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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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Judging by the way the loot was divided and stored, the monster seemed to be quite intelligent.
My scouting wasn’t always 100% accurate, but in terms of experience and know-how, I was far above these first-year cadets.
I could guarantee that where Chatty was pointing, a trap lay hidden along with a boss-level monster masking its presence.
And where Wolf was pointing, the boss’s underlings were waiting, weapons sharpened.
If I had to choose, Wolf’s direction was slightly better, but both were essentially dead ends.
“What about another path?” I asked casually.
“Hyung-nim, that way is a complete dead end. Even in a short labyrinth, it’s best to conserve energy in case of emergencies. So, let’s go the way I suggested…” Chatty argued.
“No, hyung, this way. I’m sure there’s nothing here,” Wolf countered.
The two, who had been gesticulating wildly just moments ago, now spoke in unison, insisting that the other path was a no-go.
I wasn’t going to force my opinion.
I was the front-liner, not the scout.
Still, delaying any further wasn’t ideal.
We were at a crossroads, which increased the chances of encountering monsters.
Suddenly, I felt a gaze from behind, further back than even Gloomy.
A chill ran down my spine, and I whipped my head around, but there was no presence other than a startled Gloomy.
‘What was that? It felt like something was staring intently at me.’
Gloomy flinched, probably because I had startled him.
I apologized and turned back.
…There it was again.
That unnerving, almost leering gaze.
There was no hostility, but it was distracting.
“…Let’s just decide quickly. Rock-paper-scissors?”
An unsettling premonition prompted me to intervene.
I didn’t like relying on luck, but there was no other solution, and the other two, seemingly out of ideas, readily agreed.
“…Okay, let’s go.”
Wolf won.
Chatty grumbled anxiously but accepted the outcome and started down the path Wolf had indicated.
I followed them.
Having chosen this path, combat was inevitable.
I needed to focus.
The persistent gaze hadn’t made any aggressive moves yet, so I tried to ignore it.
“It’s winding…” Wolf observed.
“It’s more suspicious that there are no enemies. An ambush… maybe not…” Chatty added.
“Ah, hyung! Watch out! Vine trap!” Wolf warned.
I had already noticed, but I nodded and sidestepped it.
Just in case, I relayed the information to Gloomy, preventing any potential accidents.
Good job, me, completely eliminating the possibility of something happening.
We carefully navigated the long, narrow, and winding path.
I noticed and pointed out a few traps the scouts had missed, directing Gloomy to avoid them.
It was a relief that Gloomy, the mage, was too timid to act impulsively.
His lack of confidence was actually helpful in this situation.
“…Enemies ahead. Two? No, maybe three…” Wolf reported.
“Light footsteps, carrying blades. Not sure who’s carrying what…” Chatty added.
That was enough information to formulate a basic response.
Ideally, I would have liked to know if they had ranged weapons, but they probably weren’t bold enough to get that close.
I had to be satisfied with this.
I equipped a small wooden shield and a moderately sized sword.
A downgraded version of Odrox… or perhaps a weak novice warrior would be a more accurate description.
I would have loved to wield a massive iron shield covering half my body, but it was too heavy to handle effectively.
“Is an ambush possible?” I asked.
“It’s an open area… should we try it?” Wolf responded.
“We got nothing to lose by trying. Let’s go,” Chatty agreed.
The two scouts, readily accepting my suggestion, stealthily approached the enemies.
Perhaps influenced by my encounter with Prion, I had mistakenly assumed Wolf would be arrogant.
It seemed I needed to revise that assessment.
Thud
Roll
—Screech!!
“Ugh! Failed! Prepare for combat!” Wolf shouted.
Their good attitude didn’t necessarily translate to skill.
They were still inexperienced first-year cadets.
The scouts, attempting an ambush, had made a rookie mistake—kicking a loose stone.
It was fortunate that they were fellow cadets who would be seeing each other for years to come.
If this had been a one-time encounter with other adventurers, they would have been cursed to oblivion.
Even if they survived, they would have been beaten to a pulp.
I understood their fear in the face of monsters, but they needed to be more composed in these situations.
“Gloomy, just in case, try to use smaller-scale magic, okay?” I advised.
“Um… Gloomy… Ah, me? Yes… yes!” he stammered.
His loud reply only amplified his anxiety.
That was a skill in itself.
Anyway, he had been warned.
I had made it clear, so whatever happened wasn’t my fault.
The weight of the sword, heavier than my usual daggers, felt awkward.
My stance was clumsy, even for me.
I shielded my upper body, protecting my vital points, and charged forward.
Since my vision was practically useless, I focused on drawing the monsters’ attention by stomping my feet.
I angled my shield against the trajectory of a thick wooden club.
I pulled my arm in slightly, then pushed it out, deflecting the blow smoothly, anticipating potential arm numbness.
The monster was smaller than me, but I didn’t underestimate it.
I thrust my sword, aiming for its heart.
Thud
—Gurgling…
I quickly finished it off with a stab to the head and assessed the situation.
Another monster was sneaking up from behind, attempting to strike my back.
I twisted my body and swung my shield, deflecting the blow.
The monster approaching from the opposite side…
Slash!
—Growling…
…was dealt with by the two scouts.
I finished it off with a stab to the heart.
As I repeatedly stabbed the fallen monster in the blood-soaked open area, Chatty and Wolf cautiously approached, grinning.
“Hyung, I saw you fight Prion, but this is different! You seem so experienced! I don’t understand why you’re in the mid-ranks!” Chatty exclaimed.
“Definitely felt more stable. I cooperated with Tolman, the top first-year warrior prospect, before, but you were much better,” Wolf added.
Flattery wouldn’t get them anywhere.
“Glad to hear it,” I replied nonchalantly, my nostrils flaring slightly.
Praise could make even Al Sola dance.
Even I couldn’t help but feel a bit smug.
“Let’s gather the loot… Where’s Gloomy…?” Wolf asked.
“Falling Rocks!!” Gloomy shouted.
“Huh?” “Ah!” “Whoa…”
Our voices, including mine, overlapped.
Gloomy’s shout, the loudest I had ever heard from him, echoed through the labyrinth.
A moment too late, magic descended.
I understood.
Mages below a certain skill level, unable to multi-cast, often lost track of their surroundings while chanting.
I should have anticipated and intervened…
The cave-like labyrinth reverberated with the sound.
The walls, crudely dug, lacked any structural support.
Piles of dirt, rocks, and pebbles barely held their weight.
If something large fell, the entire ceiling could collapse.
Magical energy converged.
It was too late to cancel the spell.
“Hyung!! Uh… uh… what do we do?” Chatty panicked.
I wanted to say something cool like, “Think and decide for yourselves,” but I wasn’t an observer; I was part of the team.
If things went wrong, I could be buried alive too.
As much as I enjoyed pushing myself physically, there were limits.
No one wanted to die.
“Calm down. One of you grab any loot you can find, the other prepare to cast.
.”
A basic spell that anyone with magical energy could use, simply converging and firing raw magical power.
But these were cadets from Hidin Academy, so they should have enough magical power to handle this.
They exchanged glances, nodded, and sprang into action.
Wolf began muttering the incantation for Magic Missile, while Chatty dashed off, grabbed a random piece of loot, stuffed it into his backpack, and returned.
A rumbling sound, like a beast’s roar, echoed through the labyrinth as pebbles and dust began to fall.
The moment the magically formed boulder hit the ground and shattered, the collapse would begin.
“Got it! Don’t know what it is, but I grabbed something! Should we run? Let’s run!” Chatty urged.
Even in this situation, his incessant chatter was impressive.
Anyway, as he said, we needed to run.
Maintaining formation, I followed behind the two scouts.
I could handle myself, and staying calm in emergencies was a crucial quality for a competent adventurer.
The ground trembled.
With an earsplitting crack, the magically formed boulder struck the ground and shattered.
Pebbles began to rain down from the ceiling and walls.
If we weren’t careful, we could be buried alive under the falling debris.
“Uh…? Uh…? Uh… Why is this…?” Gloomy stammered.
“Shut up and run!” I snapped.
There was no time to respond.
We had to get out alive.
If I died here, I wouldn’t be able to face my former comrades.
If I died such a pathetic death, I would beg for immediate ascension out of sheer embarrassment.
Confirming that Gloomy was following, I started running.
Wolf led the way, pointing out dangerous spots, while Chatty watched our rear. All we had to do was follow Wolf’s lead.
Surely, they weren’t incompetent enough to mess this up.
“Kyaaa!”
…That thought was immediately proven wrong as Gloomy tripped and fell.
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