Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 294

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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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294. Heuji’s Labyrinth 11th Floor Strategy (3)

Count Randy raised an objection to Olive, who had escaped punishment by begging desperately.

“The problem was wrong from the start. The possibility that the 44th floor stairs connect to somewhere on an upper floor, and the possibility that among the 45th floor stairs, there are stairs inaccessible from the current floor. There are two answers, aren’t there? In such cases, the questioner should notify in advance when posing the problem that there are multiple correct answers.”

“Ah~ I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

When Count Randy’s protest grew lengthy, Olive only listened to the first sentence before ignoring him. The guide, who was pretending to clean her ear with her pinky finger, shrugged her shoulders.

“Anyway, this is valuable information. This is insider info that only experienced folks with good labyrinth compass luck know. This information is so precious I should charge an information fee~”

The guide’s round eyes glanced sideways at the Princess. Count Randy opened his wallet in place of his master.

“I’ll pay. Cash is needed for alchemy, so is a check acceptable?”

Correction. Instead of a wallet, he took out a notebook and pen to write an informal check. Olive’s lips curled up in a grin.

“Is this amount sufficient?”

“Gasp, so many zeros! Ahem! Yes.”

Count Alpha’s large hand covered the check that was only waiting for the Count’s signature.

“There’s no need to pay. The Empire’s labyrinth exploration unit knows this information.”

Olive, whose business was interrupted again after the ring incident, glared with fierce eyes.

“But not all unit members know it, right? Only the higher-ups know, right? You haven’t disclosed it externally and have no plans to, right?”

Right, right, right. Count Alpha’s delicately drawn eyebrows twitched at the triple attack of facts. The Imperial Knight covered his small face with his large hand, then picked up the pen instead of Count Randy.

“I’ll pay the information fee. Huh? Is this price correct?”

Count Alpha was shocked, but he had already written more than half his name. Count Alpha reluctantly completed his signature.

‘Just how much did he write?’

Since he’s the 5th Prince’s friend, Count Alpha must be from an imperial noble family or prestigious house. For Count Alpha to be surprised like that. Serena couldn’t fathom how much Count Randy had written.

“Wasn’t that too generous?”

“No. As Olive said, this information is high-grade information. The conditions are complex, so even among labyrinth adventurers, few would know it.”

‘Is that so?’

Condition 1. It must be a labyrinth with multiple stairs, where there are also stairs accessible from that floor.

Condition 2. You must have a labyrinth compass.

Condition 3. Since there’s no guarantee you’ll immediately understand after experiencing it once, you must experience the above situation multiple times and survive.

Recalling the conditions, Serena immediately understood Count Randy’s words.

‘It is high-grade information.’

Only deep labyrinth adventurers like Winds of the Wilderness would know this; even if you gathered 100 ordinary labyrinth adventurers, they wouldn’t know this high-grade information.

“Ha. Smart people really do recognize value well.”

“Proper value assessment. A virtue that the Brilliant Gold values.”

Olive grinned, showing even her gums, as she pocketed the check Count Alpha had signed.

“Now everyone knows, right? Even if you see stairs, if they’re in a direction the labyrinth compass needle has never pointed to, it’s useless to insist on going there.”

“Not knowing would cause considerable hardship.”

“Just hardship. Waste of time, waste of movement, waste of stamina fighting monsters, and if people get hurt or die, waste of fighting power. I suffered too before I knew.”

Olive, recalling her difficult past, scrunched up her previously bright face. But she quickly overcame the sad past and smiled brightly.

“Found a breakable wall. It’s unfair to always make only the Knight do it, so this time, go, Black Knight!”

The handsome Imperial Knight struck the wall the guide pointed to with his shield.

A secret passage appeared behind the wall that crumbled from the shield strike. It fit Olive perfectly, but the ceiling was so low that others had to duck their heads or bend their backs.

Serena thought positively while ducking her head.

‘Right. This means Rock Lizardmen won’t appear.’

At the end of the secret passage was another breakable wall. Count Alpha struck the wall in a hunched posture. Olive poked only her head out to check the situation before stepping outside the passage.

“Good, good. Arrived at the 45th floor without fighting the floor boss!”

“Is that acceptable?”

“Sometimes? There have to be times like this to conquer labyrinths.”

All party members were satisfied to hear they could avoid battle with the floor boss.

‘My 1 coin!’

Except for Serena.

‘What should I do? On the 11th floor, you only get shop coins by fighting floor bosses.’

But it would be awkward to suggest going back to fight the floor boss when they could avoid the boss chamber and proceed to the next floor.

With 1 coin being precious and valuable, was she really going to lose 1 shop coin like this?

While Serena alone swallowed her disappointment, Olive stared intently at the magic map and said.

“If the 2nd group comes this far, they might fight the floor boss? The left path at the earlier crossroads was correct. If they had gone there, it would have been the boss chamber.”

Olive looked up with sparkling eyes at the Princess.

“So the path the Princess initially chose was correct! How do you always know the right paths? Is this truly the labyrinth deity’s blessing?”

Serena said multiple times it was a misunderstanding, but it didn’t work on the guide who believed what she had seen with her own eyes.

Serena changed the subject to prevent the guide from earnestly praising the Princess.

“But I thought the 45th floor would be the end of the 11th floor, yet it’s the same as other floors.”

“That’s right. The last floors of other levels only had boss chambers, but this place is identical to upper floors.”

Ralph looked around at the mining tunnels that were still complexly connected and agreed. Olive shrugged her shoulders.

“This might not be the last floor. More than that, since we’ve come deeper, things will get more troublesome.”

Until now, they could rest and reorganize comfortably in front of boss chambers, but that would become difficult from now on.

‘Dirty and troublesome.’

Serena shuddered, recalling unfriendly games that only allowed saving when exiting dungeons and didn’t even auto-save right before boss battles.

‘Well, even if there were divine statues in front of boss chambers, I wouldn’t have saved anyway.’

At the same time, she cursed all games and game developers that only provided one save slot. They could at least provide unlimited save slots! If unlimited is difficult, then 100! Even 10!

If there had been 10 regression points, how convenient would labyrinth conquest have been?

“Ah, monsters coming. Everyone prepare for battle!”

This damn labyrinth didn’t even allow time for flights of imagination. Serena gripped her staff and concentrated.

***

The 45th floor had a higher proportion of Assassin Moles than Miner Lizardmen. In game terms, the average level of appearing monsters had increased.

Dealing with Assassin Moles that could pop out anywhere, anytime, drained mental strength more than physical strength.

“Phew.”

Finally reaching the door of the 45th floor boss chamber, Serena let out a small sigh.

If the floor only had a boss chamber like other levels they’d passed, she could rest comfortably, but that was impossible on the 45th floor.

Serena encouraged herself. If she was having a hard time, how much harder must it be for the guide who had to find paths while watching for monsters?

‘Pull yourself together, Serena. Olive must be having ten times more difficulty than me.’

Indeed, there was no smile on Olive’s lips. It was proof that the guide, who always smiled and lifted the party’s mood no matter what, had no leisure.

Olive surveyed the surroundings with a gaze cold as ice, then forced her lips to curve upward.

“Is everyone ready to fight the boss?”

“What about you? How about leaving the watch to us and resting a bit?”

“I’d rather fight the floor boss—it’s exciting and fun.”

“I prefer that too.”

Count Alpha narrowed his brow as if tired.

We’re too tired, so let’s fight and rest comfortably. The party’s opinion converged. Olive, who was about to open the boss chamber door, suddenly bit her lip, took a breath, and turned her head.

“Ssssh. Something feels ominous. Princess, how many magic barriers can you stack?”

“I can maintain 3 while moving.”

“Then maintain 3 and go in. There’s a high probability the floor boss will be an Assassin Mole.”

“Agreed.”

The archer, who had been so quiet that his presence was only known by arrows stuck in monsters, agreed with the guide’s opinion.

‘If even Ying says that, the probability is high!’

Assassin Moles have weak defense but high attack power and speed. While the party’s victory in battle was certain, there was a risk of achieving a pyrrhic victory depending on whether they could block the first attack.

‘If we can’t block it, someone dies or gets critically injured.’

Each member of the current 1st group was precious. If something unfortunate happened, there was a high possibility that Serena’s death coin count would increase by one.

‘I can’t lose anyone!’

Serena concentrated and cast magic barrier spells three times.

“If it is an Assassin Mole, before the monster attacks first, do not—I repeat, do NOT—leave the magic barrier!”

“Yes, understood!”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

The Guide carefully opened the door to the Leader’s Chamber. The party entered slowly to match the Princess’s reduced movement speed as she maintained three magic barriers.

The Leader’s Chamber, spacious enough for combat, was crawling with Labyrinth Worms. Seeing so many worms that the chamber floor was invisible, Serena nearly fainted.

‘Eek!’

She barely maintained her sanity, but her concentration wavered and all the magic barriers she had been maintaining disappeared.

As the triple-layered magic barriers surrounding the party vanished, the Labyrinth Worms wriggled right up to the party’s feet.

Even Ralph, who had played around catching worms, was horrified by the terrible sight.

“Wh-what do we do? Should we just kill them?”

“Just in case, don’t scatter. Princess, the magic barriers. Quickly.”

The 45th Floor boss was confirmed to be Labyrinth Worms focused on quantity over quality, but Olive didn’t lower her guard.

Screech screech. As the Labyrinth Worms cried noisily, Olive perked up her ears.

“Princess, can you maintain the magic barriers and use area attack magic?”

“J-just wait.”

“Lady Serena. Please leave this to me.”

Count Randy pulled out a bottle containing transparent liquid from his subspace bag.

“I prepared this in case giant worms appeared again. Ying, please.”

Rather than explaining what the liquid in the bottle was, dealing with the Labyrinth Worms took priority. When Count Randy threw the bottle with all his strength, Ying hit it with an arrow.

The liquid spilled from the broken bottle poured over the Labyrinth Worms. The Labyrinth Worms touched by the liquid writhed in agony before shriveling up completely.

“Wow, it’s like sprinkling salt on ordinary worms!”

“It is salt. Special salt water formulated to easily penetrate the thick skin of Labyrinth Worms.”

Knowing the monster spawn information, the Alchemist’s preparations repeatedly proved their worth.

Though one bottle of salt water killed half the Labyrinth Worms that had dominated the Leader’s Chamber, Olive didn’t relax her tension. Olive, who had been seriously pressing her hand to the floor, turned around in shock.

“The floor! It’s coming from behind!”

The floor near the party’s rear began moving, and a red form burst out. Once, twice, three times. The red form attacking the party’s rear at a speed Serena’s eyes couldn’t follow was a Red Labyrinth Mole.

The hideous claws of the Red Labyrinth Mole, which broke through all the hastily constructed magic barriers faster than the blink of an eye, slashed across the Princess’s torso.

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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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