Chapter 260: Going to the Labyrinth (3)
Chapter 260: Going to the Labyrinth (3)
The 18th floor of the Infinite Labyrinth.
"Chui-ik!"
The orcs were in a state of emergency.
"Captain, Captain! The humans are attacking!"
"The vanguard is dead! They’ve been wiped out!"
None of the scouts who had set out to meet the humans had returned. The only one who made it back was a lone messenger sent as a lookout for emergencies.
Annihilation!
That was the news the messenger brought.
"What should we do?!"
"Are there women?"
Despite his subordinates' frantic shouting, the Orc Captain nonchalantly picked up his club.
"Stop making a fuss over a few deaths. If you die in the labyrinth, you are reborn in the labyrinth. That is the law, that is the curse, and that is the cycle."
"B-but if we're reborn after dying, we won't remember anything!"
"We might even be reborn as goblins instead of orcs!"
"You pathetic runts. You're worrying over nothing. Just don't die, and it won't be an issue."
The Orc Captain stepped forward, resting his club on his shoulder.
"Watch closely. Watch how I crush those humans' skulls. And if there are women among them, I'll show you exactly how I handle them with my 'club.' Right here—"
P-p-p-puck!
Something slammed into the Orc Captain’s body.
Objects resembling arrows fired from a distance pierced through him, and the Orc Captain collapsed backward onto the ground.
"Kieeeek!!"
The orcs shrieked in terror.
The Orc Captain lay there bleeding, over a dozen bolts embedded in his abdomen. Not a single orc dared to step forward to save him.
Pa-pa-pa-pak!
The barrage of bolts from the distance didn't stop. The orcs were mowed down in an instant.
"T-this...!"
"L-look at that!"
The orcs trying to flee were paralyzed with fear at the sight of a shimmering red aura in the distance.
A figure in sharp, black armor approached slowly, a red glow bleeding from its visor. It held a crossbow, and the knights following behind were equipped with the same gear, glaring at the orcs with cold intensity.
The orcs knew instinctively.
These were beings they could never hope to defeat.
"D-damn it...! Where did these monsters come from?!"
"People who belong on the 20th floors... why are they here—Gah!!"
Pa-pak.
The knights executed the orcs without mercy.
They fired their crossbows to their hearts' content, reloading and advancing the moment a bolt left the string.
"D-die! Fire!"
An orc shaman gathered mana in both hands and hurled a fireball, but the knight in black armor casually swatted it away with his hand.
"H-how..."
Thwip!
A knight standing beside him fired a crossbow, and a bolt buried itself between the orc shaman's eyes.
Thud.
Every orc was dead.
They lay breathless, bolts driven into their heads, hearts, and every other vital spot.
[Approaching. Commencing confirmed kills.]
A knight drew a longsword and decapitated the Orc Captain. The other knights followed suit, severing heads and plunging blades into hearts.
Their actions were incredibly thorough, as if they were specifically preventing any possibility of the orcs resurrecting after death.
[Area 18-C cleared. Recovery team, please enter.]
The Knight Captain tapped the side of his helmet as he spoke. A moment later, a group of soldiers approached, looking tense.
Though they wore soldier uniforms, they only carried small daggers and shields for self-defense. They didn't look like adventurers; even if they were, they seemed like the type who would struggle to hunt in this area.
[Relax. We’ve made sure they’re all dead.]
[Even if they go berserk, we will protect you.]
"A-ah, yes...!"
Gaining confidence from the knights' encouragement, the soldiers began dismantling the orcs. While the materials gathered from orc bodies weren't worth much, they skillfully extracted the magic stones from the orcs' hearts.
[Captain. I have a question.]
[What is it?]
As the harvesting neared completion, one of the knights approached the Knight Captain and asked cautiously.
[If we only deal with weaklings like this, won't our skills stagnate?]
[I mean, we used to clear the 20th floors back in the day.]
[...We did.]
The knights were former adventurers. Recruited by Knight Bernhard, hunting on the 10th floors was hardly a challenge for them.
[In that case, should I recommend you for the upper-floor assault team?]
[Huh? A-ah, no! I wouldn't go that far!]
[You'd have to start as the bottom rung on that team, but your skills would definitely improve. As for me... I'm content with the money we're making here for now.]
The Knight Captain shrugged, kicking a fallen orc.
[Our job is basically monster janitorial work, yet the salary is higher than our adventurer days, and we get incentives on top of that. I don't feel like risking my life more than I have to.]
Area 18-C.
Over 100 orcs annihilated.
Fermaton Knights: 0 casualties.
* * *
Command Room.
"Reporting. No injuries to date."
"Casualties?"
"None of those either."
"Good. Let's keep it that way."
It had been about an hour since the operation began. While victory reports poured in from each sector and magic stone farming was in full swing, fortunately, not a single person had been injured yet.
How was this possible when they were fighting for their lives?
Because this was, fundamentally, "noob stomping."
I remembered a novel I read once.
An older guy in the breakroom had bought a few old books from a bookstore as a hobby, and my colleagues and I used to kill time reading them.
Was it a martial arts novel?
I think it was the final volume. To win a massive war against an opposing faction, the protagonist strictly implemented a tactic of "the strong suppressing the weak."
He had three level 95s mark the enemy's level 100 captain.
Meanwhile, he—a level 100—went around slaughtering the enemy's level 80s.
His level 90 allies attacked the level 70s, and the level 70 allies attacked the level 60s or 50s, creating an advantageous environment across every battlefield.
Regardless of whether it was a large-scale battle or not, as long as I was stronger than my opponent in individual combat, I would win.
It was the same now.
Since the sectors were divided every five floors, I didn't send the knights to areas matching their level; I sent them one tier lower.
What followed was a festival of one-sided slaughter.
If you fight an enemy of a similar level, the probability of getting hurt or dying is high. But if you fight an enemy far below your level—one you're already familiar with—victory comes easily.
Furthermore, the team leaders for each group were adventurers two tiers higher in level, so they were more than capable of leading the knights.
Thus.
There were no longer any "adventurers" in this labyrinth.
Only "cleaners" who swept away the monsters within.
[Commander. Lord Lewdman. We are approaching the boss room.]
While I was focused on overall command from the headquarters, a report came in from the "Assault Team" currently clearing the 25th floor.
[Are you alright? You're managing both sides at once.]
"I can handle it. And while I'm focused on the 'Lewdman,' Charlotte is handling the field command, so there's nothing to worry about. I'm just listening to reports right now."
[That is a relief, then.]
I understood Yurdias's concern.
I was currently using a pad to control the Living Armor, Dark Tuscani, while simultaneously receiving real-time reports on the war situation across the labyrinth.
This wasn't a game where I could hit pause; I had to listen to reports while in the middle of combat.
But it was fine.
I had plenty of breathing room.
This much was nothing.
—Oppa, just play some games on my phone.
—I'll play with your cock in the meantime.
—What? Sigh, do you think I can focus on a game while having sex with you? I'm asking you because I can't focus on the game myself.
—Oppa, would you prefer it if I played the game instead of having sex with you?
—So, while you clear the daily missions, I'll focus on your cock. Okay?
...Since I'd dealt with situations like that before, this wasn't a big burden.
"Let's head in. The boss room."
[Understood. Everyone, battle stations.]
At Commander Laura's order, we entered the 25th-floor boss room.
[The 25th-floor boss is ahead... designated 'Lord of the Island.']
Inside the underground labyrinth made of islands, tucked away at the end of a cave that wound along the beach, sat a massive monster.
Was it a turtle? Or a Komodo dragon?
The creature, which looked like a dragon that had lost its wings, was fast asleep.
Grrrr.
Sensing our entry, the beast immediately bared its maw and glared at us.
"Looks like we won't get lucky with a surprise attack."
[What shall we do? Should we observe the situation?]
"I don't think that's necessary right now."
I gripped the pad.
At the same time, Astarotte gripped my cock with her hand, and I felt my entire consciousness being pulled into the Living Armor, Dark Tuscani.
It was certain.
Now that my essence signals were linked through the magic stones on each floor, the synchronization was far better than before.
Even though I was technically watching through a screen and operating the Living Armor with a pad, it felt as if I were actually inside it.
"I need to teach that guy a lesson. The reason we haven't cleared this labyrinth until now wasn't because we lacked the strength."
Clank.
Gripping the axe tightly, I stepped to the front.
"It was because we were too busy having sex to bother coming down here."
Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!
The giant lizard, the Lord of the Island, unleashed a powerful breath.