Chapter 90 A Strange Encounter
--------------------------------------
Translator: JayM
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: A Strange Encounter
------------------------------------
Hwaruruk.
A torch flared to life in the dark cave.
Jeong Yoo-shin held the torch high and looked around.
His party members stood back-to-back around him with weapons drawn, wary of their surroundings.
Mars, the rat beast-person, sniffed the air, peered into the darkness, and spoke.
"All clear."
Iron Mask slung his greatsword over his shoulder.
"Alright. Mars will lead the way, Skar will light the path with the torch behind him, the priest will stay in the center, and I'll take the rear."
Mars, Jeong Yoo-shin, Kubo, and Iron Mask lined up in that order.
Jeong Yoo-shin adjusted his backpack as he stood behind the rat beast-person.
Clear and concise instructions, no further explanation needed. As expected of someone of noble blood.
"We're lucky. The portal to the second floor is close by."
Mars, the rat beast-person, said while putting his map away.
Thud. Thud.
Uneven ground. Damp air.
The party moved through the darkness while holding their breath.
The first floor of the labyrinth.
Complacency was dangerous, but there wasn't much to worry about here.
If the torch went out, they would go mad in the darkness, but they had plenty of spare torches. They could proceed safely as long as they were careful.
Jeong Yoo-shin and his party members continued walking through the darkness for several hours.
"Stop."
The rat beast-person, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped.
"..."
The party members gripped their weapons and stared into the darkness.
"A trap."
"Everyone, on alert. Skar, stay close to Mars."
Iron Mask instructed from the rear.
"Alright."
Jeong Yoo-shin held the torch and moved closer to the rat beast-person.
Mars took a few steps, then stopped and knelt on one knee.
"It's a foothold trap. Wooden spikes coated with filth."
"Tsk."
Jeong Yoo-shin clicked his tongue at his words. It was a simple trap, the kind Karl had fallen for.
To think such a trap, commonly found in the outer goblin territories, was present on the first floor... It seemed like this area was rarely traversed.
Jeong Yoo-shin watched Mars disarm the trap.
Thanks to "Fast Hands," one of Mars' imprints, it didn't take long.
"Done."
Mars disarmed the trap and stepped back.
"Good. Return to formation and proceed. There might be goblins nearby since there's a trap here. Be careful."
Under Iron Mask's smooth guidance, the party continued through the darkness.
After walking for about an hour, they reached the edge of the first floor.
A stone monument stood alone in the center of a large chamber.
It was the teleportation stone to the second floor.
"We'll rest here for a while."
The party members settled down around the torch.
Jeong Yoo-shin leaned against the wall and loosened his walker boot laces.
He wasn't too tired.
Thanks to the magic backpack he had taken from the assassins, his load wasn't too heavy. His rigorous sparring sessions at the Swordsman's Guild had also helped.
Jeong Yoo-shin raised the visor of his helmet and tilted his canteen to his lips. Lukewarm water flowed down his throat and into his stomach.
He calmly caught his breath and observed his party members, especially Iron Mask.
The party leader.
The First Prince in disguise.
A man who never talked about himself.
Whenever Jeong Yoo-shin tried to ask him something, he would either change the subject or remain silent.
There wasn't even an opportunity to talk about the Fifth Prince.
He seemed to intentionally avoid discussing his past.
Why?
He tried to understand the First Prince, but it wasn't easy.
He wasn't royalty, nor was he terminally ill. Although he felt a sense of kinship with his situation, Iron Mask's thoughts seemed different to his.
There had been nothing strange about Iron Mask's instructions so far. He hoped it would stay that way.
'Should I observe him a little longer?'
He reached a tentative conclusion and took out some jerky to chew on.
Two hours later.
Jeong Yoo-shin and his party members, sufficiently rested, stood up.
There was no need to rush, as the teleportation stone to the second floor was right in front of them.
By the way…
This area was definitely deserted.
They had been sitting at the entrance to the second floor for about two hours already, and they hadn't seen a single party pass by.
"Let's move."
Iron Mask, his backpack slung over his shoulder, said while looking at Jeong Yoo-shin.
"Alright."
He held the torch and placed his hand on the monument.
Then…
Whoosh.
A blue portal and a red portal appeared in front of the monument.
Shing.
Jeong Yoo-shin drew his arming sword and stepped into the red portal.
The floating sensation was brief.
He landed on the hard cave floor.
Jeong Yoo-shin quickly looked around and assessed his current location.
No one was there.
His party members emerged one by one from the red portal behind him.
Jeong Yoo-shin and Iron Mask made eye contact and nodded.
"All clear."
"Good. We'll find a resting area on the second floor and camp there for the night."
Mars took out his map and examined it.
"Hmm. We're lucky. We teleported close to the monument to the third floor."
"What about a resting area?"
Iron Mask asked.
"There's one nearby. About 30 minutes away."
"Good. Same formation as before. Let's move."
They proceeded through the dark cave.
As Mars had said, after walking for about 30 minutes, they found a small chamber carved into the cave wall.
The party members entered and unpacked their belongings.
Jeong Yoo-shin took out a blanket and covered the entrance to prevent the light from leaking out.
The party members sat around the central torch and ate their rations.
Iron Mask didn't eat, but just sat there and stroked his greatsword.
The party members quietly chewed on their rations.
As with most novice explorers, they were tense and awkward on their first day in the labyrinth.
They finished their meal in silence and sat together while staring blankly at each other.
"How should we decide on the watch order?"
"Priest Kubo will use an alarm spell."
Jeong Yoo-shin asked, and Iron Mask replied.
"Good."
Jeong Yoo-shin unpacked his belongings completely and leaned against the wall.
Kubo, the dwarf priest, held his hand near the torch and muttered something.
"Oh, Fire Spirit God Ifrit. Hear the prayer of your faithful servant, Kubo Heavyhand, and illuminate this place with your fiery power..."
[Fire Sanctuary]
As Kubo finished his incantation, the torch burned brightly.
It was a holy spell, different from the alarm magic Ahiman had used.
Jeong Yoo-shin stared at the golden flames, mesmerized.
"...Holy light burning in the dark labyrinth. Truly beautiful."
Iron Mask, who was leaning against the wall, murmured.
"..."
To be able to appreciate such beauty while looking at a torch in the pitch-black labyrinth... He was a man of considerable depth.
Jeong Yoo-shin looked away from Iron Mask and started preparing for bed.
He loosened his scabbard so he could draw his sword at any moment.
He positioned himself facing the entrance of the resting area, since he was the vanguard and had to defend the passage.
He then closed his eyes with his helmet still on. His neck was a bit stiff, but it couldn't be helped. One wrong move, and it was game over.
Suddenly…
The fight with the assassins flashed through his mind. Had he thrown off his helmet back then?
He couldn't quite remember.
'I was crazy.'
He must have been in the darkness for quite a while back then. Madness was a terrifying thing.
He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Skar, wake up."
Jeong Yoo-shin immediately opened his eyes.
"Did I sleep long?"
"Not really. About six hours. And put your sword away."
Jeong Yoo-shin lowered his sword, which had been pointed at Iron Mask, and stretched.
His party members seemed well-rested.
"That's the effect of Priest Kubo's alarm magic. It calms the mind and restores stamina."
Iron Mask said as he leaned back against the wall.
Jeong Yoo-shin nodded.
He had thought Kubo was just a crazy, briefs-wearing priest, but he now saw him in a new light.
"Iron Mask, aren't you going to eat?"
"I already ate."
Iron Mask replied calmly.
Jeong Yoo-shin took off his helmet and took out his rations.
Biscuits baked with dried fruits and honey. Preserved food for the labyrinth, made in abundance by the teddy bear.
Jeong Yoo-shin showed the bear-shaped biscuit to Iron Mask, then put it in his mouth and chewed.
It was so sweet that he felt like his teeth were going to rot.
The rat beast-person sniffed the air, and then suddenly made a surprised expression.
"Oh! Is that...?!"
"What?"
"Isn't that a biscuit from Mr. Bumphring's shop?"
Bumphring.
The teddy bear beast-person. The owner of the bakery. He had helped him move the wheat sacks before.
"Is it a famous shop?"
"His baking skills are exceptional. Even high-ranking officials in the central district can't get enough of them..."
"Really? I'll give you some later if there's any left."
"Really? Save some for me!"
The rat beast-person said, his eyes sparkling.
The party members finished their meal and continued through the dark labyrinth.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Four days later.
"Finally..."
Jeong Yoo-shin muttered in a trembling voice.
A wide hill outside the cave.
A dark city that could be seen in the distance.
The fifth floor.
The city of Ingrave.
The deepest floor he had reached with Karin's party.
Now, all he had to do was cross the city and reach the teleportation stone to the Forest area.
He had heard that it was teeming with high-ranking goblins, but he could get through them as long as he was careful.
For the past four days, they had been lucky enough to teleport close to the teleportation stones to the next floors.
They had barely encountered any goblins.
A few stragglers had attacked them, but they had all fled screaming after being hit by the rat beast-person's arrows.
The dwarf priest standing next to Jeong Yoo-shin had a bewildered expression.
"I've never reached the fifth floor this easily before in my entire life. Is this even possible?"
"It's all thanks to the blessings of the Spirit Gods."
Jeong Yoo-shin replied smoothly.
"A barbarian speaking of the Spirit Gods. Huh. I know it's rude to say this, but it feels a bit sacrilegious."
'Your attire is sacrilegious.'
For a dwarf who walked around naked while wiggling his ass to criticize him like this...
He suppressed the urge to slap the dwarf's backside.
"Let's go. We've been lucky so far, but we still have to cross the city of Ingrave."
Iron Mask approached the city and said.
The party members slowly descended the hill and walked towards the city.
After walking for several hours.
The party stood before the city's massive gate.
A portion of the city that was shrouded in darkness was visible through the gate.
He felt a sense of unease. It wouldn't be easy to navigate through there with only a torch.
Of course, it wouldn't be as difficult as the last time during the Eldritch Wave, when they had to fight their way through in a desperate struggle for survival.
But he couldn't be complacent just because it was relatively easy now compared to the deadly labyrinth before.
"Wait!"
Mars, the rat beast-person, shouted. The party members simultaneously drew their weapons and looked around cautiously.
"Goblins?"
Iron Mask asked.
"No. This is..."
The rat beast-person hesitated.
Just as Jeong Yoo-shin was about to ask him something.
A party emerged from behind the gate.
One human man and three women.
Jeong Yoo-shin narrowed his eyes.
The human man's face looked familiar.
'...I've seen him somewhere before. Ah!'
He remembered. It was easier to recall because they were around the same age.
Early twenties.
Blue hair.
The man with the Genius Swordsman imprint.
He had briefly seen him at the Explorers Guild when he was looking for a party.
He had heard the man was looking for a harem party, and it seemed like he had finally achieved his wish.
The blue-haired man, who was dressed in leather armor, slowly approached them.
Jeong Yoo-shin immediately stepped forward, blocking the man's path.
The blue-haired man smiled and waved his hand.
"Hey, relax."
"..."
Jeong Yoo-shin silently gripped his shield tightly.
To tell him to relax after being caught hiding near the gate by their guide...
He was about to retort, but then he stopped himself. He wasn't the party leader, so it was best to refrain from speaking on behalf of the group.
Iron Mask then stepped forward.
"Who are you? Why were you hiding near the gate?"
The blue-haired man smiled.
"I'm Ret, an explorer. I wasn't hiding. I was just taking a break. Don't misunderstand."
"...I see. Alright. We need to enter the city, so if you'll excuse us..."
Ret, the blue-haired man, interrupted Iron Mask.
"By the way, I have a proposition."
"What is it?"
Iron Mask asked in a wary tone.
Ret smiled and extended his hand.
"Let's join forces."
"..."
Iron Mask fell silent and stared at Ret.
In front of the gate of Ingrave, the city on the fifth floor.
A strange silence descended between the two flickering torches.
--------------------------------------
T/N - I don’t trust this Ret dude. The fact that he wanted to make a harem party immediately as soon as he got an OP imprint already paints him as a shady character. I feel like the dude is looking for cannon fodder so he and his women can survive the 6th floor.