Chapter 74
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Labyrinth of Auksol (2)
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Labyrinth of Auksol (2)
Khahaha! Lets go!
The moment the dome opened, Pindolph burst out laughing and charged forward. His face, consumed by madness, seemed to be his true self.
Thud.
Ovis, too, shot forward before the domes door had even fully opened, leaving a footprint in the ground.
Theyre in such a hurry.
I didnt move, watching them from behind.
E-Excuse me
Yes. Go ahead.
Shouldnt we be going too? E-Everyone else has run ahead. Im worried something terrible will happen if we stay here
Mokagun, who had been trembling in the back after watching me kill the marauders, seemed to have finally mustered the courage to speak.
Its fine.
Didnt you come here for this place as well, traveler?
Youre quick on the uptake. And from now on, dont call me traveler. Call me Yuren.
Ah, I understand, Sir Yuren.
Our meeting was fated, so I decided to make Mokagun one of my own and revealed my name. Id get the labyrinths reward and recruit Mokagun, who was destined to become a great merchant. A true two-for-one deal.
You asked why Im not going, right?
Huh? Yes.
This labyrinth is deep and wide. Being a minute, or even an hour, ahead wont make much of a difference. Well probably all reach the end around the same time. Well, well be the fastest, of course.
I explained as I walked toward the open entrance of the dome. The exit looked like a rippling black curtain on a stage.
Flash.
Hmm.
The moment I stepped through the curtain, the world changed. Before me was a pitch-black space, like ground charcoal, with twelve doors glowing in various colors.
Well, this is something I dont know
Gasp!
At my words, Mokagun clapped a hand over his mouth. He seemed to have been holding high expectations for me.
But it doesnt matter. Bbaekbbaegi.
Bbaek.
I called for Bbaekbbaegi, who had been ignoring the outside world while diligently devouring fruit in my pocket.
Bbaekbbaegi. Time to earn your keep. Which way should we go?
Bbaek!
Tap, tap.
As if there was nothing to consider, Bbaekbbaegi immediately tapped the seventh door, a mix of yellow and red, with his beak.
I know the little one is cute, but is it really okay to let him make such a dangerous choice?
When it comes to crossroads like this, Bbaekbbaegis choice is more reliable than anyones. Following that little guy is no different from taking a highway.
A highway?
Simply put, while they walk, we get to ride a horse. No need to think about it. Lets go.
Step.
Without hesitation, I felt the light from the seventh door Bbaekbbaegi had chosen and stepped inside.
S-Sir Yuren! Wait for me!
What does this look like to you?
No matter how I look at it, its a trap.
The floor of the room Pindolph had entered was covered in square panels. Panels with numbers like 4, 7, 10, 14, and 18 were etched on them, covering the entire floor without a single gap.
What do you think? Huh?
Pindolph grabbed the shoulder of a trembling merchant and brought him to the front.
W-Well
Hey, dont be scared. Just tell me what you see.
I-I think we have to avoid the traps by looking at the numbers on the floor.
Is that so? Then how should we avoid them?
Im not sure about that Huk!
Pindolph, a sticky smile on his face, shoved the merchant he had his arm around onto one of the panels.
Hiek!
Fortunately, nothing happened on the panel marked with a 4 at the far left that the merchant had stepped on.
Oh, well done. Youre a lucky one, arent you?
Uh uh
The merchants eyes welled with tears, paralyzed with fear.
You did well, so lets go one more time!
Pindolph kicked the merchants rear, pushing him onto a diagonal panel.
Huh? Uwaaaaah!
The moment the merchant stepped on the second panel, a pillar of fire erupted, incinerating him without leaving so much as a bone fragment behind.
Too bad. That one was a dud. Heheh.
A man had just been burned to death, but the smile on Pindolphs lips didnt fade. Consumed by madness, he was enjoying the situation.
Whos next?
Hiek!
Youll do.
Pindolph yanked the merchant who had screamed.
Why are you all just standing there! We paid to hire you to protect us!
Umm
At Kendricks desperate cry, the mercenaries said nothing and turned their heads away.
Do you think the seven remaining mercenaries will fight the fifty of us for your sake? Thats just a dogs death. Heheheh.
Pindolph
Right. Ive chosen the next challenger. Leader Kendrick. Step forward. Show us the way with that courage of yours.
Kendrick bit his lip and stepped forward.
See? Youre worthy of being a leader. So manly. Not whimpering and all that.
I wont yield to your threats Ugh!
Pindolph didnt give Kendrick time to finish, throwing him onto a panel.
Chaang!
Keoheok!
A massive spear shot up from the panel Kendrick landed on, skewering him.
Hehehe, fire and now a spear. This is fun!
Pindolph grinned, looking at Kendrick impaled on the spear.
Now, whos next?
Pindolph turned around, a vortex of madness swirling wildly in his eyes.
Khahahaha! Now this is an adventure!
Swoosh.
The room Ovis entered contained ninety-nine Sand Scorpions with red carapaces. At the far end of the room, a Dark Scorpion over three meters tall flicked its tail.
Kiaaak!
Ssssk.
At the Dark Scorpions enraged cry, the Sand Scorpions began to approach Ovis.
Ovis waited without taking any action until the scorpions were upon him.
Papapapak!
The moment the scorpions entered his range, Ovis unleashed a flurry of punches.
Pow-pow-pow-pow!
The heads of the scorpions struck by Oviss fists began to crumple like scrap metal.
Pow-pow-pow-pow!
Only after taking a second punch from Ovis did the Sand Scorpions heads explode. The scorpions here possessed stronger defenses than those outside.
Bang!
Baaang!
Ovis swung his fists even faster, crushing the heads of the approaching scorpions.
Kieeeek!
As the Sand Scorpions were slain without being able to do a thing, the Dark Scorpion began to move.
Bang!
Baaang!
Ovis didnt wait, charging forward and hammering the Dark Scorpions head. But the Dark Scorpions carapace only dented slightly, seeming to take little damage.
Chiiik.
Pow-pow-pow!
The Dark Scorpion shot venom from its tail like a water gun, and Ovis dodged the poison while relentlessly striking the creatures head.
This wont do.
Realizing that ordinary attacks couldnt break the Dark Scorpions shell, Ovis began to gather his aura. The form of the aura in his fist started to change.
Zzzzing.
Ovis honed the aura in his fist, making it heavy and dense. It took the form of a hammer that could shatter boulders.
CRASH!
CRASH!
CRASH!
Impacts that were hard to believe came from a fist erupted, and the Dark Scorpions head armor, which hadnt broken after dozens of strikes, shattered in three blows.
CRACK!
Without even pausing to breathe, Ovis struck the Dark Scorpions now-exposed head again.
Shwaaang!
Even as its head was being crushed, the scorpion aimed its tail at Oviss torso.
Baaang!
Ovis evaded the attack and struck its head once more, and the Dark Scorpions movements ceased completely.
A beast like this is only the first This wont be easy.
Well done, Bbaekbbaegi.
Bbaek!
Following Bbaekbbaegi into the seventh room, we found ourselves in a place where the entire floor was made of square panels.
I know this one. The numbers are exactly the same.
You know this place?
Yes. Dont step on anything else, just follow me.
Small numbers were written on the panels and at the starting point. The way to pass this room was to step on the panels in the correct sequence.
Jumping over the panels wouldnt open the door, and stepping on the wrong one would trigger a deadly trap.
Follow me.
It was a rather troublesome room, but I didnt even need to read the numbers. I already knew the path.
All one had to do was step on the panels in an N-shape to exit the room. Looking at the numbers, this trap was identical to the first room of the Path of Day.
Tak.
As I stepped on a panel, it felt like stepping on a sponge, sinking slightly. I followed the N-shaped path toward the exit.
A-Amazing. To figure out the trap as soon as you saw it.
It was nothing.
That cant be true. Even someone like me can feel how terrifying this place is. Seeing you walk through without any fear is nothing short of astounding.
Is that so?
I chuckled at Mokaguns words. It really was nothing. All I had to do was move along a path I already knew.
Those who dont know will have a pretty hard time, though.
I could guess how Pindolph would get through this. He wouldnt be able to solve this sequence puzzle, so hed probably just throw people at it to figure out the traps.
These panels only activated when stepped on by a persons weight, so if one couldnt solve the sequence, theyd have to step on them to identify the traps.
Alright, lets go to the next room.
Since I knew the answer, it took less than a minute to pass through the panel room. The ones who went into the Path of Day would probably spend at least an hour here.
Ah, yes!
Although we had met less than two hours ago, Mokaguns eyes were filled with trust for me. After we passed through the panel room without incident, he was looking at me with eyes that would believe anything I said.
Flash.
S-So many
Hmm. The scorpion room.
The second room we entered was the scorpion room, containing ninety-nine Sand Scorpions and one Dark Scorpion.
Right. If its a desert, there should be scorpions. This makes sense.
Sir Yuren, what are you talking about?
If you come to a desert, you have to see some Sand Scorpions.
Even so, there are too many. How are we going to get through them to the next room?
Stay there. Ill take care of it.
This scorpion room takes quite a while if you just try to fight your way through. The Sand Scorpions here have harder carapaces than the ones outside.
In particular, the Dark Scorpion at the end has a shell harder than steel and possesses a potent venom that can melt even rock.
To handle so many scorpions alone Wouldnt it be better to go back and find another way?
Mokagun grabbed my clothes, perhaps thinking it was reckless. As he said, fighting them head-on would be quite a hassle. But these creatures had one more difference from the scorpions outside besides their toughness.
They had a weak spot.
Dont worry. These guys have a weakness.
Sssss.
As I crossed the white line in front of us, the safety zone, the Sand Scorpions, which hadnt even glanced at me before, began to move.
There it is.
On the red flank of a Sand Scorpion was a tiny orange dot. It was hard for an unknowing person to spot, but for me, who already knew, it was clearly visible.
Dont cross the white line.
Shwoong.
After warning Mokagun, I threw a dagger at the orange dot on a Sand Scorpion.
Thwack.
As if piercing tofu, the dagger smoothly penetrated the scorpions armor.
Pshuk.
Yellow liquid gushed from the side of the scorpion where the dagger was embedded. That was their poison sac.
Kiiiek.
The scorpion collapsed on the spot and never got up again. The poison sacs of the scorpions here were connected to their hearts, so if the sac burst, they would die instantly.
Shwoong.
Shuk.
I slowly moved forward, bursting the scorpions poison sacs. My daggers, as if they were guided missiles, hit the scorpions weak spots, smaller than a fifty-won coin, with perfect accuracy every time.
Kieeeek!
As most of the Sand Scorpions were killed, the Dark Scorpion began to move.
Chwaak!
It shot venom from its tail like a laser, aiming for me.
Splat!
Aack! Sir Yuren!
I didnt move, letting the venom it shot wash over me.
Kiaaak!
The Dark Scorpion cried out, thinking it had gotten me. But it was meaningless.
You have been poisoned by (Dark Scorpion).
The trait, Immunity to a Hundred Poisons, removes the pain and symptoms of the poison (Dark Scorpion).
Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi absorbs the poison (Dark Scorpion).
The proficiency of Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi has increased.
Corrupting Flower is being unlocked.
Nice.
W-What!
Mokagun was aghast, watching me smile even after being drenched in poison. The Dark Scorpion, too, seemed dumbfounded, its constantly waving tail coming to a stop.
You can just spray your poison and disappear too.
Shwook!
I threw a dagger at the Dark Scorpion like the wind. The dagger cut through the poisonous air, heading for the scorpions right flank.
Shwoong.
The Dark Scorpion tried to swat my dagger away with its tail, but the dagger moved in an arc as if attached to a string and dug into the brown dot on its side.
Kieeeek!
Paaak.
Once its poison sac burst, the Dark Scorpion couldnt even put up a proper fight before its breath stopped.
Chiiiiiik.
The room was filled with the poison spilled by the scorpions, which was exactly what I had intended.
The poison ground has been prepared nicely.
Besides being easy to kill, the reason I aimed for their poison sacs was to create this poison ground.
Its a pain to use the Poison-Absorbing Earth Force on each one.
My current Poison-Absorbing Earth Force could also absorb poison from the ground. I burst their poison sacs so I could absorb all the poison at once instead of dealing with them one by one.
To others, this was a land of death, but to me, it was a place overflowing with honey.
Poison-Absorbing Earth Force is absorbing the poison (Scorpion, Dark Scorpion) from the ground.
Poison-Absorbing Earth Force is assisting the circulation of Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi.
The proficiency of Poison-Absorbing Earth Force has increased.
The proficiency of Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi has increased.
The proficiency of Corrupting Flower has increased.
This is going to be much easier than I thought.