Chapter 275: Labyrinth of Change: Labyrinthos (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 275: Labyrinth of Change: Labyrinthos (4)
The places known as the “Three Hells” for superhuman criminals are as follows:
Alcatraz, the prison camp where the entire island is a jail. The Fairy Forest, where an entire region was consumed by the Otherworld due to a past dungeon outbreak. And finally, the place we are heading to now: the Labyrinth of Change, Labyrinthos.
…Well, Alcatraz hasn’t been living up to its name lately, but the other two are still going strong. Public perception of these places is generally as follows:
If you go into Labyrinthos, you won’t die because of monsters; you’ll die of old age because you can’t find the exit.
You have a better chance of surviving a death sentence than surviving the guards at Alcatraz.
Fairies have such shitty personalities, seriously. And so on.
Superhuman criminals who have committed various atrocities are imprisoned in these locations for different reasons. Though, with the exception of Alcatraz, “abandoned” would be a more accurate term than “imprisoned.”
The point is, these are prisons you can’t get out of once you enter. So, what do you think happens when someone steps forward and volunteers to go in?
“…Are you in debt or something? You look so young, too.”
Naturally, you get treated like a madman.
While the other two locations have at least a few survivors, Labyrinthos—our destination—currently has a zero percent survival rate. Not a single person has ever entered and successfully escaped.
…Well, if you count the previous timelines, there are a few people, including myself. But honestly, we cleared it through a series of coincidences that bordered on miracles, not because I was particularly amazing.
When I applied to the Association and the government, they asked if I had lost my mind. However, after I explained some of the treasures hidden inside and agreed to a condition that the Association could claim total ignorance if things went south, I managed to get permission.
Of course, I was told that the Chairperson herself was absolutely forbidden from participating.
“Is this really going to be okay? It’s a bit late to ask, but…”
She’s someone who lives under a fake identity anyway; there’s no rule saying she can’t have one more, right? She decided to come along using a forged identity as an A-rank Hero.
“…By the way, this might not be the right time to ask, but you guys are really following along without a second thought, aren’t you? The moment I said we were going to Labyrinthos, you all just went, ‘Sure, why not?’ Is that normal?”
I expected as much from Master and Baek Seol, since they’re far from ordinary, but I thought Aisha would cry and refuse to go. Honestly, if she had said she didn’t want to go this time, I wouldn’t have forced her.
“Huh? Why? To be honest, I was a bit annoyed when I first heard the reason, but when else would an opportunity like this come along? How often do I get a chance to close the distance between us without other people interfering? Of course I’m coming.”
…You’re following me into a superhuman criminal’s hell just to “close the distance”?
“I’m sure our Junior has a plan.”
“Exactly. You know what our Disciple is like.”
“…I thought about this yesterday, but why the sudden ‘Disciple’? And since when did you start speaking so casually to him?”
“He asked me to call him that himself.”
“Oh? Was your type a Senior who approaches you comfortably rather than a polite one? I can do that too—no, I’ll do that too. Want me to?”
“I don’t know how much further the distance between our hearts will grow, but feel free to try if you want.”
“Hmm, prickly as ever. How charming.”
…No matter how I looked at it, this didn’t sound like a conversation between people entering a dungeon where they might die. The Association official guiding us to the entrance seemed to think the same, shaking his head.
We probably looked like a bunch of lunatics to him, which was a truly sad misunderstanding. To others, this might be the worst, uncleared labyrinth, but to me—someone with a history of clearing it—it wasn’t that difficult.
“…We bear no responsibility if anything happens to you inside, understood?”
“You’re preaching to the choir. Besides, officially, no one entered here today, right?”
“…You’re out of your minds. Even the villains do everything they can to avoid being sent in here.”
“Yeah, we’re a bit eccentric.”
With that, he stopped paying us any mind. He probably thought he’d never see us again, but we’ll see about that. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing him again quite soon.
As the dungeon entrance slowly ground open, the sight overlapped with memories of that day. I had a hunch that I might run into a few of my old subordinates for the first time in a long while.
* * *
The first thing to do upon arriving in Labyrinthos is to check if anyone has been separated. Even if you enter at the same time, if your timing is truly unlucky, you can be teleported to different locations.
Though, it’s actually harder to time your entry exactly when the labyrinth is shifting.
“Fortunately, no one’s missing.”
“Hmm, it’s desolate, but it’s more normal than I expected. I imagined narrow corridors, but it’s surprisingly spacious.”
Baek Seol said as she lightly scanned the surroundings.
Since no one ever comes out, people tend to have misconceptions because it’s called a “labyrinth,” but there is actually food and drinkable water inside. Of course, the quantities are minuscule and there are monsters everywhere, so it’s hardly “habitable.”
“Well, that’s not the scary part of this place.”
“Hmm, so how do you plan for us to move from here?”
“I must be crazy. I can’t believe I brought four cadets in here. But still, that diary… that absolutely cannot be found…”
Baek Seol, who wasn’t nervous at all; Master, who was her usual natural self; and finally, the Chairperson, who was in a total state of panic. It was quite the magnificent combination.
“First of all, I gave you a rough explanation of the monsters that appear here, right?”
“Yes. They didn’t sound that threatening. Mostly cattle-related monsters as the legends say, and an amorphous high-tier species called the ‘Wingless Wraith,’ right?”
Since Labyrinthos was based on Greek mythology, it seemed the setting included cattle-related monsters and a Named boss based on the fallen Icarus.
…Actually, I didn’t see this in the Setting Book; I know it because I’ve actually been here.
Excluding the boss, the monsters that appear range from mid-tier to high-tier. They’re strong in their own right, but not impossible to handle. However, as I’ve said repeatedly, the monsters aren’t the real terror of this dungeon.
“Right, and the scary thing about this dungeon is that the interior shifts at random intervals, making it impossible to escape, isn’t it?”
The shifting dungeon is a headache, sure, but even that isn’t the biggest problem.
“Yes. There’s one more thing to be careful of, but I think it’s better for you to experience it firsthand. For now, let’s move. Chairperson, you’re already inside, so stop regretting it and move quickly.”
“…Fine. Let’s just find it and get out fast. That’s for the best.”
Even if we didn’t hurry, we’d likely encounter one soon. Those things were rolling around all over the place here. Ideally, we’d finish without seeing any, but they’ll show up soon enough even if we don’t want to see them.
* * *
Afterward, we encountered a pack of monsters called Ox Demons and engaged in battle. Naturally, we handled them without any casualties. Given our lineup, struggling against mere mid-tier Ox Demons would be ridiculous.
“…Junior, what are you doing?”
“Huh? I’m carving the meat.”
To be honest, butchery isn’t my specialty, so I’m not very confident, but I want to save our preserved rations as much as possible.
“…You know that most monster meat is poisonous and inedible, except for specific species, right? Even if you purify the toxin, the taste is usually horrific.”
“Ah, there’s a reason for this. Most of the monsters here are fine. You can eat them once the toxins are removed. There are even species like the Ox Demon that have no toxins at all.”
If you purify it well, it doesn’t taste good, but it’s not inedible. The Dungeon Master who rules this place is, well, half-human, after all. Perhaps it’s a mercy because there’s nothing else to eat, but the monster meat here isn’t completely repulsive.
Hmm, if I had to describe it from the perspective of someone who’s eaten it… it tastes like very cheap beef that’s right on the edge of its expiration date, mashed indiscriminately into a patty. Oh, and if you have seasonings, you can expect it to taste slightly better.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I want to eat it. It’s just one of the options to consider if we run out of food.
“Well, I suppose if we can forage locally instead of rushing through our rations, that’s fine.”
“…Are we really going to eat that? Even if it’s edible, I honestly don’t think it’s a great idea.”
As I was quietly carving the meat, the Chairperson started saying something strange.
“…Huh? Why would we eat this?”
I mean, if it were just me, I’d manage somehow. But I highly doubt the heroes gathered here could stomach this cheap monster meat without an issue. These are people who basically live on luxury goods.
If I starved them for a few days, the story might change, but why would I do that when there’s no need?
“I thought you were carving it to eat because you said it was edible. Um, no? If it’s not for eating, then why on earth are you carving it?”
“We might not be eating it, but it works as bait. They’ll probably be here soon.”
Master didn’t seem to understand what I meant, but fortunately, I didn’t need to explain further. I was worried they might not show up, but we got lucky.
“Ex-excuse me…”
What appeared was a very scruffy-looking old man. Well, looking at his age, he was probably middle-aged, but his body was skeletal and his face so gaunt that it was easy to mistake him for an old man.
“I-I’ve been starving for so long. I know it’s rude, but could you… could you spare just a little bit of meat…?”
“…Is he a criminal imprisoned in the dungeon?”
“He looks terrible.”
At the word “criminal,” he shuddered and shook his head in denial.
“No! I’m not! You all look so clean, you must have just arrived, but this place isn’t just a den for wicked criminals! There are people like me who ended up here by mistake, and even those who were born inside!”
Ah, for the record, most of what he said is true. From those caught in the initial dungeon outbreak to those who fled here in desperation, to the criminals sent here, and even those born within—there really are many kinds of people in this place.
“It’s a false accusation. I’m truly innocent. No, I’m sure venting my grievances to you will only be unpleasant. If you could just give me a tiny bit of meat, I’ll disappear immediately…”
Well, of course, I said most of it is true. That means not all of it. Just in case, I looked behind me, and as expected…
This is exactly why I picked this team.
A guy like Lilac might not have noticed, or even if he did, he would have tried to give the man meat out of pity. The others might have felt some sympathy too.
But the members I gathered this time were different.
Aisha, whose eyes held not a shred of sympathy.
The Chairperson, who was scowling with a clearly displeased face because lies didn’t work on her.
Baek Seol, who was calmly fiddling with her knife while watching my reaction. And finally, Master, who was sighing and shaking her head.
Haha, yeah. This is how it should be. This is the only way to survive in this place without trouble.
“Meat? Giving it to you isn’t hard. Want all of it? We didn’t catch it to eat it ourselves anyway.”
“R-really?! Oh, how did such kind people end up in a place like this…!”
Unfortunately, the guy was a decent actor but had zero intuition. If I were him, I would have run for my life the moment I saw the expressions on this group’s faces.
“But you know what? I can give you monster beef, but I can’t give you the meat you really want. Right?”
“Pardon…? What do you mean…?”
“You smell like blood, you dumbass. No matter how desperate you were for prey, how could you make a mistake like that?”
“…I have no idea what you’re talking about?”
“And if you’re going to hide a knife, you should have hidden it better. Tucking it into your clothes? Really, kid?”
The moment he tried to move, I reached out faster than him. I grabbed his throat as he tried to flee and drove a fist into his stomach. He gasped for air, but I wasn’t done.
He could be faking it.
Once, twice, three times. I didn’t stop, relentlessly pounding his stomach until he begged me to stop.
“Hey, I’m hitting you lightly, so don’t exaggerate. It’s not like you’re going to die~”
“S-spare me. What did I…”
“Still acting? I told you, you smell like blood. Even your knife reeks of it.”
“T-that’s because this is a dungeon full of monsters!”
“…One more word of bullshit and I’ll kill you.”
“…”
“You think I can’t tell the difference between human blood and monster blood?”
I slowly tightened my grip on his throat, radiating an aura as if I were about to snap it at any second. Finally, the will to surrender began to appear in his eyes.
Hmm, good. Now he looks ready to have a conversation.
“Listen, you Human Butcher. It’s true I need one of your kind, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be you. If I walk a few more steps and throw out more bait, another bastard just like you will show up. I bet that guy will have better intuition than you.”
“N-no! Not at all! I was wrong! I’m sorry!”
“Aww, I haven’t even said what I’m going to do to you yet. Why are you so scared?”
“I’m sorry… hic… I’m sorr…”
“Smile.”
“…What?”
“It’s hard to talk to you like this, so stop crying and smile.”
This is the proper etiquette in a place like this. You have to be a bit reckless and show them you’re a lunatic so they don’t try to rebel~
“Why~? You don’t want to? Then…”
“No, I’ll do it…!”
I was worried I might have gone soft, but it still works well.
“…Wow.”
“…Whoa.”
“…Heh.”
“…Ugh.”
…I thought I heard some strange noises coming from behind me, but this is the most effective way, so what can I do?