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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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Thud.
Jeong Yoo-shin landed on the floor after passing through the red portal.
He quickly scanned his surroundings with the torch.
‘This place is…’
How should he describe it?
It was like the hallway of an old castle.
Tattered banners hung like rags on either side of the walls.
The carpet on the floor was so worn that its color and shape were unrecognizable. It looked like a dirty rag.
The stone walls, which should have been gray, were a dull black.
Was this caused by the passage of time?
Or was it the influence of the labyrinth?
It was hard to say for sure, but one thing was clear…
‘We’re in the right place.’
The Corridor area.
Like the 5th-floor city, Ingrave, the origin of the Corridor area was unknown.
Even the long-lived elf scholars had given up trying to figure it out, so he, a mortal, didn’t bother to delve into it.
Enough with the observations.
The law of the Corridor area was ‘fear.’
If an explorer felt fear, madness would well up inside them.
Explorer parties without priests would take psychotropic drugs to numb their fear.
But it was a different story for parties with priests.
Jeong Yoo-shin stopped his thoughts.
His party members emerged from the red portal one by one.
Delia, the gluttonous fallen noble.
Karin, the guide.
Barion, the empty suit of armor.
The party members, having passed through the portal, immediately gripped their weapons and scanned their surroundings.
Karin, who had been taking out her map, paused.
“Enemies. Eleven monsters ahead.”
“Prepare for battle.”
As soon as Jeong Yoo-shin spoke, Delia stepped forward.
Clang.
Delia raised her shield, rested her mace on her shoulder, and took a stance.
Click.
Karin took out her crossbow and loaded it.
Barion began to chant.
“…”
There was no sound. All he could feel was Barion’s mana slowly flowing out.
Clank. Clank.
Humanoid monsters with nothing but bones walked towards them from the dark hallway.
Some still had bits of flesh clinging to them, while others were completely skeletal.
Skeleton Soldiers.
The very reason the Corridor area was so infamous.
The undead.
The dead who could not die.
The aura of death emanating from the undead instilled ‘fear’ in the living.
Even the strongest-willed people were repelled by the aura of death.
Some learned scholars called this phenomenon ‘mental pollution.’
‘Although I’ve only heard about it.’
He was grateful for Teacher Mion’s thorough education.
Clatter. Clatter.
The Skeleton Soldiers drew closer.
Jeong Yoo-shin could now see them clearly.
Green light glowed in their empty eye sockets.
The skeletons that emerged from the darkness were armed with various weapons.
Wooden clubs, daggers, axes, maces, and even crossbows.
The rusty weapons were of poor quality.
A single, ill-placed cut, without proper treatment, could lead to tetanus and, worse, a one-way ticket to the afterlife from septic shock.
The skeletons, having spotted Jeong Yoo-shin’s party, charged forward, their eyes glowing.
Clatter! Clatter!
Could they not bear the sight of the living?
They didn’t make any sound, but he could feel blind rage from their movements.
Jeong Yoo-shin shouldered his longsword and took a stance.
Just before the Skeleton Soldiers reached them…
Barion cast a spell.
[Mind Protection]
There was no sound though he could tell by the effect.
A divine spell that protected against the mental pollution of the undead.
This was why Jeong Yoo-shin had chosen the Corridor area.
A holy light scattered like fragments above the party members’ heads.
The Skeleton Soldiers, seeing this, hesitated for a moment.
“Haaaaah!!!”
Delia let out a battle cry and rammed her shield forward with all her might.
A solid shield bash.
Boom!!!
The kite shield shattered four skeletons at once.
Overwhelming strength. As expected of the Gluttony imprint.
Crack!!!
The bones of the skeletons, struck by the shield, flew through the air like bowling pins.
Not to be outdone, Jeong Yoo-shin stood beside Delia and took a stance.
He gripped the sword that was on his shoulder with both hands, raised it slightly, and then…
A diagonal slash.
Swish!!!
The slash, honed by thousands of swings, shattered the skull of a skeleton wielding a mace.
Crack!!!
The light in the skeleton’s eyes faded as its head was split in two.
He quickly snatched the mace that the skeleton had dropped and swung it at another one charging at him with a dagger.
Whoosh!!!
Crack!!!
The heavy mace cut through the air and shattered the Skeleton Soldier’s ribcage.
The Skeleton Soldier staggered.
He didn’t stop there as he brought the mace down on its head.
Wham! Wham!
One blow cracked its skull, and the second shattered it.
He kicked away the slowly collapsing skeleton.
It flew backward and collided with the other skeletons, sending them tumbling.
Crash!!!
He then held his sword at the ready and was about to charge forward when…
Twang!
The sound of a released string. And the sound of something cutting through the air.
Swish!!!
Aiming for his head.
He instinctively raised his sword.
Clang!!!
The bolt fired by a Skeleton Soldier struck his sword and bounced off.
Jeong Yoo-shin’s eyes gleamed coldly over his raised sword.
He looked for the skeleton with the crossbow, but it had already collapsed with a bolt in its head.
He didn’t know when Karin had fired, but it was a direct hit. She had a good eye. Her skill with ranged weapons was as impressive as her dagger skills.
Barion charged as well and swung their warhammer.
Whoosh!!!
Boom!!!
Three Skeleton Soldiers, who were being blocked by Delia, were shattered to pieces and scattered on the floor.
The last remaining skeleton charged at Jeong Yoo-shin.
It was even wearing a helmet and armor.
It didn’t matter though.
He swung his sword horizontally.
Swish!!!
Slice.
Jeong Yoo-shin’s sword severed the skeleton’s neck bone between its armor and helmet.
The skeleton’s head flew through the air. The ill-fitting helmet had long since fallen off.
*Thud.*
The headless body knelt before Jeong Yoo-shin.
He casually kicked it aside and walked towards the head.
The head that was lying on the ground continued to clatter.
He raised his foot.
The skeleton’s head opened and closed its jaw.
Thump!!!
Crunch!!!
The iron plate on the sole of his boot crushed the skull. Bone fragments scattered on the old hallway floor.
Subjugation complete.
It was so easy that he didn’t even have time to yawn.
This was the middle floor of the labyrinth?
“That was too easy.”
Karin’s expression hardened.
“Skar, don’t let your guard down.”
He found it hard to understand, even as he looked at Karin’s stern face.
Their defense wasn’t that strong.
Their strength was weaker than the Mushroom Men in the Forest area.
He didn’t even think about using Sacred Weapon against them.
Delia lifted her helmet visor.
“Skar, Karin is right. Don’t take them lightly. This is just the beginning. And this isn’t the time to be standing around talking. We need to make some money.”
“You mean collecting monster bone fragments?”
Delia nodded at Jeong Yoo-shin’s question.
“That’s right. The bones of the undead.”
The party members took out thick leather pouches from their backpacks.
Jeong Yoo-shin bent down and picked up a bone fragment.
“Are these things really valuable?”
Delia shrugged.
“I heard that they’re used as a catalyst in magical research. I don’t know the details though.”
The party members squatted down and began to pick up the bones.
Jeong Yoo-shin, not wanting to be left out, squatted down and opened his leather pouch.
A familiar scene.
Only the people were different. The task was the same.
‘This is exactly like…’
The request to collect goblin ears.
The difference was that…
The former was the minimal welfare policy created by the guild for novice explorers.
The latter was a request for materials that were actually in demand.
Jeong Yoo-shin scanned the area as he collected the bone fragments.
“Wow!”
Delia let out a joyful cry.
“What is it?”
“A magic stone! It was embedded in the Skeleton Soldier’s skull!”
Delia held up the magic stone. The reddish stone was as small as a fingertip.
“It’s a bit disappointing. The magic stone is small, so we probably won’t get a good price for it.”
Karin said while examining the magic stone.
Jeong Yoo-shin squatted down and spoke.
“We’re going to sell it to the Explorer’s Guild anyway. What does the size matter?”
“Still, it feels good to find a big one.”
‘Is that so?’
Jeong Yoo-shin ignored Delia’s words and rummaged through the bone fragments.
Delia carefully placed the magic stone in her pouch, treasuring it. He felt a pang of pity for her.
“How many slime breads is this worth? Hehe.”
Delia drooled, and Karin chuckled while picking up bone fragments.
Barion silently swept up the bones.
Jeong Yoo-shin looked at Delia with an incredulous expression, then shook his head and continued to collect the bones.
The party members diligently gathered the bone fragments, like clam digging in a mudflat.
“A few more fights, and we’ll have met the request quota.”
Karin put the leather pouch filled with bone fragments in her backpack and wiped her forehead.
Jeong Yoo-shin also stood up and massaged his thighs.
“Sigh. This is hard work.”
He felt it every time, but it wasn’t just the moving and fighting that was tiring.
Every action, from carrying and unpacking his backpack to squatting down and collecting herbs or materials, was like labor. And the constant tension made it even more exhausting.
“Should we rest? There’s a resting place a little further ahead.”
Karin said without even looking at her map.
“Let’s do that.”
The party members packed their belongings and started walking.
The hallway was dark, so they needed a torch.
Karin, their guide, took the lead, followed by Delia, then Jeong Yoo-shin, and finally Barion.
The party members slowly walked down the hallway.
After about three hours…
They saw a wooden door on the right side of the hallway.
Karin raised her hand.
They all stopped at her signal.
Karin handed the torch to Delia and cautiously approached the doorknob.
An indecipherable symbol was engraved on the surface of the old, worn door.
Karin examined the doorknob and then gave a hand signal.
‘No traps.’
Karin pressed her ear to the door, stood silently for a moment, and then gave another hand signal.
‘No one inside.’
Karin grabbed the doorknob and signaled.
‘Delia first, then Skar.’
Jeong Yoo-shin and Delia positioned themselves by the door at Karin’s signal.
Karin opened the door.
Creak.
Delia entered first, her shield raised. Jeong Yoo-shin followed closely behind her.
“All clear…?”
Delia, who had entered the room, trailed off.
Jeong Yoo-shin understood why she had faltered.
In the eerie room…
A strange object was in the center of the room.
How should he describe it?
It was a large, spherical object, like a fortune teller’s crystal ball.
A writhing mass of flesh, like branches, supported the dark red sphere.
He had never seen such a bizarre sight before.
The party members, also seeing such a sphere for the first time, stared at it blankly while holding their breath.
As he was admiring the sphere, he heard a rustling sound in his head.
An image of a squirming tentacle crawling out of the darkness and enveloping his brain unfolded.
A sensation like his brain cells popping.
The red sphere looked even more beautiful now.
Somehow…
He felt that if he touched that sphere, he would be able to return to his beloved home.
“Wh-What?”
Unlike Jeong Yoo-shin, Delia’s voice trembled slightly.
“Everyone, get back!!!”
Karin quickly shouted while pulling Jeong Yoo-shin and Delia by the shoulder.
The two were pulled out of the room by Karin.
Jeong Yoo-shin lifted his helmet visor. He was annoyed.
“Karin, what’s the problem?”
Karin looked at Jeong Yoo-shin, then took out a handkerchief.
“Skar, your eyes are bleeding.”
Jeong Yoo-shin looked at her blankly. Come to think of it, his eyes did feel moist.
He took off his glove and wiped his eyes with his bare hand.
Black blood.
And in the blood, he saw small, wriggling, worm-like creatures.
His heart sank for a moment.
Then, Jeong Yoo-shin’s expression twisted into a grimace.
“Holy shit. This fucking labyrinth.”
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T/N – You’d think the MC would have learned his lesson by now not to underestimate the labyrinth. Even his more experienced party members are telling him to stay sharp.
Also, since the MC knew what kind of monsters he was going to meet in this area, wouldn’t it have made more sense to bring a blunt weapon at least as an alternative to his swords? At the very least, he could have brought a shield with him. Honestly, slashing a goddamn skeleton…
If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out in the comments.
damn cthullu ass monsters in here too ?
Skar probably think it’s a waste considering he got sacred weapon imprint to substitute for blunt weapons.
I still think a cheap mace would have been far more versatile than his sword for the trip
A Sword should work well enough, but maintenance is a problem. Blunting or chipping the blade, as well as the lack of wound inflicting ability on Skeletons, inhibits the functionality of swords. The edge does apply force better than a blunt weapon would, but lacks the appropriate centre of mass to maximize this benefit.
So either a mace or axe would be better.