Chapter 299: Incident
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 299: Incident
“W-where did you come from?! No! More importantly, turn around!”
“Phew...”
I had been ejected from the 70th floor to the surface in an instant. And to a precisely targeted location, no less. Just what kind of magic do you have to use to pull off something like this?
Come to think of it, there was no way teleportation magic could be used so easily. I had been so focused on the Great Flame Puppet’s defensive and offensive power that I’d forgotten how nonsensical its teleportation was.
“Yoo Eon...? Are you okay...?”
Sera, barely covering her overflowing maternal charms with one arm, reached out toward me.
“Sera, you look beautiful today as well.”
“W-what are you saying all of a sudden...?! I’m going to change, so get out, quickly!”
“Haven’t we seen everything already?”
—Clang!
* * *
“Daddy. A head grew on your head.”
“This, you see, is called a bump.”
“Gasp.”
“Bump.”
“Bump.”
“Yes, a bump.”
Yura, holding Ravi—who had turned into a cat—sat on the table and stared intently at my head. But why was Ravi being held like that?
“Ravi, are you comfortable?”
“A child’s body temperature is quite warm...”
“Is that so?”
Before long, I relaxed my body while eating the piping hot breakfast Sera brought from the kitchen. It seemed a night had passed inside the labyrinth, though I didn’t think I’d been in there that long.
“Yoo Eon... does it hurt a lot...?”
“No. I’m fine. I feel like I might have lost a bit of my memory, but that happens often enough.”
“I’m sorry...”
“I’m joking.”
Regardless, the fact remained that I had cleared the 70th floor. The problem was that I’d set my teleportation coordinates on the 69th floor, so I might have to pass through the 70th floor one more time the next time I went up.
This was the first time I’d encountered intelligent beings inside the labyrinth and passed them without killing them. Whether they would remember me on my next trip was anyone’s guess.
“That was a good meal, Sera. I’m going to step out for a bit.”
“Don’t be late, okay? You disappeared yesterday without a word, too...”
“Of course. Don’t worry.”
I entered the magic item shop and spat out Iris. She sprawled out on the floor and stared up at me.
“I cleared the 70th floor.”
“Good job.”
“I received something from the beings there. Do you know what this is?”
I pulled a glass vial filled with a red liquid from my storage artifact. Judging by the viscosity and color, it was definitely blood. But whose blood it was mattered most. My guess was the Emperor of Sinew, the original source of my abilities.
However, it was literally ordinary blood, containing no mana at all. I hadn’t looked into it properly, so I couldn't be sure, but that was how it appeared and felt on the surface.
“They said it’s an ability of the Emperor of Sinew that I can’t use yet.”
“Who did?”
“A spirit. It didn’t seem particularly strong, but it had a synthetic body they called a ‘puppet.’ There was a monster form and a human form... honestly, I couldn’t even tell if the human one was a synthetic body.”
Iris seemed to ponder my story for a moment, then got up from where she was lying and crawled laboriously to the other side of the table.
“Put some clothes on before you sit down.”
“Too much work.”
Watching her waddle across the table stark naked with her legs wide open was quite a sight. Did the Vampire Species have no one else to be their Lord? Was she chosen by drawing straws?
“Well? Does anything come to mind?”
“Hmm.”
Sitting in a chair, Iris stared intently at the transparent glass vial of red liquid on the table. She reached out, picked up the vial, shook it back and forth, and finally spoke after deep deliberation.
“You’re right. What those guys said.”
“About what?”
“This. You can’t use it.”
“Is it that incredible?”
“Yes.”
Did Iris sense something in this blood that I hadn’t? That stung a little. It was true that Iris’s magical abilities were outstanding, but this was my own ability we were talking about.
Just how much more mastery did I need before I could use that blood?
“What happens if I try to use it now?”
“You’ll die.”
“That much?”
I didn’t recall ever failing to assimilate a monster’s organ due to a lack of stats. Ah, wait, there was that one time.
‘Was it Tenebrax’s Dragon Heart?’
Except for that one time I lost consciousness, I had never failed to use a monster’s organ due to proficiency or raw stat issues. And this wasn't even a high-level mana core that emitted mana.
It was just about 30ml of blood. A tiny amount. And yet, she said I would die if I tried to absorb it.
“The Emperor of Sinew... just how strong was he?”
“Very.”
“If I fought him a hundred times now, could I win even once?”
“No.”
“Hmm...”
It had been a long time since I’d felt this way after learning how to use my abilities. Even if I fought a hundred times, I wouldn't be able to win even once?
“I see. For now... just keep resting.”
“Okay.”
* * *
Since I had come out via teleportation instead of a labyrinth portal, it was best to report my return in person. Besides, I had other business here today.
“Dahlia.”
“O-oh...? When did you come out...?”
“I used teleportation. I’m here to report my return.”
“Aha...”
Dahlia nodded slowly and diligently recorded my return on the paper beneath the desk.
“You came back early again. What floor did you reach?”
“Um... the 70th floor, but you probably won't believe me, right?”
Traversing to the 70th floor in a single night was physically near impossible. Of course, I could probably attempt it if I had to, but that was only because it was me.
Other Orichalcum-grade explorers had immense combat power, but they didn't necessarily possess incredible movement speed.
“Ahaha... I believe you.”
“Is that so? I came to talk about the Hollow Breeze.”
“Ah...! Right. My senior mentioned it. He’s... not here right now, but would you like to go up to the 4th floor?”
“Understood.”
On the 4th floor was Sir Arthur Dexter, as usual. A former Titanium-grade explorer who possessed a marvelous combination of skills that could turn gas into solid and solid into rigid matter. Ranked just below Orichalcum, he was one of the few top powerhouses in Calax.
“Sir Dexter.”
“It’s been a while. It’s rare to see an Orichalcum-grade explorer.”
“Haha, it’s not like that. I’ve just been busy.”
“Thank you for coming. You’re here to talk about the Hollow Breeze, I assume.”
It seemed the Calax Guild Assembly had already intended to relay news about the Hollow Breeze to me. The problem was that I didn't belong to any clan, nor did I have a fixed party to speak of.
There had never been an Orichalcum-grade explorer who was a ‘solo’ player. To reiterate, Orichalcum-grade explorers were exceptional fighters, but they weren't all-rounders who could cook their own meals, find their own water, and handle everything else alone.
One had to climb the labyrinth with party members who handled miscellaneous tasks outside of combat to go deep. Though I was an exception.
“Of course it’s fine. I have no doubt you’ll be a great asset.”
“Then under what name will I be listed?”
“Well, your own name, I suppose. Under the name of the new Orichalcum-grade explorer, Aven.”
“I see.”
There were several reasons why I wanted to prevent my face from becoming known, but the biggest issue was Sera and my in-laws. They were a normal... well, slightly unique, but nonetheless warm and happy family that one might find in Calax.
I had to prevent my name from disrupting their peaceful daily lives.
And.
‘A way to return to my previous world.’
If I eventually reached the 100th floor of the labyrinth and achieved the purpose originally designed by the one who summoned me to this world...
‘Should I go back home...?’
“Aven?”
“Ah, I was just thinking for a moment. I’ll participate for now. But could you refrain from filing a report or anything like that?”
“You mean you want to go without a report?”
“Problems might arise.”
“I’ll do that for now. I’ll be the only one who knows.”
“Thank you.”
* * *
“Megingjord and Stratos are maintaining the status quo. And the Avalon Clan has decided to send reinforcements.”
“An unexpected decision.”
Inside the meeting hall of the Roanmarie Central Guild.
“Fortunately, we’ve secured two Titanium-grade volunteers from small and medium clans, as well as 21 Cobalt-grade and 8 Palladium-grade explorers. However, the outlook remains grim.”
If only the Page of Arcana would properly explain how this Hollow Breeze was different. Instead, they only dropped hints that something was off without providing any actual information.
If they recklessly requested reinforcements from other labyrinth cities and suffered heavy losses, the amount Roanmarie would have to pay in compensation could balloon to astronomical figures.
“It’s a relief that Avalon decided to send reinforcements voluntarily.”
“Indeed.”
“That aside, you’ve all heard the news, I presume.”
At the very end of the rectangular table in the meeting hall, Alkon Maltreus, the chair of the Roanmarie branch Guild Assembly, spoke up.
“That a new Orichalcum-grade explorer has been born.”
“We’ve confirmed it. You’re talking about the explorer from Calax.”
“His activity history is unclear, but he doesn't seem to be associated with the Mayerbridge Union.”
“Hmm...”
Alkon Maltreus fell into thought for a moment. Roanmarie’s population was about 2.7 times that of Calax. Accordingly, it had far more explorers, and its history was about 2.5 times longer.
And yet, how could it be that among so many explorers, in an environment with better infrastructure, material support, and more information about the labyrinth...
“How can the Orichalcum-grade explorers of Roanmarie and Calax be equal in number?”
Of course, in the lower grades, Roanmarie had far more explorers than Calax. From Titanium, Palladium, and Cobalt, down to the second and third-rate explorers.
In terms of both quantity and supporting infrastructure, Roanmarie should have been a much better environment for nurturing powerful explorers.
“It’s strange.”
An Orichalcum-grade explorer held great symbolic significance by their mere existence. Under the guild management system that started in Roanmarie, they were the few recognized as the strongest.
Hechituk was an exception. That place didn't follow Roanmarie’s guild system and had its own independent structure and titles, so the citizens of Roanmarie didn't find it particularly interesting.
But for Calax, which was 300 years behind, to have two Orichalcum-grade explorers...
Originally, the guild system was created by a mage organization located where Roanmarie now stood—the predecessor of the Page of Arcana. But now, the overall supreme authority had been transferred to the Guild Headquarters.
This was the birthplace, and it was irritating enough that the people at the Guild Headquarters in the capital acted like they were the originals.
And now, even Calax, which had been a latecomer, possessed two Orichalcum-grade explorers at the same time.
“Investigate who it is. It shouldn't be difficult, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Roanmarie is bound to be much better than shabby Calax. If possible, try to recruit him.”
Alkon Maltreus nodded.
“I heard this Hollow Breeze is particularly dangerous.”
He was a new Orichalcum-grade explorer. Explorers were a lot that were hell-bent on showing off their power.
“He’ll be working very hard. And in the process, an accident might happen. Don’t you think?”
“...Indeed.”