Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Hidden
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Hidden.
I took the lead at the forefront.
While suppressing my presence, I left marks that would make it easy for the rest of the party to follow.
"What are these marks for?"
"Just in case we run into other monsters and end up scattered like last time."
Of course, we wouldn't completely scatter.
But it was preparation for the worst.
You never knew what might happen in the Labyrinth.
After walking a few paths like that, Ermé suddenly took the lead at some point.
"Ermé?"
"I have a good sense for this. Let's go this way."
Ermé started striding forward confidently.
But something felt off.
In the previous Labyrinth, she'd seemed flustered.
'Why is she navigating so well?'
She pushed ahead without hesitation. That was strange.
As if she knew the paths here.
Because of that odd behavior...
'The Labyrinth is a place where time and space are intertwined.'
That's why you couldn't predict where you'd end up upon entering or which floor led to the next layer.
Yet Ermé's actions right now were bizarre.
She acted like she knew exactly where we were, with eyes gleaming like everything was going perfectly.
Our party started following Ermé.
Ermé moved without restraint.
"Ten goblins ahead."
"Battle ready."
-Kieeeek!
"Take this."
Marcel cast support buffs on me, Ermé, and Teresa. My body felt light. I dashed forward faster than anyone, sword at the ready.
'First one.'
Two goblin archers firing arrows from the back.
Those were annoying.
I threw three daggers.
Three daggers tracing different arcs.
Tang!
A nearby goblin blocked one.
The other two hit the goblin archers' throats.
I pulled the Blood-Soaked Dagger from Space 1.
Slash.
I immediately severed the throat of the rampaging goblin right in front. Maybe because it was called the Blood-Soaked Dagger.
As soon as it drank blood, it turned even redder.
No time to savor it.
We were in the middle of battle.
Two charging goblins came into view. I dodged the first one's club by tilting my head back.
Whoosh!
The club grazed my hair. The other goblin grinned ear to ear.
It aimed its rusted sword at me.
I threw a dagger from Hidden Space right into its skull.
How dare you grin like that.
After clearing all the goblins coming at me, the ones around us were nearly finished too.
"Impressive technique. You seem even stronger than two days ago."
Marcel adjusted his glasses as he spoke to me.
I was stronger than two days ago.
'Swordsmanship leveled up.'
It felt like all my bad habits had been corrected without me realizing.
My sword strikes were more precise, faster—everything had improved.
"No."
"No what?"
"Your skills have improved even more."
Ermé glanced at the goblin corpses at Teresa's words.
Then she nodded in agreement.
"Definitely... there's a cleaner edge to it than before. You used to have more of a wild feel."
"Yeah. It's different."
"...Your skills improved in just two days? That doesn't make sense."
Marcel wore an incredulous expression. Teresa watched me intently.
"Talk later. Loot the goblins first and move on."
Ermé halted the group.
She was right. This was a dangerous place; we could chat later.
How many battles had we repeated like that?
I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
'This place...'
It felt like something was hidden.
Rogue Mastery was telling me.
Something was concealed here. I looked at Ermé. She was watching me.
I'd thought she was awfully proactive.
'She led us here on purpose.'
She seemed to know the location.
She could let me "accidentally" discover what I was seeking.
'What exactly is she?'
She had bizarre knowledge.
Like when she first met me and Hanul.
She'd said I wasn't someone who'd die to goblins.
Then money from who-knows-where. Info on the Sword King, Volkan.
So, did that mean Ermé was...
'No, that's not important right now.'
What mattered was telling the party. I raised my hand to stop them.
"There's a strange trace here."
"Strange trace?"
"Yeah, something seems hidden nearby."
"A hidden one, maybe?"
"Hidden?"
"Simply put, it's something concealed. The Labyrinth is so vast, places like this exist. Among hiddens, there are a few types—like portals to other areas or entire rooms that are hidden."
"Moving to another place is risky, but no layer change, so not bad. With our skills, we can handle it."
Ermé said.
Marcel and Teresa looked thoughtful. Ermé gazed at me with her twilight-hued eyes. What will you do?
'Me.'
If my suspicions about Ermé were correct...
After a brief moment of thought, I decided.
'Let's go.'
I nodded, and Teresa and Marcel groaned.
"There's a saying in the Labyrinth: It's not the strong who survive, but the survivors who are strong. Avoid adventures as much as possible."
"......"
"But I don't want to live so timidly. If I'd sought safety, I'd be holed up in a mage tower as a Support Enchanter, researching magic. I'm in."
"......I need the money."
Teresa stepped forward.
"Me too."
"Four yeses, zero noes. Decided."
Ermé grinned like she knew what treasure lay ahead.
"Shall we?"
Ermé stepped forward and pressed the odd wall my senses had picked up.
The wall vanished, revealing a door.
"Hidden room?"
"Not sure. There might be a portal inside."
"Portal?"
"The Labyrinth's way to other spaces. More dangerous, of course, but higher-value treasures."
Ermé stepped back and pointed at the door.
"Heh, I'm no good at this stuff."
The door had a lock.
Even this?
The moment I saw the lock, I knew how to pick it.
'Wire...'
I recalled Bag 2 with the general store bag, soulstone, and obsession. Pulled out a wire.
'Good thing I bought it just in case.'
Click.
The lock opened right away.
"...Is picking locks supposed to be this fast?"
"Seeing this, you really do seem like a thief..."
I ignored Marcel and Ermé, opening the door.
'No traps inside.'
It was an empty room, nothing visible.
If anything, slash marks scarred the walls.
"No traps in the room for now."
"Good, let's take a quick look around?"
Ermé smiled brightly and entered.
Rumble!
As our party entered, the door behind sealed shut. Pitch black.
I drew my sword, bracing for anything.
"...Doesn't seem like a trap."
"Yeah."
"You guys, what—what do you see?"
"Roughly."
Marcel sounded panicked in the void.
"Can't summon some light?"
"I can. But if no enemies and we can see, I don't recommend it."
"Why?"
"You don't know what kind of hidden room it is. Some have ceilings that drop if you summon light."
"......"
What kind of brutal rooms were these?
Ermé nodded confirmation.
"There are rooms with those traps, so lighting up isn't great. More precisely, mana reactions trigger them, but this doesn't seem like that type. Still, be careful..."
"Got it."
I silenced Ermé's explanation mode and examined the slashed area closely.
'But there's a solution.'
I walked to the slashed spot.
'No traps.'
How to put it.
Some mechanism. Not magic, swordsmanship, or mana—a scientific trap.
'Even the Labyrinth has spaces like this?'
It felt weird.
Well, no rule saying mechanisms like this couldn't exist.
"Find anything?"
"Seems like a mechanism here."
"Mechanism?"
"Yeah. Step back a bit."
If my guess was right.
Rogue Mastery info. And these slashes.
Hoo.
I breathed, then swung at the slashed spot.
Shing.
Felt like I hit something. The entire wall panel slid aside.
"Correct, I guess."
"...How'd you get it so fast."
Ermé stared blankly.
I ignored her and led the way. These things...
'Kinda exciting.'
But I calmed myself. Could be traps ahead.
I wanted to hang back, but I spotted traps fastest.
Me and Ermé up front, Marcel behind, Teresa last. Simple reason.
Protect the mage from threats.
We descended a short way.
Another door appeared.
"...The Labyrinth truly is a bizarre place."
"Keep going down... maybe this is a hidden layer."
Marcel said something odd.
Hidden layer?
"A layer between layers. Say this is floor 1—could be 1.5."
"Good?"
"Very. If we found 1.5 first, there's a boss here."
"Boss..."
"Each floor 1 layer has hobgoblin warriors. Floor 2 is arachne..."
"Not 1.5."
Ermé cut Marcel off firmly.
"Our level, 1.5 would be tough... wait, not that either."
Ermé looked at me and shook her head.
"Anyway, if it were, hobgoblins at the entrance."
"Hm... right?"
"Yes. Marcel's info seems a bit distorted. And it's already cleared."
"......"
Marcel eyed Ermé strangely.
How do you know that?
I stayed silent, scanning for traps. Teresa followed blankly.
"Something strong."
"Yeah."
We could feel it from outside the door.
Whatever was inside was incredibly powerful.
An intense aura prickled our skin from within.
'What is it?'
Commonly called presence.
But my body froze for a moment.
At the same time.
'Fighting spirit?'
Info flooded my mind.
Fighting spirit.
Different from mana.
Presence works too.
A force that intimidates based on user's prowess or potential.
The being inside exuded it naturally.
'A true powerhouse.'
My body tensed instinctively.
No, not tense—too light.
"...Yuseong?"
"What?"
"N-no. You just seemed so thrilled."
"Thrilled?"
What was she talking about.
I wouldn't enjoy this...
I realized I was smiling.
'...Trapped in barbarism?'
I'd become a barbarian too.
"Opening the door."
"...Okay."
Creeeak.
A massive figure wielding a greatsword appeared inside.
Red-skinned, about 3 meters tall. Like an evolved goblin.
"Hobgoblin warrior?"
"Hobgoblin champion, one step up. Careful, it's strong."
-Groooaaar!!
As Ermé spoke.
The hobgoblin champion roared massively.
Marcel froze.
"Ugh, what pressure! S-sorry, can't move for a bit!"
Like a stun in a game.
"Buff when you can."
I drew the Blood-Soaked Dagger. Ermé's sword went in Bag 1.
Out came Whisper of the Wind.
Sword drawn, I charged the hobgoblin champion.