Chapter 129: I Got Beaten Badly
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 129: I Got Beaten Badly
“What is this?”
“I told you, didn't I? If you could keep the source a secret, I had one more thing I could give you.”
“Ah, right. You did say that.”
And so, this was the item I received from Aurora.
“A choker?”
Aurora swept her hair back with one arm and unfastened the choker from her own neck, handing it to me.
“It’s a Teleportation Waypoint Designation Artifact. To put it simply, it allows you to teleport to any location you’ve stepped foot in before. As long as you have an adequate amount of mana, that is.”
“Whoa. This artifact is insane.”
But a choker? Isn't that a bit much for me to wear? It’s not that I’m particularly conservative regarding sexual minorities... actually, I am. A man in a choker? That’s just gay. Besides, Aurora’s neck is so thin that even if I wanted to wear it, it physically wouldn't fit me.
It was a circular cord made of a tough, mysterious black leather. In the center sat a small silver disc, intricately engraved with what looked like a magic circle.
“Use it as a bracelet then.”
“True. With this thickness, it would work better as a bracelet.”
With this, my future labyrinth explorations were going to get a lot faster. Unfortunately, I’d still have to climb up manually, but once I descended deep into the labyrinth, I could essentially use this like a save point to start from there again.
“Is it expensive?”
“I wouldn't know the price. I made it myself.”
“There must be an estimated value.”
“A few thousand gold, perhaps?”
Talk about a bloated ego. No, wait—thinking about it, it might actually be worth that much. Is it really okay for her to just give me something like this?
“I can make as many as I want. But be careful; there are likely quite a few people who would kill for an artifact like that.”
“That’s terrifying. Can only one person use it at a time?”
“The basic framework is the same as a Gateway. With a standard mana injection, it can transport four or five people, but any more than that would require significantly more mana.”
“That’s very reassuring.”
This woman really is the labyrinth’s elevator. And now she’s even given me a VIP pass.
“Well then, let’s get out of this dreadful 5th Stratum. My business here is done.”
“Right. It’s a shame, really. To think you’re an explorer from Calax. If you ever think about settling down in Roanmarie, let me know.”
“I’m truly feeling the gap in technology here. I’d love to live here too.”
“Then why don't you?”
“Well, a man has his spiritual home, doesn't he?”
Unless I made a fortune and literally moved the Mounted Goat Inn here, it would be difficult for me to change my base to Roanmarie. Above all, the bonds I’d formed back there were precious to me.
There were the other explorers I occasionally dove with. There was the Sateria Appraisal Office, which was failing because of its terrible location. There was the insane magic item shop owner, and the elf explorer who practically wet herself whenever she saw an orc.
Calax was also where Theodora spent most of her time. I think she mentioned Calax was her assigned area. Regardless, I’m the type of person who doesn't adapt easily to new environments.
“By the way, Ms. Aurora, you’re an explorer of Roanmarie, right?”
“An explorer... honestly, I’m not so sure about that.”
“Are mages different from explorers?”
“There are plenty who do both. I just don't think I fall into that category.”
Continuing our idle chatter, we returned to the 10th Floor of the labyrinth through Aurora’s magic. Seriously, mages are so cool. If it’s this convenient, I want to learn some magic too.
“If only Calax were even half as advanced as Roanmarie.”
“What’s this? Have you fallen in love with magic?”
“Yes, deeply. I believe you said the organization that introduced all this was the Page of Arcana?”
I recalled hearing that the Page of Arcana was headquartered in Roanmarie and had a branch in Calax. They’d even built an academy for young mages and were putting all sorts of effort into improving the quality of life.
“What a wonderful organization.”
“Hmm, I wouldn't be so sure about that.”
“Are you a member of the Page of Arcana?”
“You could say that.”
“Sounds like you’ve had some bad experiences with the higher-ups?”
It’s always the students who get into Seoul National University who badmouth it the most. But not Kyungpook National University. It’s the undisputed number one university on Earth.
Anyway, as we walked slowly through the forest after returning to the 10th Floor, I noticed creatures that were clearly Ents crouching down, completely motionless. I guess they don't attack because I’m a friend of Rumianabrixi.
“I’m going back to Rumi. What about you?”
“Please give her my regards. I’ll probably be back in the labyrinth a few more times over the next two weeks, but for now, I’m heading back to the surface. Tell her we should catch up and talk again when there’s another chance.”
“I suppose so. Quite a bit of time must have passed. About three days.”
“Eh? What do you mean by that?”
Aurora looked at me with raised eyebrows, as if surprised I didn't know.
“Time moves much faster in Rumi’s domain. Didn't you know?”
“No! Why are you only telling me this now? My meeting with you was my first time visiting!”
“Ah, that’s right.”
Holy crap. Does that mean it’s already been three days since I entered the labyrinth? That would mean it’s almost the fifth day in total. Theodora might have already finished her business in Calax and arrived in Roanmarie.
And the biggest problem was the possibility that Lady Lymain had summoned me.
“Crap, I’m leaving! Give Rumi my best!”
“Wait, Aven. Hold on a second.”
“I’m in a hurry, what do you need?”
Aurora waved her staff in the air, and a light-green wisp came buzzing toward us from the distance.
“This little one says it wants to follow you. What do you think? Rumi gave her permission.”
“Who is this... Ah, wait. It’s you, isn't it?”
—Hello! Savior-nim!
“Savior...?”
I looked at Aurora in confusion, and she replied with a smirk.
“The savior who rescued Rumi, the Monarch of the Brixi.”
“Ah, so that’s how it is. Um, but is it okay for a wisp to go outside?”
As far as I knew, wisps were guardians of the forest or something like that. They supposedly hated people entering the forest so much that they even created Ents to stop them.
—Hehe, Rumianabrixi helped me with that!
“Helped you?”
—I’ve gained the ability to draw mana even outside the forest! It’s my reward for bringing you to her!
“Wow, that’s impressive. Has Rumi already adapted to the mana core?”
In any case, this green wisp wanted to follow me so badly that it asked Rumianabrixi for a reward that would allow it to live outside the forest.
Normally, a reward from a Wisp Monarch would be something far more grand, but it had chosen this just to follow me.
It would be pretty cold of me not to take it along now.
“I guess I have no choice. Let’s go together.”
—Yay! You’re the best, Savior-nim!
“That 'Savior' title is a bit much.”
—Then, Hero-nim?
“Where did 'Hero' come from?”
—I heard that the one who rescues a princess is a Hero! Hero-nim! The Hero who rescued Rumianabrixi!
“It suits you, doesn't it? What do you think, Aven?”
“Well... whatever you like.”
Still, a wisp leaving the labyrinth was a very strange sight. Wisps were creatures that would normally die if they couldn't obtain mana from the forest. Aurora’s opinion was that if I carried it around the city, I’d surely be interrogated by magic-hungry mages.
“There, that should do it.”
“What did you do?”
“An invisibility spell. I’ve set it so you can turn it on and off whenever you want, Aven.”
“Doesn't that consume mana or something?”
—I think I’ll be fine! With the enhanced mana core blessed by Rumianabrixi, I can produce this much mana easily!
“I see. That’s good then.”
Now all that was left was for me to be tested for a 'mental illness' skill whenever I was caught talking to an invisible wisp. This is the burden of a Hero. Hmm.
“Ms. Aurora, I’m really leaving now. Come on, Wispie.”
“Good work. I’ll say it again—thank you for saving my friend.”
“Don't mention it.”
—Let’s go! Hero-nim!
* * *
“You are very late.”
“Sigh... I am truly sorry. I didn't mean to be this late, really.”
“Would you care to explain what happened?”
To my surprise, the esteemed Renart Lymain herself was waiting in my quarters. Almost three days had passed, and since Theodora had heard I was in the labyrinth, she fortunately hadn't arrived in Roanmarie yet.
Ms. Alfi told me that Mother had summoned me once on the second day, but since I hadn't emerged from the labyrinth, she couldn't relay the message.
“Phew, it’s a bit difficult to explain.”
I explained as much as I could. I had to gloss over the parts I’d promised Aurora not to mention, which made the explanation even more difficult.
“But what I can say for certain is that it wasn't intentional. And I did have a successful harvest.”
“A harvest? It had better be a harvest I find acceptable.”
“Ah, I’ll show you right now.”
To pull out Queen Arachne’s leg from my back, I first took off my shirt.
“W-what are you doing! Put your clothes back on!”
“No, it’s not that. I wanted to show you this.”
A massive leg with a dark purple exoskeleton pushed its way out from my latissimus dorsi. Since I was showing it in the main room of the quarters, the leg practically filled the entire space, even though it wasn't a small room.
“Wait, how did you...? Is this not the leg of a Queen Arachne?”
“That’s right. I didn't just get the leg; I consumed the entire body.”
“Hmm, that is indeed...”
This seemed to be a harvest significant enough for Mother to accept. Regardless, it was still true that I’d ignored her summons and stayed in the labyrinth for three days. I gave her a proper apology.
“Sigh, very well. I cannot even begin to fathom what you must have gone through.”
“Haha... Mother, by any chance, was the reason you summoned me...?”
“Naturally, it was because a listing for the gargoyle you wanted so badly finally appeared.”
“Really?! Then the purchase...!”
“No, only the auction schedule has been released. I haven't purchased it yet.”
“Ah, I see.”
Auctions naturally need to attract many customers, so they promote the items they’ll be putting up through rumors or notice boards. According to the information obtained by the Lymain family, a gargoyle statue was set to appear in this upcoming auction.
The date was two days away; fortunately, there was still time. The reason Mother had summoned me was to suggest I go with her to check out the auction house and get a feel for the market prices.
“That’s great. I’ll definitely go.”
“Will you?”
“If I’m going with you, Mother, of course I have to go.”
“I-I see... For now, put your shirt back on.”
“Ah, right.”
The conversation concluded there. It was decided that Theodora would also join us for the auction in two days.
When I finished the talk and stepped out of the room, Ravi and Ms. Alfi were waiting for me outside the door.
“Y-Yoo Eon... did you get switched on the calves...?”
“Switched?”
“Alfi-unnie told me... she said if you do something wrong to Lady Renart, you get a switching on the calves....”
“Hmm.”
I looked up at Ms. Alfi, who was wearing a very satisfied smirk. Well now, I guess I should play along with the joke.
“I got beaten badly.”
I immediately manipulated the blood vessels near my calves to pool blood under the skin, then rolled up my pants to show Ravi.
“Eek...! You have... you have bruises everywhere...!!!”
“Now it’s Ravi’s turn. Go in and get your switching.”
“N-no way...! I didn't do anything wrong!!”