Author: kinokura

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135. Chapter 135

How much time had Walm spent in the Labyrinth where even day and night were ambiguous? Not that he cared that much, because he had already descended four floors since the 35th floor, and now he should be on the 39th floor.

In addition to the three-headed wolf and the synthetic beast with which he had become familiar, he encountered monsters such as Earth Spiders and Human-Faced Beasts. The characteristics of these two monsters were as insidious as those of the other monsters, and Walm could never like them.

The hairs that covered the Earth Spider’s entire body stood upright like wires, and if you touched it, it would feel like countless needles were piercing your skin. Its chelicerae contained neurotoxins, and it shot out sticky threads from its spinneret.

The first thing you would notice about the Human-Faced Beast was its eeriness. The face, which was as if a human face had been sewn onto a giant lion, was too ugly. When it chased you, a high-pitched screech emanated from the gaps between its fangs, which were as uneven as wild grass. Got distracted, and countless sharp objects covering the tip of the tail would come at you. [TN: Basically, something like a Manticore, but since the author didn’t put how it should be called, I’ll leave it as it is.]

And yet, Walm couldn’t help but be in a dilemma about whether such monsters were somewhat reasonable compared to the monsters that were currently attacking him.

” <Gust> incoming!!”

At Merrill’s shout, Walm jumped back.

Directly from above, along with the unpleasant flapping of wings, the mana turned into a roaring gust of wind. Debris was swirled up and a gust of wind blew through, making even Walm in his armor feel like he was floating.

“You half bastard, I’ll definitely turn you into roasted skewers!”

Flying around the sky in a phantasmagoric manner was a monster called Gryphon. Like the Synthetic Beasts and Human-Faced Beasts, it was a mixed-race monster. Was it popular on the 36th floor and below to be mixed-race? Regardless of the reason, Walm was irritated by the Gryphon, which naturally had the characteristics of an eagle and a lion.

Although the magic shot down from above was considered extremely annoying in itself, there weren’t only one but two Gryphons flapping their wings. Moreover, another kind of monster was moving on the ground, not caring about the violent gusts of wind.

With the sound of a string snapping, Walm reflexively pulled back half of his body. Accompanied by an arrow-breaking sound, the cobblestone flew away as if an explosion had hurled it away. And just like that, it flew in the direction of the attacker.

It was an armor of iron without other contents. To be exact, almost all of its contents were iron. Iron golem was the name of the monster. Strangely, such a stupid monster without a brain possessed mobility comparable to that of a human being, and light emitted from within. The origin of its brilliance was Mithril. In short, although it was made of iron, underneath it was a magic stone spread thinly like human blood vessels, which connected to a core made of magic stone that had a little amount of magical silver mixed in.

If one wanted to recreate it by human hands, one would need about the amount of steel equivalent to the equipment of a squad of heavy cavalry, a large magic stone, ten craftsmen and workshops, and elves or dwarves skilled in working with magical silver. In addition, several magic users and horses for transportation would be needed to carry out this operation. In the army of the Highserk Empire, these quantities of gold coins could leisurely feed a unit the size of a company.

And the Iron Golem, which would cost as much time and effort in addition to the already large amount of materials, put pressure on the group. Although it was a humanoid monster, it had an enormous weight. Even in gusts of wind that could easily blow humans away, it calmly brandished a weapon.

Of course, Walm didn’t remain idle and had already launched a fireball from the front. But the fire only made the Iron Golem’s appearance a little more clumsy. One would be difficult enough, and there were three, armed with a sword, spear, and bow, ready to rampage.

“Unnecessarily hard, one or two attacks are impossible to finish it.”

“Let’s clean up the Gryphons first. I’ll stir them up.”

Merrill decided to postpone the time-consuming Iron Golem, since Walm’s Fireball, which was supposed to be a quick solution, didn’t seem to have much effect.

Merrill kneaded up mana and the wind swirled around. The Iron Golems, sensing signs of large-scale magic, leaned forward to intervene. Quickly, Marianthe and Hari blocked their path.

“Look over here, stupid!!”

“You are worthy to help my hitting training.”

Marianthe’s mace sparked and rubbed against the Iron Golem’s joints. As expected, the joints were thin compared to other areas. It was crushed, causing the arm to fall off and the Iron Golem to go berserk like a broken toy.

Hari struck the other Iron Golem with his weapon, the Spirit-Infusing Rod. Although the Iron Golem had human-like movement, its movements were no better than those of a second-rate adventurer.

“I’ll deal the one with the longbow――!?”

Walm tried to take care of the last Iron Golem, which had prepared its longbow to intervene, but instead was surprised by the spectacle.

Yuna, who was supposed to be not a good match for the thick Iron Golem, seemed to have something that she couldn’t compromise as the same archer. She perfectly pierced the Iron Golem’s finger that held the arrow. The arrow slid down awkwardly, and only the sound of the empty shot of the string rang out. It wasn’t any different from an instrument that couldn’t even make a sound.

To overturn the situation, the Gryphons tried to release magic, but Merrill’s speed was slightly faster. Ironically, the same <Gust> was chosen to pull the Gryphons to the ground. The wind magic shot directly above moved the Gryphons in the air as if caressing them, albeit with slight violence.

Although the place was wide, it was an enclosed space. The escape of the wind was limited, and thus the wind hitting the ceiling and walls stirred and swirled the air.

The Gryphon, which sense of balance was disturbed and couldn’t catch the wind, flapped its limbs and fell off its back.

At the same time, holding his breath and sharpening his focus was Walm. He prepared a fireball and shot it up. The fireball unleashed its contained flames upon contact with the drowning Gryphon in the air.

Explosive flames instead of a death agony blossomed in the air, and Walm’s long-cherished wish, a roasted Gryhpon’s meat, rained down from above.

Such a blissful moment could only be enjoyed for a moment as Walm must turn his attention to the second Gryphon, but Yuna’s quick shot had pierced the feathers and skin of the wings, resulting in it losing its altitude and mobility. By the time the fourth arrow pierced it, it was unable to dodge the <Ice Lance> extending from the ground and was dragged to the ground, dead.

The bones and ice shattered, and the entrails were spewed from the beak. The curled toes twitched slightly. Although the Gryphon was already dying, Merrill’s longsword showed no mercy, stroking its head before slicing it to death. No human could show mercy after being attacked from the sky and bombarded with magic after all.

Now the troublesome Gryphons bared their flesh on the ground, but there were still three Iron Golems left. As if to vent their accumulated frustration, Walm and the others attacked the Iron Golems without holding back.

Although they were outnumbered, the Iron Golems brandished their weapons and charged at them with their huge bodies, but none of the people who had survived many battles up to that floor were stupid enough to get caught.

Two heads were carefully smashed so that both were turned into just a pile of iron scrap. The remaining one was the one where the core was exposed when the arm fell off. What a good weak point to attack. When Walm threw in flames there, they spread through the blood vessel-like things made of magic stones, and fire erupted from the entire body. The last iron golem, swinging its remaining arm wildly, suddenly collapsed as if a string had been cut, ending its function.

After confirming the death and the surroundings, the party members gathered. Though they managed to come this far, they couldn’t completely avoid damage, some parts of their armor were deformed and clearly, many battle scratches had run through them. If anyone got hurt, Hari’s healing magic would heal the wound, but that wouldn’t stop the fatigue from accumulating. While their physical strength was lost, they couldn’t afford to lose their spirit too.

As Walm wanted to spit out good words to maintain the good spirit, he noticed something. Fresh dirt was stuck to Merrill’s head. Its true identity was a piece of Gryphon’s flesh scattered around when it died.

“It’s sticky. It even has the fragrant smell of roasted birds.”

It was rare, but Merrill failed to avoid them all. After letting out a voice of dissatisfaction, Merrill directed a resentful gaze at Walm.

“What? Do you hate makeup?”

Walm, seeing the splendid figure of Merrill, made a joke as usual, but for some reason this time his joke made the light atmosphere heavier and somewhat cold.

In a quieter tone than usual, Merrill said to Walm, who wasn’t sure what kind of landmine he had stepped on.

“Huff, even though we’re friends… do you think it’s okay to say that to a girl?”

“Huh? Girl?… Eh? Hah?”

Walm struggled to digest the meaning of the words.

Forcing his reverberating brain to process them at maximum speed, Walm then called Hari.

“Hari…”

“What? Of course, Merrill is a girl.”

Hari looked down at Walm and folded his arms as he said something so obvious.

“…I see, Merrill is…”

“Walm, you’re unbelievable. No, maybe I should praise you instead. I mean, how can you not know the gender of the party member who will be with you to the bottom of the Labyrinth.”

Perplexed, Walm sought help from the other members, but the women showed no mercy.

At the same time, a thick, rough hand was placed on Walm’s shoulder.

It was Hari’s.

“People make mistakes. Apologize.”

What choice did a person like Walm have? He had clearly made a fatal mistake. Even more so in the depths of the Labyrinth. It might even affect future movements.

So, with a trembling voice, Walm apologized sincerely.

“…..I, am truly sorry, for mistaking, the gender, of, my comrades.”

Walm bowed his head at an angle of more than 45 degrees and apologized. Cleary said the words, so there would be no misunderstanding.

It was vague now, but memories of the world of the past when Walm was called Takakura Raizou, crossed his mind. When he made his first big mistake after joining the company, he used to say similar things to his clients.

“Hahaha, do you really have to say it like that? Really?”

“Laughing at an apology, is, an immature behavior.”

When Walm returned his timidly lowered gaze to Merrill, the frown on her face had gone and instead an insidious smile was there.

“Fufufu, should I forgive you then?”

In terms of cooperation, the four of them had done it many times before, to the point where they could correctly guess each other’s intentions without saying much. And they teamed up to play along in this little performance. Walm realized that they were deliberately making the atmosphere heavy to pressure him to apologize.

At this point, Walm was on the verge of agonizing because of the complicated feelings that were rising up inside him, however,

CLAP!!

“Well, that was entertaining. Now, shall we get ready?”

Merrill clapped her hands and said so.

Hearing this, the other party members dispersed as if the interesting spectacle was over. Walm was still conflicted, but regardless, the others had regained their spirits, as if they had just shown a brief lighthearted performance.

After cleaning up the monsters, the party continued to move forward. Including this, only two floors remained to reach the bottom.

◆

The party wiped out strong, nameless monsters on the way, as they increased the depth of their diving. The destination they arrived at was the 40th floor, the last floor before reaching the bottom of the Great Labyrinth of Belgana.

Searching for a passage that led to the innermost, the party finally reached the one that seemed to lead to a huge hall.

Walm had encountered irregular situations several times in the Labyrinth, but so far, the large room was where he had the most irregular encounters.

“There’s no detour.”

A straight path connected to the room, as if to say, “Come,” lay before Walm.

“Obviously, something is there.”

“There’s no other way. We’ve to go forward.”

Hari turned and waited for a response from Merrill, the party’s leader.

“… Let’s go. It would be a problem if monsters came from behind while we are hesitating.”

With Hari in the lead, the group headed into the large room.

Walm carefully searched the walls and ceiling, but found nothing suspicious. Though disappointed, so be it. It wasn’t something bad after all.

However, Walm felt a faint vibration in the soles of his shoes as the party approached the center. He suspected it was just a mistake, but the vibrations only grew stronger.

“It’s, shaking?”

“Down, something’s down there!”

The unstoppable tremor finally made the earth shake and the floor rose. Parts of the walls and ceiling couldn’t withstand the shaking and fell down. A large number of cobblestones rolled in as a huge neck was lifted. Something bounced its thick tail off the rubble covering it, and its rocky arms stretched out from the gap. Its entire body was covered with stones, and two twisted horns protruded from its head.

At this sight, Hari screamed unbearably.

“This guy ―― it’s “Earth Dragon”!!!”

A monster of the same class as the Crawler that Walm had once encountered was trying to block their path.

Walm had no intention of looking silently at the flashy appearance and shot a fireball he had worked out into the crawling head. Explosive flames enveloped the body, and the flames scorched the stone pavement.

A roar came back from the raised dust. Although some soot marks and scratches remained, the Earth Dragon was still alive. Walm shot fireballs several times in succession, but it didn’t seem to flinch. Merrill also repeatedly attacked it with <Ice Lance> and <Air Blade> but was repelled by its thick scales.

“……Among the dragon species, it’s said to be one of the hardest. Ah, Attack is coming!!”

The Earth Dragon that crawled out swung its tail and ran toward the party. While the party members dodged, Merrill, who stayed behind alone, formed a diagonal ice pillar on the ground. The ram-shaped block of ice and the Earth Dragon collided head-on.

Walm expected a good fight even though he knew the ice couldn’t fight back, but the ice was shattered without a fight, much easier than he expected, and the fragments rained down on the surroundings like hail.

Hari’s and Marianthe’s battle mace struck the slowed legs, but a metallic sound resounded, a sound that shouldn’t come from a rocky creature struck by a mace.

“Guh, the surface can be scraped, but that’s it.”

The two slipped through the arms that swung down to them in a way like when people got annoyed by flying bugs and took their distance.

Walm also threw in a <Fire Lance> without delay, but it didn’t do much.

“Tearing that off isn’t easy, you know.”

“Yuna, can you aim for the eyes?”

“I hit it once, but there was a barrier on its eye, and I can’t pierce it.”

The strength that no one thought was in a living creature even reached its eyes. A thick protective layer protected the eyeballs, perhaps due to the effect of being buried in the ground for a long time.

Means to attack were sealed one by one, there was no choice but to destroy the rock-like scales one by one.

“Once, I’ll use “it” once. It’s more than good enough that I’ve been able to save it so far.”

Until now, Merrill had used a variety of magic, but now her body swirled with visible mana. The colors that resulted from the three types of attributes were indescribably vivid. At this dazzling spectacle, the demon mask trembled with excitement, oblivious to its owner.

“What are you going to do?”

It was Marianthe who answered Walm’s question.

“Right, Walm, it’s your first time. But let me tell you, the reason why Merrill is called the “Trimagitack” isn’t only because she can use three different types of attribute magic. That’s the name of her skill.”.

Merrill, wrapped in a mana that fascinated Walm, lowered her waist and made an extreme stance until the longsword was hidden behind her back. The Earth Dragon sensed the inevitable situation and tried to stop it without any arrogance. It ignored the other attack, turned its twisted horn towards Merrill, and roared.

The Earth Dragon was spreading out in Walm’s field of vision.

“Merrill!!!”

Merrill smiled at Walm’s cry announcing the danger. Immediately after, the longsword was swung in such a way as to split the air, and the mana, accompanied by a flash and a shock, overflowed into the air.

Walm’s eyes drowned in light, he needed to squint to see what was happening. A brilliant attack, which was the result of three different attributes mixed in together, reached the Earth Dragon and spiraled around it.

The stubborn scales continued to resist the torrent of mana, but when one of the scales cracked, it spread to the entire scale in an instant.

The Earth Dragon let out an echoing cry as it was swallowed by the light.

Walm’s eyes stung and felt as if heat ran through them. The ≪Holy Slash≫ he had once received in the defensive battle of the Sarajevo fortress came back to his memory. What could he do now? He could only utter a dry voice, as if he wanted to be strong.

“Haha, that’s amazing.”

The scales of the Earth Dragon, piled up like strata, were mercilessly shattered. Half of its face and throat were scraped and bruised. Seeing such a scene, Walm was speechless. The effective range was limited, but with this skill, one could break through even a “living castle wall”. No wonder Merrill was called the Trimagitack.

“I wanted, to put on a cool look after the blow, but… seems that’s not going to happen.”

Merrill, who had expended a large amount of mana, looked tiredly at the center of the explosion, from which dust continued to fall. The Earth Dragon, which had lost more than half of its face, became a one-eyed monster and let out a roar. Walm didn’t know if it was anger or grief at having its proud scales broken. The only thing for sure was that it was the best time to attack.

“Aim for the shattered parts. The skull was hard, but better than scales.”

“Well, I’ve no objections.”

It was an attack as if the insects were gathering in the wound, but the party had not much strength left after the series of fights. Merrill also used her trump card, the ≪Trimagitack≫. She couldn’t afford to incur more damage for the time being.

“Merrill will take a break, and we’ll do the rest.”

“Please let me.”

Flames began to dance, and the smell of burning flesh filled the nostrils. Arrows continued to travel lushly through the wind, iron grasped relentlessly at flesh, and the sound of dry blows echoed through the room. Each time the earth shook, the cobblestones crumbled and the walls cracked. When the chorus ended, only a mound of rocks stood still.

“Finally, huh?”

After defeating the Earth Dragon, the party took a step deeper toward the bottom of the Labyrinth.

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TN: The “Dragon” of the Earth Dragon in here is written with this kanji “竜”. The other Dragon species that have appeared in the story and were written with this kanji are the Lake Dragon and the Crawler.

TN: Join my discord channel if you want.

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134. Chapter 134

The 36th floor of the Great Labyrinth of Belgana was a step down that even the dwarves wouldn’t enter easily. As if rejecting people, there was a solemn silence on this deep floor. Only soft breathing and the sound of footsteps stomping irregularly on the stone pavement reached Walm’s eardrums.

Walm let his gaze slide from the darkness spreading beyond the passage to his feet, the walls, and the ceiling. And then he finally glanced at Hari, who was walking ahead of him, to see if anything was out of the ordinary.

Behind Walm were the party members Yuna, Marianthe, and Merrill, who were in charge of his back. Walm’s role in the formation was to assist Hari, who was a little further forward. In short, his role was that of a link between the front and the back, so he had to act flexibly.

Compared to the passages up until now, the 36th floor was unnecessarily wide in both height and width. Even if the Cyclopes walked side by side, they could move comfortably. This meant that three-dimensional vigilance was needed more than ever before.

Hari raised his fist as they solemnly stepped further into the depths of the Labyrinth. At the warning hand signal, the others suddenly stopped and held their breath. Although it was faint, Walm’s ears heard the sound similar to when a Temari, a Japanese highly elastic handball, bounced around. Of course, there were no small children playing around in the Labyrinth.

The dull sound grew louder and louder, as if to indicate the direction it was going. Right, the sound was coming toward the party.

“We’ve been completely detected. Ready for battle, here they come.”

Judging that a battle was inevitable. Merrill, the leader of the party, issued a clear order.

Hearing it, everyone caught their breath and began to prepare. Walm prepared his magic, and Yuna attached an arrow to the string.

Seven monsters approached with a speed as if they were flying.

“Three Chimeras, four Cerberus.”

Hari reported the type of monsters that were approaching.

Walm, who had battle experience with Silver Wolves and Orthrus, compared them to Cerberus. Clearly, the three-headed wolf was clearly larger. The difference was like between a young and an adult wolf.

The Chimera was one size larger than the Cerberus. The head of a lion had the lower body of a goat, and a large snake grew from the tip of its tailbone. Such a horde of grotesques furiously charged at the party.

Walm shot the manifested fireball into the center of the flock. Although the seven had nimble legs, there wasn’t enough time to dodge the fire.

If some were injured, the fight would even end in the party’s favor. That was Walm’s intention, but the three chimeras puffed out their cheeks and spat out flames. Blue and crimson mixed like a pretty firework, although any normal human caught by it would be burned fast.

The passage, where darkness had reigned before, was lit up by flames, and the monsters’ appearance became clear.

“The fire has been offset! They’re coming from the left and right!!!”

Walm, whose fireball was stopped by flames, warned his companions.

Dodging the spreading wave of flames, the monsters split left and right.

“Walm, Yuna, that side is yours.”

Merrill joined Marianthe and Hari in the battle against a Chimera and four Cerberus. The wind-attribute magic Merrill shot made the fire dance even crazier.

The other two Chimeras were conspicuously given to Walm and Yuna. Merrill’s side had to deal with even more monsters. There was nothing to complain about.

Arrows sprung from the taut strings and passed through waves of fire to reach the Chimera’s body.

The Chimera shook its body, and the arrowhead that should have pierced its skin fell to the ground with a slight tremor.

“Hard”

Yuna leaked words in frustration. Distance might be a factor, but the density of heavy muscle and bone and the dense magical barrier that stretched around the body were the real culprits. Even the flame didn’t hurt it at all. Unfortunately, it seemed that the Chimera had a fire attribute, the same as Walm.

“HERE, YOU DEFECTIVE CREATURE!!”

In a loud voice from his belly, Walm challenged the monster. Perhaps because of his elegant choice of words, the Chimera lunged at Walm, who held a halberd in his hand.

Walm slammed the halberd down with the right timing, but the chimera’s rear leg muscles quickly tensed and let go. Right, the Chimera jumped to the side to avoid the halberd’s blow.

Walm followed the “synthetic beast” moving to the side with his eyes.

“Walm, it’s going over there.”

Another Chimera that was facing Yuna, had shifted its aim to Walm. Turning around, the fired arrows hit its thigh and hip joint, but it aimed its drooling jaws at Walm as if the arrows were a trifle, and tried to bite his windpipe.

” <Burst> !!”

After kicking the ground, Walm used wind attribute magic and accelerated his body with a punch. And the lion’s jaws bit nothing but air.

Walm escaped considering the distance that could be reached with its giant body, but the giant snake that grew from the tail read his course and thrust its poisonous fangs at him.

“Damn it!!”

The body of the snake’s head, hit hard by the bottom of the halberd, writhed and sprayed venom into the void. But before Walm could catch his breath, the Chimera turned around Walm, trying to strike his head with its claws.

Any resistance was futile.

Hardening his resolve, Walm fixed the bottom of the halberd to the ground and hardened his stance. The shock came immediately. He continued to hold the handle against the force that made his arm creak. The blade, digging into the Chimera’s forearm bone, severed the bone and tore the flesh.

Walm kicked up the bottom part of the halberd with his heel to the side. Then he twisted it with all the strength his whole body could muster.

The Chimera’s half-cut arm couldn’t stand it, and its muscle fibers cracked. At the same time as the torn arm fell on the cobblestones, the chimera let out an unpleasant scream.

It hurts a lot, doesn’t it?

Walm found satisfaction in that scream. Shamefully, considering the other Chimera, he couldn’t just give his attention to one for that long.

Walm slashed the remaining arm with a claw-shaped blade of the halberd. It wasn’t enough to sever the arm, but it was certainly effective enough to slow the Chimera’s movement.

Walm then quickly moved away from the writhing chimera and focused on the other synthetic beast.

Even in a weakened state, Chimeras strangely still had enough combat power. Whether a claw, an irregular fang, or the snake’s poisonous fang. There were still many possibilities for an attack. If one were to take it straight, the situation would tip in one fell swoop. Since Walm had experienced this firsthand, he prepared himself for dealing with another one.

The onrushing Chimera inflated its throat and spat out flames as if it were vomiting. Walm pulled up the corners of his mouth and thought how brave it was to challenge him with fire. The demon mask in his waist bag frolicked like an impatient toddler waiting for an attraction. Unusually, Walm agreed to give a performance and jumped into the flames without hesitation.

“Walm?! Dodge!!”

Yuna screamed.

From the side, it was a moderately strong fire, but for Walm, who had been wrapped in 《Demon Fire》 before, it was still lukewarm.

The Chimera with its mouth wide open sensed something unusual, but it was already too late.

The spearhead tore open the soft palate and reached the brain. Walm quickly moved the halberd he carried on his hip left, right, back, and forth to gently agitated the brain.

Sensing the torn magical barrier, Walm pulled out the halberd, which had done its job, as he bathed in the soothing flames that slowly died.

Strangely but as expected, the Chimera still hadn’t completely stopped moving. Although the lion’s eyes had lost their vitality, the giant snake that grew from its tail straightened up and stared at Walm.

“Snakehead, you too?”

Walm deflected his upper body and dodged the horizontally extended claw while thinking that he had to get rid of the snake’s head as well.

The Chimera kept charging, taking advantage of the difference in physique, but its movements were slower than before.

I see…

Given the sluggish movement, Walm was convinced that the giant snake was taking the role of an auxiliary brain and was apparently not used to taking the initiative in the body.

The Chimera didn’t move as precisely as when controlled by the lion head, but still, its physical strength wasn’t to be underestimated.

Walm hesitated whether to take care of the half-dead synthetic beast in front of him first or the remaining Chimera, but Yuna’s words helped him make a quick decision.

“Finish it, I’ll buy you time.”

Yuna shot arrow after arrow as she ran toward the Chimera without a functioning arm. The aim was exactly what she said it was. To buy time. The joints of the Chimera’s limbs were like a standing target in her eyes. Of course, Yuna’s chances of hitting them were high. Walm trusted her and turned back to unfinished business.

The synthetic beast swung its limbs like crazy because it couldn’t catch Walm. As he followed the erratic dance pattern, he timed his halberd. Its shoulders were stripped of flesh, the axe-blade of the halberd dug into its knees, and the spearhead scraped some of its flanks. Feeling unbearable, the claws were swung down, but Walm anticipated the trajectory and slashed his halberd up.

Without much effort, Walm sliced off the wrist. Well, the opportunity was created by the synthetic beast itself. Lacking a forearm, the chimera swung under its own weight. With the unfamiliar three legs, it was impossible to stop Walm. And seeing the good timing, Walm approached the snake head.

The snake spat out venom desperately with its mouth wide open, but the flames that were created in an instant protected Walm. The poison that was to touch him evaporated.

No more blockage.

Like a Shinigami (Reaper) wielding a scythe, Walm cut off the snake’s head with the claw-shaped blade of the halberd.

The synthetic beast’s gigantic body trembled, stopped moving, and crashed to the ground. The severed head of the snake emitted an ominous noise that sounded like a squeak, but was silenced by Walm.

Immediately Walm went to Yuna’s side.

Yuna was holding the bow with one hand and slashing her short sword with the other hand.

Surprisingly, the snake that grew from the tail was cut off and carefully stabbed to end its life.

When Walm saw this scene, he remembered that Yuna boasted of being strong in close combat. In other parties, she could even serve as a vanguard.

Walm crept up from his blind spot and struck with the halberd he had positioned above his head. The 《Strike》 severed its shoulder from its spine in one fell swoop. The Chimera’s posture was disturbed as it lost control of its lower body. Still, it hadn’t died. Walm couldn’t help but be impressed by its tenacity.

However, the resistance lasted only a short time as Yuna plunged her short sword into the lion’s eye socket. The blade penetrating the roots became the deciding factor, and eventually, the Chimera was completely obliterated.

“Next.”

“Mm.”

Not many words were needed. Both made their way to the next target, where lively attacks and defenses were still underway.

Cerberus, which had been pierced by an icicle and passed out midair, jumped into Walm’s field of vision. It was like an avant-garde work of art that was difficult for ordinary people to understand.

Another Cerberus, with its head crushed as if it had been hit like a mole in whack-a-mole, stood in the corridor that had been turned into an exhibition hall.

Another Cerberus bared the cross section of the neck, as if it didn’t want to lose in the appreciation battle. It conveyed in detail the methods and tools used by the master to create this art.

Only two materials hadn’t yet been fully processed. Both had already gone through the preparation. At least Yuna and Walm managed to arrive at the right time to complete the work.

When Walm, who had rushed over, raised his head, Marianthe signaled him with her gaze.

Marianthe, who had correctly understood the intention, raised the mace and restricted Cerberus’ course. Thus Walm was able to hit Cerberus safely. One of its heads was missing, and part of its forearm had been twisted like a dead tree. With the remaining two heads, the Cerberus noticed Walm’s approach and barked.

Using his stepped leg as an axis, Walm slashed his halberd at the Cerberus. The horizontally slashed axe blade sliced under both jaws. Just with that, the heads rolled to the ground and the body stopped moving.

The last remaining Chimera had already fallen silent. There was no way to withstand the onslaught of Merrill, Hari, and Yuna. The three of them knew each other’s methods well. Of course, their teamwork was better than if one of them formed a duo with Walm. Even though no one said anything or signaled with their eyes, their bodies moved naturally, choosing the best move that got the most out of each other.

The feast that suddenly began ended with the departure of the organizer. The party members gathered under Walm, who explored the surroundings.

“No more monsters?”

“Seems no. It’s very quiet.”

With the approval of Merrill, who was sensitive to signs, Walm finally exhaled in relief.

“Is anyone hurt?”

Walm examined the appearance of the three. There was some dirt on the skin, but there were no injuries. Still, optimism was a no-no, so he asked. After all, Walm, who wasn’t a healing magician, couldn’t judge whether there was internal bleeding.

“Nope, nothing, in particular.”

“I’m fine.”

“Me too… Only, if I’m to say something about the fight, I think the most dangerous moment was when Walm jumped into the flames.”

“Did you see it?”

Embarrassment hit Walm. He felt as if he had been seen playing a prank.

“Since Yuna screamed, she definitely saw it.”

“Seriously, if you are planning on doing acrobatics, could you tell us in advance? It’s bad for our hearts, you know.”

Walm, who was scolded by Merrill and Marianthe, honestly admitted his fault.

“That’s… my bad. I didn’t think that you all, don’t like fire diving performances.”

“Who hates to see an exciting performance? No one. So don’t worry, next time, I’d like you to properly show it to us.”

Walm, who had lost his escape, shrugged. After all, he was in this party. He might have to do it for real.

Marianthe ended the talk as everyone seemed to want to continue having a leisurely conversation.

“Alright, let’s stop it here for now.”

“Even though the number of monsters appearing was said to be less after the 36th floor, you’re right, seems we’ve talked too much.”

“You got that information from drunken dwarves with alcohol, didn’t you?”

Marianthe shook her head with a suspicious look. Sure, eliciting information from the dwarves with alcohol might have been cheap. It was quite easy to make them say, “Ah…”, after they got sober. However, even if they didn’t look like a bunch of liars, to what extent could a drunken dwarf’s story be believed? That would depend on the person.

“Even if the number of monsters appearing is really less than on previous floors, it’s still an exciting place.”

The Chimera, which possessed both nimbleness and toughness, didn’t die easily and also could spit out flames and poison. Such monsters wandered around in groups. Considering this, Walm could understand that the number of adventurers who wanted to conquer the Labyrinth wasn’t that many.

“Are you scared? Want to turn back?”

Walm defied providence, said he wanted to heal his rotting eyes, and acted for it. If he raised the white flag at this level, there was no way he would ever reach the place where the so-called crimson grass, one of the Three Hidden Treasures of Healing, was supposed to bloom. Fortunately, there were five strange people who were striving down with him.

Walm looked each of them in the eye, one by one, and said,

“Finally, we’re starting to see the bottom. It’s too late to go back now that the five of us have come this far.”

Merrill nodded in satisfaction at Walm’s words.

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TN: Join my discord channel if you want.

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133. Chapter 133

Quickly raising the arms to the ceiling to stretch the stiff body was Merrill.

Next would be to open the window, and let the bustle of the city pour into the room along with the outside air. People chattered like birds, hooves pounded on the cobblestones, and merchants called hoarsely for customers.

Merrill had been born and raised in this walled city for 18 years, and it was a sight that never changed.

“Today’s going to be a good day.”

Merrill pulled up a chair, sat down, and drank water from a water bottle. Normally, drinking water was created with water attribute magic, but even a small amount of mana shouldn’t be wasted. After all, today was the day to challenge the bottom of the Labyrinth.

Merrill recalled the labyrinth days and thought that all the experiences as an adventurer and challenger would soon be called into question.

Thinking about the party members, Merrill noticed that among them, the presence of the mercenary who had recently joined was increasing day by day inside and outside the labyrinth.

The first encounter took place on the mid-rank floor of the Labyrinth. Merrill, attracted by a supposedly rare challenger who dived to the mid-rank floor alone, learned of the mercenary’s existence for the first time that day.

Just by chance, Merrill exchanged a glance with the man, and that alone made Merrill shudder.

Merrill didn’t know exactly the vibe that the mercenary wore. A fiery strength could be felt, but at the same time, he had an air of decadence and rejection. Merrill thought he felt like a Hungry Wolf.

The next time Merrill reunited with the mercenary was in a sea of ​​bloodshed.

The body of the mercenary, who had engaged in killing with the oldest group of the guild, was in a complete mess, and was forced to move even after vomiting blood. Strangely, his golden eyes, which could only be described as muddy, had lost none of their fighting spirits despite the severe injuries.

If Merrill hadn’t started arguing with Fausto, the fight would have continued until one of them ran out of strength or was completely annihilated.

Merrill sensed that this mercenary was exactly what the party, which lacked in the vanguard, needed.

Speaking of miscalculations, the mercenary jumped into the Labyrinth immediately after his release from house arrest. Even the so-called Labyrinth Maniac would take a rest period. However, as if in a rush, the mercenary threw himself into the Labyrinth.

Fortunately, the destination was the same. Merrill dived into the labyrinth with the other party members with the aim of chasing after the mercenary.

The prediction hit the mark. Even the high-rank adventurers had to carefully prepare their equipment and thought of a formation, more so a lone wolf. And at last, the mercenary was seen standing on the floor they could reach.

From the side, Merrill, who pretended to meet the mercenary by chance and persuaded him to join the group, must have looked really funny. Because even though Merrill had never had a romantic relationship with anyone, Merrill went to great lengths to persuade someone else in this way. At least that was the intention.

For better or worse, Merrill’s intentions were ruined by the interference of the insensitive dwarves. It got to the point where Merrill almost did a facepalm.

Merrill, who somehow managed to regain composure quickly, lured the mercenary to a familiar shop. Fortunately, the interest and purpose coincided and the invitation to the mercenary to join the party was successful.

During the Labyrinth dives with Walm, he showed more than Merrill had expected.

Walm showed that he could suppress and restrain the enemy with fire and wind attributes magic before contacting the enemy. Even if he was in hand-in-hand combat, he skillfully used his halberd to keep monsters at the range, demonstrating tenacity in actual combat. On top of that, he could overwhelm his opponents with the brute force of his 《Strike》.

Seeing this performance, Merrill was stunned, and even more so when Walm said that if his eyes were in normal condition, he would have been able to use a skill that could affect a wider area.

As the days went by, the impression that Merrill had associated with Walm as the Hungry Wolf when they met for the first time was immediately revised. Especially knowing that Walm was sociable enough within the people in his circle. He also showed a good sense of humor in the gloomy Labyrinth and maintained a good relationship with the other party members. Even with Hari.

Merrill began to suspect that the sense of distance Walm exuded and his rejection of strangers was due to the Catastrophe that happened in the Northern Countries. Of course, this was only Merrill’s prediction. Although Merrill was praised by the Guild as the Trimagitack, in reality, Merrill had no experience in war. Therefore, Merrill couldn’t carelessly and recklessly dig deeper to get more information. Even if Merrill was curious.

Now that the party had Walm, who was ripe enough for the role of vanguard and middle guard, Merrill’s mana could be conserved even further. The skill that earned Merrill the name Trimagitack would use up half of the mana pool if fired just once. And there was certainly something big waiting for them at the bottom. How much mana Merrill could save would be the key to the conquering strategy.

“uh, oh, OOOOHHH, HHHAAAA!!”

“Eh? Walm?!”

Merrill, who was diving into the sea of ​​thoughts, heard a scream. And clearly, the owner of the voice was Walm.

Quickly, Merrill jumped out into the hallway and saw Marianthe and Yuna coming out of each room. The missing members were Walm and Hari. There were still vacant rooms available in the rented house that belonged to Merrill’s party, and so Walm, who had joined the party, had also begun sleeping under the same roof.

“What about Hari and Walm!?”

“N-no no way, did he finally do it!?”

Marianthe’s voice trembled. It was a situation she didn’t even dare to say in a joke. Even Yuna, who was bad at showing facial expressions, looked a little uneasy.

Merrill felt restless, but as the person in charge of the party, an affirmation must be done. So, Merrill pushed open the door of the room assigned to Walm.

For some reason the hinges and boards squeaked harder than usual, ringing in everyone’s ears.

When the three of them slowly peeped, they saw two intertwined men rolling around on the floor, making loud noises.

Merrill’s consciousness wandered into the faraway place for a moment.

Marianthe quickly screamed.

As for Yuna, she couldn’t prevent her mouth from opening.　

“W-what are you guys doing?!!”

“Ugh, noooooo, uugghh. Help! It’s a misunderstanding.”

Hari refuted the false accusation, but no one seemed to want to defend him because of his usual behavior. The three looked at each other and thought about how to clean up the mess.

“Oh, ooooh, my, mind’s, fa, ding.”

Hearing Hari’s anguished voice, Merrill finally realized that Walm’s right arm was wrapped around Hari’s neck while grabbing Hari’s left arm, and tightened his left hand against the back of Hari’s head.

Hari’s consciousness was rapidly threatened by the so-called bare tightening.

“Walm, stop there!”

“More than that, even Hari will die, you know?!”

Merrill and Marianthe rushed over and pulled them apart.

Walm, who had regained his wits, and Hari, who had taken some fresh air, sat down. And with a headache, Merrill began the questioning.

“Ahmm, so, what happened? Let’s start with Walm.”

Prompted by Merrill, Walm embarrassingly began to explain.

“When I woke up, Hari’s face was right in front of me, and I couldn’t help but strangle him in surprise and fear.”

“Guilty!! As expected, you tried to do it after all!!”

“Hari, you…”

Marianthe raised her voice of condemnation, and Merrill was at a loss for words in sorrow.

Hari hurriedly apologized.

“It’s a misunderstanding. When I heard a noise and looked into the room, Walm was moaning in sleep, so I shook him to wake him up.”

Hearing this explanation, Merrill and the others breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, they were angry and wondered why such a thing had to happen early in the morning on an important day.

“……Certainly, Walm often groans in sleep.”

“Still, there’s this thing called, “a sense of distance”. And Walm, to strangle him immediately, you’ve gone too far.”

The two men, forced to sit on the floor, bowed and apologized sincerely.

“I’m sorry. I made a ruckus. Next time, I’ll pay attention to my sense of distance. I accidentally pushed my body forward. I couldn’t control myself any better.”

“I’ve a conditional reflex, and my body moved on its own. I’m sorry.”

Merrill felt rattled by Hari’s apology, but for the time being, it could be said that the matter was settled. If something worse had happened and there had been no choice but to disband the party. This would be the worst joke of the year, especially since this should be the day to aim for the bottom of the Labyrinth to become the conqueror.

“…I’m hungry.”

Yuna’s weak voice made the exhausted Merrill smile.

“Fufufu, that’s right. Let’s have breakfast first. Today is an important day. Well, I’m glad it’s just a joke.”

“Right. I thought it was a big deal. Oh, but the tightening technique was effective on Hari too, huh? I’ll keep that in mind for sure.”

As the party marched out into the hallway, Marianthe began to imitate Walm’s choking technique. Of course, Merrill couldn’t relax, but at least the stiff tension had gone. And since this happened before the dive, Merrill was grateful. Still, Merrill told no one about it and kept the feelings inside.

Felling the breeze and warm sunlight coming in from the open windows, Merrill thought once again that it was certainly a good day to challenge the bottom of the Labyrinth.

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TN: Join my discord channel if you want.

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132. Chapter 132

The Labyrinth dive, which also served as a meeting point for Walm and the Trimagitack, was filled with repeated battles like someone was grinding a brand-new metal part. This behavior was as if it was trying to check if there were any problems by stressing the new part called Walm in various ways.

Although Walm was vaguely aware of these intentions, he behaved as he always did. After all, if he changed his movements more than necessary, it wouldn’t even be a test. Instead of diving deeper, the party actively searched for and destroyed monsters to test Walm.

In response, Walm turned countless of them into a pool of blood with his halberd.

Such long battles continued until the dwarves appeared on the hunting grounds.

There was no need to think much about the reason for the discontinuation of today’s dive. Their nature and fighting style attracted monsters. Moreover, they attacked all the monsters as if they were competing with each other. Was it a dwarven greeting? Or a show-off to celebrate Walm’s joining in the Trimagitack?

Considering the loud laughter that remained in Walm’s ears for a while, the answer might be that they were purely competing for the number of prey.

Leaving the Labyrinth, Walm returned to the shop where he exchanged greetings with the Trimagitack’s party members. And after a meal, a meeting for deepening the relationship began.

“We are lucky to have Walm in our party. He fulfilled the role of the vanguard we relied on Hari, even more than we expected. On top of that, the suppression by magic lightened the burden on Yuna and me.”

Merrill looked at the seated members and confirmed that there were no objections.

“With these members, it’s okay to seriously aim for the bottom of the labyrinth and to be the conquerors. But before that, I would like Walm to make some corrections and share his thoughts.”

Walm wasn’t haughty enough to insist that he himself could tear off every obstacle in front of him. He had plenty of experience fighting with a small group, but he had learned that fighting in a dark, enclosed space, especially in a labyrinth where monsters were constantly approaching, required any party to follow its own course of action, taking into account the particular fighting techniques of each member.

“Sure, no objections.”

“As I said earlier, Walm plays the role of the vanguard more than we hoped for. As expected of someone who could reach that depth alone. But that’s also where the problem lies. Even when he teamed up with Yuna, he attracted too many enemies to himself. Depends on the time and situation that’s good, but I want you to rely on Yuna more.”

“I’m, also strong in close combat.”

Even though Yuna was expressionless when she said that, Walm could tell she was proud of herself.

Certainly, Walm clung to the vanguard role assigned to him and had no clear idea of what would happen if the vanguard collapsed or broke through. Now that he had time to think, this thought that it should be okay as long as the vanguard wasn’t breached was rather arrogant and short-sighted.

“We could clearly see how enthusiastic you are in wanting to reach the bottom. But, it wouldn’t be a good decision to get injured in a situation where there was no need to take risks.”

Until now, Walm had concentrated on throwing himself into the labyrinth, with a mindset that he had to finish the fight in a short time. After all, he was alone. With several people, it might have been possible to proceed differently, but Walm alone had no insurance and his options were limited. And that diving alone must have a bad effect on him.

Merrill, who had given Walm time to chew and swallow the words, continued.

“Use your comrades, of course in a good way. Walm was a soldier, right? You must have comrades in the line of battle who acted together with you, right?”

Sometimes Walm acted alone. But most of the time, he didn’t fight alone. Walm could say that from the bottom of his heart. After all, when he jumped to the deadly land with swear and curses out of his mouth, he had his comrades in arms whom he trusted to protect his back.

“……Right, I had.”

“Well, I know it hasn’t even been a few days since you joined. What do you think? Are we that incompetent? Or, is it that we can’t be trusted yet?”

“No, neither of them. I’m sure it’s because of my nature, to put unnecessary strain on my shoulders. I’ll rely on you guys more next time.”

“Good answer.”

After receiving Walm’s response, Merrill nodded with satisfaction.

“Of course, you can rely on me. I’ve confidence in my sturdiness.”

Hari, who had been silently listening, spoke with an affectionate expression. Even his buttocks could withstand a direct blow from a mace. To him, a half-hearted attack must have felt like a child’s prank.

“Ah, yeah, of, of course.”

Walm gave a half-hearted reply. It would be nice if he could take the words literally, but considering Hari’s words and actions so far, he couldn’t seriously affirm that.

Marianthe felt the same way, and she voiced the concerns that Walm couldn’t speak out loud.

“When Hari says that, it feels like it has some other implications.”

“Marianthe, it’s not good to have unnecessary suspicion in your friend.”

“Huff, that’s an advice fit of a warrior monk, but…”

Merrill comforted Marianthe, who seemed indecisive.

“Sometimes Hari comes to his senses.”

“What if I give a strong stimulus to his head…”

Marianthe, interrupting her words, stared at the mace she had been leaning on.

Merrill sensed the intent of her gaze and moved into action.

“Marianthe, you should stop. It may heal, but it may also get worse.”

Said Merrill, with a head-shaking.

Marianthe, who had no words to answer, gave up the rough treatment that she thought at that moment with a feeling of deep regret. Truth was, even Walm wanted her to choose a gamble as a last resort.

“Next, let’s talk about magic and skills. I haven’t shown it yet, but my “skill” is the reason they call me the Trimagitack. Also, Marianthe can use bestowing magic――” [TN: For now, I’ll call it this]

The exchange of opinions after diving into the Labyrinth covered a wide range of topics, from combat to rest and meals. As expected, no amount of time would be enough for five people with different values, circumstances, and origins to deepen their understanding of each other.

And so, the evaluation meeting, which began at sunset, continued until the twin moon reached its zenith.

◆

Walm wasn’t a member of the Adventurer’s Guild. Therefore, when he joined the Trimagitack, he was classified in the employment form as a Porter or Guide. Nevertheless, this caused chaos in the Adventurer’s Guild. The reason was the black hole, which was the only connection to the Labyrinth.

In the Great Labyrinth of Belgana, there were several black holes, both public and private, but Walm used the one for the people who were just starting out and had poor skills. The black hole that the Trimagitack used, on the other hand, was for those aiming for the mid-rank floors and deeper, and was only available to mid-rank and high-rank adventurers belonged to the Adventurer’s Guild.

Although the destination was the same labyrinth and there was no difference in the hole itself, the waiting room and attached facilities were different. In short, Walm couldn’t enter the Guild House, but even if he could, he would only see nothing more than a bulletin board and a reception desk where requests and recruitments were posted.

In any case, the members of the Trimagitack stopped using the black hole they usually used, and together with Walm, they repeatedly entered and exited the Labyrinth through the black hole for those aiming for the low-rank floors.

It was the Adventurer’s Guild Belgana Branch that panicked over this. Because for them, an influential party was a valuable existence now that Fausto’s party, the oldest and most influential, had defected. If an influential party used a black hole for the low-rank floors, a rumor would naturally spread. It might even become a bad example for the other parties.

By expanding the interpretation of the internal regulations more and more, the guild decided that those who weren’t registered as adventurers, could enter the Guild House through a contract method. Good news indeed. However, Merrill rejected the proposal on the grounds that special treatment would set a bad precedent. Therefore, they continued to use the black hole for low rank.

The passage leading to the waiting area was traversed by countless people earning their money in the Labyrinth. In such a passage, Walm followed the members of the Trimagitack as he looked around. Merrill’s path was undisturbed. Probably people purposedly did that. Also, occasionally a fledgling adventurer would approach to exchange a greeting with Merrill.

“You’re pretty popular.”

It was inconceivable for Walm to receive a greeting just before diving into the Labyrinth.

“Same with my ability, but my appearance is also cool…… Walm, sneering at others isn’t cool.”

Merrill, who didn’t like Walm’s reaction, protested. Having received a warning, Walm silently followed Merrill.

When they arrived at the waiting area, a party called out. This time, the one being called out wasn’t Merrill, but Walm himself.

“Are you going deep diving now?”

Walm searched for the owner of the voice from his memory.

The adventurer was a man named Peyrouse who had just gotten out of his fledgling career. Behind him stood three of his companions.

“Yeah, that’s right. Did you earn a lot lately?”

“With the thing you gave us, seems that we all can have new equipment soon.”

“Thing I gave? Aah, that one. Glad that it’s helping you.”

The man spoke of the sharp spear of the Bone Collector that Walm had defeated in the Labyrinth. A male member of Peyrouse’s group held it on his shoulder like a treasure.

After a few words, Walm wrapped up the conversation with Peyrouse.

Since joining the Trimagitack, the number of people talking to Walm had increased. This affirmed Walm the importance of social credibility and made him silently lament the unreasonable world.

Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, Walm looked back. It was Merrill who had finished the reception, smiling as if to say that what Walm had done earlier wasn’t forgotten. Perhaps there was a sprinkle of mischievousness behind the smile.

“It was my bad, so stop laughing like that. After all this time, people are finally looking at me normally So I haven’t gotten used――”

“Oh my, that’s a very touching story…… Alright, shall we go now?”

Merrill, flushing away the whining effortlessly, began moving to the transfer room.

It would be long before Walm could return to the surface. As he thought about it, something bothered him. And that something felt like it was pulling at the back of his head. Turning around quickly, he realized it was coming from the reception.

It was Lisi, the receptionist, who was watching Walm’s back with a worried look.

As their eyes crossed, Lisi interrupted her busy work as a receptionist and shook her hand lightly. The sunlight streaming through the skylight made the silver bracelet on her wrist glow.

Walm responded by raising his left hand. He hadn’t yet thanked her for helping him with the party recruitment. Even the matter concerning the use of the black hole exchanged with the guild had Lisi in between. She helped fill in the hole that might take place in Walm’s matter. So, he thought that he should make time to properly thank her.

“Walm quick, or you’ll be left behind.”

“Sorry. I’m going, now.”

Marianthe called Walm back from the sea of thought as his steps slowed. This was no different than a confused and lost toddler being called by his mother. At least that was how Walm felt.

Without letting himself sink into the sea of thoughts again, Walm averted his gaze from Lisi and focused his attention on the Labyrinth which he would continue to dive into from now on.

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TN: Join my discord channel if you want.

TN : Happy new year, I’ll be active again.

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131. Chapter 131

Accompanied by wind noise, a sharp arrow rode the wind to cut through the darkness. Peeking out of the darkness was a Lizardman, which was the target. The Lizardman was shot through in the forehead and rolled to the ground, exposing its long, thin tongue.

Until now, Walm had worked hard to reduce monsters using magic to avoid one-on-one battles. After joining the group, however, he held back to focus on checking the movements of the group members and preserving his mana.

The three remaining Lizardmen rushed in, oblivious to the death of their brethren. And each Lizardman seemed to have decided to engage in one-on-one. Of course, this movement was also intentionally directed by the human side.

Just like Walm, Hari, a warrior monk playing the role of the vanguard, crushed the Lizardman’s head with a hexagonal mace, not caring what kind of swordplay the Lizardman would unleash.

On the other side, a person shifting the center of gravity of the upper body was Merrill, who was called the “Trimagitack”. With that slight move, the downward-sweeping cutlass was dodged and the approaching lizardman was counterattacked with the longsword. The wrist and also the head of the Lizardman fell off without resistance as if cutting soft butter.

What a magnificent performance.

In this way, much work was taken off Walm’s hands. A simple movement of the halberd to deflect the spearhead of the Lizardman and insert the clawed blade of the halberd into the arteries of the Lizardman. And with a simple motion of shifting his center of gravity backward while pulling the halberd, the neck burst open and blood spurted out. That was enough to make the Labyrinth regain its silence again.

Nevertheless, such a reality was enough to shake Walm and make him fall into “idleness”, he even had the luxurious time to turn the halberd to splash the clinging blood.

“Do you have a complaint, Sir?”

Said Merrill, putting away the sword, with a sprinkle of teasing.

In fact, Walm was seen spinning his halberd. He realized it too and felt like a child swinging a twig in idleness, only to be seen by his friend. Of course, it gave him a slight sense of shame.

“No, I’ve no complaints. It’s more than I expected, that I feel complicated.”

“If a party aiming to be the conqueror has trouble on the mid-rank floors, that would be absurd, isn’t it?”

That was a very good opinion. Still, for Walm, who had always been at a numerical disadvantage since his military service and had become too accustomed to diving the Labyrinth alone, he couldn’t help but get restless when he was placed on the side with more numbers.

Fortunately, there was no further investigation from the new comrades, and when Walm saw archer Yuna step in on the Lizardman’s head to retrieve the arrow, he mingled with the others to collect the monster’s relics.

While Merrill looked around the surroundings as a guard, the rest of the members collected the valuables. That was the formation.

The monsters that stood in the way were equally returned to the labyrinth, as the party dived deeper.

The swarming Dullahans and Doll Slimes were swept away by Walm’s fire attribute magic. Even if they sacrificed one of their compatriots to close the gap, waiting for them was a hexagonal mace that Hari called the Spirit-Infusing Rod. The proud armor of the Dullahan and the Doll Slime was shattered unevenly like a broken tin doll. Finally, Merrill and Marianthe would crush anyone who dared to pass through.

Although it was a Labyrinth dive that Walm had tried himself more than a few times, before he knew it, the depth had reached the 30th floor. Although the formation was rough, he effortlessly reached the floor he had worked so hard on just because he was in a party.

Walm couldn’t help but feel the high level of skill of Merrill and the others who had protected each other’s backs so far. And even though a brand new foreign object called Walm had slipped in, the overall movement continued to follow the optimal path as much as possible.

The Ogre that was attacked by a quick shot of the archer, fell down from its head. Walm shot the fireball on his hand against the Ogre that jumped over its brethren who had become an obstacle. Such a large monster, receiving a direct hit in the air, spread blood and flesh everywhere.

Now, there were four of them left, but they too had all suffered the aftermath of the attack and lost some of their bodily functions.

“Newcomers will come from behind.”

At the same time as Merrill’s warning, Walm’s five senses picked up the new movement. It was a group of Centaurs, the heavy cavalry of the Labyrinth, shaking the ground and approaching with a charge.

“Walm, Yuna, both to the front.”

With Merrill’s brief command, the formation of the party changed.

Merrill, Hari, and Marianthe would deal with the high-risk heavy cavalry, while Walm and Yuna would deal with the remaining Ogres.

As Walm charged with his halberd, a flying object flew through from behind.

As expected, this must have been the support of Yuna, the archer.

Having anticipated the movements of Walm and the Ogres, Yuna must have given preference to the one that wanted to engage in battle with Walm. Sure, it wasn’t a fatal hit, but the arrow that entered the base of the shoulder from the collarbone took a lot of pressure off Walm.

One of the Ogre’s arms lost its power as if a supporting string had been cut, and the war hammer that should have hit Walm went in an unexpected direction. The halberd no longer had to be brought into position, and so could be wielded in a straight line, undisturbed. The claw-shaped blade of the halberd, which entered under the chin, reached the Ogre’s brain.

Walm turned the handle of the halberd as he changed his focus, glancing sideways at the next prey. The first fireball had burned half of its face. It wouldn’t be Walm if he didn’t take advantage of this newly made weakness. After all, he knew what it felt like to have only one functional eye.

Sending his halberd downward, Walm sliced through the Ogre’s ankles from the blind spot.

The Ogre, losing its legs, could no longer support its own weight and fell forward. Waiting for the Ogre who tried to get up was the axe-blade of the halberd. The blade, entering the side of his head, penetrated only halfway, for that was enough.

Of the remaining two, one leapt toward Walm with the momentum of someone craving for a hug. He quickly changed his center of gravity in the opposite direction and moved to the side. The second Ogre stuck a longsword in Walm’s way. Walm caught it with the claw-shaped blade of the halberd.

The Ogre tried to engage Walm in a clash of weapons, but instead of accepting it, the spearhead of the halberd made a high-pitched sound as it slid on the surface of the longsword. It went so far that it finally took all four fingers except the thumb.

The Ogre dropped the longsword and tried to grab Walm. As a response, Walm extended his bent elbow, turned his palm, and pierced the Ogre’s eyes with the lower part of the halberd.

The hand of the Ogre, which had lost its sight, caught nothing but air, and when it realized it missed its target, it swung its arm around unreasonably. Walm slipped past it without delivering a final blow. It was an action to quickly prepare for the last ogre that had stayed behind, but it was an unnecessary move. The last Ogre, too absorbed in its target, Walm, bared its defenseless back to Yuna.

Receiving an arrow on the side of the head, the Ogre’s eyes turned white as the strength left its body.

Only one remained, the Ogre that had lost both eyes. But just as Walm turned his attention back to it, he saw that the Ogro that a moment ago was thrusting its arms desperately into the air, seemed to be breathlessly sinking into the ground.

From a distance, Yuna quietly annihilated the horde of Ogres, which gave their attention only to Walm.

Walm was about to go off to rescue Merrill and the others in charge of the newcomers, but the fighting had already stopped. The heads of the poor Centaurs were being smashed by Hari’s Spirit-Infusing Rod and Marianthe’s mace. It was as if they played whack-a-mole. Those that had their forelegs and heads severed were probably in a fight with Merrill.

“That was good support.”

“Mm.”

When Walm thanked Yuna for protecting his back, he received a short reply. Basically, talking was troublesome for Yuna, so the conversation with her was extremely short. Walm believed that…… in any case, Walm convinced himself that it wasn’t because he was hated.

“Seems like, your side is done too.”

“To begin with, they were weak opponents. Compared to your side which killed Four Centaurs about the same time, I’m probably on the slower side.”

“Well, it’s not like the sooner the better.”

Merrill moved the handle to shake off the sticky liquid on the longsword.

Walm also noticed a presence behind him as he cleaned the halberd. The owner of the look was Hari. With a serious look, he asked Hari if anything strange had happened.

“Did something happen?”

“No, it’s nothing. I’m just having trouble choosing between Merrill’s colorful eyes and Walm’s muddy eyes. Aaaah, don’t look at me so seriously with those eyes. Or you will get me “excited”.”

“……Huh?”

Walm couldn’t immediately understand Hari’s words. Still, instinct screamed danger. So without thinking, he contorted his face as he took a step back.

Walm gave Merrill a protesting look, as if to say that something strange must be going on in Hari’s brain. That Hari was a weirdo to the core.

Unfortunately, the adventurer known as the “Trimagitack” only gave a silent head shaking, before giving some supplement explanation.

“His personality, and abilities are overall good, but only this side of him, I can’t fix, I’ve already given up.”

“? Were you looking at the other with a perverted gaze again? Really, stop it.”

As Merrill abandoned the responsibility, Marianthe noticed the series of disturbances and thus reprimanded Hari.

“Don’t say it like that. It’s human nature to be fascinated by beautiful things like high peaks and the sea. Don’t worry, Marianthe’s angry eyes are fine in their own way.”

“uhh――that’s why you got kicked out of the church!!”

Marianthe, feeling her patience reaching an end, struck Hari on the buttocks with a mace. A dry sound rang out, and a metallic protrusion dug into his muscular buttocks, but Hari didn’t move in the slightest. Even if it wasn’t swung with full force, it was basically a weapon blow that could beat an average full-armor soldier to death.

Walm couldn’t help but wonder what kind of flesh Hari had to receive such a blow with his buttocks and remained calm.

“Don’t get so angry. Anger slows you down.”

“Aahh!! Aaahhhh!!! I don’t want to hear that, especially not from you.”

“As you can see, glaring or getting angry at Hari only has the opposite effect, so don’t do that.”

“… Yeah, I’ll for sure keep that in mind.”

If it was a bad joke exchanged in a pool of blood, Walm might have tried to think of another bad joke. But no matter how he felt about it, it was serious.

Walm, offering the offering called Marianthe to Hari, quietly distanced himself.

This kind of ruckus must be a routine for the party…

Yuna, who diligently collected the arrows without paying attention to them, finally uttered a voice after collecting some.

“Walm, it’s great that you didn’t break the arrows.”

If the not-so-cheap arrows could be reused without damaging them, nothing was better than not breaking them. The Highserk Empire Army, which was in a rather sad financial situation, had used what was available. They must. Even arrows that pierced decaying corpses were picked up with pleasure by the archers.

“It’s an old habit.”

Despite their short relationship, Yuna, who Walm thought lacked emotion, looked happy. Had he needlessly shattered her arrows, he would have been branded a brutal man in her heart. Perhaps.

Hari and Marianthe ended their argument and began scavenging the Centaur’s corpse.

There was a saying that the “grass next door looks greener,” but now that Walm had come close, he understood that it was a pile of wild, strange grass. Each person had their own quirks, but Walm was not sophisticated enough to judge other people.

“What’s wrong, Walm?”

Walm lowered his gaze as he lost himself in thought, but Merrill’s light green hair entered his field of vision. At the same time, Merrill’s eyes, with one iris a different color than the other, stared at Walm. It seemed to him that the eyes were watching not only his face, but also his thoughts. And that, made him feel he could understand Hari’s feelings a little.

“I was thinking about how lively the party this is.”

“You’re saying it like it’s someone else’s problem. Remember, Walm is also among those lively guys.”

“Hahaha, you’re right.”

In a gloomy labyrinth, a light smile naturally spilled out of Walm’s mouth.

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TN: Join my discord channel if you want.

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130. Chapter 130

Walm threw his limbs to the ground. The cold of the cobblestones softened the heat of the body.

So refreshing…

As Walm exhaled, the exhaustion he had been holding back burst forth all at once. It was the second time he had reached the 35th floor, but he could tell that the path was steeper and harder than the first time when he encountered the dwarves and the beastman.

“I’ve completely run out of mana.”

In hindsight, the dwarves’ attracting and exterminating the monsters should have lessened Walm’s burden. Besides, the troublesome monsters had also been buried in the large room and this time there was nothing left. In a way, it could be said that they helped him behind the scenes.

After a few minutes of lethargy from exhaustion, Walm straightened his body.

As expected, Walm couldn’t sleep. At least not when his armor which had faced countless monsters along the way was dirty and damaged everywhere. If he didn’t take care of it, it would only accelerate the deterioration.

The dirt caused by monsters was carefully wiped off and a thin layer of rust-preventing oil was applied. If a mistake was made in this care, the oil would no longer fulfill its function as a protective film and would instead attract dust and dirt.

Walm continued to work diligently and was finished with one task. After completing it, he wanted to light a cigarette, but was reminded that his mana hadn’t yet recovered. He had taken magic for granted, but was reminded of how inconvenient it would be to be without magic.

“Seems, I’ve to use it after a long time.”

The presence of flint, which he had used often until his encounter with Willart, came to Walm’s mind. It was completely forgotten in the magic bag like a useless decoration. Sure it wouldn’t suddenly be able to make a bonfire, but a small fire was what Walm needed.

The cloth that absorbed the dirt and oil could be called a fuel, which also served as an appropriate ignition agent.

Walm cut the hemp cloth with a dagger and made a small hole in the center of the cut cloth. Then he covered one of the flints with the cloth and exposed the surface through the hole. Then he crossed the two flints to scrape them together.

With a dull sound, sparks scattered. Fortunately, after several repetitions, the flame spread to the oil-soaked hemp cloth.

Walm wrapped the feeble fire in both hands like a treasure, and blew on it to nurture the fire.

Cigarettes weren’t filled with much combustible material in this world, so they were difficult to burn, but the fire spread safely, so Walm brought it to his mouth. The purple smoke that was blown out floated and disappeared here and there in the air.

“Fuhh… ha, haha, that’s modest.”

Comparing its magnitude to that of blue flame, which normally manifests itself almost instantaneously, how small was it? Even such a fire was an indispensable light for Walm today. However, since it had served its purpose, it would only be a waste of cloth. And holding the burning hemp cloth was enough to extinguish the small flame.

As Walm scattered the ashes, he gave himself over to a feeling of emptiness.

Such a momentary rest should be enjoyed, but unfortunately, Walm had to throw away the cigarette in his hand, grab the halberd and stand up.

The cause was a soft sound of footsteps that Walm couldn’t escape. Moving into a defensive position, he listened carefully, but the footsteps were loud and artificial. The sound grew louder, as if it was about to enter the room. Some people made their footsteps on purpose because it was a good way to kill any sound.

And the fact that those who came into the room did so, knowing that it was the 35th floor, had to be a very disciplined party. Well, people had to show off sometimes.

The fatigue that enveloped Walm’s entire body protested and demanded a longer break, but he chose to ignore it.

The door opened slowly and the face peeking out didn’t match the Labyrinth. It was too bright.

“Hey, we meet again.”

After Merrill’s greeting, the rest of the party members appeared in the safe room.

“This time, it’s you guys huh?”

Following the dwarves and beastman, the next party Walm met on the floor deeper than the 30th floor was the Trimagitack. Why did he meet a lot of lively fellows lately? He didn’t know.

“If you keep talking like that, people will run away from you.”

Seeing the indignant Merrill, Walm honestly felt bad.

“I’m just, a little worn out. Really, I’m grateful for Faust’s case.”

“I wish you’d have told me that from the beginning.”

Merrill immediately walked happily toward Walm after hearing the mood-changing words.

Although they were different, the lack of sense of distance that Walm felt made him suspect that Merrill was the same type as the dwarves.

“So, what’s your business? Did you come to have a party to deepen our relationship?”

“Well, let’s just say, it’s not that far away.”

What a straightforward answer. As a reward, Walm gave an honest word.

“Thanks for the trouble you’re willing to go through, but…”

“It’s true. Just when I thought you were going to stay quiet for a while after being under house arrest at the guild, I heard that you immediately dived into the Labyrinth shortly after. Also, you managed to reach the 35th floor alone. People often tell me that I’m always “busy.” But apparently, you’re “busier” than me.”

“Well, a circumstance doesn’t let me stop for long.”

“In other words, you came to the labyrinth looking for something. And you haven’t obtained it yet. Could it be that you can’t even get it on the 35th floor?”

It was a one-step, no few steps deep question. Walm, who had no intention of answering, avoided giving an immediate answer.

“What do you think?”

“Seriously, you’re tiring to talk to.”

Merrill, laughing dryly, glared at Walm. But the really serious look on Merrill’s face then let Walm know. That he couldn’t avoid the question.

“People who dive into the Labyrinth have their own aims. Overflowing wealth, honor to be admired by all, power beyond one’s own limits… I’ve affirmed all of them. In the labyrinth, everyone struggles, stretching out their hands and risking their lives in order to obtain something. To think which one’s purpose is superior or inferior is pointless, boring…… So, Walm, what do you want from the Labyrinth? What do you wish for?”

“……What a strange fellow. What’s the point of asking me that?”

“That is――”

The tense atmosphere broke down in an instant. Merrill frowned seriously, and Walm also frowned bluntly. After all, a wild noise was heard.

“What the hell, were you guys fighting?”

“That’ll be a nice show.”

“Sure it will. Don’t worry, we’ll see to the end, so do it, do it now!! Ah, please no weapon.”

Without any consideration when entering the room, a group of dwarves sent by the Aleinard Forest Alliance entered the room and spoke in a distinctive way of talking. Would it be impossible for them to live humbly and quietly? Sure enough, it would be as difficult as teaching art and science to the goblins.

The only exception was the beastman who lowered the animal ears as if to apologize to Walm and Merrill.

“Seriously, can’t you all at least read the air better? We’re in the middle of a fun chat you know!?”

The angry Merrill resented the dwarves and glared at them.

“Hah, that’s it? How boring.”

“Can’t be helped. Guess it’s time for a meal.”

“Alcohol, quick, take them out.”

The dwarves, who had lost interest in Walm and Merrill, turned their attention to the food surprisingly quickly. One of them had even sat down and was eating the hard-baked bread.

“This is why the dwarves are… aahhh… you ruined the moods. Walm, let’s change the place. Don’t worry, I’ll treat you to a nice meal. I really want to know your answer after all.”

◆

Back on the surface, they entered a store that was on a side street off the main road. Unlike the tavern Walm knew, this one used sturdy stone material. And as he looked at the interior of the store, he understood the significance of its features. The room, separated by a thick outer wall and an inner wall, was created with the intention of being an important place for secret talks and business negotiations.

Walm leaned his halberd against the wall and sat down.

Unlike Walm, who tried to keep his distance, Merrill leaned forward and began to speak.

“I’m glad you have agreed to come here. First of all, I’d like to deepen our friendship by making small talk and talking to everyone about their upbringing, but I guess, it would be quicker to speak frankly.”

After taking a deep breath, Merrill continued.

“I, was born in this walled city. I never had any problems with life, and I’ve nothing to do with poverty. However, I’ve no house to inherit, and my opportunities to make money here are limited. So I went to the labyrinth to earn a living. Yes. I’m such a boring person.”

It was a common story. Whether Merrill was half forced or not, people had their own circumstances, but the only difference was that Walm earned his living on the battlefield and Merrill in the Labyrinth.

“Even such a boring person managed to dive deeper and deeper, and when I met these current companions, my greed came out. Maybe it’s what you call the adventurer’s spirit. Or maybe it’s just my curiosity. Either way, we want to be a conqueror. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in wealth or fame, but more than anything I really want to reach the bottom of the labyrinth, that’s my current dream…. laughable, isn’t it?”

Merrill smiled wryly. However, what a serious look. The same was true for the group members standing nearby.

“No, it’s not. Without dreams, hopes, and goals, it’s hard to say that people are alive. Really, it’ll be hard to tell if they’re dead, or alive.”

It would be too sad if people claimed that they were alive only by breathing. Walm, who had been drowning in alcohol and depressing days for a year, couldn’t laugh at people’s dreams. No matter how small or low they might be.

“That’s heavy…… We saw the recruitment and called you out. Many were hesitating and waiting for further developments. In time, I’m sure they won’t be able to avoid seeing your true value. It may be unconscionable to say this, but I was lucky to have met you then. Yes, Faust paid the price, but it convinced me of your abilities. I’d like to invite you to the party. But first I’d like to know what you really want. Walm, what are you looking for in the labyrinth, what do you wish for?”

It would take a long time to explain the situation. It would be quicker to show than to hear. With this in mind, Walm then said,

“…… Right… to see is to believe. I’ll use mana, but don’t worry, no bad meaning.”

The eyes from which mana flowed changed, and the world reflected in Walm’s eyes changed. It was weaker than when 《Demon Fire》 was used, but the piercing pain and heat came through.

“Those eyes… demon eyes?”

The warrior monk named Hari, who had kept his mouth shut until then, let the words seep out. Walm nodded in agreement.

“I’m a defeated soldier of Highserk who lost his homeland in an outbreak. I lost both eyes in a battle, but to stand in a fight once again, the eyes of a high-ranking monster were transplanted.”

Walm stopped the mana supply to the eyes, assuming that the confirmation was sufficiently complete. Still, even as the eyes returned to normal, the effects persisted. Slowly, he closed and opened his eyes until the waves of pain subsided.

“These eyes will rot in the not-too-distant future. As the mana flows, the eyes will heat up and feel like they’re melting. To heal them completely, I’m searching for what they call, the crimson grass on the deepest floor. That’s what I wish for.”

“I understand very well what Walm wants.”

“I put on a facade in many ways, but it’s all about self-protection.”

“Well, my dreams aren’t big either way. So, Walm, are you willing to join my party?”

For Walm, who had no personal connections and limited time, it would be best to join the Trimagitack, which had made a name in Belgana, the Labyrinth city.

“Sure, let’s conquer the Labyrinth together.”

“Great! That’s it. Let’s celebrate the joining.”

“Wait, Merrill! We, we haven’t talked about the details of the conditions yet. That goes for you too. As a mercenary, you should be stricter about the conditions.”

The adventurer named Marianthe reprimanded Merrill, who was busily preparing the alcohol. Things were quickly decided, but increasing the number of group members wasn’t so easy. That should be the case, but it was not what happened.

Walm, who felt that he didn’t think long enough and reacted immediately, had no words to say.

“Sometimes it’s all about momentum.”

“That attitude of being so easygoing, really, you’re not in a position to laugh at the dwarves.”

Even though Walm hadn’t exchanged a lot of words yet, it was faintly conveyed to him that Marianthe was a coordinator, the hard worker within the party.

“Marianthe, calm down. We can tell him the details from now on, but now, it’s important to welcome him first.”

Hari told Marianthe to calm down. His demeanor was unfazed and calm, perhaps due to his training as a warrior monk.

“… Hari, I know that you just like Walm’s eyes. Your overwhelming interest in eyes is truly like a pervert.”

“Even though you complimented me so much on how beautiful my eyes are, are you going to be distracted by someone else you’ve just met?”

Saying so, Merrill’s face contorted with sadness. The movement was like someone playing a role in an opera. So theatrical.

Walm was confused and couldn’t understand the situation.

“That’s not true. Merrill’s charming eyes are everlasting. But, but, that supposedly golden eyes, feel dark and muddy. Such eyes of Walm are just….. unbearably charming.”

“Huh――!?”

――What did I just feel?

Hari didn’t even try to make an excuse anymore. His gaze, which was directed downward, definitely lingered on Walm’s eyes and didn’t seem to let him go. His rustic, unadorned and simple clothing and his well-toned body, which gave a hint of his training, left Walm in no doubt that he was a man of common sense. In reality, however, he was a weirdo who surpassed Merrill, in short, an eyes pervert.

“Stop it, Hari!!! What if he runs away?”

Walm, who had goosebumps and body hair standing up, tried to raise his hip, but was forced to sit by an arm that stretched out from the side. That was the hand of Merrill. Although young, Merrill was really quick-witted. A really suitable action by someone who held a title. Even more startling was, that the arm was placed in a position that would relax someone.

“Where will the main character go? Rest assured. Hari isn’t on “that side”… perhaps.”

With a glimmer of hope, Walm sought help from a remaining party member, an archer named Yuna. For some reason, she was staring into the void, but luckily, she heard Walm’s voiceless call and returned from her silent journey.

“…Walm seems hungry, so let’s get started.”

No, no, that’s not it…

Walm was crying inside. He was tormented by the fear if it was really the right decision to join this party. Where was the determined attitude when he faced Faust? Of course, it wasn’t visible on Walm’s face.

“You’re right. Walm, welcome to the Trimagitack!”

Said Merrill, whose hand was still digging into Walm’s shoulder with a broad smile.

Really, this is why adventurers are…

The sorrow Walm felt disappeared without reaching anyone.

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TN: Join my discord channel if you want.

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129. Chapter 129

The Cyclops, having lost another brethren, swung the club wildly, smashing the cobblestones and scattering the pebbles around the area. At first glance, it looked like the one-eyed giant had the upper hand in the fight, but in reality, it was cornered.

Every time the Cyclops’ limbs moved chaotically, some parts of its body were scraped away. On the other side, the dwarves and beastman attacked accurately without losing sight of the one-eyed giant in the sea of dust. The battle became one-sided after the Cyclops’ ankle muscles were severed by the faintly glowing blade of the battle-axe.

The resistance ended in vain, and the limbs were scraped by the 《Strike》. It looked like a bunch of adults playing a Daruma-Otoshi. [TN: Daruma Otoshi, is a traditional game played with a daruma doll in five pieces, usually in the colors of the rainbow, from top to bottom]

It wasn’t long before the head was severed along with the only eye. The turmoil turned the room red, and the demon’s guts, exposed to the atmosphere, gave off a strong, foul odor.

Even if it was a floor that wasn’t regularly thinned of monsters, if so many were defeated, there should be no reason for more monsters to appear by chance in front of Walm for a while.

Walm watched the battle to the end, and he was forced to come out from the spectator seat.

“What the hell are you!!! Staring at us since a while…”

The bearded dwarf raised his eyebrows as he used a cloth to wipe the axe blade clean of fleshy fat and blood, and complained to Walm.

Although Walm was in line to pass the room, he watched the fight without averting his eyes. He didn’t intend to stare, but the dwarf’s remarks weren’t far from the truth.

“I’m sor――”

“Uhm? Haven’t seen your face. Which party are you?”

Walm wanted to apologize and make an excuse, but he was interrupted. And perhaps to properly judge the spectator who suddenly came, the dwarf, with his battle axe in hand, closed the distance

Walm was confused as to how to react. The Fausto case wasn’t so long ago. So he wanted the dwarf to stop approaching him too much.

Nevertheless, Walm was at a loss as to what to say after the great spectacle he had witnessed. Fortunately, another dwarf, who was busy dismantling monsters, rescued Walm from this predicament.

“Whatcha slackin’ off!!! Hurry up, help!!”

“How loud. Can’t you even give me a minute?! Look, there’s an unfamiliar guy over there.”

“You, did you drink the alcohol alrea――who the fuck is that guy?!”

“Not that I know! He was suddenly there when we were fighting.”

“Oi, y’all, look, there’s a new face!”

With the beastman following behind, the scattered dwarves gathered under Walm as if they had found a strange object. Although the dwarves were no taller than Walm, the thickness of their bodies gave him a feeling of oppression. Moreover, their voice was so loud that even Walm couldn’t believe that they were in the labyrinth.

No wonder the monsters from the surrounding area gathered. Walm didn’t even have to think much about the reason.

“Are you alone?”

After a short noisy quarrel among themselves, their interest turned back to Walm again.

“Yes, I’m alone.”

In response to Walm’s reply, the dwarves yelled in a way that he couldn’t tell if they were angry or mocking him.

“Cocky yet calm, eh?!”

“Hah! Better than suddenly crying.”

“For a scout, you sure have a bulky halberd, eh?”

Albeit late, Walm understood. That it was just how they spoke, not that they were angry or making fun of him.

“So, where are the other companions?”

“I’ve no companions”

“No? Hell, why did you abandon your companions?”

“No, that’s not――”

The beastman who kept more distance than the others and remained silent suddenly interrupted the conversation.

“That guy must be the one who fought Fausto’s party. He smells like death.”

Although Walm was in the labyrinth, he intended to keep his appearance in order and did what he could. However, for the beastman, who had an excellent sense of smell, he stank in many ways. Nevertheless, the dwarves didn’t care about the warning of the beastman.

“Ooh, so he’s that mercenary? And there was a person who tried to hunt someone who can come this far alone? Fausto, you sure were a fool.”

“But, that’s an unusual armor you are wearing. Where did you come from?”

“Wait, that design… Northern countries?”

Walm moved only his eyes at the dwarf who gave the correct answer.

“Ahaha, look who’s a good guesser, this guy who’s familiar with armor.”

The dwarf, who had noticed Walm’s gaze, puffed out his chest proudly. With the thick beard and puffed chest, it became a dignified appearance.

“Stop acting like a fawn. Don’t need to be that alert. If you keep this up, the irregular won’t be attracted. Besides, we’ve got our proud equipment, no one needs something that you have.”

The dwarves laughed at Walm, who didn’t let his guard down. And even after they knew of his conflict with the Manhunts, they still spoke without restraint. Whether it was a trait that they developed after diving into the depths so many times or because of the roots of their race, whatever the reason might be, the dwarves didn’t give any unpleasant atmosphere.

And after all, Walm had been born in a peasant village and had stood on the battlefield. Of course, he wasn’t of noble blood, nor did he care so much about what they called “courtesy.” As a soldier on the battlefield, he hadn’t shown any consideration, not even a glimmer of modesty, as these had meant nothing for the army. Having experienced that, he saw the trust in the dwarves who were bantering with each other, even in the middle of the room with foul flesh and blood, and their laughter as something nostalgic.

“It’s rare to see a new face these days. Even those greedy big fellas of Maylis pulled up their units, and have stopped dispatching younglings.”

“Are there few people who dive beyond the 35th floor?”

“Both hands are enough to count those parties. And most are like us, someone dispatched from other countries.”

“Thirty, forty years ago there were guys with guts.”

“The veterans who experienced the Unification War and those who had those people’s teaching were good. People these days only think ‘bout money, they’re drowning too much in fake power.”

“Did you forget that we were also dispatched after the last ones? And, it’s only been 30 years. For those who know the Unification War very well, we’re like a young chick.”

“Hmmph, how noisy… well, let’s stop talking nonsense here. We’ve been talking here for too long. We’ll go after dismantling them. There, you can move on.”

“Yes. This place isn’t suitable to have a nice talk.”

If this were a tavern, Walm’s mouth would be lighter, but this place was on the high-rank floor of the Labyrinth. It wasn’t suitable for holding conversations and deepening friendships.

“Hah, listen. Sure, I’ll praise your fighting ability, but let me give you some advice. No offense. But, give up going deeper than the 35th floor. It’s kinda breaking point. The deepest of the labyrinth ain’t something manageable with one person’s skills. Even if we manage to go, can’t think we all five will return alive. And, if you don’t have comrades with the courage to jump into a deadly place, you will die in vain. Such foolishness ain’t something I recommend.”

“I’m grateful for the advice, but unfortunately, I’m not blessed with fruitful encounters.”

“Hmmm, you sure give those vibes. Well, just remember, “don’t rot, don’t rush”.”

“… Yes, I’ll be patient.”

After finishing the words, the dwarf ended the conversation as if he had done his business. The only exception was the beastman, who pricked up the animal ears even though the hands continued to work.

To stay longer would be futile. So Walm quietly left the room alone.

As Walm walked down the passage, he murmured about the things mentioned in the earlier conversation.

“Don’t rot, huh?”

Even if Walm’s heart wouldn’t rot, his eyes certainly would if he continued to wait.

“Really, it’s a world where things don’t go the way you want. That I’m living in.”

Walm’s monologue disappeared without being heard by anyone.

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TN: Join my discord channel if you want.

TN: Merry Christmas.

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128. Chapter 128

Walm had undergone significant changes as a result of the deadly fight with Fausto. Whereas previously some who passed him in the labyrinth had given him a scrutinizing look, now it had become worse, and such a look extended even when he was in the waiting area. The stares, which were a mixture of curiosity and suspicion, continued the entire time. As expected, it was uncomfortable to be watched like this all the time. When Walm looked back, they immediately diverted their eyes. But not long after, another unpleasant glance would fall on him. There was just no end to it at all.

Another change was the train of thought in the battle. After the fall of Highserk, Walm had given himself over to laziness for a year, which left him both physically and mentally rusty. Even with some self-training and fighting, he couldn’t regain the momentum of his military days, and these negative effects continued. This dullness was being scraped away day by day, but in a fight with Fausto’s party, he reached a point where it was completely scraped away. His thoughts were relaxed, and his body responded obediently to his demands.

In this current situation, there was another concern, and that was the party members. It had been seven days since Walm had started recruiting, but there was no news about it. Although he had prepared in advance for this outcome, the reality was harsh, as expected.

With this in mind, Walm, who couldn’t afford the luxury of waiting too long, threw himself once again into the labyrinth. As he advanced deeper and deeper, he defeated the monsters on the way and now was about to rest in a corner of the safe room. Dropping to his knees, he looked down at the floor. The cobblestone was nothing unusual, but it meant a lot to Walm.

“No stains or scratches?”

There were no traces of the battle Walm had fought. Must have been completely cleaned by the Labyrinth’s self-cleaning. If he had made even one step wrong then, Walm would have died instead of the two Manhunts. And his death would leave nothing behind and cleanly disappear from this world

After taking a breath, Walm directed his gaze straight ahead again. Fortunately, there was no one lingering in the safe room. So there was no one to question him for his eccentric behavior.

Walm, who had rearranged his train of thought, aimed for the door to the next floor. He pressed his hand gently against the door. A balmy breeze caressed his cheeks as he peered through the door, which opened after a slight resistance.

There was no change in the interior. The walls and ceilings remained as usual. Still, Walm was confident. According to the previous rule of thumb, the monster’s difficulty level would definitely change before he reached the next safe room.

As Walm swung the halberd lightly, he could hear the reliable weight and sound of the wind splitting.

The legs stepped over the stone pavement and the agility of the body felt perfect.

Exhaling lightly, Walm resumed his exploration of the labyrinth.

The welcome came quickly. The pebbles that had accumulated at the end of the passage trembled, and the vibrations were transmitted through the soles of Walm’s shoes whether he liked it or not.

What emerged from the darkness was a heavy cavalry. It was a familiar presence on the battlefield, and the pincer movement that made use of its power had the power to decide the battle situation.

Due to the luminous moss, the appearance slowly became visible.

“That horse’s half-body is… is that “Centaur” ?”

Of course, it was impossible for a heavy cavalry to appear in the Labyrinth, and its true identity was a group of Centaurs.

Centaur, was a monster with the lower body of a horse and a humanoid upper body. The upper body was covered with armor. Thinking logically, it would be more difficult to deal with it than with heavy cavalry, because there was no need for communication between man and horse.

Walm immediately kneaded mana.

The overwhelming difference in mass and speed would create a powerful and unparalleled attack. In no case would he be allowed to use any superficial tricks or half-hearted magic.

To deal with a Centaur without going on the defensive would require attacking it in a group of spearmen or defeating it from a distance with a bow or magic. And the only option left for the lone Walm was to use magic. Unfortunately – or fortunately – there was only one escape route from each other in the straight passage.

Walm created a fireball and shot it at the leading Centaur.

The fireball hitting the abdomen bent the Centaur’s armor, sending its guts, smeared with a foul odor, into the atmosphere.

The Centaur lost its balance, its forelegs broke and the whole body crashed to the ground. But the result was far from what Walm wanted. Although the thick body and armor blocked the way, the two following Centaurs still rushed at him.

The gap was already closed, which meant that the second shot would be the limit. When the next centaur was only a few steps away from reaching Walm, he shot the fireball again.

The effect of the magic hitting directly on the Centaur’s chest was tremendous.

The body, wrapped in blue flames, was pulled onto its back along with the armor around its chest, and the neck was now connected only by a few muscles and skin. The lifeless horse lost control and rolled, hitting a wall and coming to a stop. The flames engulfed it to the end, and Walm hoped that the result of this would extend to the last Centaur, but it emerged from the flames.

The Centaur was somewhat burned and had lost its body hair, but the threat was still there. There wasn’t enough time to make another fireball, and Walm, who had decided to fight head-on, consolidated his stance and prepared to extend his halberd.

As the centaur approached, Walm could see how big it was. The spear, which was far above Walm’s head, thrust sharply at him.

The distance of the powerful spear was long enough to match its large body, and Walm had no choice but to be passive. The tip of the spear grazed the tip of the halberd, and off it went in another direction.

Although Walm handled the spear, there was still the body. And he already knew that mass and speed, when they came together, became a force. The centaur, which had a horse’s lower body, also tried to impose its characteristics.

The Centaur tilted its body, and turned its course. If Walm was kicked or pushed by those legs, he wouldn’t escape unharmed.

Immediately, Walm changed his stance and shifted his center of gravity backward. He slid across the ground as he angled one of his legs. The smell of the Centaur’s burnt fur rose to his nasal cavity as the horse’s legs passed in front of him. After it passed, he fixed his stance with the underside of the halberd and his other free arm.

In fact, the Centaur reversed its position as it sent the horse’s hooves against Walm. In the truest sense of the word, it was a magnificent performance displayed by a rider in unison with the horse. The skillful movement deserved praise, but it was a risky move for a “cavalryman”. How much strength would remain in such a cavalry that threw away its speed?

No matter how strong the legs were, the initial speed couldn’t be very high. So Walm quickly closed the gap to 《Strike》 the Centaur.

The Centaur thrust the spear as if refusing Walm’s approach, but the spear, which had no speed, was lighter than before. When the spearhead was cut by 《Strike》, the Centaur pulled the saber at its hip with its hand.

Just as the blade came out of its scabbard, the Centaur’s head fell to the ground of the Labyrinth. The body, frozen by the loss of its control, collapsed with its limbs outstretched. If this battle had been fought on a wide plain, Walm would have had to struggle even more, but the good qualities of cavalry were barely visible in the narrow passage of the labyrinth.

Walm, wiping the blood on the halberd and reaching out to quickly scavenge the corpse, clicked his tongue.

The next challenger was already approaching. According to the information Walm had, there were almost no parties that could dive beyond the 30th floor. Compared to the previous floors, the monsters hadn’t been regularly thinned out. In this case, it was obvious that the burden per party would increase rapidly from this floor.

“Of all things, it’s armed Trolls.”

The name of the unwanted visitor was Troll. It had ugly skin full of bumps similar to goblins, and a bloated abdomen about the size of an infant or adult. Most importantly, its regenerative ability was extraordinary for a humanoid monster. The torn arm could be reconnected by simply attaching it, and the torn throat would close over time. Such a monster wore armor.

Mud fights were inevitable in close combat. On the other hand, if Walm defeated it with magic, the sounds and smells would cause one raging monster after another to rush in. What a lovely situation to be in. And from now on, this would be the norm. There was no other way but to get used to it.

Walm welcomed the guest without a smile.

◆

A pillar of fire extending from the ground engulfed half of the armed Ogre that carelessly closed the gap. Without even waiting for a breath, the skin burned down to the muscle and bone. Walm, who had killed the armed Ogre, moved his gaze as he shook his head in response to the threat.

“Hm, mmph!!”

Using the pillar of fire and the burned corpse as a shield, Walm thrust his halberd into the fourth armed Ogre. The thrust was aimed at its soft neck, but it was deflected by the longsword. It seemed he had learned the distance and speed of a thrust when he saw the spearhead of the halberd pierce the throat of the other Ogre. And the diligent armed Ogre gleefully stepped in.

Walm drew back the halberd with a speed that surpassed the Ogre’s advance as he spun it. Although the Ogre had become sensitive to the thrust, it had no idea that Walm would pull back the halberd midway.

The halberd’s claw-like blade cut into the neck from behind, wildly agitating the spinal cord and aorta. Profuse blood spurted from the throat and mouth, and the heart immediately gave out.

At the same time, an unpleasant and distorted wind noise approached from the side. The source was a war hammer with an asymmetrical head. Walm quickly jumped back in the posture inclined for evasion. A conical mass of metal penetrated the space where Walm’s chest had been until now.

The weight of the two-handed war hammer was concentrated on the head, and the blow, swung obliquely from above, had both weight and speed. The force of the blow alone would be enough to shatter even cobblestones. If such a blow hit Walm, his guts would be destroyed along with the armor. Unfortunately, it didn’t hit Walm, but the corpse, which collapsed on the ground.

“You’re, too late.”

The fifth armed Ogre tried to pull up the head of the war hammer that had bitten into the corpse of its brethren, but Walm’s sole was faster in stomping the war hammer. The Ogre clearly made a wrong choice. It clung to the war hammer instead of concentrating on mowing Walm down. And the result was that the spearhead went into its head from its chin and pierced its brain.

The hustle and bustle stopped abruptly, leaving only the sound of Walm breathing and the dull sound of the last armed Ogre collapsing.

“Hurry up. I’ll give you one minute.”

Although Walm should have enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment, he chose to search the surroundings for enemies and loot the corpses. Walm had experienced firsthand what would happen if he spent his time here luxuriously.

At the first contact with the group of armed Ogres, Walm blew one away with a fireball. Meant, he only needed to check four. What a time saver. Of course, as he examined the body, he didn’t forget to twist the spearhead to collect only the metal.

Since the capacity of the magic bag had reached its limit, the bulky weapons and armor were thrown away and the items Walm considered valuable were put into storage. Although it wasn’t as rewarding, he also found a small gold coin, six silver coins, and a silver fork and spoon.

“Why did an Ogre have tableware?”

After all, many didn’t like bulky luggage when they dived into the labyrinth, and Walm was no exception. He had lived a life in the Labyrinth that had nothing to do with tableware. Picked up food with his hands, crushed it, and threw it into his mouth, that was the norm. And now he found an Ogre, a monster, with tableware, which in a way indirectly meant that his eating culture was lower than that of the monster.

In any case, Walm, leaving the place after the looting, found that the pattern of attack that had been repeated until now hadn’t begun at all. Finding this strange, he thought of the possibility that monsters were gathering somewhere, an unusual situation was occurring, or a rare species like the Bone Collector he had encountered was the reason.

Walm continued to think, but the answer soon came to him. Not that the answer suddenly came to him. Just that he saw a chopped Troll to the left in the passage. There was also a Centaur lying there that had been cut in half.

Cannibalism among monsters didn’t occur in the Labyrinth. There was no such information. And logically, they shouldn’t be interested in killing each other, since this wouldn’t be profitable for them in any way.

Walm looked at the corpse and found traces that indicated that the body had been scavenged.

“There’s a party ahead?”

Although it was the first human trace Walm had found since he went deeper than the 30th floor, he felt no great joy. He still couldn’t quite put the incident with Fausto out of his mind

Looking closely, Walm noticed that the blood hadn’t yet dried, and considering the Labyrinth’s self-cleaning, the unknown party ahead of him shouldn’t be too far away.

Walm decided to carefully follow the traces left behind. He had experience in tracking down people in a skirmish with the Liberia Trade Federation. The Squad Commander, who had a rough personality, was more concerned about footprints than anyone else. When Walm accidentally stepped on the soft grass and destroyed some of the footprints, the Squad Commander hit his helmet hard. Such a memory so bitter yet nostalgic came to his mind.

However, tracking wasn’t Walm’s specialty, so he could only use the methods he had learned. Following footprints and the corpse of a monster that had apparently been hit by a storm, he moved on.

Slowly, a sound of battle could be heard, which meant that Walm would soon catch up with the unknown party. In the Labyrinth, there was a room with a rather large open area, which was different from a normal room. Most of these rooms were like a crossroads that anyone had to pass in order to continue. And the deeper such a room was found, the greater the chance that it was true.

In such a big space, a big battle was happening,

On the monster side, there were Ogres and even Cyclopes. On the other side, there was a party of five.

What surprised and amazed Walm was nothing but the way they fought.

A battle axe and the Ogre’s mace crossed. The mana infused battle axe gained a lopsided victory with a blow that seemed to fail. Clearly it was 《Strike》, a skill seen on the battlefield and in the Labyrinth, but still, Walm couldn’t help but be amazed at the fact that everyone in the party could use 《Strike》 and fully demonstrated its power.

Ten monster parts lay scattered on the stone pavement. Considering their large number, the surrounding monsters must have been attracted. Moreover, the party hadn’t stopped fighting either, and now they were dealing with a Cyclops in the large room.

Four out of five had physical characteristics in common. A body size that was about Walm’s eyes, but the chest was so thick that it could be seen even from the top of the armor. In Walm’s vision, a fierce battle unfolded in which they fought in a way that could be called a storm of steel.

“…Is that “Dwarf” ?”

Anyone who saw the scene would say the same. If the warrior before Walm wasn’t a dwarf, what else could be called a dwarf?

Humans and monsters weren’t the only races that lived on the continent. Elves, Dwarves, and Beastmen also lived there.

Besides the four dwarves, there was one with a tail and ears reminiscent of a beast. This must be a beastman.

The armor they wore had the emblem of a large tree with four intertwined trunks. Even Walm, who came from the northern countries, knew the emblem. Elves, dwarves, beasts, and humans – four different races had pledged in unity, a unity in the name of the forest, that was the meaning of the emblem. Right. It was the national emblem of one of the three major powers, the Aleinard Forest Alliance.

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