episode_0090

Whoosh.

A torch blazed in the dark cave.

Jeong Yushin raised the torch high, looking around.

The party members, weapons drawn, were back-to-back around Jeong Yushin, guarding all directions.

The rat beastman, Mas, sniffed, peering into the darkness before opening his mouth.

“No problem.”

Iron Mask slung his greatsword over his shoulder.

“Understood. Mas will lead the way in the front, and Ska will stand behind Mas to illuminate the path with the torch. The cleric in the center. I’ll take the rear.”

From the front, Mas, Jeong Yushin, Kubo, and Iron Mask stood in a line.

Jeong Yushin stood behind the rat beastman and adjusted his backpack.

A clean command that didn’t need anything added. As expected, he’s not just anyone.

“Lucky. The portal to the 2nd floor is nearby.”

The rat beastman, Mas, said, putting the map in his arms.

Thump. Thump.

Uneven floor. Humid air.

The group held their breath and moved into the darkness.

Labyrinth 1st floor.

Caution was essential, but there was not much to worry about.

If the torch went out, they would go crazy in the dark, but there were enough reserve torches. If they were careful, they could proceed safely.

Jeong Yushin and the party members walked for several hours, pushing through the darkness.

“Stop.”

The rat beastman, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped.

“…”

All the party members gripped their weapons tightly and stared into the darkness.

“It’s a trap.”

“Everyone, be on guard. Ska, stay close to the rat beastman.”

Iron Mask commanded from the very back.

“Understood.”

Jeong Yushin took the torch and stayed close to the rat beastman.

The rat beastman took a few steps, stopped, and knelt on one knee.

“It’s an ankle trap. They smeared filth on the wooden spikes.”

“Tch.”

Jeong Yushin clicked his tongue at the rat beastman’s words. A simple trap that Kaal had fallen for.

For a trap only seen in the outer hobgoblin area to appear brazenly on the 1st floor meant there were not many people around.

Jeong Yushin glanced at Mas disarming the trap.

Thanks to ‘Quick Hands,’ one of the rat beastman, Mas’s, imprints, the disarming time was not long.

“It’s over.”

Mas disarmed the trap and retreated.

“Good. Return the formation to its original state and continue. Since there are traps, there is a possibility that hobgoblins are nearby. Be careful.”

Under Iron Mask’s fluid command, the party members continued through the darkness.

After walking for about an hour more, they reached the edge of the 1st-floor labyrinth.

A stone monument standing alone in the center of a huge cavity.

It was the transition stone to the 2nd floor.

“We’ll take a break here.”

The party members took their places around the torch.

Jeong Yushin leaned his back against the wall and loosened his walker laces.

The fatigue was not that great.

Thanks to the magic backpack the assassin dropped, the weight was not that heavy. It also helped that he had been training hard at the Swordsmanship Guild.

Jeong Yushin raised his helmet’s visor, put the canteen to his mouth, and tilted it. Lukewarm water went down his esophagus and into his stomach.

He calmed his breathing and observed the party members. Especially Iron Mask.

The party’s leader.

The hidden 1st Prince.

A human who doesn’t talk about himself at all.

If he sensed even a hint of being asked something, he would change the subject or remain silent.

There was no room to even talk about the 5th Prince.

He gave the impression that he deliberately didn’t want to talk about the past.

Why is that?

He tried to understand the 1st Prince by racking his brain, but it wasn’t easy.

He was not royalty or terminally ill. There was a sense of camaraderie, but Iron Mask seemed to think differently.

So far, there had been nothing strange about Iron Mask’s instructions. He hoped it would continue to be like this in the future.

‘Should I watch him a little more?’

He made a tentative conclusion and took out jerky to chew on.

2 hours later.

Jeong Yushin and the party members, having rested enough, got up from their seats.

There was no need to rush since the stone monument to the 2nd floor was right in front of them.

That’s right.

There were definitely not many people around.

For about 2 hours, they had been sitting near the entrance to the 2nd floor, but no passing parties were seen.

“Let’s go.”

Iron Mask, who had slung his backpack, said to Jeong Yushin.

“Understood.”

He held the torch and placed his hand on the stone monument.

Then.

Whoosh.

Blue and red portals were created in front of the stone monument.

Clang.

Jeong Yushin drew his arming sword and entered the red portal.

A moment of weightlessness.

He landed on the hard cave floor.

Jeong Yushin turned his gaze and quickly assessed his current location.

No one is there.

Party members emerged one by one from the red portal behind him.

Jeong Yushin and Iron Mask exchanged glances and nodded.

“No abnormalities.”

“Good. Today, we will find a shelter on the 2nd floor and camp.”

The rat beastman Mas took out a map from his arms and looked at it.

“Hmm. Lucky. We transitioned to a place close to the stone monument to the 3rd floor.”

“What about the shelter?”

Iron Mask asked.

“The shelter is also nearby. About 30 minutes away.”

“Good. Formation as before. Let’s go.”

They continued through the dark cave.

As Mas said, after walking for about 30 minutes, they found a small cavity in the cave wall.

The party members went inside and unpacked their luggage.

Jeong Yushin took out a blanket and covered the entrance to the shelter to prevent the light from leaking out.

The party members sat around the central torch and took out their food to eat.

Iron Mask didn’t eat food but sat in his place and stroked his greatsword.

The party members were silently munching on dried rations.

As with most novice explorers, their bodies and minds were stiff with tension on their first day entering the labyrinth, and they looked awkward.

They quietly finished their meals and sat together, staring blankly at each other’s faces.

“How are we going to decide on the watch schedule?”

“Cleric Kubo will use alarm magic.”

Jeong Yushin asked, and Iron Mask answered.

“Good.”

Jeong Yushin completely unpacked his luggage and leaned against the wall.

The dwarven cleric Kubo brought his hand close to the torch and muttered something.

“Oh, Ifrit, spirit god of fire. Hear the prayer of your faithful servant, Kubo Heavyhands, and with the power of flame… illuminate this place.”

[Fire Sanctuary]

As Kubo’s incantation ended, the torch blazed brilliantly.

It was a magic full of divinity, different from the alarm magic that Ahiman used.

Jeong Yushin stared blankly at the torch burning with golden light.

“…A divinity burning in the dark labyrinth. It’s truly beautiful.”

Iron Mask, leaning against the wall, muttered.

“…”

To be able to be immersed in such emotions while looking at a torch in the pitch-black labyrinth, he was quite a daring person.

Jeong Yushin turned his eyes away from Iron Mask and began preparing for bed.

He made the scabbard loose so that he could draw his sword at any time.

Since he had to stand at the front, defend, and block the path, he took a place facing the entrance to the shelter.

He closed his eyes while wearing his helmet. It can’t be helped if his neck is a bit stiff. Getting hit once means going forever.

Suddenly.

The fight with the assassins came to mind. Did he take off his helmet? He couldn’t remember well.

‘I was crazy.’

He must have been in the dark for quite a long time back then as well. Madness is this scary.

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

* * *

“Ska, wake up.”

Jeong Yushin opened his eyes immediately.

“Did I sleep long?”

“Not really. You slept for about 6 hours. And put your sword away.”

Jeong Yushin lowered the sword pointing towards Iron Mask and stretched his body.

The party members looked peaceful, as if they had slept well last night.

“It’s a characteristic of Cleric Kubo’s alarm magic. It makes you feel comfortable and restores your stamina.”

Iron Mask said, leaning back against the wall again.

Jeong Yushin nodded.

He thought he was just a recruit marine-corps-level cleric, but he looked at him again.

“Iron Mask, aren’t you eating?”

“I already did.”

Iron Mask replied calmly.

Jeong Yushin took off his helmet and took out dried rations.

Biscuits baked with plenty of dried fruit and honey. It was a preservation food for the labyrinth that Teddy Bear had made a lot of.

Jeong Yushin showed the bear-shaped biscuit to Iron Mask once, then put it in his mouth and chewed it.

It was so sweet that it felt like his teeth would rot.

The rat beastman sniffed and suddenly made a surprised expression.

“Oh! Is that?!”

“Why?”

“Isn’t that Bamfring’s shop’s biscuit?”

Bamfring.

A teddy bear beastman. The owner of the bakery. He helped a bit by using his strength when moving the flour sacks.

“Is it a famous shop?”

“His baking skills are so outstanding that everyone knows him. Even the high-ranking people living in the central area can’t get enough of it…”

“Really? I’ll give you some later if there’s any left.”

“Really? Save it and eat it!”

The rat beastman’s eyes sparkled.

The party members finished their meals and went out into the dark labyrinth.

* * *

4 days had passed since then.

“Finally…”

Jeong Yushin muttered in a trembling voice.

A wide hill outside the cave.

A dark metropolis could be seen far away.

5th Floor.

City Engrave.

The last floor he had reached with the Karin party.

Now, he just had to cross that city and arrive at the transition stone to the forest area.

He heard that upper hobgoblins were swarming, but he could proceed safely if he was careful enough.

For the past 4 days, he had been lucky enough to drop near the transition stone to the next floor.

There were also almost no encounters with hobgoblins.

A few stragglers had clung to them, but they all screamed and ran away after being hit by the rat beastman’s arrows.

The dwarven cleric standing next to Jeong Yushin had a bewildered expression.

“I’ve never reached the 5th floor so easily in my entire life. Is this possible?”

“Isn’t it all thanks to the blessing of the spirit god?”

Jeong Yushin answered smoothly.

“For Barbaroi to mention the spirit god. Huh. I know it’s rude to say this, but it feels a bit irreverent.”

‘Your outfit is irreverent.’

For a dwarf who walks around naked except when he sleeps, wiggling his butt, to criticize him.

He barely restrained the urge to raise his hand and slap his butt.

“Let’s go. We’ve been lucky so far, but we have to cross the city of Engrave in the end.”

Iron Mask came close and said.

The party members slowly descended the high hill and walked towards the city.

After walking for a few more hours.

The party stood in front of the gate of the huge city.

A part of the city’s appearance, shrouded in darkness, could be seen through the gate.

To have to make their way through that with only one torch felt like it wouldn’t be easy.

Of course, it wouldn’t be as difficult as having to break through desperately in an extreme situation like the last Eldritch Wave.

He couldn’t let his guard down just because it was relatively easy in a labyrinth where you die if you get caught.

“Wait!”

The rat beastman Mas shouted. The party members simultaneously drew their weapons and guarded all directions.

“Hobgoblin?”

Iron Mask asked.

“No. This is…”

The rat beastman hesitated.

The moment Jeong Yushin tried to ask something.

A group of parties appeared from behind the gate.

A party of 1 human male and 3 females.

Jeong Yushin narrowed his eyes.

The human male’s face was familiar.

‘…I’ve seen him somewhere. Ah!’

He remembered. He recalled it more easily because they were of similar age.

Early 20s.

Blue hair.

That human with the imprint of a genius swordsman.

It was that friend he had briefly seen when rescuing a party at the Explorer’s Guild last time.

He clearly heard that he was looking for a harem party, so he finally fulfilled his wish.

The blue-haired male in leather armor slowly approached.

Jeong Yushin immediately stepped forward and blocked the male’s path.

The blue-haired male smiled and waved his hand.

“Hey. Calm down.”

“…”

Jeong Yushin silently gripped his shield tightly.

He was hiding near the gate and got caught by the guide, and he tells them to calm down.

He was about to say a word, but he stopped. He was not the leader of this party, so it was right to save his words externally.

Iron Mask immediately stepped forward.

“Who are you? Why are you hiding near the gate?”

The blue-haired male smiled.

“I’m the explorer, Ret. I wasn’t hiding, I was just resting for a while. Don’t misunderstand.”

“…Is that so. I understand. We need to go into the city, so we’re going to…”

The blue-haired human, Ret, cut off Iron Mask’s words.

“By the way, I have a suggestion.”

“What suggestion?”

Iron Mask asked in a reluctant voice.

Ret smiled and extended his hand.

“Let’s join forces.”

“…”

Iron Mask closed his mouth and stared intently at Ret.

In front of the gate of the 5th floor city, Engrave.

A strange silence descended between the two burning torches.