Chapter 30
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Tower Genius Descends into the Labyrinth
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Walking through the interior of the labyrinth.
Beneath the faint glow of lanterns, the endlessly winding labyrinth filled me with a sense of mystery even I had never experienced before.
"So this is the first floor."
I let out a light sound, feeling it echo softly through the labyrinth before returning to me.
That alone made the space feel quite unusual.
"Sylbian. I don't see any of the people who entered the labyrinth before us."
At Cherentia's puzzled words, I nodded slightly as well.
"The inside of the labyrinth is vast—immensely so, to the point where it's impossible to gauge its scale. They're probably all in different areas."
Suddenly, I recalled the stories Camel had told me about his experiences in the labyrinth.
[The labyrinth's structure changes at regular intervals. If you want to enter to find someone who went in first, you often have to wait several days.]
And not only that—the structure itself was a shifting space.
'In that case, the labyrinth's layout can't even be explained by grand magic.'
Space transference was already considered grand magic in itself, so the labyrinth was something that transcended all common sense and reason.
That was why mysteries that shouldn't exist and items that defied explanation could be found within.
Thud.
I paused for a moment and glanced back at the path we'd taken.
"Why'd you stop all of a sudden?"
"I was just thinking about how long we've been walking since entering the labyrinth."
"By my estimate, it's been about an hour."
At Cherentia's words, I narrowed my eyes slightly.
Her senses undoubtedly surpassed my own.
Yet even after an hour, we hadn't encountered or sensed a single thing.
Was it right to consider this situation normal?
Should we just press on without a care?
Something felt off.
It didn't match the image of a labyrinth I'd had in mind—there was a strange sense of incongruity.
"Is something wrong?"
"Just a hunch, but it feels like we're missing something."
"Missing something? I don't think we overlooked anything along the path we've taken."
Cherentia's point was valid.
We'd been on high alert the entire way.
"Ah."
That's why her words sparked a realization I hadn't considered before.
We hadn't missed anything while walking the path.
Which meant the answer lay beyond what our eyes and senses could perceive.
Thud!
I rushed to the pitch-black wall of the labyrinth and placed my hand against it.
A solid texture. And the sensation of an endless barrier. Within that, I subtly channeled my mana.
Shaaa…!
Mana spread out from my hand, flowing instantly across the wall's surface.
And, surprisingly enough…
"…As expected, it won't be that easy."
I felt nothing.
I stared at the endless wall for a moment before turning my gaze to Cherentia.
'If mana can't detect any changes…'
Perhaps.
"Cherentia. From now on, I think we'll tap the walls as we go."
"That's not difficult. Do you suspect there's something in the walls?"
"The possibility is quite high."
"In that case, I'll tap the walls as we walk."
Watching her readily agree, I resumed our journey down the paused path.
Tap, tap…
With every step, Cherentia tapped the wall and checked her senses.
Srrek…!
Likewise, as we advanced, I periodically placed my hand on the wall and sent out waves of mana.
About ten minutes later, perhaps.
We stopped in unison, as if perfectly in sync.
"Sylbian."
"Cherentia."
Even the timing of calling each other's names coincided perfectly.
Whoosh!
Our gazes snapped to a nearby section of wall.
It looked ordinary.
No different from the walls we'd passed before.
"The sound from this wall was subtly different."
And yet, the sound from Cherentia's tap had been oddly distinct.
Having noticed it first, I'd been the one to stop her.
"Let me try first."
The labyrinth held many mysteries. If prior preparation was needed, it made sense for me—the one who handled mana—to do it.
"I'll leave it to you."
As Cherentia stepped aside, an indescribable sense of unease washed over me even as I positioned myself in front of the wall.
'No matter how I think about it, this is strange.'
Nothing like this had been mentioned in all the information I'd gathered about the labyrinth.
Moreover, we hadn't delved deep or reached the inner layers.
"……."
I took a slow breath, placed both hands gently on the wall, and focused my mind.
There was a spell among magic that precisely analyzed structure and density.
A spell created solely for obtaining rare alchemy ingredients.
"Densona."
With the calm incantation, even more precise mana waves emanated from my hands, deeply resonating into the wall.
Wuuung…!
The vibrating mana waves burrowed into the wall like probes, soon revealing a change.
Crash!
In an instant, the wall crumbled, spewing debris everywhere. I blinked in surprise.
"Sylbian!"
Thanks to Cherentia grabbing me in that moment, I avoided being pelted by the debris.
"…Thanks."
"No need. Did you break the wall with a destruction spell?"
"As if."
As I replied, I narrowed my eyes.
Looking at the scattered debris now, it didn't seem very threatening. If anything, it felt like the wall had been deliberately made flimsy.
As if saying, if you uncover the secret, a new path will open…
"Any signs of presence?"
I asked while brushing debris off my robe.
"Nothing yet. But this new path doesn't look ordinary."
"Yeah? Still, this has to be the right way."
"Are you sure it's okay to go this way?"
Cherentia suddenly turned to me with the question.
An unknown realm where even one step ahead was unpredictable.
The newly revealed path was shrouded in even thicker darkness than before.
And yet, it felt like a question whose answer was already set.
"It's fine. This is the answer."
I replied calmly and stepped toward the new path.
From the moment I'd decided to enter the labyrinth, the thought of stopping had never crossed my mind.
"…But I'd feel a bit more at ease if I take the lead."
She moved ahead warily, mindful of what had just happened, and I didn't object.
"Sure. Just let me know right away if you sense anything. Even if it's a magic beast, it'd be best to observe before engaging."
"Got it."
Only then did I notice it, belatedly.
Twitch!
Cherentia was standing alert, her ears perked up as she scanned our surroundings.
'Looks like I won't need Hesente after all.'
That sight inspired more trust in me.
Using Hesente would certainly heighten my senses dramatically.
But it consumed even a tiny bit of mana and mental focus, preventing me from devoting everything to spellcasting.
So, I planned to strictly divide roles with Cherentia going forward.
Thud.
"Sylbian, there's something ahead."
We'd barely walked a few minutes when Cherentia narrowed her eyes and spoke.
Her amber pupils pierced the darkness coldly, and soon I began to sense it too.
An unpleasant air prickling my skin.
Moreover, a chill seemed deeply embedded amid the faint shadows.
"……."
I pressed my lips tight.
It was faint, certainly.
Not a strong enough presence to warrant full alarm from her or me.
Yet, something that absolutely shouldn't exist on the first floor of the labyrinth was there.
A displeasure utterly different from the aura of any magic beasts we'd encountered before.
Above all, there was only one source of energy so sinister it instinctively wrapped my entire body in mana.
"A demon…?"
"A demon? Sylbian, you're serious!?"
That was when Cherentia whipped around in shock to look at me.
…!
In that instant, it felt like my eyes met those of the distant 'demon.'
Amid the darkness, slyly glowing eyes slit wickedly, gleaming with vivid crimson.
Shuuuuk…!
Something tore through the shadows, charging straight at me.
"…!"
I widened my eyes and braced myself in a flash.
Clang…!
But Cherentia swung her arm at unbelievable speed, batting 'it' away forcefully.
Seeing it slammed into the ground, I couldn't help but let out a hollow chuckle.
"An arrow crudely made of demonic energy… So, a lowest-grade demon, then."
But even so. No matter how insignificant, it was a 'demon.'
No threat that should ever appear on the first floor of the labyrinth.
"Sylbian. I'll exterminate the demon."
With clear hostility in her voice, she stated her intent. I nodded calmly.
If it was a lowest-grade demon, Cherentia could probably take it down in one blow.
"…Yeah."
Click!
With my word, she kicked off the ground and tore into the darkness.
Her speed was at least twice that of the demon's arrow.
Kwajik…!
Soon, I heard the sound of bones and flesh crunching as I steadied my breathing.
'This isn't good.'
The labyrinth was radiating an ominous aura unlike any other.
As if it welcomed my presence not one bit…
Thud.
I hurried to Cherentia's side, where the completely pulverized demon corpse lay.
The demon was only about waist-high, its form a grotesque hybrid of bat and rat.
"Sylbian. I've never heard of demons appearing on the first floor of the labyrinth."
She spoke calmly, and I agreed.
"Me neither. We might have to assume the labyrinth is even more dangerous than thought."
Srrek.
From the mangled demon corpse, Cherentia extracted a mana stone the size of a knuckle.
"I recall the tribal elders saying mana stones are valuable."
"It depends on the demon's grade. A lowest-grade one's stone isn't worth much."
"Still, it should cover food expenses at least."
Her unexpectedly calm tone made me stare at her steadily.
'In this situation?'
Her words felt oddly out of place.
Moreover, even after slaying a demon, she showed no tension—her face even seemed more relaxed.
"Why are you staring like that?"
Our eyes met, and she asked curiously.
"Nothing. It's nothing."
As I spoke, I strangely felt my own tension easing.
'Well…'
Everyone knew the labyrinth was dangerous.
And unnecessary tension only bred fatigue. Acting as composed as Cherentia seemed like the better approach.
"Let's keep going."
I said lightly, letting go of some of my worries.
'I need to focus my mind only when necessary.'
For a mage, the most vital assets were mana and the cool rationality to cast spells at any moment.
In that sense, Cherentia's way of handling danger felt highly efficient.
"Thanks for just now, Cherentia."
I didn't forget to express my gratitude.
"I only did what was natural. Besides, you could've blocked it just fine yourself."
"Still, it saved unnecessary mana expenditure."
As we exchanged light words, a smile slipped out.
Newly aware of it, but…
Cherentia was always someone I could trust.