Chapter 126: Nothing at All
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 126: Nothing at All
“This is me after being captured by a mad magic item shop owner and experimented on for thirty years.”
“It’s just Yoo Eon.”
“And this… this is Ravi after the Sateria Appraisal Office finally went bankrupt and she spent twenty years in a labor camp.”
“I said, it’s just me!”
Ravi was drawing on top of her omelet with ketchup.
“You could’ve done a better job.”
“Nobody draws stupid things like this on an omelet!”
“Look at this. The eyes are completely bloodshot.”
“That’s because!!! It’s! Ketch! Up!!”
Ms. Alfi, the leopard beastkin watching from the side, nodded as she looked at Ravi’s drawing on the omelet.
“I can feel Miss Sateria’s long-standing agony. It is a magnificent masterpiece.”
“Oh, it’s not that much…”
“Ms. Alfi went through the trouble of making a perfect omelet, and Ravi ruined it.”
“Really…? I’m sorry, Sister Alfi…”
“Not at all. On the contrary, I believe Miss Sateria’s drawing has made the plating far more wonderful.”
Regardless, between the delicious omelet and the chicken I had bought, we had a satisfying dinner. Once finished, Ravi’s eyelids began to droop as sleepiness took over.
“They say if you sleep right after eating, you’ll turn into a cow.”
“W-who says that…?”
“It’s an old saying.”
“Uuuugh…”
Heeding the advice of the elders, Ravi—who had just performed the miracle of a mother-daughter reunion in her stomach by eating chicken and eggs together—sluggishly pushed herself up from the luxury sofa. She shifted around for a moment as if trying to move, only to flop right back down.
It was a rare occasion where her stomach was full, the sofa was plush, and the floor heater made the room cozy. Ultimately, Ravi declared her defeat.
“Moooo…”
“She gave up.”
* * *
“Listen to Ms. Alfi. And if you need anything, just hold it in.”
“Shouldn’t you tell her to talk to Yoo Eon in times like that…?”
“As if I have the power to do anything. Anyway, if you really need something, let me know.”
I headed to the Eastern Guild early in the morning. Since I had committed attempted murder yesterday evening, I felt I should check on the victim’s condition. Also, since I had plenty of time today, I planned to leisurely scout the labyrinth for any useful monsters.
Walking from the wealthy Northern Sector to the East takes about two hours at a slow pace. If I put some effort into running, I can make it in under an hour, so having left at 8:00 AM, I arrived around 9:20 AM.
“Good work. So, uh, what happened to that person named Mei?”
“Miss Mei? Oh, one moment please.”
A different receptionist from the rookie yesterday went into the back and brought out a senior guide.
“Explorer Aven, you’ve arrived.”
“Yeah. How is she?”
“She’s recovered well. She hasn’t said much about what happened, but… did something occur?”
“Haha, I wouldn’t know.”
She’s always loitering in the guild lobby, but I guess she doesn’t actually sleep here. They said she hadn’t returned yet after regaining consciousness early this morning. Just like yesterday, I set my target for the 10th Floor and entered the labyrinth portal around 10:10 AM.
Let’s aim to reach the 10th Floor by 5:00 PM.
“Is it an unwritten rule that the beginning of a labyrinth is always a forest?”
I’ve only been to Calax and Roanmarie so far, but it’s interesting that the 1st Stratum of both is a forest. The system where the environment changes every ten floors seems to be the same too. If so, what do the smaller labyrinths with fewer than ten floors look like?
And what exactly lies at the end of a labyrinth? I feel like you could reach the end of the small ones quite often. Theodora mentioned that the smallest ones can be as short as three floors.
“How curious.”
The boss of Roanmarie’s 1st Stratum is said to be an Elder Ent.
—Creak, crack…
“There’s another one.”
There were plenty of low bushes and fallen logs around, and some of them were living tree monsters. Their name was simply ‘Ent,’ but I assumed that if they grew exceptionally large, they became the 10th-floor boss, the Elder Ent.
Aside from them, there were Wisps that looked like fireflies with intense light, and Poison Mushrooms that emitted toxic spores. Apparently, once you pass the 5th Floor, Hobgoblins—about 1.5 times larger than normal goblins with disgusting, flesh-colored skin—live in packs.
For some reason, I didn't see any yesterday. More than anything, the high population density was obvious, as I occasionally spotted other people nearby.
I smashed the Ents that popped up and waved my arms to shoo away the Wisps, which weren't threatening at all.
These Wisps would just hover close and chatter away in an unknown language; they were about as annoying as drain flies in a bathroom.
“What the hell are you even saying?”
—$#&$#$&#$@$!!!
“Uh-huh, sure. I get what you’re saying.”
—^%^$#%^&#%$^#&^%$??
“Right, right. That’s true. I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”
—@#$#^#$@$@^%%^&%&$%@$@….
“Man, this little guy is really noisy.”
I snatched the green firefly-like thing next to me and shoved it into my stomach. I had left them alone because I didn't think they were edible, but I figured I should at least scare it so it would leave me alone.
“Wait, I actually ate it.”
Contrary to my expectations, my stomach churned and suddenly gulped the Wisp down.
“Hey, why did you swallow it? What use is a Wisp?”
Since they were surrounded by an intense, spherical light, I didn't even know what they actually looked like. And for some reason… they felt a bit like fairies, so I hadn't really wanted to eat them.
“Sorry. You can go now.”
I pulled the Wisp back out of my fingertip in its original state and placed it on my palm. Suddenly, the Wisp’s form began to look like something different than before.
—Eek! I thought I was a goner!
“What? You speak human?”
—Y-you! Are you even human?! How could you just eat me like that?!
“Ah, sorry. I didn't think I’d actually swallow you.”
—Gasp! The human understood me! This is the first time in three hundred years!
The Wisp on my palm had taken the shape of a butterfly with fluttering wings. It had definitely looked like a mere ball of light until a moment ago. Could it be because I ate it and spat it back out?
“Hey, Wisp. I can suddenly hear you. What’s the deal?”
—How should I know?! I-I can’t believe it! A human understands me!
“Wow, this is pretty interesting.”
Does this mean all that chattering in my ear until now actually had meaning? I hadn't even realized they were creatures with high enough intelligence to converse with humans.
“Wisp, why do you keep making so much noise in my ear?”
—Because you people are in danger, obviously!
“Do you mean I’m a danger to you guys? Or that I’m in a dangerous situation?”
—That you people are in a dangerous situation!
“What’s dangerous?”
The Wisp fluttered its wings a few times, flew off my palm, and circled around me.
—You’ll incur the wrath of Rumianabrixi! She’s very scary, you know?!
“Rumi… what is that, you little brat?”
—The greatest Wisp! The strongest Wisp! She gets really scary when she’s angry!
“And why is she angry?”
—She’s not angry yet! But she’s about to be. She gets furious when humans keep entering the forest!
To summarize… a Wisp named Rumianabrixi, the boss of the Wisps, hates humans entering the forest and gets angry about it. But I wasn't sure why that was supposed to be scary.
If this Rumianabrixi had truly caused significant casualties out of anger, information about it would have surely been circulated within the guild. Especially since the Roanmarie Labyrinth has been around 2.5 times longer than Calax.
“Does she kill people when she’s mad?”
—Not exactly. But she creates Merhedic Wigana!
“What’s that?”
—In your language, you call them Elder Ents!
“Oh, really? So you guys are the ones who make the regular Ents?”
—Ahem, that’s right. They are the guardian golems we created!
“But they all get smashed to pieces.”
—T-that means the Wigana’s job is done….
So it was just a type of gear to keep the labyrinth running normally. It wasn't that Rumianabrixi was actually dangerous; it was just that normal Wisps made normal Ents, and the Wisp Boss made the Ent Boss.
“So where is this Rumi… whatever her name is?”
—She’s deeper in the forest. Not here!
“Hmm.”
I was only on the 4th Floor. I figured I might meet this Rumianabrixi if I went down to the 10th Floor. As far as I knew, I didn't recall hearing anything about a King of Wisps. Is this information only I know?
“Does she give you anything if you meet her?”
—Hmm, I’m not sure? But if you’re helpful, there might be a reward!
“Is there anything you guys need?”
—For humans to stop coming into the forest?
“That’s going to be difficult.”
What power did I have to control the massive number of explorers inhabiting Roanmarie and stop them from entering the labyrinth? Even the master of Roanmarie couldn't do that.
—Then ask Rumianabrixi yourself!
“Can I meet her?”
—You can with our guidance! But how can we trust you?
“Then don’t trust me, kid. I’ll just go down the labyrinth, smash the Elder Ent your boss made, and set the forest on fire.”
—Waaaah!! W-wait! Let’s go meet Rumianabrixi!
By a stroke of luck, eating a Wisp allowed me to understand their language. It seemed I had to go meet the Monarch of Wisps, Rumianabrixi, who likely resided on the 10th Floor.
Fortunately, the green Wisp I had eaten stayed with me as I held it firmly in my hand while entering the portal, allowing it to descend to the next floor with me.
And so, killing minor monsters along the way, I reached the 10th Floor.
“Hey there, why are you walking around clutching a Wisp?”
“This? I’m just carrying it for fun.”
“How strange. Whenever I catch a Wisp, my hands get all itchy, so I hate them.”
—That’s because we spray Parupa powder, obviously!
The Wisp in my hand chattered away as if saying, ‘Serves you right.’
“What’s Parupa powder?”
—It’s a terrifying powder that, when it touches human skin, you barely feel it at first! But once you notice it, it starts to itch more and more!
“That is truly terrifying…”
“Oh boy, a young man talking to a Wisp. You should get that mental illness skill cleared, even if it’s just a mild case.”
“Yes, sorry.”
Slightly later than planned, I reached the 10th Floor around 5:30 PM. The Hobgoblins I encountered on the way up had poor muscle fiber quality and smelled like absolute shit. They weren't worth eating.
I had hoped to find a Hobgoblin Shaman as an elite entity to try eating, but they had likely been sliced up by other explorers already; there wasn't a trace of them.
“So, do you think Rumianabrixi is in this forest? Well?”
—That’s right! Rumianabrixi is in this forest! You have to go this way!
The Wisp flew around excitedly, then paused for a moment and spoke into my ear.
—But listen! You have to be on your best behavior with Rumianabrixi!
“I’ll try. It’s not like I’m going to suddenly eat your queen or anything.”
—You never know! Anyway, watch your words and actions!
“Yeah, yeah, I got it.”
I followed the green Wisp deeper and deeper into the forest. After passing a certain point, the occasional presence of other humans vanished. The forest grew strangely dark, and at some point, even the signs of small animals like squirrels or birds disappeared.
The number of Wisps in sight gradually increased, and voices began to echo from all around.
—It’s a human! A human has entered!
—But it’s a human I’ve never seen before! It’s not the human who always comes!
—Isn’t it dangerous?! Hurry, make a Wigana!
—But…! This is a forest where we can’t make a Wigana!
The high-pitched voices felt like they were being poked directly into my ears despite being far away. It felt like the buzzing of mosquitoes, which wasn't very pleasant.
“How much further, Wisp?”
—Almost there! Stop here! Close your eyes and take three steps with your largest stride!
“Okay.”
I followed the Wisp’s instructions for now. I closed my eyes and took three giant steps forward.
‘What is this feeling…!’
With every step, the environment I sensed around me shifted rapidly. And finally, on the third step.
—We’ve arrived! Now open your eyes!
“Hmm…”
As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw a giant flower glowing with rainbow light.
“That is….”
—That is Rumianabrixi! The most powerful Wisp! The oldest Wisp!
Sitting atop that brilliantly colored flower was a single Wisp, significantly larger than the others. Its form, glowing with an intense pale pink light, was quite unique.
—You are…
“Um, hello?”
Unlike the other Wisps, this voice felt slightly heavier and more feminine. I thought it was a King of Wisps, but was it a Queen? Well, all the other Wisps sounded like young girls anyway.
—You are not the human who usually comes.
“Has another human been here before me?”
—Yes. Only one. One person has found this place.
“And when was that?”
The first Wisp I met said it was three hundred years ago.
—She visited just a few days ago as well.
“What? How does that work? Is she a three-hundred-year-old elf?”
—She is human. But at the same time, she is a being who has transcended humanity.
“Is that so? I wonder who that could be. Interesting.”
Whoever it was, they had monopolized the method of meeting Rumianabrixi for three hundred years. That’s quite a selfish streak. Well, I wouldn't want to share it with others either, to be honest.
—She is entering just in time.
“Oh, really?”
Since the Wisp said ‘she,’ I assumed it was a woman. It was surprising to find someone else who could understand the Wisps.
As I sat on the ground and waited, a circular ripple appeared in the air, like the surface of water shimmering. Before long, a person’s foot poked out from within, like a bubble emerging from a film of soap.
“It’s a woman.”
A white high heel. Then, one leg slid all the way out, followed by the other foot about to emerge.
“Wait a minute.”
The person crossing over to this side… she wasn't wearing a single thing right now.