Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Wager
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Scratch, scratch.
In a room that looked like an office, the faint sound of scribbling began to fill the air.
A pristine room. A woman sat there, diligently filling out documents.
'Anomaly detected. Monsters from the 1st floor to the 5th floor are behaving strangely.'
'Suspected cause: The hidden room on the 6th floor.'
'5.5th floor discovered. Monsters appearing there have caused every monster on the floors above the 5th to change.'
"......Hmm."
The woman reviewed the documents.
She was aware of the anomaly in the Labyrinth from this incident. Their survival rate had plummeted dramatically this time.
'Rookie mortality is always high during the first week they arrive.'
But this time, it was bizarrely elevated.
It was right to assume something had gone wrong inside the Labyrinth. The scavengers couldn't have caused damage on this scale.
'Bugs that can't even handle goblins.'
Parasites leeching off the guild.
It was about time to crush them.
They should have been wiped out already, normally.
'But some annoying meddlers interfered.'
She'd had no choice but to postpone it then.
But now was the time to collect taxes—and an opportunity to expel those parasites from the Cradle.
Just as she began pondering the agenda for dealing with the parasites—
Bang!
The door flew open violently. The woman scowled and looked toward the intruder.
"You're back."
"Don't interrupt. Get out."
"There's a problem."
"I heard you're training some guy on the 1st floor. Go waste your time on him."
"Rebellion. They've shown themselves."
"Those guys? What lame stunt are they pulling this time?"
"They said they were nipping buds—trying to kill off newbie adventurers."
"Ha, those guys? What's gotten into them?"
"Anyway, there's another matter besides that."
"What is it."
"This."
Volkan pulled out the ominous nail Ermé had given him.
The woman's eyes turned icy.
"What is that?"
"Not sure. It looks like a nail meant to pin something down."
"It's a Nail of Wandering Souls. Once driven in, the souls of those who die nearby become vengeful spirits trapped there."
"......That's...?"
"The Demon King's army used them. Why is this here?"
The one called the Guild Master stared at the Nail of Wandering Souls.
"Who brought this? Doesn't seem like an amateur."
"......?"
"Why the puzzled look? Do you not grasp what a headache this thing is? Unless you're a detection-specialized mage or archer, you can't even find it once it's planted."
"That guy had good detection skills too?"
Volkan was stunned.
He'd suspected the guy was hiding a few tricks.
'......At least level 3 expert archer, he said.'
Those words felt even more chilling now.
The purple bow that had unleashed a single, devastating shot.
No way that was level 3 power.
To wield that kind of force—
'He'd need to be at least level 4.'
Faking levels in this Cradle was taboo.
Being that strong as just an archer would be astonishing enough.
But the guy was fundamentally a swordsman.
Volkan had confirmed it with his own eyes. And yet his stealth was insanely good.
Even Volkan could only faintly sense him if he wasn't focusing.
'On top of that, top-tier detection?'
What the hell kind of guy was he?
The moment Volkan thought of Han Yuseong—
The Guild Master spoke to him.
"Did you reward the one who brought this? No, even if you did, you probably didn't realize how serious it is."
"I rewarded them, so leave it be for now."
"What did you give?"
"A level 3 restricted bow and 100 arrows from Archel's workshop, plus a sword."
"Ha......?"
"You let them off with that measly reward?"
"They're promising talents."
"......With your own eyes?"
The Guild Master quietly stared at Volkan.
Volkan gazed back with his steadfast eyes. Volkan's standards were sky-high.
He was infamous for refusing disciples because no one ever measured up.
He'd even rejected that empire's prince.
"They might seem like it to you, but it's closer to an old man's worries. I don't want them relying on weapons."
"You're getting old too."
"Don't want to hear that from someone older than me."
"......Fine."
The Guild Master stopped mid-sentence, pausing her pen.
She'd just noticed something off in Volkan's words from moments ago.
'Wait......'
She hadn't slept in a week while finishing these reports.
It had been nearly a month of living in this place.
After such grueling work, her reaction was delayed.
"A level 3 weapon from Archel's workshop?"
"Tsk tsk, you're definitely getting old. Took you this long to catch on."
Volkan grinned smugly.
The Guild Master looked at him with trembling eyes.
"Is that possible? Someone with just great detection skills...... Wait, you didn't even know about the detection until now?"
"Yeah, I was clueless until just a bit ago."
"Then......"
Volkan had always valued skill above all.
Those who'd found this nail weren't your average "geniuses."
'There are such monsters out there.'
Geniuses that appeared once every century.
The empire, kingdoms, and adventurer guilds already had one each, so she hadn't paid much mind.
'Two more like that?'
And for Volkan to take such interest meant they had real potential to join the adventurer guilds.
"Names?"
"One's Ermé. The other's Han Yuseong."
The Guild Master committed the two names to memory from Volkan's words.
"Ah, be careful with one of them."
"Which one?"
"The dark-haired one. Purple eyes, so you'll spot him easy enough."
"Name?"
"Han Yuseong. He's hiding his strength."
"Hiding it? In front of you......?"
Volkan pondered.
The guy had something off about him from the start. So surely—
'He was concealing his power.'
Daring to hide his strength before him was arrogant.
But that arrogance appealed to him.
Above all, in war, this was a man who could wound him.
Failing to recognize an opponent meant his own judgment was flawed.
"I really can't read him. Even I couldn't see much."
"That's why you came to me."
"Something like that."
"......I'll look into it."
"Ah, if you find anything, tell Hilda."
"Don't work her too hard."
"Hmph, none of your business."
The Guild Master sent Volkan off and rummaged through her documents.
Files on recently registered adventurers.
There was Han Yuseong, as Volkan mentioned. And Ermé.
Potential rating: B+.
Meaning they could grow into top-tier adventurers someday.
The Guild Master magically erased the B+ and rewrote it.
S.
The Labyrinth had appeared, and over a thousand years had passed.
When adventurer guilds established rankings, fewer than 20 had ever received this grade.
'I trust Volkan's word, but......'
She needed to see it with her own eyes to believe.
But if even half of what Volkan said was true—
Thud.
After stamping the S rank, the Guild Master stepped out.
*
Munch, munch.
Ermé was at the inn, chomping away at her bread enthusiastically. But her reaction felt off.
'She should be the busiest one on Labyrinth days.'
She was always bustling around, packing party supplies.
But today?
She seemed unusually relaxed.
Like when we went late to the Labyrinth—or skipped it altogether. Fine by me; I could eat slowly.
I dipped my bread in soup and shoved it in my mouth.
"Shall we head out soon?"
Ermé said this after packing a ton of gear.
I traveled light. I had sub-space storage, plus my coat was loaded with pockets.
'At least, I don't want them knowing about the sub-space.'
So I carried my bow openly.
And two swords.
Ermé and I left the inn and headed to the adventurer guild.
There was a huge crowd in front of the guild.
Always busy, but today—
'Felt like they were queuing up because they couldn't get in.'
Was that it?
A massive throng blocked the entrance.
And among them, I spotted Glasses, Teresa, and Rozenta.
Glasses was frowning, Teresa expressionless as ever, and Rozenta—
'What's with her being fine for once?'
She clasped her hands politely, fidgeting anxiously.
"Hey."
"Good morning. What's going on this early?"
"Something happened in the Labyrinth. Exploration's probably impossible today."
"Ugh...... Rumors have been flying since yesterday. A lot of people who entered vanished."
"I thought you won't die if you're careful...... But with an incident this big, something's definitely up."
"More importantly, what do we do?"
Teresa fixed her blue eyes on me.
Looking around, everyone awaited my take.
"......If the Labyrinth changes are the main cause, they'll deploy high-rank adventurers to investigate. No need for us to step in."
I racked my brain for an excuse, and they all nodded like it made sense.
Seemed plausible anyway.
'Were those smart goblins a sign the Labyrinth was changing?'
If so, when could we enter again?
I glanced at the group.
Priest Rozenta could earn money somehow.
'Problem is Glasses and Teresa.'
Teresa looked desperate for cash at a glance.
She always yielded loot.
Glasses seemed well-off, but after getting cleaned out last time, not so much.
'Better if we can enter soon.'
Couldn't go today, unfortunately. As I turned to leave—
"Where you headed, brats."
Volkan grinned and blocked our path.
"What is it, old man?"
"Came to snag you lot."
"Us?"
"Yeah, you're bolder than you look. That one there had 'I knew you'd come' written on his face the moment I showed."
"......Heh heh, let's talk inside first."
"Real bold. You watch yourself too—that one's slyer than he seems...... Nah, a once-in-a-lifetime bastard-biter. Maybe you're safer for it?"
"Calling someone a son of a bitch."
"Ask anyone about your antics; that's what they'd say. Especially with a cutie like her simpering around."
What the hell was he on about?
I glanced at Ermé. She blinked, then giggled and dragged me along.
"......You two have weird vibes, but already that far......?"
"Delusions."
I denied Glasses's words and headed inside.
Crowd or not, Volkan as a shield got us through.
Inside, the guild felt far more spacious than usual.
And.
'All of them...... strong.'
The average fighter here was terrifyingly powerful.
By aura alone, many outclassed Rishiel.
Among them, a blond man in light gear approached us with a sly smile.
"What, old man? Bringing kids?"
"Kids who might outpace you in under a year. Introduce yourselves."
"Nice to meet you. I'm...... Wait, don't we know each other?"
"The adventurers Yuseong and Ermé met on their first Labyrinth day."
"That was day one? The one who felt Rohan's Shadow Step?"
"Oh? What's that about."
Volkan perked up at the intriguing tale and joined in.
"Old man, staking your claim already? Poaching the kid we invited to Dawnbreaker Clan would be a problem."
"Hm? You scouted them?"
"We invited them day one. Perfect Rohan successor, right? Good scouts are rare."
The man grinned and eyed our party.
"Name's Alex. Nice to work with."
"Does it mean anything."
A low voice.
Turning, there stood a purple-eyed woman.
Glowing violet irises. Fur coat over a black tank top and long black pants.
A mage clutching a staff-like wand in her right hand.
"......Viola."
"Alex, this Labyrinth incident is serious. We've seen rookies botch parties once or twice."
"Volkan brought 'em."
"I trust my eyes over that. For example."
The woman called Viola tossed up a small golden orb in her hand.
"Make it escape my grasp."
"A test."
Volkan chuckled amusedly.
"But you know this challenges my authority, right?"
"What of it? I just want reassurance. You brought kids from a party not even a week old."
How'd she know we were that new?
Whatever. This could be fun.
"Yuseong?"
"Looks nice. Mind if I take it?"
"......Funny. Know what this is? A precious relic that saves a life once. Go on, kid. I'll go all out—if you snag it, it's yours."
Viola's face twisted fiercely.
As mana rippled around her—
I calmly activated Plunder.
A sensation of my hand vanishing somewhere, then grasping something odd.
'Appraisal.'
⚔ ITEM APPRAISAL ⚔ Relic
Amulet of Protection
◇ Once nullifies a fatal attack on the user. ◇ Enters recharge cooldown upon use. Definitely.
A genuinely nice relic.
I smiled at Viola and clenched my fist around the golden orb now in my grasp.
"Wh-what? How?"
"I'll put it to good use."
"Uh-heh, uh-heh-heh-heh!"
Viola stared in blank dismay.
Ignoring the cackling old man, we headed further inside.