12. Escape from the Labyrinth
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Escape from the Labyrinth
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Anne’s expression hardened.
“But, didn’t you say you would help me find them?”
“We found all the scattered living party members. Do you expect us to recover a corpse as well?”
Jeong Yoo-shin felt a headache coming on.
He shouldn't have said he would help her find her companions when he agreed to travel with her.
They found the two by chance; it hadn’t been part of his plan. He considered it a stroke of luck.
But Anne might see it differently.
She might consider it as some inevitable fate rather than mere coincidence.
‘She’s completely delusional.’
He regretted his earlier words.
It was like being outsourced to a family-run business, being yelled at by the young CEO for questioning tasks outside the contract, and then, after a single mistake, seeing the family-like team fall apart.
He somehow managed to find a way to survive.
And even more luckily, they found the others too.
But now she wanted him to find the dead CEO as well.
It was irritating, but he tried to hold on to the last vestiges of his modern conscience as he said to Anne,
"I swear to God, Anne, Karl is dead.”
“You might have been mistaken. The situation was chaotic.”
‘Oh, for fuck’s sake.’
This was a disaster.
He couldn’t take it anymore.
“Let’s stop this. I’m going alone. You guys can do whatever you want. Find him or don’t.”
Anne urgently replied.
“Mr. Skar! Do you think you can make it out alone?”
“It’s better than dying while looking for a dead man.”
He gathered his belongings and stood up.
“Skar!”
Anne’s desperate voice echoed through the dark chamber.
‘She’s completely lost it.’
Jeong Yoo-shin gritted his teeth and turned away.
Just as he was about to leave the chamber, something fell from between the gaps of his hard leather armor. It was soaked in goblin blood, but he recognized it immediately.
A clump of brown fur.
Dalmong’s.
Jeong Yoo-shin stared blankly at the fur on the ground.
“How did this get here?”
A defeated sigh escaped his lips.
He remembered the beast-person who took him in when he had nowhere to go.
The beast-person who helped him without reservations when he aspired to become an explorer.
Without Dalmong's help and advice, he might still be a homeless person, much less an explorer. Even if Dalmong charged him for lodging, he still owed him a lot.
He picked up the fur and fiddled with it.
After standing there for a long time, Jeong Yoo-shin finally spoke.
“Anne, let’s go to the central area. More explorers pass through there, so we might be able to get some help and advice. If we meet a good explorer, we'll have a better chance of finding your friend. This is my last concession.”
Anne, who had been silent, replied,
“Alright.”
‘We should have just parted ways here.’
Jeong Yoo-shin tucked the blood-soaked fur into his pants pocket.
He and Anne packed their belongings and left the rest area.
They dragged Marie the same way they did Dean: with a rope tied around her waist.
Lost in their own thoughts, they navigated the darkness in silence.
Hours passed. Or were they just minutes?
It felt like they had been walking, or perhaps crawling, all night.
There were no goblin attacks.
Was it because they were covered in goblin blood and filth?
He didn’t know.
Just as the feeling in his feet began to disappear, they reached the boundary between the outer and central areas.
And…
They found Karl.
Or rather, what was left of him. They found his mangled, half-eaten head.
Arms and legs, seemingly belonging to both humans and beast-people, were piled up in a strange geometric pattern, with heads decorating the top like a gruesome Christmas tree.
Karl’s head was among them.
The grotesque structure was a totem marking the boundary between the outer and central areas. A goblin territorial marker, to be exact.
“There he is.”
Jeong Yoo-shin pointed at Karl’s head.
Anne froze like a statue.
She had the expression of someone who had witnessed the impossible.
Anne stumbled forward.
“Ah… Ah…”
She stared blankly, then knelt down and vomited on the ground.
“Ugh!”
Jeong Yoo-shin approached the totem and carefully removed Karl’s head.
“Marie, it’s Karl.”
“Karl? Karl. Karl. Karl.”
Marie took Karl’s head from Jeong Yoo-shin and cradled it in her arms.
Jeong Yoo-shin patted Anne on the back as she sobbed and retched.
“Look at them, Anne. Dean and Marie. They won’t survive without you. Are you going to stay here, kneeling and grieving?”
Anne looked at him with glazed eyes.
“Don’t look at me. Look at your friends. Your friends from the village.”
He grabbed her chin and turned her face towards Marie and Dean.
One was giggling, and the other was gently stroking Karl’s head.
“Don’t you feel sorry for them? This happened because of you. If you had stopped them from going to the second level, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“B-But, Karl…”
“He’s dead. Are you going to blame a dead man? Wouldn’t Karl be sad? Do you really think you bear no responsibility?”
“…”
“We found Karl’s head. Do you want to find his body too? Then let’s part ways here. I’m leaving. You can take your time and catch up.”
He let go of Anne’s chin and stood up.
Grip!
Anne grabbed his arm. She held on with surprising strength and it hurt.
“Let’s go. I’m going. You heartless bastard! You monster!”
Jeong Yoo-shin spoke calmly.
“Anne, I can’t go with you if you talk like that. I am neither your friend nor your subordinate. Do you understand?”
Anne suddenly started giggling.
‘That’s creepy.’
Her laughter abruptly stopped. She stood up unsteadily.
“Let’s go, Mr. Skar.”
“Do you even have the strength to draw your bow?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll shoot even if it kills me.”
[The key to motivation is responsibility.]
He had tried to instill a sense of responsibility in Anne, just like he had seen on YouTube.
‘Success.’
Although her crazed look was a bit concerning.
‘I could be a motivational speaker.’
“Alright, alright. Let’s go.”
He clapped his hands to break the tension.
Jeong Yoo-shin dragged Dean, and Anne dragged Marie.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Finally.”
Jeong Yoo-shin, who was completely worn out and covered in wounds, muttered in a shaky voice.
After many trials and tribulations, they had arrived.
He saw the stone monument in the large chamber.
He had hoped to encounter other explorers on their way to the transfer point, but they hadn't seen anyone.
Food was a problem, but the bigger issue was that they had used up all their torches. They had the candle from the church, but the fear of running out of light kept them moving with minimal rest.
Dean and Marie were relatively okay, but Anne’s condition was critical.
Her face was pale, and her lips were dry and cracked.
The bandages on her abdomen were soaked in blood and reeked of decay.
Her gait was also unsteady. It wouldn’t have been surprising if she had collapsed.
He had thought it was the end when they got attacked by goblins just before reaching the monument.
But despite her condition, Anne displayed incredible archery skills and killed four goblins. Jeong Yoo-shin then dealt with the remaining five.
During the fierce battle, Dean giggled incessantly, and Marie had wet herself while clutching Karl’s head.
‘Well, at least we made it.’
He looked back.
Anne was practically a walking corpse, and Dean and Marie, exhausted from the forced march and the battle, were slumped on the ground.
He touched the monument and two portals appeared.
A red portal leading down.
And a blue portal leading out.
“Let’s go.”
Dean kept trying to enter the red portal, so he pushed him into the blue one first. Then Marie. Then Anne.
Finally, Jeong Yoo-shin.
He was enveloped in blue light, and the floating sensation returned.
And then, he saw a bright sky.
They were standing on a large magic circle, presumably the exit of the Great Labyrinth.
A strange sense of liberation washed over him.
“Hahaha. I fucking survived!”
Jeong Yoo-shin shouted and collapsed. He saw people in cleric robes rushing towards them, but his vision blurred and faded.
“I survived. Ugh.”
He mumbled one last time before losing consciousness.
He woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling.
“You’re awake. This is the relief center next to the labyrinth exit.”
An elderly cleric with white hair said.
“How long have I been out?”
“About five hours.”
He sat up and looked around. The room resembled a hospital ward. Several beds were arranged in the spacious room. There weren’t many patients.
“It’ll be full soon. It’s almost evening.”
“I don’t know how to repay your kindness. Thank you.”
He was touched that such a benevolent organization existed in this world.
“One silver coin.”
The sudden exorbitant price felt like a blow to the head.
“What?”
“You weren’t seriously injured, so I only used a simple healing spell on you. That’s why it’s only one silver coin. If you can’t afford it, we can put it on your tab. You can repay it gradually through the guild.”
‘Why is it so expensive? Is this right?’
Perhaps his discontent showed on his face because the old cleric smiled.
“It’s cheaper than the cost of your life.”
‘That’s true.’
He paid the silver coin without complaint.
He only had one silver coin and a few copper coins left.
The emptiness in his pouch left a bitter taste in his mouth. He was glad that he had collected the goblin ears.
“Oh! And about your companions…”
“Yes. How are they?”
“Frankly, they’re in critical condition. Especially the red-haired girl.”
“Are they dead?”
He asked indifferently. He wasn’t really curious or concerned.
“No. They were on the verge of death, but we were able to save them.”
“Well, that’s good.”
The old cleric’s eyebrow twitched at his apathetic tone.
“Skar, weren’t you the party leader? Weren’t you the last one to come out of the labyrinth?”
“No. The guy whose head was… well, you know… He was the leader.”
“Then what should we do? You’re the only one who’s mentally sound.”
“Just put each of their expenses on their own tabs. But can you treat those who are… mentally unwell?”
“There’s a chance for the girl, but the boy is a lost cause.”
So there was hope for Marie, but not for Dean.
“Well, they’ll figure it out. I’ll be going now.”
As he got out of bed and gathered his belongings…
The ward door burst open.
Bang!
“Anne! Dean! Karl!”
A sturdy human male rushed in, shouting.
He was limping so Jeong Yoo-shin recognized him as the injured villager Karl had mentioned.
“…Marie?”
The man’s eyes darted around the ward before settling on a particular spot. His trembling voice echoed through the quiet room.
Marie was sitting on a chair next to Anne’s bed.
Gently stroking Karl’s head.
Dean was crouching next to Marie, giggling incessantly.
“What’s going on?”
The man approached them with difficulty and asked.
“Marie, Dean. What happened? Tell me! And what’s with this head?”
Jeong Yoo-shin slung his backpack over his shoulder and approached them.
“It’s no use. Marie’s mind is broken, and Dean has gone mad.”
“Who are you?”
The man growled menacingly.
“I was your replacement.”
“Explain what happened!”
“You see that head Marie is holding? That’s Karl.”
“W-What?”
The man asked as if he hadn’t heard correctly. But his eyes were fixed on the head in Marie’s hands.
“Karl. He fell into a goblin trap, got stabbed by a spear, and his head was bashed in by a club. He’s dead.”
Silence fell over the ward.
The man’s legs seemed to give way, and he collapsed onto the floor.
“Ugh!”
He began to vomit.
The old cleric approached, clicking his tongue.
“Is it appropriate to vomit in a ward where hygiene is paramount?”
“I agree.”
Jeong Yoo-shin nodded.
The man, having emptied his stomach, jumped up and grabbed Jeong Yoo-shin by the collar.
“You bastard! What did you do?! Why are you the only one unscathed?!”
‘Is this guy’s brain broken?’
Jeong Yoo-shin punched the man in the jaw.
Crack!
The man staggered and collapsed.
“Fighting in the ward. Tsk tsk.”
The old cleric clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
Jeong Yoo-shin also clicked his tongue and said,
“I saved them all and brought them back. You should be bowing down to me in gratitude. I got shot with arrows like a pincushion, ran around like a madman, and risked my life to save your friends. I can’t exactly strip naked and show you my wounds, can I?”
He exaggerated a bit.
“Hmm. It wasn’t quite that bad.”
The old cleric suddenly interjected.
Jeong Yoo-shin and the man exchanged a look.
“I’ve never seen this old man before. He seems a bit confused. You’re Karl’s friend, right? What’s your name?”
Ignoring the old cleric’s chuckle, the man spoke.
“Tarman.”
“Alright, Tarman. We need to go somewhere. Right now.”
“Where?”
“The Explorers Guild.”
“Why?”
“To collect the reward for the extermination quest. You need money for your friends’ treatment, right?”
“Why do I have to go with you?”
“Because I don’t want you complaining later about the reward distribution. Though if you don't want to, then suit yourself.”
“I’ll go.”
After a moment of hesitation, Tarman nodded.
He seemed lost and confused by the sudden death of his friend, but he quickly regained his composure.
“The Explorers Guild is right next door. It’s the branch that handles extermination and collection quests. It’s not a busy time right now, so we should be able to finish this quickly.”
The old cleric interjected.
“The old man’s words are coherent and clear. Are you sure he’s confused?”
Tarman asked, and Jeong Yoo-shin shrugged.
“Maybe it’s temporary amnesia. Do you really think that’s important right now? You don’t even know how much the treatment will cost.”
“That’s… true.”
“Let’s go.”
He wanted to settle the reward distribution as quickly as possible. He didn’t want to be associated with these people any longer.
Tarman hesitated, glancing at Karl’s head, but eventually followed Jeong Yoo-shin.
They left the relief center and entered the Explorers Guild building next door.
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T/N - Handing the traumatized girl the head of her companion is a pretty f*cked up move, man. I laughed at the YouTube part though. You really learn all sorts of things there.
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