An Easy Return
A few days had passed.
“Woohoo! I can finally see the light!”
We arrived at the cave entrance and stared silently at the bright light spilling in from outside. Now that we’d made it out without seeing the end, I felt a twinge of regret. We’d even taken down the Grilops—maybe we should’ve pushed all the way to the depths of the cave? Perhaps it was because we’d spent so long relying on torches in the dark that the sight of natural light stirred those restless thoughts. I shook my head.
‘No. If we’d gotten greedy and taken another fork to go deeper, we might all be dead. Enough with the foolish ideas.’
While an adventurer’s drive for challenge and self-improvement is vital, restraint and survival must always be kept in mind as well.
In short, curb excessive greed. Keep pushing forward, but always know when to pull back.
We finally emerged from the cave.
“Ugh, that feels good. Now we just need to head back to the city, right?”
Yeriel stretched and spoke up.
“Yeah. If anything else shows up on the way, we ignore it. Our only goal is reaching that village nearby.”
“Hiya… this lush greenery is a feast for the senses! I’m so sick of caves. You too, Hyung-nim?”
Jacob shook his head vigorously, looking thoroughly fed up.
“You don’t have to tell me twice. Once we’re back, I’m taking it easy for a while and shaking off all this fatigue.”
There was such a thing as burnout, after all. Every time we entered and exited the labyrinth, something always went wrong and left us exhausted. Training could wait—I needed rest.
‘If I keep diving in and out without a break, my motivation will eventually dry up and I’ll just want to settle down. To become a high-ranking adventurer and live comfortably, I need to manage myself properly from the start.’
I hadn’t forgotten my biggest goal since falling into this world: becoming a high-ranking adventurer and living so happily that I’d forget all about the two billion won back on Earth. Isaac, I’ll live well enough for both of us—watch over me from above.
I looked up at the sky, then checked the watch on my wrist. It was 2:35 p.m.
“Let’s keep moving until nightfall. Lumia, I’m counting on you while we travel. Jacob, you’re a thief—you should have a knack for finding the way, right?”
“Yeah. Leave detection to me.”
“Of course! Hand over the map and compass. If I take the lead, we won’t get lost.”
Confident as ever. Time to get going, then. It’d be nice if someone had already cleared the path like on the third floor. Was that too much to hope for?
With Jacob and me at the front, the party set off toward the village.
One day. Two days. Three days.
We pressed onward, alternating between combat and rest. With Lumia’s beastman senses detecting presences and Jacob’s thief skills added to the mix, reaching the village with the portal was effortless.
Swish.
“Kehk.”
“That’s the last one.”
I cut down the final Goblin Rogue and scanned the surroundings.
‘No casualties, no issues. We’re almost there, aren’t we?’
Before I could speak, Jacob beat me to it.
“Hyung-nim! Just a little farther and we’ll reach the southern village!”
“Good. Stay sharp until the end. Anyone need a break?”
I looked at the three of them in turn. None of them wanted rest—they all looked eager to get back as soon as possible. We gathered the scattered ears and crude equipment from the corpses, stuffed them into our packs, and kept moving.
Thud, thud.
There it was! A village noticeably larger than the one on the third floor stood right ahead. But…
Crunch!
Boom!!
The closer we got, the louder the sounds of battle—things breaking and exploding—became.
‘I’d secretly hoped someone else would clear out the monsters first, but now that it’s actually happening, I’m not sure what to do. We should at least reach the village entrance, right?’
We hurried forward.
“Kyaak!”
“You little bastard—after starting the fight, where do you think you’re running? Did I look like an easy mark?”
Thud!
Traits:
Intermediate Blunt Weapon Skill
Hot-tempered
Rage Strike
Murder Tank
Developed Intuition
As we neared the entrance, we saw an adventurer chasing down and beating a goblin trying to flee the village.
“These damn goblins. They should’ve stayed hidden in the corners instead of crawling out and wasting my time. …Who are you?”
“Don’t mind us. We’re—”
“Hey—! Some other guys showed up. What do we do?”
Before we could respond, the big man shouted from behind, drawing everyone’s attention. A mage who looked unwell called out from a distance, his voice loud enough to ring in our ears. He must’ve used some kind of voice-amplifying magic.
“Just to be sure, you’re not picking a fight with fellow adventurers, are you?”
“Ahem. Of course not. We reported them the moment we saw them! And from what I can tell, they don’t look like they want to fight anyway.”
The mage let out a relieved sigh.
“That’s good, then. I’m a bit tired from wasting mana trying to get through quickly. If you’re just here to use the portal, please wait a little farther away.”
‘If they’re going to talk loud enough for us to hear everything, why not just come over and say it directly? Is this some kind of show to warn us not to mess with them?’
“That’s right. It won’t take long, so stay back. You don’t look like the type to hang around on the fourth floor anyway. Lucky you—we saved you some trouble.”
…Just the fourth floor, huh. He said that so casually. Goblins here, goblins there. On the way to the village we’d only seen variant goblins—warriors, archers, rogues, even shamans. No other types at all. If we’d gone straight for the portal without getting distracted by the cave, and if no mutants had appeared, the fourth floor might’ve been easier than the second in terms of environment. Still, we were so close to returning that I didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble.
“Something like that. We’ll wait by the entrance, so go ahead and finish up.”
After a brief standoff, the warrior headed inside while we waited near the entrance.
“Aren.”
Soon after, Lumia’s ears perked up.
“The movements inside have quieted down. It seems their whole party has already left.”
Hah, they left without a word. A party that strong was still on the fourth floor. Then again, I’d experienced firsthand how anything could happen in the labyrinth—you could never let your guard down.
“Alright! Our turn, then. Oh, what about the monsters? They didn’t wipe them all out, did they?”
“…No. The village is bigger than the third floor’s, so quite a few goblins are still hiding around. It’ll be hard to pass through quietly.”
Figures. Remembering the big man’s status window and their relaxed attitude, they hadn’t bothered clearing the entire village. They’d probably just dealt with whatever monsters attacked them on the way to the portal.
I nodded at Lumia’s words and gave a quick briefing.
“Our target is the escape portal. Stay focused and move as fast as possible.”
I patted the pack on my back.
“We’ve already collected plenty of byproducts, so no farming here. Even if monsters appear, just deal with them—don’t waste time.”
With that, I summoned my sword and gripped it lightly.
“Let’s go!”
We still had some distance to the center of the village where the portal was. I waved to the party members behind me and took the lead, clearing the way.
“Kerk!”
“Keraak!”
Maybe we looked like easier prey than the party that had just torn through the village. Goblins that had been hiding like mice began emerging one by one.
Bang!
A Goblin Warrior with a crude iron sword and shield charged, but I struck first before it could close the distance.
‘It really is different. After gaining Mana Affinity, controlling my power feels much smoother. Speed too.’
Slash!!
One down. I dashed into the goblin horde and cut down the leader’s neck before it could even raise its shield.
“Kerrk!”
“Keshashat!”
Even after seeing one of their own fall, a large number of goblins kept rushing forward without hesitation.
‘Ugh, they’re just endless. These cockroach bastards.’
Swish! Splash!!
I ducked low, smashed the skull of a Goblin Rogue aiming for my lower body, then slashed the groin of another that leaped at me.
‘Thunderbolt!’
Crackle!
Small bolts of lightning rained down in multiple directions, making the goblin horde falter for a moment. Lumia seized the opening and chanted her spell.
Hungry Shadow
Crack. Crunch. Crunch.
Darkness erupted from the center of the goblin horde, twisting into the shape of a monstrous maw that gaped wide. The terrifying sound swallowed several frozen goblins whole. When the spell faded, not even a single bone remained.
“Ke, kerk!”
With the center of their formation blown open, the remaining goblins began to panic.
‘We’re almost at the center now.’
“I can see the portal up ahead. Just a little more!”
“Yes! Take this!”
Yeriel, Lumia, and even Jacob—who had relatively weaker combat ability—kept advancing, slitting throats one by one with their daggers.
Ping—
Even the stealthy arrows from Goblin Archers aimed at Lumia and Jacob were instantly deflected.
Divine Shield
Yeriel had instantly manifested a protective barrier.
Before we knew it, we’d reached the portal. After dozens of goblins fell in an instant, the remaining monsters seemed to realize they stood no chance and scattered into hiding or fled.
“I’ll secure the rear and follow last. Everyone else, go ahead.”
I turned my back to the portal and kept watch. Sword in my right hand, frost gathered in my left, I continued.
“Let’s meet at the guild for settlement and rest. Especially you, Jacob—stick around near the checkpoint so you can get your share too.”
“Yes, sir! Then I’ll head out first—see you outside!”
“Aren. You’re not going to take any detours and will go straight through the portal, right?”
I nodded. Once they confirmed my answer, the three of them stepped into the glowing yellow portal one by one and returned to the city.
Now it’s my turn—
Clang! Splash!!
“Yeah. I figured this would happen, which is why I went last.”
‘Of course. The labyrinth wouldn’t let me off that easily.’
It wasn’t a Goblin Rogue with just one crude weapon. This one wielded dual daggers and had thrown one at me while breaking stealth. The trajectory had been aimed straight at my heart, but I deflected it cleanly and faced the charging enemy.
A goblin… no, let’s call it a Goblin Assassin.
The Goblin Assassin lowered its body and sprinted forward. Even as it closed the distance in an instant, I felt no fear.
‘This is what I prepared for you. Feel just how cold it is.’
I scattered the frost I’d been gathering in my left hand toward it.
Crack.
The moment the frost struck, I swung my sword without hesitation. Frost formed on the impact site, slowing the Goblin Assassin. Sensing its death, it let out a piercing scream.
“Ki, kie. Keraak!!”
‘What else can you do besides screaming in front of a blade?’
A fatal opening meant death.
Slash!
Thud.
In one smooth arc, I severed the Goblin Assassin’s neck.
“The rest are hiding and out of sight, so one more won’t hurt.”
I cut the ear from the rolling head, picked up the pair of daggers from the ground, and stuffed everything into my pack. Turning my back, I approached the portal.
One step. Two steps.
This was only my third return, yet the thrill remained unchanged. Still, I’d overcome hardship and danger once again and survived.
‘Let’s go. Everyone’s waiting.’
I entrusted my body to the rippling portal.
Flash!
Yellow light flooded my vision as everything went dark.