Chapter 145
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: Labyrinth 22nd Floor
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After leaving Miranda's workshop, I headed straight for the Labyrinth Guild.
As always, I arrived at the bustling Labyrinth Guild full of people and immediately gathered information first.
"Any reports of undead suddenly wandering around certain floors, or famous criminals hiding in the Labyrinth, or a mutation right around the corner, or variant monsters appearing?"
"Just a moment..."
With all the major incidents that had happened lately, I was worried about getting dragged into something ridiculous again, so I collected info and checked my prepared supplies.
'Let's see... The 22nd floor is the cold zone, right?'
The 21st floor was an environment hot enough to be called the Flame Zone or Flame Layer, with scorching heat and raging flames everywhere. In complete contrast, the 22nd floor was the exact opposite.
An endless blizzard howled through a floor completely covered in ice. It was like a slap in the face to adventurers who had stocked up on fire resistance gear and consumables for the 21st floor—challenging the 22nd required the polar opposite preparations.
Of course, the best preparation was my own body.
"Um... Regarding what you asked, there's no special reports coming in right now. As for variant monsters, there's info on a variant goblin on the 4th floor, and scholars estimate the Labyrinth mutation is still over a month away."
"Oh. Thanks."
Even with these preparations, the Labyrinth loved to screw you over, but feeling a bit more at ease, I dove into the Labyrinth without lingering.
And the moment Ian plunged into the Labyrinth, the staff member who had heard his question tilted her head.
"Is that guy the adventurer?"
The intermediate adventurer Ian. He was growing at an astonishing pace, but his name wasn't widely known yet. Recently, after slaying the variant monster on the 20th floor and saving many people, he was starting to get recognized...
"But he doesn't seem like trouble. Why did sis tell me to watch out for him?"
She handled adventurers in the 20th floor range. She remembered her older sister, who managed the 10th floors, warning her about an adventurer named 'Ian' among those to be cautious of.
What was it? He'll either cause an incident or get caught in one?
Well, even if it's an incident, it's probably nothing major...
"Attention!"
"Huh? Boss? What's up?"
"Just got a heads-up to relay. Read this and inform any adventurers who come in."
The paper the boss handed her made her panic when she saw the top line.
[Labyrinth Mutation Imminent]
"...Huh? But it was supposed to be over a month away..."
"I thought so too, but the Mage Tower scholars suddenly freaked out. Something about the Labyrinth's waves being off. Since we don't know when it'll happen, tell adventurers to avoid entering if possible."
"...Got it."
As she skimmed the paper while listening to the boss, something occurred to her.
'...Then what about the people already inside?'
"Not many people around."
I quickly blasted through the cave and forest layers, passing the occasional adventurer.
During preparations for the Festival of Fire, requests were overflowing and adventurers were everywhere, but now that it was over, there were hardly any.
No monsters in the forest layer could see through my [Stealth] anymore, so I comfortably cleared it and soon reached the 20th floor.
"Last time the 20th was crawling with people, but today it's quiet. Wonder if I'll see that guy...?"
"Grraaahhh!"
-Thud! Thud!
"Speak of the devil."
Not long after entering the 20th floor, I heard footsteps and drew my sword. The long sword made from salamander scales spat small flames, and when I infused it with mana, it roared with fierce fire.
"Fucking cool."
Dazed by the sword's appearance, I immediately slashed at the green giant crashing through the trees toward me.
-Slash!
"Grrooaaarrr!"
"So you're a real ogre, huh?"
Seeing the giant emerge from the trees filled me with an odd sense of familiarity. Last time, I never got to see one of these and only hunted the weird two-headed freak—this was my first real ogre.
But...
"Why are you so weak?"
-Slice! Slice!
"Kwak! Grraaack!"
I effortlessly dodged the guy's intimidating club swings. Without even using [Limit Break] or bleeding to trigger the [Berserker's Gauntlets], his hide just tore open with every swing, leaving me feeling deflated.
"That two-headed bastard last time took forever to even scratch, and I barely took it down..."
-Shlick!
Sighing, I decapitated him, stored the corpse in my inventory, and swung the sword through the air a few times.
-Whoosh! Swoosh!
"What's different?"
[Swordsmanship Lv. 6]: A faint will resides in the sword.
I tested the effect of [Swordsmanship] reaching Lv. 6 after using [Lust Absorption] on Alensia. It definitely felt more natural and menacing than before...
'What does "a will resides" even mean?'
It sounded impressive, but no matter how I swung, I couldn't feel anything beyond swinging a bit better.
Maybe it's so 'faint' there's no real change?
Puzzled, I passed the portal to the 21st floor.
-Ripple.
'......Huh?'
What was that? Did the portal just flicker?
Swimming through excruciating agony, 「Corruption」 finally shook off that torment and bellowed in rage the moment it awoke.
Flesh tearing, organs crushed, bones shattering, skin splitting, veins bursting... And all that pain hitting simultaneously without a fraction of error—that horrific sensation...
As it panted heavily for a while, a will reached it.
-【.......】
-【....What is it. Death. You were clearly asleep....?】
-【........】
-【Hah! Begone. I have no time for your mockery.】
Sensing 「Death」's sneer from beyond the faint will, 「Corruption」 raged and tried to sever the connection.
-【..........】
-【....A proposal? What nonsense is that.】
Hearing 「Death」's words, 「Corruption」 dismissed it at first but grew intrigued as the explanation dragged on.
-【.......】
-【Certainly, it's not a proposal that harms me...】
If 「Corruption」 followed 「Death」's proposal, there'd be no downside for it. 「Death」 would bear the power loss. But 「Corruption」 couldn't help asking.
-【.....You. What did you see?】
Reading the will of 「Death」 dripping with greedy desire, 「Corruption」 wondered what it had seen to crave so badly.
-【........】
「Death」 recalled the scene it witnessed through the '9th floor's' final moments and fell silent.
"Jackpot?"
To test [Mining] which hit Lv. 5, I wandered the 21st floor mining ores and grinned at the surprisingly large haul.
The Festival of Fire was over, but its aftermath lingered, so minerals were still selling high. Just in case, I'd taken a request for 21st floor ores instead of 22nd.
"How much is all this worth?"
Last time on the 21st, I used the salamander byproducts myself and sold most minerals, earning over 20 gold coins in one Labyrinth run. Looking at this haul, it'd be similar.
Plus the money from selling these upon return... last mining payout... and the untouched tournament winnings...
"Can I buy it? Alensia said that much should cover one."
I supplied materials for the gear and Miranda didn't charge labor, so plenty left over. Thought about blowing it at the brothel, but something else came up, so I was saving.
I'll think about it after returning from this run... For now...
"Found it. The portal."
I spotted the portal to the 22nd floor shimmering amid the blazing flames.
I shook off my sword and, unsure of the 22nd floor's environment, downed a cold resistance potion beforehand. Taking a small breath, I stepped forward.
-Whoosh!
Closing my eyes through the portal, the flames scorching my skin vanished instantly. In their place, bone-chilling cold took over. Instead of fire, a frigid blizzard battered my skin.
"They say lots of adventurers pass out from the temperature shift going 21st to 22nd..."
From blistering heat to freezing cold so suddenly? Even with [Attribute Resistance], the chill was no joke.
-Fwoosh...
"Oh?"
As I debated pulling out another cold potion, small flames rose from the salamander scales reinforcing my armor. The cold eased, and warmth filled inside.
"Never heard about this feature..."
Worried it might be vulnerable to cold like the salamanders I hunted on the 21st, but infusing a bit of mana made flames bloom and repel the chill. I smiled, satisfied.
"Saved some coin."
No need for extra cold potions now.
Drawing my sword to check swings in the cold, a white-furred beast slowly approached through the blizzard, spotting me.
"Nunu?"
"This the yeti?"
Seemed solo—perfect to gauge the 22nd floor's level.
-Slash!
"First strike wins!"
As always, battle started with a mana slash. The flaming crescent-shaped slash flew out, and the moment I released it, the white beast roared wildly, charging through the snow toward me.
-Boom!
The yeti leaped aside dodging the slash; snow exploded in a long gash with white steam rising.
I blocked its slashing claws aiming for my throat with my sword.
-Kagang!
"Nuunoo!"
Flames rose from the blocking sword, enraging the yeti. It swelled its arm massively and tried hurling me away with my sword.
[Limit Break Lv. 4]
-Crash!
"Nunu?"
"Not bad!"
Activating [Limit Break], I slammed my feet into the ice to halt my flight and used the arm's momentum to sever the yeti from the elbow.
-Slice!
"Nuununu!"
Arm severed, the yeti let out a bizarre shriek. Realizing it was losing, it abandoned the limb and turned to flee.
[Footwork Lv. 5]
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Nuut?!"
Infusing mana into my feet, I glided across the ice like skating and closed in beside the yeti. Before its remaining arm could swing in panic, I lopped off its head.
-Slice!
"Hoo..."
Sheathing my sword, I calmed my slight excitement and smiled.
"22nd floor. Manageable."
This level? No problem at all.