204. It’s More Dangerous Here

“Shion!”

“Did he really have to trigger a transfer trap?”

“Ah, this is driving me crazy.”

The person in charge of the team’s supplies had suddenly disappeared.

Moreover, he was the team’s leader and had taken the only healer and mage with him when he vanished.

“It’s impossible for us to keep going on our own. We need to get out.”

“If we get separated, it’s best to find a transfer stone and escape. Shion will find a way to locate a transfer stone and get out on his own. It’s better to leave before we miss each other.”

At Chloe and Ulysses’ words, Joshua and Maximus nodded.

They had already discussed this with Shion before coming here.

If anyone got isolated, the remaining team members weren’t to focus on rescue but instead prioritize escape. The 6th floor was far larger than they had imagined, and without tracking-type abilities, reuniting would be nearly impossible.

“Since Shion got transferred, we have at most three to four days left.”

“That’s all the food and water we have left.”

“Let’s find a transfer stone first. Hey, miss, are you okay? Can you still guide us?”

“I can. I’ve already started searching.”

“That’s a relief.”

Maximus checked on Leah’s condition.

No one was unaware of Leah and Shion’s relationship. That’s why they had to keep an eye on Leah, their guide.

If her mental state wavered, she might not be able to lead them properly to the transfer stone.

Of course, Leah wasn’t the type to break down over something like this.

Her faith in Shion was stronger than anyone else’s. In fact, she was more worried about herself and the rest of the team than about Shion.

‘Can we get out without Shion?’

In a way, this too was a form of dependence.

To her, Shion was like an unbeatable trump card.

Her faith in him was so strong that her concern wasn’t for Shion’s safety but for the survival of the team and herself in his absence.

“If we go this way, it should work. Since we’re prioritizing finding a transfer stone, the chances of encountering monsters are pretty high.”

“Doesn’t matter. The priority is getting out as fast as possible and reporting the emergency.”

“Let’s go. I’m itching for a fight-haven’t had one in too long.”

Despite Shion’s disappearance, they didn’t panic.

Not just Leah, but the rest of the party also didn’t believe Shion would die so easily.

The real problem, however, was that Shion had indeed survived somehow-just as they thought-while an even greater danger was about to befall the rest of the team.

---

Following Leah’s guidance, they fought dungeon crawlers while searching for a location where a transfer stone might be found.

Then, something happened.

“Doesn’t it feel like the number of monsters is increasing?!”

“That’s not just a feeling-it is increasing!”

Nearly a hundred dungeon crawlers began swarming them.

Moreover, for some reason, the number of traps had grown exponentially, and collapsed pathways blocking their way were becoming frequent.

“Something’s off. There shouldn’t be monsters on the 6th floor capable of collapsing paths like this.”

“This path is blocked too.”

“Doesn’t it feel like we’re being herded?”

“The problem is, the transfer stone seems to be in this direction.”

Leah looked at the remaining path and spoke.

It was definitely the way to the transfer stone, but with all other paths blocked, they couldn’t shake the feeling that something was leading them.

Like walking straight into a tiger’s den.

“Do monsters with this level of intelligence exist on the 6th floor?”

“They do in ancient ruins. But other areas? Not sure.”

“Most monsters on the 6th floor prioritize unique abilities over high intelligence. None should be capable of blocking paths and setting traps to hunt adventurers like this.”

“…So it’s a new monster, then.”

After the Great Cataclysm, two new types of monsters had appeared on the 6th floor.

The first were the monsters of the Flesh Zone, made of living walls of meat.

The second was…

“Golden Goblins would go this far?”

“It’s not impossible. The information we have is weeks old. If the Golden Goblins established a faction and formed a collective in that time? It’s entirely possible.”

The Golden Goblins had built a faction, turning the 6th floor into a hunting ground for adventurers.

That was Ulysses’ theory, and it was mostly correct.

After the dangers of the 6th floor became known, adventurers stopped venturing there, settling instead on the conquered 5th floor.

As a result, the forces that had kept the Golden Goblins in check disappeared entirely, and in the absence of adventurers, the Golden Goblins freely expanded their territory, hunting other monsters for materials to set traps, tear down walls, and block paths.

“Their intelligence is beyond imagination.”

“They’re practically no different from humans.”

At Leah’s words, the party nodded.

It was similar to dealing with a faction of heretics.

Fighting enemies with high intelligence came with these kinds of risks.

“Do we keep going? It’s definitely a trap.”

As the guide, Leah sought the opinion of Ulysses, the eldest in the team.

Without Shion, following Ulysses’ judgment gave them the highest chance of survival.

“With no other paths available, turning back would just waste more time. The choice is between taking a safer detour or pushing through. A crossroads of choice.”

“Even if we take the safer route, there’s no guarantee it’ll actually be safe.”

“Maximus is right. All paths could be traps. But they might not be.”

As the party’s debate deepened, Joshua, who had been quietly listening, stepped forward.

“Why overthink it? Just go.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Annoying. I don’t care since I have a mechanical body, but once your food runs out, you’ll have to eat monster meat. And what on the 6th floor is even edible? Nothing. It’s all parasite-infested, disgusting meat. You think you can stomach that rancid filth? Better to get out fast. Let’s push through.”

“Hold on. Even dungeon crawlers with a foul stench are edible if you have to. Parasites can be dealt with using medicine. A detour is still better than charging ahead.”

At Maximus’ words, Chloe also nodded.

The two gladiators had eaten everything except human flesh, so there was little they couldn’t stomach.

“Well, you two are rough enough to handle that, I guess.”

“I… can eat it too.”

“You too, miss? Huh. Didn’t expect that. You don’t look the type to even touch that kind of thing.”

“Don’t underestimate me, Joshua. I’m an adventurer too. A little stench doesn’t bother me.”

“So what, we’re all going back the way we came? I still think pushing forward is the right move… but fine, I’ll respect the majority. Though, it’s not just food-our torches will run out soon too!”

“The torches and water are the bigger issue.”

“Food is the least of our worries compared to torches and water.”

If food ran out, they could substitute it with monster meat.

But if torches and water ran out, there was no replacement.

If Shion were here, his near-infinite supplies would let them stay in the labyrinth for months without issue. Without him, the situation was completely different.

“But we can still hold out for now. Walking into an obvious trap is suicide.”

“I agree with her.”

“Let’s just turn back. Going forward is too dangerous.”

“Fine, then. I’ll go with the majority.”

Once the party agreed, Leah changed direction.

They would backtrack and search for another transfer stone.

But things didn’t go so smoothly.

“Here too… same as before.”

“Even after coming this far, the paths to the transfer stone are full of traps. The Golden Goblins must have claimed this area too.”

“Damn it. Are they controlling the entire 6th floor? Every path to a transfer stone is littered with Golden Goblin traps and traces.”

“So all the transfer stone locations are within Golden Goblin territory! How lovely. We’ve been wasting our time. Every path is the same.”

At Joshua’s sarcasm, Maximus smacked the back of his head.

“Gah! Why’d you hit me?!”

“Just felt like it. Your tone is pissing me off. Ever since you got that mechanical body, you’ve become insufferable.”

“What, you want me to keep laughing like an idiot?”

“I’d prefer that. A clueless idiot is more likable than a sarcastic bastard. Keep talking like that, and next time I’ll rip your head off. Watch your mouth.”

“Tch.”

Joshua snorted and crossed his arms, saying nothing more.

Maximus’ threat had genuinely scared him.

“Well, now our only option is to push through.”

“We can’t afford to waste any more time. The torches are running low, so we’ll have to force our way.”

They had already burned through nearly a day.

Realizing they couldn’t delay any longer, they headed toward where the transfer stone should be.

There was no other choice.

They didn’t have an infinite power source like Shion’s hypercube to act as a light source, nor the materials to make more torches. If they lost their light here, they’d be unable to see ahead.

In other words, they’d become prey for the monsters.

“Did they deliberately narrow the paths?”

“Seems like it. They made it hard to move.”

“They’re small, so they’re just screwing with humans’ mobility. Damn pests.”

The further they went, the more traps appeared, and the paths grew narrower.

Every passage was blocked, forcing them down a single route.

“Wouldn’t it be funny if they pulled all this crap and turned out to be weak?”

“I’d love that.”

The party’s tension only grew.

Monsters rarely altered the labyrinth to this extent.

Especially on the 6th floor, which wasn’t even considered another world like the 7th.

“It’s just ahead. We’ll reach an open space soon.”

“I can sense presences. Far more than expected.”

“All Golden Goblins?”

“Don’t know. Could be, could be not.”

Soon, the party reached the presumed location of the transfer stone.

After passing through a dark tunnel, they finally arrived at a more open space-only to witness a shocking scene they never expected.

“……”

“What… is that?”

Squirming masses of flesh.

And a creature half-buried within that flesh.

“A variant…”

A massive Golden Goblin, nearly three meters tall with an obese body bloated with fat, sat atop a throne made of flesh.

“Welcome. I’ve been waiting.”

The Golden Goblin King.

And the byproducts of the Flesh Zone clinging parasitically to its head.

“Allow me to invite you to my feast.”

As she looked upon the carnage of corpses turned into a banquet, Leah felt nauseous.

The labyrinth’s thick malice pressed in.

To snuff out the adventurers’ lives.