Chapter 103: A Desperate Struggle in the Deep Layer (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 103: A Desperate Struggle in the Deep Layer (2)
Only a minuscule fraction of Labyrinth Adventurers.
Only those equipped with immense wisdom and strength, skills and magic, outstanding physical abilities and gear, and on top of all that, party members who share not just technical skill but also perfect mutual understanding and trust.
Only they can reach it: the final floor of the Labyrinth, the 10th Floor.
And among those who reach the 10th Floor, some discover the ‘stairs.’ This is less a result of their own ability and more of an invitation from the Labyrinth Master.
It is the Labyrinth’s final puzzle, its ultimate trial.
To challenge it is no longer about money, honor, or fame.
Some call them mad.
They call it destiny.
The adventurers of the 10th Floor can never pass up this opportunity. It is less simple curiosity and more a spiritual calling.
It is a fateful challenge that pulses deep within the egos of those who have spent their lives plumbing the Labyrinth’s depths.
The place they face after descending the stairs from the 10th Floor.
Riddled with enigmas and mysteries, it is the final, unpredictable domain of the Labyrinth.
The ‘Deep Layer.’
Only those who have returned from it alive at least once are granted this title:
Adventurers of the Deep Layer.
My abilities are suited for the 4th or 5th floor, at best.
If the 2v2 doubles match unfolding before me were tennis, this would be the Wimbledon Championships. The players are of that caliber.
And I’m in the position of a ball boy.
Just a moment ago, Mugol and Bipa completely ignored me. They could kill someone like me anytime, but Meldini and Isilof, right in front of them, were the real problem.
Alright.
So, how can a ball boy run onto the court, return a player’s serve, and score a point?
What kind of magic could a fledgling like me cast to land a blow on an Adventurer of the Deep Layer?
1. Hailstorm.
It would do no damage. The moment the hail began to fall, Bipa would open his fan and chant, “Let the blue sky pierce the clouds.” Then, even amidst the massive storm clouds, the sky directly above Bipa and Mugol would remain clear and sunny.
By the same token, even if I summoned a Cumulonimbus, it would be difficult to follow up with a lightning strike once he cast that spell.
2. Lightning Shock and Electrocution.
At this distance, not even Adventurers of the Deep Layer can dodge lightning that strikes at the speed of negative charge. And thanks to Isilof’s ‘Hill of Storms,’ those two are slightly wet. If I’m lucky, I might inflict the ‘Shocked’ status effect. On Bipa, at least.
The Beastfolk is the problem. If he’s made it to the Deep Layer, it’s highly likely his special ability ‘Fierce Tiger’ has blossomed into the ‘Mountain Lord’ stage. In his Mountain Lord state, he’d be completely immune to being shocked.
3. Ultimately, there’s a limit to what I can do against them with only the magic from my Memory Book. For a small fry like me to take on Adventurers of the Deep Layer, my best bet is to use environmental factors.
For example…
‘The surrounding Inspectors and Constables.’
Lingering Shadow Scent inflicts the ‘Dazed’ status effect on enemies within a certain range.
It also cloaks the caster and one companion in darkness, making them disappear. It’s a higher-tier magic than a rogue’s invisibility.
Professor Isilof used ‘Moonlight Like Midday’ to reveal Bipa and Mugol, but the Inspectors and Constables are still dazed.
‘I need to snap them out of it.’
Their positioning isn’t bad.
Bipa and Mugol are at the center, with us chasing from behind and the Constables blocking the path ahead.
If they can hold Bipa and Mugol back, the professors can finish them.
So, how?
Is there a way to rescue seven Constables from the ‘Dazed’ effect of a 7th-tier Taoist’s Lingering Shadow Scent in the blink of an eye?
There is.
“Peaceful Mind.”
The necklace I got from killing Antonelli contains the mental combat magic, ‘Peaceful Mind.’
I used it before for its resistance to confusion magic while passing through the 3rd Floor on my way down to the 4th.
This time, I’ll use it to break the Constables’ daze.
“Peaceful Mind.”
[Your turn. Time remaining: 48 seconds]
[Action Points: ■■■■□□]
It’s funny to say this now, but this game is incredibly well-made.
Peaceful Mind is only a 1st-tier spell, but it can counter a 7th-tier mental magic like Lingering Shadow Scent.
It’s similar to how in chess, even the lowest-ranking piece like a pawn can put the king in check if its position is right.
Of course, the difference in the spells’ levels is so vast that Peaceful Mind isn’t a true counter to Lingering Shadow Scent.
Lingering Shadow Scent instantly dazes an unlimited number of enemies in the area and is difficult to resist, whereas Peaceful Mind requires me to wake each person up one by one, as if feeding them hangover cures, while waiting for a cooldown.
“Peaceful Mind.”
Of course, that doesn’t apply to the Turn-Based Wizard. Within the limits of my six Action Points, I will break the daze of the best-positioned Constables and Inspectors.
A maximum of six people.
When I end my turn, you’ll be caught off guard as Constables suddenly rush you from all sides.
It turns out even a ball boy has a way to serve in this Wimbledon Championships doubles match.
Like this.
“Peaceful Mind.”
I suddenly think of Yernil. Is she safe? She probably went to the scene of Teramond’s murder, right? Seeing as she brought Meldini and Isilof here.
In any case, I was saved because Yernil acted quickly. It’s terrifying to think what might have happened if the professors had arrived even a little later.
She’s probably with the Constables now, maybe even the Consul. From their perspective, Yernil is also a target under threat of assassination, so they’ll be trying to protect her.
[Your turn. Time remaining: 30 seconds]
[Action Points: ■■□□□□]
Even with a Time Distributor, I don’t use it recklessly. I have to make every single second count.
These opponents are so strong that I won’t be able to take them down unless I use every ounce of my strength, right?
I consider every possibility.
Wake the Constables with Peaceful Mind, have them block Bipa and Mugol, and then attack from both front and back with the professors’ magic.
It would be best if the battle ended there, but it might not be enough.
I need a spike, not just a simple serve. An attack power that exceeds my abilities as a mid-tier wizard. Something powerful enough to land a solid blow.
I already brought it with me.
“Peaceful Mind.”
But it’s still too early to deliver that blow. It’s an attack that must be timed perfectly.
Let’s think. The talisman Bipa used was ‘Nature’s Course.’ It banishes a magical phenomenon from the physical world for a set period.
For example, it could banish ‘Structure Conversion.’
Then the window would reappear on the magically sealed wall, and they could break it to escape. That must have been their original plan.
Alternatively, Nature’s Course could banish an 8th-tier summon, the Lord of the Magic Tower.
The banished Lord of the Magic Tower would return to the Ethereal Galaxy and drift there until, after some time, it would come back.
How long does it take to return?
Exactly one minute.
“Peaceful Mind.”
If the battle isn’t over by then, I’ll have to use this.
Fwoom!
Inspector Adrian’s consciousness snapped back as if he’d been woken from a deep sleep.
His mind was clear.
His eyes locked onto the targets.
The Constables under his command raised their weapons.
The enemy noticed the change in atmosphere.
“Wh-What the!”
Even the Beastfolk warrior, who had endured hellish trials in the Labyrinth, was bewildered by the situation.
“Bipa! The Lingering Shadow Scent has been broken!”
“What…!”
Bipa was just as shocked.
‘How?’
Bipa couldn’t even begin to guess the reason.
Lingering Shadow Scent was a large-scale mental magic. To dispel it all at once like this would have required an equally large-scale healing magic.
And that kind of magic wasn’t something university professors usually learned. Even if they did, they wouldn’t put it in their Memory Book. It was typically used by priests.
No. Before that.
‘There was no incantation.’
Meldini had created the slide with Structure Conversion and hadn’t come down yet. Isilof was down, but he hadn’t used any magic other than ‘Moonlight Like Midday.’
There were no priests here.
The Constables under the spell had been completely immobilized.
Who in the world could have broken the Lingering Shadow Scent?
‘Don’t tell me…’
His eyes fell on the fledgling who was chasing them at full speed after exiting the dormitory corridor.
‘No way. That’s impossible.’
He scoffed internally.
It was absurd to think that kid possessed magic strong enough to break Lingering Shadow Scent, and even more absurd to think he could have cast it without an incantation. But his intuition screamed that it was him.
A ripple spread through the tranquil mind of the Spirit Race member who had attained transcendence.
He hadn’t been fazed even when fighting two professors from the Deep Layer today, but now, his heart was in turmoil.
‘Fuck. What the hell is that bastard?’
That kid wasn’t the Caleb that Bipa knew.
But he wasn’t a possessor, either.
His true identity was as incomprehensible to Bipa as the mysteries of the Deep Layer itself.
“Get them!”
Inspector Adrian activated a skill.
‘Sinew Shot.’
The power of a god devoured by the Labyrinth long ago imbued his arrow, guiding it toward the target’s Achilles tendon.
CRACK!
But with superhuman reflexes, Mugol stomped on the incoming arrow, crushing it.
A tiger’s paw print was stamped into the hard stone ground, along with the shattered arrow.
“M-Monster…”
Some of the Constables froze in terror upon meeting his piercing blue gaze, while others charged forward more bravely.
‘Bull Rush.’
The blade flying straight at him was aimed precisely at Mugol’s neck, but…
CRUNCH!
Shockingly, the Beastfolk warrior caught the blade with his teeth, stopping it cold.
P-TANG!
Then, with a clench of his jaw, he shattered it.
“Ptooey!”
He spat the fragments forcefully at the Constable before him. A piece of the blade embedded itself in the man’s forearm.
“Aaargh!”
“Stand back!”
Isilof, rushing up from behind, chanted a spell.
“Let’s see you escape this!”
Another 7th-tier magic was cast.
“Ethereal Mire!”
The stone-paved university grounds gave way. Like a sinkhole, the floor turned into a ‘swamp.’
But this was no bog of water and mud; it was a sapphire-colored mire flowing from the Ethereal Galaxy.
“……!”
And then Bipa saw it.
Caleb, who was chasing them, was holding something.
‘Truly…’
He had thought the fledgling’s contribution to this fight would be zero. He’d wondered what the hell he thought he could accomplish by chasing them, but this must have been his goal all along.
‘Truly unbelievable.’
First, his knowledge was absurd. Even the adventurers of Wyndham didn’t have an intimate understanding of the Spirit Race’s talismans and arts. How could he have done this unless he knew the exact duration and mechanics of Nature’s Course and had calculated the timing perfectly?
Second, his sense was absurd. When did he even grab that? Was it possible only because he was outside everyone’s focus during the urgent back-and-forth between the Deep Layer adventurers? He picked that up while coming down the Structure Conversion slide?
‘A sword fragment from the Lord of the Magic Tower.’
Bipa had shattered it.
The sword fragment that had fallen then was now glittering. In Caleb’s hand.
“Hup!”
The rookie wizard used his running momentum to maximize his throwing power. His physical strength was pathetic, but it was enough to toss a small piece of a sword.
The most terrifying thing about the Lord of the Magic Tower was its vitality.
The creature, summoned by an 8th-tier spell, was nearly indestructible. Hadn’t it regenerated even after Mugol tore its head off? That was why Bipa had ‘banished’ it.
Now, it was time for it to return.
Normally, it should reappear at the spot where it was banished, but if a fragment of its ethereal body exists somewhere on the surface, it will use that location as its re-summoning point.
“Dammit…”
The sword fragment flew through the air.
Mugol was busy dealing with the enemies in front and couldn’t do anything.
His feet were caught in the Ethereal Mire.
This attack was practically a checkmate.
BOOM!
The Lord of the Magic Tower regenerated from the sword fragment.
KWAAANG!
The sapphire-colored ethereal greatsword left a deep gash across the Beastfolk’s shoulder and back.
“KRAAAAAARGH!”
The tiger’s roar of agony echoed thunderously across the university grounds.
SHWIIICK!
The Lord of the Magic Tower’s greatsword thrust sharply forward again.
KRAANG!
Mugol barely managed to block the sword, but he too was now reaching his limit.
‘I have no choice.’
Bipa took out a talisman.
“You’re going to use that?” Mugol asked.
“Yes.”
How long had it been since he last used this? How many times had he been cornered this badly?
The price was steep.
An immortal who had attained transcendence through immense training would lose a vast amount of his Taoist power for a period of time.
“My life hangs by a thread, but is there not a path to survival?”
Still, it was, of course, better than losing his life.
“Let there be Borrowed Light!”
Flicker!
Suddenly, both of them vanished without a trace.
“Wh-What!”
The bewildered Constables stood frozen on the spot. So did I.
‘Dammit.’
An 8th-tier spell of a Spirit Race Taoist.
Taoists couldn’t bind themselves to grimoires, but they could use 8th-tier magic. In exchange, they suffered a massive penalty for a period of time.
“They couldn’t have gone far. We have to track them and…”
“Ca… Caleb!”
Isilof was staring at me with a horrified expression.
What is it?
Why are you looking at me like that, Professor?
And why…
“Huh?”
Why is something flowing from my abdomen?
“Caleb!”
Professor Meldini, who had finally made it down the slide, was limping from the blow she’d taken from the Beastfolk.
But I had no mind to worry about her injuries.
“Caleb! D-Don’t move! Just lie down!”
A shard of a sword was stuck in my stomach.
“Hah…”
That tiger bastard.
When he’d shattered the Constable’s sword with his teeth, he must have thrown one of the fragments.
The same moment I threw the Lord of the Magic Tower’s fragment, he threw one at me.
“Keuk…”
My legs gave out, not from the sound of his roar, but from a physical cause. Blood loss.
‘They were afraid I’d leak information about the elevator.’
Even in the instant they were escaping with Borrowed Light, those crazy bastards tried to silence me. If it was information they couldn’t have, they’d rather no one have it.
Didn’t the Spirit Race Taoist say it himself? That his life was hanging by a thread.
And in that situation, he fucking tried to kill me?
“Seriously…”
This difficulty is insane.
“They’re too… strong…”
My consciousness flickered on and off.
For the first time since my possession.
The thought occurred to me that I might not be able to clear this fucking difficulty.
It’s too hard.
It’s really, truly too hard.
Even monsters as ridiculously skilled as them have never seen the Labyrinth Master.
Or they met the Labyrinth Master and died.
Can I ever reach that place?
My body is still young, but it will age. Trapped in this fate where I must enter the Labyrinth once every two weeks, how far can I struggle?
If I can’t return to the real world, will I one day break the two-week rule and die with a Labyrinth Eruption?
Or would it be wiser to find a way to solve that problem instead?
Find a way to resolve the two-week rule, stop challenging the Labyrinth Master, and live safely somewhere in Sohen.
If I could live with the friends I’ve made here.
Maybe that would be better than recklessly pushing for the Deep Layer.
Dammit.
“…leb.”
I should leave before I grow too attached.
“Caleb…”
I hear a tearful voice.
When I woke up, I was in the Temple of Nathaniel.
Yernil was slumped over beside the bed, the blankets soaked with her tears.