episode_0017
by fnovelpiaAs I took the lead at the forefront, I suppressed my presence while leaving marks to make it easier for the party to follow.
“What are these marks for?” “In case we run into other creatures and get separated like last time—it’s a precaution.”
Of course, it’s not like we’d scatter completely. But it’s better to be prepared. Who knows what might happen in the labyrinth?
After walking for a while, Hermes suddenly took the lead.
“Hermes?” “I have a good sense for these things. Let’s go this way.”
Hermes began striding forward confidently. But something felt off. Earlier in the labyrinth, she had seemed flustered, but now—
‘Why is she moving so smoothly?’
She advanced without hesitation, as if she knew the way. That was the strange part. It was almost as if she was familiar with the paths here.
‘They say the labyrinth is a space where time and space intertwine.’
That’s why, when entering the labyrinth, no one knows where they’ll end up or which areas lead to the next layer.
But Hermes’ behavior now was bizarre. She seemed to know exactly where we were, her eyes gleaming as if things were going perfectly.
Our party followed Hermes as she moved forward unhesitatingly.
“Ten goblins ahead.” “Prepare for battle.”
-Kieeeek!
“Take this.”
Glasses (the mage) and Hermes buffed Teresa and me. My body felt lighter. I dashed forward faster than anyone else, sword in hand.
‘First strike.’
Two goblin archers firing from the back. Annoying.
I threw three daggers. Each followed a different trajectory.
Clang!
One nearby goblin blocked, but the other two daggers struck the archers’ throats.
I pulled the blood-soaked dagger from Space No. 1.
Sschk!
I immediately beheaded the raging goblin at the front. Maybe because the dagger was soaked in blood—
It turned even redder after drinking in more.
No time to dwell. We’re in the middle of battle.
Two more goblins charged. I dodged the first one’s club by tilting my head back.
Whoosh!
The club grazed my hair. The other goblin grinned, its mouth stretched wide.
It pointed a rusted sword at me. I threw a hidden dagger straight into its skull.
‘Who told you to smile like that?’
By the time I finished off the goblins attacking me, the rest of the party had nearly cleared the others.
“Impressive. You seem even stronger than two days ago.”
Glasses adjusted his glasses as he spoke. I was stronger than two days ago.
‘My swordsmanship leveled up.’
It felt like all my bad habits had been unconsciously corrected. My blade work became more refined, faster—just better overall.
“No.” “What do you mean ‘no’?” “His skills have improved.”
At Teresa’s words, Hermes scanned the goblin corpses. Then she nodded in agreement.
“Definitely… There’s a cleaner precision now. Before, it felt more wild.” “Yeah. Different.” “……How is it possible to improve this much in two days?”
Glasses looked incredulous. Teresa studied me intently.
“Save the chatter for later. Let’s loot the goblins and move on.”
Hermes halted the conversation. Fair point. This place is dangerous—we can talk more afterward.
After repeating this cycle of battles a few times, I felt an odd sense of déjà vu.
‘This place…’
Something felt hidden.
The Thief’s Ultimate was telling me: There’s something concealed here. I glanced at Hermes—she was already watching me.
Come to think of it, she’s been too proactive.
‘She wanted us to come here.’
She seemed to know the location, too. Making sure we’d “stumble” upon what I was looking for.
‘What are you?’
She had strange knowledge. Even when we first met—me, Hanul, and Hermes—
She’d looked at me and said I wasn’t someone who’d die to goblins. Then there was the inexplicable money, and her intel on the Sword King and Vulcan.
If that’s the case, then maybe Hermes is—
‘No, that’s not the point right now.’
The priority is informing the party. I raised a hand, signaling them to stop.
“There’s something strange here.” “Strange how?” “Yeah, feels like something’s hidden nearby.” “A hidden [room]?” “Hidden?”
“To put it simply, it’s something concealed. The labyrinth is so vast that places like this exist. Among them, ‘hidden’ spots vary—some transport you elsewhere, others are just secret rooms.”
“Portals to other spaces are riskier, but since they don’t change layers, it’s not bad. At our level, we can handle this much.”
Hermes explained. Glasses and Teresa looked hesitant. Hermes’ twilight-like eyes locked onto me, silently asking, What will you do?
‘Me…’
If Hermes is what I suspect—
After a brief pause, I made my decision.
‘Let’s go.’
I nodded. Teresa and Glasses groaned.
“There’s a saying in the labyrinth: The strong don’t survive—those who survive become strong. Adventurers are told to avoid unnecessary risks.” “……” “But I don’t want to live like that. If I wanted safety, I’d have stayed as a support mage holed up in the Magic Tower. I’m going.” “……I need the money.”
Teresa stepped forward.
“I’ll go too.” “Four in favor, zero against. It’s decided.”
Hermes grinned, almost like she knew what treasure lay ahead.
“Shall we go, then?”
She stepped forward and pressed against the strange wall my senses detected. The wall vanished, revealing a door.
“A hidden room?” “Not sure. There might be a portal inside.” “Portal?” “The labyrinth’s way of sending you to another space. Riskier, but the rewards are greater.”
Hermes stepped back, gesturing to the door.
“Hehe, I’m no good with this stuff.”
A lock secured the door. I didn’t know these existed here. But the moment I saw it, information flowed into my mind.
‘A lockpick…’
I recalled Bag No. 2, where I kept the general store bag, soul stones, and Obsession. I pulled out a lockpick.
‘Glad I bought this just in case.’
Click.
The lock opened instantly.
“……Is it supposed to be that fast?” “Seeing this, I’m convinced he’s a thief…”
Glasses and Hermes muttered. Ignoring them, I pushed the door open.
‘No traps…’
The room was empty. The only notable detail was slash marks covering the walls.
“No traps for now.” “Good. Let’s look around.”
Hermes cheerfully stepped inside.
Rumble—
The door shut behind us, plunging us into darkness. I drew my sword, ready for anything.
“……Doesn’t seem like a trap.” “Guess not.” “Hey, can you guys see anything?” “Barely.”
Glasses sounded flustered in the pitch-black room.
“Can’t you summon light or something?” “I could. But if there’s no enemy and we can still see, I wouldn’t recommend it.” “Why?” “Hidden rooms are unpredictable. Some have traps triggered by magic—like ceilings collapsing.” “……”
What kind of death trap is that? Hermes nodded in confirmation.
“Rooms like that exist, so lighting up isn’t wise. To be precise, certain traps activate from mana reactions, but this one doesn’t seem like that. Still, better to be cautious…” “Got it.”
I cut off Hermes’ explanation and studied the slash marks.
‘But there’s still a way.’
I walked toward the marks.
‘No traps, but…’
How should I put it?
A mechanical device, maybe. Not magic or swordsmanship—a trap built on science.
‘Do labyrinths even have stuff like this?’
It felt off. Not that such mechanisms couldn’t exist here, but—
“Find anything?” “There’s some kind of mechanism here.” “Mechanism?” “Yeah. Step back for a sec.”
If my guess is right—
The Thief’s Ultimate fed me the answer. The slash marks were the key.
Huu.
I exhaled and slashed at the marked spot.
Srrrk—
A satisfying click echoed as a wall slid aside.
“Guess that was it.” “……How’d you figure that out so fast?”
Hermes stared at me blankly. I ignored her and stepped forward.
‘Feels weirdly exciting.’
But I suppressed the thrill. There could still be traps. I’d rather stay back, but I’m the fastest at detecting dangers.
Hermes and I took point, followed by Glasses, with Teresa guarding the rear. Simple reasoning:
Glasses, the mage, needed protection from potential threats.
After descending for a while, another door appeared.
“……The labyrinth is a strange place.” “Given how deep we’re going… this might be a hidden layer.”
Glasses muttered something odd. A hidden layer?
“A floor between layers. If this is the 1st layer, maybe this is Layer 1.5.” “Is that good?” “Depends. If we’re the first to discover it, there’s probably a boss here.” “A boss? Like…” “The 1st layer has Hob Goblin Fighters. The 2nd is Arachne’s domain…” “This isn’t Layer 1.5.”
Hermes shut down Glasses’ theory.
“At our level, 1.5 would be a bit… Well, actually, maybe not.”
She glanced at me and shook her head.
“If it were that layer, Hob Goblins would’ve swarmed us at the entrance.” “Hmm… Really?” “Yes. Marcel, your intel seems a bit outdated. That layer’s already been cleared.” “……”
Marcel (Glasses) gave Hermes a suspicious look. How do you even know that?
I stayed silent, scanning for traps, while Teresa followed blankly.
“Something strong’s in there.” “Yeah.”
Even from outside, we could feel it. The presence beyond the door was overwhelming.
A fierce, oppressive aura radiated through the door, making my skin prickle.
‘What the hell is in there?’
It wasn’t just an aura— For a moment, my body froze.
‘Is this… fighting spirit (鬪氣)?’
Information surfaced in my mind.
Fighting Spirit. A power distinct from mana. You could call it sheer presence.
Depending on the user’s strength or latent potential, it can overwhelm opponents. Whatever was behind this door exuded it naturally.
‘A real fighter.’
My body tensed on its own. No—tensed isn’t the right word. It felt too light.
“……Yuseong?” “What?” “N-Nothing. You just seem… excited.” “Excited?”
What nonsense. Why would I—
Then I realized I was smiling.
‘……Have I been trapped in the savage era too long?’
I’ve become a barbarian.
“Opening the door.” “……Okay.”
Creeeak—
Inside stood a massive figure gripping a greatsword.
Red skin, roughly 3 meters tall. If a goblin evolved, this might be the result.
“A Hob Goblin Fighter?” “A tier above—a Hob Goblin Champion. Be careful, it’s strong.”
-Kuoooooh!!
As Hermes spoke, the Hob Goblin Champion roared.
Glasses’ body locked up.
“Ghk—What kind of pressure is this?! S-Sorry, I can’t move!”
Like a stun effect in games.
“Buff us when you recover.”
I drew the blood-soaked dagger. The sword Hermes bought me was in Bag No. 1. Instead, I unsheathed Whisper of the Wind.
Then I charged at the Hob Goblin Champion.
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