How a Black-Haired Barbarian Survived the Labyrinth in Another World – Chapter 148

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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The next morning…

Karin came down to the first floor while clutching her pounding head.

She had a terrible hangover from drinking too much at Boron’s smithy yesterday.

She remembered being carried into her room on Skar’s broad back, but everything after that was a blur.

A blonde woman was sitting at a table in the inn, eating. There was a lot of food in front of her for breakfast.

But the woman, without batting an eye, devoured them all.

Skar was sitting next to her with his arms crossed. Did he know her?

Karin approached the table.

“Skar…?”

“You’re up?”

Skar greeted her with a gentle smile. Karin pointed at the blonde woman.

“Who’s she?”

“Delia, a vanguard who applied to our party.”

“Wh-When?”

“Last night.”

Delia looked up, swallowed her food, and extended her hand.

“You must be Karin. Nice to meet you. I’m Delia.”

“I’m Karin. The party’s guide.”

Karin shook Delia’s hand.

Skar had recruited her, so she must be trustworthy.

Still, she had one question.

“Delia, are you a virgin?!”

“Pfft!!!”

Delia, who had just finished shaking her hand and was about to resume eating, spat out her food. Chewed-up food sprayed onto Karin’s face.

Delia blushed.

“Cough!!! W-Why would you suddenly ask if I’m a virgin?! That’s an outrageous question!”

Jeong Yoo-shin crossed his arms and looked at Karin.

“Karin, that’s a rude question.”

“Sorry.”

Karin took out a handkerchief and wiped her face. That expression and behavior. She was definitely a virgin.

‘Another rival.’

She was already worried about her mother, and now another blonde virgin had appeared. And she was pretty too.

Wasn’t it time she admitted it?

The Female Virgin Corruption imprint was just an accessory.

Skar’s handsome appearance was the main culprit that was captivating the hearts of many women.

Karin silently expressed her condolences to poor Delia, who was destined to become Skar’s dick sacrifice.

As Karin sat down at the table, Jeong Yoo-shin filled a wooden cup with water and handed it to her.

“Karin, a priest of the Earth Mother Goddess named Barion also joined us. They’re a bit… unique.”

“Unique?”

Jeong Yoo-shin briefly explained about his new party members, how he had met them, what they had talked about, and the meeting they had had last night.

Karin drank her water and wiped her mouth.

“So you’ve roughly decided where to go?”

“That’s right.”

Jeong Yoo-shin’s eyes gleamed as he continued.

“We’re going to the Corridor area.”

“Good.”

Karin replied readily.

As an intermediate-rank explorer, she had explored the Forest and Corridor areas before, so it wasn’t an unfamiliar place to her.

“I’m thinking of ordering the rest of our equipment and getting a few requests.”

“Skar, leave the requests to me. I know which ones are profitable.”

Delia puffed out her chest. She was wearing plate armor, so it only made a metallic sound.

“Really? Then I’ll leave the requests to you.”

Karin crossed her arms and looked at Jeong Yoo-shin.

“I’m going to the smithy to finish ordering our equipment. And I’ll stop by the Guide’s Guild to get some information while I’m at it.”

“Alright.”

As soon as the conversation ended, Karin and Delia stood up.

Were these intermediate-rank explorers?

They were quick to take charge of what they were good at.

Efficiency that was unimaginable during his novice explorer days.

Jeong Yoo-shin also stood up.

“Then I’m going to the monster dismantler shop.”

“Okay. See you later.”

They parted ways.

Jeong Yoo-shin took his red single-edged sword and headed to the monster dismantler shop.

He greeted the staff, whom he hadn’t seen in a while, and entered the office. Aldein was sitting at his desk.

“It’s been a while, Skar. You’ve changed again.”

“You recognized me?”

“You look like you’ve just grown up from your younger self. It would be strange if I didn’t. Anyway, are you planning to enter the labyrinth soon?”

Aldein glanced at the red single-edged sword.

“Yes. I brought this back because you told me to return it before I entered the labyrinth.”

“Give it to me.”

He untied the red single-edged sword from his waist and handed it to Aldein.

“Lord Aldein, I don’t know if Snout told you about it, but there’s an evil spirit attached to the sword. I exorcised it, and it seems to be fine now, but it’s best to be careful.”

“…Is that so?”

Aldein stroked the sword and frowned slightly.

“…I see. Good work. If you survive the labyrinth, come see me again. I have something to tell you.”

“Yes. Alright.”

“By the way, which area are you entering?”

“The Corridor area.”

“Really? Then good luck. Don’t die. And see you again.”

Aldein leaned the red single-edged sword against the table and waved his hand.

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A week passed.

Jeong Yoo-shin was so busy with various preparations that he didn’t even realize how much time had passed.

He went to Edel’s pharmacy to buy potions and to the general store to prepare various exploration supplies.

He gradually increased his food intake while focusing on nutrition. He wanted to be able to endure for a little longer if he ran out of food in the labyrinth.

He also carried his backpack and ran around the courtyard slowly to get used to its weight.

He didn’t stop there. He deliberately changed his sleep schedule to adjust his body. This was because he would be entering the labyrinth in the evening this time.

He trained, supplementing the areas where he had been lacking during his previous labyrinth explorations.

Karin was amazed by Jeong Yoo-shin’s dedication. It was discipline bordering on obsession, something she wouldn’t even dare to try.

A week later, in the evening…

The party gathered.

They usually departed in the morning, but their schedule had changed with the new Labyrinth City Council representative.

Normal explorers in the afternoon or evening.

Monster-person explorers in the morning.

It was the minimum rule set by the Explorer’s Guild to prevent chaos.

They sat quietly at the table, fully armed.

Jeong Yoo-shin was wearing light armor, with plate reinforcement over leather armor. He also wore metal greaves and leather gloves.

His main weapon was a bluish longsword, a masterpiece crafted with care by Einhorfer and Boron. He had nicknamed it the “Dog Decapitator” in the Forest area.

His secondary weapons were a dagger and the single-edged sword imbued with ‘Gale.’

He had returned the red single-edged sword and left his shield behind. Delia would be the vanguard this time.

Delia, the fallen noble, was equipped with plate armor, a one-handed mace, a kite shield, and an arming sword.

Karin wore light leather armor with two daggers, a crossbow, and a bolt pouch on her belt.

And Barion was wielding a massive, two-handed warhammer.

“Is it alright for a priest to use a weapon like that?”

-Is there a problem?

Barion shrugged and scribbled on a piece of paper.

“Not at all. I like it.”

A strong rearguard was a good thing. They would be relatively safe from surprise attacks from the rear.

Delia took out two pieces of paper from her pocket. They were the requests they had selected after a week of party meetings.

The final requests were…

Collecting monster bone fragments…

And collecting antiques.

Both requests were from the Magic Tower.

“The Magic Tower tends to be more generous with their rewards.”

“I see.”

Jeong Yoo-shin looked around. He had been preparing tirelessly for this labyrinth exploration for a week.

He was perfectly prepared.

“Shall we go?”

The party members stood up.

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The sun, which had been illuminating the sky, disappeared below the city walls, painting the sky with the hues of sunset.

Jeong Yoo-shin walked slowly through the city and headed towards the Western District.

He pushed through the bustling crowd and arrived at the labyrinth entrance.

Following the guards’ instructions, he stood before the magic circle.

He took out his torch and fiddled with the flint and steel in his pocket.

“Sigh.”

He took a deep breath and composed himself.

Flash!!!

A familiar floating sensation, and his vision went dark.

Thud!

Jeong Yoo-shin landed naturally on the ground after passing through the portal.

Damp air. Cool temperature.

The first level of the labyrinth.

He quickly took out his flint and steel and lit the torch.

Whoosh.

The torch flared to life, illuminating the darkness.

The party members stood back-to-back, their weapons drawn.

“Any problems?”

“None.”

“None.”

“…”

Karin looked around.

“We landed close to the teleportation stone. We’re lucky.”

As expected of Karin.

She knew where they were just by looking around.

“Let’s move out. Delia in the front, followed by Karin.”

The party formed their ranks and moved forward through the dark cave.

They passed by explorers who looked like novices and even encountered an intermediate-rank party.

They received envious glances and wary stares, but they didn’t stop to greet anyone.

They didn’t have time, and there was no reason to.

The party continued forward.

They encountered a group of goblins, but it wasn’t a problem.

Before Jeong Yoo-shin could even draw his weapon, Delia stepped forward and swung her mace.

The goblins’ heads exploded like firecrackers, and the surviving terrified goblins fled without looking back.

One day. Two days. Three days. Four days.

The party moved forward without any hindrance and arrived at the 5th floor, Ingrave.

A high-ranking party must have already swept through it, because the city area was clean.

Torn and shattered high-ranking goblin corpses were scattered on the street.

“Hmm?”

Jeong Yoo-shin stopped in his tracks.

A group in black robes was walking in the distance.

A normal party would have four or five members at most, but this group had at least twenty.

The other party members also stopped.

“Those guys…”

Delia’s hesitant voice trailed off.

“Why? Do you know them?”

Karin stepped forward and answered Jeong Yoo-shin’s question.

“They’re a clan based in the Eastern District. ‘Night of Death,’ was it?”

-That’s right.

Barion confirmed Karin’s answer with a hand gesture.

“Should we be wary of them?”

Delia shook her head.

“They look a bit shady, but they’re not dangerous. They’re just a bunch of lunatics who mumble about overcoming death. I heard that they’ve never harmed anyone.”

“Is that so?”

Was it just his imagination, or did it feel like they were heading in the same direction?

‘I have my own problems to worry about. I shouldn’t get involved in strange things.’

He shook his head and dismissed the thought.

The party ignored the group in black robes and continued through the streets of Ingrave, reaching the Central area.

Karin stopped.

“We should rest here and then cross over to the Corridor area.”

“Let’s do that.”

Following Karin’s lead, they found a resting place in an alley.

A dusty house.

They tidied up the place, found a hearth, lit a fire, and gathered around.

Delia took off her helmet and patted her stomach.

“I’m hungry.”

She was already hungry, even though they had just sat down. Her appetite was incredible.

Delia immediately rummaged through her backpack and took out some food.

It was a black, energy bar-like food. Delia grinned and munched on it.

A special energy bar made by Anne and Tarman for Delia.

It was a clever solution to Delia’s high-calorie consumption, which couldn’t be sustained by dried meat or bread alone.

Thanks to that, they had been able to significantly reduce the weight of their backpacks. It had cost quite a bit to make, but they considered it an investment.

Following Delia’s lead, the other party members took out their own food and began to eat.

There was no conversation.

It wasn’t an awkward atmosphere. They just didn’t have anything to say.

Barion took the watch.

Since obtaining the Spirit of Steel imprint, they no longer needed to eat or sleep.

Thanks to Barion, they were able to navigate the labyrinth relatively comfortably without having to take watch shifts for the past few days.

Jeong Yoo-shin leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

He sank into a familiar darkness.

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Someone shook his shoulder.

“Skar, wake up.”

Jeong Yoo-shin’s eyes snapped open. It was Delia.

“How long did I sleep?”

“About six hours. You were sleeping soundly.”

Jeong Yoo-shin nodded inwardly.

He had gotten the minimum amount of sleep.

Which meant that…

He had adapted to the labyrinth.

The party members finished their meal and packed their belongings.

They left the resting place and continued forward.

When they reached the Central area, they saw another castle.

A castle within a castle.

An inner castle.

Antique sculptures were engraved on the castle walls. He didn’t know what kind of city it was, but it seemed like high-ranking people had once lived there.

They passed through the castle gates and reached a garden.

It was hard to even call it a garden.

There was no grass around, only dust.

A dried-up lake and a decaying pavilion were the only signs that this place had once been a garden.

After passing through the garden, they reached a hallway.

A long, musty-smelling path.

The valuable decorations had already been taken by previous explorers. There was nothing left.

They walked down the straight hallway and entered a chamber.

The ceiling was a round dome, and in the center was a stone chair.

It looked like a place where a medieval king would have resided.

In front of the chair was a teleportation stone.

Jeong Yoo-shin slowly approached and placed his hand on the teleportation stone.

Hum.

A blue portal and a red portal appeared.

‘The Corridor area is beyond this point.’

His heart pounded.

Jeong Yoo-shin turned around and looked at his party members.

“Ready?”

His party members nodded.

Delia spoke with an amused tone.

“Skar, don’t be too nervous. Nothing will happen.”

“…”

He felt suffocated.

Why was she suddenly jinxing it?

Jeong Yoo-shin glared at Delia.

“Delia, don’t say things like that.”

“A-Alright.”

He took a deep breath and stepped into the portal. He passed through the red light and felt a floating sensation.

Darkness enveloped his vision.

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T/N – Here we go boys! Another labyrinth exploration. This time too, the MC has some interesting party members. I really like Barion the most just for the fact that he’s a — Living fucking Armor! So cool.

Also, gee Delia, red flag much. Along with some shady black-robed people going to the same place as them, and you have yourselves another crisis. I wonder what it is this time?

If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out in the comments.