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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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Nasen, now a giant, smashed through the Labyrinth walls as if they were nothing.
He plowed straight towards the altar where the Doll Ginseng was located.
Lina had to stop Nasen from reaching the altar.
As Kerry said, Nasen’s desired reward was undoubtedly there.
But Nasen was gigantic, and Lina, Natasha, and Victoria were unable to use their mana.
“Lina, can you stop him?”
“…”
Victoria asked with concern. Lina couldn’t think of a solution.
What could they do against such a monster without mana?
She saw Kerry disappearing somewhere.
Judging by his urgency, he was undoubtedly running around trying to save them.
“We don’t need to stop him. Kerry said he’d figure something out if we just bought him time.”
Lina’s expression showed unwavering trust.
“Yes, if Kerry said so, he’ll manage somehow.”
“If Husband said so, we can rest assured.”
The three women, with determined looks, began to approach Nasen.
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Meanwhile, Kerry was sprinting through the dungeon.
He ran with the dungeon map unfolded.
Damn that cheating steroid freak.
But it wasn’t all bad news for Kerry.
Thanks to Nasen’s rampage, many of the traps were being destroyed.
While Lina and the others stalled Nasen, Kerry would reach the altar and secure the ginseng.
If he could do that, everything would be resolved. Once the dungeon was cleared, the curse on the party would be lifted.
Lina would take care of the rest.
Kerry kept running.
He could see Lina and the others fighting valiantly in the distance. Lina, despite her small stature, climbed onto Nasen’s back and stabbed him with her sword.
Victoria, with her shield strapped to her back, focused entirely on attacking.
Her shield wouldn’t be of much use in their current state.
Natasha darted around, attacking Nasen’s feet. But the situation wasn’t good.
‘Even with Lina, winning is impossible.’
Their opponent was too formidable. Even when they stabbed him with their swords, his massive size prevented them from inflicting critical damage.
They were merely buying time.
Nasen, in his giant form, bellowed,
“You annoying bitches! If you want to die so badly, I’ll gladly grant your wish!”
Lina and the others successfully diverted Nasen’s attention.
Kerry’s heart dropped when Nasen’s giant fist swung towards them.
But miraculously, once the dust settled, the party was unharmed, as if nothing had happened.
The Hero’s party wasn’t just a name.
He ran. Kerry ran as if his heart would burst.
Running was all he could do.
He had to run as fast as possible, even if it was just for a second, to ease the burden on Lina and the others.
Fortunately, he was confident in his stamina.
His two years as an adventurer weren’t for nothing.
He had faced many near-death experiences during his adventurer days, and each time, running was what saved him.
Run, legs! Don’t stop.
Nasen’s attacks were more ferocious than he anticipated.
“Because of you bitches! Because of you bitches! Look what you’ve put me through! Graaaagh!”
He charged towards Lina and the others in a frenzy.
Kerry was startled when Nasen’s massive fist slammed down towards Natasha.
But Natasha, with surprising boldness, used the fist as a stepping stone to launch a counterattack.
‘What kind of circus act is this? Amazing.’
Her movements were hard to believe, considering they had the same stats of 10. This must be the difference in experience.
Nasen’s large size made him slow. Fortunately, the altar was now within sight.
He just needed to go straight, then turn left twice to reach the stairs leading to the altar.
But the problem was… that path was blocked by an arrow trap. If he could only use mana, he could have used the shield from his bracelet, but that was impossible.
“…Of all things, an arrow trap.”
If it were any other trap, he might have been able to find a way to bypass it.
He had easily avoided several traps along the way.
But the arrow trap, for some reason, triggered automatically as you passed, leaving no room for tricks.
Then, Lina’s voice echoed in his mind.
[The trick is the sound, Kerry. You’ll hear a clicking sound right before the arrows are fired. Focus on that sound, and you’ll be able to dodge them.]
If that were possible, who would have remained an F-rank adventurer?
Kerry might have magical talent, but he had no aptitude as a swordsmanship.
“I hate scary things like this.”
Safety first was his motto. But he couldn’t prioritize his own safety right now.
He could still see the giant Nasen rampaging in the distance.
Lina and the others were struggling down there, out of sight.
Even if they were Heroes… there was no guarantee they could hold out forever.
He had no choice.
Kerry took a deep breath.
The arrows were fired from both walls. According to Lina, there was a firing sound before they launched.
As long as he didn’t turn his body sideways, he wouldn’t be hit in any vital areas except for his head and neck.
Kerry covered his head and neck with his arms.
His sides felt exposed with his arms raised, but his head and neck were more vulnerable.
Kerry cautiously stepped into the arrow trap.
Click!
With a click, an arrow whizzed past his face.
Shit. What the hell. How was he supposed to dodge that? He would have been dead if he’d stepped any further.
For a prodigy like Lina, there must have been a noticeable gap between the firing sound and the arrow launch, but for Kerry, it felt almost simultaneous.
He couldn’t even tell where the arrows were coming from, even when he heard the click.
Did Lina sense and dodge this?
If he could use magic, he might have been able to manage.
“How am I supposed to get past this?”
He was terrified.
The arrow trap stretched for about 20 meters, but it felt like a hundred-meter-long abyss of hell.
Nasen’s voice boomed from afar.
“You stupid bitches! I’ll finish you all off today! I’ll kill you all and make you my nutrients!”
With his cheat codes and invincibility mode activated, he seemed to be enjoying himself. Infuriating.
If, because of his hesitation, Lina, Victoria, or Natasha were to get hurt… he would never forgive himself.
Suddenly, anger surged through him. Why was he cowering like an idiot? He had to do this anyway.
“I might as well die trying.”
Kerry stepped into the arrow trap.
He recalled Lina’s movements.
She had gracefully traversed the trap with light, cat-like steps.
Kerry focused all his senses.
For a moment, the world fell silent. Within the silence, he heard the click of the arrow trap.
He had to dodge.
Kerry twisted his body.
An arrow grazed him, narrowly missing. Somehow, the interval between the firing sound and the arrow launch seemed longer.
Was it thanks to his intense focus?
Kerry continued forward, concentrating solely on the arrows hidden within the walls.
Where would they come from next? His legs? Or his arms?
He had to protect his head at all costs.
Click! Whoosh!
Another arrow was fired. This time, it aimed for his legs. Please, don’t let it hit.
He quickly pulled his leg back. Damn it. He couldn’t move like Lina.
The arrow struck his leg.
But luckily, it deflected off the metal plate of his greaves. A glancing blow. He’d almost died.
Click! Whoosh!
This time, an arrow flew towards his head from the right. He somehow knew it.
He ducked his head forward.
An arrow whizzed past, just above his head. That was close.
He definitely needed to protect his head and neck.
Then, with multiple clicks, arrows shot out in rapid succession.
Give a guy a break!
Sensing danger, Kerry rolled forward.
It was the right decision.
If he hadn’t, one of the two arrows that embedded themselves in the wall would have pierced him.
But even dodging this time was a close call.
Arrows grazed his side and forearm. His leather armor couldn’t completely block them.
Blood trickled from the wounds. Another addition to his collection of glorious scars.
This much was bearable.
The countless scars on Kerry’s body weren’t there for nothing.
‘I must be almost there.’
Kerry slowly gauged the distance.
Once an arrow had been fired from a specific spot, it was safe to stay there.
Damn it. He’d only covered a third of the distance.
Kerry sighed.
But the loud crashing sounds in the distance urged him onward.
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Kerry finally cleared the arrow trap.
Blood flowed from various wounds on his body where the arrows had grazed him. But none were embedded, which was a relief.
“Now, let’s hurry.”
Kerry started climbing the left staircase of the square altar.
Nasen and Lina’s party were still fighting below the front staircase.
The altar was quite high, and it took time to climb.
Fortunately, none of his party members seemed injured.
Good. If he could reach the top unnoticed, they would win.
Nasen, amidst the fight, said in exasperation,
“Ugh, you persistent bitches. Why do you keep fighting a battle you can’t win?”
“
…”
“Why?! Answer me. Wait… where’s that annoying man? Bring him out. I’ll crush him and spill his guts.”
Just then, as Nasen’s anger subsided, he seemed to sense something was amiss and started looking around. This was bad.
His eyes met Kerry’s.
Kerry had only climbed halfway up the stairs. But it was enough distance to reach the top before Nasen could reach him.
“Took you long enough, dumbass.”
“…You! Annoying man! Get down from there!”
Nasen, finally realizing Kerry’s plan, started running towards him frantically.
Like hell he’d give up his Doll Ginseng that easily.
Kerry climbed the stairs as fast as he could.
“Stop! Annoying man! You can’t… you can’t go up there!”
Nasen yelled nonsense as he ran. Kerry silently gave him the middle finger and kept running.
That bastard was faster than he thought.
Nasen reached the front staircase of the square altar.
He frantically started climbing, but his large size hindered him.
The steps crumbled under his weight.
“Kuuhk. I said stop, annoying man! I… If you stop now, I’ll spare your life!”
Yeah, right. He was almost at the top.
[You have cleared the Labyrinth dungeon.]
[The dungeon will now open.]
[Calculating rewards.]
“Noooooooo!”
Kerry looked around from atop the altar.
He was sure the Eyes of the Goddess had shown the Doll Ginseng being here.
There it was.
A green plant, rooted in the soil, stood before him.
Kerry pulled on the green plant. A ginseng-like root emerged from the soil.
At the same time, a chilling coldness emanated from the Doll Ginseng, as if winter had suddenly arrived. What the…? It suddenly got freezing.
Kerry used the Eyes of the Goddess on the Doll Ginseng.
So he couldn’t eat it right away.
“Doll Ginseng… give me the Doll Ginseng, annoying man! It was mine from the beginning. I’m the one who found this dungeon!”
Nasen tried to climb onto the altar, placing his giant hand on the top. But the Doll Ginseng was already in Kerry’s hands.
What a persistent guy. He should know when to give up.
Kerry casually tossed a line to the whining Nasen.
“Your ginseng is awesome, by the way.”
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