86. Easy, it's easy.
86. Easy, it's easy.
"Selana!"
"Yeah!!"
With a short reply, Selana raised her shield and stood in front of me.
"Hngh!"
-Tingtingting!
The shield blocked the flying daggers, then the Frog's tongue whipped around it like a lash.
-Shyurik!! Chak! Chak! Chak!
"Ugh!"
Selana was strong for her size, sure, but with three tongues wrapped around, she was struggling a bit.
Magna heard her grunt and swiftly cast a buff.
"Main God, we beseech thee. Grant this lamb the strength to rise."
He was usually curt with words, but his prayers flowed like poetry.
It worked like a charm—Selana gritted her teeth and yanked the shield back with force.
"Hngh! Raaah!!!"
-Gaegul?!?
A Frog came flying like its esophagus was getting ripped out, only for Jenin to shoot it down.
"Fire Ball!"
-Peong!
I took care of one.
-Shik! Puhwak!
Magna... ripped the neck off the last one.
-Jjiik!!!
I sliced through the tongues wrapped on Selana's shield with my sword.
We charged at the Lizardmen who were hesitating.
"Maintain formation!"
"""Yes!!"""
-Tadadak!
They matched my pace perfectly, staying just outside my sword's range.
Selana ready to leap in front of me anytime.
Magna guarding Jenin.
Jenin running while watching for any ranged attacks.
Selana snapped all the spears thrust at me in one go.
"Hup!"
-Kwajijik!
The Lizardman lost its balance in panic.
I cleaved open the skulls of the neatly lined-up Lizardmen in one swing.
-Pugeok!
The moment an enraged Lizardwoman tried to throw her dagger at the males' massacre...
"Oppa! Left side!"
Selana pulled an Iron Ball from her Subspace and nailed the Lizardwoman's wrist.
-Swaeak! Eujik!
"Shaaaak!!"
I rushed the screaming Lizardwoman and diagonally slashed her chest.
-Bwoong! Bwooooong!!!
Killer Bees came buzzing chaotically at the commotion.
"Lord, take this lamb into thy embrace!"
Magna tried to set up a Divine Power barrier for me, but...
-Woong!!
The Divine Power barrier spawned in front of him instead.
Magna clicked his tongue, picked up the Divine Power barrier, and...
"Tch! Hup!"
...hurled it at the Killer Bees like a shield.
-Shuwoong! Tik! Tidididik!!
Killer Bees dropping like flies in a fire or earthquake.
Jenin mopped up the rest with one spell.
"Wind Storm!"
-Hwioooo! Pasasak!
...Damn, our teamwork is spot on. Everyone's got killer combat instincts.
Truth is, I'm the parachute drop-in, and these guys are Duchy hires...
Jenin grinned ear to ear, scooping up Lizardmen with their brains leaking out.
"Oh my god! There must be a Killer Bee hive nearby! Kuhaha! That many Killer Bees means honey... alchemy ingredients... Hohoho~!"
-Fushyik! Juruk...
Killer Bee honey must be super valuable, huh.
Now even her sleeves soaked in monster guts just make her laugh.
She adapts fast...
"Oppa~ How was Selana?"
"You did great."
"Pfft!! Uhihit!"
Magna rolled his shoulders and jerked his chin.
"That way. Killer Bees coming."
Guess Magna had eyed their flight path.
"Alright, let's go."
"""O!!"""
The Killer Bee hive was close.
But also far.
"""......"""
Selana looked up at the hive dangling from the treetop and said,
"Hey, let's just bail. When are we gonna harvest that?"
Jenin glanced up, then squeezed her eyes shut.
"T-That size... gulp! Kreeuk! Better to just go..."
Money wasn't the goal anyway, so the mood shifted to pushing through the Labyrinth.
But not for me.
I'd flown up trees before, so what's the big deal...
"Wait a sec."
As I approached the massive tree, Magna grabbed my shoulder.
"You'll get hurt, male. I'll do it."
Jenin freaked out and waved her hands too.
"Ry-Ryu-o-nim! We don't need that junk! I'll just buy it with my own money!! Hahaha!"
"...No, I've got a real way. It'll be quick, just wait."
""??""
They backed off at the mention of a method.
Selana just smiled and nodded.
"Come back safe!"
I stabbed my feet into the tree and walked up like it was flat ground.
-Puk! Puk! Puk!
"""......???? Huh??"""
My teammates gawked like they'd seen a wall-climbing ghost.
I slashed apart the incoming Killer Bees a few times.
-Shyurik! Tik! Titik!
-... Fucking strong male.
I lopped off a branch with the hive, stored it in Subspace, and climbed down smooth.
-Pukpukpuk!
"Here, we'll split it up outside."
"""Haha..."""
"Oppa, are you actually from the southeast?"
"Huh? Why southeast outta nowhere?"
"They say people with your footwork are from the southeast..."
Never been to the southeast, so no clue.
Just bounced between east, central, west...
Anyway, no time for that.
"...Hmm, we'll be late at this rate. Let's hurry."
"Huh? We've got tons of time?"
"Gotta finish quick and rest."
Magna nodded.
"Don't get cocky."
"Yeah! Plenty of time to chat later!"
"Right, Gongnyeo-nim~"
"Shut it?"
Jenin, used to the harsh treatment now, zipped it.
Still grinning, though. Guess she's having fun.
We headed to the next floor.
What do you think of when you hear Labyrinth?
A vast, pitch-black maze.
Turn a corner, monsters jump out. Solve gimmicks to open doors—a total asshole design!
The 14th floor was exactly that image yanked straight from your head.
Damp, sticky walls wrapped in mystery vines.
Floor glistening here and there like it's oiled up.
Adventurers gotta watch for Snakeys lurking in the dark shadows.
A total newbie graveyard, but...
"I'll scout the path first, cover me."
""Yep~""
-Nodnod.
-Puk!
With Night Vision and wall-piercing, that ain't us.
As I mapped the route, I spotted Selana squatting and smashing a Snakey's head.
"You bastard!"
-Puk! Eujik!
Guess all that Night Vision paid off—she saw it clear as day.
Team's solid.
I plotted a route avoiding gimmicks as much as possible.
'That door... needs materials... that one... puzzle...'
Blocked doors demand materials or puzzles from adventurers.
Fail, and it locks for 4 hours.
To skip the hassle, we dodged glowing red doors... left right left left right...
FYI, failed doors have the little snake head on top glowing red.
-Suwuk!
"Let's go. Everyone, keep talk to a minimum for now."
-Nod.
We cautiously made our way.
Slicing leeches off walls and Snakeys as we went steadily...
'Here. Gimme the collected materials.'
-Nod.
At the door, we laid them out.
Snakey fangs, Poison Spider legs, Lizardman corpses.
I slotted them into the door's grooves.
-Ssook! Ssook!
Normally, adventurers prefer puzzles.
Materials vanish when used.
But we're different.
Unless it's super rare, we just burn 'em.
Last slot left after inserting.
'Anyone got Woolbat wings?'
-... Shakeno.
Tch... come to think, no bat monsters caught.
'Gotta backtrack and hunt some...'
Then, Ki Sense picked up approaching presences.
'All robed.'
-!! Swuk! Swish!
Robes we'd ditched for arm freedom.
At my word, everyone swiftly donned them.
Waited a bit...
-Tuduk tuduk tuduk...
"Hm? What the hell?"
-Sreung!
Seeing us all cloaked, the other adventurers prepped for fight.
I raised a hand.
"We're not suspicious. Just go."
"...In a Labyrinth looking like that, and you expect me to trust you?"
"We ain't done shit."
The adventurer glared, then glanced at the blue-glowing snake head.
"Can't just let us pass? We gotta go through too."
The guy next to the glaring woman chimed in.
"Oris! Let's just go... they look too sketchy."
"Tch! Shut it!"
Guy had brains, but the woman was hotheaded.
"Sigh... so what do you want?"
Oris sauntered closer cockily.
"Can't open the door, right? We got leftover materials. Let's pass together."
"How do you know what we need?"
She bantered casually, so I matched it. She furrowed her brows.
"So tell us."
-Tuduk... tuduk...
"Why trust you? And come closer, you're dead."
"Gulp...! S-Sensitive much..."
What to do... back off, they'll mooch our materials.
I eyed the door-peeking woman and covered the last slot with my hand.
Then...
-Tak! Puk...
My hand got sucked in a bit.
'Huh?'
"Tch! Don't be like that, just say what materials you—"
-Clank! Drdrdrdr
"""?????"""
Huh? Door opened.
Figure it out later.
"Everyone, over here!"
-Nod! Hudadak!
Teammates hopped over, enemy party scrambling after.
"W-Wait! You fuckers! You goddamn bastards!!!!"
"Hmph!"
Selana gripped an Iron Ball and chucked it at the woman's ankle.
-Shying! Wooduk!
"Kaaaaak!!!"
"""L-Leader!!!"""
Door shut...
-Drdrdrdr
"Heh! Buncha nobodies! But Oppa, we had Woolbat wings?"
I stared blankly at my hand.
"...Think I found another ability."
Everyone exchanged looks, then clapped in disbelief.
-Clapclapclap...
"Fucking versatile male."
"Labyrinth... easy?"
"Oppa... how's it work?"
Beats me...
We stood before the next door.
"Lemme experiment a bit."
"Do whatever, Oppa. Mhm."
"Please do, Ryu-o-nim..."
"It'll open again."
...Pressure's on. If it doesn't...
'Eh, won't open? We'll detour.'
No biggie.
I stood before the safe-dial-like door.
Not materials this time.
Earlier, hand sucked right into the slot.
Something interacting with my hand?
Maybe this puzzle solves easy with my hand too?
Test normally first.
I turned the dial gently, listening.
Movies do it this way, so why not.
-Druruk! Tik! Druruk! Tik! Druruk! Tidik!
"""Ooo..."""
Feels like something's happening.
After a bit...
-Woong!
Door turned red.
"""Ah..."""
"E-Experiment, I said."
This door's locked 4 hours.
Teammates nodded and laughed it off.
"It's fine, Oppa. Different method, I get it."
"Of course, Ryu-o-nim~ Even Hell Monkeys fall in lava sometimes?"
"Relax shoulders, male."
"Urgh..."
Meant to poke hand in after a turn, but it locked already.
"Still, let's check the door more before we go."
"Yeah, we've got time anyway."
I shoved my hand into the door.
-Suwuk!
But the feel was off.
Like forcing into a weird gap, getting squished?
Never felt that wall-handing before...
14th floor special? Tested other walls.
-Puk!
Normal hand-in feel. Like pre-Bug Sword.
Back to dial, shoved hand and rummaged.
-Wooduduk! Tik! Tititing!
"Eek! Ry-Ryu-o-nim?"
"Oppa??? H-Hand...? You okay?!"
"Lord."
Creepy sound, but no pain.
-Druruk! Ppaduk! Ppaduduk!
"""Ugh..."""
"I'm fine. See anything...?"
-Drdrdrdr
"...Hurry?"
Yanked hand out quick, looked back—door opening.
Snake head still red...?
Then it flashed red.
-Flash! Flash!
"W-What!"
"Ugh! Blinding!"
Light bathed me a few times, then dimmed softly.
"""......"""
"L-Let's go."
"""Yes..."""
Safely through, we stared and burst laughing.
"Pfft... Kahahaha! Ahahaha!"
"Puheup! Kekekek! Ah~ Ridiculous, Oppa!"
"Keuk... Keuk... Ahhk! D-Dignity... Puhuhuhu!"
"Haha..."
Total absurdity.
We laughed our asses off, totally un-Labyrinth-like.
Downside: monsters swarming.
"Whew... Everyone, battle ready!"
"""Yep!"""
This much? We'll slaughter 'em gleefully.