Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Spilling the Tea on the Party's Collapse
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Two seconds after the battle began.
Out of all the party members, I was the only one who'd snapped back to his senses.
In the frozen battlefield, the second to react was, predictably, the goblin right next to me—the one that had just watched its comrade's head fly off in the blink of an eye.
THWACK!
Before I even had time to mourn its death, another goblin from the rear right flank charged into the fray.
It panicked at the sight of its two instantly slain kin but instinctively barreled toward me anyway.
THWACK!
I sidestepped slightly and swung my axe. Its head separated from its body mid-charge, and it flopped to the ground.
Three axe swings, three goblin necks severed.
That left two standing in front of me, looking flustered, and three more in front of the party members.
'Only three left. They'll manage somehow.'
"Kek, keruk…!"
CRACK! THWACK!
Whether it sensed mortal danger or not, one tried to turn and flee. I chased it down and buried my axe in its back.
With that, I'd wiped out all five from the rear.
Now for the rest…
"Gr, grr…"
I whipped around at the ominous growl.
One of the goblins up front was plastered to Adolf, gnawing viciously at the back of her neck.
"Gaaahhh!"
Adolf's agonized scream echoed through the air.
THUD!
I rushed over and kicked the goblin square in the gut, ripping it off her.
Damn it. My mistake. I should've protected the priest first!
Priests only knew healing miracles—they couldn't handle direct combat.
Adolf's staff began glowing yellow. In a desperate bid for survival, she'd instinctively cast a heal on herself.
Good. She'd pull through; she wouldn't die.
'No, forget that—what the hell were those two idiots doing, not even guarding the priest—'
"Anya!!!"
A bloodcurdling scream tore from the opposite side.
I glanced over. A goblin had jammed a knife into Anya's temple and was twisting the handle like it was cleaning her ear.
Her brain matter, mixed with goblin poison and oozing like earwax, dribbled from her head.
Instant death. She hadn't even put up a fight.
"Ugh, ahhh…"
Jermi's eyes had already rolled back. He just clutched his spear, trembling helplessly.
"What are you doing? Snap out of it!"
My shout made him flinch.
Goblins weren't the type to let a fear-frozen target off easy.
A knife hurtled straight for Jermi's face.
I dashed over, yanked him down by his clothes, slammed him to the ground, and jerked my head back to dodge the blade.
"Keruk!! Kekekek!"
The goblin that had been toying with Anya's corpse joined in. They bellowed something, sounding triumphant.
But soon, they glanced around in confusion.
"What, no one's here? No friends to help?"
Probably calling for backup.
"Sadly, your buddies already crossed the rainbow bridge. Don't grieve too much, though."
As they took in the sight of their sprawled comrades' corpses, the goblins' faces hardened.
Step. Step.
The closer I got, the more they backed away.
"I'll reunite you with them soon enough."
Two slicing sounds rang out.
That was the worst possible start we could've had in the Labyrinth.
I knew entry randomized our spawn zone, but this was rotten luck on steroids.
Four-man party: two injured, one dead.
I was the only one who'd fought, and the only one unscathed.
"Urgh… Th-thanks to you… grrrk, I… I lived. Gruk… Thanks, Balkan."
"Don't talk. Keep healing. If you die, it'll be a headache."
The dwarf priest Adolf had survived by the skin of her teeth.
A little more chewing on her neck, and her head would've come clean off—but I'd intervened just in time.
"…Heehee."
The real problem, though…
"Jermi. You okay?"
"……Heeheehee…"
This guy had lost his childhood friend—probably his lover—and snapped.
"Anya. Anya. I had a weird dream. You got killed by a goblin. Funny, right? Why'd I dream that? You're sleeping so peacefully."
Jermi hugged Anya's corpse—eyes closed, brain and blood leaking—and stroked her cheek.
"Your cheeks feel colder today. I told you to dress warmer. The Labyrinth's chilly. Today was… Today… The Labyrinth…?"
His blank stare at Anya suddenly widened in horror.
"…Anya…?"
His face twisted as reality crashed in—the reality he'd deliberately ignored.
He grabbed her shoulders and shook her.
"Anya! Anya! Wake up! Anya!"
He pressed his ear to her chest, then his hand under her nose, before whipping around to Adolf in shock.
"A-Adolf! Anya! Anya's not breathing!"
"……"
"……"
Adolf and I were speechless.
This guy had lost it.
Unable to accept the brutal reality, his mind had shattered.
"W-we shouldn't be wasting healing miracles on you right now, Adolf. Qu-quick, heal Anya…"
His trembling hands gripped his spear.
"Heal Anya! Now! Right now!"
He advanced on Adolf, spear pointed at her.
I stepped in to block him.
I got the grief, but this crossed every line.
"Stop. Fighting among ourselves helps no one. Calm down first—"
"Calm down?! Bullshit! Think you could stay calm in my shoes?!"
Jermi bulged his bloodshot eyes and spat as he raged at me.
"You don't know. You've never been through this. But one thing's clear: we need the priest to escape safely to the portal."
"We? You mean you! I got no reason to live anymore!"
Any sympathy I'd felt turned ice-cold.
Right. I needed the priest to stay safe and explore the Labyrinth unscathed.
But that didn't mean I'd waste mental energy putting up with his tantrum.
'…Just endure it once. Once.'
Couldn't waste manpower. The priest couldn't fight, and without the spearman Jermi, I'd be soloing like last time.
Had to milk him for all he was worth. Plans were already derailed from the start, but no more snags…
"Don't wring him dry, stud."
As I pondered how to soothe Jermi and get him moving—
Adolf, her wounds healed, glared at him from the ground and spoke up.
"Honestly, what did we do in that fight? We were sitting ducks. If not for that guy over there, we'd be done the second we ported in. End of story. That was our fate."
The dwarf glanced at me briefly, then nodded like she got it.
What the hell? Why nod? And then she winked.
'No way… Is she poking him to suck up to me?'
Nah, no chance. Our priest Adolf wouldn't play queen bee politics like some cow siding with the stud.
I shook my head vigorously, a bad feeling brewing.
No. Don't say more. Please don't provoke him. Shut up.
You've cleared the Labyrinth three times. You've done fine. Let's just get through this easy—
"Jermi, put the spear down first and let's talk—"
"Your girl's death is on you. She was right there—why didn't you protect her? Figures. I knew it'd end like this ever since I heard you two banged the night before our first Labyrinth run."
Oh.
"Heh."
Jermi let out a short, bitter laugh.
I smacked his spear shaft away fast.
But the damage was done.
"Grk… Wha…?"
Adolf stared at the spear in her neck, confusion on her face.
Her eyes rolled back, and her body crumpled.
"Heehee, hee…"
THUD!
I smashed the back of Jermi's neck as he giggled maniacally, subduing him.
Amid the tangle of goblin and human corpses, I stood alone.
It was so absurd I had to laugh.
"Haha. What a clusterfuck."
Fifteen minutes into the Labyrinth.
The party was done.
Twitch!
A familiar voice caught her sensitive ears.
"What's up, Densi? Find something? Anything worth coin?"
"N-no, nothing. Must've misheard."
"Really? That's weird. Densi messing up a sound."
Pat. Pat.
The woman's hand stroked Densi's hair. Densi felt a strange chill and dread from the touch.
"You're still breathing only because of those useful ears. What if you mishear?"
"…Sorry…"
Densi—the girl once called Kakchi—sensed something lacking in the hand petting her head.
Light. Small. Short.
It used to terrify her, but not purely anymore.
Densi shook her head, her body heating up as she recalled the massive fist that had crushed her solar plexus.
Fingers long, thick, heavy, rough… immense, anyway.
Densi shook her head wildly, cheeks flushing.
'Must've misheard. It has to be. He can't be here.'
"Alright, let's move out again? We've looted everything—time to go!"
"Yes!"
Five puppets trailed the shouting woman.
In their wake lingered a fishy blood scent.
Each step dripped crimson from their blades, leaving a long trail.
Too thick for mere beast blood.