Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Layer 2
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Layer 2.
The labyrinth's layer.
Nothing has been fully uncovered yet.
However, it's been confirmed that layers up to 25 are open so far.
Information built upon the corpses of countless adventurers.
No one knows what monsters appear after Layer 20.
Conversely, that means every monster up to that point is known.
That said, the Adventurer's Guild keeps it under control.
Because too dangerous or rare monsters show up.
Even so.
A thousand years after the labyrinth first appeared, most of the information has been fairly well disclosed.
Layer 2 is the nest of hobgoblins.
And it's not just hobgoblins.
Rustle. Rustle.
Subtle presences could be felt from all directions.
They were far off. Roughly 300 meters away.
'Something...'
Hobgoblin Champion.
Something felt different since taking that one down.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Changed? Rishiel reacted to my response.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -How did it change? "The presences feel sharper now."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Presences? "Yeah, like the weird ones nearby."
Not so much weird presences as ones I'm not used to yet.
Most things in this layer are hobgoblins.
But some from lower layers climb up and merge in.
And this presence...
'Spider.'
Arachne.
A man-eating spider that preys on living creatures.
It was heading our way.
'With something riding on top.'
Hobgoblin Rider.
But there was a question.
'Why call it a Hobgoblin Rider if an arachne's carrying the hobgoblin?'
More importantly, I needed to warn the party that enemies were coming.
"Three inbound."
"Already...?"
"What about the enemies?"
"Hobgoblin Riders."
"Ugh."
Marcel winced behind his glasses. No wonder—even the presences felt off to me.
'...Arachne.'
The English word for spider.
Hobgoblins mounted on spiders came into view in the distance.
I drew my bow and took aim with an arrow.
Screeeeech.
I pulled back the bowstring. Marcel and Teresa watched the front with tense expressions.
Ermé quietly drew her sword.
Already getting the hang of the Champion's sword?
A chilling red glow began to shimmer along her blade.
"Speed boost, strength boost."
Marcel's words made my body feel lighter.
We waited like that for a moment.
"Here they come."
Thwip.
The arrow streaked off fast. My bow skills had dipped a bit after acquiring Sword Master.
But maybe because I'd already honed the feel for it.
The arrow flew straight into the arachne's eye.
Splat!
💥 CRITICAL HIT! 💥 -Kieeeek!
The arrow lodged deep in the spider's eye.
The hobgoblin toppled over with it.
I nocked another arrow while eyeing Teresa and Ermé closely.
Teresa's hands looked itchy, fresh off her level-up.
"Hup!"
She gave the arachne's head a light smack.
But the result was anything but light.
"Kiek?"
The hobgoblin went flying, arachne and all.
Ermé raised the Champion's sword. Crimson heat bloomed along its edge.
And then—
Slash.
The arachne and hobgoblin were cleaved apart at once.
I finished it off.
Thud.
Arrow to the arachne.
"Kieee...!"
Then closed in and took the hobgoblin's throat with my Blood-Soaked Dagger.
'What a huge gap.'
The Hobgoblin Champion looked unbeatable solo.
'These guys are way too easy.'
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Of course. Rishiel popped up in response to my thoughts.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -A champion is right below the lord of its species. They're not like regular monsters. 'Not like regular monsters?'
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Yeah, they... no, never mind. That's info you don't have clearance for. 'What the hell kind of nonsense is that?'
There are two surefire ways to piss someone off, and Rishiel had just used both.
I glared at her.
She clamped her mouth shut tight.
'She won't spill even if I push.'
I stared at her blankly for a moment before letting out a deep internal sigh.
'If it's info I shouldn't know...'
It's the kind where knowing it could put you in danger.
Best not to know, usually.
Thud. Thud.
As I sorted my thoughts, Ermé approached me.
"How was that fight?"
"You handled it well."
"But we can't keep fighting like that. This Champion's sword? Mana hog with crap efficiency."
It sure seemed that way.
I could at least use Whisper of the Wind to some degree despite its low uptime.
But the Champion's sword had drained her mana dry after just a short burst.
'Even right after Dark Moon.'
That was overkill.
"So, mind if we drag fights out from here on?"
"Sure. I'll dial back my power too."
Teresa wandered over, murmuring in a daze.
"Why? You tired?"
"Got a new skill from leveling up, but it's tough to control."
"...Skills guzzle mana. Most efficient kill here was you, Yuseong."
Me, sniping from range and slashing up close.
I recovered the arrow from the arachne's eye, thinking that.
'Still, Layer 2's doable.'
Wonder if we can start here next time.
With that in mind, our party pressed forward.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Screeeeech!
The arachne shrieked from afar, spewing thread our way.
'Good, no poison.'
I ducked low, evaded easily, and eyed the grotesque spider with its cluster of eyes.
This was a main monster from the next layer.
'Not thrilled to head down.'
But we had to.
Mind made up, I swung my sword.
Slash!
Half its right legs sheared off.
"Kieeeek!"
The red-glowing goblin atop it targeted me.
From Hidden Space, Blood-Soaked Dagger took it out.
"Huff... huff..."
I took a swig of water and glanced aside.
Teresa and Ermé were catching their breath, resting up.
'Numbers spiked all of a sudden.'
Not like right when we hit Layer 2.
Now they came in waves of five or six, no breathing room.
"This is nothing like the rumors."
"Probably one of two things. Something stirred up the layer, got the monsters rampaging."
Or.
'Someone's herding them to hunt us?'
I curled my lip.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -That's my take too. Rishiel nodded, materializing at my side.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Humans with rare loot are worth more than monsters with fixed mana stones. 'Figures.'
I shot a grim look one way. Ermé seemed to share the suspicion.
"What now?"
"I could hide and pick 'em off."
"Bad idea. Herding monsters is usually high-level adventurer shit."
Meaning, to pull it off in this layer, you needed at least Level 3.
'That doable?'
I thought so, but the party didn't.
"Afraid I'm sorry about this."
Marcel pushed his glasses back as he spoke.
Teresa tilted her head.
"...? Sorry for what?"
"My buffs boosted you all too much. They must've realized I'm an elite mage with top-tier skills and magic tools."
"..."
Yeah, better than moping in gloom.
"Regardless of what Marcel thinks..."
"Five hobgoblins ahead."
"Haa, give us a break for real!"
Ermé groaned.
I loosed an arrow from the rear, then daggered one hobgoblin.
'Could wipe 'em all if I went full throttle.'
But with those pests around, I held back. Kept harassing with arrows.
"..."
Ermé was extracting a mana stone from a hobgoblin, fiddling with some green powder.
Our eyes met.
She signaled at once.
After forming the party, we'd set hand signals for if we ran into PvP with other people.
Whatever she'd spotted, the usually passive girl was gesturing at me with blazing eyes.
'Kill 'em all.'
I melted into the shadows.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -You really suit the labyrinth, huh. 'What?'
What the hell kind of insult was that?
Implying I was cut out for medieval barbarian crap?
Ridiculous.
I was about to snap back at Rishiel when I realized I was grinning.
'...Those bastards got under my skin.'
Seemed like it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Kill Ermé. A directive from the clan.
A back-alley commission they'd taken.
The boss had fetched it himself, so it came straight from on high.
No room for error.
But Damon wanted no part of it.
'Kill one of their party members?'
Absurd.
His first thought upon receiving the order.
Because on his first day in the Cradle...
He'd faced Han Yuseong's Fatal Constitution head-on.
He didn't want bad blood with that monster.
But defying the clan meant death.
Dying to Yuseong would just be his own end, but disobeying risked his comrades and family too.
And he had something to rely on.
[Goblin Lure Powder.]
Hobgoblins resisted it pretty well—a low-layer gimmick at best.
The guild threw anyone caught with it in jail or made them vanish to protect rookies, so it was risky stuff.
Few even knew the recipe.
Damon did, luckily.
'Those are straight-up monsters.'
Hobgoblins getting massacred. Even Hobgoblin Riders on arachne dropped in seconds.
"...Aren't we in deep shit?"
"They clocked us ages ago."
Not aggressive in their moves. Probably mistaking us for higher-level adventurers.
They hadn't caught on yet, thank god.
'Time to pull back.'
Needed a new plan.
Even all-in, they could barely take one.
"Fall back for now."
All eyes turned to Damon.
"I misread their strength. That caliber? Boss should handle it."
"Y-yeah, Damon's right."
"Then we drop the tail..."
The woman who'd lit up at retreat couldn't finish.
Pfft.
An arrowhead pierced her skull.
"Wha—huuh?"
"Wh-what? Ambush...!"
The group scattered in panic.
Damon bolted too.
But his reaction differed.
'No doubt.'
Yuseong's bow.
That monster was hunting them.
His mind nearly snapped at the realization.
Clinging to sanity somehow.
Thud.
Thud thud.
"S-sa... save...!"
His teammates dropped one by one.
Each arrow crushed a life. And soon it'd be his turn.
"Save...!"
The last voice he heard.
Thud.
Damon blacked out.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "What's with this guy?"
I eyed what seemed to be the enemy leader.
'Paralysis arrow, though.'
Aimed for the thigh to take prisoner.
Bit off into the leg, but shouldn't have knocked him out.
Right then—
A blue window popped up in my view.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Sub quest completed.] 'Huh?'
Sub quest?
As I wondered, another blue window appeared.
📜 SUB QUEST 📜 Chapter 2. Shadow Ally
You've clashed with a lurking faction, and your ties to them are now beyond repair—like water spilled on the floor.
"Ah."
I let out a sigh.
When I'd first met Ermé and killed Hanul.
The sub quest had prompted me to choose: the path of light or the path of darkness.
'But.'
These guys were tied to that faction.
And I'd wiped them out.
Making us enemies.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Sub quest completed.] [You have chosen the path of light.] [Defeat the lurking faction!] '...This just got annoying.'
Really annoying.