Chapter 261
Chapter 261
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 261
Chapter Title: 6-2. The Labyrinth
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As Jeanne had warned, after parting ways with her and pushing deeper into the forest, we ran into all sorts of monsters. The nameless ones approached with their grotesque traits, proving to be a real hassle. I dispatched them without much trouble, but as they started showing up more frequently, it grew seriously annoying. After trudging on for days while cutting them down, we finally reached the place called the Black Land.
Whoosh—!
Flames erupted sporadically from the ground like geysers, but they were an eerie black, and the earth around them was scorched black as ash piles. It was a bizarre land, but one that inspired a sense of repulsion. As a magic swordsman, Lime seemed intrigued; he stroked his chin with an interested expression as he observed it.
"What an intriguing land. The mana turns into flames the moment it surfaces."
"…Lime, you really are the epitome of a magic swordsman. There's really a labyrinth here?"
Arhil cast a blessing on us as she asked, seemingly unable to believe a labyrinth existed in this barren wasteland where even living creatures would struggle to survive. If she was asking for the exact location, I couldn't answer with full confidence. But if she was just asking if one existed here, then yes, I could say it did.
"It is. I don't know what's inside, but you can trust the intel from the Shadow Kingdom."
"……."
Iris shot Judah a troubled look at how smoothly he lied now. The Shadow Kingdom had never sold information like that. They hadn't even known a labyrinth existed here in the first place. This was knowledge only he possessed. He couldn't just suddenly tell his companions there was a labyrinth in this remote spot and drag them there, so he'd claimed it came from purchased Shadow Kingdom intel. It wasn't a big deal, so they'd gone along with it, but Iris worried it might undermine the Shadow Kingdom's credibility if there turned out to be nothing.
"Look, there's a monster coming out from over there where the smoke is."
Living proof of the labyrinth was on the move. Monsters emerged from the ashen ground, dodging the flames. The wide-open plain had no obstacles like bushes or trees thanks to the fires, making it easy to spot them. Lime, who had been scanning the ground, spotted the incoming magical beasts and unleashed his magic with the glee of a predator.
He already knew these monsters had low magic resistance, so he acted without hesitation. Ice spears formed in sequence before him, then shot up like missiles and rained down like a hailstorm.
Boom boom boom boom!
The roughly hundred ice spears pierced the monsters' bodies with pinpoint accuracy. Flames burst up right on cue, engulfing the corpses and sending up thick black smoke as they burned fiercely. Watching Judah handle them effortlessly, he pulled flame-resistance enchanted robes from <Bag>—ones with suffixes and prefixes that maintained body temperature—and handed them out to Arhil, Iris, and Lime. They bore the emblem of Langgritsa Magic Tower; he'd bought them at great expense when he'd gone to hire Lime.
"Whoa? This is nice."
Arhil slipped hers on immediately.
"I'm glad you like it."
"Very much so. Though it'll get dirty fast."
It was the color of desert sand, prone to showing stains. Judah gave a faint smile at her response. Arhil and Lime donned theirs adeptly, fastening the buttons. Judah prepared himself too, but Iris still hadn't put hers on. She just clutched it, fiddling with it.
"……."
Iris felt a small surge of emotion. She hadn't expected one for her too. The robe he offered with "Put it on" was enchanted, and just holding it made her feel cool.
"What's wrong? Too small?"
She shook her head at Judah's question. She reached for her notebook, but it was awkward with the robe in her hands. Judah took it from her, and Iris promptly pulled out her notebook and pencil.
-Thank
He draped the robe over her as she wrote. Startled by the sudden warmth around her, she blinked wide-eyed and looked up. Iris gazed up at Judah quietly until he buttoned it, then snapped back and finished writing with her head down.
-Thank you.
Judah read it, smiled, and nodded. Then he called to Lime.
"Lime, cast flame resistance magic too. Let's prepare thoroughly."
"Got it."
It was an easy request. Boosting flame resistance was child's play for him, who specialized in ice magic.
"But… what if the flames get worse inside the labyrinth? Flames in an enclosed space could be dangerous."
Judah shook his head as he checked his flame resistance. If the labyrinth matched the game's structure, there was no worry. From his experience, even if fates twisted, buildings and castles stayed in place—no need for major concern.
*Or so I hope.*
With that irresponsible thought, Judah grinned at Lime and spoke without a shred of real consideration.
"Who knows? There'll be a way. Worst case, we find another labyrinth."
No plan, huh. Lime just nodded, raising no objections. They'd come this far after days of travel; turning back wasn't an option. To prepare for any threats, Judah summoned wraith knights and positioned them in the rear to guard Arhil and Lime. It cost some mana, but Arhil seemed relieved, glancing around as she approached Judah.
"What's the labyrinth entrance look like?"
"Varies by location. Usually some kind of underground descent, unless it's a cave."
Arhil nodded as if she understood.
"Ah… so how do we find it?"
"With monsters pouring out like this, the door's probably broken."
But after that first sighting, no more monsters appeared, as if by magic. They'd been wandering endlessly because of it. When flames burst from the ground, Arhil flinched and stepped aside. Even with the enchanted robe, blessings, and magic, she couldn't control her instinctive reaction.
-Found it.
Iris, walking ahead and tugging Judah's robe hem, showed her notebook. Her eyesight must be incredible; she pointed far off. Judah squinted but couldn't make it out.
"Miss Iris is right. Stairs leading underground. Spotting that from here… impressive."
"I can't even see it."
Arhil grumbled dejectedly, but she couldn't see it either. Lime had used magic to spot it; detecting structures at that distance with normal vision was near impossible. They headed to the entrance Iris indicated, and sure enough, stairs descended underground. The bricks forming the walls and steps were charred black, and the door lay in shattered pieces, likely smashed by escaping monsters. The stairs down, dodging broken stone chunks, were covered in monster traces.
"Finally, into the labyrinth."
Lime burned with anticipation. Bad timing, though. As they approached the stairs, a rumbling came from inside—eerie roars shaking the ground, hinting at a large number.
"Uh… you're not thinking of fighting them, right?"
She guessed a hefty number. Arhil clasped her hands, readying holy magic, her voice uneasy. In a game, he'd fight for EXP, no question. With the fragment's power, it wouldn't even be an issue. But seeing Lime and Arhil reluctant for such risks, Judah didn't push for battle.
"Alright, we'll fall back then."
EXP was tempting, but the labyrinth depths would provide plenty. They retreated to the opposite side of the stairs and hid. Moments later, a massive horde of monsters burst through the wide-open entrance. They scattered in all directions without devouring each other, as if driven by purpose. Judah's group, concealed by Arhil's new holy magic, watched until most had passed, then moved.
Grk?
Monsters sauntering out spotted them, eyes widening before charging fearlessly. Before Judah could step forward, Iris—watching from behind—formed shadow daggers and hurled them.
Each swing sent six flying, not embedding but piercing vitals. Holes like bullet wounds appeared, and the monsters collapsed on the spot, eyes bulging.
Clap clap—
Arhil, watching from behind in a mood-killing moment, unwittingly applauded.