Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 212

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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212. Choose What You Want from the Following Options (1)

The appearance of the 31st Floor of the 9th Layer drawn on the magic map was even more spectacular.

“The map is complete!”

“Not all of it, maybe half? Still, half completed is amazing.”

As Ralph said, about half of the 31st floor was already filled in on the magic map.

Olive held the labyrinth compass and map together, examining them alternately.

“It doesn’t seem like fake information.”

The Party checked the magic map against the signboard drawings at the crossroads.

When they confirmed the path with the treasure chest drawing on the map, there was also a treasure chest marking there.

When they checked the path with the drawing of crossed swords on the map, there was also a combat marking there.

What lay beyond the current crossroads to the next wasn’t shown on the map, but it was certain that it told them in advance what awaited on the path the group needed to take.

The Party that witnessed this amazing sight.

“Princess! If the Labyrinth God showed you the way, you should have told us!”

“With half the floor revealed, we can explore so much!”

“Half, indeed. That’s a considerable area. I can only be grateful for the god’s grace.”

“I don’t know much, but it seems you’ve had similar experiences before. It’s all thanks to Your Highness the Grand Princess and the Labyrinth God’s grace.”

They accepted the magic map more easily than expected. This was because during the 3rd Layer conquest, the Princess had provided map, terrain, and monster information without even setting foot on the 3rd Layer threshold.

While the Party casually accepted the phenomenon, Serena, being a regressor, was different.

The Princess’s sole amber eye shook like a small boat caught in a storm.

‘What? Why is it showing me the path in advance? This is my first time on this layer. Could it be that time got twisted because of Richard?’

After thinking that far, Serena discarded the hypothesis.

‘That’s definitely not it. It must just be a characteristic of this layer.’

Serena immediately revealed the truth, worried that the Party might become complacent.

“I don’t know about this. The Labyrinth God didn’t tell me either.”

“Huh? Princess, you didn’t receive information from the god?”

“It seems to just be a characteristic of this layer.”

Instead of having many crossroads, there were many treasure chests and battles. It was similar to the features Olive had wanted.

‘I don’t know about traps though.’

Perhaps both the magic map and signboards could all be traps.

The Guide, not forgetting this possibility, stuck to the crossroads wall, flicked her fingers, and pressed her ear to the wall and floor.

“First, the good news.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t know about other things, but the treasure chest and combat markings seem to match the signboard. There are monster signs in the direction marked for combat.”

Olive shrugged and added.

“Well, the treasure chests could be Mimics too. But there are no signs for now.”

“I see. What’s the bad news?”

“If we want to collect all the treasure chests, our feet might get a bit sore? Kyahaha!”

There were 5 confirmed treasure chests on the map that she’d dreamed of. The treasure chest grades were unknown, but Olive smiled so wide her mouth nearly split just imagining it.

“If the monsters don’t move, it might be possible to avoid combat and just collect the treasure chests.”

“That would be good. Let’s try going to the path with treasure chests first.”

The Party currently had three paths to choose from. Two of these paths led to treasure chests, and one led to monsters.

Serena decided to check the treasure chest on the left first.

As they followed the Guide walking twenty steps ahead, when even Ying at the rear entered the crossroads, iron bars fell with a clang.

“Tch.”

Ying tried to quickly exit the crossroads, but the iron bars came down faster.

“Is, is it okay?”

“Whoa whoa, everyone calm down. The path isn’t blocked. Remember the map? There are passages connecting to other crossroads, so we can go around through there. Whoa whoa, stay calm.”

The Guide reacted deliberately carefree and relaxed, perhaps to calm the anxious Party.

While Serena felt reassured by Olive’s cool and composed response, she also felt an ominous feeling.

The Princess gave up her wrinkle-free porcelain-like skin and frowned deeply as she spread out the map.

Multiple crossroads, a structure that told you what awaited when you chose a crossroads. Blocked paths preventing return.

‘This feels familiar?’

Why was that? A strange sense of déjà vu tormented the Princess again.

Serena had felt this fog-like déjà vu on the 7th Floor too. Having experienced it once, she succeeded in finding a clearer outline from her hazy memories faster than before.

‘Right. I’ve seen this type of map before.’

Where?

‘In games!’

Show the player a big goal (boss or exit) in advance and make them choose paths with randomly placed rewards, battles, and various events.

Players choose between combat, rewards, events, or rest as they advance toward the goal.

Unfortunately, Serena only knew such games existed but had never played them directly.

But she clearly remembered just one characteristic.

Which was.

‘No take-backs! Once you choose at a crossroads, you can’t go back!’

Even if you get something bad as a random reward. Even if monsters are stronger than expected and your health gets depleted, you can’t cancel.

All players can do is move forward unconditionally. Forward again and again.

If you die, you just restart or continue from where you left off.

Fortunately, Serena had regression, not restart.

The Princess hid her anxious feelings and focused on the present.

‘It’s not certain, so let’s just think about the treasure chest for now. Focus, Serena. If it’s magic grade, an escape magic tool; if it’s another grade, armor or Ying’s weapon.’

The Party safely arrived at the room with the treasure chest without incident.

Common grade. An ordinary treasure chest sat in the center of the room, and the door on the opposite side was blocked with iron bars.

Olive, happy to see a treasure chest even if it was common grade, hummed as she ran over to check for traps and monsters.

“Huhuhu, how long has it been.”

The Guide swallowed her saliva and petted the treasure chest like a dog.

“Does everyone want something specific?”

The Party’s chronic clothing and other consumables problem had been somewhat resolved thanks to the 7th Floor.

Ralph thought for a moment, then spoke enthusiastically.

“His Highness the Prince wants an oven.”

“An oven? It might come out of a non-shiny one, but it’s heavy to carry around…”

“I’d like empty bottles. You can never have too many potion bottles.”

“Since Neet uses bandages often, bandages would be good too. If a whole box full came out, we could use them without worry, wouldn’t we.”

“Request received! Alright! Our Black Knight will open it!”

“I’m fine.”

“Our treasure chest opening is done in turns. If you miss this chance, Black Knight, you’re permanently excluded.”

“Count Alpha. You really might not be able to touch treasure chests throughout the entire labyrinth exploration, so just open it.”

“Understood.”

“I wonder what will come out! Drumroll drumroll drumroll.”

Olive made drumming sounds with her mouth even though it was just a common grade chest. She had really missed treasure chests.

“Ta-da!”

Count Alpha vigorously opened the treasure chest. Inside was a first aid kit for storing medicine and bandages.

The first aid kit was well-stocked with new bandages, ointment for wounds, disinfectant, painkillers, and more. Since it also contained empty bottles for potions, everyone was satisfied.

“Wow. Such a modest collection that’s hard to believe came from the 31st floor! I hate myself for being satisfied with this!”

Clank.

When they opened the treasure chest, the blocked iron gate on the opposite side opened.

Serena checked the magic map with a hopeful heart to see if the return path was available. The path was still blocked.

“The path has opened.”

“Good. Now let’s go back to the right path and open that treasure chest.”

Serena walked quietly without sharing the information she knew.

‘Since it’s not certain.’

But the unexpected catches people off guard, and the possible always comes to pass.

Olive saw the rare-grade treasure chest blocked by iron bars that couldn’t be opened and reached out her hands like a monkey in a cage craving bananas.

“Why! Why is it blocked! My chest!”

“The path is blocked. How do we get back to the stairs?”

“We should check if the middle path is blocked too.”

“Count Hanson, we’ll have to fight in the central area, so don’t let your guard down.”

As the Party tried to head toward the middle path, the Guide clung to the iron bars and wailed pitifully.

“My shiny shiny sparkly chest!”

“Olive. You look pathetic.”

“Sob sob. I should have gone right first. Then I could have gotten the shiny shiny sparkly chest!”

After acting pathetically for a while, the Guide suddenly dropped from the iron bars as if she thought she’d made enough of a scene. Olive returned to the front of the Party with a composed face.

Count Alpha, still unfamiliar with Olive, doubted his own eyes, while Count Randy, who had grown quite close to Olive, badmouthed the Guide to Serena.

“She probably changed her expression just like that when breaking up with lovers too.”

“Count. She can hear everything, you know.”

“I didn’t tell you to insult her to her face. That’s how it’s done.”

The Party safely reached the middle path again without any traps or battles.

Serena looked at the goblin party (bigger and better armed than those on the 4th Layer) standing blankly behind the iron bars even after seeing the Party, and became certain.

‘What I thought is definitely right.’

The Princess gained certainty, but the Party lost their escape route. The Guide’s right corner of her mouth curled up wickedly after confirming that all paths leading to the stairs were blocked.

“Well, look at that?”

“What do we do? All the paths are blocked. We can’t go back.”

“Knight~ This kind of thing is common in labyrinths. Probably when we find the way down, the doors will open with a whoosh, or another path will appear.”

The Guide answered boldly and nonchalantly to reassure the anxious Young Knight.

But she requested a map from the Princess with more serious eyes than before.

“Hmm. Four crossroads.”

Since the Party had seen the information board, the map also displayed the events behind each crossroads.

Two treasure chests, two battles.

Olive checked each path again to verify if it matched the information board content, then knocked on one wall.

“This one’s hollow inside? We could break it from the other side.”

“We have no way to break the wall right now, so let’s save it for later.”

“Where should we go~ I have a feeling. We can only go to one place at a time.”

“Only one place?”

The Guide quickly grasped the characteristics of the 9th Layer without anyone telling her.

Serena decided to share what she had realized based on her past life memories with the Party.

“My thoughts are the same as Olive’s. We select only one path at each crossroads to proceed, and going backward is impossible.”

“If we keep going forward like that, we’ll encounter the Floor Boss and stairs.”

Since it was a simple mechanic, the Party understood immediately upon hearing the information.

“Oh my. Then we can go while only taking treasure chests without any battles?”

“Theoretically possible if treasure chests appear at every crossroads.”

“Is this a dream or reality? It’s happening just as I wished? Has the Deity of the Labyrinth finally heard the wishes of the admirable Olive who lives so diligently?”

Olive didn’t try to portray herself as good even as a joke.

‘She has excellent self-awareness.’

“Then this way this time!”

The Guide chose the path with a treasure chest, avoiding battle. The Party didn’t strongly object.

Serena silently followed the Guide while harboring one doubt.

‘But. Is it okay to only choose treasure chests like this?’

As mentioned again, Serena only knew that this type of game existed, but had no playing experience.

So she didn’t know which choice between treasure chests and battles would be more advantageous.

‘It should be fine, right? Our Party’s current strength is considerable.’

The Princess suppressed the doubt that gently arose with positive thinking.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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