Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Annihilation (1)
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Labyrinth City's underground sewers stretched throughout its depths in all directions.
In the middle of a long passage deep within the pitch-black underground sewer, a hazy shadow flickered at the very edge of the lantern light that pushed back the darkness.
This dark, damp space echoed with every footstep, and occasionally, unsettling sounds echoed back from the shadows farther ahead.
"Watch your step. You could slip and fall."
Rin nodded at Ian's warning from behind and carefully advanced.
Over countless ages, alongside the expansion of Labyrinth City, this underground sewer had been continuously extended. Its passages twisted together into an impossibly complex maze.
These days, newer facilities built with the latest technology had taken over most of its functions as a living water system, but it still served as the city's emergency water source.
The minor issue was that no matter how much they cleaned this vast, intricate underground environment, rats and slimes kept breeding incessantly.
The purpose of this underground sewer patrol mission was to clear out the monsters breeding while roaming these sewers and to check ahead of time for any damage or irregularities in the waterways.
Rin, who had been cautiously leading the way at the front, came to a halt.
Having caught an odd noise in her ears, she peered ahead, and sure enough, a slime had planted itself right in front of the passage, just as she suspected.
Sensing Rin's approach, the slime—which resembled a sticky blob of mucus—began wriggling in response.
"Mika. Slime."
As Rin called back, Mika, who had been following behind her, nodded with a tense expression and gripped her staff tightly.
The underground sewer was a D-rank area where the monsters were on the weaker side, but instead, it featured tricky matchups like slimes.
A monster that took no physical damage despite being weak overall.
It embodied the game's signature irrational matchup system—one you just had to take on the chin if you hadn't come prepared.
"Three... two... one!"
As Rin stepped forward, the quivering, contracted slime sprang high and lunged at her.
But Rin, who was ready for it, thrust her shield out front. The slime's body slammed into it with a muddy splat and was easily blocked.
"Now!"
At Rin's signal, Mika darted out from right beside her.
Aiming her staff at the slime blob sliding down to the floor after hitting the shield, Mika swung.
The tip of the staff glowed faintly as it unleashed mana.
The mana burst from the staff collided, and the struck slime shuddered violently before turning into ordinary water and spilling onto the ground.
"Got it!"
"Hold on, more over there! Fall back!"
The noise and light from the fight must have agitated the slimes, as two more were slowly crawling toward them from farther down the passage.
Mika spotted them and quickly retreated behind Rin's shield.
"Should I use it...?"
Tanya, who had been watching the fight from behind, glanced at Ian and cautiously pulled out one orb.
It was the "Iron Skin" orb he had given her to use if things looked dangerous.
"No. We can handle this much."
Ian shook his head after confirming there were only two new slimes.
Slimes moved slowly and predictably; as long as you blocked their leaping pounce with a shield in time, they had no other attack options.
There was virtually no chance Rin—with her fairly high agility—would fail to block a slow slime.
Tanya clutched the orb just in case and watched the fight, but as Ian had said, Rin's blocks easily neutralized both slimes' attacks.
Mika floundered a bit, missing her timing on when to strike between the two slimes, but otherwise, the fight ended without any real danger.
"Good work. No injuries?"
"No, thank you..."
The magic staff in Mika's hand gave off a faint glow.
What Mika had originally was just a plain wooden staff that looked the part. But the one she held now was a real magic staff with magical attack power.
This equipment let her consume MP on attacks to deal small bonus damage based on magic attack power, and it was one of the cheapest ways to get magical attacks.
"Phew..."
Mika let out a small sigh.
Her palms were soaked with sweat around the staff grip.
No matter how simple slimes were as monsters, fighting them was still plenty nerve-wracking for Mika, who had almost no experience battling monsters.
Still, it didn't feel bad...
This was her first time actually using something like magic, even if it was thanks to the equipment.
It was borrowed gear from the mercenary corps, but if she'd had to save up her own money for something like this, it would've taken months... maybe even years.
"Captain. This is the end of the path."
"Yeah. Good work. That's enough for today."
Rin, shield out front as she walked, stopped and informed Ian.
The passage dead-ended into a wall; there was no way forward. They'd reached the end of this sewer branch.
"Let's rest a bit, then head back."
At Ian's words, everyone plopped down on the floor with weary expressions.
Even though the monsters were weak, staying vigilant in these dark passages where you could barely see ahead was no small feat.
Tanya set down her backpack and hurried over to the mercenaries.
"Shall I get the water?"
"Ah, yeah. Thanks."
That was the porter's role, sure.
But Tanya, who had felt awkward doing nothing but watching from behind during the fights, quickly pulled water bottles from her bag and handed them to Rin and Mika.
"Captain, water...?"
As Tanya approached Ian, who was sitting a bit apart, with a bottle, she noticed him intently scribbling something on a piece of paper.
Having carried that paper since entering this place, Tanya's curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked over his shoulder.
What Ian was drawing was a map of the underground sewer.
"Whoa..."
"Hm?"
"Ah...! S-Sorry, I peeked!"
"No, it's fine. Just a map."
Ian unfolded and showed her the map he was drawing.
Rin and Mika, drawn over by Tanya's voice, also peered at the map Ian held out.
It was a map recording, as precisely as possible, every passage, side path, and facility they'd traversed so far.
"Whoa... It looks like one of those maps they sell."
"Is this what you've been working on all this time?"
They had gotten a map from the guild for the patrol mission, but the outdated supply map omitted or skipped too much.
As the name implied, it was simplified just enough to show patrol routes and major forks.
"You're gonna sell it, right? A map this detailed would fetch a good price."
Tanya recalled the outrageous prices at map shops.
But Ian shook his head.
"Nah, we'll use it ourselves. Might need it later."
Maps were expensive, sure, but no one would buy an underground sewer map.
A map's value came from its utility; there was no reason for a sewer map—not even a dungeon one—to cost a fortune.
But the real reason Ian had made the map himself was a hidden secret event lurking in this place.
As was always the case with underground spaces in RPG games.
This underground sewer was a spot where random events like a hidden mage's workshop, secret hideout, or smugglers' warehouse could pop up at random.
"Haa..."
Fresh air blew in from ahead, brushing past their faces with the crispness of the outside world.
Everyone emerging from the underground sewer let out deep sighs, expelling the dust-laden air and breathing in the clean outdoor breeze.
After hours in the dim depths, the sunlight made their eyes squint involuntarily. Their whole bodies felt soaked in sticky, dark humidity.
Ha. She'd said she'd do anything, but sewers...
Tanya and Mika, who had joined the mercenary corps only to keep getting sewer missions, grumbled inwardly but didn't voice any complaints.
Objectively speaking, it wasn't a bad deal.
The underground sewer lived up to its reputation: creepy, depressing, eerie, reeking of dank fishy water that seemed to seep into your skin...
But the monsters weren't dangerous, and the pay was way better than expected.
It was close to the most avoided D-rank mission, but still a proper D-rank—nothing like E-rank pay.
Thanks to that, the two E-rank rookies were getting payouts an E-rank merc couldn't even dream of.
"Tanya. How's the remaining stock?"
"Y-Yes...!"
Tanya, lost in thought for a moment, startled at Ian's question and replied.
"So, today... we used 2 flashbangs and 1 light orb... 8 of each left!"
"Flashbangs are 9, aren't they?"
"Sorry... Sorry!"
As the porter, Tanya handled most of the gear, so she naturally took on tracking and managing inventory counts too.
Of course, a brand-new merc like Tanya couldn't easily keep track of the far more complex consumables than a typical group's.
Ian wasn't expecting her to master it overnight; he was teaching her bit by bit to let her adjust...
But whenever the captain spoke up, this tense atmosphere was inevitable.
Ian spotted Mika peeking into her pouch, counting her own items for fear of being asked next.
...And he quietly ignored Rin doing the same with her holster.
"That much left? We're good; no need to restock yet."
In the brief exchange, they'd already neared the street with their lodging.
Since the sewer—as a city facility—had its entrance right in Labyrinth City, they could return to base in a flash after finishing up.
Upon reaching the inn and stowing their gear, the members gathered one last time in Ian's room.
After checking everyone's condition and wrapping up announcements, Ian nodded.
"Good work. I'll handle the guild report, so you all rest up."
Today's missions were done, but it wasn't late yet.
No travel time back to the city meant even mission days left them with long stretches of free time.
"We've got to head out tomorrow too, so don't stay out too late."
"Yes, sir!"
Rin used to trail Ian when it was just the two of them, but now with other comrades, she naturally spent time with the group.
Ian tasked her with looking after the two newbies and headed to the guild for the rest of his errands.
"Haa... So, bathhouse first?"
At Rin's suggestion, both Mika and Tanya nodded.