episode_0053

The 5th floor, the severe cold zone, generally doesn’t have that many monsters.

Actually, I didn’t quite understand why.

To argue for reality, saying there are no monsters because it’s cold, has there ever been a realistic place in the labyrinth so far?

However, if an evil god is the one creating the labyrinth, perhaps his taste was involved.

Like unnecessary historical accuracy or something.

Anyway, that’s why most monsters are found near the four lakes that don’t freeze, but many adventurers don’t target that area.

Because the 5th floor has a separate main hunting ground.

Ice Cave.

It’s the main hunting ground of the 5th floor.

A cave entirely surrounded by ice.

It’s a type of instance dungeon that is constantly generated.

One type of monster lives inside.

It’s roughly a similar feeling to an animal like a bear occupying a single cave in a snowy area.

Since many monsters reside here, offering significant gains, most people roam the severe cold zone looking for ice caves.

However, just as the types of monsters inside the cave vary, there are occasionally a few monsters that are few in number but strong.

Of course, as the difficulty increases, the rewards also improve, so numerous adventurers are tempted and enter.

But not all of them can win the battle.

“We’re being pushed back! At this rate, we’ll all die!!”

Grace says this urgently, but still doesn’t recklessly enter.

Everyone stands in front of the ice cave and watches inside.

It’s a natural thing.

Intervention among adventurers doesn’t produce good results.

Everyone here knows that, so they are all just looking at me.

A decision must be made here and now.

To intervene or not.

“What’s the usual course of action in a situation like this?”

When I asked Kairek, who was beside me, he replied with a cold expression, his face unchanged.

“Normally, the general behavior is to just wait in front, and intervene once they are all dead. Dying to a monster means you are weak.”

“…Right.”

What if I intervene here and a purple card comes out of the monster?

A fight over ownership begins immediately.

Saying intervention wasn’t necessary, saying they had something hidden.

“One person has been stabbed now!!”

Grace looks at me.

Kairek was seriously looking at the cave entrance.

Is this action I’m about to take being meddlesome, or not?

“…….”

The deliberation was not long.

“Let’s go in.”

I decided to think about it later.

Because a person’s life comes first.

“Charging in!!”

Hans leads the way, and I follow behind.

Five Ice Spirits visible in the distance.

Ice soldiers are constantly spewed out from the bodies of those spirits.

Other adventurers blocking the soldiers.

Pushed into a corner of the cave, they are holding on, but.

They were gradually being pushed back.

First, I threw one of the cards I was holding.

[Fire Dragon]

The flying dragon of intense flame shatters the ice soldiers.

Simultaneously, the status window appears.

『Battle Start. Draw 3 cards.』

『Energy 4/4』

[Crush(4)] [Fireball(1)] [Body Reinforcement(0)]

It’s not a bad hand.

Since it’s a situation where the battle must be ended quickly anyway.

Soon, we passed through the narrow cave and entered a wide cavity.

The Ice Cave is entirely surrounded by ice. Its width is so vast that I even wondered if I could engulf it all even if I used a tidal wave.

Only then did the monsters and adventurers discover us.

First, what would their reaction be?

If they didn’t ask for help here, I intended to retreat.

“Help us!!!!”

Seeing the adventurers asking for help, we also prepared for battle.

Simultaneously, ice soldiers rushed towards us.

Thanks to this, the number of ice soldiers pressing the adventurers decreased, allowing them to catch their breath.

“Potions!!”

“Still alive!!!”

The sight of them recovering injured comrades.

Fortunately, it seemed no one had died.

I threw one card.

[Crush(4)]

One card disappearing into thin air.

The mana that surged around my body began to gather above the ice spirits.

The mana, gathered one by one, soon took the form of a transparent fist.

Kwaang!!

A giant fist is brought down.

Everything that touches that fist is literally [Crushed].

Kwajik!!! Kwaang!! Peo-eok!!

The ice soldiers shattering.

And the Ice Spirits hidden behind them are also swept away, unable to avoid it.

However, 2 of them still escaped the range of the crush.

Kairek shoots an arrow towards the surviving spirit.

Shooong.

But the arrow passes through the spirit.

It’s the same reaction as the ghost-type monsters seen in the Grand Mausoleum on the 3rd floor.

A feeling of understanding why the other adventurers here were struggling.

Because there didn’t seem to be any mages or priests among them.

However, our side has quite a few ways to solve this.

There’s me, but more than that, there’s Grace who gained elemental damage this time.

As if she had grasped the entire situation already, Grace quickly passed through the ice soldiers and ran to take the head of the Ice Spirit.

Pook!!

The dagger entered strongly.

However, the result was unexpected.

As expected of an Ice Spirit, Grace’s ice elemental damage didn’t work at all.

Unfortunately, only I can defeat the spirits.

I urgently checked my hand.

『[Butcher’s Gauntlets] consume blood.』

『Energy increases by 1, and draw 1 card.』

『[Butcher’s Gauntlets] consume blood.』

『Energy increases by 1, and draw 1 card.』

Clearing away the continuously appearing status windows.

I immediately use one of the cards in my hand.

[Wave(4)] – Shoot a strong wave to attack the enemy.

Kwaang!!!

A single powerful wave flies out.

The powerful wave that grinds everything in its path reached the body of the spirit hidden behind the ice soldier.

Hwiiiing!!!

The spirit’s body shakes with a sound like air escaping.

It didn’t take long for it to disappear.

Ttiring!

『Check card rewards.』

Because the status window also announced victory.

Situation ended.

However, it’s not over yet.

What reward will appear as the last defeated Ice Spirit vanishes?

It would have been nice if an insignificant reward had come out and it just ended pleasantly.

Unfortunately, my luck was too good.

“A… a gold card appeared!”

Gold card.

Because an expensive card, not easily seen even on the 5th floor, appeared.

And the expressions of the other adventurers who saw it changed drastically.

Originally, they were grateful for the help, but now it’s different.

“This is interfering with our hunt!!!”

Sure enough, a man claiming ownership from the start.

While I was contemplating what to say after hearing that, Kairek shouted in his characteristic booming voice.

“Surely! Didn’t you ask us for help?”

“…Madman, Kairek.”

He seemed to know Kairek.

And he seemed to have decided to use that.

“Do you know what happens if a celebrity like you violates the explorer’s code of conduct?”

“And so, didn’t I get your permission!!”

“…….”

Actually, the man also knows that.

Because without our help, they would have been annihilated.

That’s why he couldn’t assert it more strongly.

Doongsil.

The gold card floating in the spot where the Ice Spirit died.

Both sides couldn’t touch it and were just watching each other.

But as if they couldn’t give up the gold card, the adventurers exchanged glances and spoke to us.

“Thank you for your help. You saved our lives, but this was our hunting ground. You must know the problem with interfering in another adventurer’s hunting ground. So, for the help you gave us, we will give you a few magic stones or cards.”

It’s a reasonably rational proposal.

That they received help, so they will pay the price for that help.

But there’s a contradiction in that.

“We caught that Ice Spirit! Do you think you could have caught it?”

Besides the fact that they were already on the verge of annihilation before we arrived.

Monsters with the special characteristic of being Ice Spirits.

If they didn’t have a way to defeat that, there’s no way they could have obtained the gold card in the first place.

“There is a way!!!”

A female adventurer in the back takes something out of her bag.

“This is Holy Water. As you know, we bought it from the Ariel Church. If you apply this to a sword, you can deal damage to spirit-type monsters.”

“Then why didn’t you do that? You could have defeated them earlier.”

“That’s…”

She must know that even if she applies Holy Water, targeting the spirit by getting past these ice soldiers isn’t easy.

Especially since a spirit doesn’t just collapse easily just by applying Holy Water.

As if thinking the woman was losing the argument, the man stepped in front of her and faced us again.

“We originally intended to catch it. It’s because you intervened that it turned out this way.”

“Didn’t you ask for help?!”

“…Do you have proof?”

They were going to act completely shameless.

Watching each other, they put their hands on their weapons.

A war of nerves unfolds over a gold card that cannot be obtained even after working for several months.

I understand.

Because it’s the price of a small house, after all.

But is it necessary to get this hostile?

Just as I was about to say something to calm the situation down roughly.

“What is it??!!”

Grace shouted and grabbed something in the air.

Soon, an adventurer who was in stealth appeared.

“This person was trying to secretly take the gold card!!!”

“We don’t know anything about that!!!”

“No, what are you doing right now!!!”

“…After giving help like this, to stab us in the back.”

Everyone draws their weapons.

Ttiring!!

The status window also says.

『Killing intent detected. Draw 3 cards.』

Saying that this current situation is one that cannot be easily passed over.

“We may not have the power to catch the spirit, but we aren’t so helpless as to be robbed like this!!”

“It would have been fine to just get a reasonable share, but you’re trying to take it all!”

Paaat!!!

“Ow!!!”

Grace screams.

A slash passes through her body.

Blood rises from within it.

The trigger has been pulled.

There’s no turning back now.

“That guy is a mage!!! Eliminate him first!!”

Everyone unleashes their power.

Swords growing massive, clones, axes fly, and arrows are shot.

A circular space appears at my feet.

Here, where countless powers are mixed, too many to count.

The moment I was about to use a card because I also couldn’t be easily defeated.

“STOP!!!!!”

Along with a huge voice. My vision went dark.

Ppi———

My ears became muffled and no sound could be heard.

My vision was also shaking and blurry.

My body barely moving.

The moment I tried to spread my senses to figure out what was happening.

I finally discovered it.

The huge presence in the center of the Ice Cave.

“Fighting among adventurers is forbidden in the area where I am.”

Someone who immediately took the gold card.

My vision is gradually returning to normal.

Steel armor.

A black cloak flutters.

However, there was something more important than all of that.

It was the Knight’s emblem.

A knight bearing the Imperial emblem stood in the center of the Ice Cave.

“Hmm, I will name exactly one person from each side, so step forward!!!”

The one nominated from our party was me.

Slowly, I led my body and walked forward to the knight.

“Everyone, kneel!!!”

I knelt.

“Under the name of the Imperial Family, disputes among adventurers are forbidden. Do you know that?”

“Yes. I know.”

“Yes.”

The knight thrust the sword he was holding into the floor.

A strong shockwave shakes the cave.

“A knight stationed in the labyrinth, under the name of the Imperial Family. Intervention in all these disputes is possible. Do you agree?”

“I agree.”

“Yes.”

The knight nodded, and soon spoke in a slightly lighter voice.

“Both of you, stand up.”

As the knight permitted, I and the male adventurer from the opposite side stood up.

“Explain the situation so far. I will listen to both sides and reach a conclusion.”

First, the adventurers from the opposite side opened their mouths.

However, the peculiar thing was that they fully disclosed even the disadvantageous details.

Just seeing that, I could understand how the name ‘Knight’ functions in the labyrinth.

“Then, what about your side?”

I also spoke plainly and honestly about our situation.

Having heard all those stories, the knight propped his chin, seemingly in thought.

“It’s a difficult matter. However, in a situation like this, it would originally be correct for the adventurer hunting at this spot to take it.”

“In that case…?”

The man’s face brightened, but the knight spoke resolutely.

“However, even so, you should have resolved it peacefully. Your fault for attacking first is also great. Furthermore, if these people hadn’t been here, you all would have died.”

“If the knight hadn’t come…”

“Silence!!! I came here because I happened to be passing by and saw adventurers fighting, not to help adventurers being annihilated by monsters!”

“……Yes.”

“Therefore, I shall make a proposal.”

The knight took a coin out of his pocket.

“Surely not……”

“Exactly that. With the two of you who have come forward as witnesses, I will decide the owner of the gold card by determining heads or tails.”

Ting!!

The knight immediately flipped the coin and placed it on the back of his hand.

Unfortunately, none of those movements were visible at all.

“The reason I chose you two is because you two were the ones who couldn’t react while I was coming.”

Hearing that, I understood a little.

Because if it were Grace, she would have seen the coin’s movement and guessed heads or tails correctly.

“Which side will you choose? Mr. Mage.”

The man proposing to me first.

However, the knight’s expression changed upon hearing the word ‘mage’.

“A mage? Then you must know whether this coin is heads or tails, so that won’t do. Therefore, you choose.”

For the sole reason of being a mage, my right to choose was removed.

Well, it’s not bad.

Since I’m not that lucky anyway.

“I will choose heads.”

The man chose heads, so I naturally became tails.

“Good. Then I shall reveal it now!!”

The knight lifted his hand.

The winner is.