134. The three women's resolution
134. The three women's resolution
"Umm... well... he should be coming out soon?"
"".........""
-Rumble...
Cheon Hwa-ryeong unleashed a murderous aura.
As murderous intent filled her eyes, the two Knight Captains drew their weapons in an instant, but...
-Vwoom... Thud!
"H-h-hieeeek!!!"
""""??????????""""
Seeing the green-haired woman who had appeared out of nowhere, everyone except Cheon Hwa-ryeong tilted their heads in confusion.
In the blink of an eye, Cheon Hwa-ryeong approached the green-haired woman.
-Whoosh!
"W-wait a minute! Cheon..."
"Which floor did you come from?"
Arin, having grasped the situation, also approached the woman in an instant.
"Answer."
Ananta, hit directly by the terrifying aura of the two strongest beings, was on the verge of passing out.
"H-huff... huff... who..."
""Which floor.""
"Hieeeek!! 30th floor! It's the 30th floor!!!"
""""!!!!""""
Everyone in the room opened their eyes wide.
"Mmph!! Mmmph!!! Mmmph!!!"
"Have you seen a man named Jang Ryu-o?"
"Answer!!! Hurry!!!"
"I, I saw him!!!"
"What happened! Why isn't he coming out!!"
Ananta, being shaken by the two powerhouses, shouted with tears in her eyes.
"Mmph! Mmmph!! W-wait!!! He's unconscious!!! He's unconscious!!! That crazy... ugh... ugh..."
"Unconscious? Why!!"
"He killed the crazy bitch and... ugh... ugh..."
"Crazy bitch? Who's the crazy bitch?"
Ananta wanted to say, 'You bitches,' but she didn't have the courage.
Arin glared at the two Knight Captains with burning eyes.
"Explain everything, down to the last detail. As fast as you can."
"We will..."
The two, guilty of their own actions, explained the situation...
"That is everything I have heard..."
Having heard everything that had happened, the two women were livid.
"So you ate well and slept well without even knowing if your husband was alive or dead..."
"How dare you... deceive... me...?"
Ophelia waved her hands at the two enraged women and shouted.
"Wait!! First of all, we apologize for that!! More importantly. The fact that Jang Ryu-o is alive is what matters!!! What if we fight here! Huh? And get him caught in the crossfire? What then? Right? He's probably exhausted and worn out, and if sword energy just... do you know what I mean?"
"H-husband...?"
It was a disjointed explanation, but the two understood it immediately.
""Ugh...""
"Mmph!! Mmmph!!!"
Noticing the situation cooling down slightly, the Knight Captain released the Noble Lady.
"I apologize, My Lady."
-Slide...
Hilda didn't even glance at the Knight Captain who had committed such a grave rudeness.
She asked Ananta, who was trembling and trying to read the room.
"Pfft! Haa... haa... I understand the situation. But, who are you?"
In an instant, the gazes of the strongest beings gathered in one place.
Ananta, who was already struggling to breathe, had nothing to say.
After all, how could she say, 'Oh, I'm just a peanut for the crazy bitch who tried to harm the Jang Ryu-o you're all worried about.'...
"Ah... ugh..."
-Grab! Schwing...
Arin's sword and Cheon Hwa-ryeong's hand resting on the top of her head.
A flashback of her life passed before Ananta's eyes, and she...
"I!! am a person who was kidnapped by that crazy bitch!!!!"
""""???? Huh?""""
She began to play the victim.
Naturally, the room was filled with confusion.
The looks on their faces seemed to ask, 'Who the hell are you?'
Ananta racked her brain to find a way out.
'Let's see... oh... what am I good at...'
Ananta was only good at making drugs.
If she said she was good at making drugs here, she would be killed on the spot.
Ananta had never regretted her life as much as she did right now.
She pulled out an item she had in her pocket...
"Th-this!!"
-Slide!
""""??? A pink stone...?""""
Ananta began to improvise.
"This is... an item made for adult entertainment..."
"? Entertainment? So. Who the hell are you..."
"If you apply these items to female or male genitalia, it delivers immense pleasure."
-Clatter... Vvvvvvvvv...
"""......"""
Cheon Hwa-ryeong, unable to hold back any longer, lost it.
"Are you daring to mock me? What does that crap have to do with anything right now..."
"I was living in the South, and I was kidnapped because of that pink-haired crazy bitch's plan!"
"...... Continue."
Ananta felt the flow shifting in her favor.
After all, Ananta was the only one who knew the current situation inside the Labyrinth.
'Fuck... If I knew it would be like this, I should have carried him out. No, if I hadn't been an idiot and just said the 30th floor...'
There was a brief moment of regret... but it was useless for the time being.
"I was... a black market dealer in the South. Mostly, I supplied..."
-Vvvvvvvvv...
"items for pleasure to people."
""""...... Huh.""""
Ananta put on a straight face and continued her explanation.
"But one day, Riner... I mean, the pink-haired one came and kidnapped me out of the blue, saying there was a man who needed to use these items."
Everyone, having heard such a moronic reason, twitched.
"Why didn't she just take the items..."
"She detained me, saying she needed an expert's advice."
"""".........""""
Ananta bowed low and continued her explanation.
"The pink-haired one's magic wore off, and I was freed. Once freed, I headed straight out of the Labyrinth. I knew at a glance. That the man unconscious over there was the man you were all looking for and the pink-haired one was waiting for."
At that moment, Cheon Hwa-ryeong gripped Ananta's shoulder tightly.
-Crush!!!
"Aaaaargh!!"
"Why... didn't you save him?"
"It's unfair! I, I am not strong! I'm just an ordinary person with no leeway to take care of others!!! Especially on the 30th floor where you don't know what will pop out..."
-Grind!!
"Aaaack! I didn't know!"
Ophelia stopped Cheon Hwa-ryeong's misplaced anger.
-Grab...
"Think from the perspective of the weak, Cheonma..."
Cheon Hwa-ryeong glared at Ophelia once, then...
"If my husband doesn't return alive, I will hold you accountable."
"H-huff... huff... sob!!! I, I saw the pink-haired one's methods! What abilities she has! What techniques she used!! So please..."
An intangible energy sealed the mouth of Ananta, who was struggling to survive.
-Grab!
"Mmph!!"
"...... You mean he's alive?"
-Nod nod
Arin closed her eyes, furrowed her brow a few times, and then knelt and slumped to the floor.
-Thud!
"I will wait."
"What? How do you know when he'll wake up..."
"He will return. Without fail."
-Grind!
Cheon Hwa-ryeong, unable to understand Arin at all, tried to storm into the Labyrinth, but...
-Grab!
"Let go. You coward. I'm going in right now to..."
"If our baby dies... we must conquer the Labyrinth and bring him back to life."
Cheon Hwa-ryeong's expression went blank upon hearing those words.
"......"
"The probability of our baby waking up and returning. The probability of reaching the 30th floor within a day. The probability of you and me reaching the 100th floor. Think about it all carefully."
Cheon Hwa-ryeong finally looked into Arin's eyes.
Deep, dark eyes. The eyes of someone who looks at only one thing in the world.
Her eyes were painting a future where she would meet Ryu-o again, no matter what.
The lowest probability among them was the two of them reaching the 30th floor in a single day.
Cheon Hwa-ryeong sat down on the spot and stared only at the portal.
-Thud!
"........."
The two decided to trust their husband and wait.
In the worst-case scenario, if the situation that shouldn't happen occurred.
They steeled themselves to climb the Labyrinth again.
"Haaah!"
With my eyes open, I reached the 5th floor.
The sight on the ceiling was astonishing.
The entire terrain of the Labyrinth was turning into sticky tar and being reconstructed.
-Ding!
[Transmigrator title activated! Stamina +3]
"Wow..."
Seeing the title activate, it seems I'm the only survivor among the people I discovered.
When I felt like everything around me had stopped, I thought I was definitely going to die.
"Ugh... that's a relief."
Thankfully, I survived.
Bugs are the best, seriously...
But, what floor is this?
Looking at the ceiling, I saw a familiar forest.
'It's the 9.5th floor.'
I can't forget it, I milked it for so much profit.
Just as I was smiling and about to find the portal to the 5th floor...
-Slurp~
I discovered a black liquid pooling on the ceiling.
'What's that... is it residue left over from the reconstruction?'
Should I take it? I decided against it.
It was just pooling, it didn't look like it was going to fall, and there was absolutely no way to get to the ceiling.
Just as I was about to take the portal to the 5th floor...
-Swoosh!!!
"Wh-what is this!!"
A black object grew from my hand and started... sucking? the ceiling.
Shortly after, a cheerful sound was heard...
-Ding!
[Strength +1]
[Intelligence +1]
[Stamina +1]
[Stamina +1]
...
Wha??!?!?!
I got a fortuitous encounter.
I gained a total of 6 stats.
"Malion... Piece of the Labyrinth... Ah!!!"
Malion was the sword said to have been used when the Labyrinth was carved.
The object that ate the rock that encased such a sword.
Were those things pooling there Pieces of the Labyrinth?
Once I grasped the situation, my mouth started watering like crazy.
"... I should go check the other 5th floor too."
I moved to the other 5th floor, but...
"It's not here..."
Maybe it had all dried up, or maybe it had been used up efficiently; I couldn't see it.
Can I only take it when it's slightly fresh?
Leaving my regrets behind, I moved to the 5th floor.
"Everyone must be worried..."
It had been 30 days and I hadn't come out...
I started running outside.
The moment the month changed.
Arin, Cheon Hwa-ryeong, and Hilda clenched their teeth, eyes squeezed shut.
They had assumed the worst-case scenario. It was just more painful and agonizing than that.
However, none of the three were crying unseemly tears.
They just glared at the Labyrinth that had taken their world, fueling their resolve.
Hilda forced her choked throat open and spoke.
"No matter what. I will gather the best support and powerhouses worthy of the rank."
"Yeah."
"......"
-Nod
The two Knight Captains watching the scene just kept their mouths shut.
They just held their breath at the storm that would blow through Labyrinth City once again.
The situation... was over.
Even so, why couldn't the three of them leave?
Lingering attachment? Regret? Expectation?
Or perhaps, they were chewing over their anger again and again.
Cheon Hwa-ryeong spat out cold words with burning eyes.
"The bitch who did that to Jang Ryu-o. I'm going to erase her organization from the world before I leave."
"That's what we should do."
"Knight Captain."
The Knight Captain, who had been keeping his mouth shut, bowed deeply.
"Command me."
"Find her, no matter what. Even if you have to turn the whole world upside down."
The Knight Captain, sensing that this was the only way to be forgiven, replied briefly.
"Loyalty!"
Everyone kept silent for about an hour like that.
Seeing that the miracle wasn't happening, they stood up from their seats.
"You there. Green-hair."
"Hieek... Y-yes, yes!!!"
"Tell us everything you know. If you want to live."
Ananta, whose life had taken a drastic turn for the worse, nodded.
And just as everyone was about to head out with devastated expressions.
-Vwoom
""""!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!""""
A miracle happened.
"Uh... am I very late?"
In front of the Labyrinth stood Ryu-o, who had crossed the wall, wearing an awkward smile.
Rolling his eyes as if he felt sheepish.
Cheon Hwa-ryeong smirked and looked up at the sky.
"Ha! Seriously... ha..."
Hilda's legs gave out, and the Knight Captain caught her nimbly.
"Ah..."
-Grab!
"Thank goodness... ah... thank goodness. Aaaah..."
Arin was...
"Waaaaah!!! Honey~"
""""??????""""
Crying with a nasal whine that no one had ever heard or seen before, she hugged Ryu-o.
"Honey..."
"Waaaaah! Hic! Honey... ho... sob... waaaaah..."
"I'm sorry. I should have come faster..."
Cheon Hwa-ryeong looked at Arin as if she were ridiculous and smacked Ryu-o's back.
-Smack! Smack!
"Ow!!"
"You bastard!!! Why are you so late!!!"
"Sorry... I missed you, Noona."
"Ha... damn..."
-Hug!!!
Hilda, who had staggered over to Ryu-o, also let out the breath she hadn't been able to catch in Ryu-o's arms.
-Tight...
"Haaaa... ha... hahaha..."
-Squeeze!!!!
"I'm sorry. You were worried a lot, right?"
"...... As long as you're alive... that's enough..."
Like that, the four of them hugged each other as if they had become one.
"Is, is that for real? With that level, they could fold the Labyrinth City in half, couldn't they?"
"... Heh. The real danger was that young man."
Setting aside the question of how a man could love three people at once.
The two Knight Captains simply shuddered at the alliance that shouldn't have existed.