Chapter 29: I want to go to the second floor (1)

Chapter 29: I want to go to
the second floor (1)

I
woke up at the crack of dawn.

Maybe
I was just nervous, but I woke up a little earlier than usual.

I
glanced outside and saw that the explorers hadn’t started marching
yet.

“Off!”

After
the usual routine of stretching, cleaning, and meditation, I got
ready to arm myself.

In
the past, I would have worn only the basics of a shirt, pants, and a
backpack, but this trip to the labyrinth is a little different.

‘Gaiters
worth six silver coins. ‘

Depending
on the level, these will provide some warmth in the basically cooler
environment of the Labyrinth, and will also keep debris out of my
shoes.

‘Battle
Axe, 17 silver coins.’

The
blade is a bit smaller than the axe I’ve been using, but it’s much
sharper than the firewood chopping axe.

Hwoong-!

I
swung it once in the air, and the sound of air being cut resounded
coolly. The grip on the handle isn’t too bad either.

If
this is the appetizer, now it’s the main dish.

‘A
breastplate worth 40 silver coins!’

Even
if you hit it dozens of times with a goblin knife, there won’t be a
scratch on this breastplate…

Finally,
the Great Helm, which seems almost impossible to value.

It
was only two and a half silver coins when I got it from a weapon shop
that only flies dung beetles, but now I know it’s the most valuable
piece of equipment in my arsenal.

Carefully,
I put the helm on and adjusted the angle.

The
only flaw is the lack of a chin strap, which makes it less secure,
but otherwise it’s flawless.

I’ve
packed everything I need, supplies, and food.

“Good
morning. Balkan.”

“Good
morning, Diana.”

I
greeted Diana, who was up early as always, and we chatted for a while
before she handed me something.

I
take it, and it’s a thick pouch. The fabric was shiny and looked
luxurious.

“What
is this?”

“Hoo-hoo.
Speaking of which, I made one the other day, but I don’t know if
you’ll like it.”

I
untied the string and opened the pouch, and a salty, savory smell hit
me.

Inside
was jerky. I can tell just by smelling it. This is definitely good
jerky.

“Diana!”

I
remembered that I had said that in passing and thought of Diana, who
must have made the jerky a few days ago, and I felt a little tear of
emotion.

“Really.
I’ll eat it and be right back!”

“Woohoo.
Okay. Don’t get hurt, and come back alive. I still have a lot of
cooking to do.”

Unfortunately,
I had to pass on breakfast.

I
waved to Diana, who waved me off with a worried smile, and I was out
the door before I could catch sight of Grumpy.

Bow
in hand, dagger and map at her waist, a good-sized backpack on her
back, and a quiver of arrows slung at an angle for easy access, she
was the typical archer and guide.

“Are
you ready to go?”

“Are
you better equipped than last time?”

Grumpy
looks at my fully leveled up gear and opens her mouth in disbelief.

“Sometimes
there are outlaws who don’t know what they’re doing and want to loot
other people’s gear, but I think we’ll have to watch out for them
this time.”

Social
evils like outlaws, looters, and slave hunters were always a cause
for alarm.

“Let’s
go, don’t start off with a bang.”

“Yep.”

Naturally,
I grabbed the leash she handed me and headed for the labyrinth’s
entrance.

The
streets, which had been deserted in the early morning, were now
crowded with the procession of people heading to the Labyrinth.

-Thump-thump-thump.

I
spotted a fancy carriage, richly decorated, with a high ranking
person in it.

“The
new year is in two weeks. Will the ritual begin soon?”

“No.
It hasn’t happened in nine years, so the Labyrinth must have calmed
down a bit. If it does come again, it’s not for another three weeks,
according to the cycle.”

There
was a seasoned explorer muttering something unintelligible, but it
wasn’t enough for me to pay attention, so I turned my head away.

“I’ll
bet everything I have on this expedition!”

“That
just means you’re going to fuck your life up without looking back⋯”

“No,
we can do this, don’t be intimidated by being a novice explorer!”

I
look over at the leveled area and see a group of new explorers, eager
and excited about the Labyrinth.

“No⋯
no⋯
I’ll fight hard. Watch me, no. Watch me⋯!”

Among
the crowd, I spotted Jeremy, muttering to herself in an
uncharacteristically furtive tone.

“Jeremy.”

“Brother.”

As
soon as she spotted me, she ducked her head. Her complexion was
darker than last time.

“⋯Did
you sleep well? Are you ready to enter the labyrinth?”

“Yes.
I’m in excellent condition. I think I can kill five goblins at the
same time right now.”

As
she said that, Jeremy stroked her backpack fondly.

There
was a strange madness in her gesture that made me want to keep my
distance.

Still,
the three of us walked straight to the labyrinth’s entrance.

“Holy
shit.”

There
was a long line of people waiting to check their ID cards at the
entrance.

The
last time I was here, it was around lunchtime, so it seemed to be
relatively quiet.

I’d
already been waiting for thirty minutes and had barely advanced a few
meters. It was comparable to a highway during the holiday season.

‘I’m
an orphan, I’ve never been down to the country to see my parents.’

The
line didn’t move quickly, even though it was as simple as a quick
glance and an “okay to pass”.

“Ah,
Ms. Adeline, you’re having a hard time. Come on in!”

“Oh,
no. I’m just here to see what’s going on.”

“Adeline?

For
a moment, I thought it was Serif, because Adeline was her last name.

As
I poked my head out at the familiar name in front of me, I realized
that the guard was dealing with someone who looked like the opposite
of Serif.

If
Serif was a white cat, she was a black cat.

‘I’m
mistaken.’

The
angle showed only a glimpse of her back and head, and I couldn’t see
her pointed ears, which are characteristic of cat girls, so I assumed
she was someone with the same surname.

More
colorful carriages and what appeared to be seasoned explorers passed
through the labyrinth entrance without waiting in line.

No
special procedures, just a straight high pass. To be honest, I was a
little jealous.

“What
are they doing, just going through without waiting in line?”

“You
can’t tell by looking at them. They’re high ranking explorers, or mid
to high level explorers. They’re not in our league.”

After
about an hour of waiting amongst the explorers who cast them envious,
slightly admiring, and jealous glances, our turn finally came.

“Maybe
next time we should come around lunchtime like before.”

The
morning’s tedious wait in line had taken its toll.

–
In the morning, intermediate and advanced explorers are moving
quickly down the labyrinth, killing or dodging all the monsters as
they go, and if you go right after that, you’ll be relatively safe.

I
remembered Adolf’s advice. Indeed, this was another reason she had
asked me to come to lunch.

Though
her body may be dead and fallen prey to the goblins, her advice will
be a great lesson and take root in my heart.

Then
Grumpy looked at me in disbelief and said,

“What
are you talking about? High-level explorers break through the upper
levels in no time at all, and by the time lunch rolls around, there
will be nothing but novice explorers and the slave hunters who are
after them. Isn’t that a much more dangerous case? If there are any
high-level explorers left, they might be able to get some help.”

“⋯Yes.”

Come
to think of it, Adolf, that bitch of a priest was expelled from the
temple for sodomy. I’ll have to keep coming in the morning.

We
stood hand-in-hand to enter the portal.

Jeremy
held her spear in her left hand and I held my axe in my right, ready
to take on any monsters as soon as we transitioned.

“Why
are you all so tense?”

“⋯Because
we don’t know.”

“Ah.
One would think we’d encounter a monster as soon as we enter the
labyrinth. How rare is that?”

“⋯⋯”

“⋯⋯”

The
smirk on her face faded as she looked at me and Jeremy, who remained
silent.

“⋯Really?”

She
asked regretfully.

“Because
I had a shitty experience in the Labyrinth.”

She
faltered at the affirmation.

“Eh,
ah. I’ve been an explorer for over five years now, and I’ve never
heard or seen anything like that.”

If
a normal beginner explorer fell into such a situation, they’d usually
just get wiped out, so there was no one to spread rumors about,
right?

“Well,
let me share some of my luck with you then, I’ve had a bit of good
fortune, at least in the Labyrinth.”

As
she said that, she gave my hand a little squeeze.

“If
my master’s luck is bad, my good fortune will make it a wash.”

Perhaps
to ease the tension, the she-cat purred.

I
tugged once on the leash in praise, and then resumed my thoughts.

Goblin
lair battles, rape events, gatecrashing party members, battles upon
entry, trouble with outlaws.

Every
trip into the Labyrinth has always been followed by an incident.

Would
this time be any different?

‘No.
Absolutely not.’

Surely
something shitty would happen again.

“Are
you all ready?”

“Of
course!”

“Yep.
Brother.”

I
said it to my party, but I also said it to myself.

Nam
Soo-jin, are you ready? I’m ready. Even if I go into a tiger’s den,
as long as I keep my wits, I’ll survive. The labyrinth is no
different.

With
a clear mind, I stepped toward the portal.

“What
the hell?”

Nineteen
hours after entering the Labyrinth.

“Why,
why, why?”

I
muttered quietly to myself as I stood for the umpteenth time.

“Nothing
happened, right?”

We
had made it to the second floor without incident.