Chapter 174 That's Me
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 174
Chapter Title: That's Me
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In front of the deserted labyrinth.
Jeong Yoo-shin's gaze was fixed on one spot.
There were a few strange-looking explorers gathered here, but all he could see were the barbarians.
The other parties participating in the investigation also kept their distance while glancing at the barbarians.
There were four barbarians in total.
The weapons they were holding were mostly heavy two-handed swords or massive axes.
They didn't look as strong as the barbarian who had advised him to have sex last time, but each one had an aura of a powerful warrior.
The strange thing was the chains around their necks.
They looked like prisoners.
"Skar-ssi."
Lena approached Jeong Yoo-shin.
She was wearing a loose-fitting robe, and a shortsword hung from her waist.
"Why are those guys here?"
"They are part of the investigation team, but I heard that they’re going to a deeper level than us. I don't know the details. Please follow me. Let's meet up with our party for now."
He joined the party with Lena.
The priest Sarteurang's attire was simple.
As for equipment, all he had was a short staff.
Mick, on the other hand, looked like a typical warrior. He wore a leather armor base with plates reinforcing the vital parts.
His equipment consisted of a round shield, an arming sword, and a dagger.
Varg was carrying a backpack on his back.
It looked cute because it was a fluffy fur bag.
Mick looked over Jeong Yoo-shin's appearance and nodded. It seemed that he had immediately figured out how the other intended to fight.
Jeong Yoo-shin looked around and checked the other parties participating in the labyrinth investigation.
There was a lion beast-person leading several women in a party.
There was also a party made up of only short dwarves.
There were many strange compositions, but most of them had the aura of veterans.
The barbarians spotted Jeong Yoo-shin and whispered among themselves.
'What's with these bastards.'
As Jeong Yoo-shin was having a staring contest with them, Astaroth, with a weary expression, approached the front of the investigation team with her subordinates.
A few of her subordinates quickly stepped forward and set up a wooden platform.
Astaroth got on the wooden platform and looked over the investigation team.
"...Ugh!"
Then she made eye contact with Jeong Yoo-shin and blushed slightly.
"You've all heard about it, so I won't waste my breath explaining things again. Finish the investigation quickly. Don't die! Move out."
Jeong Yoo-shin tilted his head for a moment.
He didn't know why Astaroth had made eye contact with him when she shouted not to die.
""Yes!!!""
The labyrinth investigation team answered loudly and entered the magic circle one by one.
There were four parties in the investigation team in total.
It was a paltry number compared to last time.
The number decreased with each flash of light.
Jeong Yoo-shin adjusted his pack and stood in front of the magic circle.
A wind that had lost its heat swept past him, ruffling his hair.
'Is it autumn?'
He thought that by the time he finished this trip to the labyrinth and came out, it would probably be autumn.
He closed his eyes while thinking such idle thoughts.
A flash of light, and he felt a floating sensation.
Thud!!!
As soon as his feet touched the ground, he knew…
Cool, damp air.
And darkness so thick that he couldn't see an inch in front of him.
The 1st floor of the labyrinth.
Fwoosh.
As soon as he realized it, a torch immediately lit up the surroundings.
Mick was holding the torch up.
"Varg."
"I know."
When Lena called his name, Varg sniffed the air and took the lead.
Behind him were Mick, Sarteurang, Lena, and finally, Jeong Yoo-shin at the very back.
A single-file formation to protect the priest and the mage.
The party members walked silently as they advanced through the labyrinth.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
One day. Two days. Three days. Four days.
They moved at a fast pace and arrived at the 5th-floor city, Ingrave.
They had shortened their travel time dramatically.
It was the result of the party members focusing on walking without much idle chatter, and Varg's pathfinding skills.
He had smelled the goblins in their path from a distance and had avoided fights altogether, setting the optimal route and leading the party comfortably.
He had also immediately detected traps.
When Jeong Yoo-shin asked about that out of curiosity, Varg raised his front paw and pointed at his own nose.
"Goblin traps reek of feces. It's awful. You can't miss it."
The inside of Ingrave city was quiet.
But the closer they got to the central plaza, the stronger the smell of blood became.
The party's pace gradually slowed.
And then a bloody sight was revealed to them.
An enormous number of goblin corpses filled the plaza.
To exaggerate a little, blood flowed like a river, and corpses were piled up like a mountain.
In the middle of the mountain of corpses, a goblin, split in half, was lying sprawled.
"Hmm?"
It was clearly different from the goblins he had seen so far.
Should he call it an old goblin?
Graying hair and a height of well over 2 meters.
A skinny but firm, muscular body.
He had never seen such a monster before.
The other party members seemed to be thinking the same thing.
"This is strange. I've never seen a goblin like this. No. I don't even know if it is a goblin."
Lena said while examining the old goblin's corpse.
Jeong Yoo-shin also approached Lena and observed the corpse.
The goblin's body had been split in half with overwhelming strength and speed.
A greatsword or a two-handed axe?
He dipped his finger in the blood around the corpse and examined it.
Judging by the color and texture of the blood…
"It’s already decomposing. At least a day has passed."
The surface levels of the labyrinth were humid but cool.
In a humid environment, decay progressed quickly.
But the cool temperature also suppressed such decay.
He couldn't consider everything. He could only make a rough judgment.
"..."
"It's a unique monster. Worth reporting. But we can't delay here."
Lena said calmly without even batting an eye amidst the corpses.
Following Lena's instructions, the party members passed through the goblin corpses and immediately entered the Corridor area.
Normally, they would have stayed a little longer to see what was going on, but it seemed like the advance team had already taken care of it.
It could be taken as a sign that the investigation was over. And it also meant that they were behind the other parties.
They advanced through the central area and, through the portal of the transfer stone, immediately arrived at the 6th-floor Corridor area.
As soon as they passed through the red portal, Varg growled.
"Enemies ahead. 18 of them. 3 Skeleton Mages, 5 Archers, and 10 Warriors are coming."
Lena tilted her head.
"That's a lot, isn't it?"
"Get ready for now."
Jeong Yoo-shin took out his crossbow and loaded it.
Click!
Lena and Sarteurang stood still and prepared to chant, while Mick placed the torch on the ground and raised his shield and sword.
As they waited quietly, a horde of skeletons approached them from a distance, their blue eyes glowing.
[Mind Protection]
First, Sarteurang's chant echoed through the Corridor hallway.
A water-colored orb descended on the party members' heads.
The color was different from Barion's holy magic, but it was the same magic that blocked the Corridor level's law, 'Fear'.
The enemies immediately noticed that and began to run while clattering.
Mick stood at the front and took a deep breath.
"Sex!!!!!!"
[Taunt]
As the obscene shout echoed through the corridor, the skeletons all rushed madly toward Mick.
Jeong Yoo-shin understood.
Skeletons can't have sex, so they must be very angry with that taunt.
As the Warriors charged all at once, only the Skeleton Mages and Archers were left behind.
'Now.'
Jeong Yoo-shin quickly charged forward.
"Skar!!!"
[Spirit Stream]
Sarteurang turned into an ethereal form and clung to Jeong Yoo-shin.
Jeong Yoo-shin gritted his teeth and accepted Sarteurang.
A feeling of soul touching soul.
It wasn't a good feeling, but his whole body began to overflow with vitality.
Boom!!!
Jeong Yoo-shin's body dashed out as he kicked off the ground.
His target was…
The Skeleton Archers.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
He aimed his crossbow and fired bolts as he ran.
In an instant, five or six bolts flew toward the monsters’ backline.
It was point-blank firing that threw accuracy to the wind.
But since it was close-range shooting, it was effective.
Crack! Thwack! Thud!
The Skeleton Archers, hit by the bolts, had their bones broken as they staggered. In an instant, the monsters were disabled.
The one hit in the head immediately lost the light in its eyes and collapsed on the spot.
Jeong Yoo-shin landed in the middle of the monsters’ backline and drew his bastard sword.
Shing.
Swiiisssh!!!
Krrrrunch!!!
He cut the necks and arms of the flailing Skeleton Archers.
"Put it in gently!!!"
Mick shouted from a distance.
Jeong Yoo-shin understood immediately.
It was because the skeletons that had been rushing toward Mick had flinched.
'Did I do too much damage?'
The aggro must have shifted.
Jeong Yoo-shin stabbed his bastard sword into the ground.
Klaaaang!!!
Sparks flew as the sword lodged itself into the stone floor.
He immediately loaded the crossbow in one hand and fired in all directions.
Front, back, left, right.
He didn't care about his stance. He didn't need to aim either.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
The skeletons, their bones shattered, collapsed one by one.
As expected, expensive items are good.
[Ice Spear]
A long icicle spear flew and pierced the head of a Skeleton Mage that was just about to cast a spell.
[Ice Spear]
A new ice spear flew and hit another Skeleton Mage.
The second ice spear missed slightly and only broke the Skeleton Mage's ribs.
Jeong Yoo-shin immediately ran toward the Skeleton Mage.
It was because that bastard's buff magic was extremely annoying.
He brought the crossbow to the temple of the staggering Skeleton Mage.
Click.
The Skeleton Mage's eye-lights brightened for a moment.
Was it surprised?
Thump!!!
The bolt, fired from a very close distance, shattering the skull and going straight through.
Krrrrunch!!!
The skeleton mage collapsed limply, its eye-lights fading.
He had taken care of the archers and swept the mages.
All that was left was a massacre.
Jeong Yoo-shin went behind the Skeleton Warriors that Mick was blocking and cut their necks one by one.
Slice!!!
The last Skeleton Warrior's neck was cleanly severed and fell to the floor.
The subjugation of the 18 skeleton monsters was over in an instant.
"Skar, you fight really well!"
The possessing Sarteurang said that in a surprised voice.
"Please get out of my body now."
"Can't I stay a little longer? It's nice here."
"Please get out of my head quickly."
Mick looked at Jeong Yoo-shin for a moment and gave him a thumbs-up.
Jeong Yoo-shin nodded.
The feeling of being acknowledged by decent veteran explorers wasn't bad.
"Put it in gently. A messed-up cuckold sex only leads to ruin."
"I got it. Sex."
Jeong Yoo-shin understood perfectly.
He was saying not to carelessly inflict damage and upset the party's balance when the aggro wasn't completely fixed.
"But it's strange that they're already moving in packs like this."
Lena looked down at the skeletons with suspicious eyes.
Varg lifted his hind leg, pissed in a corner, and then slowly approached her.
"We should rest a bit and recover our stamina. There's a resting place nearby, so let's go there."
The party members walked down the corridor and arrived at the resting place.
A small room.
No one was there.
They took out firewood, lit a fire, and each ate their own food.
Lena took out food and water from the backpack on Varg's back and put them in separate bowls.
Varg buried his nose in his bowl and began to eat.
Mick plopped down and chewed on some jerky, while Sarteurang nibbled on a hard biscuit.
Jeong Yoo-shin also found a spot and chewed on some dried fruit.
A question suddenly came to his mind.
It was because the party's coordination was so familiar.
"Are you guys a fixed party?"
Lena shook her head.
"No. I do come to the labyrinth with Varg-ssi and Priest Sarteurang from time to time, but we don't have a fixed party."
"Why?"
Sarteurang, who had already finished his meal, chimed in.
"Lena is busy. She has a lot to research as a mage. It's impossible for her to have a fixed party."
"I see."
"Oh my. You can speak comfortably."
"Yes."
But Jeong Yoo-shin still maintained his politeness.
"I'm disappointed."
Sarteurang gave a bitter smile.
'Your face is more disappointing.'
He swallowed the insult and turned his head.
Mick was leaning against the wall, just staring at the bonfire.
The party members followed Jeong Yoo-shin's gaze and looked at Mick.
"Pussy sex."
"..."
The atmosphere became heavy.
Tap, tap!!!
Mick came to his senses and tapped his own mouth.
Lena and Sarteurang had indifferent expressions. Varg let out a big yawn and just stared at the door with half-open eyes.
"Skar-ssi."
"What?"
"Are you really a low-intermediate explorer?"
"I am."
"You fight so well. Do you actually have another imprint?"
Sarteurang asked instead of Lena.
"..."
Jeong Yoo-shin crossed his arms and met Sarteurang's eyes.
"Oh my! Does that mean I have to reveal mine first if I want to know your imprints?"
Sarteurang smiled brightly, took a pendant from his pocket, and threw it to Jeong Yoo-shin.
"Catch."
Jeong Yoo-shin snatched the flying pendant.
"Open it."
He opened the pendant, and there was a small portrait inside.
A woman in her twenties.
A picture of a priestess with short brown hair smiling calmly.
She was quite beautiful. And her breasts were big.
Jeong Yoo-shin looked up.
"Your hair color is the same. Is she your sister?"
"No."
Sarteurang shook his head.
"That's me."
Jeong Yoo-shin's eyes widened.
"What did you say?!"
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T/N - Woah, woah, woah! Dropping an M. Night Shyamalan twist right at the end. F*cking cliffhanger. Is it a gender changing negative imprint of sorts, I wonder? Also, of course, the gay priest turns out to be a busty priestess.
Lastly, the MC is getting really good at deciphering Mick’s intent even with the latter’s Dirty Talk imprint. Getting better and better at the language of sex. Thank you sex.