Chapter 22: Tank Auditions (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 22: Tank Auditions (2)
“I’m sorry, but maybe next time.”
I had already repeated the same line like a parrot for the fifteenth time.
Most of the applicants couldn’t even lift the oak barrel.
“Ah! I can get it if I try one more time!”
“It’s because I skipped breakfast this morning. For real.”
“Something’s weird with this barrel! Did you cast a gravity spell on it?”
“I’m not lying, I can totally lift it. I just pulled my back on the way here. Seriously!”
The excuses from the applicants were as varied as they were plentiful.
The reason they were so desperate to join our party was obvious.
‘It looks safe.’
When I’d said I would form my own party, Professor Isilof had found it fascinating, remarking that he’d never seen anyone like me. He said most students were too scared of the Labyrinth and preferred to piggyback on their seniors’ parties.
These adventurers here were no different.
Since our destination was the 1st floor of the Labyrinth, experienced adventurers from the 2nd floor and above had no reason to apply; it just wasn’t worth their while.
That naturally left 1st-floor adventurers as the only likely candidates, and the decent ones among them already had their own parties.
So, who were these adventurers who had shown up for a party recruitment notice posted just a day ago?
The dregs, for the most part.
Beginners who were scared of the Labyrinth but still dreamed of becoming Labyrinth adventurers.
But then, a wizard who supposedly beat the crap out of Back Attack, the strongest on the 1st floor, is recruiting?
A guy that skilled can probably carry me even if I troll a little, right? If I get some experience there, I can become a proper, seasoned adventurer too!
…That must have been their line of thinking.
“Sorry, maybe next time.”
Of course, I had no reason to accept them.
I had to separate the wheat from the chaff. First, with the oak barrel, and second, with an in-depth skill interview.
“Can you use skills like Shield Charge or Taunt?”
Almost everyone failed at that point.
“Caleb.”
During a short break, Yernil whispered to me cautiously.
“Actually, I…”
“Yes?”
“I don’t know how to use any skills either…!”
What a grand secret you’re confessing, Yernil.
It seemed the demanding audition process was weighing on her.
“I think I would have failed if I had to audition…”
“You’ll be able to learn skills soon enough, Yernil.”
In the game, classes like warriors, archers, and rogues acquired skills by using the fountains they encountered inside the Labyrinth.
The lore went something like this:
Just like Wizus, the God of Wisdom who bestowed magic, there were once gods for various other classes, but they were all devoured by the Labyrinth.
Their techniques are now occasionally passed down to adventurers traveling the Labyrinth as blessings, which manifest as skills blooming from the fountains.
When I played the game, I’d wondered why they bothered to create such a convoluted backstory just to differentiate how skills and magic were learned.
‘Perhaps that absurd system was more accurate than I thought.’
Of course, it was still unclear whether gods like Wizus actually existed in this world.
“But are we really going to be able to find a party member this way?” Yernil whispered again.
“Probably?”
I nonchalantly rejected the next applicant. All freeloaders, please disembark here.
“Maybe next time.”
“Don’t give me that shit!”
Unfortunately, this applicant wasn’t going down without a fight.
He was a Dwarf, his face beet-red. Furious, he kicked the oak barrel.
“I don’t know what kind of amazing prodigy you’re trying to recruit, but listen here!” he shouted. “You guys are just a bunch of rookies who’ve only been in the Labyrinth once!”
To be honest, he had a point.
“You think you can get all high and mighty and recruit above your level just because you got a lucky win against Back Attack!”
It wasn’t luck. And I wasn’t trying to recruit above our level.
“You really think any adventurer with a name is going to join a rookie party that was thrown together in a single day?!”
The Dwarf jabbed a finger at me, but someone behind him grabbed his arm.
“Excuse me. If you’re done, please move aside.”
It was a tall Lizard, heavily armed with full plate armor, a mace, and a shield.
“Wh-What the…”
The Dwarf stumbled back, flustered. The newcomer was quite famous: a freelance Lizard Paladin from the Order of Nathaniel who was often called upon by 2nd-floor parties.
“Bernard…?”
They’re finally showing up!
The ‘jade’ among the stones, that is.
“Oh, heavens! It’s true! Back Attack is walking around as an undead!”
The Lizard covered his eyes with his webbed hands, shuddering.
“What a ghastly sight!”
“Wh-What… Bernard is applying here?”
The Dwarf’s anger instantly vanished.
As I said, since we were only going to the 1st floor, it wasn’t worth the time for tanks from the 2nd floor or higher.
However…
“Nathaniel! Is this truly what you wished for? I cannot believe the Order approved this!”
I had been counting on the undead Back Attack to draw some aggro.
Especially from the Order of Nathaniel.
In the game, the Order of Nathaniel is hostile toward necromancy. I had no idea how Isilof had managed to sweet-talk the temple into participating in this project, but…
‘There’s no way they just handed over the body and called it a day.’
I had figured there was a high probability the Order of Nathaniel would send someone to monitor whether this project was being conducted properly.
“Nathaniel! I shall uphold the Order’s command!”
So why didn’t I just go to the Order of Nathaniel and ask for an applicant instead of posting a notice at the Adventurer’s Guild?
There were two reasons.
First, even if I had gone to the temple, they likely would have told me to post a formal party recruitment at the guild.
“Grant me the strength to secure this contract, Nathaniel!”
Because Nathaniel is the God of Contracts and Transactions.
The Order despises informal arrangements made through personal connections, backroom deals, or rough, handshake agreements.
And by the looks of it, the temple sent someone perfectly suited to my level.
Right. That’s how it should be. Proper allocation of personnel.
Good. If this works out, I can build a connection and use him regularly, like Emma from Birtanen’s party.
“Power of Radiance!”
But hey, Lizard. Isn’t that cheating?
The Paladin, Bernard, cast a buff on himself that increased his strength by +3 and leaped onto the stage.
He snatched the oak barrel and launched it vertically toward the ceiling. Then, he re-equipped his mace and shield.
“Now, I shall demonstrate the sacred power bestowed upon this paladin by Nathaniel!”
He’s useful.
Let’s see what skills he has.
“Guardian’s Shield!”
Bernard thrust his shield forward with all his might. A massive protective barrier materialized around the shield, enveloping him.
“Punishment!”
His attack power was also excellent. He imbued his mace with divine power and slammed it down, shattering the oak barrel.
Huh?
Wait a minute.
“I needed that barrel for the other applicants…!”
“Arrow of Condemnation!”
Ignoring me completely, Bernard fired a laser (?) of radiance from the tip of his mace, scorching the wall.
“What say you! I shall bless your future and complete this journey with you, so that we may grant that poor undead eternal rest!”
“Hold on.”
A human man strode forward from the back. Judging by his appearance, he was from the East. Even farther east than Wyndham.
“We can’t let him rest. We have to resurrect him.”
In the game, I’d just assumed they were a race with an Asian motif, but seeing him in person, he really did look Asian.
And…
‘He’s from the 3rd floor?’
I could tell just by the quality of his gear. He was a two-handed sword fighter who primarily operated on the 3rd floor.
“The name’s Swordsman Hijikata.”
As expected of a 3rd-floor adventurer, he was brimming with confidence. He crunched over the shattered remains of the oak barrel and offered me a handshake first.
As if to say an audition was meaningless given the gap in our levels.
Well, he wasn’t wrong.
“Are you applying? Hiring a 3rd-floor adventurer for this job doesn’t seem worth your while.”
“I don’t need payment. I’m not interested in the 1st floor. But I am interested in this mission from the Magic University.”
Hijikata said, “A friend of mine also went missing in the Labyrinth.”
The second reason I posted the recruitment at the Adventurer’s Guild instead of going to the Order of Nathaniel.
Among the adventurers who had made a name for themselves, there were quite a few who had lost comrades.
“If you can really resurrect that Mr. Back Attack guy, doesn’t that mean there’s hope for my friend, too? That’s why I want in on this mission.”
I had opened recruitment hoping to attract people like him, but…
‘This is tricky.’
This was both a good and a bad offer.
If a 3rd-floor fighter took the front line, I could honestly just coast. In that sense, it was great.
But the probability of this fighter joining my party again after the mission was practically zero.
“We’re not just looking for someone for this one mission, but a colleague who can work with us consistently in the future.”
“So Back Attack is just bait, and your real goal is to find a decent 1st-floor companion?”
“He’s not bait. We will absolutely succeed in resurrecting Back Attack. I’m taking that mission very seriously.”
“Hmm…”
Hijikata stroked his stubbly chin, which looked like it hadn’t been shaved in about three days.
“So are you going to pick that Lizard? Honestly, isn’t he a bit too loud?”
“What!”
The Lizard bristled.
“Every word from this paladin’s mouth represents Nathaniel himself! Do not even dream of committing such an irreversible discourtesy!”
He does talk a bit too much.
“Caleb!”
This time, a somewhat familiar face appeared.
“Birtanen?”
“Hah! What’s all this? If you needed a warrior for your front line, you should have called me!”
“You already have a party, Birtanen.”
“He’s making his own party,” Hijikata said, pointing at me with his thumb.
“Ah. So it’s not just a temporary gig? You’re forming a whole new party?”
“Yes.”
“I see…”
Suddenly, Birtanen’s face fell with immense disappointment.
Wow, can a person’s expression really get that gloomy?
“I was dreaming of nothing but recruiting you into our party.”
“I’m sorry…”
It wasn’t my fault, but seeing his face made me feel guilty for some reason.
“It’s fine! As an adventurer, it’s good news to have one more excellent party around.”
Birtanen cleared his throat and his mood.
“Caleb, be careful. The Labyrinth is full of crazies! You can consider half of the other parties out there to be enemies. Some of them exist just to ambush other parties and steal their money.”
The Dwarf muttered an explanation, saying that having one more trustworthy party was actually something to be happy about.
“Sorry to interrupt,” the Lizard interjected again. “So, are you hiring me?”
Hmm.
What should I do? He wasn’t bad, honestly, but I felt a little let down.
I wanted to wait just a little longer.
“Wait!”
Suddenly, someone else rushed into the audition area.
“Huh!”
While most paid him no mind, I flinched in surprise.
This type was even rarer than a Paladin.
‘A Monk!’
A ‘Strength Monk’ was the main tank I used when I cleared the game on Turn-Based Master difficulty.
He was panting, completely out of breath from running all the way here.
“I’d… like to… audition.”
“Auditions are over,” the Lizard said, pointing to the shattered remains of the oak barrel on the floor.
“No! Please, just let me audition! Please!”
He had a reason he absolutely had to join this party.
“Back Attack…” the Monk shouted.
“He was my comrade!”
*
Mr. Back Attack.
Once known as the strongest on the 1st floor, he was the man with the most promising future at the Adventurer’s Guild.
His fame began when he single-handedly defeated a Black Hornet after all his teammates were down.
And on that day, the Monk whose life Back Attack had saved, kicked Back Attack out of the party.
“Sorry, but you don’t belong with us,” said the Monk party leader, Aimus Renick, his tone serious.
“You can go to the 2nd floor.”
“…”
“We’re just a bunch of half-wits stuck on the 1st floor.”
In truth, Back Attack was more than capable of pulling his weight even in a 2nd-floor party.
“You were just a mercenary for them that one time, but when you came back, they told me to let you go…”
There was a cruel code of ethics among third-rate adventurers.
Letting a talented comrade go, and quickly.
“You can make it to the Deep Layers.”
They had explored the Labyrinth together for over three years and had grown deeply attached, but everyone knew. Back Attack didn’t belong in their party.
He was young and strong. Clever, agile, and had excellent skill activation.
But the Monk was already in his mid-forties.
Age might not matter as much for a wizard or a priest, but for a physical class, it was crucial. Anyone could see the Monk was past his prime.
The Gnome Mage, Hershel, had been a perpetual flunk-out at his magic university back home.
“Renick’s right, Back Attack. You should go to the 2nd floor. You should’ve betrayed us and left long ago. Why aren’t you living up to your name?”
Hershel’s eyes were moist as he cracked the joke.
The Elf Druid, Caelin, was a fool who still hadn’t managed to form a pact with a spirit.
“I… I honestly don’t want to say goodbye…”
She was more honest than the Monk or the Gnome Mage. As she delivered the formal, if hollow, order of expulsion to her long-time comrade, Caelin sobbed.
“But I think this is the right thing to do. Back Attack. This is as far as we go.”
They were friends who had grown very close.
“Stay healthy on the 2nd floor.”
Hershel handed him a fine belt. It was a farewell gift.
“I’ll miss you.”
With tears in her eyes, Caelin gave him a bomb that could be attached to the belt, telling him to throw it at enemies in an emergency.
“You’ll do great on the 2nd floor.”
The party leader, the Monk Aimus Renick, gifted him a dagger.
“I paid a pretty penny for it! It’ll tear through a Black Hornet’s eggshell in one go!”
Renick unilaterally terminated his contract with Back Attack.
He paid the penalty fee himself, setting Back Attack free.
“Go to the 2nd floor.”
They expelled Back Attack.
*
The incident occurred three weeks later.
Someone burst out of the 1st-floor Labyrinth’s exit gate, gravely injured.
It was the half-wit Druid, Caelin.
Unable to find a new party member, the three of them had cleared the exit room, only to be ambushed by plunderers who had been waiting for them in their exhausted state.
‘Help me…!’
Clutching her torn lower abdomen to keep her intestines from spilling out, Caelin climbed the stairs to the Labyrinth Management Office. She collapsed after crying for help.
The exit gate had already closed. Three magic stones, thrown in by the plunderers, lay rolling on the ground.
The entrance gate to the 1st floor of the Labyrinth was open.
Without a second glance, Back Attack dove inside…
“What the…”
The Monk, Renick, witnessed an incredible phenomenon unfolding in the 1st-floor Labyrinth’s exit room.
When an exit room is cleared, the Labyrinth’s structure changes. A new exit room appears somewhere else. Everyone knew that. But…
“The exit room… reappeared in the exact same spot…?”
The situation was shocking even to the plunderers who had killed Hershel and were now threatening Renick.
The door to an exit room had materialized right behind Renick.
“An exit room inside an exit room?”
But the truly mind-boggling part was yet to come.
Click!
Suddenly, the doorknob of the exit room turned.
It wasn’t opened by an adventurer. It opened by itself, from the inside. The Exit Boss had opened the door and walked out.
The strongest on the 1st floor, now consumed by madness.
“Hahahaha!”
It was an inhuman, chilling laugh that would make anyone’s skin crawl. His eyes were crazed, and the mark of the Labyrinth Master was branded on his forehead.
The plunderers froze for a moment, and Back Attack used a leaping ambush to slice one of their heads off.
“Aaargh!”
“It’s a monster!”
A follow-up throwing knife pierced the second plunderer’s heart.
“Hahahaha!”
Back Attack grabbed the third plunderer, used Shadow Leap to tackle him to the ground, and stabbed him repeatedly in the chest.
Blood spurted like a fountain.
The scene instantly became a pandemonium.
The last remaining plunderer trembled as he drew his bowstring, but Back Attack turned invisible.
“Wh-Where is he! Where!”
Leaving the plunderer’s screams behind him, the Monk party leader, Aimus Renick, limped forward as fast as he could.
Toward the open door of the exit room.
*
“I ran away,” he said.
“I didn’t have the courage to talk about it until now.”
He collapsed to the floor, clutching his head.
“I was so scared, I wasn’t in my right mind! Back Attack was like a real monster then. I panicked and ran into the exit room he came out of. The gate was already open inside.”
“…”
“I went through it and fled to the village. By the time I got there, Caelin was already dead.”
Hmm.
There’s a technical term for that in the game.
‘A Roaming Boss.’
A boss that leaves its exit room and wanders the field.
But this is the first time I’ve ever seen a Roaming Boss on the 1st floor. Usually, you have to go way down into the Deep Layers to occasionally encounter one.
“Since then, not a single day has passed that I haven’t regretted it.”
The incident had become a massive trauma for the Monk. Not because he had almost died, but…
“What if… what if I hadn’t abandoned Back Attack back then?”
“…”
“Could I have prevented him from being degraded into an Exit Boss?”
Honestly, I didn’t know, but probably not. If he came out of the exit room, it meant he had already become the Exit Boss.
But even so, that knowledge wouldn’t lessen the Monk’s guilt.
“Maybe the reason that exit room appeared behind me was… maybe… just maybe…”
Under normal circumstances, the probability of Back Attack saving the Monk’s party was close to zero. The Labyrinth was vast, and entry points were random.
“To save us… could Back Attack have sold his soul to the Labyrinth Master?”
“…”
“If the exit room appeared behind me for that reason… if he sold his very soul to save me, and I just ran away by myself… then I’m…”
The lowest of a third-rate party.
Even ordinary, unremarkable people have their own dramatic tragedies. Tragedies no one else cares about.
And a man in his mid-forties can cry, too. I saw it sometimes when I worked at my old company.
And I was seeing it now.
“…”
The Monk glanced up at the undead Back Attack, then broke down completely, burying his face in his hands. His shoulders trembled with sobs.
“Graaah?”
Back Attack, oblivious, just kept chewing on Yernil’s hair.