Chapter 92: Labyrinth(4)
Chapter 92: Labyrinth(4)
The now-giant Nassen smashed through the labyrinth walls as if they were nothing.
He crashed through the walls, making a beeline for the altar where the Doll Ginseng was.
Lina had to stop Nassen from reaching that altar, no matter what.
Just as Kerry had said, the prize Nassen wanted was clearly there.
But Nassen was enormous, and Lina, Natasha, and Victoria were unable to use their mana.
“Lina. Can we stop him?”
“...”
Victoria asked worriedly. Lina couldn't think of a way either.
What could they do against a monster like that without being able to wield mana?
However, she had seen Kerry disappear somewhere.
Seeing how desperate he looked, it was clear he was rushing around trying to save them.
“We don’t need to stop him. Sir Kerry said he’d figure something out if we just bought him some time.”
Her expression showed unwavering trust.
“Right. If Kerry said so, he’ll find a way.”
“If my husband said so, then we can rest easy.”
With looks of firm resolve, the three women began to approach Nassen.
*
Meanwhile, Kerry was running through the dungeon.
He ran, the dungeon map unfolded.
Shit. What a cheap steroid junkie.
But it wasn't all bad news for Kerry.
Thanks to Nassen's massive body smashing through the dungeon, many of the traps were being destroyed.
While Lina and the others held Nassen down, Kerry would reach the altar and grab the ginseng.
If he could do that, everything would be solved. Clearing the dungeon would lift the curse binding the party.
After that, Lina would take care of the rest.
Kerry kept running.
In the distance, he could see Lina's group fighting desperately. With her small frame, Lina had climbed onto Nassen's back and was stabbing him with her sword.
Victoria, too, had slung her shield onto her back, focusing entirely on offense.
A shield wouldn't do much good right now anyway.
Natasha darted around, attacking Nassen's feet. But the situation was grim.
Even with Lina, winning is impossible.
The opponent was just too much. Even when they stabbed him, his body was so large that they couldn't inflict a fatal wound.
They were literally just buying time.
Nassen's voice boomed from his colossal body.
“You annoying bitches. If you're that eager to die, I'll gladly kill you!”
Lina's group had succeeded in drawing Nassen's attention.
When Nassen's giant fist swung toward them, Kerry's heart dropped.
But miraculously, when the dust cloud settled, the party was unharmed, as if nothing had happened.
The Hero Party wasn't just an empty title.
Run. Kerry ran until he thought his heart would burst.
Right now, all Kerry could do was run.
He had to run as fast as he could, even by a second, to lessen the burden on Lina's group.
Fortunately, he was confident in his stamina.
He hadn't been an adventurer for two years just for show.
He'd nearly died many times during his life as an adventurer, but what had always saved him was his running.
Run, legs! Don't you dare stop.
Nassen's attacks were more ferocious than he'd expected.
“Because of you bitches! Because of you! Look what you've done to me! Raaaargh!”
Completely enraged, he charged at Lina and the others.
He was startled when Nassen's huge fist came crashing down on Natasha.
But Natasha showed incredible daring, actually stepping on the fist to launch herself up for a counterattack.
Is this a circus? Fucking insane.
It was hard to believe they had the same 10 points in all stats. This must be the difference experience makes.
Nassen was slow for his size. That was a relief, at least.
The altar was just ahead.
Go straight, then take two lefts, and there would be stairs leading up to the altar.
But the problem was...
An arrow trap was blocking the path. If only he could use mana, he could have used the shield from his bracelet, but that wasn't an option.
“...Of all things, an arrow trap.”
If it had been any other trap, he might have found a clever way to get past it.
In fact, he'd easily avoided a few traps he'd encountered along the way.
But this arrow trap—he didn't know how it worked, but it fired automatically the moment you passed, leaving no room for tricks.
Then, Lina's voice echoed in his mind.
[The trick is the sound, Sir Kerry. Right before the arrows fire, you'll hear a clicking launch sound. If you focus on that sound, I'm sure you can dodge them.]
If I could do that, would I have been living as an F-rank adventurer?
Kerry had a talent for magic, but as a swordsman, he had to be considered talentless.
“I really hate scary shit like this.”
Safety first is the best policy.
But he couldn't just worry about his own safety right now.
A short distance away, he could still see the giant Nassen on a rampage.
Down below, out of sight, his party was struggling.
No matter how strong the heroes were... there was no guarantee they could hold out forever.
No choice, then.
Kerry took a deep breath.
Okay, the arrows shoot from both walls. According to Lina, there's a launch sound before they fire.
As long as I don't turn sideways, they shouldn't hit any vital spots besides my head and neck.
Kerry covered his head and neck with his arms.
Raising his arms left his sides exposed, but his head and neck were more critical.
Carefully, Kerry took a single step into the arrow trap.
Click!
With that clicking sound, an arrow shot past right in front of his eyes.
Shit. What the hell. How am I supposed to dodge this? One more step and I would've been dead.
To a super-talented freak like Lina, the gap between the sound and the arrow firing must have felt wide, but to Kerry, it felt so tight it was practically simultaneous.
Besides, even if he heard the click, he had no idea where the arrow was coming from.
Lina could sense this and dodge?
If this were a situation where he could use magic, he might have stood a chance.
“How am I supposed to get through this?”
This is fucking terrifying.
The arrow trap stretched for about 20 meters, but it felt like a hundred-meter-long pit of hell.
From afar, Nassen's voice boomed.
“You foolish hero bitches! This ends today! I'll kill you all and make you my nutrients!”
He must be thrilled, using a cheat code to go into god mode. Pisses me off.
If, because of Kerry's hesitation here, Lina, Victoria, or Natasha got hurt...
He knew he'd do nothing but curse himself.
Suddenly, a switch flipped. Why am I cowering here like an idiot? I have to do this anyway.
“What's the worst that can happen? I die.”
Kerry stepped into the arrow trap.
He recalled how Lina had done it.
Lina had passed through the trap with light, cat-like steps, completely at ease.
Kerry focused all his senses.
For a moment, the world went quiet. And in that silence, he heard the click of an arrow being launched.
I have to dodge.
Kerry twisted his body.
An arrow grazed past him. For some reason, the gap between the sound and the arrow firing felt longer.
Was it because I'm so focused?
Kerry continued forward, concentrating only on the arrows hidden in the walls.
Where's it coming from this time? My leg? Or my arm?
I have to protect my head, no matter what.
Click—Swoosh-
Another arrow fired. This one was aimed at his leg. Please don't hit me.
He pulled his leg back sharply to dodge it. Dammit. I really can't do it like Lina.
The arrow hit his leg.
But luckily, it struck the metal part of his greaves and ricocheted off. It must have been a glancing blow. That was too close.
Click—Swoosh-
This time, an arrow flew at his head from the right. He didn't know why, but he felt it clearly.
He quickly ducked his head forward.
With a dangerous whoosh, the arrow passed over his head. Almost got fucked.
Right, I need to keep my head and neck covered.
Just then, with a thwip-thwip, arrows fired in succession.
Hey! Give a guy a break!
Sensing danger, Kerry rolled forward.
It was the right call.
If he hadn't, one of the two arrows now stuck in the wall would have been stuck in his body.
The problem was, it was another close call.
An arrow grazed his side and forearm. His leather armor couldn't block it completely.
Blood trickled from the wound. Another glorious scar to add to the collection.
This much was bearable.
The countless scars on Kerry's body hadn't appeared on their own, after all.
I must be almost there.
Kerry slowly gauged the distance.
Once an arrow had fired from a spot, it was safe to stand there.
Damn it. I'm only a third of the way through.
Kerry let out a deep sigh.
But the loud sound of the structure breaking in the distance forced him to move.
*
Kerry made it completely past the arrow trap.
Blood was flowing from several places on his body, wounds from where the arrows had grazed him. But none had pierced him. That was a small mercy.
“Time to run.”
Kerry began to climb the left staircase of the square altar.
Nassen and Lina's group were still brawling at the bottom of the front stairs.
The altar was quite high, so it took time to climb.
Thankfully, no one in the party seemed to be injured.
Good. If I can just get to the top without being seen, we win.
Nassen spoke in the middle of the fight, disgusted.
“Ugh. You tiresome bitches. Why do you keep fighting a battle you can't win?”
“...”
“Why! Tell me. Wait... where is that annoying man? Bring him out. I'll stomp him flat and burst his guts right now.”
Just then, as the heat in Nassen's head began to cool, he seemed to sense something was wrong and started looking around. Shit, I'm screwed.
As he scanned the area, Nassen's eyes met Kerry's.
Kerry was still only about halfway up the stairs.
But it was enough to reach the top before Nassen could.
“Took you long enough, you blockhead.”
“...You! Annoying man! Get down from there right now!”
Finally realizing Kerry's plan, Nassen started charging like a madman.
Like I'd hand over my Doll Ginseng that easily.
Kerry also scrambled up the stairs like crazy.
“Stop! Annoying man! You... you can't go up there!”
Nassen shouted nonsense as he ran. Kerry silently gave him the middle finger and kept running hard.
But that bastard's faster than I thought.
Nassen reached the front stairs of the square altar.
He began to climb the stairs frantically. His large body was actually hindering his ascent.
The stairs frequently crumbled, unable to bear his weight.
“Grrgh. I told you to stop, annoying man! I-If you stop now, I'll spare your life!”
Yeah, fuck you. I'm at the top.
[You have cleared the Dungeon Labyrinth.]
[The dungeon will now open.]
[Calculating rewards.]
“Noooooo!”
Kerry looked around from the top of the altar.
The Goddess's Eye had definitely said the Doll Ginseng was here.
There it is.
He saw a green plant rooted in the dirt before him.
Kerry pulled on the green plant. A ginseng-like root came out of the soil.
At the same time, a chill like the dead of winter emanated from the Doll Ginseng. What the? It suddenly got freezing.
Kerry used the Goddess's Eye on the Doll Ginseng.
[Name – Doll Ginseng]
[Grade – Legendary]
[Summary – A snow ginseng that has absorbed the chill of an ancient labyrinth for 100 years. It contains over 100 years' worth of mana. It holds an extreme amount of yin energy. Be cautious of side effects upon consumption.]
So I can't eat it right away.
“The Doll Ginseng... Hand over the Doll Ginseng, annoying man! It was mine from the start. I'm the one who found this dungeon!”
Nassen placed a giant hand on the top of the altar, trying to pull himself up. But the Doll Ginseng was already in Kerry's hand.
Jeez, this guy is so clingy. He needs to learn to give up when it's not meant to be.
Kerry tossed a single remark at the clingy Nassen.
“That ginseng of yours? It was pretty damn good.”