Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 13: Hold On Tight So You Don't Fall Apart

"Multiple Killer Bugs ahead...!"

"Hup!! Here they come!"

"Kieeeeeeek!"

Just as my thoughts were beginning to wander, Hachi alerted us to the presence of monsters.

Rohan immediately swung his sword at the approaching Killer Bugs. Caught in the trajectory of his blade, the insects didn't just fall; they exploded, spraying yellowish fluid everywhere.

They didn't look cut—they looked crushed.

It seemed Rohan was intentionally striking them with the flat of his blade, knowing that smashing those damn bugs was more effective.

As expected of a Silver Badge adventurer. He knew exactly how to handle the monsters of the upper levels.

If we move quickly now, we might be able to pass through without much trouble...

"Wh-what are those things...! Th-they're disgusting!!! Aaaah! Aaaaaah!!"

"Whoa!! Rien! Calm down! No, stay with me!"

As the giant insects crawled out from every direction, Rien began to convulse with fear. It was understandable to panic when swarms of such grotesque creatures came rushing at you.

But the timing couldn't be worse.

We needed to kill them quickly and move on, but Rien had spiraled into a panic.

The stress must have finally pushed her over the edge. Even though I had been holding her hand as we walked, the moment we entered the 3rd floor, something in Rien’s mind snapped.

The situation was deteriorating rapidly. It was getting serious. Things were getting tangled.

There was no helping it now.

I pulled her into a tight embrace and ducked behind Hachi.

I had to pray that Rohan and Hachi could hold the line. If those two couldn't hold out until I stabilized Rien’s mental state...

The party would fall apart.

"Hmph...!"

As I hid behind him while holding Rien, Hachi immediately pressed his palms together and assumed a stance unique to monks called 'Force Emission Body.'

Like the experienced monk he was, he seemed to have instantly grasped Rien’s condition. Hachi chose to endure the damage himself to buy me time to fix her mental state.

Soon, Hachi’s hands began to hum with a low vibration before releasing a shockwave toward the approaching Killer Bugs. Their bodies shattered instantly.

It was a stance that sacrificed mobility for pure counter-attacking power, but it was incredibly strong.

He would hold. Based on what I’d seen of him during our descent, I knew he could endure this.

"H-heeek...!"

"Rien. Rien!!!"

"A-ah...?"

"Rien, you can't panic right now. Snap out of it."

"Ah... ugh... I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry... hic... No, I can't. It's impossible. It's too much... those things are too much..."

"Calm down. Hachi and Rohan will protect us. There's no way Silver Badge adventurers would lose to mere Killer Bugs. Just breathe."

"Uaaah... ugh. I'm scared. I'm scared, I'm scared... uaaah..."

Gasping for breath, Rien buried herself deeper into my chest. I rubbed her back, doing everything I could to help her regain her composure.

I couldn't blame her. She had been awake for over twenty-four hours, entering the Labyrinth repeatedly without a single moment of rest.

She wasn't a veteran adventurer; yesterday was her first time ever in the Labyrinth. Since then, she had gone in and out multiple times, suffered mana poisoning, sustained injuries, and faced death while encountering monsters—all while pushing herself to the absolute limit out of a singular desire to save her comrades.

It would be a miracle if she hadn't lost her mind. Rien was currently operating far beyond her limits.

Her stress levels were already at their peak. If we let this slide, her mind would shatter completely.

If that happened, she would start exhibiting all sorts of abnormal symptoms.

Hearing hallucinations.

Running blindly into the darkness.

Or even attacking her own allies.

I had to stop it. If the guide went mad, we were finished.

The priestess and the knight were waiting for us. To save them, I had to fix Rien’s mind, no matter what.

"Kh-hmph...!"

Hachi was pushing himself too hard. Rohan was already buried under a swarm of insects, invisible to the eye.

Rien’s eyes were still unfocused, unable to look at her surroundings properly.

If we stayed like this, it was the end. Three more corpses would be added to the 3rd floor of the sewers.

Never.

I absolutely refuse to die here.

And that meant Rien, Rohan, and Hachi couldn't die here either.

We were getting out of this godforsaken Labyrinth, no matter what.

"Rien. Rien."

"Uaaah... yes?"

"Rien, is there anything you like?"

"L-like...? I... I like... sweet... candy... the candy... my mom gave me... candy... candy..."

"I see."

She was responding as if she had regressed to childhood. Honestly, I was just glad she hadn't gone completely insane. A tiny shred of her reason remained.

There was a chance. An opportunity to bring her back.

"Here, it's candy. Go on, take it, Rien."

"C-candy...?"

"Yes. When we get out, let's go eat dessert together. I know a great place. We'll eat as much as you want and laugh together. Okay, Rien? We're all going. You, me... and the Young Lady... Rika and Erika, too."

I gave her certainty.

The absolute certainty that we would get out of here. The conviction that we would survive.

That was what would bring her back.

"Together... together... hic... I want to go together... sob... I want to get out alive..."

"Yes. We're all going together. So, Rien, you have to snap out of it now. Don't let the fear take you. Rika and Erika are waiting for us. We have to go save them, right?"

"R-right... I have to save them... that's why I came..."

"Exactly. Now, stand up. Rohan and Hachi are struggling. It's time for us to help them. It's time to show them the power of a Witch."

"Okay...!"

The light returned to Rien’s eyes.

Thank god.

Truly... thank god.

My blood had run cold. It felt as if the malice of the Labyrinth was tightening its grip around my throat.

But Rien had overcome it. She stood up again, refusing to yield to fear.

Soon, she fired a bolt of light toward the Killer Bugs covering Rohan.

"Fireball!"

Boom—!

The insects swarming Rohan exploded. Rohan, who had been swinging his sword even while buried under the swarm, finally managed to leap out.

"Cough...!!!!"

He spat out blood. Hachi immediately rushed over, threw Rohan toward us, and thrust his palms toward the lunging insects.

Thump—!

Along with a heavy vibration, a brilliant ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠light momentarily filled the Labyrinth corridor.

It was a branch of Holy Incantation. The effect was likely similar to a flashbang.

The lunging bugs froze. It was as if they had been blinded by the light, their senses completely fried.

Now was our chance.

"We must go!"

Hachi hoisted the collapsed Rohan onto his back and ran. Rien and I followed close behind. I gripped Rien’s hand tight as we ran and ran, putting distance between us and the insects.

"Rohan...! Open your eyes!"

"Wait! I'm injecting the antidote now."

Killer Bugs were insect-type monsters that appeared from the 3rd floor of the sewers. They were nasty creatures that swarmed toward any torchlight they saw, and killing one would cause dozens more to go into a frenzy.

Furthermore, they attacked with stingers coated in paralytic poison. While their bodies were weak, things became complicated if you were hit by their poison.

"Urgh...!"

Rohan had been stung all over his body while fighting the swarm on the front lines. His veins were bulging, and the stung areas were turning purple.

He had been stung too many times.

If left alone, he would soon fall into convulsions and die. He was only holding on because he was a sturdy warrior with a purification-type ability; any ordinary adventurer would have collapsed instantly as the poison spread.

I had to act fast. Since our team currently lacked a healer, I had to take on that role. Hachi was a monk, but he had said he couldn't use anything other than combat-oriented blessings.

"Rohan, Rohan! Can you hear me!?"

"Cough... cough... dammit... those fucking bugs... hack..."

After I injected three consecutive syringes of antidote into Rohan’s body, he suddenly bolted upright, spitting out blood and curses simultaneously. His toughness was enough to put a barbarian to shame.

"You... you... tomorrow... you better save my comrades... you hear me...? If you try to back out of going to the Underground City... I'll kill you..."

Rohan warned me with bloodshot eyes, his voice trembling. He was warning me that after he had pushed himself this far to help us, he would kill me if I tried to renege on our deal.

To be honest, I hadn't expected these two to go to such lengths to help us. Rohan and Hachi had proven their loyalty. If I betrayed that, I wouldn't have any right to complain if they stabbed me.

"I don't lie. I'll follow you to the Underground City tomorrow and bring all of your comrades back."

"Cough... it's a promise... a blood oath..."

Rohan held out a blood-stained hand, and I took it. Soon, Rohan stood up and spoke to Hachi.

"Anyway, there are too many monsters in the sewers. I've been feeling it for a while now."

"Indeed. From the 1st floor to the 3rd... there are far too many."

"Is it because of the Labyrinth Eruption? Tui."

It was true that an excessive number of monsters had been crawling out even in the Breeding Grounds. Vorpal Rabbits, which usually didn't live in groups, were appearing in swarms, and Hoarding Rabbits were crawling out by the dozens.

"Let's keep moving for now... we don't have time to sit around."

Rohan, who was the most severely injured, urged us to move. He probably wanted to finish the rescue mission quickly so he could rest for tomorrow.

Without even having time to collect the corpses of the dead Killer Bugs, we continued in the direction Rien pointed. Those damn insects had a very 'bug-like' habit of swarming toward light, so we had to leave the area quickly. We didn't have time for leisurely hunting, especially now that their numbers had surged.

"There! The transfer stone is up ahead!"

Before long, we found the third transfer stone. Following Rien’s guidance had led us straight to it.

This meant the rescue targets were even further down. The knight and the priestess were on the 4th floor.

The worst-case scenario I had envisioned had arrived.

"The two of them aren't on the 3rd floor either... we have to go down to the 4th..."

We had wasted a significant amount of time getting here. Even though we had done our best to descend quickly, it was hard to believe the two of them were still alive.

Perhaps she had realized this too, as Rien’s expression grew even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠more grim. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Her hands and legs are shaking, too...

It seemed the effects of the tonic were starting to wear off. Could Rien really hold out on the 4th floor?

Above all, Rien had only undergone mana adaptation once. It was a miracle she had made it this far, but if she entered the 4th floor in this state...

Rien might die too.

I stood before the transfer stone and asked her. Her hand, which was gripping mine, was shaking violently.

"Rien. Can you handle this?"

We had come too far to turn back now, so she had to endure. But I couldn't force her. Forcing her would be the worst possible move. I had to make her find the will to descend on her own.

"Th-that's..."

Rien’s eyes wavered. She couldn't answer immediately.

It was hard. I knew that. I could tell just by looking at her face.

But she wouldn't be able to give up. She had obtained an ability perfectly suited for finding missing persons: Clue Tracking. If she failed to save her comrades simply because it was 'hard,' she would be consumed by guilt.

I decided to poke at that guilt. It was cruel, but we had to go down.

You can judge me as a cold-hearted person if you want. But understand this: this is the Labyrinth City, where a single loss leads directly to death.

I couldn't go back empty-handed after all the hell we'd been through to get here. To make this descent worth it, I had to save the knight and the priestess, no matter what. Even if it was just their corpses, I had to bring them back up.

"Rien. It's okay to give up. You don't need to feel guilty. There's no point in pushing yourself because of your ability only to meet a terrible end. Tell me now, clearly. Is it okay to go down?"

I grabbed Rien’s trembling shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. If it was truly too much, I told her to give up here. I was making it clear that if she chose to go further, a half-hearted mindset wouldn't cut it.

By offering her the choice to give up before she could voice the thought herself, I was actually emphasizing the necessity of going down.

"I can go. I can still move. It's okay. I won't panic anymore. I'm going to save everyone... and we're going to go eat dessert together."

The wavering in her eyes vanished. I could feel a firm resolve in her. She had completely steeled herself.

I was relieved ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she hadn't given up.

"I understand."

Rien seemed to have finished her mental preparations. The will to fight had taken root in her once-shaking eyes.

Rohan and Hachi also checked their conditions before descending to the 4th floor.

"Hachi. Do you have enough divine power?"

"It is sufficient. Even if Baek-ak appears... I can handle it."

"Baek-ak... I hope it doesn't show up, but it doesn't hurt to be careful. You two."

Rohan turned back to look at Rien and me in front of the transfer stone leading to the 4th floor.

"There's a high probability the master of the 4th floor is down there. Prepare yourselves for combat."

The master of the sewers. The boss monster of the 4th floor.

Baek-ak.

The white man-eating crocodile.

It was monstrously large, and its hide was excessively tough. Unlike the other monsters in the sewer zone, which were generally easy to kill, Baek-ak was absurdly durable.

If we were lucky, the rescue team might have killed it before heading down to the Underground City. But in the worst-case scenario, the shock of the Labyrinth Eruption might have messed with the spawn rates, causing Baek-ak to reappear on the 4th floor.

After all, the number of monsters had increased exponentially.

This is why I hoped we wouldn't have to go down to the 4th floor.

Could those two handle Baek-ak? They were Silver Badge adventurers, after all. They probably could. However, both of them were severely exhausted from the journey down. They had entered the Labyrinth almost immediately after their own escape, so their condition didn't look great.

"Rien."

"Yes..."

"How many more times can you use magic?"

"Probably... five times...?"

"Understood. Here, take this club."

"A club...?"

"Yes. A club is a good weapon even if you haven't been trained to use it—you just have to swing it. If monsters swarm you, beat them to death with this. If you aim for the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠head, you'll take down most of them."

"A mage with a club... okay! I'll try...!"

I drew my sling and sword. A situation where we'd have to fight was bound to arise. Until now, Rohan and Hachi had handled most of the monsters, but from here on, Rien and I would have to fight as well.

The 4th floor of the sewers. A place where Ratmen, Slimes, and Killer Bugs all crawled out together. Furthermore, the Layer Division phenomenon would have occurred on the 4th floor as well.

Once we rescued the knight and the priestess, we would eventually have to descend below the Layer Division to get back up. There was no telling what would happen then.

The Labyrinth always presents the worst-case scenario. So, one must always assume the worst.

"Let's go. Downstairs."

Having finished our preparations, we stepped through the transfer stone and entered the 4th floor.

Finally, the end of this rescue operation was drawing near.