Chapter 15: The Return of the Genius Wizard
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 15: The Return of the Genius Wizard
Plan B.
A last resort, to be initiated if the plan went south, or if Back Attack managed to detoxify himself after being hit by the poison arrow.
I'd activate a Magic Armor Scroll to block his physical attacks and hold him in place with my own body.
Then, I'd get hit by a poison arrow, become poisoned along with him, and survive by chugging healing potions.
I'd devised similar strategies many times when I played the game.
You make do with what you have, right?
Without a warrior like Birtanen to tank, a squishy wizard like me had to figure something out.
But...
'Fuck, I didn't know it would hurt this much.'
The pain of the poison was beyond imagination.
Felt like having boiling hot malatang [a spicy hot pot dish] poured into my nostrils.
The poison I inhaled felt like it was shredding my heart, lungs, and blood vessels.
"Gahck."
Back Attack was suffering just as much.
Veins bulged grotesquely on his face as he trembled right in front of me.
"...!"
But am I even drinking this healing potion properly?
It feels like it's all coming back up.
The potion is red and so is blood, so I can't tell if I'm spitting up blood or the potion.
'Just drink it all, anyway.'
I desperately clamped my mouth shut, trying not to spill the sloshing liquid.
"Caleb!"
Yernil's urgent voice.
Gulp.
I managed a sip, feeling the hot liquid slide down my throat.
How much vitality does a wizard have?
60.
That's assuming a Health stat of 0.
Mr. Back Attack, who'd shattered the egg sac in one blow, probably had a physical attack power of around 65.
"Caleb!"
Originally, when Back Attack brought me up here and stabbed me in the stomach, I should have died instantly.
So how did I survive?
Gulp.
Because I ate eggs and dried beef before coming in here.
The effects of those two foods are Health +1 and Health +2, respectively. Not permanent, of course—just a temporary buff.
Does it really work?
It does.
I tested it over the past two days by eating and then immediately going to sleep.
With 3 points in Health, my HP pool was probably around 75, which is why I didn't die from Mr. Back Attack's single normal attack.
And Back Attack wasn't dead yet either.
The guy's vitality was incredible.
Was it his Health stat or his level?
"Urgh... Gack."
With a weakened hand, he raised his dagger and stabbed down at my chest again.
Clang!
The Magic Armor blocked it once more.
My own strength failing, I grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled.
This is a straight-up zombie fight.
I once had a dream in high school where I fought the class bully, and it felt just like this. Every punch we threw was like a cotton puff, doing no damage to each other.
"Gahck."
A mouthful of blood sprayed from Back Attack's mouth onto my face.
"Cough."
I spat a fountain of blood right back in his.
And this is supposed to be a battle between the strongest on the 1st floor!
'How much damage per second does the poison inflict?'
It varies by the type of poison, but the venom from a Venomic Spider's fang should be 20 per second.
How much vitality does a healing potion restore?
According to the game's settings, the low-concentration healing potion I have restores 2 vitality per milliliter.
So, a 50mL bottle—slightly smaller than a small yogurt drink—is supposed to restore 100 vitality in a single gulp the moment you double-click it. That's the game's setting.
Gulp.
I'll drink it as slowly as possible. My maximum vitality is only 75.
But I have to keep sipping it every second so I don't die from the poison.
After Back Attack took one, I have five potions left.
If I drink four of them, I can withstand 400 poison damage. The last one can be used to heal the critical wound in my stomach from his stab. Getting hit wasn't part of the plan, but I messed up a little.
Still, I'm going to survive this, Back Attack.
Gulp.
I swallowed the rest of the potion in my mouth and took out another.
Unable to withstand the critical wound in his side and the poison, Back Attack's eyes went vacant.
The life of the strongest exit boss was finally fading.
As his body slowly slumped to the side, I heard Yernil's shout again.
"Caleb, don't die!"
She was climbing up the ladder.
"The exit gate is open! We just have to get out!"
Her face was a mess, soaked with tears.
"Let's go through the gate together! Please don't die!"
"I... I wo..."
"Yes! You won! Don't talk!"
"No... this..."
I held up the healing potion.
'Open this for me!'
"Ah!"
Yernil quickly uncapped it and put it to my lips.
Gulping down the potion, I let her drag me away.
Yernil propped my upper body against the wall at the edge of the platform. To make it easier to drink the potion.
Gulp.
It was definitely easier to swallow the potion now.
Sitting up, I looked down at the magnificent sight.
My clothes, I mean.
My ochre slave uniform had turned completely red!
Please let this be from spilled blood and not the healing potion. And preferably Back Attack's blood, not mine.
Gulp.
To be honest, this was all just theoretical calculation.
The calculation for surviving poison damage by chugging potions.
In reality, it could all be completely wrong.
I don't know if the potion really restores 2 vitality per milliliter, if drinking it slowly can actually offset 100 damage, or if the poison arrow's damage is truly 20 per second for 20 seconds.
None of it has ever been verified.
Maybe I'll die from the poison even after drinking all these potions.
Gulp.
Still, what other choice do I have?
Gulp, gulp.
Just have to keep swallowing.
In my blurry vision, I could see the potion bottle was almost empty.
There can't be any gaps between potions.
I took out the third bottle.
"I'll do it!"
Yernil quickly uncapped the potion and put it to my lips.
"Hah..."
Damn, this poison really hurts.
I suddenly feel sorry for all the characters I poisoned while using similar strategies in the game.
I never knew it hurt this much.
"You finished it! Drink this one too!"
Yernil uncapped the fourth healing potion and brought it to my mouth.
"Gahck..."
I was drinking out of sheer inertia now.
I'm probably going to get a [Drug Overdose] status effect.
Still better than dying.
How many seconds has it been since I was poisoned?
"Sob... Caleb."
Yernil was sniffling, holding the last potion at the ready.
"You can't die... Please..."
"I'm... okay..."
I can talk! Oh.
A moment ago, I didn't even have the strength to speak; I was seeing visions of my dead grandfather.
"I... I'm alive."
I was sure of it now. I'd survived.
Suddenly, my mind began to clear, and the pain subsided.
Though I was still a complete wreck.
"This is the last bottle."
Yernil held out the potion.
I could see the red liquid in the bottle clearly. My blurry vision had returned to normal.
I drank half of the last bottle and poured the other half on the wound in my stomach.
The stinging was unbelievable, like pouring iodine on an open wound.
"Haaa."
I let out a sigh of relief and stood up with Yernil's help.
"Good work. You landed that last arrow perfectly, Yernil."
At that, Yernil was suddenly overcome with emotion, and tears welled up in her eyes.
She sobbed as she headed down toward the exit gate, confessing the complex feelings she'd had when firing that last arrow.
"A-Actually, from down there, the platform was blocking my view, so I wasn't sure if the arrow would even hit."
That makes sense. Mr. Back Attack probably took that into account when he used Shadow Leap.
All ranged attacks suffer a low-ground penalty when shooting upward.
And if the wooden floor of the platform blocks the line of sight, you can't hit the target at all.
Back Attack likely took me onto the platform for that very reason.
However...
'I had Yernil take the Arcing Shot special ability at level 5.'
That's why I was certain you would hit him, Yernil.
"It was a good shot."
"Let's go through now!"
We reached the front of the exit gate.
"Wait a minute."
I still had something to do.
"There are two spots left in the gate. Let's take them with us."
*
At the tavern, 'The Rats in the Beer Barrel,' Birtanen showed up for his daily visit.
Today, Jikal was with him.
"A cup of catnip tea, please."
Jikal the cat beastman sipped his catnip tea, while Birtanen chugged his beer.
"Phew—"
Clorence, the 5th-floor wizard, exhaled a puff of smoke.
"You don't drink, but you smoke. Aren't cigarettes worse for you?" the bartender asked.
"Cigarettes are a stimulant, which helps with casting magic. Alcohol is a depressant that dulls the senses."
There was a reason Clorence was at the tavern despite not drinking. Emma would be arriving soon with a resurrection scroll.
Of course, there was no doubting the quality of scrolls made by the Temple of Nathaniel, but since his brother's life was on the line, Clorence wanted to check it himself.
'The scroll I requested will be issued today. We'll enter the labyrinth around five tomorrow morning. Find Avison, resurrect him, and bring him out.'
Avison was dragged away by a Black Hornet. Since it's the strongest monster reigning over the 1st-floor fields, it paradoxically guaranteed the safety of Avison's corpse.
It meant that nothing other than the Black Hornet or its larvae would desecrate the body.
Calculating backward from their eating speed, he might be missing a couple of legs, but that was still within the range of resurrection.
The problem was what came after. Since he had died from severe injuries, the pain upon resurrection would be immense, and he'd have trouble moving.
The priest would use pain relief magic and regenerate him as much as possible, but it would take much longer for him to move properly.
'I'll have Birtanen carry Avison, the priest heal him, and I'll take the lead with Jikal as our guide, kill everything, and clear the exit room.'
That was Clorence's plan.
'I just hope we don't get someone like Back Attack as the exit boss.'
Of course, no matter how skilled Back Attack was, their level difference meant he was no match for Clorence.
'Still, rogue types are a pain in the ass.'
Things would get tricky if a leaping ambush broke my concentration.
And in the worst-case scenario, if Back Attack attacked and killed Avison again...
Then things would get really complicated. Would the Temple of Nathaniel approve an emergency request for another resurrection scroll? We've already used two.
'Should I just have Avison wait outside the exit room?'
Just as Clorence was desperately formulating a rescue strategy in his head...
"Everyone!"
Emma the priestess burst through the tavern door with a bright expression, waving the resurrection scroll.
"I got it! It's the resurrection scroll!"
"Excellent!"
Clorence shot to his feet.
"Let me see it. I'm sure you've already inspected it, Priestess, but..."
"Before that, let's go to the Labyrinth Management Office first!" Emma said unexpectedly.
"They said the 1st-floor exit gate just opened!"
"What!"
"The exit gate!"
Birtanen and Jikal shot up from their chairs like springs.
The commotion knocked over a mug, and beer spilled everywhere, much to the bartender's annoyance.
"It can't be the rookies, can it!" Jikal shouted.
"Are you certain it's the '1st floor' exit gate that opened?" Clorence double-checked.
"That's what they said! Let's go, quickly!"
"Let's go right now!"
"Are we dwarves really getting fleeced for 9,500?"
"For friends like them, it's fine to get ripped off. And it's 8,000! We have to subtract the cost of the spider corpse."
"Let's hurry!"
Clorence followed them.
*
The underground management office of the Labyrinth Union.
The 1st-floor exit gate had opened a while ago, but no one was coming out.
"I hope it's one of the slave teams this time."
Scarlett, an assistant instructor from the Magic University who was killing time in front of the gate, rested her chin on her hand and stared blankly at it.
"Haaaah!" she yawned.
None of the slave teams the Magic University had sent in this time had managed to escape yet.
There were rumors of some crazy monster who could cast spells instantly without incantations.
'As if that's even possible.'
Scarlett refused to believe such nonsense until she saw it with her own eyes.
"Are they out?!"
Just then, she heard a shout from the source of that nonsense, the dwarf Birtanen.
Birtanen's party members came thundering into the basement, and behind them...
"Clorence?"
Clorence, a fifth-year graduating student from the Magic University, also appeared.
He was a famous rookie who was making a name for himself on the 5th floor of the labyrinth. The professors were trying their best to recruit him for graduate school.
"Hello, Assistant Instructor."
"Ah. You came to see if Avison might be coming out?" Scarlett asked.
"That's right. Though I'm not getting my hopes up..."
"They're coming out!" Jikal shouted, pointing at the gate.
Something was finally emerging from beyond the exit gate.
"Finally!" Scarlett's face lit up. She had been waiting for a whole five minutes since the gate opened. What on earth were they doing in there?
"Let's see who it i—"
Scarlett, who had leaned in close to the gate, screamed and stumbled back.
"Aaaah! What the hell!"
A slightly decomposed corpse had just shot out.
And it was a corpse with a face everyone there recognized.
"Avison!"
"It's Avison!"
Clorence's eyes widened to twice their size.
Birtanen's entire party shouted with joy and relief.
Though it was slightly decomposed and missing a leg, it was Avison.
"No way! Did Caleb really...!?" Emma covered her mouth.
Kwa-gwa-gwang!
The gate began to surge again.
What came out was...
"Caleb, is that you!"
Contrary to Birtanen's hopes, it was, surprisingly, another corpse.
The body of a fully armed rogue.
"What the fuck! What is this?"
"Wait a minute."
This time, the shock was a hundred times greater than seeing Avison.
To the adventurers of the 1st floor, that face was the stuff of legends.
"It can't be..."
Everyone's face turned pale.
"Mr. Back Attack...?"
The strongest adventurer on the 1st floor of the labyrinth, a man who could more than pull his own weight even in a 2nd-floor party.
The one who single-handedly defeated a Black Hornet to protect his party members.
The adventurer who had suddenly vanished at some point.
The strongest rogue, the one everyone pitied any 1st-floor party for having the bad luck to face as an exit boss, had just come through the gate as a corpse.
With the Labyrinth Master's slave sigil carved on his forehead.
"They... killed Mr. Back Attack?" The assistant instructor's voice trembled.
"No, wait. Does this even make sense?"
Unlike the carcass of a monster like the Venomic Spider, a possessed adventurer is counted as 'one person'.
Which meant that bringing one through would accelerate the exit gate's collapse.
The exit gate allows four people to pass through. If they pushed two corpses through, only two people could cross now.
What did that mean?
"Not a party of four, not even a party of three. A two-person party... killed Mr. Back Attack?"
The entire underground office of the Labyrinth Union fell into chaos.
And Clorence recalled what Birtanen had told him about a certain legendary wizard.
"Incantationless... high-speed caster..."
Wasn't the party led by that wizard a duo?
Kwa-gwang!
The gate's color began to shift from yellow to red.
The third person was coming out.
The genius wizard returns.