BXBX NOVEL Chapter 19-35. Boy in the Labyrinth City (9)
19-35. Boy in the Labyrinth City (9)
*Author note: It was a little too long, so I divided it into two episodes.
"Is that Laxis?"
In the morning, I saw Laxis on my way home from running.
When I approached to call out, I noticed that there was someone other than Laxis in the shadow.
Talking to Laxis are suspicious people with deep hoods. I\'ve never seen a dark purple robe before.
I thought he might be in trouble, so I silenced my footsteps and approached.
"The seed left by our god."
"I\'m me. Don\'t call me seed."
I heard a voice from the other side of the building.
From the feeling of conversation, the other party seems to be an acquaintance of Laxis.
But I don\'t think they are very close.
"Let\'s go home, go to the \'Liberty House\'. Your parents are also waiting."
"Both are foster parents prepared by your sect, right?"
Cult? Is it different from the temple?
--Brother. Don\'t eavesdrop. Maidens have secrets.
Suddenly my sister\'s words pass through my mind.
Did you say that when I came across someone talking to my sister?
"--I\'m different from my sisters!"
When I looked back, I saw the back of Laxis running away.
While thinking about my sister, it seems that something went wrong with the person she was talking to.
What happened to Laxis?
Where and how have you lived before?
I\'m curious for some reason.
"--Hey, Sharon. What\'s up Sharon!"
In front of me was a knowledgeable Zaki.
"Um?"
"What\'s wrong, Sharon? You\'ve been drowsy since morning today."
Quiet Lhasa looks at me looking up.
By the way, before I knew it, I was in the open space used for newcomer training.
I don\'t remember what I was doing, probably because I was thinking about Laxis.
My hair is damp and I\'m not hungry, so after that I think I took a bath in the river and ate breakfast with Zaki and Lhasa.
"Do you have a fever?"
"Sorry, it looks like it was a little out of focus."
I apologize to Zaki and Lhasa who are worried, and move to the meeting place of my group.
"Good morning"
"Oh! You\'re here!"
"Good morning, I\'m sleepy in the morning"
There was Ute, a priest apprentice at the Temple of Zykuon who couldn\'t use sacred magic, Neze, a petite rat, Daegu, a large dog, and- Laxis with a expressionless face.
It seems that the aristocratic child Rojim and his servant Sag haven\'t come yet.
"Good morning, Laxis"
"--Ah"
After greeting, I got a live reply.
It seems that she\'s worried about something this morning.
"Hey--"
"Students, gathered so I command"
The loud voice of a beautiful instructor interrupted the voice that tried to ask Laxis.
"Sharon, let\'s go"
Prompted by Lhasa, I also turn to the instructor.
"Today I will tell you that you be practicing a group battle, so I inform."
"Well, no matter how strong the instructor is, you can\'t win with this number of people?"
"Student, Neze. numbers are power, but the level is also power, so I correct."
We were skeptical, but the instructor treated us with plenty of room, corrected the mistakes in how we fought, and gave us a lot of advice.
What surprised me was …
"Next, for you is practice to fight monsters with tentacles, so I tell."
She magically manipulated a number of ropes, entwined them with our feet and hands in a creature-like motion, and taught us how to deal with them.
In addition, she simulates a hard monster with a magic shield called "free shield" that floats in the air, or a flying monster by floating cloth or firewood, and attack in the various ways of that monster fight.
At the signal of a break, we fell to the ground.
"This explorer job is amazing …"
There is muttering while looking at the instructor, breathlessly.
I thought she was a warrior, but it\'s too amazing to be able to use magic freely.
Though I thought so, I was denied by the aristocratic child Rozim and his servant Sag.
"Don\'t think of that as a standard, stupid. Is that the case with such explorers?"
"That\'s exactly what the boy says. There aren\'t that many users in the Shiga Kingdom."
There were about 6 other people at the venue, though?
Is it because they are sisters?
"The break is over, so I tell. The second turn will be the dance of Kanikani Hell and Sandworm, so I foretell."
The training from the afternoon was a fierce thing far from the interesting training name, and not only the girl Laxis and the weak Zaki, but also Rojim and Ute, a priest apprentice who had been training from an early age, collapsed.
"That you are standing to the end, so I\'m impressed. That you continue basic training, so I recommend ."
I managed to stand until the end, but I was exhausted at the very end, perhaps because the instructor praised me so much.
◇
"Sorry, because of me"
"Don\'t worry. Others couldn\'t walk because their legs trembled."
After training in the workshop, we are moving towards the stall square.
"Tomorrow is the real deal!"
"Oh, it\'s a labyrinth"
As Neze of the human and Daegu of the dog say, tomorrow, the final day of the course, the instructor will lead the group to explore the labyrinth.
"Let\'s eat something strong today."
"Well, for my wallet is going to be tough, so I\'ll keep it as usual."
I can\'t work during the class, so my money is steadily decreasing.
"Oh! Gons!"
At the point where Zaki pointed, there was a large Gon, a gruesome Keros, and Shina who followed them.
Gon had a big shield and Keros had an eye-patch for some reason. All three were more old cloth bandages than when we saw them last.
"Keros, did you get hurt?"
"Sharon-I just cut my eyelids. I\'ll be able to see it soon."
When I was worried and called out, I was treated in ill-manner.
"Isn\'t it amazing that Gon is new equipment?"
"I was selected as a shield."
Unlike yesterday, today he seems to be in a good mood.
"But it\'s dangerous. Even the former shield person was seriously injured. If he became like that kid …"
Shina, who just lost her friend recently, says worriedly.
As I learned from today\'s training, the shield is easy to get injured because you have to bear the brunt of the monster instead of being able to wear heavy equipment.
"Hmm, can I be killed by a monster? I was selected. I\'ll play an active part and become an executive!"
"Watch out for injuries"
"Hmm, don\'t preach to those who don\'t make money in the labyrinth!"
Perhaps my worries have hurt Gon\'s dignity, and he angered his shoulders and left.
"Is it alright?"
"Injuries are increasing and the labyrinth is still a dangerous place."
"It\'s okay because he\'s a sturdy guy."
After watching Gon\'s back for a while, we apologized to everyone who was waiting and went out for dinner.
◇
"I will tell you that this is the minimum amount of luggage required for the labyrinth line."
The next morning, we met at the same training plaza as yesterday and were given supplies to each party by the instructor.
We were handed over six torches and tinderbox, One smoke ball and one flash ball for each person, two spare water bags, some rags and a rope. The rag cloth seems to be used for hemostasis and landmarks. And three meals to carry. After that, how many bags to put the collected materials?
"This isn\'t water? Is it sake?"
"The Velia liquor is for disinfection in case of injury, so I correct."
It\'s a very luxurious disinfectant.
"After disinfection, you should use Velia ointment or magical medicine depending on the degree of injury, so I will."
"It\'s just Berea."
"Student Neze. Half of the explorers confess that they survive thanks to Berea."
Come to think of it, did we also have a day job mowing Berea?
It\'s only a few days ago, but I feel it as if it was long time ago. At that time, I was with Gon, Keros, and Shina.
"I will distribute the supplied medicine,, so I declare."
The instructor gave each person one Belia magical medicine and one ointment.
Is it okay to get this much?
I think these cost many silver coins.
"It\'s okay because the master has donated a lot of money so that the new explorer will not die, so tell."
"Masuta?"
I think there was such a word in my sister\'s word.
Next to him, Laxis was slamming, "Why is it Eigo?"
Laxis, who looked depressed yesterday, is feeling a little better, perhaps because she is looking forward to the labyrinth line today.
"--what?"
"Nothing"
"Weird guy"
When I was looking at Laxis, she had a suspicious face.
I\'m a little worried if she doesn\'t like me, but I\'m glad she got better.
"In addition to these Maps. Bring a pen and paper, so I told you. "
"I have it!"
He show the black charcoal stick that Zaki attached to the board with the paper and string attached to the board.
"Good student Zaki, I evaluate it as a good idea."
"Thank you, instructor"
Zaki who was praised by the instructor is shy.
Zaki said that he couldn\'t draw the map well in the first labyrinth line with Gon and others, and he said that he learned from that mistake.
"Perform final confirmation--"
The instructor confirmed that some of us had knives for dismantling before leaving for the labyrinth.
◇
"There is a lot of competition in places where you can make money like this, so we recommend that you do not touch it for the first few years."
As the instructor says, Labyrinth frog, Labyrinth beetle. There were many parties gathering in the grassland square, and when I found a monster that appeared from the spring hole, they were flooded from all directions and had a fierce battle.
"In the first place, we are not high enough level now."
"Yes, students. Both evaluate that level 20 is necessary."
I\'m sure the uncle of a former soldier who came back to the village said level 8, so I think it will take years for me to reach that level.
"Well, hey, should I hunt the small fly monsters in the same square?"
"That is also an option, so I tell."
The instructor affirms Neze\'s plan.
I think it\'s encouraging to say that there are many strong explorers around when it\'s dangerous.
"But I teach you to think more about the situation where everyone hunts to a minimum while waiting for a spawn."
"Isn\'t it profitable?"
"Student. you\'ll have a hard time getting is a magic core and a material that is not in demand, so I tell you all."
If that\'s all, there seems to be another better place.
I was allowed to hunt for a trial, but the amount of money I can earn despite being quite strong is in the first section Labyrinth moth is not much.
Today I had a heavy equipment so I won without any injuries, but I think we would be injured with our equipment which is the same as everyday wear.
We left the crowded swamp and came to the small monster maze in the first section.
"Wow, it\'s amazing. There is a maze at the bottom of the valley."
"There is a passage in the rock like a pillar that grows in the maze."
"Is it a pillar or something like a tower?"
We look down from the top of the cliff.
"There are many suspension bridges that connect pillars."
Suspension bridges seem to be sturdy, and they can be traversed in a single line.
"Remember the approximate shape, so I advise."
According to the instructor, there are countless wells in this maze, and it seems that higher-ranking species such as fighting gobs and warrior gobs, such as goblins-the instructor said demi-goblins-are wandering around. …
It\'s hard to say that this is also a place where you can earn money.
"Because goblins can\'t make money except for magic cores."
"What about goblin oil or goblin liquor?"
As I heard at the food stall square, goblin oil is cheaper than ordinary animal oil and seems to be popular with lower class explorers who use lanterns.
"Oil isn\'t dropped by goblins. Labyrinth oil shops extract oil from goblin corpses. And goblin liquor is only drunk by poor explorers."
The servant Sag will answer.
Is it because the tone is strange?
"But if you can\'t make money, why are you here?"
"I tell you that it is because it is suitable for the purpose of collecting magic cores that is necessary for promotion to bronze certificate."
It seems that there is a competition here as well, but it seems that it is not as bad as the labyrinth moths and labyrinths in the main corridor.
"The final stage of the training will start, so I tell you."
We were led by an instructor into the small monster maze, bypassing the places where other explorers fight and going deep into the maze.
Occasionally, explorers of the same age run between the pillars and the suspension bridge that connects them.
"Be careful of the shadows, so I warn."
The instructor turned around and struck something behind the pillar.
"--Gugya"
A black goblin rolled out.
"It\'s a hidden monster!"
"Be careful! He has a poisonous weapon!"
"The First to act - wins! Go!"
"Understood!"
Neze commands me and the other children to slam their weapons at the monster all at once.
"It\'s awkward. There is no formation."
"Isn\'t the boy jumping in?"
It seems that the aristocratic child Rojim and his servant Sag did not participate in the assault and were wary of the surroundings.
"Should have been taught this in the rookie class. The deaths of newcomers due to hiding monsters are by far the most common, so I am worried."
The instructor looks around our faces and speaks.
It\'s hard to understand because there are few changes in facial expressions, but the instructor seems to be worried about us.
While confirming the cooperation, she hunted "stray" goblins, and when we got used to it, she found a group of about three enemies and had us gain many-to-many practical experience.
"It\'s a high-ranking species"
There was a high-ranking species on the other side of the maze.
She quickly took cover before she could be seen.
"If it is a single unit, it will be used for practice to defeat superior enemies, so I declare."
At the direction of the instructor, we head towards the grappler.
"Big …"
"I can\'t call it a small at all."
The top species of goblins are big.
Not to mention me and Zaki, there are even big dogs.
"Warning: Grappler\'s attack is heavy and fast."
"I understand .-- Come on, fighting demon!"
Rojim, a nobleman\'s child, hits the shield with a sword and draws Grappler\'s attention.
If you\'re a professional shield user, you\'ll probably use the "provocation" skill, but we at a low level still don\'t have that skill.
Rojim and Daegu take turns acting as shields, and servant Sag interferes with Grappler and helps them not to take damage.
I, Laxis, and Ute, a priest apprentice, attack from the left and right, and Lhasa and a short petite Neze hurt Grappler\'s ankle from behind. Zaki, who is not good at fighting, uses a short spear to attack from a distance, disturbing the Grappler\'s concentration.
"Damn, it\'s hard"
"The blade won\'t penetrate"
"It\'s because your blades aren\'t straight on, so I tell. You should be more calm and remember of your training, so I advice."
Grappler\'s thick skin is hard to scratch except for Rogym\'s famous sword.
My dagger that my sister gave me can also hurt, but the only thing I can do is to hurt are shallow cuts.
The blow from Grappler\'s unusually large fist and long arms is heavy, and even a large Daegu will be blown away with its shield if it is received head-on.
I was hit by a shock that pushed my body up from below, trying to follow the attack with my eyes.
The next moment, I am struck by the ground and rolls around.
"Sharon!"
I am winded, but I have not broken any of my bones.
I have a dull pain running from my flank to my waist.
It\'s a kick. Maybe I got hit by the grappler kick.
"Kuu"
Ute, a priest apprentice, is lying on the ground.
It seems that Ute was also blown away.
Shukuchi in the back cannot avoid unrecognized attacks.
The two shields slam the shield against Grappler, who is trying to attack Laxis saving her.
"Sharon, can you move?"
Lhasa runs up and pulls me away to the safe zone.
Ute who rolls in the same way is pulled by Zaki.
"It\'s okay, not enough to take magical medicine."
"Really?"
Lhasa looks at me with anxiety.
――Mr. Rom, don\'t you try to take the recovery misery to the graveyard?
My sister\'s words are in my mind.
That\'s it. A sluggish body causes trouble for everyone.
"No, I\'ll drink after all"
I unplug the magical medicine of Berea and swallow it at once.
I was about to spit it out because of the greenish taste, but I swallowed it with enthusiasm.
"--The pain is going away"
You can move with this.
I return to the front with Lhasa.
"Sharon, please occupy his right hand. If he keep doing this, the shields will fall."
"Leave it to me"
As Laxis tells us, Lhasa and I will check from the right side of Grappler.
As she says, the two shields have already begun to slow down due to fatigue.
"Ugya ah ah"
The human\'s Neze rolls around.
It seems that the timing of attacking the heel was read by the grappler and dealt with.
Ute and Zaki also return to the front, reducing the burden on Laxis.
"Damn, he is not weakened at all even if I\'m cut that much."
Zaki says in a crying voice.
"Do not give up!"
I encourage Zaki.
"Don\'t lose to those feelings! No matter how strong he is, he is weaker than the instructor! So remember the training!"
"Yes! Compared to hell training with an instructor!"
"The grappler is nothing!"
Ute tunes in and Rojim is inspired.
Apparently, not only Zaki but also others were about to loose their hearts.
"The grappler is weak! It\'s slow!"
Laxis also raised her voice.
It may be the first time she calls out like this.
"A little more!"
Rojim, the noble kid, shouts.
I\'m sweating and I\'m about to collapse.
"Woooooooooo!"
The dogman Daegu also screamed.
Grappler rushes at the two shields.
It\'s a fierce attack. It seems that Grappler still has some spare energy.
"His movement has become rough"
Lhasa mutters.
"now--"
Lhasa jumped in at the timing when Grappler readies a big blow, and stabbed a dagger in the weak armpit.
Grappler\'s back fist aims at Lhasa, who has stopped moving.
--Dangerous.
I tackle Lhasa\'s feet and save Lhasa from Grappler\'s back fist.
Two people roll.
The pursuit was prevented by Laxis and Ute.
"Stop!"
The sword of the aristocratic child Rojim pierces Grappler\'s neck deeply.
"Student Rojim, avoid!"
Grappler\'s fist punched out Rogym, who couldn\'t react to the instructor\'s words.
"--Bo-chan!"
The person who was turn in pursuit of Rogym was also blown away.
"Nuoooooo!"
Another shield, Daegu, slams into the grappler cutting off his pursuit.
"A little more! Don\'t stop the attack!"
We can\'t keep up for a long time without one more shield.
We abandon the defense and hit the grappler all at once.
Ute was blown off by his swinging arm, but its momentum was not as strong as before.
"Woooooooo!"
I jumped onto Grappler\'s unprotected open body and used it as a spring to cut through the neck from below.
Blue-black blood spurts out and stains my shoulders.
Grappler fell to the ground with the momentum to fight back against me.
"Did he die?"
"Wait, don\'t let your guard down. He may be pretend to be dead."
From a distance, I pierced Grappler\'s body with a short spear, and after confirming that there was no reaction, I finally realized that we were able to defeat the Grappler.
It seems that even Grappler, who was alive even if he was pierced through his throat, could not live.
As my sister said, creatures have a vital point on their necks.
"So tired"
"I can\'t move anymore"
Rojim and Daegu, who were acting as shields, sank into the ground, and everyone else threw themselves into the ground one after another.
"You not to relax too much after the battle, so I warn."
The instructor who was watching over the battle called out.
"Students other than Sharon are encouraged to train for stamina up after returning from the labyrinth."
Yeah, I\'m confident in my physical strength.
"Excuse me, instructor"
"I don\'t mind you resting. I add that it is important to be vigilant of the people around you, so I add."
The instructor stopped Ute from trying to stand up, and added the words.
"We really beat it."
Perhaps he took a breather, Zaki looked at Grappler\'s corpse and said.
"By properly playing a role, even a superior monster can be managed."
"Oh, we did it."
"The idea is dangerous, so I caution."
The instructor waited for us to praise the results of the training.
"I tell you that fighting superior enemies in the labyrinth should be avoided as much as possible."
"But didn\'t we win?"
"I was blocking the intervention of other monsters, so I inform."
The instructor created a magical light to illuminate the other side of the passage.
There--.
"Goblin corpse?"
"Yes, but not just. That\'s a high-ranking species."
There were many dead goblin species lying around.
There are even a few grapplers like the one we fought a deadly battle until a while ago. There are even fighters with shields and swords and mages with wands.
"If they interfered …"
"--Rout. No, it would be annihilation."
Everyone has a bitter face.
"Sharon, that"
"The corpse is …"
At the place Lhasa pointed to, there is the corpse of a hiding monster with a poisonous dagger.
I noticed that I was neglecting my attention to the surroundings, and my spine run cold.
"If there was no instructor …"
Everyone had a vision of their death in the muttering of Laxis.
"If you understand, tell me."
Everyone nods to the instructor\'s question.
"We teach that only those who secure a safety margin and survive can see the future."
"" Yes, instructor ""
I think we could finally understand it in the true sense of the word, even though it was taught in the classroom.
"Then we will return."
"Run away, oh oh!"
From the back of the maze, someone screams and runs.
Behind it are countless shadows that wriggle in the darkness.
"Warning that stampede seems to have occurred."
I felt that the instructor\'s voice was mixed with a slight tension.