Chapter 76
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Floor 8 - Lv. 415 Lava Hammer Battalion (3)
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A few months ago had been a momentous day for Trdongt as well.
He knew well about Exiles.
Not because they had popped up time and again in his life to pester him.
This continent's history had recorded the existence of these otherworlders called Exiles since ancient times.
Some had even become part of history itself.
To be honest, Trdongt hadn't truly believed it. He'd never seen an Exile worth the hype.
When the Orc Great Hero warned him to beware of Exiles, those thoughts might have slipped through.
His reaction made Kakrish chuckle.
"It's hard to believe in what you haven't experienced yourself. I know that well, Shaman."
Kakrish said this with empty hands.
Because an insolent Exile had stolen his weapon.
The Great Hero wasn't an Orc assassin, but he didn't shy away from stealthily ambushing foes.
Whether that stemmed from worshiping the God of the Abyss over the God of War was unclear.
Which came first—his nature or his faith?
The weapon symbolizing him was a relic of the abyss said to have been passed down from antiquity.
Legends claimed he fought in close-quarters combat wielding that dagger.
Now, that weapon was stolen.
"A nasty rat. We must catch and kill it before it spreads more disease."
At those words, Kakrish warned once more to beware of the Exile.
And he proved his words.
By dying to that Exile.
The man Exile they met again was different in many ways.
Even after expending so much to subdue the Orc Great Hero, he didn't seem winnable.
Trdongt slumped beside the fallen Orc Great Hero's corpse.
Was this life ending here too?
But instead of killing him, the Exile requested a conversation.
Trdongt realized the legends of powerful, cunning Exiles were true.
The man's tongue was deviously sharp, piercing his heart.
Yet because of that, it rang hollow with false sincerity.
His voice, tone, expressions, gestures—everything lent credibility.
But it was all lies.
He wasn't preaching for some grand cause or stepping up for continental peace.
Not for the fairies, nor humanity's future.
Solely for his own gain.
Still, Trdongt listened. Not out of desire to live.
Simple curiosity. What the man sought from him concerned his disciple.
He hadn't fallen for the man's words.
But they shared one clear opinion.
Humans couldn't live as Orcs.
That's why they're born differently.
Send his disciple back to being human.
The Exile had a way.
Because he was an Exile.
Of course, Trdongt had changed too.
Even if it didn't touch his heart, there was influence.
He was weary of life, after all.
The cunning Exile smiled as if he knew it all.
And extended his hand.
What problem if neither of us loses out?
While the God of War looked away briefly, Trdongt grasped the man's hand.
And shook it. Apparently, that was human custom.
As dawn began to break, the master's tale ended.
The disciple wasn't deeply moved by her master's life story.
He hadn't droned on endlessly about his life.
Just plainly described what he'd felt and how his thoughts had shifted.
Including realizations that came only in hindsight.
No intent to persuade or scold.
Had he seemed even slightly preachy, the disciple would have tuned out.
Plugged her ears and pretended to listen to kill time.
But the master spoke casually, like recounting an old tale or a mercenary spilling his guts over drinks.
When it ended, the disciple asked.
The one intent he'd revealed.
"Do you want me to return to being human?"
"Yes."
The disciple tilted her head.
She got the intent. But why?
Why did this old shaman care so much?
"I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"Maybe an old man's whim. Heh."
The disciple sighed deeply.
A profoundly deep sigh.
"Then what should I do?"
"Will you try returning to human?"
"That Exile just wants to use me too. I don't like it."
"Then use that Exile in turn."
"How?"
So Trdongt shared his thoughts.
The disciple's jaw dropped.
"Outrageous. As I said before, the God of Discipline won't allow it."
Trdongt laughed.
"What does the God of Discipline value most?"
A question she could answer instantly.
"Money."
Trdongt nodded.
"Then how much loss has the God of Discipline suffered by losing you?"
Seeing her blink in shock, Trdongt chuckled lowly again.
Hidden behind the title of Great Saintess, she was still a young girl. Devout, and talented beyond that, to reach her position.
Ignorant of politics, even more of worldly affairs.
She'd only learned of life outside the temple after becoming an Orc.
"They say He's furious, desperately searching for you. A bit of blood loss is nothing. Before Discipline swaps you out in war, shouldn't we act?"
"Is that so..."
The disciple resolved herself.
"Will it really work out that smoothly?"
"Usually does. They don't know the God of Discipline is busy overseeing other servers too."
"Information asymmetry... Terrifying."
"No need to put it that way. Veteran Exiles pull that on rookies all the time."
"Ugh, humans really are the scariest."
"I'm not human anymore?"
Jokes aside, to Exiles, gods were business partners—but not to Labyrinth Residents.
To them, they were truly 'gods'.
Their attitudes differed fundamentally.
Especially high priests, who devoted body and soul.
Every action followed doctrine. Their lives were offerings to the divine.
To Labyrinth Residents, gods were akin to immutable 'laws'.
Beings that ought to be so.
"That's why they tend to demean themselves. Demoting to mere tools of the god, humble believers unworthy."
"But to gods, they're just part of the business."
"Believer count and strength fuel a god's influence."
Yet divine seat constraints prevented direct intervention.
Veteran Exile knowledge couldn't be passed to believers.
Frustrating as hell, but they had to watch the futility.
The God of War probably would've tried recruiting me openly if I hadn't declared enmity first.
Numerous Labyrinth Residents were like base-level believers in stamina; understanding Exiles were truly efficient tools.
Scratching itches gods couldn't reach.
Prove competence, and Exiles get endless divine love calls.
[The God of Nature envies the luck that has come to Chaos and licks its lips.]
"So the Saintess is probably digging holes in the ground right now? Is this right or wrong? What can I do when I return? Where does my heart lean."
"You said the Saintess is around my age, right? That makes sense. I was like that too. Puberty's dangerous."
I almost said, 'You're plenty stormy now...' but skipped it; too bothersome.
"Plus, the God of Discipline is a good god, so it'll be even more so. Maddening for the god Himself. But believers firmly think the god's nature is purely constrained by the divine seat."
"So they're prisoners."
"Big power comes with big costs. Believers are service industry in their own way."
The Girl made a 'perfectly understood' face.
Hunter and the little one too. The kid seemed disinterested, busy practicing mana control while carried.
"But will Trdongt move so easily as we want?"
The Girl recalled the old Orc shaman's image.
She'd confessed before: her first shock in the Labyrinth was the griffon, but Trdongt terrified her even more.
Could humans stand against such a foe?
Now knowing the Labyrinth better, her views had changed, but it'd been a huge shock then.
"Thanks to that shaman, I really get what you meant about treating NPCs as people, Uncle."
"So he'll move as we want."
How would I have swayed Trdongt?
Future me probably phrased it to seem like a seasoned schemer hiding motives.
Trdongt would think: Not fully trustworthy, but cooperative for mutual needs.
Aligned interests. His thoughts would stop there.
Key was clumsy enough for an old, shrewd shaman to see through partially.
That breeds trust.
Trdongt would feel he'd gauged the shallow tricks, so he could dip toes safely in the deal.
That's how scams work.
By now, he's probably persuading the Saintess instead of me.
Convinced he's compromising brilliantly at just the right line.
No Exile would reveal the Labyrinth's truths to Trdongt.
His life, trajectory, even alternate paths he might've taken.
Who'd imagine someone knowing all those possibilities?
With two vampires now, sun countermeasures were needed.
The cloaks the kid brought from the future had solid blackout functions. Still, wearing them didn't grant full sun freedom.
Two wore them; the rest woven with wood scraps into frames, draped as portable tents on backs.
Good thing vampires don't tire.
Kid rode piggyback too.
Movement was glacial. Rush into direct sun, and you'd burn from there.
Barbaroia endured as high-rank vampire; we're still rookies.
Tundra winter's constant clouds enabled travel. Blazing weather would force daytime burrowing.
Crawling the horse-ride distance so slowly, night fell again.
Then we sped up. Dead horse burial spot reappeared.
Retracing the path all night, dawn neared again.
As light broke, Greenskin army returning from human lands appeared distantly.
Campfires visible kilometers away.
No hiding on their turf.
Same in enemy heart.
Mana detection risked detection, so Hunter—keen-eyed with relevant skills—scouted.
My eyes spotted massive figures afar.
Armored Ogres and Trolls moved slower than unarmored.
Thus, elite warriors in heavy gear outpaced lighter monsters as vanguard.
Shock troops like special forces in Korean military terms.
Greenskins, so not espionage or assassination—just brutally strong.
Similar in elite few.
Each battalion member boss-tier. Heavily trained armored Trolls—utterly horrifying.
Officers proper bosses; commander could become new [Hero Unit] via Labyrinth choice if left alone.
Coldly, without Spirit King, no win from my hand. Absolutely avoid fight.
No way to summon Spirit King now. Even squeezing my life dry'd fail.
Mana-guzzler like a hippo.
Gather intel stealthily at night.
Sun rising, but haste ruins plans.
Current spot not far from fallen, burning fortress.
Lava Hammer Battalion camped joined with Stormhowl Brigade.
Breaking camp visible.
Per kid vamp, Trdongt, Saintess, and current her all there.
Infiltrate midst to contact Trdongt—caught means death. Real death.
"Can't we just Meteor them refreshingly like before?"
"No prep time first. And that power won't hurt them much."
Even on Floor 6, many Trolls survived.
Much higher level; [Meteor Swarm] won't kill meaningfully.
"Anyway, deliver this there, and it'll work out."
"[Hero Units] that strong?"
"Heroes gripping a race's history flow are like that. Gotta be insanely strong for influence in this eat-or-be-eaten land."
"Some fate thing?"
"Not anyone becomes history's protagonist. Future Gobletaria Federation tied to [Hero Units] somehow."
Girl pondered, then replied.
"Then we must rescue that Saintess?"
"Probably."
Somehow connected. No clue what she'll do back in human lines.
Labyrinth system dictates it.
Futures don't flip easily. Divergences at fate's branches always [Hero Units] and derived [Racial Mainstreams].
As gods bind to Exiles, history-molders bind to [Hero Units].
"Plenty with weird skills too."
High-level mobs aren't normal. Labyrinth Residents lack Mind Maps, gain skills innately or suddenly.
Elites always have oddballs.
Trusting [Stealth] or [Invisibility] riskier. Caught in heart, dead end.
Hunter said.
"Can't use those cloaks somehow?"
"Can control blood. But not human blood for my intake. Still usable."
Bit reckless, but trust future me hooked Trdongt perfectly.
Pubescent girls fall for warm old Orc grandpa words. No worry there.
"You know disciple and Trdongt's faces?"
"Unforgettable."
"Distinguishable among Orcs?"
"Still haunt my dreams sometimes."
"Poor thing. But that's how Exiles turn."
Plan simple.
"We go, smash. They'll chase provoked. Meantime, nimblest you deliver card to Trdongt. Okay?"
"Not okay. What if we die?"
"Great Saintess level can [Resurrection]."
"...Really?!"
Cleric class's most miraculous spell.
Revive the dead!
Well, works on living; not undead like us vamps. But vamps tough as nails.
Hence time attack.
Sun rising fully. Snowy, clouds block for now.
But higher sun means vamps burn.
Honestly, already uncomfortable. Chilly, sticky. Condition worsening.
"Anyway, kiddo and I fry in daylight. Friend or food, finish before full sunrise."
Tag with heavy Ogres, armored Trolls.
Human pals have extra lives.
Time limit: full sunup. About 20 minutes left?
Curtain rising.