Chapter 187: Is That Truly the Best Way?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 187: Is That Truly the Best Way?
My mind went blank the moment I heard Helena’s words.
Accelerate the birth?
“A woman usually goes through a nine-month pregnancy. I’m talking about shortening that process.”
“……”
Usually, it’s forty weeks.
After about nine months and seven days of pregnancy, the child is born.
Helena was saying she could speed that up.
I felt a surge of revulsion at the suggestion.
Something about it felt wrong.
A small voice remaining in my heart screamed that this wasn't right.
That this was a mistake.
“Accelerating the pregnancy…?”
“Yes. Speeding it up.”
“Is that even possible?”
“Of course. It was a common method used in the old days. They’d give birth within two months. After all, being an adventurer is a profession that requires constantly entering the Labyrinth. Pregnancy is a fatal setback. So, they were forced to choose: either abort or give birth quickly.”
Abortion or accelerated birth.
This… this made them sound like livestock.
It was an efficient method.
The optimal choice.
And yet.
The feeling that this was wrong wouldn't leave me.
“Why… isn't that method used these days…?”
“Because life isn't as desperate as it used to be. Times have changed. In the past, female adventurers had to grind themselves to the bone in the Labyrinth. That was before Moira and Mabel purged the nobles and normalized the Labyrinth City. Everyone lived like that back then.”
“……”
“But now, things are different. There’s no reason to put such a strain on the body to give birth or terminate a pregnancy.”
“Wouldn't that put too much of a burden on Yuria’s body…?”
“Naturally. That’s why you must discuss it with the girl herself. Ultimately, it’s a matter between you and her. Talk to Yuria. Tell her you need to clear the 6th Floor and move on to the 7th. Ask her if she can give birth to the child quickly.”
“….”
Helena laughed as she saw my face stiffen.
It was a laugh of derision, as if she found me pathetic.
“Why? Didn't you completely change your stance? You said it yourself. You said you’d be efficient. That you’d discard your humanity.”
“That was…”
“If you’re going to prioritize efficiency, this is the way. If you’re going to discard your humanity and walk the Path of the Demon, you must be strict with yourself as well.”
She was right.
I had certainly decided to act that way.
But was that truly the right answer?
The longer I spoke with Helena, the more the dark, murky thoughts nestled inside me began to squirm.
I started to doubt if this was really the right path.
“You’ve become quite conflicted. Did you think the Path of Domination was a joke? Did you not realize that choosing to reign over everything is a choice that ultimately leads to your own ruin?”
“….”
“If you’re going to use everything at your disposal, then don't be so half-hearted. You intended to walk a path filled with malice, yet you fear your women getting hurt? How unsightly. With that pathetic expression on your face, think back again. To the deaths of your comrades.”
“The deaths of my comrades…”
“How did they react? Did they accept death? Or did they resist?”
“Well…”
Except for Jack and Maximus, everyone had accepted their deaths.
They had treated their own deaths as something natural, calling it a necessary sacrifice.
“They must have believed. That you would bring them back to life. Survival is important. Sometimes you must kill a comrade to live. But what you’re doing now—trying to cast aside your humanity as if giving up on everything because you’re soaked in defeat—is nothing more than a pathetic escape.”
I had nothing to say.
Because Helena was right.
I had blamed this entire failure on my comrades.
Even though I was the team leader and the fault lay in my judgment, I had rationalized it by telling myself we lost because my comrades were too weak.
I was about to betray the comrades who had died believing in me.
Without even listening to their opinions.
Drowned in a sense of defeat, I had tried to dictate their end according to my own whims.
“It must have been a painful defeat. An accident happened in the Snake Nest, a place you thought would be easy to clear. And in that state, encountering the monsters of the 7th Floor must have terrified you. You became impatient, thinking you could never conquer the 7th Floor as you are now. Am I wrong?”
“You’re right… I was impatient. I’ll admit it. I was obsessed with the thought that I couldn't go on like this. Because… I don't know when the Labyrinth will erupt.”
The Labyrinth will erupt soon.
I have to stop it before it does.
If it erupts, everything is over.
That’s why I was impatient.
I was willing to discard my humanity.
I was willing to pursue pragmatism even if it meant betraying my comrades.
“I know you carry a burden that is far too heavy for your shoulders. I know you must fight while carrying the future of humanity. But if you grind everything away in that process, what will be left in the end? Nothing will remain by your side.”
Just as she said, by the time I finished everything, the very things I wanted to protect might have already been destroyed.
“I’m not saying that walking the Path of the Demon is entirely wrong. That path would likely lead you to the Deepest Part of the Labyrinth faster than any other. However, you must judge what it is you will lose in the process.”
“What I… will lose…”
“Yes. Choosing to discard your humanity and chase only efficiency is a way of completely giving up on being human yourself. In the end, you must not forget why you made the Deepest Part your destination. Why you are trying to reach that place.”
The reason I want to enter the Deepest Part.
The ultimate goal for which I am fighting so desperately, gritting my teeth to prevent the ruin of humanity.
“I wanted to protect the happiness of my future children and the family that follows and trusts me.”
That is the reason I am pushing myself to the limit right now.
I am working for the safety of my descendants and my family.
However, discarding my humanity meant choosing the fastest and most efficient way to clear the Labyrinth, but it also meant grinding away the very things I wanted to protect, becoming a machine that slaughters monsters without a purpose.
The realization made me dizzy.
Once a locomotive’s brakes are broken, it cannot stop.
If Helena hadn't stepped in to stop me here…
I would have walked the Path of Domination, committing acts no different from a demon without hesitation.
In terms of clearing the Labyrinth, that path might not have been the wrong answer.
But at the end of that road, I would have surely fallen into despair and regret.
Just as I realized this, Helena let out a long sigh and gripped my shoulders firmly.
“Now, let me ask you again. Do you want to accelerate Yuria’s birth?”
I shook my head firmly at Helena’s question.
“No. I don't want to go that far.”
“Do you still think the cause of this defeat was because your party members were lacking?”
“No. It was clearly my poor judgment and overconfidence in my teammates.”
“That’s a relief. I am, after all, a familiar bound to your leash. Imagining what would happen if you fell into depravity makes me lightheaded. However, as a familiar, I can only offer advice; I cannot entirely negate your choices. So remember this, Sion. The Malice of the Labyrinth will try to lead you to ruin in many ways. You must be careful.”
“Yes. Thank you, Helena. I will… keep those words in mind.”
Thanks to Helena, the suffocating weight in my chest was completely washed away.
Perhaps that stuffiness was the pang of conscience for my actions.
Ever since I used Astral Projection, I’d been feeling strangely uneasy.
Could that be related as well?
“You used Astral Projection?”
“Yes. For scouting…”
“That was certainly dangerous. It would have been easier for the Malice of the Labyrinth to intervene while you were in a soul state. Still, I don't think that was the decisive reason.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. It seems to be a combination of factors. Using Astral Projection in a place other than the 5th Floor could be one cause. Or perhaps it was absorbing the Ability of that human named Kairan.”
“Kairan’s Ability?”
“Yes. An Ability is ultimately like a tattoo engraved upon the target’s soul. Since you forcibly tore it away and absorbed it, there could be some side effects.”
“Wait. Then what about Moira’s Ability…?”
“Did you steal the Demon Eye from her?”
“No. Moira gave it to me.”
“Exactly. You didn't take it by force; she gave it to you willingly. The side effects would be minimal. More importantly, considering Moira’s personality, she’s not the type of human who would ever fall into depravity.”
Helena seemed to be right.
Moira is strong. She has a character that is furthest from corruption.
That’s likely why she could remain sane even while draped in Magic Swords and Demon Eyes.
“If she were going to be corrupted, she would have become a monster through Labyrinth Assimilation long ago. The fact that she maintains her sanity despite possessing that many Demon Eyes and Abilities is proof of Moira’s strength.”
“I see…”
Forcibly stealing and absorbing an Ability was a problem, and using Astral Projection in a place without the protection of the Three Witches was also a problem.
“Well, I’m glad you’ve come to your senses. So, what will you do now?”
I’ll have to resurrect the companions who entered the Snake Nest with me later.
For now, purifying the Snake Nest is more important.
“Please help me. I need to clear out the Snake Nest. I have to avenge my comrades.”
“Very well. Let’s do that. I shall help you. In fact, I’ve been waiting for you to say those words. Gorgon? Serpent? I’ll split every one of those snake heads in half.”
Helena returned to the Bracelet of Growth.
I felt as if I had gained an army of a thousand men.
With her by my side, I didn't feel like I would lose to the monsters of the 7th Floor.
“But we should still be fully prepared.”
I should gather more of my other comrades.
I also plan to immediately stop the forced extraction of Abilities through Arad. I don't know what kind of side effects might occur.
If the Malice of the Labyrinth is trying to break me like this…
Then I have no choice but to fight while maintaining my humanity until the very end.
Let’s do this.
I’ll keep trying until it works. What else can I do?
This is my destiny, after all.