Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 222

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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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222. Conversation with the Dead

Krom.

An early member of Heuji’s Labyrinth and a drug dealer who died honorably after showing remarkable achievements that transcended age and status.

Given her profession, Serena couldn’t remember her entirely fondly.

But Ralph and Lavenda seemed to feel the opposite, as they immediately showed joy upon hearing Krom’s name.

“You mean Krom? The one who fell into the labyrinth with us?”

“Grandmother Krom? Neet. Is it really true?”

The Young Knight and Mysterious Stranger, who had been vaguely afraid upon hearing about the necromancer, completely cast aside their fear and approached Neet.

“Is Krom watching over us from beside us?”

“Is it because her grave is here?”

“Ah. I wondered who it was, but it was the owner of the grave.”

“Hmm.”

Everyone’s gaze focused on Krom’s grave. Right next to it, mana absorption tiles were laid out for Neet.

Serena recalled the child’s behavior of wandering around the grave area.

“Neet. Were you lingering near the grave to talk with Krom?”

“Yes. *Cough*. Next to the grave is where. *Cough*. Her voice is clearest.”

As soon as Neet finished speaking, Grey and Countess Nex raised their voices.

“Hey! How can you carelessly talk with the dead!”

“Talking with dead people is very dangerous. Especially for someone as young as you.”

Neet shrank her shoulders in fear as the teachers who had been praising her suddenly raised their voices.

“*Cough cough cough*. I’m sorry. *Cough cough*.”

Serena sighed and gently placed her hand on Neet’s shoulder. Considering Neet’s injuries all over her body, she patted lightly.

“You’re scaring the child by raising your voices like that. Neet, you didn’t do anything terribly wrong. But your sisters always told you not to talk to strangers, didn’t they? That’s what you should be scolded for.”

“*Cough*. I was wrong. But Grandmother Krom is someone Ralph and Lavenda know…”

“Neet. Ugh!”

Countess Nex crouched down to meet Neet’s eye level but cried out in pain from her back and knee problems.

With tears hanging at the corners of her eyes, the Countess talked with Neet.

“People don’t always stay the same and keep changing. And death is the greatest change a person can experience. Everyone can only experience it once and can never return from it.”

This didn’t apply to Serena, who was in the labyrinth.

“People who have experienced death become very different from when they were alive. Sadly, most change for the worse. You were very lucky that you could communicate with that deceased person. When I or Serena aren’t around, you must not talk with the dead anymore. Understood?”

“It’s okay when I’m around too.”

“*Cough*. Yes.”

Grey didn’t miss the opportunity to interject. Countess Nex stared at the grey-haired boy as if she’d seen something bizarre, then shrugged her shoulders. A cracking sound came from the Countess’s shoulders.

“Is the spirit still nearby? Can you talk to her?”

The child with grey eyes filled with knowledge and wisdom was eager to observe new magic.

Though it was late at night, he urged Neet to try her magic. You could feel his determination to satisfy his curiosity before sleeping.

“Didn’t you hear it’s dangerous? We don’t know what state that spirit is in, so talking again would be risky.”

“*Cough*. Grandmother Krom is fine. *Cough*. She’s funny.”

Neet defended Krom’s condition while smiling slightly. Serena recalled Krom’s hearty way of speaking.

‘She was a funny grandmother indeed.’

Though she was a drug dealer.

Countess Randy, who was indifferent to anyone other than her master and husband, opened her flower-like mouth, perhaps remembering that the deceased was a drug dealer.

Serena poked her friend’s side with her finger after a long time. Heuji Jeolmi closed her mouth.

‘You didn’t teach the child anything strange, did you?’

Krom’s entire cart was stored in the subspace stone box. It was fortunate that no one except Lavenda and Serena could touch it, but it was still too early to feel relieved.

‘You can’t trust drug addicts and dealers.’

Drug dealers are beings who destroy others, families, and society to make money.

Though Krom chose an honorable death, which was somewhat mitigating, Serena couldn’t let her guard down.

“Neet. What did you talk about with Krom?”

“*Cough*. Rat meat cooking methods. *Cough*.”

She said when she saw Prince Willow handling rat meat, she commented, “Ah, that’s not how you cook rats.”

“And how to make toys. *Cough*.”

Neet stopped mid-sentence, closed her mouth, and fidgeted with her bandaged fingers. She seemed reluctant to speak but couldn’t withstand the silent pressure.

“I learned how to make decorative knots. *Cough*.”

Decorative knots. Serena unconsciously looked at her magic staff. The spot where knots used to dangle from the Princess’s staff whenever they went to the 9th Layer was empty.

Because she hadn’t received the knot gift yet.

‘She learned it from a ghost?’

Serena thought Neet had learned by watching others with her good memory, but it turned out she learned from a ghost.

“Decorative knots. Can you show us?”

Neet brought the decorative knots she had hidden behind the grave. She brought a total of 5 decorations. The most elaborate and carefully made knot that was always meant for Serena was missing.

‘She hasn’t made it yet.’

Countess Nex carefully examined the knots Neet brought with Grey and felt relieved.

“These aren’t strange objects. They’re literally folk decorations.”

“If it’s this level, it should be fine to talk. Will you try?”

“Yes! *Cough*!”

Neet chanted the 1st-tier death magic spell “Conversation with the Dead” in a small voice to suppress her coughing.

“I wish to use the power granted by heaven. I want to talk with the dead.”

Mana moved. Everyone in the lobby who could use magic except Prince Willow detected it.

‘She succeeded.’

“*Cough*. Grandmother Krom is here.”

Neet pointed at empty air. Ralph didn’t doubt Neet’s words and shouted at the empty space.

“Krom? Are you there? We’re working hard to conquer the labyrinth with the Princess! We’ll take you with us when we leave the labyrinth, so please watch over us until the end!”

“Stop talking nonsense and take care of your own body, soldier. *Cough*.”

‘It’s definitely Krom.’

Serena had wondered if it might be someone with the same name, but hearing that distinctive hearty way of speaking confirmed it was Krom.

“Grandmother Krom says. *Cough*. She’s glad everyone is alive. *Cough*. She says being dead is terribly painful, so we should stay strong and not die. *Cough*.”

‘Being dead is painful?’

At these ominous words, Serena’s head began to throb.

Serena wasn’t the only one who found Neet’s words disturbing. Grey immediately got to the point.

“Instead of being taken by death when you die, it’s painful?”

“*Cough*. Yes. Grandmother Krom says after dying, she’s constantly in pain, scared, hurting, and suffering. *Cough*. She feels better when talking with me. *Cough*. So she asked me to call her often. *Cough cough*.”

People chattered noisily upon hearing this unexpected story. Serena bit her lips as she had a suspicion about something.

‘Souls trapped in the labyrinth.’

When Serena first died in the labyrinth, she escaped as a spirit and saw souls trapped in the labyrinth.

At that time, nearly 100,000 souls were not only trapped in the labyrinth but also crying out in pain. Serena couldn’t stand by and watch, so she gave up the golden path and offered a sacrifice to the god.

She had thought about what happened to everyone trapped in the labyrinth after death, but hadn’t considered what happened to party members after death.

‘So they suffer from the moment of death.’

She thought burying them in graves would be fine, but that wasn’t the case. Her mouth felt bitter and dry like eating 100% cacao chocolate.

‘Should I have regressed?’

Belated regret began to cloud Serena’s mind like storm clouds. Serena sighed inwardly and steeled her resolve.

‘Even if she died honorably, Krom is still a drug dealer. There’s no mercy to be shown to a drug dealer.’

“We buried her in a grave given by the Labyrinth God. Is she still uncomfortable?”

Neet answered Lavenda’s question.

“*Cough*. She says the grave is comfortable. *Cough*. But it’s hard because even in death, she’s still in the labyrinth. *Cough cough*.”

“Still in the labyrinth even in death.”

Count Randy stroked his chin. With his sharp mind, he quickly remembered what the faithful servant of the Deity of Darkness had said.

“Previously, Ying said that everyone wandering the labyrinth is a sacrifice candidate. She said if you don’t want to become a sacrifice, you must leave the labyrinth alive.”

“Oh, right. I remember.”

“What does that mean? I’ve never heard that in all my time as a labyrinth adventurer. How frightening.”

Olive acted like she knew something, and Low fearfully stroked his bald head in terror.

Combining Ying’s past statements with the words of the old woman who died in the labyrinth, this conclusion emerged.

If you die in the labyrinth, you must wander the labyrinth even after death.

There is no set time period. Since you’re dead, conquering the labyrinth and escaping are impossible.

You must wander the labyrinth while suffering endless torment.

Forever.

Everyone’s faces hardened coldly, except for the Number Siblings who didn’t know much about the labyrinth.

Neet, who had been staring into empty space, turned her head.

“Cough. The magic is over. Cough.”

“Can you talk again?”

“No. I need some time to pass before I can talk again. Cough.”

“What about calling other spirits?”

Neet shook her head.

“Cough. The Leader is scary, and the other spirits just keep crying. I can’t have a conversation.”

‘So the Leader’s spirit is there too.’

Krom and the Leader. Both were people buried in the lobby. This way, she could roughly guess the identity of the spirit that only kept crying.

‘After betraying everyone himself. Why is he crying.’

Perhaps resembling her Master, her solar plexus ached after her head. Serena focused on the story of the living rather than the dead.

Given the Leader’s cause of death, Neet seemed unwilling to talk. Since no one knew how much more evil someone who was a villain in life had become in death, Grey didn’t urge her further either.

“What? If you die in the labyrinth, you have to wander the labyrinth even after death? Wow, I really don’t want to die.”

“This is news to me. Isn’t this a serious matter?”

“Zero! Don’t you have anything more to say?”

“….”

The Loyal Servant of Darkness maintained silence and an expressionless face while watching the Princess.

When the Archer who had brought up the problematic topic looked at the Princess, people naturally focused their attention on Serena.

‘I don’t like being the center of attention like this.’

Serena maintained an expressionless face like Ying and sighed inwardly.

‘I’m an Apostle of the Labyrinth God anyway. This attention was bound to come to me eventually.’

Ying had spoken first, so people looked at Ying. But ultimately, people seeking answers from Serena was a predetermined result.

Serena humbly accepted reality and spoke a truth that would satisfy people.

“Don’t worry. The trapped souls will be freed when the labyrinth is conquered.”

Rather than conquering a 10th-grade labyrinth, it would be easier and faster to prepare an escape route and get them out alive. Opening an exit as quickly as possible to die 10,000 times and draw 10,000 times was the Princess’s top priority.

“Ah! That’s why!”

Ralph’s expression brightened as if he understood something after hearing the Princess’s words.

Serena became anxious, wondering what kind of dream and hope-filled imagination this Knight, who was still untainted by the world like a fresh diaper, was having now.

Fortunately, Ralph didn’t reveal his imagination and only showed his resolve.

“Your mission, Princess! I will follow you to the very end!”

“I will be with you until the last moment.”

Ying also expressed her intention to fight alongside Serena until the final battle. Not to be outdone, Countess Randy grabbed Serena’s arm and clung to her.

“I’ll stay with Lady Serena until I die, and even after death!”

“Countess. Please include me too.”

“Yaaawn. Ouch.”

It was originally late at night, but dawn was approaching. Neet couldn’t resist drowsiness and yawned loudly, then suffered as her already torn mouth corners tore further.

Serena ordered someone to apply potion to Neet’s mouth corners and commanded dismissal.

“The story seems to be roughly finished, so go to sleep now. Tomorrow’s exploration will have to be postponed by a day.”

“Yes~”

“Olive. Explain to me.”

“Ask the Knight to do it.”

Olive coldly rejected her ex-boyfriend’s request and climbed onto the capsule to lie down. Low approached Ralph with his large frame hunched over and supplemented the lacking information.

“Countess Nex asks you to take care of Neet’s magic lessons starting tomorrow.”

“Yes, understood.”

Death attribute magic. It was so rare that even the Empire’s Grand Mage had never seen a theoretical book about it. It was fortunate that related books were passed down in Huji and Countess Nex had read them.

After roughly organizing the lobby, Serena entered her capsule and lay down. She couldn’t sleep at all, so she went out for a night walk, but things had gotten quite complicated.

‘Though it’s fortunate that we discovered Neet’s aptitude.’

A child whose head wound hadn’t even dried yet (it really hadn’t dried) being a necromancer. It was quite fitting yet unfitting at the same time.

Serena rolled over while pondering the necromancer’s aptitude that Countess Nex had mentioned.

‘She said one must be intimate with death. Isn’t that talking about me?’

Could there be anyone in this labyrinth as close to death as Serena? Except for Richard, that is.

Perhaps this could be the breakthrough for conquering the 9th Layer. Serena fell asleep resolving to attend tomorrow’s magic lesson together.

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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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