Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Why Is Bro Here?
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“Huff… huff!”
The girl ran and ran.
She paid no mind to the blood soaking her clothes from her wounds.
Her stumbling steps seemed ready to give out at any moment, but each time, she turned her head to check behind her.
“Sis, just a little further… the Return Stone…”
Strapped to her back was the girl she called “sis.”
A peaceful face, as if lost in eternal slumber, not even a breath to be felt.
Drawing hope from that expressionless visage, she mustered strength into her legs once more.
Bwoooong!
The air vibrated.
The sound of wings tearing through the air swelled into a deafening hum.
Grinding her teeth at the piercing noise, the girl spat a curse.
“Damn it, these persistent bastards!”
A shadow loomed overhead.
A massive insect descended, slicing through the sky.
“Grulk.”
A flying bee.
But it bore no resemblance to the small, cute bees people imagined.
A monster the size of a chariot pulled by horses.
Its surface gleamed coldly, like black iron tempered by thousands of hammer strikes.
> An aberration defying nature's order— not the compound eyes of a mere insect, but five pupils mimicking human eyes, each swiveling independently to glare at the girl.
Beating its three pairs of wings in lazy circles, it doggedly pursued them.
The girl veered to shake it off, but it was no use.
Her injured body and the weight of her blood kin on her back held her ankles captive.
“Urgh!”
The bee dove sharply.
As the black shadow lunged, the girl hastily gathered her mana.
“Get lost!”
Fwoosh!
In an instant, light exploded from her body.
Dazzling brilliance like the sun scorched everything around. Grass turned to ash in a blink, and nearby trees were swallowed by flames.
Enveloped in the guardian light, the monster flapped its wings and veered away.
“Haa… haa…”
The girl collapsed to her knees right there.
She felt strength draining from her entire body.
‘My mana…!’
She'd meant to drive it off, but her wounds caused her to lose control, unleashing far too much power.
Her breathing grew ragged, her vision swimming.
Yet.
‘If I fall here…!’
Forcing strength into her trembling legs, she stood again.
She pushed her staggering body through the blazing forest.
Flames belched smoke thicker than night, blotting out her view.
Choking on the acrid stench that clawed at her throat, she coughed violently but couldn't stop.
“Huh?”
Then the ground dropped away beneath her feet.
An endless cliff.
Beyond the engulfed underbrush, the earth split open, yawning into bottomless darkness below.
“Damn it.”
It was the worst possible luck.
At that moment, the ominous buzzing circling overhead grew louder.
Bwooooong.
Black shadows gathered from beyond the forest, one by one.
Gigantic bees swarmed the sky as if on signal.
“This is the worst.”
Clutching her sister on her back, she faced the hunters poised at the cliff's edge.
The girl gathered light.
A sphere like a miniature sun floated above her palm.
“Eat this!”
She hurled the orb, and it streaked toward the bees.
An explosive flash cleaved the air.
But.
“Bwoong!”
The monsters twisted away with practiced ease.
Dodging every sphere with swift flight, they circled mockingly around her.
“Urk…”
The girl tried to muster more mana, but dizziness spun her vision.
Strength fled her body; her knees buckled, and she staggered.
That was the moment.
Shwick!
One plummeted like an arrow.
Its steel-like foreleg shot out like lightning, snatching the girl on her back.
“N-no!”
The girl desperately reached out.
But her body pitched forward, off balance, tilting toward the abyss.
Her sister's form receding before her eyes.
Against the smoke-choked sky, black wings filled her sight.
“Nooooo!”
Her scream was devoured by flames and wind as she tumbled into the endless chasm.
...
⚙ MEMORY FLASH ⚙ -Where's the one place you most want to go in the Labyrinth?-
-The Great Forest on the upper layer! It's like a holy site for alchemists.-
-Plants that feed on the pure, abundant mana inside the Labyrinth—even ordinary weeds become spirit herbs if planted there, or so I read in a book.-
That day, sharing a meal and chatting with Aren, we'd talked about the Labyrinth. When the upper layer came up, her eyes sparkled like a child's as she chattered on excitedly.
She'd confidently declared that one day she'd conquer the upper layer, study its ecosystem, gather ingredients for potions, and create a special spirit medicine bearing her name.
‘I wonder what reaction Aren would have if she knew I was here right now?’
Would she ask how I got down here? Or worry and tell me to get out because it's dangerous?
I wasn't sure, but one thing I knew for certain.
Even without mana, she'd pack her bags and head straight for the Labyrinth.
“Hot, so hot.”
The upper layer's Great Forest.
Trees stood thick as a tropical rainforest, blotting the sky. Massive trunks and broad leaves filled every gap.
Overhead, sunlight blazed as fiercely as midsummer, the stifling heat making one forget this was underground.
Not that an underground sun made any sense to begin with—but Labyrinth common sense didn't apply, so overthinking it was a loss.
I stripped off my shirt, laid it on the dry grass, and walked to the lakeside.
My toes touched the water, sending a cool sensation creeping up.
As I immersed myself, the heat built up in this jungle-like forest rapidly cooled away.
“Whew… refreshing.”
The chill soothing my overheated body eased my breath naturally.
It wasn't just a mood boost.
Fatigued muscles relaxed, and depleted stamina slowly returned.
‘As expected of the upper lake. Top-notch recovery.’
Natural features in the Labyrinth's upper layer brimmed with mana accumulated over millennia.
The plants, beasts, soil, even the wind in this forest.
This place overflowed with untainted, pure mana.
That was why simply soaking recovered mana bit by bit.
I floated leisurely, catching my breath, then suddenly plunged my hand into the water.
“Gotcha!”
Murky water clouded my view, but a faint movement rippled through.
The feel of slicing water, the subtle disturbance in the mud.
Reading its path, my hand shot out instinctively.
Splash!
A vigorous wriggle transmitted through my palm.
“A keeper.”
As scales flashed in the sunlight, I lifted the thrashing fish from my hand.
This fish dwarfed anything from a normal lake.
Arm-length, heavy as a small beast.
Its silvery scales tingled with faint mana at a touch.
‘Monsters of the Labyrinth are just built different from birth. Growing up in this mana-rich environment, they're incomparable to regular fish in size alone.’
I sank my teeth in without hesitation.
A fishy tang burst forth, hot vitality surging across my tongue.
As I chewed, the mana infused in blood and flesh flowed into me.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Mana has slightly increased. I smirked and tore into the rest.
Eating creatures from here naturally boosted mana reserves.
And herbs grown over millennia didn't just raise mana—they could grant special skills if lucky. No better spot for growth.
“If this isn't paradise, what is?”
It felt like stepping into a living treasure vault.
Dangerous, sure, but not wrong.
I was pondering the order to snag hidden Artifacts when.
“Woooong.”
A grotesque wingbeat echoed from above.
I snapped my head up to the sky.
Monsters mimicking humans with arms and legs.
Fly-like faces with wings, grotesquely elongated limbs.
A swarm darkened the heavens.
“Fly Men, huh.”
I frowned.
Labyrinth scavengers that sucked mana from wounded lifeforms.
Their presence meant corpses or bleeding beasts nearby.
‘Territorial spat close by?’
The thought hit me, and I hauled myself from the water.
‘Play this right, and jackpot.’
Upper layer monster corpses fetched insane prices—some even prime ingredients for pricey spirit meds.
Maybe a Kaurnna Stonebull or something big?
If lucky, even rarer.
Fly Men swarming meant no stronger predator around.
Worth the risk. I hurriedly threw on my clothes.
I dashed toward the gathering Fly Men.
Heart pounding, mind racing with visions of devouring organs for power.
The ominous buzz led to a valley.
Cool stream sounds trickled down the center, where something floated into view.
“What the…?”
Not a monster.
A person.
Pale face, drenched black hair matted with blood—the girl's limp body bobbed on the surface.
A new face this loop, but I knew her.
“-Sis, I told you not to bring that unreliable guy along!-” “-Can't even handle this? Fine, big sis will help.-” One of the bonds from my regression days, always by my side.
A woman indispensable to my Labyrinth runs.
“Why's this kid here?”
Elion Fleur.
My gaze locked on her in this unexpected reunion.