Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Hunting the Raiders
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-Clang! Clang!
On the sixth floor of the Labyrinth, a sound echoes through the darkness—the sharp clash of something hard striking something else just as solid. Following the noise leads to the sight of a lone man swinging a pickaxe into a vein of ore.
"Phew! That's the tenth one!"
Three weeks after getting Vivian's space gem from the library, I'm down on the sixth floor of the Labyrinth, tackling a commission solo.
For the first two weeks, I'd formed temporary parties to dive into the dungeon, repeating commissions from floors one through five. I never actually had a chance to use the space-expansion magic tool.
Not that I could hide the gem itself somehow, but the tool was just too extravagant for a beginner adventurer to own. Whip it out in front of other adventurers, and I'd get backstabbed and robbed in a heartbeat.
So I packed my backpack deliberately and formed a few parties, but without using what I had—since it'd give me away—I started questioning if partying was even worth it.
Hiding skills like [Sensory Block] to avoid detection by party members, stashing the space-expansion tool...
In the end, I decided to go solo. Just down to the seventh floor, though. Anything deeper is impossible alone. I'd need way more party members for those runs later on.
There were a few other reasons too, but... for now, I'm handling commissions solo.
-Zzzzt!
"Ah, damn it. I just sat down."
I set down the pickaxe and barely hit the ground when I hear a monster approaching. That sound... Big Bat?
I stop my hand from drawing the sword at my waist, grab the bow slung across my back instead, fish an arrow from my pouch, and nock it.
'[Sensory Block], [Sensory Amplification]'
As the Big Bat's vague shape comes into view, I use [Sensory Block] to shut out my own hearing. Suddenly, all ambient noise vanishes, leaving perfect silence. Back on Earth, archery athletes trained to endure crowd noise, but with this skill, they'd never need to.
Next, [Sensory Amplification] boosts the sensitivity in my fingertips. I could amp my vision too, but for close-range shots, this is better.
-[Archery Lv.1]: Bonus to shooting a bow.
The skill's effect kicks in on top of that. I steady my breath, slowly draw back the arrow... and loose.
-Whoosh! Thunk!
"Squeee!"
The arrow nails the Big Bat's wing. I was aiming for the head, but hitting at all is a win. With my skill level, landing any shot is lucky enough.
I approach the flailing bat on the ground and slit its throat with my sword. Only one showed up, but it cried out before dying, so more will swarm soon. No time to rest. Damn.
I scoop up the dropped pickaxe, stay alert for surroundings, minimize noise, and slip away quietly.
-[Stealth Lv.2]: Bonus to hiding your body.
-[Scouting Lv.2]: Detects nearby enemies.
The two skills activate seamlessly at the same time.
Something I've realized going solo: I seem better suited to rogue classes than frontline fighter types. Makes sense—handling every situation alone has led me to pick up new skills like these:
[Archery Lv.1], [Throwing Lv.1], [Mining Lv.1], [Assassination Lv.2], [Scouting Lv.2], [Stealth Lv.2], [Lockpicking Lv.1], [Poison Handling Lv.1]
Maybe it's inevitable. My [Sensory Block] skill synergizes perfectly with deception and ambushes. Block a monster's sight and hearing, sneak up, slit its throat—boom, [Assassination] unlocked. Bypass a pesky one by blocking its hearing and slipping past—[Stealth] gained. Both leveled up nicely too.
Plus, thanks to [Heavenly Touch], hand-based skills come easily. That's how I got [Archery], [Throwing], and [Mining]. Found a treasure chest solo, struggled to open it—[Lockpicking] acquired.
[Poison Handling]... that came from feeding myself poison to train [Poison Resistance]. Haven't used it on a monster yet, though.
[Scouting] popped up fast from constantly detecting monsters solo while running [Sensory Amplification].
My original [Swordsmanship] is stuck at Lv.2, though. [Sensory Block] and its derivatives haven't leveled either. At least constantly poisoning myself bumped [Poison Resistance] to Lv.2.
Honestly, these skills are the main reason I go solo. After three years of stagnation, the thrill of gaining new ones and growing is insanely addictive. Partying is safer, but solo forces adaptation, survival... and growth.
Mission complete: ten magnetite ores mined. Time to head back.
".....! Com.......sure...."
"............"
With [Sensory Amplification] always active in the Labyrinth, boosted hearing picks up voices. Perfect timing—right on the path back upstairs. I melt into the shadows naturally and eavesdrop.
"You sure he's coming this way?"
"Shut up. Just wait. I saw him take the magnetite collection commission! Only floors six or seven have magnetite veins down here."
"You sure? A beginner adventurer with a space-expansion magic tool sounds fishy."
"I'm telling you! Last time, I saw him pull a bow from a tiny pouch while solo!"
Damn, that's definitely me. Magnetite commission, space-expansion pouch... Someone must've spotted me using it during my solo runs these past few days. When? I only used it when [Scouting] confirmed no one around.
"A guy carrying that deep must be some guild or association's promising talent, right? You wanna mess with that?"
"Hey! You know how expensive that is? Sell it for platinum easy! Chicken out if you're scared! He's solo anyway—no way he'll catch us!"
I ignore their bickering and assess. Two guys. One with a sword at his waist, the other with a crossbow and dagger. The exit path... There are probably detours if I scout, but I don't know them. Wandering blindly risks getting lost.
Could snipe with the bow, but Lv.1 [Archery] isn't reliable enough. Anything useful in the bag?
Pickaxe, magnetite, rations, rope, bushido, resistance-training poison... Hold up, poison?
Great idea.
"What if he went another way?"
"Shut up and wait."
Hobson brushes off Copson's whining and activates his skill, [Farsight], to peer down the passage.
Last time was pure luck. On floor four, he'd spotted a faint light ahead and used [Farsight]—only to see some solo guy pull a bow from a tiny pouch. Those magic tools cost at least platinum, as far as he knew.
Even better, checking the guy's description revealed he'd just finished beginner adventurer training! No affiliation, total newbie. No idea where he got it, but in just over a month, he couldn't have grown that much.
To minimize risks, Hobson brought Copson from his back-alley crew, but the guy wouldn't stop griping.
Whatever. Once he had the tool, Copson was disposable too. No way he'd split platinum-level loot. Copson was probably thinking the same.
"Hm?"
Through [Farsight], a light suddenly flares in the passage. Focusing, he sees a male adventurer building a fire.
"It's him!"
"What?"
"The guy I told you about! In that passage!"
Good call waiting at this junction where passages converged. Most of floor six funneled through here, so tailing him after spotting that magnetite commission paid off.
Hobson sends sword-wielding Copson ahead, loads a bolt into his crossbow, and creeps forward. The guy seems oblivious to his doom, fussing over the fire.
The moment Hobson aims his crossbow, the target spins, spots them, and bolts into a side cave.
"Ha! Idiot!"
Stupid move. Hobson knows that passage—dead end. No Labyrinth shifts yet, so floor six's layout is familiar. Straight to a wall.
He and Copson give chase.
"Stop right there, punk!"
They pursue into the tunnel. It's cramped and jagged inside. Chasing on, another fire comes into view.
What? No time to start a fire after diving in. Accomplice waiting?
He'd figured the guy was solo, but there's a bonfire belching white smoke. Visibility's worse now. A big rock ahead shows traces of the target; he edges forward warily, checking for traps.
"Your escape ends here, little rat."
"Block release."
"?"
What the hell is this guy mum...
"Guh... guaaaaaaaah! Aaaah! It buuuuurns..."
"Kaaaaah! My... b-body...!"
The instant the guy mutters, agony erupts across Hobson's body. Not surface pain—internal, like burning alive from within. No warning, just sudden onslaught dwarfing any prior torment.
All he can do is scream.
Copson writhes too, drooling, sword dropped. The target sneaks up, draws his blade, and drives it into Copson's throat.
Hobson thrashes desperately through the pain, clinging to thought. When? His skill? No precursor to this instant hell?
I'll die like this. The pain hit in a burst, letting him barely regain wits. He gropes for his dropped crossbow.
Then his trembling hand fumbles it.
"Wha... glurk... this feeling... poison?"
"Sharp guess."
"Impossible! I never took a hit from you!"
"You kept inhaling the smoke."
...Smoke? The bonfire that's been there?
"Bullshit! No poison works this fast! And indirectly via smoke, not injected!"
"No need to explain... It wasn't instant. You've been poisoned since earlier."
"Gu... guaaack!"
Whatever nonsense—talking gives an opening. Hobson seizes his stiff crossbow, staggers up. If it's real poison, how'd he miss it until now? But the guy can't be unaffected in this toxic haze.
He aims toward the voice... aims...
Why... can't I see anything?
The cave's dim glow is gone. Dead Copson, smug punk—vanished. Nothing.
In the sudden dark, the only sensation: cold metal slicing into flesh.
-Slash. Thud.