Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: The Black Mage's Laboratory
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"......Do we really have to do this?"
"No harm in it. No one's been chasing us so far, which means there are no reinforcements."
Before heading to the lake, Woojin doubled back to the spot where the collectors had been moments ago.
"If there's anything we can carry, it's only natural to grab it."
He thoroughly searched the corpses' pockets and bags as he spoke to Irurin.
"Here."
Woojin handed her a dagger he'd found on one of the bodies.
"I'm a mage, you know."
"You said you're a 5th-grade mage, right? Unless your mana springs up endlessly like a fountain, you'll need this."
In the game, a 5th-grade mage corresponded to level 50—the point when players crossed over to the central continent.
In short, her skills were just barely enough to challenge the Labyrinth Tower.
Truth be told, he couldn't expect much help from her.
"You said you don't know what might come out of that lake either. This isn't a situation where we have the luxury to protect anyone."
"......"
She stared silently at the worn dagger in light of Woojin's words.
Then, without a word, she tucked it into her bosom.
"......Huh?"
As she gripped her staff, the collectors' corpses floated up and gathered in one spot.
"This way, we can search them faster."
Irurin said this as she personally rummaged through the gear on the corpse that had fallen before her.
'Not just prideful after all.'
Woojin smirked inwardly at the sight of her.
A mage with mediocre skills and a high nose would be better off raiding dungeons solo.
The most important factor in dungeon clears wasn't difficulty or player skill.
It was
'cohesion.'
Unless there was an overwhelming gap in ability, a lack of teamwork meant even skilled players had a high chance of failure.
At the very least, they needed to recognize their own place and know when to yield.
"Magic sure is convenient."
"If you're interested, just learn it."
"Magic? How, without any mana?"
"No mana? Where exactly are you from that you don't even know about the mana system?"
"......What do you mean by that?"
Irurin stopped searching the corpse and looked at Woojin.
"No one lacks mana entirely. It's just a difference in the vessel that holds it. Anyone who can sense mana can use magic."
'Everyone can use mana?'
Woojin frowned slightly at her words.
'Back in the Alchemist's Lab, it said Sig Elric's brand couldn't be used due to a lack of mana......'
Was this world different?
Woojin felt a strange sense of dissonance from her explanation.
"......Sorry. I can't be of any help."
Luen, who had been watching the two, spoke up with a darkened expression.
She possessed immense mana but couldn't cast proper spells due to her mana blood disease.
She couldn't even summon spirits.
In terms of combat power, she was effectively out of the equation.
'In the game, it seemed like the mana blood disease could be treated stage by stage......'
Had she not received proper treatment?
Judging by her status alone, she seemed in even worse shape than the game's Luen.
'I need to check if the Primordial Spirit's blood can cure mana blood disease this time.'
Not just for this world's Luen, but for the game's Luen to survive as well.
No matter what, he had to find the ancient spirit's corpse.
"The way to the lake?"
"I know it. It's not far from here, so we can head out right away."
Goun said this as he donned the armor and sword he'd taken from a corpse.
His grip on the sword looked awkward.
It was obvious at a glance that he wasn't used to combat.
"So, four of us heading to the lake."
Woojin, Goun, Irurin, and Luen.
'Looks like only this one can fight worth a damn.'
"......?"
Irurin tilted her head at Woojin, who was staring at her intently.
"Let's do our best."
With a puzzled expression, she took the hand Woojin offered.
It was rough and callused.
The group passed through the blood-red cave and traversed the mountain ridge, pressing onward.
"You okay?"
"Yes. I can manage."
Woojin kept an eye on Luen's complexion as they walked.
And on the third day, a massive lake appeared before the party.
"Be careful. The barrier starts right at the entrance."
In the direction Irurin pointed, a long pole stuck in the ground was covered in unknown decorations.
"Guess we need to dispel this first."
Woojin brought the Pilgrim's Cross he'd received from Kahira in front of the pole.
Woooong......
A pure white light flowed from the cross, and the pole crumbled to dust in an instant.
With the obstructing pole gone, the lake's emerald waters turned a clear blue.
"Be extra careful from here on. Curse dispels are limited to once per day."
"Huh? For real? What if we hit another barrier later?"
"We sleep for a day."
"......Ah."
Irurin made an awkward face as Woojin casually replied and waded into the lake.
The water, which didn't even reach his waist, was shallow enough to call it a large puddle.
"This should be easy to search, right?"
Goun said cheerfully, splashing his feet in the lake water with eager anticipation.
"It's here."
Leading the way, Irurin crossed the lake without hesitation, as if spotting a mark only mages could see. At one point, she plunged her hand in and groped around.
Clunk—
A lever turned with a click,
and rumbllle......
The ground shook, and astonishingly, the lake water drained away like a sink.
Stairs leading underground appeared at the bottom of the drained lake.
"......Not so easy after all."
Goun smacked his lips as he eyed the seemingly endless stairs.
"We'll need light."
Fizzle...
Irurin nodded and conjured a small orb of light in her palm.
As they descended the stairs, the group unwittingly held their breath.
"Ugh......"
The walls were densely packed with taxidermied animals and monsters, their innards preserved in glass jars below.
"Wouldn't be surprised if something jumped out here."
Woojin offered a curt impression as he took it all in.
"D-Don't worry too much. Everything here is dead......"
'Her voice is shaking too much to reassure anyone......'
Irurin, paler than anyone, clutched her staff with both hands.
"Right. Dead things, just like you said. That's what makes it more unsettling."
"Huh?"
"This is a black mage's research lab."
The dead and black magic.
A match made in hell.
'And the fact that the barrier is still active means......'
The other spells likely hadn't faded either.
For instance...
[Kyaaaaah———!!]
As they reached the end of the corridor, the wall-mounted monsters opened their maws and began to roar.
Fangs jutting upward, elongated jaws.
Trolls.
"......!!!"
The sudden emergence startled them briefly,
"Get back!"
Instinctively, Woojin thrust his sword into the troll on the left wall.
Crunch—!
He buried the blade in its neck and slashed sideways with all his might.
[Kraaaah——!!]
The troll screamed in agony.
"A corpse doing wha—!"
But Woojin severed its head without mercy.
"Framera!!!"
Flames erupted from Irurin's staff next, charring the remaining troll black.
It was the second-tier fire attack spell in the mage skill tree's flame branch.
'Casting with just an activation word. Low grade, but exceptional talent. No wonder Red Tower's master wanted her as an apprentice.'
Woojin eyed Irurin standing before the troll's corpse.
Magic required incantations.
The longer the chant for higher spells, and shortening them was the hallmark of a mage's prowess.
'Like composing music or solving formulas, players had to craft their own abbreviations.'
That was the challenge—and the prestige—of the mage class.
"No qualms about it, huh?"
Woojin nodded at the gruesomely burned troll, which didn't vanish like in the game.
"Nope. It's not even human—just a monster. I've seen enough monster corpses in anatomy class."
Irurin bowed her head slightly and moved forward again.
Despite her youth, she showed no signs of agitation.
Woojin felt a spark of optimism that this might wrap up more smoothly than expected.
Tremble tremble...
Irurin's shoulders shook like aspen leaves.
Woojin's optimism from moments ago sadly fizzled out.
'No agitation, my ass......'
Well, anyone would crack at the sight before them.
Beyond the passage lay a vast cavern.
Scattered across the floor were all manner of experimental subjects.
Severed orc heads, gnome fingers, fairies with wings clipped, dwarf teeth, and more...
The piled corpses and limbs would shock even the collectors.
But that wasn't why she was panicking.
"M-Master......"
Deep amid the field of bodies sat one figure.
There was Ratan Gray, master of Red Tower.
He sat before a large slab like an operating table, preserved in his living form—but lifeless like the rest.
"Calm down."
Woojin gripped her shoulder, but the trembling wouldn't stop.
"Stop! That's not your master anymore."
Woojin blocked Irurin, who looked ready to rush forward.
"My. Dis. Ci. Ple."
It was then.
A voice pierced the gap as she struggled to steady her shaking heart.
Thump— thump— thump—
Lights flickered on in the dark chamber.
Creeeak... crrreeeak...
As illumination reached the cavern's center, Ratan Gray raised his head like a malfunctioning doll.
"D-Do you see that over there?"
Goun pointed behind Ratan.
Something hazy lay atop the slab-like table.
It was Camilla's corpse.
"It's really here...... We're saved! Everything's fine now! Your Majesty!"
Woojin scowled and yanked Goun back by the collar as he cried out tearfully.
'These idiots......'
"Everyone, snap out of it!!!"
Traps everywhere wouldn't be surprising.
Woojin stepped forward and bellowed to rein in their excitement.
"My. Dis. Ci. Ple."
At that moment, Ratan called to Irurin once more.
"I... was... de... ceived. Save... me......"
With a plaintive voice, Ratan extended his bony hand toward her.
"Hel... p... me."
"Hey. You're not buying that crap, are you?"
Woojin glanced at Irurin.
But her expression—on the verge of tears—stirred unease in him.
"Yes, always... treated you... like a daughter. Come... here. Irurin."
"M-Master......!!"
Irurin's feet finally moved.
"Damn it!!"
Before he could stop her, she bolted toward him.
"Yes... that's... right!!! Be... come... my... flesh... and... bloo... d...... Grk...! Grrraaaack———!!!!!!!"
As if he'd been waiting, Ratan's body twisted grotesquely.
Crack... craaack..!!
His mouth split from ear to jaw, gaping wide to bite off Irurin's head.
Boom———!!!!
That was when it happened.
Astonishingly, an explosion burst from Ratan's head as he lunged at her.
"......?!"
[Guh... guh...]
Half his head gone, Ratan rolled his remaining eye at her in disbelief.
And the others stared at her in equal shock.
"Master. What nonsense is this?"
Defying their expectations of panic,
Whoosh...
Fierce flames blazed from Irurin's staff.
"You never once treated me like a daughter."
Boom!!
Kaboom———!!!
Fireballs summoned from her staff morphed into arrows and rained down on Ratan.
"Finally met you. You trash who ruined Red Tower."
[W-Wait......]
Dozens more bundles of fire arrows poured onto his tattered corpse.