Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Floor 6 (2)
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We had landed in the outskirts of the 2nd floor and now pressed forward through the layer to rendezvous at the center.
"Follow carefully. Stick to the spots we step on, nice and slow—"
Click.
"Eek!"
"Fuck."
One of the students stepped on a pressure plate, which sank in with the telltale click of a trap mechanism.
A volley of arrows rained down from the ceiling immediately after.
In a situation where injuring or losing a student would spell disaster, this kind of irregular area attack was arguably the greatest threat.
But the people around me now weren't the type of explorers to lose their cool over something like this.
"Wind Cutter!"
"Gentle Breeze."
Ramel and Assistant Gelsia chanted spells pre-stored in their staves, and change swept in right away.
Dozens of wind blades sliced through the descending arrows, air currents grazing skin and altering trajectories.
The arrows clattered to the ground or embedded in walls.
No injuries. They'd triggered an arrow trap volley and cleared it smoothly.
"Mages really are convenient."
How would I have dodged an arrow trap like that?
I could've shoved Kakchi or Jermi out of range like before, but saving this many people at once? Impossible.
The commission would've failed on the spot.
Magic, on the other hand, handled diverse situations with a single click.
That was why mages commanded such good pay.
"Eh, this much is the bare minimum... after studying our asses off. Not sure when I'll graduate, though..."
"Assistant mage? You're aiming for the Academy or a noble house, right?"
"Yeah. If I can just graduate..."
Even mages' career paths diverged sharply based on Academy entry and graduation.
More learning at the Academy, vassal to a noble, explorer's life, or something else entirely.
"Ellie, what do you want to do after this?"
"...Dunno. And stop talking to me so casually, mister."
I sidled up to Ellie and asked, but she turned away immediately. Too soon, maybe. Thinking back, that chat sounded just like a dad fishing for his daughter's interests.
The other students shot us weird looks, but I brushed it off.
"Stick straight to our path. Traps'll pop up more from here, so no rash moves."
"Yes. Sorry..."
"No need to bow that deep."
The student who'd triggered it apologized profusely, looking genuinely remorseful. We waved it off. Not like it was on purpose.
Without Kakchi-grade trap detection, avoiding them perfectly was near impossible anyway.
After a brief rest, we moved out and soon reached the central area.
"Ugh. What the hell..."
"Talk about rotten luck."
The center was in chaos. Atmosphere screamed something had gone down.
Professor Mangkostil, pinching his brow at the epicenter, spotted us and beckoned.
"Last party to arrive. Perfect timing. I'll explain once."
The situation was straightforward.
"One party fell into a teleport trap. Map puts them on the 8th floor."
What shitty news.
No way a 7th-floor explorer party hits an 8th-floor teleporter unless they pulled some monumental fuckup.
Best guess: some hyper-curious dumbass kid, unable to resist poking the labyrinth's mysteries, triggered it.
"Sigh... How many times have I told them..."
Professor Mangkostil's face aged another decade. Headache from overly curious, disobedient brats written all over it.
No wonder he'd gathered the students for that "don't fuck around" speech.
"You guys are lifesavers."
"H-Heh."
I clapped the shoulders of the arrow-trap kids, and they scratched their heads sheepishly. Not really praise.
"Looks like I need to head there myself. At this rate, those kids on 8 are in real danger."
The labyrinth's difficulty spiked exponentially every multiple of 4 floors.
A top 7th-floor party that goofed into 8 could claw back up with desperate effort and luck.
But the students tagging along? No breathing room for escorts already outleveled.
So Professor Mangkostil decided to solo-bust through to 8 and retrieve them fast.
"You sure? Even an Academy prof soloing 8..."
"Worry about what needs worrying. Prof's research track or not, way stronger than us. Think he'd be prof otherwise?"
"Yeah. Heard he did explorer gigs back in the day. Worry about us now."
Like the other escort parties said, no need fretting over the prof.
But him leaving meant losing our sturdy backup for surprises.
"Don't worry. I'll leave a clone for emergencies."
Professor Mangkostil swung his staff, summoning a granny doll.
"Handles basic reasoning and mid-tier magic. Contact me through it if shit hits the fan."
Only one, apparently couldn't make more.
We escorts eyed it hungrily, but after Mangkostil mediated, it went to the weakest 6th-floor party.
"Escorts, take good care of the students."
Sounded like a request, but it was a warning: no slacking, watch 'em proper.
Words done, Mangkostil floated up and rocketed toward the layer's end.
Remaining escorts stared dazedly, then exchanged glances.
"...Anyway, shall we?"
Over two weeks passed after that. Cleared 2nd and 3rd floors without major hitches.
Gathering at centers and waiting for stragglers was a drag, but safer for sure.
"I'm beat... Filthy, wanna wash up... Hot water bath..."
"How do you eat the same preserved rations for days? Not sick of it?"
"Never coming back to this labyrinth. Monsters scary, dark, cold..."
But unexpected changes crept in: students tiring of the long haul.
Whining was short-lived, mouths snapping shut quick. Because...
"Keh—"
Splat!
...those suffering way worse were right there.
Couldn't complain when your protectors were grinding harder.
Splat!
Two hobgoblins lurking in a side path lunged with spears, only to get bisected by a savage axe swing—no screams.
Even seasoned 7th-floor explorers found hobgoblin hides tough; the axe parted them like butter.
"Whoa. Insane."
Joey Hogg, guarding the party vanguard beside Nam Sujin, whistled low.
Shield arm dropped awkwardly. Ramel fiddled with his staff pointlessly; Juwel sheathed his sword. Over before it started.
Everyone's reactions lagged a hair. Unforeseen ambush right in their faces.
Nam Sujin's response? Lightning-fast, efficient.
Dodge the spear, axe them down.
Dodge all attacks, land all yours: win.
Easy in words—if anyone could, explorer head-smash deaths would drop to a tenth. Not simple.
Base speed unchanged from last labyrinth run, but situational awareness and reflexes? Night-and-day sharper.
"Balkan. What the hell? What happened these past few weeks?"
Raw physical boosts came from hunting or relics, but combat sense? Pure live fire only.
Only those dancing on death's edge, facing monsters head-on, honed it.
And this guy? Just his fourth labyrinth dive.
Fourth run pulling this? Joey'd never heard of it.
"Last run, he showed green inexperience sometimes..."
Joined for freakish physicals, not expecting this.
Past two weeks had shocks, but this 4th-floor ambush sealed it for Joey.
Something—a windfall, change—had hit him.
"Eh... Just spun the fuck-wheel a bit."
"Haha, fuck-wheel. If that grows you this much, I'd spin one too!"
Nam Sujin flinched, flashbacks hitting.
Endless beatdowns, dodging fists for counter angles—daily grind.
Gravity artifact on, fleeing Edelbert's mock kidnaps to spike危機.
Days blacking out, throat crushed in his thigh.
Those brutal sessions paying off big in the labyrinth—worth it, satisfying.
"Speaking of, rumors 'bout the Explorer's Union chief taking a disciple."
"Yeah, heard. But bullshit, right? Buff dude hiding ugly mug in a helm? ...Huh?"
Balkan ignored Juwel and Ramel's bulging eyes, approaching the hobgoblins.
Admitting Edelbert's discipleship? Question barrage hell.
"Tsk..."
Focused on hobgoblin soles—shadows, really.
"Definitely felt something ominous..."
Like Diana's womb tattoo vibe.
But gone without trace post-kill.
"You feel something too, Balkan?"
"Tsk... Reacted on instinct. Nothing from the corpse now."
"I see..."
Hitollis, priest of the Wisdom God's Church, scowled at the body.
Same during goblin purge with Juwel—that black something bugged him bad.
"You feel that?"
"Dunno. Barely sense it. Just vibes?"
"Hm. Omens last week—labyrinth changing maybe. Better safe."
"Only Hitollis and me sensing this?"
Other party members missing the eerie vibe from some monsters.
Why just priest Hitollis and me? Dunno, but we regrouped at 4th-floor center.
"Doll comms say Prof Mangkostil just rescued the 8th-floor explorers and kids safe."
"Phew. Good."
"But... 4th floor feels tougher than usual, no?"
"New traps and monsters. Overall harder than average."
"That ominous shit..."
Good news and bad mixed.
Other parties' priests felt off too, but all gathered central—no fear.
Bulldozed 4th floor to the portal unscathed.
"Ellie. Same on 5th."
"...Sigh."
Ellie sighed loud enough to hear, offering her hand first.
"This is really the last time."
Resigned tone, but less reluctance—progress.
"Didn't pass out this time."
Last teleport trap to 5th: blackout, wake-up.
Now? Same floaty portal feel, nothing special.
"Multiples of 5 trigger first-entry events?"
Dunno exactly, but 5-multiples and fountains shrouded in secrets.
"This place is different."
"Whoa. Way bigger than other floors..."
First-timers to 5-multiples—no fainting, no collapses.
"Then what? Just me?"
Bit puzzled, wronged—grabbed fountain warp scroll.
"Tearing this."
"Go."
Riiip—
Tear, yellow portal blooms. Students' curious stares locked on.
Manmade portals? Near impossible.
Fountain warps' unique trick wowed 'em.
"Ooh...!"
Ellie's eyes sparkled fiercest—pure research fire.
"...!"
Eye contact: flames flicker.
Library memories? She mashed her hat down, avoided gaze, chewed lip.
Long hesitation—eyes refocus.
"...Sigh."
Resolved, she approached, hand out.
"Said that was the last teleport?"
"...That's that. Promises made gotta keep."
"Promise?"
"The portal. You wanted research results."
"Oh."
Forgot briefly. Yeah, that chat.
"...You forgot?!"
"Uh, no. Totally remembered. Right. Yeah."
"......"
Ellie eyed me dubiously, then gripped my hand.
"Just till portal research ends."
"You. Lines keep shifting?"
"...K-Keep it up and I'll let go?"
Fountain warps didn't need hand-holding. I had spares.
But zipped it. Just smiled quiet, took her hand.
Pre-portal gulp.
"...Meet [Her] again?"
Warm, nostalgic touch—Her under the light. Tinged sister-memories.
Last fountain warp met Her—could happen again.
Steps lightened, like heading home. Surrendered to the fountain warp portal.