Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: The Shape of the Unknown
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The situation on the 4th and 5th floors was much the same as the 3rd.
The floors were vast, with plenty of paths leading down to lower levels. Numerous parties had set up camp in corners here and there.
The group pressed on, exploring the Labyrinth Where Light Does Not Reach, descending steadily to the floors below.
Moss and mushrooms illuminated by the glow of the light rods, translucent minerals resembling crystals.
Puddles of water dripping from the ceiling stalactites with a steady plink, plink.
Faint yellow lights shimmering in the distance beyond the passages, and the faint murmur of voices if one listened closely.
And occasionally, encounters withvariant species???.
"Small monster centipedes, two of them, 20 meters ahead. One small monster spider."
At Hwan-in's warning as he stepped slightly aside, Baeryeogang immediately drew up her phase power and channeled it into the gem of her staff.
=Lady.=
=Yes! Winds that whirl and slashing blade gusts!=
At Lesim's signal, she chanted a brief incantation and launched a compressed ball of wind the size of a basketball.
Wind Blade Gust (Grade 3)
Crescent-shaped blades ravage a 3m radius
Whiiiir—with the sound of air slicing through, the wind ball collided with the small alligator-sized centipedes, unleashing crescent-shaped blade winds that shredded the pair within a 3-meter radius.
Splattercrack!
The two small monster centipedes were diced into pieces before they could even resist.
The small monster spider, barely caught on the edge of the blade winds, lost three of its legs and screeched kee-yeek as it limped away.
Thwack!
But it hadn't taken three steps before a Celtic stone axe smashed into its abdomen, severing its gut and ending its life on the spot.
Hwan-in retrieved his stone axe and tapped the chitin shells of the centipedes, which had splattered the surroundings with their fluids.
Not quite as hard as steel, but incredibly tough.
'No wonder the byproduct market outside the labyrinth has so many chitin shells.'
Something this sturdy could be processed into all sorts of things.
Glancing around the aftermath of the wind spell, Hwan-in nodded slightly.
"The spell's power is impressive."
=Mr. Hwan-in? Don't tease me like that. I'm a proper Grade 3 wind sorceress, you know.=
At Baeryeogang's protest that it wouldn't make sense for her, a mere Grade 1, to not manage this much, Hwan-in closed his mouth for a moment before explaining it was a misunderstanding.
"It's just that this is the first time I've seen a sorceress in action. The shells were tougher than expected, so I was simply impressed that you sliced through them so effortlessly... If it upset you, I apologize."
=Pardon? You've never seen sorcery before?=
Lesim stared at him in disbelief, and Hwan-in briefly explained his circumstances here, omitting what needed omitting.
"That's how it is. Ah, now that I think about it, I did see a frogman-like race firing green arrows."
=A frogman using sorcery would be a Progrok Shaman...=
Isilite, who had searched the corpses for phase stones in the meantime, returned shaking her head.
=No phase stones.=
"Let's move."
As Hwan-in started walking again, Lesim followed behind, her mind swirling with question marks.
It wasn't hard to party with a sorceress just by entering a Grade 3 labyrinth. Yet Mr. Hwan-in could take down even Grade 5s, and he'd never seen sorcery used by humans?
A Progrok Shaman was a Grade 4variant species that used green magic.
Having seenvariant species sorcery but never human sorcery? How was that possible?
This was a clash of knowledge stemming from the fact that nothing was known about the Grade 7 Alljrot Lake Labyrinth.
The lake labyrinth was open-type as well, which was why the Progrok Shaman 'Spawn' from the lake labyrinth had settled in a river near the relatively safe forest-type labyrinth.
No one present knew that fact.
Unlike the pondering Lesim, Baeryeogang had a rough idea of Hwan-in's identity, so she dismissed it with a 'That makes sense for him.' and let her curiosity fade.
Instead, she pressed a hand to her slightly quickened heart and smiled faintly.
Only now did Baeryeogang truly feel like she had entered the labyrinth.
Honestly, running into human hunters right after entering had left her deeply disappointed.
The adventure in the labyrinth she'd dreamed of for over ten years, friendships with companions, love blossoming amid perilous journeys—all those romances had shattered in an instant.
If the girl named Isilite hadn't witnessed the killing beside her and cheerfully helped unravel the knot in her heart, Baeryeogang might have suggested turning back right then.
=...That's why I always wear my hood pulled low. I even changed into plain leather clothes.=
=Yeah. You did the right thing. Among all the women I've seen, you're the prettiest by far. If you'd entered the labyrinth without your hood...=
=Without it?=
=Everyone we'd run into would have chased after you, and chaos would have ensued. For real.=
=Hee hee. Isilite, you exaggerate.=
=N-No, really. Lesim, back me up here.=
=I fully agree with Miss Isilite. You need to see your looks more objectively, miss.=
=Even you, Lesim...=
=Objectively speaking. Objectively!=
If the mood hadn't lightened like that, she probably would have given up the labyrinth exploration nine times out of ten.
And she'd have returned to the suffocating castle, married a man whose face she didn't even know, borne his children, and withered away in lonely solitude for the rest of her life.
Baeryeogang turned to Isilite, who was wiping the dirtied tongs and tools used to search the corpses, and expressed her gratitude.
=Thank you, Isilite.=
=Huh? For what?=
=Just... thank you.=
=...?=
Isilite gave Baeryeogang, who had suddenly thanked her, a puzzled look, but since this innocent girl didn't seem to have ulterior motives, she simply smiled brightly.
"We're on the 6th floor now. From here on, Grade 2variant species start appearing. Grade 1s were just slightly strong animals or insects, but Grade 2s are proper monsters worthy of the name."
Flip—he unfolded the guidebook to the Labyrinth Where Light Does Not Reach and continued while looking at the 6th floor map.
"Worker numbers drop sharply from this floor, so we'll encountervariant species more frequently. Stay sharp."
=Hee hee.=
"What's so amusing?"
As Hwan-in turned to her at the sound of Baeryeogang's pure laughter, she fidgeted with the hand gripping her staff and replied.
=Mr. Hwan-in is a pro who took out five rogue thieves in a flash. With skills like that, Grade 2variant species would be a breeze, yet you're telling us to stay tense.=
"I understand. If you were an aspiring adventurer, I'd scold you harshly, but I'll let it slide."
=Y-You'd scold me...?=
Hwan-in nodded matter-of-factly at her flustered question, while Lesim shrugged and let out a small sigh as if to say she couldn't be helped.
Baeryeogang puffed her cheeks slightly in protest at the two men's behavior.
=What was that about, really? Lesim won't explain either.=
=Well... it's a bit hard for me to say it myself.=
=...?=
"Then let's proceed."
Right beside the stairs descending to the 6th floor were two staircases leading down to the 7th.
If the goal was clearing the labyrinth, heading straight down would be best, but this party's purpose was letting Baeryeogang savor the labyrinth atmosphere.
Hwan-in handed the guidebook to Lesim and headed into the passage connecting inward to briefly survey the 6th floor's vibe. Baeryeogang followed, lips pursed in dissatisfaction.
Tell her what she did wrong so she could fix it, but they wouldn't...
Isilite thought Baeryeogang's expression was unfairly adorable and answered in her stead.
=That was a mistake on your part, miss.=
=...Tell me what mistake?=
=This line of work, even a Grade 7 warrior can die to a Grade 2 if they let their guard down. No matter how weak, enemies aiming for our lives can't be underestimated. Lions hunt rabbits cautiously too, right?=
=Ah...=
Finally understanding Hwan-in and Lesim's reactions, Baeryeogang covered her face with both hands in embarrassment. Unable to hold back, Isilite hugged her tightly in delight.
=You're too cute, miss! Being that pretty and cute is just foul play.=
=Ow. I-Isilite, too close...=
Hwan-in ignored the two women playfully tussling behind him and perked his ears near the only passage leading deeper into the cave, checking for presences outside.
=Eek, miss, you're so soft. Don't you have any muscle at all?=
=Ah! Isilite, where are you touching...?!=
No, he tried to scout, but the small voices from behind made it impossible.
Hwan-in turned to Baeryeogang and Isilite, signaling them to be quiet, and only then did faint noises from across the passage become audible.
Sounds like something with many legs rustling as it moved. Harsh breathing too.
To execute a plan he had in mind, Hwan-in detached a red soul orb from his arm and commanded.
'Return to your original form.'
Whoosh—as if rewinding the scene of a soul turning into an orb, the orb transformed back into a human soul.
The target was a woman with sharp cat ears. Extremely rebellious and defiant.
The naked soul of the cat-eared woman returned to her form with a dazed expression, then spotted Hwan-in and glared at him venomously.
'Scout the situation beyond the passage.'
"...!"
No sound came from the 'command,' but the cat-eared woman ground her teeth so fiercely it echoed like an auditory hallucination as she vanished beyond the passage.
When she returned shortly after, she simply glared at Hwan-in as if desperate to kill him.
'Report in detail what you saw.'
At the follow-up command, the cat-eared woman desperately covered her mouth with both hands, clearly unwilling to speak, but the compulsion forced her jaws open as she stammered out what she'd seen.
「Ugh... O-One medium centipede monster... and two small... centipede monsters... Screams... one monster was there...」
Hwan-in turned and signaled the group, then silently crossed the 12-meter passage.
"Monster noises beyond the passage. Seems like four. Prepare yourselves."
「Bastard. Making me scout then bragging about it. This piece of...」
'Shut your trap.'
「Wha—mmph, mmmph...?!」
Upon reaching the passage entrance, the party spotted fourvariant species wandering a cavern dozens of meters wide.
Kee-it
Keesshishee
Three large and small centipede monsters reacted to the light rod Lesim held and approached. Behind them, a small rag monster with three arms, five eyes, and two mouths shrieked keee-eeek!
=I'll handle those. Miss, provide support!=
Lesim charged the swiftly approaching medium centipede monster, smoothly swinging her silver sword.
The clean ∠ slash severed half its body, spraying fluids, and she booted the small centipede monster that reached her feet with a resounding thunk.
=Piercing winds, come forth!=
Baeryeogang, having completed her spell, thrust her staff forward and fired a spear-like wind arrow at the shrieker continuing its ear-piercing scream.
Kieee...!
Splat!
The shrieker's head exploded from the arrow, collapsing in the pose it had been screaming and falling silent. Meanwhile, Lesim nimbly stabbed through the head of a small centipede monster crawling up to her, shunk shunk shunk.
"Arthropods are vulnerable to pinpoint attacks."
=Mm!=
Realizing her mistake at Hwan-in's advice, Lesim immediately followed up with a double slash on the small centipede twisting to bite after its head stab, cleaving its body.
The last centipede, kicked flying, burst with a splat from Baeryeogang's wind ball, ending the fight.
"Well done."
Lesim shook the fluids from her sword at Hwan-in's praise and gave an awkward smile.
=This is why the elders emphasize real combat. I'd studiedvariant species plenty, but my body moved on instinct.=
"Is this your first labyrinth too, Miss Lesim?"
=Embarrassingly, yes. My family only granted labyrinth access this year... But I have experience from monster subjugations in the territory, so I'm somewhat familiar with them.=
Probably observation rather than direct combat.
Hwan-in nodded as if he understood, sparing her embarrassment.
"I see. You did well too, Miss Baeryeogang. Excellent adaptation of spells to targets."
=Thank you.=
Hwan-in spotted a few monsters approaching from deeper in the unlit cave and drew Black Spear. Baeryeogang removed her hood, narrowed her eyes, and peered into the darkness.
=Monsters approaching? I can't see a thing.=
"Fungus Lomer and Gelatin Cube."
A 120cm-tall mushroom humanoid slithering forward bonelessly, like a cluster mushroom. And a square green jelly cube about 50cm per side, jiggling and hopping closer.
'Fungus Lomer's hue is pale green. Edible specimen, then.'
In contrast, the square Gelatin Cube was a vivid green-blue, with amoeba-like things floating inside—utterly repulsive.
As Hwan-in advanced with Black Spear raised, the leisurely approaching Fungus Lomer slowly drew back its elbow.
At the motion, he sensed a faint tingle toward his chest, the target area. The sensation was akin to what he'd felt facing Bartul, the wolfman near the labyrinth.
'Now.'
Reading the pause in the Fungus Lomer's elbow pull, Hwan-in reached for his waist axe to test a throw when—
「Kya aaaak!!」
Cat-Eared Soul Rampage
—the cat-eared woman's soul let out a roar, flailing limbs and blocking his vision.
Slash
Speeeew
Undeterred by the visual obstruction, Hwan-in swung Black Spear along the predicted attack path, severing the Fungus Lomer's arm, then smoothly followed through to slice its waist.
The Fungus Lomer, nearly two-thirds severed at the waist without a sound, toppled with its upper and lower halves separated.
The cat-eared woman, looking back, clicked her tongue at the bisected mushroom.
A Fungus Lomer's punch could crumble cave walls. If she'd disrupted properly, that fist would have killed the Soul Shaman.
Regretfully turning to Hwan-in, the cat-eared soul felt her heart shrivel in terror.
"...!"
How could human eyes be like that?
Inorganic, like an inanimate object's gaze, the cat-eared woman belatedly began trembling.
She'd picked the wrong target.
Even the boss of her old organization was known for fierce eyes, but compared to this man's, it was like a kitten's.
At least the boss's eyes held human emotion.
But this man's gaze at her held nothing. No trace of feeling, normal for humans. His eyes merely gleamed like glass beads.
No good human could have eyes like that.
Hwan-in stared at the cat-eared soul while hurling a dagger at the round orb presumed to be the Gelatin Cube's core.
Shluck—the dagger pierced the semi-solid body and stabbed the orb, causing the rigid Gelatin Cube to emit smoke and melt.
=Ah, the dagger's melting.=
=That jelly cube must be corrosive. Stay back, miss. The smoke might be dangerous too.=
The cat-eared woman snapped to attention at Baeryeogang and Lesim's exchange and finally knelt before Hwan-in, begging forgiveness.
「F-Forgive me. I was wrong, so wrong. I'll do anything you say, please...!」
She'd lived fearlessly, biting at everything like a feral cat. But now she realized it was mere bravado from never having seen true terror.
Though already dead, she grasped that worse than death could happen. Desperately rubbing her palms together, she pleaded, but...
Out of sight of those behind, Hwan-in raised a finger, loaded a quadruple soul arrow, and fired it into the soul's head.
Pfft
「———!!」
A small hole appeared where the soul arrow pierced the head, and like a balloon popping, the cat-eared woman's head exploded with a bang. Her soul convulsed in agony before slowly dissolving into light and vanishing.
That was when Isilite sensed something off.
=...Master?=
Calling Hwan-in uncertainly, she saw his usual calm face.
"You called? Speak."
=Ah, no. I just thought you looked a bit angry for a second...=
=...D-Did I make too much noise?=
Baeryeogang, glancing at Hwan-in's expression at Isilite's words, asked timidly.
"No. I was just preoccupied with something odd around us."
Lesim, holding the light rod, shone it around the cave at Hwan-in's words but found nothing unusual.
=Nothing odd to my eyes... More importantly, Miss Isilite? Wh-What are you doing?=
=Some mushroom humanoids are edible. This is a rare and expensive pine fungus. Lunchtime's soon anyway, so I thought I'd cook it up.=
=Y-You're saying you eatvariant species...?!=
=Yes.=
=...!=
Isilite nearly burst out laughing at Baeryeogang's shocked, adorable reaction at the idea of eatingvariant species.
I have to get this girl to try the mushroom humanoid.
[6th Floor Map]