Chapter 78
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Deep Layer
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Lia glanced down at the vial of Erosion Purifier suddenly in her hand.
She had no idea what had just happened, but one thing was crystal clear: what she needed to do right now.
Lia uncorked the potion vial gripped in her hand and downed it without a second thought.
The impure energy that had shackled her body like chains vanished, and vitality surged back into her.
"Lia! Go!"
The instant Banshee's assault halted, a fleeting opening appeared.
Everyone nearby charged straight at the Banshee.
Ian shattered the holy water vial he clutched, drew his sword mid-stride alongside Rin and Lia.
It was a reckless move, but this was their final shot.
-Clang!
Attack power boost, acceleration, blessing, stamina recovery.
Weakening, vulnerability, debilitation, disarming.
Orbs rained down from who-knows-where, as if dumping every last item from their bags.
Countless consumables smashed on impact, erupting in bursts of multicolored light and smoke.
The three swords sliced toward Banshee in unison.
"...!"
Rin's eyes widened as her strike hit home.
Every attack before had felt like cleaving empty air, but this time, there was a definite sensation of cutting flesh.
Banshee—for the first time—reacted to the onslaught, its body twisting away.
"Attacks are landing!"
"Its magic's run dry!"
Lia's blade soon carved through its form, followed by Ian's sword plunging into Banshee's back.
Pierced through by all three swords, Banshee threw its head back as if to unleash one final shriek.
"──!"
But no sound escaped. Instead, its body ignited in an instant inferno.
Flames roared over it like oil had been dumped on dry tinder. Moments later, Banshee vanished entirely, leaving only scorch marks and a pile of ash on the floor.
Sensing the battle's end, everyone crumpled to the ground in exhaustion.
"Haa..."
"W-We won, right?"
Banshee was gone without a trace.
Ian simply nodded in silence.
Success...
A miraculous triumph forged from the jaws of defeat.
All eyes turned to Tanya.
"Tanya! What the hell was that?!"
"How'd you pull it off?"
"I-I don't even..."
Bombarded with questions, Tanya stammered in bewilderment.
The chaos had been so frantic, she'd just... done something.
Even she had no clue what had gone down.
Tanya eyed the sprite flitting around her.
"You guys can't see this?"
"See what?"
"Th-That fairy thing..."
As Tanya gestured at the airborne sprite, Rin finally got it and nodded.
"Ah~."
Rin gave Tanya a nod, then sidled up quietly to Ian.
"Captain. Tanya's curse looks bad... She's seeing hallucinations."
"Rin! I can hear you!"
Tanya yelled, having overheard Rin's whisper to Ian.
Still, Tanya herself was clueless.
Ian, who'd checked her traits, fielded the explanation.
"Spirit magic."
"Magic?"
The word "magic" had everyone whipping their heads toward Ian.
Tanya looked the most shell-shocked.
"M-Me? Magic? How?!"
"Magic isn't always something you study for... Sometimes it just awakens out of nowhere."
Mika shot to her feet at that.
"What about me?!"
Spirit magic...?!
Mika wailed in outrage.
"Spirit magic isn't learned—it's something you're born with..."
"Aaaagh!"
Exactly.
Talent...!
Mika flopped back down right there.
Having heard Ian out and pieced together her rescuers' true nature, Tanya tentatively reached out.
The hovering sprites alighted gently on her palm.
...Thank you for the help.
The thought crossed her mind, and it felt like their knowing laughter tinkled in response.
While that unfolded, Ian—having verified Tanya's change—cupped her face in both hands.
"C-Captain?"
Fairy porter, huh.
Ian had never encountered one in live play, only glimpsed it in rare editor setups—a one-in-a-million combo.
For real?
Ian muttered to himself, absently kneading Tanya's cheeks.
"Uh, um... Eep."
"Triple your pay to start?"
"Huh?!"
Tanya jolted. Ian, mid-calculation eyeing her traits, cocked his head.
Did these traits bump her rate higher?
"Five times?"
"N-No need! I'm happy as is..."
"Six, just to be safe."
"I-I swear I'm not jumping ship!"
As Tanya squirmed in Ian's grip, Lia abruptly drew her sword and sprang up.
"Captain! Over there!"
Something was materializing in the air where Lia pointed.
Weapons drawn, everyone rose on high alert.
A perfect sphere of inky blackness blossomed, like a hole torn in the void itself.
From it, tendrils of dark energy dripped down, soaking into the labyrinth floor.
"What... is that?"
"Relax. It's the Source."
Ian stood and replied.
The object in labyrinths that spawned monsters.
Everyone had heard the basics from Ian's labyrinth crash course.
The root cause of the yearly monster hordes swarming Labyrinth City.
"Smash this, and no more monsters?"
"Yep. Regrows eventually, but it'll buy us time."
The Source birthing undead like the skeletons, ghouls, and Banshee they'd fought here.
Destroy it, and the next monster wave skips undead entirely.
Hence the bounties on certain pesky ones.
Shattering a Source was straightforward.
At Ian's cue, Lia swung cautiously. It popped like a glass orb.
"...And that's it?"
"......"
Ian turned at the question.
For standard labyrinth runs, yeah.
But they had one more task this time.
Ian approached a wall in the room's corner.
It bore a mural crammed with arcane geometric patterns.
Nothing hidden about it—any explorer who'd entered had likely gawked at it plenty.
Yet no one had cracked how to open it.
The seal held firm; even with the know-how, it stayed shut until now.
Ian interacted with the mural in precise sequence.
It flared with light, then rumbled like some colossal mass shifting.
"...!"
As everyone watched tensely, the unremarkable wall parted, unveiling hidden stairs.
A passage plunging deeper still.
The labyrinth's profound, untouched abyss.
The gateway to the Deep Layer.
Tense faces stared at the maw.
They'd grown accustomed to the labyrinth's gloom during their stay—or so they'd thought.
But this exuded something far more sinister, a creeping chill beyond the maze's own shadows.
How had Ian known the way?
No need to spell it out; they all got it.
This was why he'd pushed so hard to enter.
"What you were after... this?"
Ian nodded wordlessly.
That explained his frantic pace.
Once the monster wave neared, the labyrinth would overflow, sealing it off.
The guild banned entry during that stretch.
He had to scout this beforehand.
The city's defenses were rock-solid.
No help from Ian? They'd still repel ordinary invasions no sweat.
But not anymore.
This Deep Layer, courtesy of the mode.
Its monsters outclassed standard labyrinth fare, packing wildly unique powers.
Nasty tricks impossible to counter without prior intel.
From the second wave onward, the seal breaks. Deep Layer horrors join the assault.
Skip wrecking its Source, and those freaks overrun the city uncontrollably.
No prep? Near-total wipeout.
Ian laid it out simply for the team.
Silence fell.
...Briefly.
Members traded glances, locking eyes one by one.
"......"
Then nodded.
Dangerous? Way more than the last jaunt.
They'd steeled themselves for this when pledging to follow Ian.
After the lookaround, Rin stepped up.
"We're good to go."
"Huh?"
Ian had already shut the Deep Layer door.
The wall sealed, banishing the eerie void without a trace.
"Time to head back."
"Wha—huh?"
Weapons in hand, baffled stares fixed on Ian.
"Door's shut... We can't get in now?"
"Who said anything about going in?"
Rin blinked. Ian gaped back like she'd suggested suicide.
"Weren't we destroying the Source inside?"
"Too risky for just us."
"But if we leave it, won't they come out?"
"We ID'd 'em. Mission accomplished."
Ian had scoped the wall and floor tiles at the entrance—nailed the monster type.
Know thy enemy: report to the city, prep counters pre-wave.
Handle the specials, and city guards mop up the rest easy.
Versus the labyrinth's erosion, dark, supply-starved hellhole, the city boasted walls, fortifications, high-level backup—triple the edge.
Knew what was coming? Screw invading their turf; defend from the ramparts.
"Block 'em at the city—no need diving into danger."
"......"
"Great work, all. We got everything. Let's bounce."
"......"
The Deep Layer's world premiere lasted thirty seconds before resealing.
The would-be suicide squad, hearts set on storming it with Ian to save the city? Disbanded by force in thirty flat.