episode_0049

Having many people doesn’t always create good results.

Because any matter has advantages and disadvantages.

The fact that many people gather means that interaction among people becomes more active, and.

Conflicts are bound to arise even more.

Because all humans think differently.

Of course, humans are quite generous in places not related to themselves.

If their own interest is the common interest, they sometimes endure a slight loss.

The person who put up the signposts guiding the way in the 3rd-floor labyrinth probably didn’t receive any compensation, but would have gladly used their own supplies to put them up.

These small considerations accumulated and built the current culture, and.

This is the advantage.

The advantage of having many people.

But everything has two sides.

If the determined resources are limited and there are many humans who desire them, conflicts are bound to occur.

Because there will be no human who easily gives up their own interest.

“Stop!!!!”

While following the crowd walking along the path, a loud voice was heard.

People gathered densely in the middle of the forest.

“What could be happening?”

“Yeah. Any guesses?”

“There are. Like occupying a section?”

As soon as they heard the story about occupying a section, Luca and Khairek nodded, saying they understood.

I asked what on earth that was about.

“It’s when a slightly large clan, or groups of explorers, drive out other explorers, calling it their area.”

I understood what they meant immediately.

As a K-gamer, I knew quite a few games that had a similar feeling to that.

One mushroom game had something called ‘spot’.

A game where hundreds of millions of won went into a single sword had something called ‘control’.

Roughly, the act of fighting with other users for their own profit.

I didn’t expect to see this in reality.

Because unlike a game, it’s not something you can easily do.

“Is that possible?”

“Well, it’s just the extent of explorers getting by discreetly among themselves. If they get caught by a knight inside the labyrinth, they just get chewed out and that’s it.”

Twitch!

Grace’s ears moved.

Grace immediately closed her eyes and listened to the noisy conversation ahead.

It wasn’t long before she came to a conclusion.

“That’s right. They occupied the section.”

“But there’s one strange thing!!”

“What is it?”

“No matter what, blocking the path to the 4th floor is not an easy choice!!”

That’s true.

But since that’s happening right before their eyes, the people in front must be unfairly treated and protesting.

“I wish a knight would resolve it quickly.”

“Indeed. We could detour and go this way. Would you like to wait a bit?”

Fortunately, our party has a guide, so we can just take a slight detour.

“Let’s do that.”

We immediately detoured to the side.

It didn’t take long to regret that action.

“What, it’s even here?”

An endless line of humans.

So many humans that you’d wonder where they found them.

There are more humans than monsters, to the point where it’s confusing whether this is a labyrinth or a park in a labyrinth city.

“Is the Orc’s holy ground originally like this?”

“No, it wasn’t like this no matter what. Something seems to have happened.”

“You don’t know about it? Weren’t you quite knowledgeable about information?”

“Exactly. I’m a bit flustered. Shall we just ask? Although I don’t know if they’ll answer.”

We immediately approached the explorers occupying the spot.

They were wary of us. A feeling as if they were ready to fight at any moment.

Normally, it’s common for explorers to be wary when meeting each other inside the labyrinth because of looters, but.

That degree was excessive,

Grace approached gently and opened the conversation.

“What’s going on here?”

“…….”

No answer returned.

An exclusive attitude. It seemed difficult to easily get information from them.

But Grace, as if she had already expected it, took out a silver coin from her pocket and flicked it.

Clink.

The explorer who received the silver coin hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

“A certain noble said they would purchase artifacts that only come from Gellart’s paintings.”

“I’ve never heard of that at all.”

“Which section did you come from?”

“Section 11.”

“We are from Section 4. Most of the explorers currently occupying this vicinity probably came from our section.”

“Ah, is it because it’s such a big deal that the story hasn’t spread well outside the section?”

“No, it’s a request that came to a specific clan. We are the small fries below them.”

“Yes. Thank you for letting us know.”

Clink!!

As Grace flicked two or three more silver coins. The explorer quickly took and pocketed them.

Before Grace left, he gave a piece of advice.

“If Gellart’s painting opens today, they’ll probably let you through.”

It was good information.

“More than that, is there a separate place where the portal to enter Gellart’s painting opens?”

“If it’s a clan with enough skill to enter the painting on the 3rd floor, they might have that much information.”

“Surely, if you add +2 levels, the skill level matches, right?”

“Well, it seems fine if just we go in.”

However, pushing through in this situation is not a very good option.

“What on earth could the noble be looking for?”

“Indeed. If we had known just that, we would’ve interfered in the middle.”

But at least that, they would never tell.

“Well, it doesn’t matter.”

The flow of mana felt as I spread my senses.

The path towards the hidden dungeon will open soon.

And when that closes, the path to the 4th floor will open.

Immediately, a moment of confusion occurred.

It seems the place where the portal opened is not a very good location.

Because even roughly counting the clans occupying the section, it seemed like there were at least 10.

“It seems you can pass through.”

After a little time passed, the path opened.

The path heading towards the portal.

Seeing blood-stained grass in the middle was not my imagination.

*

“We’ve arrived.”

We arrived in front of a colossal building, to the extent that I would have known even if Grace hadn’t said it.

An Orc building made of structures created from all sorts of horns and bones.

We naturally entered that building, where only a torn and old flag moved solitarily.

There were no Orcs or anything inside.

“They say if you come here right after the labyrinth resets, there are tons of Orcs.”

As I followed Grace, we arrived at the top floor of the building before I knew it.

This place, where all the monsters had already disappeared and only resting explorers were visible.

We entered the portal in the center.

Originally, we could have rested a bit before entering, but we didn’t. Because I didn’t want to be in the same place as the explorers.

“It’s a Golem this time too!”

There was a Golem at the top of the 4th-floor map.

“Will that guy from back then appear this time too? Based on the investigation, they said they’ve never seen the monster we fought before.”

“Shouldn’t we go first to find out?”

Whatever it is, you don’t know anything until you go up.

“The number of floors is a bit low this time. 22 floors?”

“I was planning to do some farming on the 4th floor.”

That’s a pity.

I understood why the number of explorers active on the 4th floor was small.

Unless they’re hunting incidentally on their way to the 5th floor like us.

The number of floors and monsters change every time you enter. And if you climb to the end, you have to go to the 5th floor, so you are forced to leave the labyrinth.

“Well, it’s a pity, but it can’t be helped.”

“Let’s go up quickly!”

We immediately opened the door to the first room.

An Armadillo welcoming us.

Unlike the white one last time, it’s small in size and also yellowish in color.

Right, that’s the Armadillo I originally knew.

“What are you going to do?”

“Let’s do as planned.”

The original purpose of this 4th floor.

That is farming for the Rogue’s deck.

In other words, now is the time to get a ‘bus ride’.

『Combat Start. Draw 3 cards.』

『Energy 4/4』

[Evade (1)] [Flee (1)] [Stab (1)]

I checked the cards and stepped back.

The party members immediately took their positions.

Hans is the one leading the way.

Luca is on Hans’s left, Grace is on his right, and.

Khairek is at the very back.

“Grrrrrrrr!!!!”

The Armadillo, which finally discovered us, began to roll towards us.

Originally, Hans would have stopped there, raised his shield, and blocked it, but.

Now it’s different.

The power of the purple card he invested in with resolve shines.

[1 on 1].

Although it’s a card with a peculiar name.

Its effect is certain.

A single chain that shot out from Hans’s chest flew and reached the Armadillo.

Thwack!

The embedded chain glows with a green light.

But no change occurs.

The Armadillo is still just charging at Hans.

Hans’s shield grows enormous.

Crash!!

My robe slightly fluttered from the shockwave created when the two collided.

That’s not the end.

The kinetic energy that hasn’t disappeared yet.

The Armadillo rides the slightly tilted shield and soars upward.

A usual situation.

Although Hans is sturdy, it’s true that he lacked the power to hold down large monsters.

That’s why Luca’s [Taunt] was also useful.

But now it’s different.

Due to the effect of [1 on 1], the Armadillo that was flying towards us, embedded in the chain, could not proceed further.

It kept rolling in vain in mid-air, then couldn’t overcome gravity and crashed to the floor.

And Khairek, who didn’t miss that chance, shot an arrow.

The arrow imbued with powerful force attacked the Armadillo’s shell, and.

Although the arrow couldn’t pierce the shell and tear into the flesh and organs.

The shockwave and energy contained in the arrow struck the Armadillo’s entire body.

Its naturally curled-up body relaxed. Soft flesh was revealed.

Luca and Grace simultaneously approached that spot.

Freezing and tearing.

As the dagger and axe split the flesh and stabbed, the Armadillo groaned in pain and curled its body again.

And then it rolls again to escape.

However, the chain connected to Hans does not break.

The Armadillo rolling endlessly, unable to escape.

But the injuries were too great to endure further.

As soon as it quickly lost strength and its posture became disordered, the attacks continued.

When Luca’s axe entered the Armadillo’s chin. Only then could the fellow be extinguished.

Ding!

『Check card rewards.』

[Banish (4)] – Can only be activated while in [Stealth] state. Fires a magic bullet that removes an enemy for 1 turn. [Stealth] is released during this time.

[Perfect Plan (3)] – Use all cards in hand.

[Poison (0)] – Creates poison in a desired location.

As expected of the mid-floors, useful cards were immediately visible.

Excluding the last card, both [Banish] and [Perfect Plan] are useful cards.

It was even to the extent that I wondered if I could get cards surpassing these in the mid-floors.

However, in a situation where damage cards are so scarce right now, picking up one 4-cost attack card seemed fine.

Although I could look at other cards that might appear later.

Since I should start using the Rogue’s deck soon.

I immediately chose [Banish].

“Where shall we go?”

A three-way path visible before our eyes.

Two paths leading to monsters, and one ‘?’.

“Let’s go to the monster.”

“Yes. I knew you’d say that.”

As it is, after the last desert incident, a certain fear had arisen about going to ‘?’.

We opened the door leading to the monster floor.

The second floor wasn’t much different.

I wanted to test [Banish], but it wasn’t drawn, so I just checked on my party members’ growth.

Hans, who got new cards and became much more reliable.

Grace, who further honed her ice ability and can freeze enemies with just the needles she throws.

Khairek, who is still powerful.

Even Luca, who cuts down enemies with a newly obtained sharp axe.

While watching my reliable party members and intervening occasionally, we reached the 11th floor before I knew it.

The middle of the spire is a floor where elite monsters appear.

Last time, a giant Scavenger appeared here.

What will appear this time?

With a pounding heart, I opened the door.

There was one Orc there, holding an axe in each hand.

“That’s?!”

Khairek immediately shot an arrow.

Twang!!

The Orc accurately deflected the arrow that Khairek had shot.

The Orc immediately dragged its two axes and approached us.

『Combat Start. Draw 3 cards.』

『Energy 4/4』

[Stealth (2)] [Stab (1)] [Evade (1)]

“It’s an Orc Berserker. It’s quite a tricky fellow for an elite monster that appears in the middle of the 4th floor.”

I already know. Because he’s the fellow who appeared in the 4th-floor book I saw with Grace.

And he’s also a monster for whom we made a separate plan on how to catch him before entering the labyrinth.

That’s because that fellow is a rare gimmick-type monster.

Looking only at the Orc race, it doesn’t seem like that at all, but.

“That’s good. Then, please.”

“Yes.”

“Go do well!!!”

Receiving everyone’s cheers, I played one card as planned.

[Stealth]

My body slowly disappearing.

I quietly retreated backward.

At the same time, the Orc charging towards my party members.

Watching that scene, I hid my body in the darkness and ran towards the stairs.

It worked out perfectly.

Because it’s the perfect situation to test the Rogue’s deck I’ve put together over the past few days.