Chapter 163: The Trap Setter
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 163: The Trap Setter
Click.
Clack.
The sound of its furious beak clacking was like castanets.
“How did you know about the mailbox?”
The Dagger Raptor’s eyes gleamed as it descended the dim stairs of the west tower.
“No matter how much information you dug up by speaking with the dead, you couldn’t have found the mailbox address.”
That was because the Dagger Raptor changed the mailbox's location every time.
Of course, the Dagger Raptor had changed the address even after the White Lion was arrested.
“The Assembly…”
Which meant the information could only have been leaked from within the Assembly.
“So there was a rat.”
To be honest, I was nervous.
I had come here fully prepared, steeling my resolve to kill that bastard no matter what, but it was true that I was still tense.
When facing an Inter-floor Lord, even a Deep Layer party can't be certain of victory.
In a normal fight, that is.
“Who leaked the address?”
“You think I’m going to answer that?”
“Ah.”
A chuckle escaped from behind the demonic beak.
“Right. There’s a much easier way. I’ll just kill you and find out by speaking with the dead.”
The Dagger Raptor plucked a bladed feather from its massive wing.
But he didn’t attack.
The monster was extremely agitated and a far stronger predator than us, but he was still meticulous about scouting before attacking.
‘Eagle Eye.’
The raptor's eyes flashed.
It was similar to a rogue's sharp eye, granting a 'Detection' status. It allowed him to find enemies who were invisible or concealed with chameleon magic.
“It’s just us.”
But his eyes would see nothing.
“I see. You've made a truly foolish choice.”
The Dagger Raptor kicked off the ground and shot into the air. The first floor of the west tower was like a cathedral, with a ceiling about seven meters high.
“Were you trying to buy time against me? Wizard. Let me tell you something.”
The raptor's wings spread wide in mid-air.
“You can't kill the White Lion. Ever.”
Krusla was an Orc Magistrate.
He plunged his greatsword deep into the White Lion's chest.
Squelch.
With the sound of cardiac muscle tearing, blood poured out like a waterfall.
Execution complete.
The monster's end was quieter and more pathetic than expected.
Krusla went up the stairs and moved to the main building of the Public Security Headquarters.
“It is done, Consul.”
He made his report, but the Consul stood frozen before the main entrance, unable to move. He couldn't take his eyes off the scene outside.
“What is that…”
What the Labyrinth intended could never be stopped by human strength.
Because the difference in power was too stark.
Because the Labyrinth's wisdom always surpassed that of humans.
“What in the world is that?”
A colossal monster floated in the sky.
It was the size of a battleship.
So large it was unbelievable that it could have come through such a small Labyrinth gate.
Casting a shadow like a cloud upon the ground, blocking the pouring rain with its body, its fins flapping in the empty air—it looked like a whale.
It was a silhouette not often seen in a city like Sohen, but one relatively familiar to the dwarves who lived in the southern coastal cities.
‘The Gourmet Whale has appeared.’
The reports from the Mass Annihilation stele, the research data from the professors.
After the appearance of the White Lion and the Dagger Raptor, the Consul had also investigated and knew of it.
The Inter-floor Lord that emerges from the 2nd-floor coin takes the form of a whale. That is the Gourmet Whale.
Grrrroooan.
The monster opened its massive mouth.
Inside, it was packed with monsters. But they weren't the kind commonly seen in the Labyrinth.
They were the Wardens of the Boundary.
Monsters that appear in the inter-floor villages.
And deeper inside stood a towering, ghost-like figure.
‘The Caretaker of Rest.’
The monster that guarded the Ossuary had ridden the Gourmet Whale to the surface.
Aiming its undead-reviving staff forward, the Caretaker roared.
Screeeee—
The scene looked just like an airborne assault.
And there was one more, even more terrifying thing.
“That…”
The Consul's head spun at this unprecedented situation.
“Is that… an ossuary?”
He, too, had come across the report submitted to the Magic University and the Temple of Nathaniel. It said that the Ossuary in the inter-floor village contained a large number of urns where souls were preserved.
A huge number of those urns were piled up inside the whale's mouth.
And one of them was already lit.
The White Lion does not die.
For that demon's soul was long ago offered up to the Labyrinth Master.
During his interrogation, the White Lion had said this:
That it wouldn't be the Assembly coming to save him. That they were mistaken. That he had only ever had one ally.
The Labyrinth.
I remember that helpless moment when the Dagger Raptor murdered Dalstream and I could do nothing.
Despite having the Hourglass, no magic, no item, no method had worked. I couldn't protect Dalstream.
I remember that feeling of powerlessness with perfect clarity.
But, Dagger Raptor.
We came here after eating Aether Mushrooms. It might have been the doping, but we still killed the 7th-floor Glutton.
Our party's skill is now clearly at the level of high-floor adventurers.
‘This time is different.’
‘Dive Bomb.’
It was a skill available to winged Avians or characters who could fly with magic.
Krrrrrsh!
Daggers fired from his spinning wings tore up the walls, ceiling, and floor.
Aiming my wand straight ahead, I flipped the Hourglass.
[Your turn. Time remaining: 60 seconds]
[Action Points: ■■■■■■]
The Memory Book expansion procedure theoretically allows me to use an infinite number of spells.
Of course, that's impossible in reality. Because my spellbook is finite.
Besides, even if I learn a huge number of spells, using them is another matter.
You can't use them without swapping the slots in the Memory Book. It's like having hundreds of bullets but being unable to fire them unless you load them into a magazine and insert it into a rifle.
Still, being able to reconfigure my Memory Book with a completely different set of spells is a definite advantage.
“Carbonization Magic Circle.”
A binding spell between the Stenographer's Pen and Tanzin.
[Book of Magic Circles]
Normally, the Stenographer's Fountain Pen can only write small amounts using ethereal ink, but when Tanzin seeps into the nib and carbonizes it, it allows the pen to function physically.
The result is a Tier 2 magic circle created on the ground.
Skrch!
The Stenographer's Pen flies forward, drawing a magic circle on the ground.
Normally, this type of spell has a relatively long casting time, and the magic circle is so conspicuous that enemies just avoid it.
So, it's typically used for area control to block an enemy's path, or as a trap set in advance to lure an enemy in.
Trying to create a trap right under an enemy's feet in the middle of a battle is insane, but the Hourglass makes it possible.
To be honest, I didn't know if it would work, so I couldn't try it until now.
Not before expanding my Memory Book.
But now, during times of peace, I can slot all sorts of spells into my Hourglass turn and experiment.
Just like this magic circle.
“Moisture-Absorbing Magic Circle.”
[Your turn. Time remaining: 48 seconds]
[Action Points: ■■■■■□]
And there's more.
“Ball Lightning.”
I fire the Tier 2 spell and feed it to the monster.
That spell is also an area control or trap-type magic.
The real physical phenomenon of ball lightning is also a ball-shaped mass of lightning that hangs in the air before disappearing. Sometimes it moves, but even then, it's very slow.
In the game, the Ball Lightning spell is also considered a 'summoned object' that the player can control, but it's slow. In exchange, it deals a fatal blow upon impact with an enemy.
So.
“Ball Lightning, Ball Lightning, Ball Lightning, Ball Lightning.”
This is going to hurt you. A lot.
Boom! Kaboom!
The lightning explodes.
The Dagger Raptor's incredible kinetic vision didn't miss the balls of lightning that suddenly appeared right in front of him.
The problem, however, was that his body had too much momentum; he was moving too fast. Unable to brake, the Dagger Raptor ended up ramming his head right into the cluster of lightning.
“Gah!”
Despite the huge level difference, electricity coursed through the monster's body.
Crash!
But even after tumbling to the floor, the monster's recovery was incredibly fast. A dagger shot from its hand.
Thwack!
The raptor's dagger pierced right through Back Attack's forehead, but…
‘What?’
Once again, the unexpected happened.
The Monk holding the iron staff suddenly transformed into Back Attack.
There were two Back Attacks in the four-person party. The one who had just transformed from the Monk, and the one with a dagger in his forehead.
‘Mirror Image!’
It didn't matter which one was the real one. After all, they could swap places while in the Mirror Image state.
“See you outside.”
With those mocking words from Caleb.
‘Shadow Leap!’
Back Attack escaped the building with Caleb.
‘Warden's Relocation!’
Yernil followed, making her escape.
“Run!”
Our fight is a long-term guerrilla war.
“Let's go!”
Aimus, who was waiting outside, scooped me up, activated Musso's Horn, and started running. As expected of agile classes, Yernil and Back Attack were much faster than Aimus, who was carrying the baggage (?).
“Come and get us!”
I could see the royally pissed-off Dagger Raptor bursting out of the first-floor entrance.
Hmm.
But it wouldn't be easy for him to give chase.
The monster spread its wings and leaped, but…
“...!”
It fell back to the ground, a look of bewilderment on its face.
He must still be dazed after taking all those Ball Lightnings to the head.
That's why he only just now realized he'd stepped on the magic circle.
The Moisture-Absorbing magic is basically an enhanced version of a moisturizing ring.
Unlike a moisturizing ring, which prevents moisture from evaporating from the body, the absorption magic forcibly turns the target into a walking dehumidifier.
In game terms, the higher the surrounding humidity, the heavier the target's body becomes over time.
The level gap is overwhelming, and he's a flying, highly agile class.
Without a penalty like this, we'd be dying once per second, just like the Mirror Image of Back Attack.
“You little rats…”
If he had a calm temperament like the White Lion, he might not have pursued us.
Since it would be obvious that this was all part of our plan.
If I were him, I would have just sent a message to the Assembly members. Told them to gather at a certain location. And warned them not to send any more messages since the mailbox address book had been compromised.
Then, they'd meet in person and make their move.
That's what he should have done, but…
Click, click! Click!
According to the Spider Doctor, the Dagger Raptor is a belligerent psychopath with anger management issues and a ruined personality.
“I'll kill you.”
The monster chases after us.
But…
“Caleb, look at that!”
Yeah. I see it too.
In the direction Yernil is pointing. Things are getting chaotic over by the Labyrinth Union again.
That thing floating in the sky.
“The Gourmet Whale.”
As expected, fighting the Labyrinth is never easy.