Chapter 130: Before the Stairs
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 130: Before the Stairs
‘This is it.’
The words echoed in my head like a warning bell.
The harvest…
It was less than I’d hoped for, but more than I’d feared.
Still, I learned about my relationship with Hyedam, discovered I was from the West, and found out that the possessors’ village was on the 3.5th floor—and its precise location within that massive ruined city.
I also learned that Hyedam lived there, that she had been possessed but hadn't completely lost her body, that control over her body was intermittent, and that she was staying here to suppress the possessor.
Not bad.
The only regret was that if I had known things would unfold this way, it would have been better to subjugate Hyedam with the Hourglass when her trust was at 100%.
I’d been saving that subjugation card since I’d literally died to get it, but I should have just used it.
Anyway.
[Stair Scroll]
It was time.
I pulled the scroll from my pocket, holding it in both hands.
“The scroll!”
Mugol moved faster than my eyes could track. The moment he spotted the scroll and his expression changed, I flipped the Hourglass.
[It is your turn. Time remaining: 60 seconds]
[Action Points: ■■■■■■]
In that split second, Mugol moved with what could only be described as teleportation, his cauldron-lid-sized hand just about to twist my wrist.
But he froze.
“Hoo.”
It reminded me of Sally. That cunning swindler of a plunderer had charged deep into our party, blood streaming from her head as she begged for help, only to point her wand at me and cast a spell.
Jester’s Spell Disruptor.
Back then, I had torn a Status Effect Duration Reduction Scroll and flipped the Hourglass.
I had used the Hourglass’s sixty seconds to remove the spell disruption status effect.
[It is your turn. Time remaining: 54 seconds]
[Action Points: ■■■■■□]
This time was a little different.
I wasn’t using the scroll then flipping the Hourglass. I was flipping the Hourglass then using the scroll.
How many Action Points would it take?
In the game, using a scroll consumed one AP.
But the real-world Hourglass had slightly different rules.
There was a clear limit to how much my body could move in a single instant.
Rip.
The edge of the scroll in my hands tore slightly.
[It is your turn. Time remaining: 50 seconds]
[Action Points: ■■■■□□]
What would my relationship with Hyedam be like from now on?
Earlier, in Wyndham, she said I was engaged to her and that we lived together in subsidized housing for newlyweds.
Turns out I was practically a married man.
[It is your turn. Time remaining: 45 seconds]
[Action Points: ■■■□□□]
I could see Hyedam’s expression.
A face of utter confusion.
Her eyes, as blue as an ethereal lake, held a storm of complex emotions.
I thought I knew what she was thinking.
Though the exact circumstances were still unclear, I had been framed for Hyedam’s murder and forced into slavery at the magic university. Since then, I’d been through hell.
Hyedam felt sorry about that.
On top of that, she felt guilty for even suspecting me now.
But her suspicion was real.
So she was hesitating. Activating Soul Chase now was like checking your partner’s phone in a relationship.
Whether you opened Pandora’s box of suspicion and accusation to find betrayal or innocence, the result would be hard to bear.
Whether I was the real Caleb or a possessor, either truth would be a devastating blow to her.
But Hyedam wasn’t some angsty middle schooler. She wouldn’t back down from using Soul Chase just because she was afraid.
[It is your turn. Time remaining: 26 seconds]
[Action Points: ■■□□□□]
The protective margin of the scroll was now completely torn away.
It was a blank edge designed to prevent accidental activation from frayed ends.
Another centimeter, and the Stair Scroll would activate.
[It is your turn. Time remaining: 19 seconds]
[Action Points: ■□□□□□]
And it would transport me to the stairs of the inter-floor village.
But I couldn’t relax yet.
There were still numerous problems.
First, I had no way to resist the cold. I could prevent delirium with the ‘Peaceful Mind’ spell, but I didn’t have any warming potions.
Second, clearing the 3rd floor alone would be extremely difficult. Forget reaching the exit room; without Back Attack, I was more likely to step on a trap and die screaming while searching for it.
Third, Bipa, Mugol, and maybe even Hyedam would chase me the moment I used the scroll to escape. Considering their power, they might catch up in an instant.
But it was fine.
I had a solution for all three.
‘First, I escape.’
[All Action Points have been consumed.]
[Ending turn.]
[The Hourglass has been flipped again. Cooldown: 60 seconds]
“He’s gone!”
Only torn fragments of the Stair Scroll fluttered where Caleb had been standing.
“Wh-what…”
Bipa clutched his head.
“This is utter chaos. Why would he run? Caleb isn’t a possessor. So why run? Why avoid the Soul Chase?”
Bipa slapped Mugol’s shoulder with his fan.
“You oaf, Mugol! Why did you suddenly charge at him? He ran because you scared him, didn’t he?”
“He’d already taken out the scroll before he even made eye contact with me!”
“Let’s hurry after him. To the stairs. How can he possibly handle the 3rd floor alone? For starters, Caleb has no way to deal with the cold.”
“Let’s go. Hyedam!”
Mugol, about to leave the entrance with Bipa, looked back at Hyedam.
“What are you doing? Come on, Hyedam!”
Hyedam stood frozen, trembling.
Because of her fatal mistake.
“Caleb… he was in a very unstable state.”
“What?”
“He was framed for my murder and has been surviving one life-threatening crisis after another, all alone. Caleb isn’t like you or me! He was never a Labyrinth adventurer to begin with…”
She had opened Pandora’s box. To him, it must have felt like an irreversible wound.
“He’s not possessed.”
She had confirmed it with Soul Chase, which had activated just barely in the final moment.
“He was the same Caleb I’ve always known.”
[The Hourglass’s domain of control has expanded.]
[Select a person to subjugate.]
1. Aimus (Trust: 100%)
2. Back Attack (Trust: 100%)
3. Isel (Trust: 100%)
4. Neko (Trust: 100%)
5. Bernard (Trust: 100%)
6. Hyedam (Trust: 100%)
“What the hell is this now?”
Things were getting more and more confusing.
I thought her trust would have plummeted after I tore the scroll and bolted, so why was it back to 100%?
“This is driving me crazy.”
But I had no time for other thoughts.
Because I was now on the stairs.
A huge amount of snow was piled up all around, and a short distance away stood the massive Monolith of Mass Annihilation.
I couldn’t move from this spot.
If monsters attacked me now, it would be over.
Without the Hourglass, I’d be overwhelmed if the hounds came rushing in.
Someone had to come and get me.
But who?
“Hoo…”
I took a deep breath and shouted.
“Spi-der Doc-tor!”
That monster had told me in the 3rd floor’s exit room.
If I wanted to make a deal with him, I just had to call his name from anywhere on the 3rd floor.
“I’ll make a deal with you!”
But that’s only if I’m alive.
Right?
So hurry up and save me!
“It’s Caleb!”
Yernil’s ears twitched.
“Caleb?”
Aimus and Back Attack turned to look at her.
“I heard Caleb’s voice! It was too far to make out what he was saying, but I definitely heard his voice!”
“For real?”
Back Attack’s face lit up.
“This way! It’s in the direction of the monolith!”
Yernil immediately dashed in that direction.
“Let’s go save him!”
To be honest, everyone here owed their life to Caleb at least once.
Caleb had literally brought Aimus and Back Attack back from the dead.
Yernil herself had escaped death several times thanks to him.
This time, it was the other way around.
They didn’t know the exact reason or circumstances, but Caleb had entered the Labyrinth after receiving an invitation from his old party, and it might have been a trap.
Frankly, Yernil found them suspicious.
‘They attacked Caleb at the dormitory, too.’
Sohen was in turmoil these days, and Caleb was like a candle flickering in a harsh wind.
Maybe this time, too, Caleb was on the verge of death.
‘This time, we have to save him.’
Isn’t that what being in a party is all about?
‘It’s cold.’
Snow was falling heavily from the sky.
My body was shivering uncontrollably.
I couldn’t go back down the stairs. I had to wait for the spider.
I was using the ‘Peaceful Mind’ spell to ward off delirium, but the cold was so intense I felt like I was losing my mind.
My consciousness was gradually fading.
I wanted to sit down and rest, but I couldn’t.
Monsters might come, having heard my shout.
I scanned my surroundings as best I could.
Whether it was Hyedam’s party or monsters that found me, I was in danger.
I had to buy time until the Spider Doctor arrived, no matter what.
Woof! Woof!
I heard a dog barking somewhere.
A wolf, to be precise.
The snowfield wolves that the Frost Hunters kept.
Getting caught meant it was over. I tightened my grip on my wand.
The Hourglass…
[Turn-Based Hourglass Cooldown: 31 seconds]
Still 31 seconds left.
In other words, it had only been about 30 seconds since I’d arrived on the stairs.
“Grrrrr.”
I heard the growl of a wolf.
It was coming from below the snowy plateau.
Crunch, crunch. I could also hear the sound of Frost Hunters treading on the snow.
“…”
I aimed my wand in that direction and took a deep breath. The moment a monster appeared, I would chant Dust Explosion…
“Caleb!”
It was Bipa’s voice, shouting as he scrambled up the stairs.
He was faster than I thought.
Did he use some kind of speed skill?
“Don’t come any closer!”
I yelled, aiming my wand toward the stairs.
And then…
“Ah.”
From the direction of the monolith, a massive body revealed itself, scuttling toward me.
Through the flurrying snow, the form of the giant monster became clear.
Its lower body was that of a spider, while its upper body was a gentleman dressed in a suit.
A lace cravat and an old-fashioned silk shirt. He even wore a fedora.
“It has been a while, Caleb.”
“Wh-what is that monster…”
Bipa’s eyes, having reached the top of the stairs, widened to twice their size.
“Bipa! Get back!”
Mugol pulled him back and drew his sword.
“Caleb!”
And right behind them, Hyedam appeared.
“Ca-Caleb! Come here! I’m so sorr—”
“It’s a monster!”
Someone else screamed from below the snowy plateau.
This was unexpected.
Am I delirious?
Yernil, what are you doing here?
“The monster is trying to eat Caleb!”
And Aimus and Back Attack, too?
Where did he even get that Torch Helmet? I never rented one from the university.
“Monster! Get away from Caleb!” Aimus shouted, aiming his dented iron staff.
“And who are you people?!” Hyedam shouted back, extremely wary of the unexpected intruders rushing toward me.
“We’re Caleb’s party!” Yernil yelled.
“You lured Caleb here to feed him to that monster, didn’t you?!”
“What did you say!?”
“I knew you were suspicious! No way! We’re taking him with us!”
With me in the middle, two three-person parties faced off.
And next to me stood the Spider Doctor.
“Hahahaha.”
The lord of the inter-floor village, the demon of the 3rd floor, seemed thoroughly amused by the scene unfolding before him.
Yeah.
I guess it would be pretty entertaining from a spectator’s point of view.