Chapter 60
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Labyrinth 10th Floor (3)
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I ran desperately, but the distance closed in no time. Even when I fled earlier, the gap had been narrowing bit by bit, so it was already confirmed that this man was faster than me.
And yet, I kept running, buying even a few seconds if I could.
"You... little rat!"
Stressed by my fleeing, the man who had closed the gap swung his knife again. Matching his timing, I poured mana into my bracelet and pulled out another Urk corpse.
Inventory Summon: Urk Corpse
-Slash!
"Guh... you bastard, a mage?!"
The man cleaved the Urk I hurled at him clean in half, showing bewilderment at the mystery I kept unveiling. From his talk about intel on his prey, he'd clearly come prepared with info on me. But he must not have known about this bracelet yet.
Ignoring his words, I kept running. Irritated at being ignored, he chased with veins bulging in his neck.
"Gruaaah!"
Still stirring up the troll territory, another troll appeared around the corner, drooling as it sniffed something.
I maintained speed and blew past. Whether it was the desperate gamble paying off, the troll ignored me, saliva dripping, and turned elsewhere.
"Guh...! Damn monster!"
"Gruaaah!"
Thanks to the sudden Urk corpse, the troll charged the man drenched in Urk blood, licking its chops.
Due to the troll's persistence, the man halted briefly, slashing its flesh.
-Sizzle...
"Grooh?"
But the troll's wound didn't heal—instead, flesh sloughed off from the cut, rotting away.
Damn, even a troll won't last long.
"Gruaaah!"
"Stupid troll bastard!"
Undeterred by rotting flesh, the troll kept lunging. I'd experienced it myself—their tenacity, chasing relentlessly even while poisoned, vomiting saliva and blood. Unbelievable.
Hearing more trolls approach, drawn by the roar and enticing scent of kin, I kept running.
'Damn...'
Why does this crap always happen? Next time out, I should get a blessing from Gloria.
"Kaaak! You son of a bitch!"
The man trampled troll corpses, soaked in sweat and blood.
Damn, none of my intel mentioned him using tricks like that... Magic artifact? Summoning Urk corpses out of nowhere...
'Wait.'
Relic. Maybe that's the relic he got. My info was on Ian before the ruins. So this unfamiliar power—could it be from the ruins?
"Heh heh heh..."
There was some shaky reasoning, but it didn't matter. Greed swelled, twisting his smile.
The stupid trolls delayed him. Activating [Tracking] again, Ian's trail reappeared.
'Hm? This direction?'
Against expectations, it led not to the 9th floor, but the Crimson Wolf territory. Probably hoping the wolves target his troll-blood-covered self.
'Such short-sightedness. Idiot.'
He was clever using Urk scent on trolls, but Crimson Wolves don't just chase a heavy blood scent. They attack indiscriminately on anything entering their turf, sorting scents without bias.
After a long pursuit, he was sweat-soaked, moss shaken off. The moment Ian entered the wolf turf, he'd be swarmed.
'Idiot.'
To find the body before damage, the man caught his breath and entered the Crimson Wolf territory.
'So far, so good.'
Crimson Wolves have keen noses. They track distant prey, pursuing with superior scent detection.
"Kyeng!"
A nearby Crimson Wolf, catching my scent, recoiled in horror. No wonder—I'm slathered in capsaicin sauces reeking spicy, mixed with toxic herbs and filth. The wolves deemed me hazardous and stayed away. Smart beasts.
Plus, I cast [Sensory Amplification] on approaching wolves. They freaked out and fled.
It seems like wasteful dumping, for using all of this, but survival trumps in the end.
I've blocked my own smell sense, but my body reacts pretty wildly, tears and snot streaming. I was looking ugly, but alive is alive.
The spice-herb sludge overwhelms even [Poison Resistance]; my skin feels its melting. [Regeneration] is active, so maybe its not my imagination.
"Kaaah! You damn mutts!"
Wolves ignoring me lunged at the blood-scented man. Already battered by trolls, he slashed a few irritably, but the clever wolves kited, wearing him down with hit-and-runs.
'Doing great.'
It would be ideal if the wolves finish him, but I'm doubtful. [Sensory Block] failed up close, so with a big gap between us. I pulled basic trap tools from my inventory: arrows, string, springs.
Let's just snare you to death.
Trap Installation Lv. 2
Trap power enhanced. Stealth enhanced.
Stealth Lv. 3
Trap stealth further enhanced.
'These damn mutts!'
The man was going mad. He'd thought Ian, under the wolf attacks, was just ahead—but there was no Ian, just these cursed wolves piling on.
Wolf numbers suggested no other targets present near him.
'He grit his teeth. Did he had something up his sleeve?'
Ian must've tricked the wolves. Kicking the lunging wolves, fatigue built up in him. He was feeling that the poison resistance potion was waning too.
'Can't go on.'
Poison threatens all adventurers equally. The alchemist Guild's 'Poison Resistance Potion' costs a fortune. He'd stocked high-grade for the Ian hunt... but its got a 5-hour duration. Didn't expect it would be this long; so it might expire soon.
-Ping!
"Guh!?"
Deflecting wolves, a string snapped; something whistled. Reflexively, he slashed it away.
"Arrow?"
There were no traps in Crimson Wolf turf?
But arrows rained; he used wolves as shields, retreating. Arrows were of high-quality, tips poisoned.
'What the hell!'
Intel said it was just a clinic worker, with no crime under his belt! Poison then traps?! He's not a guild-raised criminal!
Space-expansion artifact was absurd; now endless arrows and materials. Did he have unlimited space in his disposal?
'But this is just a self-sabotage. Fool.'
The arrow barrage from traps made wolves scatter—smart ones sensed these traps.
The wolves backed off; he got some respite. Grabbing a wolf corpse as an arrow-blocker, he advanced.
Shielding these arrows, he spotted Ian—hideous, no visible wounds but slathered in gunk, tears and snot streaming.
"...What?"
"It's about damn time."
He spouted some unclear words, but boldly facing him? There was only one path left.
"No idea your balls were made of steel, but die!"
"Sniff."
Ian ignored him, sniffling, drawing a sword to meet his.
"Sniff."
Even with the blocked smell, my eyes burn; snot and tears flow down. I was worried for the [Sensory Block] release, but the bigger issue: swinging my sword.
-Clang! Clang!
"Guh, you bastard!"
With [Limit Break] active, I parried his knife swings. I was pushed back slightly, but I held on during duration.
"Guh, you weren't this strong earlier...!"
The man flustered by my resistance, slashing wildly. Felt vs. Hiro, but daily Alensia spars taught me of how to counter stronger oponents than me.
The gap was clear. His sudden stab grazed my arm—I failed to block it.
-Slash!
A chilling cut that peeled troll flesh sliced my armor, skin. It was shallow, but my skin blackened and started rotting. Good thing I prepped holy water, or it'd rot fast.
"Ha, I wondered about your new found confidence!"
Regaining poise, he unleashed a barrage of slashes. Blocked some with my sword; others grazed me, blackening and rotting me further.
'Just a bit more... aim there...'
Black spots slowed me visibly. Gleefuly, he knifed for my throat.
"This is the end!"
'Longsword stored. Shield deploy.'
-Kclang!
"What?"
As the knife neared my neck, I stored my longsword, deployed the Miranda-forged shield. Instantly in my hand, blocked the knife, exposing a momentary gap.
'Dagger deployed.'
In that gap: I used a dagger over longsword for speed. Instant summon, slash—aiming for...
-Slash!
A clean sound was made; my target was severed.
"Where were you aiming?"
The man mocked, but I hit my true objective. I stored my dagger and grabbed the dangling half-belt of potions etc. I soon poured mana into the bracelet.
'Store!'
The belt vanished into my inventory. The man gawked at empty air, but my goal met.
"It was about time."
"What're you babbling?!"
Time's up—no need to engage further. I used my remaining [Limit Break] to leap back and ran.
"Fleeing now?!"
He pursued... but much slower.
My blackened body slowed me too, matching his.
Force-end [Limit Break]. Under 3 minutes, no collapse hit me, but my body creaks ominously and soon agony hits me.
Sensory Block
Ignore—no, block all pain, then run. After effects would be brutal in this state, but let's face that later. I was slowing down, but I ultimately reached my goal.
"Hah... hah... got you... rat... hah... what's that in your hand...?"
My slowdown let him catch up, ragged. Stared blankly at the crystal orb.
I already told you—a Stone Golem detects ambient mana.
With this, from my inventory: The great witch's orb. It's just my contact tool, but its mana is immense. Unlike my concealment gear, this constantly emits mana.
-Rumble...
From the passage: The Labyrinth 10th floor guardian approaches, sensing the mana, it has come to purge the intruder. A Stone Golem.
"You... even here..."
The golem was close enough, I stored the orb. The mana trace vanished cleanly. My Vivian gear seals mana perfectly. All that's left: our body mana.
I'd used the bracelet stores, [Sensory Block]; the passive [Stealth] was always on. So...
-Boom!
"Shit!"
The Golem ambushed the mana-heavier man, his knife was leaking curse mana. He blocked it desperately, but the golem was mindless—the curse was ultimately useless against it.
Plus, he's weakened, couldn't fully block the attacks; his arm was soon shoved back.
"Told you. It's about time."
"You... no way... the poison..!"
"Should've figured out the gunk on me."
To dodge those wolves: I used a spicy deadly poison slather. Fighting with me exposed him constantly. My skin-melting poison—hits him worse.
"Antidote... antidote..."
He tried to rifled his belt but he belatedly realized.
Yeah, I took it.
"You... fucker..."
"Watch your language."
He glared murderously, but the golem was indifferent—it smashed its fist down.
Ha, he called me prey and himself a hunter...
What a lousy hunter.