Chapter 83
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Committee Meeting
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Ian was in the middle of a drinking contest with Miranda.
"Is everyone here?"
"Seats 1 and 7 are absent. And Seat 10 said they'd be a bit late."
"Wasn't expecting Seat 1 anyway.... What about the others?"
"Kuhaha! Trouble broke out in the eastern district this time, right? They figured it was because we hadn't done any 'cleaning' lately, so they went off to handle it!"
"And Seat 10?"
"Apparently, they found some guy in the eastern district who was enslaving demonkin while Seat 7 was doing the cleaning."
"Ah, no wonder that guy's gone berserk."
In the conference room at the top floor of the Labyrinth Guild building, seven people had gathered. Among them, the man seated at the spot marked 'Seat 2'—with snow-white hair and clad entirely in pure white robes, looking for all the world like an angel—smiled and announced the start of the meeting.
"Alright, assuming everyone's who's supposed to be here is here... let's begin the committee meeting."
The Labyrinth Guild Supreme Committee.
Ten individuals who could be called the rulers of Labyrinth City—each one a powerhouse capable of upending the world's balance on their own.
"First up, the usual opening agenda."
With those words, the white-haired man handed out a single sheet of paper to every committee member. It was a document recording information on specific individuals and the 'skills' they possessed.
"Twenty people? Twenty in just one month?"
"The numbers are climbing... Weren't we lucky to get even one a year before?"
"Still mostly people from that nation called 'Korea'."
The information they held was data on otherworlders identified by the Temple. Not across the entire continent, but specifically those who had transferred into Labyrinth City this month. And several names were marked with red lines.
"Ten targets for elimination?"
"Whoa, check this out. Another one with the [Hypnosis] skill. Got taken out right after trying to pull some shady tricks."
"All the skills these newly transferred otherworlders have are ones we've already cataloged."
"Who knows? There might be some operating under the Temple's radar. One just got caught recently, after all."
"There's even one with [Enhancement]. I was getting curious about that..."
The committee members each reviewed the otherworlder intel and began chattering among themselves. But most showed little interest. They were checking the trends as per the committee duty proposed by Seat 1, but it was far from their personal concerns.
"Next is the agenda from Seat 3."
"Call me Vivian."
The witch called Seat 3, with her purple hair, handed out her prepared materials with a hint of annoyance. And then—
"Necronomicon?"
"The Necronomicon found on just the 9th floor? Not a big deal, but still..."
"And they 'recovered' it! Kuhaha! That 'Death' guy must've taken a hit. Losing the Necronomicon to explorers who only reached the 9th floor!"
"That's not the issue. Read the rest of the materials."
Only then did they start focusing on the meeting.
And the person seated at 'Seat 5,' a sword-belted figure at the waist, spoke gravely. At those words, the other committee members finished reading the remaining parts of the document.
"...'Beginner adventurer Ian' recovered it? And he's an otherworlder?"
Having read the final part of the document, their expressions turned serious—all at once. Once for the 'beginner adventurer' status, and again for the 'otherworlder' info.
"That kid isn't 'eroded.' I checked personally, so it's certain."
"Seat 3, you?"
At those words, the committee's grave looks shifted to puzzled ones. Seat 3, who never showed interest in anything but her whims? And her 'confirmation' surely meant using her [Demonic Eye]?
"An otherworlder withstood 'erosion'? How? And from the data, the other otherworlder in his party got eroded."
"Mental fortitude? These otherworlders all seem mentally fragile."
"Something like that? Look at Ian's file—it says he completed 'resistance training'."
".......Either tough-minded, or totally unhinged—one or the other."
"Kuhaha! I like him already! Look! He's got [Regeneration] too! This guy's a lot like me!"
"....Another musclehead like you?"
"What?"
At that, everyone recalled the mad otherworlder who had spread the 'resistance training' theory in this world, letting out a groan. Only Seat 6 burst into hearty laughter.
"....Vivian. If you say you confirmed it, that means with your [Demonic Eye]. Any other peculiarities about this Ian fellow?"
"Nope~"
There was one 'peculiarity' worth mentioning, but Vivian glossed over it casually. No intention of sharing intel that had piqued her interest in ages with the other committee members.
"What about 'Death's reaction? Losing a terminal must've pissed them off."
"Undead have been appearing on the 10th floors lately. No separate sorcerer detected, so probably 'Death's doing."
"On the 10th floors? Even for 'Death,' spawning undead in the forest layers would strain them."
"A tantrum? But why the 10th floors of all places?"
As the other committee members debated 'Death' with their opinions, Seat 5 quietly read other intel alone.
[Return of the 'Erdas' Party and Report on Its Members]
"Ah, shall we move to the next item? We'll discuss 'Death' once everyone's here. Next up is the party that stirred trouble in the eastern district..."
"Hm? Familiar names. Weren't they active ten years ago? Heard they disbanded and retired from adventuring."
"Look, Vivian. There's a witch among them. Catch your interest?"
"Not at all."
As the other committee members read about the eastern district incident, Seat 5 ignored the other party members' info and focused solely on one person.
[Advanced Adventurer. 'Iron Blood' Alensia]
"Hm? Staring at someone... Ah, right, I remember now. Seat 5, this elf in the report—she was your disciple, wasn't she?"
"....Yes."
"Good. Then we can expect something. After such a flashy comeback, looks like she's resuming adventuring...."
"Think she can break past the 40th floor?"
"Who knows? But there's potential. If she gets active again and pushes beyond 40, reach out."
And with that, their agenda reached its close.
"Seat 10 still not here?"
"With that guy's personality, he's probably uprooting them completely. Just inform him of the outcomes later."
Talk of the absent Seat 10 came up as well.
"What about this 'Ian' guy? Since he touched 'Death's terminal, we should verify him at least once."
"Oh? You don't trust my insight right now?"
"Haha, can't blindly trust a mentally immature kid's opinion, can we?"
"......Damn old fart."
"Whoa there. Words from a granny over 400 years old.... Oops."
Just before Seat 3 and Seat 9 clashed, Seat 5—who had finished all the materials—stepped forward.
"I'll meet him."
"You? The guy who only cares about his disciples..."
"Yes. He's linked to my 'disciple'."
At that, the other committee members nodded one by one. Or rather, they seemed disinterested from the start. Only Seat 3—Vivian—looked slightly displeased, but she didn't object strongly.
And Seat 5. Kain, guild master of the Swordsmanship Guild and known as the 'Sword Saint,' read one part of Ian's adventurer profile.
[Peculiarity: Currently cohabiting with Advanced Adventurer Alensia.]
'.........'
"Tch.... No dice in the end."
After a night of happy times with Miranda, instead of sleeping after booking a room for the night, I'd spent the time checking my gains.
I could definitely feel the skill level-up, but the issue was elsewhere.
"Why won't the other stuff get expelled?"
This time, as I came in Miranda's mouth—that is, while shooting my semen—the [Lust Absorption] skill activated, changing the 'nature' of my semen and expelling the remaining alcohol from my body along with it.
So I'd deliberately stayed intoxicated overnight and tried ejaculating, but unlike yesterday, I couldn't expel the poison.
'Next time, borrow that 'Proof of Intoxication' or whatever and test it with more drinking.'
I'd wondered if alcohol could be expelled like yesterday, but right now, I'd left the 'Proof of Intoxication' with Miranda, so I couldn't get drunk anyway. Defer to next opportunity.
And the other change...
'[Sensory Block]. Blocked mental awakening.'
"............"
Last night, I'd used the skill to block waking up—that is, the state of mental awakening. So I'd wondered if it could block things beyond senses....
-Condition set: Block sensations leading to 'mental awakening' state.
To be precise, it was a different method of use. When I simply willed to block the 'sensation of waking from sleep,' it set that as a 'condition,' manifesting the skill by blocking all stimuli that would wake me—tactile from touch, body temperature, pleasure from thrusting, taste in the mouth, and so on.
'Nice.'
I hadn't fully exploited the Level 5 skill yet, but learning I could use vague criteria as conditions opened up so many more possibilities.
"..........Still can't enter the Labyrinth, though."
I wanted to test the upgraded skill in the Labyrinth right away, but I still couldn't go in.
I'd heard the restrictions would lift soon since Alensia had caused a scene yesterday, but....
"Tch, what to do today?"
Heading to the mansion, I pondered my schedule. Should I just visit once Miranda wakes? I heard if I win the drinking bet, she'd make me some gear too...
For now, back to the mansion to finish today's training. Ah, wonder if she's still meeting party members? I'd like to do my usual routine of sword practice in the mansion yard....
"Ian, could you come with me somewhere for a bit today?"
"....? Pardon? Go together? Where to?"
"The Swordsmanship Guild."
"??"
And just like that, an unexpected schedule popped up.