Chapter 30: He Who Knows When to Leave
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 30: He Who Knows When to Leave
“Ugh...”
“Sion! Are you awake?”
“Uh... Yuria. Where are we...?”
“The first floor. We’re almost all the way up.”
We were in an empty room on the first floor of the Botanical Garden, in the upper levels of the Labyrinth.
The party was taking a break. Since I, the one with the Map Creation ability who acted as the guide, had been unconscious, it seemed the group had struggled to find their way up.
“I’ve covered the essentials for now, since your clothes are gone,” Hachi said.
“Thank you, Hachi.”
A blanket was draped over my lower half. My clothes had been stripped off when I transformed into a mouse, so apparently, I was stark naked once the transformation wore off.
“Hey, Yuria.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Stop staring and turn your head.”
“What? I’m covering my eyes.”
“I can see you peeking through the gaps in your fingers.”
“Tch.”
Yuria finally turned away. She had been blatantly staring through her fingers while pretending to cover her eyes, which was quite a lot to handle.
Am I overreacting?
In truth, ending up naked in the Labyrinth—whether from clothes being shredded or melted—happened more often than one might think. There was no need to be embarrassed about every little instance of nudity.
But how should I put it? Showing my naked body to Yuria felt a bit awkward. If I had no feelings for the other person, it wouldn't have mattered, but Yuria was different. That was why I felt a prickle of shame.
“By the way, Yata, why are you standing with your back turned?” I asked.
“Huh? Oh, that. Well... I am a woman, after all...?”
“What?”
Wait, hold on. Yata was a woman? But her hair was so short...
“Long hair is just cumbersome...”
I could have sworn she was a man based on her speech and behavior.
“It’s... easier to get things done if I act like a man...”
“I, uh, I’m sorry. I didn't realize right away.”
“No, it’s fine. I hear that I’m like a man quite often. I act that way on purpose so people can’t tell my gender anyway. Hahaha.”
Yata laughed awkwardly. No wonder her frame seemed a bit slender; she was a woman. Then again, it wasn't easy to maintain one's femininity while fighting in the Labyrinth, where even men struggled to survive. Especially for women who looked soft, there were always more creeps trying to mess with them.
Come to think of it, there were more female adventurers with short hair than I realized. Some even wrapped their chests in bandages because they found them distracting.
“I’m dressed now.”
“Tch. You could’ve shown me a little more.”
“Yuria. I swear, if I were just a little bit stronger, I’d give you a noogie.”
“What! A girl can be curious!”
“Sigh.”
I shook my head with a groan. This girl wasn't even trying to hide her advances anymore.
“Well, shall we head out now?”
“Let’s. We’ve rested enough.”
“Yes. There should be a transfer stone nearby.”
“Ooh! We can finally leave. I’m so excited!”
Horaru looked incredibly thrilled at the mention of leaving the Labyrinth. I desperately turned my head away to avoid looking at ‘her.’
Yes. Horaru was a female.
How did I find out? I didn't want to know.
Dammit... this is driving me crazy.
She was cute. Horaru was so cute it was driving me insane. Blood kept rushing to my crotch. I was so desperate to blow a load I thought I’d lose my mind.
That furry bitch is just... Argh, get a grip! Are you insane, Sion? She’s a bear... Grrr...
My mind was flickering in and out of sanity. I wanted to run to Horaru right this second, bury my face in that fluffy, soft fur, and rub against it like a madman.
Slap!
“Sion, what’s wrong?”
“N-nothing. Just waking myself up. Come on. Let’s get moving.”
I slapped my cheeks to regain my composure. Or rather, I tried to.
“Ooh. Sion. Tell me if it’s hard. I’ll carry you on my back.”
“Gasp...!”
I covered my mouth. She was so kindhearted...
That... that furry bitch... she keeps... tempting me!
Aaaaagh! I was going crazy. I felt like I was losing it. My brain had turned suspicious. To think I’d suffer a side effect like becoming a furry. Furry Lover Syndrome...
Lafnel, you crazy knife-ear! What the hell did you create?! Why does that bear keep looking so sexy to me? Stop wiggling your butt. I’m going to lose my mind.
“Ugh.”
“Sion...!”
“Whoa there. It seems you’ve overexerted yourself. Hey, Horaru. Can you carry him?”
“Ooh. Leave it to me.”
“N-no. No!!!”
“Don’t refuse, just get on. I’m fine.”
“No, I’m not fine! Aaaagh...!”
I refused desperately... I resisted with all my might... but in the end, I was hoisted onto Horaru’s back.
M-madness. The fur... it’s the fur...
The scent of a beast wafted from Horaru. That musky smell of fur lunged at my nose, aggressively flooding my senses. It’s vulgar, but... I ended up in heat.
Shit.
A profound sense of shame toward myself and a self-loathing that made me want to die. And yet, beyond that self-destructive urge lay a horizon of ecstasy. It felt like burying my nose in the belly of Boksil, the white dog my grandmother used to raise, and taking a deep whiff.
Puppies, cats, hamsters, rabbits, goats, sheep, and so on.
Furries. The best.
“Gah!!!”
“What? What is it?”
“N-no. It’s nothing... I think I just had a very... very bad nightmare.”
After about an hour, I managed to return to a normal state. All the stray thoughts, perverse desires, and twisted tastes that had defiled and disturbed my heart, mind, and soul returned to their proper places.
“Horaru. I’m okay now. I can walk on my own.”
“Ooh. Okay. Tell me if it gets hard.”
“Yes, thank you.”
To think our party, which I thought had Yuria as the sole woman, actually had two more. What a shocking discovery!
I refused to have any further thoughts on the matter. Yes, that was for the best.
Horaru, who had looked like a ‘female’... no, a ‘mate’... started looking like a bear again. Regardless of gender, Horaru was still just a kind bear.
“Look, the transfer stone!”
As I shook my head to clear out the strange thoughts, Yuria pointed in one direction. I could see the transfer stone in the distance.
“Phew. This damn Labyrinth.”
“We can finally leave, it seems.”
Louis let out a deep sigh, looking exhausted to death, while Hachi smiled faintly, seemingly satisfied to have made it out alive.
“Everyone... you all worked so hard. I’ll definitely buy the drinks.”
“Y-you worked hard too... sniff...”
“Ooh!”
Rohan laughed heartily, promising to treat us to drinks, and Yata’s eyes were slightly red with emotion. Horaru just looked happy. As a Druid, she seemed eager to escape the stifling Labyrinth and return to the forest as soon as possible.
“Well then, let’s go.”
The journey of the Body Recovery Team ended here. We had performed our given mission perfectly, and we were finishing our Labyrinth run with everyone surviving.
Completing a mission and returning safely with the whole team from the Underground City, where the difficulty had spiked since the Labyrinth Eruption? It was a massive achievement.
Though there were moments where we were nearly wiped out, looking only at the result, our journey was a grand success.
*
“Phew!”
“I’m alive!”
“Haa. The air is sweet.”
“The sun. The brilliant sun is shining on us.”
As soon as we exited the Labyrinth, the party and I went to a clearing near the entrance, sat down, and caught our breath. Coming out of the Labyrinth felt like a weight had been lifted from my chest. Looking up at the high sky and breathing in and out for a long time brought peace to my mind.
“Ugh...!”
“Mana Adaptation?”
“Yes...”
Soon, Mana Adaptation began. My muscles trembled slightly.
This makes me Level 7.
It was my seventh Mana Adaptation. My body would become even tougher and sturdier.
Ah, it’s leaving.
As the Mana Adaptation finished, I felt something that had been settled inside me slipping away. It was likely the soul of the Great Warrior Shaka departing.
Just how long had he been wandering alone in the depths of that Labyrinth? His body had probably rotted away and vanished long ago. It was a miracle his mind hadn't broken. Perhaps if he hadn't met me, his soul would have wandered the darkness until it wore away into nothingness. He might never have had the chance to pass on.
Thinking about it that way, meeting me must have been a great stroke of luck for him. And since I was able to survive thanks to meeting him right before I died, we were a great help to each other.
Go to a better place.
I offered a brief prayer for Shaka’s soul. I didn't know if he could go to heaven, but I hoped he at least wouldn't have to wander the world of the living anymore.
“Hmm...?”
After praying for Shaka, my head began to throb with pain. Don't tell me, did I get another Ability? I only just got Spiritual Eye Opening. To think I’d get a new one already.
[Shaka’s Remnant]
No, wait. This wasn't so much an Ability as it was a trace he left behind as he passed on. Though not perfect, Shaka’s combat techniques and experience remained within me.
It won't lead to a revolutionary improvement in skill immediately, but even this much is a jackpot.
It felt like I had laid the foundation to become a warrior. One could say I had gained the talent of a fighter. It wasn't just a new skill; I had gained a talent. It was easier to understand if I thought of it as gaining a passive skill.
Wait, does this mean...
If I keep helping the souls wandering the Labyrinth, can I keep gaining talents like this? If I can figure out how to use the Spiritual Eye at will, becoming the strongest porter in the Labyrinth City might not just be a dream.
Of course, if it’s an Ability that only triggers when I’m on the brink of death like this time... that would be a shame.
Things in life never go that smoothly. The only reason I could contact Shaka this time was because I was pushed to the very edge of death. The Spiritual Eye probably only opens when one reaches death’s door. I haven't been in and out of the Labyrinth for a day or two; I can tell how these things work. There’s no way I can just get a free ride that easily. It’s obvious I’ll have to roll and crawl and suffer like a dog before I’m handed a single soul.
Ugh, how gruesome. I’d rather not have the Spiritual Eye open at all.
Regardless, since I gained a talent, I should visit a Martial Arts Hall while I’m taking a break from the Labyrinth. The time has come to improve my fighting skills. Now that I can finally enter the Underground City, I can’t keep relying on a single Subspace Pocket to get through every situation.
“Everyone, let’s head to the guild for now. We’ll finish the exploration report and hand over the monster carcasses. Oh, and I’ll buy lunch.”
“Rohan, you’re buying drinks and food. Aren't you going to go bankrupt at this rate?”
“Hahaha. I’ve saved up some money. And I’m considering retiring as an adventurer after this Labyrinth run.”
“What? Retiring...?”
“Retirement? Rohan, what are you talking about?”
“Once I resurrect Catherine this time... I’m thinking of moving to some quiet countryside, Louis.”
The party and I were taken aback by Rohan’s sudden declaration of retirement. Rohan was a man of considerable skill. Although he didn't get to do much this time because he was ambushed by an Orc Slugger, he surely could have reached the Gold Badge if he kept exploring the Labyrinth. His skill, experience, and talent were too good to waste.
“Look, Rohan. If you just push a little further, I’m sure you could earn a Gold Badge. Are you really giving up?”
“A Gold Badge. Yes. If I kept going into the Labyrinth, I might earn one someday. But I’m just too tired.”
Despite Louis’s attempts to dissuade him, Rohan simply shook his head. His eyes looked full of fatigue. One of the bodies we brought back was likely his fiancée, Catherine. It seemed he planned to leave the Labyrinth City after paying for her resurrection.
Unlike Hachi, who joined the Body Recovery Team out of a sense of responsibility as a guide, Rohan’s main goal for this expedition was likely saving his fiancée. That was probably why he had pushed himself so hard to go down. And now that the momentous task of rescuing his fiancée was over, Rohan was trying to leave the Labyrinth.
“Don’t take it so seriously, everyone. Isn't that what being an adventurer is all about? When you’ve made a big score, you have to know when to wash your hands of it. If your greed is excessive, you’ll meet with disaster. And I made a huge score this time. I rescued Catherine. The time has finally come for me to wash my hands of this life.”
At his words, the party members all nodded. For the adventurer Rohan, the biggest score of all was none other than the rescue of his fiancée. Money and fame weren't as important as his beloved fiancée.
Yes. He was right. Since he had made a big score, it was time to step away. One shouldn't be too greedy. Those who harbor excessive desires eventually get swallowed by the Labyrinth. Perhaps Rohan was the wisest person among us. An adventurer who knows when to quit is truly a wise man.
Someday, a time to quit will come for me too, just like Rohan. By then, I’ll probably have become the greatest slave collector in the Labyrinth City, right? Of course, to make that happen, I’ll have to keep going into the Labyrinth until I make my own big score.
“Sion.”
“Yeah?”
“Rohan... that mister. He’s kind of cool.”
“He is. He’s a cool guy.”
“I’m going to become a cool person like that too.”
“Huh? Sure. Go ahead. But why are you suddenly telling me your resolution?”
“And if anything happens, I’ll definitely protect you.”
“Wait, hold on. Don’t just cut me off...”
Yuria suddenly grabbed my hand.
“There, there. This is enough.”
“Hey, what do you mean 'this is enough'! What are you concluding on your own? Why are you acting like my fiancée!”
“Hehe. Don’t be shy, Sion. You said we should have a serious talk once we got out of the Labyrinth. Wasn't this the kind of talk you wanted to have? For instance... about engagement. Or dating...”
“No, the serious talk I wanted to have wasn't about getting engaged to you!”
Yuria covered my mouth with her hand.
“Shh. My, my, what a handful you are, Mr. Porter. Let’s save this serious talk for later. For now, let’s head to the guild.”
“Y-you...! Hey!”
I felt like I was being swept up in Yuria’s pace. This shouldn't be happening. My slave harem plan...
Without even a chance to resist, I was dragged toward the guild, my hand firmly in Yuria’s grasp.