112th
The Nymphs and Pluto’s Underground Labyrinth
112 – Nymph Cult and Pluto’s Underground Labyrinth #10
When exploring a dungeon, each person’s role is important.
First, I was the one standing in the front row. Since I was big, I had to be the first one to block what was coming at me.
And standing right behind me is Luna, holding a totem made of a canary. If Luna senses a threat, I can respond immediately.
And behind Luna, standing in the middle of this procession is the magician Velmina, who can be called the key figure in conquering the labyrinth.
Since a magician who is casting spells is defenseless, place her in the center so that you can protect her from either the front or the back.
Also, the one guarding her back is a useless paranoia. If that doesn’t work out, she is given the role of protecting the wizard by using her body as a shield.
On the one hand, it seemed like it would be a good idea to place her next to a powerful magician to keep an eye on her, who was originally a cultist, so that she wouldn’t do anything else inside Pluto’s temple.
And behind such paranoia, the last one to stand and guard the rear was the role of Didier, a dwarf warrior holding an axe.
Excluding Luna and Paranoy, who are somewhat uneasy, the combination of two warriors guarding the front and rear and one magician is a fairly stable formation.
“Just do as you’re told. If you see anything suspicious, don’t touch it and just tell me.”
“Okay. Ahem, this is getting a bit nerve-wracking. The party leader is dependable, so I can trust him.”
after.
After letting out a small sigh, I slowly moved my legs towards the gaping maw of hell.
Thud, thud.
As soon as I entered the labyrinth corridor from the reed field, a strange cold air that felt like it was licking my face sent shivers down my back.
It feels like I’ve entered another world. As I look at the end of that dark hallway, I feel like I want to turn around and leave right away.
“Whew… It’s really suffocating. To be honest, I don’t want to go any further in there. I’d rather fight the bandits I met yesterday again.”
Didier, who had bravely fought against a group of bandits, held his breath as if he had been frightened. It was not surprising, since this was the kind of reaction that most people would show when entering a labyrinth for the first time.
“This is the power of hell from deep within the earth… I think I’ve felt it somewhere before. It’s cool, but it feels different from ice.”
Did the sorceress Belmina feel another emotion?
“Mr. Nymph. You are a cultist, so you must know a lot about underground labyrinths. What do you think about this labyrinth of Kalan?”
“I, I don’t know… . The only priests who are allowed to enter the labyrinth are those who are Silver Tier or higher… . This is my first time entering the labyrinth as well… .”
Siberel, is this your first experience with the Paranoia Labyrinth?
Compared to Schizona and Somnia, Paranoy seems to be a guy who was playing social games rather than being social.
While everyone else was sitting there feeling gloomy, Luna was the only one who seemed strangely excited.
“It’s nice because it’s dark and damp. It reminds me of Nox! There used to be many caves like this in Ideopa too. It brings back old memories.”
As the daughter of the goddess of the night, I wonder if she doesn’t feel particularly threatened in this dark place?
According to the encyclopedia, Nox, the goddess of the night, resides in Tartarus, the end of the labyrinth and the hell of this world.
Perhaps, for Luna, exploring this labyrinth was a way back to her mother’s house. Thinking about it that way, it seemed to vaguely make sense why Luna wasn’t scared.
“Then we will go deeper inside. If possible, be careful not to let the torch go out.”
Luna, who I was worried about, seems to be okay, so there is nothing to be afraid of.
* * *
Contrary to my fear, exploring the labyrinth went smoothly. I didn’t see any cruel or horrible traps.
No matter how far we go, the only things that greet us are old jars scattered here and there.
“Hassan, there are so many jars!”
Clang.
Luna was busy swinging her Silence Totem to break the jar over and over again. Then, what emerged from inside were monsters that looked similar to those with hard shells.
Geek, geek!
A dungeon creature that lives in jars, abandoned boxes, and the like.
It’s a mimic.
Giggle, giggle!
A mimic that looked like a hermit crab rushed towards us while carrying a jar. It was about the size of a large dog, so it was quite powerful.
“이런 쌉새끼!”
Phew, bang, clang!
Giggle!
The mimics whose jars had been smashed by my club were busy rolling over on their stomachs as if they had fainted.
“It’s like eating cold porridge. But be careful because it hurts if you get caught by the crab’s claws. If you’re careful with the claws, it’s not a big deal, so don’t be too scared.”
“I was really scared. It shouldn’t be that hard. Mimics are expensive cooking ingredients, but it’s ridiculous to get them for free in a place like this.”
Dwarf chef Didier cuts off the Mimic’s body and puts it in his bag.
“These are ancient, primitive glyphs… . They may contain clues to the use of Hell magic. Write them down and report to the academic world… .”
And even Velmina, who writes down things on the wall that she doesn’t know are letters or pictures in her notebook.
The group quickly adapted to the labyrinth’s conditions, making it seem comical that they had been so scared just a moment ago.
To begin with, this labyrinth itself is a dungeon with a low difficulty level that deserves to be rated Bronze.
Also, since this party is made up of Bronze Tier adventurers who are considered promising within the guild, it is only natural that things will go smoothly.
Geek!
The monsters that appear are just shitty mimics. Mimics are so weak and weak that I could subdue them with my bare hands even when I was a slave.
They are the kind of guys who quickly flip over and pass out if they are shocked even a little, so if you know how to deal with them, even elementary school students can catch them.
“It’s too easy.”
Even though the difficulty level increased to five people, it was still like this. I felt a little discouraged.
If the difficulty is easy, the work will be finished quickly, which is good, but the quality of the rewards will also decrease.
No matter how much you search this dungeon, you may end up only taking a bunch of junk and the corpses of mimics, not to mention rare relics.
Is this the end?
In that moment, I was feeling a little bored.
“Excuse me, Hassan. Can’t we go back outside right now…?”
Only Paranoy was still trembling, unable to adapt to the dampness of this labyrinth.
Do you hate dark, closed spaces? When I touched Paranoy’s wrist, it didn’t seem like he had any claustrophobia.
“I’ve heard of that cult priest, Koma. Deep inside the labyrinth of Kallan that he was in charge of, there’s a terrifying monster… I can feel Koma’s magic here. This must be that labyrinth!”
At the mention of the cult priest Koma, I felt the weight of the necklace around my neck become even heavier.
The one wearing this relic necklace was originally a female priestess of a cult who died in this underground labyrinth. I forgot, but I think her name was Koma.
“Ko, Koma was the most skilled necromancer among the cultists. Whatever he’s hiding underground, it’s definitely not normal…!”
Paranoy was half-mad. He was trembling as if he wanted to run towards that entrance right away.
But we’re already deep into the labyrinth. It’ll take an hour just to get back.
So, I was about to ask what other people’s opinions were.
Home, home, home.
In the cage held by Luna, the night canary, which had been sleeping quietly for a while, began to cry like a broken radio.
“Hey, why is he crying? He didn’t cry even when Mimic was there. I thought he was broken.”
Luna looks into the cage with a puzzled look. Soon, Luna’s emerald eyes begin to open wide.
“Hey, hey! He …
The monsters are coming. Goblins? Skeletons? Anything is fine. Our party is in top condition right now!
“Sval, now it really feels like a labyrinth. Everyone, prepare well! I don’t know where it might come from!”
I shouted with excitement, and soon realized that something huge was creaking in the dark place we were trying to proceed through.
Knock knock. Knock knock.
Coma. I thought it was a coma. No. Who is this? Isn’t it a strange visitor? A dwarf, a nymph, a wizard, and two strange karmas… .
The thing that appeared with the sound of a metal hook being dragged was quite large. Just standing there made the wide corridors of this labyrinth feel as if they were full.
We were all so overwhelmed by its massive presence that we forgot what we were saying.
His muscular body has black tusks growing out of it, and his hands, like plates of iron, have four thick fingers.
Ding ding.
At the end of the long spear he held in his hand was a large, double-edged axe that dragged on the ground, creating sparks. It was a weapon called a halberd.
The lower body is characterized by thick, pillar-like, strong legs and huge hooves that support the body.
Just looking at him, he was a freaking horrible monster.
Luna says a word while looking at the guy.
“That, black hair… Hassan, is that guy a Samaritan too? If we talk about it, won’t things work out? We’re both Samaritans!”
Luna looked at the black hairs on that large body and thought that it was a Samaritan. What on earth is this Samaritan in Luna’s mind?
But no matter how I looked at it, that kid wasn’t human, he was more like an animal. Even though the Samaritans were savages, they weren’t that savage!
Above all, the space above the bastard’s shoulders was empty, with no head! A monster that moves without a head!
“What the hell, it’s Minotaur Dullahan!! Party leader, you have to run away!”
At those words, the cow’s head, which was stuck in the monster’s side, opened its mouth as if to snicker.
You can’t escape. You’re headed straight for the Tartarus in my belly. That’s my duty.
Knock, knock!
Boom, bang, bang bang bang.
The axe dragged on the ground and rushed towards us, making a faster noise and sending sparks flying.
I had to feel like a suicidal person jumping onto train tracks as a giant hulking creature rushed at me, big enough to fill the hallway.
“Ice Wall!”
At that very moment, a pillar of ice appeared in the hallway.
It instantly stands between him and us.
“Oh, run away! The bulls of Minos are not something we can defeat!”
Woooooooo!!
Behind the ice wall, a black cow monster’s howl was heard. The simple roar made the entire labyrinth shake, making the blood drain from my body.
Crackle. Crackle.
As the bastard swings his axe, cracks begin to appear in the sturdy wall of ice.
“Come on! My magic won’t last long! I wonder how long it’ll take to prepare for the next spell….”
As soon as the wizard finished speaking.
Phagectic.
The ice wall created by magic was shattered.
Are you a wizard? A wizard’s heart is very nutritious. I’ll eat it for you first.
“Oh, Sval, if you run away, you’ll be caught! Party leader, let’s fight!”
Didier raised his axe and stood in front of the headless giant. The small monster saw him and let out a deep, hmm-like sigh.
Are you a dwarf? I don’t like dwarfs because they don’t taste good. But you smell delicious. Do you have some special sauce?
“I see, you’re a talented cook, aren’t you, you little monster!? Do you think Didier, the son of Troggir, would be eaten by someone like you?”
It must be good for your health to see you so full of energy. Didier, son of Troggir. I am Asterius, the Bull of Crete, the Guardian of Tasks.
“Get behind me, you little shit! That huge piece of shit! That huge piece of beef!”
Because it’s Asterius. Well, that’s fine.
Tadah.
Didier, who had hit the ground, jumps and moves his arms to slam the axes he holds in both hands into the creature’s massive torso.
Phew.
And just before the sharp metal piece touches the bull’s slender shoulder.
bang-!
The bull’s pillar-like fist smashed Didier’s small torso into the wall.
“Crunch!”
3 points. Now I see that he’s one-legged. His balance is off. If the rest of him is at a similar level, it’s a bit disappointing.
Kang.
The decapitated bull thrust his halberd into the ground and waved the hand that was not holding its head.
There, big guy. It’s nice to see black hair growing on his head. But the texture of the hair is not good. 2 points. It’s a nice black hair, so it needs to be well maintained.
Fuck, that kid is so underrated.
But it was fortunate that his interest was focused on me and not on soft women.
“Luna, run away the way you came with the others.”
“Ha, but Hassan, that guy looks really strong…!”
“I’ll buy you some time, so you can run with the other kids!”
“He, he, Hassan-!”
“Miss Luna, if you tell me to buy time, let’s run away quickly! If we keep going like this, we’ll all die!”
The cold-blooded ice wizard Velmina grabbed Luna by the shoulder and dragged her away. If she had attacked her in the meantime, it would have been truly terrifying.
The giant monster was surprisingly calm as he watched the scene.
It was worth watching to see what would happen. It was touching. But too much of a typical melodrama. 3 points.
“Thanks for the review, you brainless bastard.”
I tightened my grip on the club. At the same time, my eyes turned to the warrior Didier, who was groaning at the feet of that little monster.
In a labyrinth expedition, a person dying is often attributed to the party leader’s mistake. I, a gold tier adventurer, can’t afford to have my points reduced in a place like this!
However, Didier is in a state where he has suffered severe injuries to his internal organs and bones, is spitting blood from his mouth, and has no intention of moving at all.
Are you concerned about your fallen comrade? Don’t worry. I won’t do anything petty like take him hostage. I’m stronger than you even without that.
Shit, you’re so quick-witted even though you’ve got a severed head.
Although his headless form is a bit odd, one thing is certain: this guy in front of me is a very strong warrior, just like he said.
If you look at my legs shaking, you’ll see that I’m on par with Hippolyta or Schizo.
If that big guy were to rush at me, how many seconds would I be able to hold out? No, I would never win if I thought about running away.
I have to figure out how to take him down.
Hide in a corner where he can’t see you, then use Nox’s Curtain to launch a surprise attack? But if I run away too, what about Didier lying there?
While I was racking my brain like that.
Now I get it.
The head in the bastard’s hand slowly opens its mouth.
I didn’t notice it because I was mixed up with the pink-haired girl’s karma, but now I know. You are Knox’s child. This karma feels like looking at a lowly Theseus.
“I’m Knox’s kid? You’re wrong, you punk! You’re a bread dot!”
The little bastard laughs at him with a thick voice.
Puhhh, are you trying to lie? But my eyes can’t be fooled. It is said that the night and darkness gave birth to a child who would steal the empty throne. It seems that he hid it in the world of Saba to avoid his rivals…!
[Work Review]
It’s Michuri..
I’m coming in…