Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Chapter 1 - Floor 1 #5
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Lucille blinked as she arrived at the Rat Hole following the map.
It felt like she'd been blinking nonstop ever since entering the Great Labyrinth, but there was nothing she could do about it.
"What are you doing right now?"
"Lighting a fire."
The Rat Hole was literally a rat hole, but far larger than any ordinary one.
Maybe two meters in diameter. Beyond the pitch-black opening stretched a long tunnel that sloped downward.
The moment Cheon-ho arrived at the Rat Hole, he wiped out the Giant Rats wandering nearby, then piled up all sorts of flammable debris in front of it.
Crude weapons carried by the goblins, wooden scraps scavenged from the rubble piles, and so on.
But it still wasn't enough firewood.
'Tsk, no helping it.'
Cheon-ho slipped a single white, compact solid fuel block into the pile of kindling, then struck the flint attached to the back of his combat knife to light it.
The flames roared to life spectacularly.
Cheon-ho stared at the bonfire for a moment before extending a hand toward Lucille.
"Step back. Cover your mouth and nose if possible. Even a little could be dangerous."
Was he talking about the smoke?
Puzzled, but obedient, Lucille did as instructed.
"Hmm."
Cheon-ho took a short, deep breath. Truth be told, this was his first time actually using it for real.
'Ankabura Poison.'
It came from a monster in Phaien, but he'd never seen one in person, naturally. All he knew was what his father had told him about its effects.
There had only been one pill hidden in the table drawer, but hoarding it would just turn it to shit.
Cheon-ho tossed the pill of compressed Ankabura Poison into the bonfire. In an instant, the smoke turned purple—dangerous-looking at a glance.
"Lucille, flap your wings! Flap them!"
"Huh? Oh, right!"
At Cheon-ho's sudden command, Lucille hurriedly began flapping.
Proving her wings were no mere ornament, a strong gust soon blew, shoving the smoke into the hole.
"Keep going. As strong as you can!"
"I-I'm getting pushed back!"
Of course her body would be repelled if she flapped harder.
Cheon-ho quickly circled behind her, turning his back to hers. They now stood back-to-back.
"Okay now?"
"Y-Yeah, uh, yes!"
Leaning against Cheon-ho's back, Lucille flapped away furiously, sweat pouring off her.
The purple smoke rising from the bonfire poured into the Rat Hole without a wisp escaping. After a few minutes, the effects became visible.
[Experience gained.]
[Experience gained.]
[Experience gained.]
[Level up.]
Streaks of light popped up one after another.
The Giant Rats inside the Rat Hole were starting to drop dead in droves.
"It's working! It's working!"
Lucille must have gotten experience too.
Cheon-ho grinned at her ecstatic voice.
"Just a bit more!"
"Yes!"
Lucille flapped on with renewed vigor.
Exterminating the Giant Rats in the Rat Hole was one thing, but she seemed thrilled just to be helping.
[Experience gained.]
[Experience gained.]
[Experience gained.]
"Huff... huff..."
Thirty minutes after Lucille started flapping.
Exhausted to her limit, she collapsed in a sweaty heap, panting raggedly. The purple smoke from the bonfire had thinned to a mere wisp.
"That's enough."
Cheon-ho stopped her flapping, then covered his nose and mouth with a handkerchief before kicking out the bonfire.
He stomped on it repeatedly to snuff every ember before turning to Lucille.
"Haa... haa..."
Collapsed on the ground, Lucille gulped air with a deathly pallor.
Feeling unexpectedly guilty, Cheon-ho approached her.
"You okay?"
"F-Fine... haa... really... fine... just... need... to rest... heuk..."
She didn't look fine at all, but she forced a smile while catching her breath.
Instead of saying more, Cheon-ho peered into the Rat Hole.
Two possibilities lay ahead.
One: a dead end inside. A sealed space with no exit besides the hole in front of him.
Two: another passage allowing ventilation.
Even if ventilation was possible, being underground meant the smoke wouldn't dissipate easily.
"Hmm."
All that remained was preparation.
Cheon-ho pulled wire from his pocket and got to work.
Another five minutes passed.
A clamor erupted from deep inside the Rat Hole.
The frantic scrabbling of claws against dirt.
A pack of Giant Rats.
Ones trying to escape the now-fading smoke.
"Squeak! Squeak squeak!"
Right there! Just a little more effort!
We live together!
With you!
To the end!
Of course, he had no talent for understanding rat squeaks—it was just a guess.
"Squeak?!"
The first one let out a shriek, soon echoed by the others.
Something thin blocked their path.
Wire stretched in a grid pattern across the Rat Hole.
Not overly dense, but too tight for Giant Rats the size of large dogs to squeeze through.
Cheon-ho hurled throwing knives one after another at the frantic rats crowding the entrance.
"Squeak! Squeak!"
Already weakened by the smoke, the Giant Rats fell in droves.
Their corpses soon plugged the entrance, trapping the rest inside the poison-filled hole.
[Experience gained.]
[Experience gained.]
[Experience gained.]
[Level up.]
[Massacred a huge number of Giant Rats in a short time!]
[Rat Slayer title acquired.]
[Rat Slayer: Attacks against rat-type monsters increased by 1.1x.]
His second title.
But no time to celebrate. Cheon-ho focused. Vibrations rumbled through. Far fiercer than when the rat swarm had poured out.
"Lucille! Back up!"
Startled, Lucille hurriedly retreated.
Cheon-ho eyed the Rat Hole again.
A hole at least two meters wide.
Giant Rats were big, but only large-dog size. No need for a hole that massive.
So why?
The reason was simple.
Something bigger lurked.
Something that required a hole this size!
The ground shook.
Layers of Giant Rat corpses shredded apart.
It tore through the wire and revealed itself.
Mad Crawler.
A monster.
Its head resembled a rat's, but far more vicious. Several horns protruded from its forehead and skull, and fangs like knives jutted from its lips.
Its crouched body filled the hole. Not fully out yet, but standing tall, it'd be at least four or five meters at the head.
Lucille stifled a scream. The beast poked its head out and rolled yellow eyes toward Cheon-ho.
Cheon-ho swung the kukri at his thigh. He severed the wire, triggering the trap he'd preset.
Boom!
The debris pile, anchored by the Rat Ogre's corpse, smashed vertically into its head.
The debris shattered. Its legs buckled simultaneously.
For a split second, its head hit the ground. Its movements stopped.
Cheon-ho's instincts screamed.
Now was the chance.
The only chance.
He leaped.
Gripped the kukri tight and vaulted forward. Breath held as it lifted its dazed head.
Their eyes met.
Cheon-ho's reflection gleamed in its yellow eyes.
The kukri plunged into its neck. Sliced flesh, clanged bone. No stopping now.
Cheon-ho poured strength into both arms.
Rat Ogre Slayer restrained it slightly. Rat Slayer boosted his attack.
Sever.
Behead.
Slice!
Thud!
The kukri blade kissed the ground.
A heavy moment later, a massive hunk of meat slapped the earth.
Mad Crawler's head.
Another dull thud followed—the headless body collapsing.
Cheon-ho raised his head. Still tense, he glared at the severed head as Lucille panted from afar.
Seconds ticked by.
The moment Cheon-ho confirmed the Crawler's death.
[Defeated Mad Crawler!]
[1-star Hero is the first to defeat a named monster on Floor 1.]
[Additional rewards for this legendary feat.]
[The Plague God vents furious rage at you for slaying his apostle.]
[The Labyrinth World remembers your shining feat!]
[Level up.]
[Level up.]
[Level up-]
Cheon-ho exhaled.
He glanced away from the barrage of light windows and turned to Lucille.
"Hero!"
Lucille bolted up and rushed him—no, flew straight into his arms.
The first.
Legendary.
'Thrilling. Always fresh. First place is the best.'
His father's words.
True again this time.
Holding Lucille tight, Cheon-ho felt truly alive.
Eyes closed, he savored the victory.