Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: The Association's Guide
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A burly man came striding over from the direction of the door, breathing raggedly.
He roughly shoved me aside and planted himself in front of the reception desk.
"What seems to be the problem?"
The guide's expression returned to its usual businesslike demeanor.
No, it was even colder now, like a sheet of ice as she stared him down.
"Do you know him?"
"It's nothing. Could you step back for a moment?"
At the guide's words, I put some distance between us.
I knew it was for my sake.
Fully aware of that, I decided to watch the two of them from a safe spot.
"I'll handle your registration. What brings you here?"
"You know damn well! You said you'd process my survival certificate last week, so why the hell did you reject it!"
Bam!
The man slammed his fist down on the reception desk.
The loud commotion drew everyone's eyes toward them.
Undeterred by his outburst, the guide responded in her usual flat, professional tone.
"The evidence you submitted as goblin fur was identified as ordinary animal fur. As such, we informed you in advance that we could not register the certificate per procedure."
"Bullshit! That was goblin fur, I swear! Why won't you believe me!"
'Here comes the fraud.'
These types show up every now and then.
People who insist they've been in the Labyrinth and hand over bizarre "proof."
Pathetic types throwing tantrums like kids to snag an official explorer license.
Once registered as an official explorer with the Association, you get all sorts of perks, so they pull this nonsense.
Of course, it doesn't take long before reports come in, and the city gendarmerie hauls them away.
They usually get the hammer of justice for obstructing official business.
That's how it normally goes, anyway.
"So you're just gonna keep giving me this crap, huh!"
Shing!
He must have come prepared, because the man drew his sword outright.
The iron blade flashed from his waist, slashing diagonally.
Slice!
Blue mana surged up, enveloping his entire body.
As the menacing blade swung, the reception desk split clean in two.
The roughly severed edges looked less like a sword cut and more like something torn apart with brute force.
'He's reinforcing his body with mana.'
Even that was imperfect—the mana layer coating him rippled like the surface of a full cup about to spill over.
Well, in his own mind, he probably thinks he wields rare mana that only a few possess, and back home, he's hailed as a genius.
I can see why he'd have that kind of confidence.
But this is Labyrinth City.
Where the world's top talents gather.
Talent like his is a dime a dozen.
And above all...
'He's got some guts.'
That the woman he was raging at was no other than the Association's guide.
Not just any guide—Grace Taylor.
A former high-tier explorer who'd once delved to the mid-layers.
Like a pup that doesn't know to fear the tiger.
"Get the Association head out here!"
Unable to contain his fury, the man started shoving people around wildly.
He kicked over a chair, then grabbed whatever he could see.
"I'll right now...!"
The moment he reared back his arm to hurl them.
"We will not tolerate any further disturbances."
His words cut off there.
"What the...?"
When had it happened?
By the time he snapped to, Grace had his wrist gripped tight.
In that instant, dark blue smoke began seeping from where she held him, soon enveloping his entire arm.
"Uh...!"
The man gritted his teeth and tried to shake her off, but it was futile.
From the wrist she clutched, grotesquely vivid veins bulged sharply.
That hideous reaction spread in an instant to every corner of his body.
"The Association has rules that must be followed without exception. No profanity toward guides—show courtesy and respect. Violate that, and we may impose sanctions like this, depending on the situation. Understood?"
"!!!"
The man couldn't respond to Grace's words.
His face twisted in agony, convulsing like a leaf in the wind from electrocution.
He didn't scream.
No—more accurately, he couldn't.
Screams require strength and will.
With even that stripped away and control of his body lost, all that remained for him was submission.
"Does it hurt?"
Grace asked about his condition.
The man was too consumed by pain to hear her voice.
But she continued unfazed, as if following protocol.
"My mana can infiltrate the body of anyone I touch. And it can disrupt their physical balance, turning them into a vegetable."
"Hoo, haa!"
The mana blooming in her hand faded in color.
She had reduced the intensity of the mana pouring into him.
The man, who hadn't even been able to breathe, finally gasped for air as his airway cleared.
"If I channel more mana like this, you'll feel your arm burst first, then your lungs and heart one by one."
It was half-threat, half-warning: obey, or die.
As an Association employee, she wouldn't break the law and murder someone outright, but the man was in no state for rational thought.
"I advise you to leave quietly without causing more trouble. If you understand, wiggle your index finger."
Grace gave the man a chance.
A warning to behave and slink away.
The man frantically wiggled his index finger at her words.
It was a pitiful twitch, the desperate flailing of a man fighting for his life.
"Be more careful next time."
Only then did Grace release his arm.
The bulging veins across his body subsided in an instant, his skin returning to normal.
"Ugh... ah..."
The man lay there frozen, heaving ragged breaths as he tried to pull himself together.
"Whew, that's brutal."
He'd never dare go after a guide again.
For a rookie explorer fresh from afar with dreams in his eyes, it was one hell of a rude welcome.
"Sorry for letting you see such an unseemly display. Even if it was justified restraint, it's not a sight for other explorers."
"I'm fine. It's not like he hit me or anything."
Truth be told, my face had grimaced involuntarily each time the man suffered.
Less out of pity for him, and more because it dredged up memories from my regression loop days when I'd gotten the exact same treatment from her.
The pain of having your whole body wrung out like a rag—imagine kidney stones ravaging every inch of you.
"It was pretty scary, even just as a warning."
"This was his third time. Last time, he even swung at another guide."
"He came prepared, then."
"I'll leave that to your imagination."
A faint smile tugged at Grace's lips.
Small and subtle as ripples on a lake, easy to miss if you weren't looking closely.
"The Association maintains order in Labyrinth City. As a guide, I have to do my utmost to prevent things like this from happening again."
"Isn't that tough?"
"Just doing what needs to be done. That's the resolve I have as a guide."
-I'll stay here until the very end.-
Yeah, that's the kind of person you are.
Always shouldering duty and carrying it out willingly.
A thorough stickler for principle.
No room for leeway, but that's exactly why you're a role model others respect.
'No matter how many regressions, you're always the same.'
"Was I too rigid? Thinking back, it might've lacked a human touch."
"No, I thought it was cool. Sticking to your beliefs and pushing forward no matter what—that's not something anyone can do."
I sincerely expressed my respect for her.
For that consistent, upright attitude she'd shown me during the regression cycles.
And...
-This is karma I have to bear.-
For the courage to press on without giving up, even amid past pains.
"I hope you too, Leon, reflect on yourself and tackle Labyrinth exploration with humility."
"I'll keep that in mind."
With that, I left the building, waving goodbye to Grace.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Grace Taylor takes an interest in you, a promising novice explorer. Affinity increases by 1. ⚔ AFFINITY STATUS ⚔ 👤 Name: Grace Taylor 🧬 Race: Human 💼 Class: Summoner ❤️ Affinity: 1 (Curiosity) 🧠 Mental State: Locked (Affinity 50+) 🔒 ???: Locked (Affinity 70+) 🔒 ????: Locked (Affinity 100+) Checking the status window, I saw Grace's name listed in the affinity tab.
'She was a heroine too.'
An eye-catching appearance.
A position as a guide where you could meet anytime.
And top-notch skills as an explorer to boot.
She had all the makings of a perfect heroine.
That said, knowing she was a retired explorer, I'd pegged her as a solid supporting character for the story.
Well, now that I've confirmed her affinity, I know she's a heroine.
'Gotta think up ways to win her favor next time.'
Of course, that's after I handle this business first.
I checked inside my gear bag.
Besides the money pouch from the Association, it was stuffed with glittering stones.
Mana stones I deliberately hadn't turned in.
Hand them over, and word would spread, putting my safety at risk.
And I planned to sell every last one of these precious gems.
I closed the bag and looked up.
Beyond the bustling crowd, a narrow alley caught my eye, tucked away in the shadow of a building like it was hiding.
At a glance, it looked like a dead end, but deeper in lay another market beyond the Association's reach.
The black market.
There was no better place to offload my mana stones.