Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Devil's Labyrinth (2)
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1.
⚙ LABYRINTH STAGE ⚙ Deep Layer of ???'s Maze The Guiding Crystal possessed incredible abilities commensurate with its power, and the lore stated that its creator was the Space's Transcendent.
It was an item said to contain the guiding force that prevented otherworldly travelers from losing their way or forgetting their purpose...
That was precisely the reason the Guardian had crafted this accessory.
And right now, it was the most essential item for me. Unfortunately, aside from being automatically provided in the Tutorial Stage, there was no other way to obtain it.
But I couldn't just snatch it from the hero, so this was quite the hassle.
If I could only open my inventory, it wouldn't be an issue, but without a UI or menu here, how was I supposed to do that?
This wasn't even a game world to begin with...
-Tap. Tap.
'It's about time they showed up.'
Currently, I was leading the adventurers toward the boss room at the heart of the labyrinth, following the Guiding Crystal.
After a brief commotion, I'd explained how I'd ended up here.
I'd originally planned not to intervene to let Louis adapt to her human form, but running into them so openly left me no choice.
'I never expected them to enter the labyrinth.'
-Clack.
How long had we walked? A massive entrance appeared, large enough for a giant to pass through.
That was the source of the faint breeze blowing through this place.
The air flowing into this sealed space probably came from there as well.
The adventurers looked around the passageway curiously.
It had the feel of ancient ruins, making it quite the sight.
There were also unidentified statues here and there.
"...What in the world is this place?"
"This is a place called the Demon's Hideout."
I gave the swordsman a straightforward explanation to his question.
The true nature of the labyrinth was a space where a 'demon' had set foot on the mortal realm and carved out territory to live in.
Demons were innately stronger than any mortal creature except dragons, and a high-ranking demon could effortlessly destroy an entire nation.
Thus, mortals who encountered demons were usually devoured or exploited...
But that didn't mean mortals always lost. Sometimes the predator became the prey.
The heretic inquisitors alone could purify most demons in an instant.
"Demons? Th-then shouldn't we notify the Holy Order right away?"
"Oh? And how exactly do you plan to do that? Once you're in here, even I can't escape with teleportation magic."
"I-is that so..."
The swordsman seemed a bit frightened at the mention of demons.
In truth, if I wanted to leave, it would be simple.
There was a barrier blocking teleportation magic, but I could tear through it effortlessly.
However, taking these guys out with teleportation magic would require me to move as well, so I wasn't doing it.
In labyrinths like this, leaving was easy, but entering wasn't. If we left, the connection between this labyrinth and the mortal realm would likely sever completely, and unless the owner reopened it, the pathway to this world would be cut off.
I could break through blockades, but if the path itself vanished, even I couldn't do anything about it.
'Besides, contacting the Holy Order would just bring the heretic inquisitors. No reason to invite that danger.'
So the only option left was to clear the labyrinth.
By retrieving the soul stone at its center, we could close this space and exit to the outside.
"Lady Cyan."
"What is it?"
"Who exactly is that person?"
"You mean this one?"
I pointed to the hero floating unconscious nearby, and the priest nodded.
I was currently transporting him using a Graviton variant.
I could have dragged him by hand, but my right hand was already occupied holding someone else.
"...A pervert. Scum worse than a monster, that guy."
Louis trembled while clutching my hand.
She must have found what happened earlier deeply humiliating.
To be fair, even if she'd tried to shake him off, that hero outleveled not just the other adventurers but even Louis.
Plus, as a hero with demon-like base stats, he was at least level 250 by human standards...
It was no wonder the sword she'd swung at his wrist had shattered.
"I don't know much about him either. Probably just some lunatic."
"He wasn't among the missing adventurers we checked. I suspect he might be a demon disguised as a human."
"I don't think so, Rain. He gives off a creepy vibe, but he has divine power as strong as His Holiness the Pope. He can't be a demon."
Listening to their conversation made me feel a slight pang.
"Rather than that weirdo, it'd make more sense if that High Elf called Cyan over there was the demon in disguise. Not that she is, of course."
"Rasi el, that's rude to Lady Cyan. There's no way someone as beautiful and amazing as her could be a horrific demon."
"True enough. Not that I mind."
No, it wasn't a slight pang—it hit right on the mark.
Luckily, my expression didn't change, which was a relief.
This body didn't show emotions outwardly unless I was particularly angry or something.
'I need to raise my Transform proficiency soon.'
-Clack.
Vowing to refine my use of Transform once I got back, I halted my steps.
"Lady Cyan?"
"It's here. Once we pass this door, the master of this maze will probably be waiting."
I hadn't stopped because their words flustered or stung me.
The Guiding Crystal had stopped in midair, ceasing its guidance. That meant we'd reached the destination.
Beyond the door lay a vast space.
And in that space was something different from the maze we'd traversed so far.
⚙ LABYRINTH STAGE ⚙ Dead City "Whoa, this is impressive. A city in a place like this...?"
It was natural for them to express such astonishment.
Passing through the massive gate revealed a city of considerable scale built underground.
The adventurers except the swordsman, along with Louis, couldn't hide their shock at the unexpected sight.
'A ghost town with no living inhabitants.'
I'd expected as much since the undead had appeared.
In the lightless depths of the labyrinth, this was the one place untouched by darkness.
The reason for the light here was the artificial stars illuminating the city from a ceiling too high to gauge.
Mana stones—presumed to be crystals—grew everywhere around, too. If I'd been a player back then, I'd have jumped straight into mining them like a banquet had appeared.
...Come to think of it, what happened to those coins I bought last time?
'No use for this one anymore.'
-Thud!
"Let's go in. There should be a passage to the outside at the city's center. That's the only exit from this place."
With that, I flicked my hand and hurled the unconscious hero into the city.
If there were traps, I intended for him to trigger them instead.
As the priest said, his high divine power would draw aggro from undead-attribute monsters easily.
Whether he lived or died was no longer my concern.
Oh, just in case, if he dies, I could experiment by taking the Guiding Crystal or his expensive gear from the corpse.
But he seemed sturdy enough not to die so easily.
He'd taken Louis's breath attack with no major injuries, after all.
-Tap. Tap.
"...Urk?!"
"Gah, cough?!"
"Ugh! What is this poison...?"
But as we tried to enter the city, the adventurers behind me suddenly vomited blood.
The elf seemed to be holding out somewhat, but the others would surely die if left like this.
Looking closely, the space was filled with a black mist.
...A curse that acted as poison on the living.
This confirmed it was the labyrinth's core.
"Louis, are you okay?"
"...More or less. What about you, Lady Cyan? This level of poison could wipe out a human city effortlessly."
For a dragon like her, it wasn't a big deal.
This was just the entrance, so the poison wasn't too thick yet, but it would surely intensify toward the source at the center.
Louis looked reluctant to proceed further.
"This is the Curse of Death... The monsters here were all undead, probably victims of this poison."
Curse of Death, huh.
'Hm.'
But to me, it felt rather pleasant.
Like returning home? In human terms, it was like strolling through a forest after a light spring rain, or basking in warm sunlight. Incredibly cozy.
"Cough...! Ugh... H-hold on just a bit. I'll put up a barrier to purify the poison... Urk."
Hm, no helping it.
Louis didn't seem accustomed to it either, so better not to bring her.
-Swish.
I opened my Subspace and pulled out a blank scroll I'd taken from the black market.
'To use a scroll, engrave a magic formula on papyrus. This might let me store holy magic without issues.'
▶ 【 Perfect Healing 】 -Crackle!
I placed my hand on the scroll and engraved the formula.
A small spark flew.
⚔ ITEM – Consumable ⚔ 『Magic Scroll』 ※ Engraved with recovery magic. Using it activates the spell.
As expected, no damage this way.
I'll use scrolls for this spell next time too. Once out of here, I could threaten Stran for more blank scrolls.
"Louis, take this."
"Huh? Lady Cyan, what's this?"
"A scroll. Use it to heal them, then wait somewhere safe at the entrance."
I engraved the magic onto the scroll and handed it over.
The party's healer priest was in no state to help, so better to have Louis escort them out.
They wouldn't be much use in the boss fight anyway.
"What about you, Lady Cyan? You're not going alone, are you?"
"Yeah. You don't look in great shape either, so it's best if I go solo."
"...Be careful. I know how strong you are, so I won't stop you. ...But I'm still worried."
I gently stroked Louis's head.
It was oddly endearing how she worried about me.
And cute, too. Much improved from when I first saw her in that prison...
Considering she was a dragon, Louis had a pretty good personality.
In a word, flexible.
'If the ancient dragons called Guardians had been like this, that would have been great. But the ones I met before were impossible to reason with...'
....
Impossible to reason with?
-Clack.
"Hm? Lady Cyan, what's wrong?"
"Nothing... It's nothing."
I stopped mid-step toward the city.
And for a moment, I reviewed my memories.
Had I ever met an ancient dragon?
In the game, sure, but they were just NPCs with fixed dialogue.
Since coming to this world, I'd never encountered them directly—only as monsters in-game.
Of course they wouldn't reason, so why did that thought...
'...No need to dwell on it.'
Hm, but that's not important now.
I hadn't bathed in two days, and my body felt grimy. I wanted to get out of here fast.
Grab the soul stone quickly and leave.
Then soak in a nice inn's bath with my new bath salts, washing away all worries.
"Alright, I'm off."
With that, I headed into the death-filled city, leaving Louis and the adventurers behind.
Aside from an inexplicable unease, my mood was pretty good.
I wondered what options that soul stone would have. Exciting.
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