Chapter 34: D-Rank Labyrinth — Banquet Hall of the Bloodbirds (4)
Chapter 34: D-Rank Labyrinth — Banquet Hall of the Bloodbirds (4)
Although the Banquet Hall of the Bloodbirds only reproduced a portion of a real mountain range, traveling from one end to the other would still require walking diligently for an entire day.
Because of that, the labyrinth contained more than just mountains.
“Here we are.”
Thanks to Rosalia carrying me tirelessly, we arrived at the destination comfortably without much effort.
A cliff facing the sea.
It lay dangerously close to the boundary of the labyrinth.
“Put this in your mouth.”
I took a seashell from my leather bag and handed it to Rosalia.
It was a magic tool that allowed underwater breathing and communication, the same one we had used in the Fire Ant Nest.
“I’ll go first!”
After setting my leather bag down nearby, I jumped off the cliff without hesitation.
Splash!
“Ugh, that’s cold.”
The seawater was colder than expected, but I calmly opened my eyes and looked around underwater.
The seabed was covered with the corpses of beastman soldiers discarded by the Imperial Army, and delighted fish were holding a feast among them.
It was a sight that would make anyone with a weak stomach shut their eyes tightly.
As someone as delicate and soft-hearted as myself, it was not easy to endure—but I swam downward anyway.
Slice.
Rosalia, gripping her crimson dagger, cut a large fish in half when it approached curiously.
“That’s excessive. It’s not even a monster—just an ordinary aquatic creature….”
In fact, even if attacked first, those creatures only fled rather than retaliating.
“….”
The merciless assassin stared briefly at the bisected fish before quietly sheathing her dagger.
“This way.”
As we approached, the fish scattered hurriedly in all directions.
After reaching the seabed, I pushed aside several beastman arms and lower bodies. Beneath them, a rusty handle protruded from the sand.
《A door leading somewhere. Its condition is poor—if more time had passed, the handle would have completely broken off.》
If one arrived after the handle had fallen away, the entrance could not be opened.
Because the location was so remote—and because every expedition team since the labyrinth first appeared had been obsessed with hunting the Bloodbird—no one had discovered it until now.
《You discovered another Hidden Piece. I won’t bother acting surprised anymore. :|》
“Hey, come on. At least act surprised.”
I whined resentfully, but the cold-hearted Eye That Perceives Truth did not react at all.
Covering my right eye with one hand, I turned to Rosalia.
“Please pull this door open with all your strength.”
Krrrraaaang!
The corroded iron door opened with a thunderous sound, revealing a passage leading downward.
Descending through it, we soon reached a chamber where we could stand.
“This is it.”
A large rectangular room illuminated by magic-stone lamps.
The space was as wide as a school auditorium, and glass tubes filled with blue liquid stood everywhere.
Inside each tube floated a beastman.
《:O》
All of them were mutilated.
Some had both arms severed. Others had their eyes gouged out. Tentacles were embedded in backs. Feet replaced hands.
Traces of prolonged suffering were engraved across every part of their bodies.
《The laboratory of an unknown mage. Like a rat hiding in a hole, he secretly conducted biological experiments on beastmen here.》
《Such a thing could never occur in the modern era, where even cultists must obtain permission from the hypocritical goddess’s church before acquiring living sacrifices.》
It was not a pleasant sight.
Remembering that the laboratory’s owner had been executed in real history for the atrocities he committed helped calm my mind.
Peaceful.
Removing the seashell from my mouth, I slipped it into my pocket and brushed my hair back slowly.
Rosalia removed hers as well and hurriedly put her mask back on, then tapped my side while staring into the room.
“You’re asking what reward we get here, right?”
Nod, nod.
“The reward is the Mystery Tome containing the results of these experiments. It’s exclusive to the warrior class, so we can’t learn it.”
Since District Three was the starting point for warrior characters, many Hidden Pieces here were warrior-exclusive.
Nevertheless, we had come to this laboratory—proof of the vile nature of mage classes—for the sake of a certain genius swordsman who would soon join our expedition team.
“It’s a good Mystery. Let’s take it and give it to Pendrick as a gift. He’ll be joining us soon anyway.”
Walking between the glass tubes, we reached the back wall.
A single Mystery Tome rested on a desk.
《Second-Tier Mystery Tome — Body of Resistance》
《Allows the body to temporarily transform in response to attacks that cause physical injury.》
A Mystery that shone in prolonged battles.
Not essential, but quite useful for warrior classes.
It would have been excellent for my Immortal Cultist build, but the class restriction prevented me from learning it.
That was fine though. I planned to obtain a superior Mystery later anyway.
“I’ll just take this.”
Under the desk, I found a model heart.
《An artificial beastman heart created through experimentation by an unknown mage. It emits a dense blood scent detectable only by monsters.》
Rosalia stared at the heart in my hand and tilted her head slightly.
“You’re wondering what this is for? Just watch. Do I look like the kind of cultist who does meaningless things?”
“….”
“Why are you nodding without hesitation? That hurts my feelings.”
In any case, that was everything for the Hidden Piece.
After lightly touching the wall near the desk, an invisible magic circle suddenly activated, emitting light and transporting us back to the cliff.
Thump.
As I picked up my leather bag again, Rosalia approached quietly, tapped my back, and looked up at the sky.
“You’re asking if we’re going to hunt the Bloodbird?”
We probably should.
The sky was still blue, which meant no other expedition team had killed it yet.
Since we were already here, claiming the leader-kill reward would not be a bad idea.
“This time, we don’t even have to go looking for it ourselves.”
We had a partner willing to act as bait.
“Right eye.”
—Kraaak!
My right eyeball jumped out immediately, transforming into a blind crow and flying into the sky.
That was the ability of the Second-Tier Eye That Perceives Truth.
Now it could leave my eye socket even without performing an offering ritual beforehand.
Unfortunately, while in crow form it could not display text messages in front of my eyes.
Still, it was perfect for scouting.
“Take this in your beak, find the Bloodbird, and lure it here.”
I placed the model heart we had taken from the laboratory into the crow’s beak.
“It’s probably near the mountain with very few trees right now.”
—Kraaak!
Flapping its wings, the crow flew toward the location I described.
Rosalia watched the departing crow with doubt in her eyes.
In situations like this, a cheat code worked well.
“Lidni told me that the model heart would help lure the Bloodbird here.”
“….”
The assassin, who trusted others poorly, finally seemed somewhat convinced.
“Now we just prepare calmly for battle. Let’s wait.”
Tap, tap.
While I stretched lightly in place, Rosalia tapped my back and pointed into the distance.
She meant that combat was dangerous and I should stay back while she handled it.
“No. An assassin shouldn’t fight head-on.”
An assassin class revealed its true value when fighting alongside an ally who engaged the enemy.
Usually the tank role belonged to warriors, but I could perform that role as well.
The Immortal Cultist build was designed to absorb attacks rather than avoid them.
“And there’s another reason you shouldn’t fight alone.”
Rosalia tilted her head slightly.
“If you attack and the Bloodbird doesn’t die in one strike, it will get scared and fly far away. Killing it is the clear condition, so that would become very troublesome.”
If the Bloodbird escaped into the sky, explorers without flight abilities could no longer complete the labyrinth.
Worse still, the reset cycle of the Banquet Hall of the Bloodbirds was only three days.
If the Bloodbird was not killed within three days, the labyrinth trapped explorers permanently within the gap of space-time.
When threatened, the creature simply flew away.
That was why this labyrinth was ranked D-Rank despite containing only a single monster.
“And there’s one more reason I can’t leave the battle entirely to you.”
I pointed out the most crucial factor.
“If we fight together, only your Soul Rank will increase since your level is much higher than mine, Lady Rosalia.”
“….”
Honestly, this mattered most to me.
“Please stay hidden and intervene only at dangerous moments. Just restrain it—never deal fatal damage.”
Rosalia studied me carefully before speaking three short syllables.
“…Be careful.”
Her voice was cold and blunt, but the meaning was warm concern.
“Of course. Kar here is a cultist who values his life more than you’d think.”
Time passed.
Zing.
While sitting casually on a wide rock, a faint pain suddenly flickered through my mind.
The effect of Insight That Sees Chaos, which vaguely predicted danger.
—Kraaak!
The blind crow returned hastily and slipped back into my eye socket.
—Kweeeee!
Moments later, a massive bird resembling a gigantic swan—with a completely crimson body except for its head—came roaring toward us.
《Bloodbird Blurrybe (Level 3)》
《A monster that delights in devouring the hearts of corpses. With the pointy-eared assassin present you won’t lose, but it is by no means an easy opponent. Be cautious.》
—Kweeeek!
The only monster appearing in the Banquet Hall of the Bloodbirds.
The Bloodbird, Blurrybe.
Its beak was smeared with fresh blood—evidence that it had recently devoured another explorer’s heart.
So many explorers had entered this labyrinth, yet none had killed it.
It truly was a formidable opponent.
But there was no reason to fear.
—Kweeeee!
The Hidden Piece model heart emitted a special scent that stimulated Bloodbirds intensely.
Drawn by the scent, the creature’s senses became dulled, reducing its combat ability to less than half.
That meant even a Level 2 cultist had a chance.
“….”
Rosalia stared at the Bloodbird with slightly widened eyes, then turned to me and gave a thumbs-up.
“Well? Now do you see how much knowledge Lidni has bestowed upon me?”
Nod, nod.
Rosalia nodded.
At that moment, crimson flowers bloomed across her body.
The innate Mystery of Woodland Elves: Fresh Companion.
Its specific species—
Crimson Death Rose.
A flower capable of releasing powder containing various toxins.
“Very reassuring.”
In this battle, Rosalia would strictly play the role of supporter.
—Kweeeek!
While locking eyes with the Bloodbird, I spoke calmly.
“After eating that much, you’re still hungry?”
—Kweeeek!
The Bloodbird shrieked angrily and thrust its beak downward.
A simple but powerful attack.
Before it reached me, Rosalia—sliding like a shadow—kicked its neck.
Thud!
Despite the force, the creature barely moved.
Examining its body closely, I noticed that although the bird was thin overall, its abdomen bulged.
Looks like it recently stuffed itself.
Between the corpses spawned in the labyrinth and the explorers entering to clear it, food was abundant.
Occasionally the Bloodbird gorged itself like this.
And when its belly was swollen, its physical abilities increased dramatically.
Especially its defense.
Fwoosh!
The Crimson Death Rose released a cloud of purple powder.
A hallucinogenic toxin.
While the Bloodbird stared in the wrong direction under the effect, Rosalia retreated quickly to me and merged with my shadow using Shadow Folk.
Slip.
As expected of a Level 5 assassin, she carried out my instructions perfectly.
Now it was up to me.
—Kweeeek?
Perhaps confused by the elf who had attacked it suddenly disappearing, the Bloodbird looked around.
Then it noticed me.
Clacking its beak confidently, it approached.
Even to a monster, a cultist probably looked like easy prey.
“You’ve got good judgment.”
—Kweeeeek!
The Bloodbird roared and charged.
The pressure felt like a massive wall rushing forward.
Naturally, my physical ability could not dodge or deflect it.
Thud.
So I simply took the hit.
The beak pierced straight through my chest.
A fatal wound that would instantly kill an ordinary person.
“…Did I really look that delicious?”
But my life did not leave my body.
It remained exactly where it was.
《You should express sincere gratitude. ;)》
The Second-Tier Eye That Perceives Truth automatically activated Membrane That Defers Wounds, drastically slowing the rate of life loss.
“Eating a cultist will give you stomach trouble.”
Holding onto the consciousness that nearly slipped away, I activated Ghoul Mobility.
My Vitality surged, and the slowly decreasing life force began recovering.
Crackle!
At the same time I activated Black Lightning Bloom, partially transforming my upper body into lightning and grabbing the Bloodbird’s head.
—Kweeeeeek!
The electrified Bloodbird shook its head violently, trying to throw me off.
A futile attempt.
Its beak still pierced through my body, so I clung to it stubbornly—like a rejected lover refusing to let go—and roasted it with black lightning.
《Sue’je’s filthy Mystery alone cannot defeat the Bloodbird.》
True enough.
Though it burned in lightning, the Bloodbird remained conscious.
—Kwek!
It suddenly swung its head toward a rock.
“….”
Rosalia burst from the shadows and kicked its body sideways, knocking it over.
Fwoooosh!
Paralysis powder spread slowly, entering the Bloodbird’s respiratory system while it was distracted by me.
—Kweeeek!
After immobilizing the monster, the assassin vanished into the shadows again.
That gave me a chance for free damage.
I touched the weapon on my left hand.
A ring engraved with a flame pattern.
The artifact reward from the Fire Ant Nest Hidden Piece—
Ember of Glory.
Its effect was simple.
It breathed fire.
“Bloodbird.”
Smiling slightly, I pushed my left hand into the open beak.
“Are you bad with spicy food too?”