episode_0033

The Cradle had one guild.

Beneath it existed countless clans.

Only the Adventurers’ Guild could be called a true guild.

The power of this guild was truly terrifying.

Because it was composed solely of adventurers, it could topple a kingdom in an instant.

The master of the Cradle.

And the Guild Master.

She was a woman with an icy expression.

If Lucia’s hair was a vivid crimson, like blood,

hers was like flames, as if it were burning.

Her eyes were golden—an unusual hue. Though they shimmered gold, there was something almost reptilian about them.

Click, click.

She walked past, her gaze lingering on me.

‘Was that my imagination?’

It felt like her eyes stayed on me a little longer than usual.

As I pondered, the Guild Master took her seat at the head of the table.

“It’s been a while since we’ve all gathered. Good to see you.”

A voice steeped in exhaustion.

Yet, unlike Vulcan’s, it carried an undeniable authority—an overwhelming charisma that brooked no resistance.

‘Is this a Gift?’

It must have been some kind of ability like that.

Otherwise, why would someone like me instinctively want to obey her?

“You’re all tired and have your own business to attend to, so I’ll be brief. From the 1st to the 5th floor of the labyrinth, strange phenomena have been occurring.”

“To be specific, the intelligence of the monsters inhabiting those floors has begun to rise. Boss monsters with leadership abilities have started appearing, among other things, but the most critical issue is that many of our scouts have died.”

“That’s why the guild must intervene. For now, we’ll seal off the labyrinth and thoroughly investigate the 1st to 5th floors to analyze the cause.”

“That’s the reason I’ve gathered you all here today.”

The Guild Master looked at us with indifferent eyes.

“Any questions?”

“How long will this investigation take?”

“I don’t know. We want to finish as quickly as possible, which is why we’ve assembled even the upper-tier adventurers for this.”

“But the top-tier adventurers aren’t here, are they?”

“They’ve all descended into the Abyss.”

“Ugh…”

The so-called Abyss referred to the floors below the 20th.

It was a place permitted only to adventurers of Vulcan’s caliber. A dangerous zone where, if the party didn’t stick together or follow the leader’s orders precisely, the entire group could collapse in an instant.

‘A place where even old-timers like Vulcan could die in a single misstep.’

It was no exaggeration to call it the Abyss.

And it was also the reason why empires and kingdoms weren’t overly concerned about the Demon King.

Because if all the adventurers exploring the Abyss were gathered, even the heroes who defeated the Demon King a thousand years ago wouldn’t stand a chance—even if they came by the truckload.

“In any case, this request is classified as high-rank. I’d appreciate it if you all gave it your best.”

“A high-rank request just for scouting the 1st to 5th floors? The guild must be really desperate.”

“A high-rank request means we can rack up quite a bit of contribution points, huh.”

The adventurers chatted casually.

Most of them were used to exploring floors beyond the 10th, after all.

‘I could handle the 1st floor alone, though.’

However, a few wore serious expressions.

One of them was Erme.

‘…If she’s this worried, it’s a bit unsettling.’

Still, as long as we could overcome whatever was coming, it’d be fine.

“If there are no further questions, then we’ll proceed. Everyone, carry out your duties.”

With those words, the Guild Master left.

The remaining adventurers exchanged casual farewells.

‘The atmosphere doesn’t seem too tense.’

Most were treating it like easy work, relaxing already.

“You brats better thank me later.”

“…I don’t like the sound of that.”

“…You don’t like my sound?”

Vulcan seemed startled by my response.

He then fell into deep thought, his expression grave.

“If it were anyone else, I’d tell them to stop spouting nonsense.”

For some reason, Vulcan placed an unusual amount of trust in my words.

It was almost baffling how seriously he took me.

“So even Yuseong-ssi feels uneasy about this mission.”

What do you mean, even?

I said it because you looked uneasy.

“Are you worried? If so, you’re welcome to join our party.”

Lucia spoke in a bewitching tone, waving her hand flirtatiously at me.

Erme immediately stepped in front of me, blocking her with a subtle motion.

“I’m sorry, but Yuseong-ssi isn’t an object to be taken.”

“Oh my, I didn’t mean it like that… Could it be you’re feeling guilty?”

“Ah, my apologies. Lately, there’s been someone persistently following Yuseong-ssi around, so I might’ve reacted a bit sharply.”

“…Then I’ll see you later.”

Lucia waved and left.

“That woman really rubs me the wrong way.”

“…You’re probably the only one who can talk to the Execution Princess like that.”

Glasses adjusted his glasses as he spoke to Erme. Behind him, Teresa nodded quietly.

‘…What on earth did she do to make those two react so strongly?’

A small curiosity sparked in me.

“Shall we head out soon?”

At Erme’s words, our party nodded.

We descended, carved our marks as a party of five, and headed toward the portal leading to the labyrinth.

The moment we entered the labyrinth, I felt it.

‘Something’s…’

My senses sharpened.

My body temperature dropped slightly.

Compared to usual.

‘It feels different.’

The instant we stepped in, I knew. There was a scent in the air—like death might claim me today.

“…What is this?”

“I-Is the labyrinth always this scary?”

Glasses and Rosenta spoke in turn.

They must’ve felt it too. Teresa frowned slightly.

“…It’s definitely different.”

“Last time I came alone, the goblins were acting strange.”

“…How so?”

“They lured people in, set traps, and moved in coordinated groups.”

“…Isn’t that what goblins normally do?”

“They were more… professional.”

“….”

Glasses wore a troubled expression.

He must’ve been wondering if we were really the right people for this job.

“Let’s set a goal first.”

“A goal?”

“Survival. No matter what.”

I said it while scanning our surroundings.

Our party was weak. We were just tagging along by chance.

‘They probably don’t expect much from us.’

Some took this situation seriously, but no one expected us to accomplish anything significant.

We were just here for formality’s sake, likely due to connections.

‘Still, we should do our best.’

As long as our lives weren’t at risk, that is.

“There’s something you all need to be careful of.”

Erme gathered the party and spoke quietly.

“What is it?”

“If any of you feel something strange, or see someone acting like they’re under some kind of spell, run immediately.”

Erme’s tone was uncharacteristically firm.

She was usually cautious with her words, but this time, it was almost an order.

Perhaps sensing the gravity, everyone nodded with stiff expressions.

“And one more thing. If we get separated and meet again, don’t trust anyone blindly. Just in case, let’s set a password.”

“A password…?”

When Glasses asked, Erme nodded firmly.

“No, let’s make it physical. Draw an X on your wrist and wear this band over it.”

Erme quickly handed out bands and used something like a marker to draw X’s on our wrists.

‘…Are there monsters that can mimic party members this time?’

If Erme was emphasizing it this much, it had to be true.

I put the band over the X on my wrist.

…But I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

Had I seen this somewhere before?

“As the party leader, I’ll say this once. Our goal is investigation, but prioritize your lives above all else.”

“R-Right.”

Erme repeatedly stressed that we should protect ourselves first.

Her unusual behavior had everyone’s faces stiffening.

Rosenta looked moved that the party leader cared about our lives.

“I’m glad. You’re a conscientious person.”

“Why?”

“My last party leader only cared about results. They saw sacrificing party members as natural for the sake of achievements.”

“What happened to them?”

“They got stabbed in the back by their own party while chasing results…”

Well, figures.

In the labyrinth, anything could happen.

“Let’s get going. Yuseong-ssi, if you notice anything—no matter how small—tell us immediately.”

“Got it.”

I took the lead.

Teresa followed behind me, with Glasses, Rosenta, and Erme bringing up the rear.

“Let’s move.”

We stepped into the darkness.

I noticed something was wrong shortly after entering the labyrinth.

It was unnervingly quiet.

Normally, there’d be at least some sounds of fighting by now.

‘…Are there just not many adventurers here?’

Most had been evacuated.

The remaining adventurers were all at least Level 3 or higher.

Even at the lowest estimate, that meant the average level here was beyond what I, the strongest in our party, could handle.

So the monsters were probably being wiped out before they could even make noise.

We pressed forward.

After a while, Rosenta spoke up uneasily.

“…It’s too quiet.”

“It’s suspiciously quiet compared to usual.”

“It’s probably because of the high-tier adventurers.”

Erme had the same thought as me, yet she was incredibly tense.

‘…Why is she so on edge? It’s making me want to go home.’

Just what had happened in the labyrinth to make her like this?

-You might not realize it, but be careful. The labyrinth is off this time.

‘…I know.’

-Abnormal phenomena in the labyrinth shouldn’t be taken lightly. Whenever they occur, there are always victims.

‘I get it.’

Even Lishiel’s warning put me on edge.

Our party proceeded cautiously.

Before long, I sensed something ahead.

‘The smell of blood.’

And something else—a foul, indescribable stench.

The area was drenched in blood, as if a massacre had taken place.

But something was off.

There should’ve been bodies.

‘There aren’t any.’

Only blood remained.

It was strange. High-tier adventurers could easily slaughter goblins, but why would they bother taking the bodies? They’d prioritize loot over corpses.

And the silence—it was unsettling.

That question was answered soon enough.

“….”

A human head lay on the ground.

Nothing else remained.

I recognized this person.

Someone from the guild who had been kind to me.

‘Nation.’

Viola’s older brother. He’d once thanked me for pranking Viola.

His face was frozen in horror.

Only his head remained.