Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Getting Out Alive (2)
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The mystery behind Rayhem's name had been solved. Her motive for the crimes was clear, too.
Even a low-education grinder like me, who'd slaved away under someone for ten years, would have rebelled eventually.
It was an understandable story, but that didn't change the fact that she'd helped lure and enslave innocent men.
Once we surfaced, she'd face the punishment she deserved.
"Balkan! There you are! Finally found you!"
"You've all had a rough time."
A day after Gourmimi's confession, Joey Hogg's group arrived to retrieve us.
They all looked exhausted, as if they'd rushed here nonstop searching for me.
"Rough time? That's nothing compared to what you went through."
"And who are they...?"
The party members gaped slightly at the temple investigators gathered near me.
"Thanks to them allowing it, we shared a room last night. Lucky break."
Yesterday had been truly fortunate.
True to their reputation as a wealthy, powerful temple squad, they'd provided not preserved rations, but warm stew and fresh bread.
They even gave me a bowl, which I gratefully accepted. I'd offered to take watch, but they insisted I just rest easy.
Not every temple member would be this kind, of course.
But the paladins and clerics I'd met so far all embodied the virtues of true holy servants.
"Wh-what?! Shared a room?! Unclean! The Holy Order of the Goddess of Wisdom absolutely forbids such lewd and depraved acts!"
A few paladins who'd overheard jumped up in outrage.
Their trembling eyes darted over my body, and the more they looked, the more agitated they became.
Lifelong virgins, maybe? Reacting this strongly to just a man's presence. A bit of a shame, in a way.
"Balkan, don't tell me... you traded your body for safety...?"
"What nonsense is that?"
As the party started jumping to ridiculous conclusions, I quickly clarified and shared the full situation.
"This mage... was Professor Arpo's assistant?!"
"No, that doesn't add up. The assistant we saw during the hobgoblin staff commission looked different..."
"Illusion mage, remember? Faces are child's play for her."
"...You're right, now that I think about it."
"Ten years... Horrific... She was so close to graduating. Why throw it all away...?"
Reactions varied.
Joey Hogg resolved his doubt about the assistant's changed face from the hobgoblin staff job.
Pusilini, the academy-trained mage from Gelun's party, gazed at Rayhem with pity.
'She can alter faces, huh...'
Illusion magic had some real utility.
A shame it went to waste.
"Guh! Let me go! Release me!"
Gourmimi, now awake, shouted at Joey Hogg, who had her bound in restraints.
With her limbs' muscles severed, yelling was her only option.
"Kek!"
I chopped the back of her neck, knocking her out cold, and shoved her straight into Gregor's bag.
"Grrr... C-can't... carry anymore!! Too heavy!"
"Tta-da, tta-tta-da~."
"......"
"......"
On the right side of the luggage bag dangled the slack-jawed, brain-dead Gelun; in the center, the unconscious Rayhem; and protruding from the left, Gourmimi's knocked-out head.
Every step made the three heads bob and sway side to side.
Luggage-bag Cerberus. Definitely not a normal sight.
"Party all accounted for?"
Nate Elin arrived, drawn by the commotion. I bowed my head politely.
"Yes. Thanks to you, we got some good rest."
My words came out sounding like checking out of an inn, but Nate Elin nodded without a second thought.
"Good. Heading to the surface now?"
"Yes."
Both targets, Gourmimi and Rayhem, were secured.
We hadn't come for monster hunting, so no reason to linger in the labyrinth.
All that remained was ascending safely to the surface.
"In that case, mind doing one small favor before you go?"
A request? What now?
I hadn't forgotten last night's kindness, so I wasn't opposed—but if it was too much, I might conveniently forget and bail.
"Nothing major."
Nate Elin handed me an orb cradled in her palm. It pulsed with an enigmatic blue glow.
The light of pure relics, unrefined—like Zirnier's relic alloy gear.
The real deal.
"To the investigators on the 5th floor?"
Come to think of it, there'd been about twenty at the labyrinth entrance.
Here were thirteen; seven were missing.
Earlier conversations had hinted at it—other paladins worrying about those left on 5.
"The 5th floor's vast, and we needed to reach the 12th, so we split for efficiency."
5th floor. A bizarre layer where five monster tribes each formed villages.
Immense size, complex terrain, hordes of beasts—most explorers skipped it with fountain teleport scrolls.
But the investigation team, tasked with checking post-omen changes, had delved in.
High difficulty for juniors, sure.
'Juniors might struggle, but seven mid-tier paladins and clerics? Piece of cake on 5.'
"...Not my call alone. We've got the whole party."
To deliver to the 5th-floor team meant scouring the layer for them.
Our party's strength could handle it, but it was off-schedule—needed group consensus.
Nate Elin glanced at the listening party members.
"Helping the temple means generous pay. 5 contribution points per head?"
"F-five points...!"
The party gaped at the outrageous reward.
50 points for mid-tier promotion.
Capturing clan exec Gourmimi and psycho grad student Rayhem had netted just 5 total—not chump change.
"Balkan! Take it! When's the next shot like this?!"
"You don't think 5 points grow on trees, right?! Stack 'em when you can—upgrades don't wait for wishes!"
Jubel and Ramel yanked my arms frantically, eyes wild for promotion.
I checked the others.
"Joey Hogg. Hitoris. Your thoughts?"
"5th floor... not impossible. Jubel's got sword aura now, we've all grown. Plus you joined. Way stronger than before."
"With Aldente, Pusilini, and Hopf too—might be the safest time ever."
Basically, they wanted the job.
Gelun's crew seemed eager too.
Mids still needed steady points to aim higher.
Joey deferred to me.
I closed my eyes, weighing it deeply.
Accept? Decline?
'Fucking hate the idea.'
5th floor? Our power could manage.
If we found them in that sprawl, easy gig.
Hand off relic, rip a fountain scroll, gone.
But difficulty aside, a visceral aversion lingered.
[Multiples of 5 layers are dangerous]
Ever since interpreting [That Being]'s words, passing 5 had felt off.
Skipped via trap this time, no issue—but last with Elli, an urge to flee hit hard.
'What to do.'
Point opportunities were rare—take it?
Or trust my gut and pass?
As I pondered—
"Wait, what are you all talking about?"
Nate Elin's baffled voice cut in.
"No need to raid the monster villages. The investigators are at the fountain right now."
"Pardon?"
What?
I thought they were scouting deep in 5?
"See here."
She passed me a 5th-floor map with trackers.
At the edge, by the fountain: seven investigator markers.
"Left 'em to investigate, and after hitting central 5, they retreated and hunkered down. No mortal wounds or anything. That's why the comm relic."
Oh. That was it?
Thought it'd be risky for 5 points. Nope.
No actual 5th-floor delving? Perfect.
We had to pass through anyway for surface.
Just drop relic to fountain squatters for 5 points? Insanely sweet deal.
Other explorers would cry foul over the fairness.
"In?"
"Leave it to us."
Only fools would pass.
Same route anyway, so we escorted the temple squad through 7.
"Whoa. Temple elite paladins, huh... Impressive."
"Hmph. Sword aura users aren't that common, though?"
"Eyes open, Jubel. See that paladin pulling cleaner aura than yours?"
Nate Elin bisected a monster's neck with pristine white sword energy.
We just stared, dumbfounded.
"Different league."
"No wonder she's the Saintess's direct guard."
Half-listening, I blankly watched her aura.
'Can I make something like that?'
Fingers tingled. Floating mana specks itched at me.
Impulse to swing the axe surged.
Waste of stamina, though. Bus rides were rare.
We leisurely cleared 7's end.
"Commission well in hand."
"Leave it to us."
Got the 5th-floor tracker map and relic from Nate Elin, then parted portals: them to 8, us to 6.
Skeleton farming sped us to 6's end.
Thus, the 5th-floor portal.
What was on 5 to repel [That Being] and me so?
"Balkan. We're ready."
Shelving doubts, I touched bases with the party.
Up the ascent portal—familiar floaty feel.
Splash!
'Splash?'
Greaves soaked instantly. Ankle-deep water below.
Touching it mended HP and stamina gradually.
One place in the labyrinth offered healing waters: 5th floor's fountain edge.
Luck struck—we'd spawned right at 5's end fountain.
"Whoa, what..."
"Saved a silver. First time skipping the 5-fountain scroll."
Party stunned. This lucky?
Or unlucky? Good fortune wasted on dreaded 5.
"S-seniors?!"
Hitoris's panicked voice amid my thoughts.
Her temple seniors: paladins and clerics ahead of her.
Our relic delivery targets, too.
I whipped toward the sound.
Five armored paladins and two robed clerics sat lined at the fountain.
My gaze locked center: on one paladin.
Specifically, what he cradled.
A profoundly ominous, repulsive, loathsome black egg.
He hugged it like the world's greatest treasure.
They gawked upward slack-mouthed, mumbling unintelligibly.
Like language... or nonsense breaths.
But my ears parsed the gibberish into human speech.
Like hearing censored [That Being]'s voice.
Their lips stretched ear-to-ear in rapture.
Whatever was happening, they drowned in ecstasy.
"...What... the hell...?"
Party plunged into chaos at the eerie scene.
I quietly gripped Zirnier's axe, thumbing the relic with my free hand.
Nate Elin's voice echoed in my head.
"Nate Elin. Looks like we're fucked."
No clue what was unfolding.
But honed survival instincts screamed: you're utterly screwed.
Crack, craaaack!
Cracks spiderwebbed the paladin's treasured black egg.
I tensed my legs, gripped the axe vise-like.
Desperately scraped ambient mana.
Crack, craaaack!
Crack!
The black egg shattered fully.
From within, a [darkness]-cloaked entity ballooned, devouring the fountain.
Like a tiny fish gulped by a shark, helpless.
Shaking off impotence.
I calmly shouted.
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