then she perked up. "I'd do anything for you to give that to me, I could use that for so much!" Her devilish smile kinda waned a bit when she realized she had just been completely honest. 

"Oh, anything?" I thought back on what Hinata had said now, and realized now why Milim had given me this. It gave me hope I may be able to become a sage more quickly, even if I did not need to yet. It should make me safer, and I need to be there for Rozemyne. 


Ramiris paused for a moment and realized what she had just said fully with her mouth a bit gape and with her eyes wide. "Uh.." She continued after another momentary pause. "I suppose.." Though after this she quickly sat on my shoulder and sighed. "Yeah, I don't think you can be malicious, it should be fine, right?" 

I thought for a moment on how to word the request, then came to basing it on Hinata's words. "Hinata-sama said you were some kind of, patron? Of heroes. Is there some way I could get that patronage? Hinata-sama said it helped her become a sage." I explained while thinking back on her exact words, hoping I had copied them correctly.

"Huh?" Ramiris seemed to get confused for a few minutes, she bonked herself on the head multiple times before perking up. "OH! Hinata-chan, that cute little girl that came here a little more than a decade ago?" She seemed to get a little excited them questioned me, "How is she doing? Was she here in Tempest?" 

"You.. didn't know?" I stared at her with my mouth ajar for a moment, a bit dumbfounded. 

"I am forgetful, ok!?" She buzzed to my other shoulder before standing in my cupped hands next to the chunk of metal. "Now that is all you want, huh? The divine protection of the spirits, and I can have this?" She smiled brightly, already trying to caress the chunk of metal with a hand. 

"I suppose? Is that what it is called?" I questioned while thinking about what it might do to me, I didn't really understand. Though I kept myself open-minded, as Rozemyne had said to many time. I was surprised it was this easy, but it seems like what I needed to do this is not something I could have gotten on my own. 

"Yes, yes. Hinata-chan didn't understand it fully, plus she went and got a hero's egg after getting my blessing. Wonder if it's hatched yet." She seemed to once again pace around for a fraction of a second before leaning against the chunk of metal once again. "Now now, promise me. I really want this." She seemed to get a bit entranced staring into the chunk of metal for a moment, her eyes kinda just rolled around a few times while looking at it. 

"I, suppose that is what I should do..." I hoped my assumption with Milim was correct, but I really wanted to get this.  This could be one of my only opportunities. "I'll promise this to you, I'll give it to you after you give me your blessing." I worded it carefully, worried she may work like some kind of wishing stone, taking my words too literally, or may just try to trick me. 

"Mmmm." She tapped the chunk a few times then responded, "Fine, I'll do the blessing first. Hopefully that annoying light boy doesn't show up again. Last time it took hours to get rid of all that bright light he lets off." She seemed to get annoyed and flustered about whatever she was talking about, puffing out her cheeks and stomping a bit. 

"Ramiris-sama, who are you talking about? Or what are you talking about?" I asked in a bit of a confused tone while tilting my head a bit. 

"Don't worry about it, he probably won't show up, Anyway. We need to go to the dwelling if we're to do this." With this being said she held out her palm and a mirage of bright white appeared in front of me, beckoning me inside. 

I waited a moment before speaking again, then said "Is this safe?" I had yet to see Ramiris do something quite like this, it was very odd to look at. It had a distortion effect that made the dark blue rocks of the cave around me look as if they were perfectly round when I knew they were jagged, when looking through the edge. The bright white in the center also caused me some pain in my eyes, so I tried to avoid looking directly at it. 

"Should be, though Veldora's way there may be a bit safer." She said, and then I say the space sort of enclose around me, the bright light shining even brighter for a moment, and then dimming. I could now see a space in front of me with pillar of what looked like crystal, while there was a flat platform at the peak, soon a walkway of light formed around it. 

I was now standing inside the light and quickly stepped out while taking a moment to rub my eyes, they stung quite badly and I needed time to adjust to the lighting of the new space before everything I described came to me. When I looked up my mouth dropped a bit agape at the beauty of the space around me, the intricate patterns calling out to me and the layers of complex magicules neatly arranged together by small balls of lights floating around, it was a simply magnificent sight. I'd think I could stay here for hours, if I did not need to go back to Rozemyne. 

Ramiris lightly stomped on my hand, "Stop gawking, I want to get that metal faster! Please! You can look around when we are done! I am actually doing it the correct way for you since we are trading for it." 

"The correct way?" 

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--2154 words--

(AN: This chapter will be a two parter, and don't worry, the Dragnoid will show herself before this is concluded.)