Chapter 401 – Labyrinth (2)
The number was three in total.
One was a beastman, and the other two were humans, a mixed composition of races.
They didn't seem like mercenaries, perhaps they were dispatched from the Federated States of Iderat.
"Step away from that chest, now."
At Rovellin's warning, the other side glanced about nervously and stepped back.
Not only were they outnumbered, but all four here were Mages, which meant handling them from long range would be difficult.
The human Mage furrowed his brow.
"Wait, red hair, then you must be…"
"If you retreat quietly, I won't kill you. Just lay down your weapons and disappear to the other side of the passage."
Even in a competition for treasure, there was no need to kill them all.
That was something only those who took pleasure in murder itself would do, and strategically, it was undoubtedly the foolish, inferior choice.
Flames flickered above her staff.
At her stubborn threat, the beastman with a curved, crescent-shaped blade at his waist raised both hands beside his head and spoke.
"Haha, of course. If it's the one who made her name known on the Black Hour front, the one called the Pyre, then, we don't want to burn alive in a place like this either."
The Bohemirn magic tower was a Mage group that specialized in firepower, wielding all forms of elemental magic as their mainstay.
If you clashed head-on in a straight passage with no cover, even a victory would not be a victory.
At least one or two would die, or, unable to withstand their wounds, they would end in total annihilation.
Srrng.
The beastman drew his sword from his belt and placed it on the ground, very slowly, as if to prove that he truly had no hostility.
The other two, standing a few steps away, also reached for the weapons at their waists, but the Mage's hand moved a little higher.
It could have been a momentary mistake.
Perhaps he was simply fumbling his body from nerves, trying to grasp his weapon.
'If this weren't the Labyrinth of Ants…'
Verden and Rovellin moved instantly.
As fire and air met, the destructive force maximized, the magic scattering widely as the curved trajectories descended.
There was no retreat.
Even so, the opponents responded with deceit rather than panic.
Boom, boom-boom!
The beastman raised his arms to shield his face and took the spells head-on, and using him as a shield, the Mage quickly pulled out a cube of unknown nature from his bosom and hurled it into the air.
Hwaaaaaaak!
The brilliance of magic power lit the darkness.
At the same time, a faintly pink, transparent wall manifested, dividing the passage.
Arril and Hezen's follow-up spells struck the barrier, but it didn't budge.
'Is it a labyrinth-exclusive item?'
Verden tested by throwing his spear.
Kang! Though he had put full strength into it, the wall remained intact.
Physically and magically, it was of considerable toughness.
"Khaha… even though our physical ability is sealed in the labyrinth, it really burns like hell."
The beastman poured a potion over his sizzling burn marks.
Scrunching his snout at the pain, he let out a beastly laugh.
"No matter if you're from the Bohemirn magic tower, we're not about to hand over the treasure willingly. Here, you and we are equals, right? We were here first anyway. So, don't take it personally, just stand over there and watch what's inside the treasure chest."
"..."
"Ha, but to think I'd get to outwit the disciple of the tower master. Quite amusing, really. I like this Labyrinth of Ants."
Rovellin stayed silent.
She showed no change of emotion at his provocation, her eyes calmly analyzing the wall.
The beastman gestured lightly.
"Hey, open the chest."
"Got it."
The man with a shortsword strode forward, crouched before the chest.
What could be inside?
With a smile full of anticipation, he laid his hand on the golden treasure chest.
Crunch.
The man's entire upper body was torn away.
***
Crack, crunch, snap-crunch.
The sound of bones and flesh being crushed and pulped.
The lid of the chest, lined with sharp, oversized teeth, clattered as it chewed its prey.
The monster's blue tongue lashed greedily.
The Mage's complexion turned pale.
"What the hell is this…?"
Crack.
From the treasure chest that had devoured his comrade sprouted long limbs.
Its height was nearly eight meters.
It took a massive step, faster than expected. The beastman slashed at its leg and quickly leapt back.
"Shit, what kind of trap is this…! Snap out of it and support me!"
"U, understood!"
The treasure chest, with fingers like the legs of a giant centipede, picked up the corpse's lower half and flung it aside.
Barely dodging by ducking, the Mage cast a 2nd-tier mental magic.
[Giiik, gik…]
It worked.
Apparently, unlike ordinary demi-humans, its mental fortitude was weak.
"Uraaa!"
Craack!
Not missing the staggered moment, the beastman unleashed a frenzied assault.
His blade struck the thin legs again and again, rough and wild, and though sturdy, they weren't invulnerable.
There was a chance of victory.
For the two of them, escape was not an option.
From the way the chest had moved, they realized it wouldn't be easy to shake off pursuit in a straight corridor.
All the more so for Mages, who couldn't use
Though they had been caught in a ridiculous trap, they had the skill and judgment worthy of entering the labyrinth.
Verden narrowed his eyes, observing the battle beyond the wall.
'So there are even monsters like this here. That could've been dangerous.'
If he had been in his true body, his insight would not have been deceived, but in spirit form, it was difficult to instinctively sense it.
An unfamiliar feeling.
Verden reminded himself of the various restrictions again, then asked Rovellin.
"What will you do?"
Escape, or battle.
Though there was enough time to think, Rovellin didn't hesitate.
"We'll take it down."
It was the other side that had suffered the ambush, while Rovellin's party had time to ready themselves.
There could be no more favorable conditions for a subjugation.
There was no reason to flee, even at the risk of being surrounded front and back.
They each positioned themselves in a semicircle, activated their mana circuits. They leveled the weapons obtained in the labyrinth, ready for the fight to come.
They didn't know when the wall would vanish, but fortunately, they didn't have to wait long.
Thud───!
After killing the beastman and Mage, the treasure chest pounded against the wall.
Black blood streamed down from its many wounds, its movements betraying that it felt pain.
Its right knee, struck several times by the beastman's blade, looked about ready to snap, the kneecap laid bare.
'Its overall resistance seems low.'
Yet, despite its long, thin limbs, it had managed to corner the agile beastman and devour him, meaning it was far more nimble and powerful than it appeared.
'If it lands even one strike, it'll be dangerous.'
Verden was no professional adventurer, but he had fought many abnormal species and thus had a degree of experiential analysis.
Soon, after several more impacts, cracks began forming in the barrier.
Sensing this, the treasure chest hurled its body forward with a mighty swing of its arms, and then, the sound of glass shattering rang in their ears.
Transparent fragments scattered and faded away.
As the barrier disappeared, Rovellin immediately completed her casting.
A 3rd-tier spell, through the use of an item.
───Boooom!
The blazing orb, ignited by her special trait, exploded.
Unable to withstand the massive shock, its already battered right leg was blown apart in a single strike, and the chest monster collapsed.
"As expected of Lady Rovellin!"
Immediately, the four Mages unleashed the spells they had prepared.
The reason elemental bombardment was considered such a terrifying tactic was the synergy.
Fire, fed by wind, roared higher, cold froze water, and so on—the combined effect of non-canceling attributes was more than simple addition.
[Giiik… gik…!]
The crippled chest monster tried to crawl forward, but naturally, the Mages retreated further as they continued their casting.
It was a one-sided subjugation.
Yet, as if unwilling to die, the creature suddenly stretched its arms and swung them wide, longer than before.
"Kyaaaah…!"
"Urgh!"
Verden grabbed Hezen by the collar, Rovellin did the same to Arril, forcing their upper bodies down.
The treasure chest had shown movements unlike before, so they had to reposition accordingly.
"Back to positions."
"Yes."
Verden at the vanguard, Rovellin in the middle, Arril and Hezen at the rear.
The beastlike long arm swept past above Verden, who was crouched low enough to touch the ground.
Because the movement was wide, a gap appeared. Taking three steps forward, he drove his spear firmly into the wounded joint of the monster's right arm.
With that, its whip-like attack was sealed.
Slash!
Immediately after, Arril's wind blade severed the creature's weakened left shoulder, and Rovellin and Hezen's simultaneous spells struck inside the chest's gaping maw.
[Gii… ik…!]
Among its bizarre limbs, the only one left intact was its left leg.
With its lid thrown wide, the creature staggered, then collapsed forward. The monster could not move.
"Haa, finally got it."
"Thankfully no one's injured, but the mana consumption was heavier than expected…"
"Better drink your mana potions now, just in case. If you save them too long, you may not get to use them. Even if it feels safe, don't let your guard down."
"Understood."
The moment the subjugation ended, they caught their breath and performed minimal reorganization. Now, while exhausted, was the most dangerous moment.
"But still, I can't even guess what might come out of that treasure chest-disguised aberration."
"Since it was the strongest monster we've faced so far, shouldn't something amazing come out?"
Hezen and Arril conversed as they approached the fallen creature. Its body was already scattering into light, and so they could be sure of its death.
It had always been so until now.
But the labyrinth was crueler than they thought.
Shwaak!
From the fading chest monster's mouth, a long blue tongue shot straight forward.
Directly at Hezen's chest.
"?!"
Because he had kept tense, following Rovellin's advice, he was able to move immediately, but he couldn't fully escape its trajectory.
For a Mage whose body was untrained, the speed was far too fast to react to.
Thunk, Rovellin, a few steps behind, lunged, throwing her whole body to shove Hezen aside. She had been watching over her subordinates with such a scenario in mind, and so she could react.
The sharp tongue targeted her.
Judging by the aim, it would cut fairly deep, but it would not be a fatal wound.
Still, that was no reason to let it be.
Verden shoved Rovellin away.
Crackkk!
The chest monster's final desperate strike pierced Verden's forearm instead of Rovellin's shoulder.
Blood splattered onto Rovellin as she fell sideways. In that instant, Arril cast an ice spike, silencing the monster completely.
"You…"
"Are you unharmed?"
Even with a coin-sized hole in his arm, Verden asked calmly, without the slightest sign of pain.
It was because his threshold for pain was high.
Rovellin rose immediately and poured potion onto the wound.
Her body temperature rose, the bleeding gradually stopped.
After completing the first-aid with bandages acquired in the labyrinth, she glared at Verden with red eyes.
Murderous.
"Why did you act on your own?"
"If I hadn't…"
"Don't jump to conclusions independently. Even if you hadn't blocked it, it would've been just a graze at worst. And whether it's by Rayshen's orders or otherwise… I am not someone to be protected."
He knew.
How could he not know.
"I will be cautious."
Rovellin didn't answer, she simply walked away.
Her steps sharp, irritated.
It was Rovellin's peculiar sense of responsibility, the same that had often shown itself back at the orphanage.
"…It is my fault."
"Don't worry about it."
Hezen apologized to Rovellin, his expression dark. Of course, since it had been an unpredictable situation, no one blamed him.
On the contrary, such an experience would prove useful for future exploration.
"…"
Hezen turned his gaze to Verden.
With a single nod, Verden returned the thanks. Though Hezen had been sending him glances of jealousy all along, he still knew to be grateful.
'The problem is the loot.'
Verden stepped forward, approaching Rovellin.
***
Where the monster vanished, a golden treasure chest remained. Just in case, they threw weapons from afar, but only metallic clanging echoed back.
Of course, another monster would not spring out.
That wouldn't be any fun.
If it were Ignacia, surely it would be this way.
"This time, I'll open it."
Creeeak.
Arril opened the chest in Verden's place, since he was injured.
Inside were a belt-worn space bag, an orb, a book, two well-dried parchments, and a jeweled ring.
"Oh… maybe because the monster left behind a treasure chest, the loot seems mixed with labyrinth items?"
"Hm."
The space bag was expected enough.
Narrowing her eyes, Rovellin carefully lifted the orb.
Using her still-immature
"[Orb of Concentration]. It's said to absorb external shocks and trigger three different effects… Amazing. I didn't think an artifact would appear."
The emergence of an artifact.
Compared to what they had gained before, it was a treasure of an entirely different dimension.
"No way, such a precious artifact like this… Hah, truly, since it's a stage prepared directly by that transcendent, it's no joke."
Then what about the other items?
Hezen, visibly expectant, picked up the book.
A tome covered in magical runes.
Seeing it from behind, Verden's eyes widened.
'A spellbook?'
And not just any, but an unregistered spellbook.
No matter how one looked at it, it was the same as the one Verden had stolen from the Bohemirn magic tower.
After studying it for a while, Hezen finally realized what it was.
"Um, Lady Rovellin? This seems… like an unregistered spellbook?"
"What?"
"Truly?"
The three couldn't hide their agitation.
For it was a magical item that deserved a place in the treasure vault of a magic tower. Its value far surpassed even a common artifact.
'So this is what they meant, when they said there'd be a treasure to catch my interest.'
Verden feigned calm, but inwardly, he could not help but covet it. In fact, even with hundreds of billions of Elk, an unregistered spellbook was almost impossible to obtain.
Rovellin caught his gaze from the corner of her eye, then turned away.
"What's next?"
"These two parchments are the escape space scrolls the transcendent mentioned beforehand, in short, escape scrolls."
One of the exits available after the labyrinth began to collapse.
Though insufficient in number compared to their party, it was still one of the absolutely necessary items, and thus they couldn't help but feel satisfied.
And lastly, the ring.
Arril pinched the small accessory between her fingers. Suddenly, she flinched, startled, blinking rapidly.
"Arril?"
"S, suddenly information just poured into my head…"
Shaking her head, Arril stood upright.
"Lady Rovellin, I think this is a tracking device."
"Tracking…?"
She slipped the jeweled ring onto her finger.
Then, the gem set in it glowed faintly white, tilted, pointing somewhere.
"The dragon's location is that way."
Ignacia's arrangement, to fuel their sense of rivalry.
Time passed, the third day ended, and the final, fourth day began.
And Verden and Rovellin's party came to realize.
Why Ignacia had called this place the Labyrinth of Ants.
You can read more chapters in organised way on my website:- https://revengernovel.com