Chapter 63 When the Heavens are on My Side! Huh!
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: When the Heavens are on My Side! Huh!
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Srrng!
Jeong Yoo-shin sprang up from his sitting position and drew his arming sword.
"Who’s there?!"
He intentionally raised his voice.
His half-asleep party members immediately jumped up and grabbed their weapons first.
Ting-a-ling. Ting. Ting.
The sound of stringed instruments being plucked came from outside.
"...Is that a lute?"
Gallerheim, who had been hurriedly loading his crossbow, muttered with wide eyes.
"Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. 'We' are humans, not monsters."
The speaker hummed, as if singing a song.
Jeong Yoo-shin's eyebrows twitched.
Had another party come looking for the resting area?
But their method was quite malicious. To startle people without any warning… It showed that they were skilled, but wasn't this too much?
The elf priest, Pyrion Acrein, seemed to share the same thought judging by his uncomfortable expression as he spoke.
"Shouldn't you at least make some footsteps before coming near us?"
"Whoops! My apologies. We're a quiet bunch. Anyways, can we come in?"
Jeong Yoo-shin looked around at his party members.
They silently nodded in response to his gaze.
"Come in."
Sharak.
As soon as Jeong Yoo-shin finished speaking, the blanket covering the entrance was pulled back.
A young man with white makeup on his face entered while smiling.
The makeup was like that of a clown.
He could tell at a glance that this man with his beady eyes was not to be taken lightly.
He held a dagger in one hand and a lute in the other.
Four men followed behind the man in makeup.
They were all human. They had a quiet demeanor.
They carried various weapons, but mostly short-range weapons like daggers, short swords, and maces.
Another commonality was that they all carried crossbows on their backs.
The man with the clown makeup grinned at Jeong Yoo-shin.
"Are you the leader of this party?"
"That's right."
"Relax. We really did come here to rest. We'll be quiet in the corner."
"What if I refuse?"
"...What? Heh heh. Hahahahahaha!!!"
The clown-like man burst into laughter. He even tilted his head back as if he had heard a funny joke.
Jeong Yoo-shin quietly observed the man who had suddenly burst into laughter.
'Is he crazy?'
A man with a quiet demeanor stepped forward from behind the clown.
The man wore an eyepatch on one eye and had a thick beard on his chin.
The man spoke.
"This cave seems too spacious for just one party. Does this entire resting area belong to you?"
"It doesn't. But we were using it first. Isn't it common courtesy to ask for permission?"
"Aren't we asking for permission now?"
"With that kind of attitude?"
At Jeong Yoo-shin's response, the one-eyed man chuckled and then his expression hardened.
"Young man, recklessness is not good."
Just as he was about to respond in the heat of the moment, someone tugged at his pants.
It was the long-nosed gnome, Gallerheim.
"What is it?"
Jeong Yoo-shin asked.
"Just let it go. Is there really a need to fight over this spot?"
Gallerheim whispered.
Jeong Yoo-shin looked at his party. Most of them seemed to want to avoid a fight.
"Tsk. Fine. Go to that corner over there."
"Hah, what a temper."
The eyepatch-wearing man clicked his tongue, led his party to the corner, and sat down.
The man's party quickly set up their camp in an orderly fashion. They seemed experienced, as if they had done this many times before.
Jeong Yoo-shin glanced at the man's party several times.
It seemed like they really had come here to rest, just as the clown man had said.
Had he overreacted?
As a leader, he felt like he was wavering, unable to find his footing between his own personality and the safety of his party.
He wondered if that confusion was manifesting as an overly sensitive reaction.
He suddenly had a renewed appreciation for Karin.
She had a bit of a harsh and reckless personality, but she had shown the ability to lead a party skillfully.
Someone placed a hand on his shoulder.
It was the paladin, Soline.
"Don't blame yourself. It was a reasonable reaction for a leader. They approached us without making a sound, so it wouldn't have been strange if a fight had broken out."
Was that so?
Jeong Yoo-Shin inwardly nodded and spoke.
"Let's rest a bit and then depart. Pyrion, you're on the last watch, right? I'll accompany you."
"Alright."
Jeong Yoo-shin and his party members returned to their original spots.
Soline and Gallerheim lay down.
Jeong Yoo-shin and Pyrion leaned against the wall.
He looked over at the corner and saw that the one-eyed man's party members were eating.
They were generally quiet, but Jeong Yoo-shin occasionally felt strange gazes.
Especially from the man with the clown-like makeup on his face.
Whenever their eyes met, the man would just grin. Jeong Yoo-shin felt an inexplicable sense of unease from it.
After finishing their meal, the man's party members settled down and rested.
Jeong Yoo-shin turned his head and looked at the torch again.
In the silence that was accompanied by a strange tension, he quietly counted numbers in his head to pass the time.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Four hours passed, and Jeong Yoo-shin's party members got up.
Their eyes were bloodshot, as if they hadn't been able to sleep.
It was only natural.
How could they sleep easily in a place with suspicious people?
The party quickly finished their meal, packed their belongings, and left the resting area.
As they were walking in silence, Gallerheim, who was walking in front, spoke.
"No matter how much I think about it, the human with the makeup on his face is definitely 'that guy' from the eastern district."
That guy?
"Who exactly is this 'that guy'?"
"Oswald. An executive of the Shadow Clowns clan in the eastern district's underworld."
It was the first time he had heard of this underworld clan.
"Why is a guy like that here?"
"Who knows. He seems to have some kind of plan, but it's best not to get involved."
"Is this Oswald guy strong?"
“He could probably kill a lower-ranked explorer as easily as snapping a child’s wrist.”
Gallerheim said as he looked into the darkness.
"..."
With such noticeable features, shouldn't he be recognizable at a glance?
This question came to Jeong Yoo-shin’s mind, but he swallowed it.
Gallerheim was their guide. He didn't want to distract him by constantly talking.
Besides, it didn't seem like they would have any further interaction with the one-eyed man's party.
After walking for a long time, they reached the place where the teleportation stone was located on the first floor.
Jeong Yoo-shin touched the teleportation stone.
Wooong.
A red portal and a blue portal appeared.
Jeong Yoo-shin held up his torch and stepped into the red portal first.
Thud!
Hard floor.
Still damp air.
He had reached the second floor.
Gallerheim emerged from the blue portal first, followed by Pyrion, and lastly Soline.
Gallerheim unfolded his map, looked at it, and spoke.
"It's the outer area again."
"Well, our goal isn't to clear the floors, so let's take it easy."
Jeong Yoo-shin reassured Gallerheim and led the party forward into the darkness.
They walked for about a few hours.
When his sense of time became hazy.
Gallerheim stopped walking and perked up his ears.
"Ten goblins ahead."
Gallerheim's voice echoed softly.
Finally, a proper battle.
It was time to see his party members' capabilities.
Jeong Yoo-shin held out his shield and stepped forward.
"Kkeeeeeeek!!!"
"Kekeke!!!"
The laughter of goblins could be heard from beyond the darkness.
Tadadadadak!!!
A sound similar to children running grew closer.
Gallerheim aimed his crossbow into the darkness.
When the faint shapes began to shimmer in the torchlight.
Tooong!!!
The bolt fired by Gallerheim flew and pierced a goblin's forehead.
"Kkeok!"
The goblin fell while letting out a death cry.
The battle had begun with a preemptive strike.
"Kkeeeeeeek!!!"
Other goblins rushed past the fallen one.
One. Two. Three.
'Here they come.'
Soline swung her claymore.
From top to bottom.
Chwaaaaaak!!!
The goblin's upper body was split open, and its brains and intestines spilled onto the floor.
A few goblins got past Soline and rushed towards the rear.
"Kkeeeeeeek!!!"
He had been waiting.
Jeong Yoo-shin swung his shield.
Kwaaaang!!!
The shield crushed the goblin's face.
"Kkeek!!!"
Broken teeth flew into the air.
The goblin screamed and clutched its face.
An opening.
His arming sword plunged deep into the goblin's throat. As he pulled out the sword.
Pshuuuuut!!!
He had severed its carotid artery.
Blood spurted from the goblin's neck, painting the cave wall beautifully.
The goblin, its face crushed and its carotid artery severed, sank to the floor.
He didn't stop there.
Paaaaak!!!
He kicked its jaw with his iron boot.
The goblin, its neck broken, flew through the air and collided with the oncoming goblin mob.
Kudangtang!!!
The goblin mob tumbled to the ground.
[Haste]
The elf priest, Pyrion, finished his incantation from the rear.
A gentle breeze brushed past him, and then…
Jeong Yoo-shin's body felt much lighter.
As expected of a priest who served the wind spirit god, his holy magic also had a similar feeling.
The goblins struggled to their feet and rushed forward again.
"Kkeeeeeeek!!!"
One goblin screamed, jumped high, and swung its club.
Tang!
He raised his shield to block it and thrust his sword forward.
Puk!
The sharp arming sword broke the goblin's ribs, pierced its heart, and penetrated deep into its body.
"Kkeek!!!"
The goblin with the pierced heart struggled a few times and then stopped moving.
He took a step back while pulling out his sword, and swung it at another goblin.
A diagonal slash.
Blood spurted from the eyes of the goblin that had been slowly approaching him from the side.
"Kieeeek!!!"
The goblin screamed while covering its eyes.
It was too loud.
He slammed the pommel of his sword onto the goblin's head.
Wham!!!
Crunch.
Its skull was shattered in one blow, caving inward.
There was no time to rest.
The next goblin immediately thrust its spear.
Ting!
The spear tip was aimed at Jeong Yoo-shin's chest. But it was blocked by his solid plate armor and bounced off.
Jeong Yoo-shin casually swung his shield and shattered the spear shaft.
The startled goblin retreated. He wouldn't let it escape though.
He swung his sword horizontally.
The sharp blade of the arming sword caught the flickering torchlight and momentarily shone.
Swish!!!
The goblin's head flew into the air.
The cleanly severed neck, including the neck bone, was clearly visible.
Spurt!!!
Blood spurted from the severed neck.
The headless goblin body knelt on the floor.
He had dealt with all the goblins that had rushed to the rear.
He looked ahead and saw four goblins surrounding Soline.
Tung!
A bolt fired by Gallerheim struck the head of a goblin next to Soline.
Plop.
The goblin, its brain pierced, fell to the floor like a log.
Jeong Yoo-shin rushed forward.
Soline swung her claymore.
A goblin jumped to the side to dodge.
Kaaaaang!!!
The great sword struck the floor in vain.
The goblin noticed the opening and immediately rushed in.
Its body slammed her with all its weight.
Kung!
Soline's body momentarily staggered.
Jeong Yoo-shin quickly moved forward and kicked the goblin in the stomach.
Crack!
His iron boot sank deep into the goblin's solar plexus.
"Kueeek!!!"
The goblin vomited blood.
Jeong Yoo-shin didn't stop and thrust his sword into the goblin's eye.
Crack!!!
The sharp tip of the arming sword pierced its eye and penetrated deep into its brain.
"Kkeok!"
The goblin's body trembled and then went limp.
Hwoooong!!!
Soline, having barely regained her balance, swung her great sword and instantly beheaded two goblins.
Swish!!!
Blood splattered on the cave wall. There were no screams. It was an instant death.
The battle ended with Soline's strike.
Ten goblins were eradicated.
Jeong Yoo-shin turned around and looked at his party members.
They were breathing heavily, but they didn't seem to be injured.
Jeong Yoo-shin lifted the visor covering his face.
"Is everyone alright?"
"Everyone seems to be uninjured."
The elf priest, Pyrion, replied.
"That was terrifying. Do barbarians normally fight like that?"
Gallerheim asked as he slung his crossbow over his back.
'I think I fought more cleanly than last time though.'
"I suppose so? Anyway, let's cut off their ears."
Jeong Yoo-Shin said while taking out his dagger.
"Huff. Huff. Thank you. That was a close one."
Soline suddenly expressed her gratitude as she tried to catch her breath.
"Don't mention it."
He wondered what kind of trouble she could have gotten into when she was wearing plate armor against mere goblins, but he could somewhat understand her when he considered the situation where Soline was surrounded and could have been knocked down.
In the worst-case scenario, her helmet could have come off, and a dagger could have been plunged into her neck.
They cut the ears of the goblin corpses, put them in a pouch, and continued through the dark cave.
Flicker.
The torchlight illuminated the dark cave.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
One day. Two days. Three days. Four days. Five days.
They proceeded through the floors as slowly as possible for five days.
Jeong Yoo-shin's party reached the teleportation stone at the end of the third floor.
Jeong Yoo-shin looked at the teleportation stone and smiled faintly.
They had defeated many goblin groups and collected their ears. It was more than enough to fulfill the extermination request.
They had also collected enough magic stones from the black slimes.
A hefty reward was guaranteed.
Just thinking about the shiny silver coins made him feel full already.
'Are the heavens really on my side?'
Compared to Karin's party, they were lacking, but his party members weren't bad either. He wanted to continue adventuring with them if possible.
"To make this much profit. We're lucky! Barbarian, you're really a lucky charm!"
Gallerheim said with a smile.
"It's really reassuring to have a leader who stands firm like a rock in the front."
Pyrion chimed in.
Jeong Yoo-shin's shoulders rose higher and higher at his party members’ praises.
"...In that case, how about we go to the next floor?"
Gallerheim said while rubbing his hands together. The tension and anxiety he had felt when they first entered the labyrinth were gone.
All of his party members were lower-rank explorers. They weren't intermediate-rank, but they were certainly more capable than novice explorers.
They had reached the fifth floor before, so the fourth floor should be fine, right?
Moreover, they had plenty of torches left. Luck was on their side right now.
"What do you all think?"
Jeong Yoo-shin asked his party members.
"Sounds good."
"I’m in."
Soline and Pyrion agreed.
Jeong Yoo-shin grinned and nodded.
"Alright. Let's go! The heavens are on our side today! Huh!"
He shouted energetically and touched the teleportation stone.
Wooong.
A blue portal and a red portal were created.
Jeong Yoo-shin held up his torch and entered the red portal.
Thud!
He exited the red portal and landed on the ground.
"Hmm?"
The air was heavy. It felt as if it were filled with something other than moisture.
Moreover, it wasn't dark around him.
He quickly raised his head.
Not far away.
The man with white makeup on his face and his quiet-looking party members were standing there while holding torches.
Jeong Yoo-shin's eyes widened.
It was the same man he had seen a few days ago.
The executive of the eastern district underworld clan.
Oswald.
Next to Oswald stood the one-eyed man.
The one-eyed man was holding an old woman by her head.
The woman was vomiting blood.
He had seen that old woman before, too. He didn't know what she did to deserve such treatment, though.
The old woman's party members were all lying on the floor. He couldn't tell if they were dead or alive.
'Fuck.'
He had no idea what the hell was going on.
Oswald grinned and spoke.
"Fancy meeting you again? By the way, mister..."
The one-eyed man stepped forward and interrupted Oswald.
"Young man, you're out of luck. Send him to a good place."
Chachachachak!!!
As soon as the one-eyed man finished speaking, the men standing behind him aimed their crossbows at Jeong Yoo-shin.
He had no idea what was going on.
But one thing was certain.
'I'm fucked.'
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T/N - I knew the last chapter was a flag. This MC doesn’t seem to be the type to get lucky for long, after all.
I do hope his party members survive though. MC needs a lucky break right now. They might not be as good as Iron Mask and Stonefist, but the MC really needs a stable party that doesn’t break in one labyrinth run.