Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 311

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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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311. Labyrinth Voice Phishing (1)

“Honey! It’s too cold! Please let me in!”

“Ugh.”

Labyrinth voice phishing tormenting the Imperial Knight.

To explain in chronological order, first Hana and Low left.

“I’ll say it again. If Hana and I don’t return by the promised date, leave just a little food behind and return to the lobby immediately. You must.”

“I understand. Don’t worry.”

Low earnestly pleaded with the party until he left the cave.

“Even after we leave, you must come check on us!”

“Sister Hana! Be careful! Run if it’s dangerous! Promise!”

Hana also repeatedly asked them not to abandon them.

The large hunter and small pickpocket departed. Their size difference was considerable, so watching their retreating figures, they looked exactly like a father and young daughter walking on snow.

The hunter promised to return in 7 days. He said he’d come back sooner if they caught prey before then.

Monotonous days passed at the peak of the snowy mountain.

There were few monsters at the snowy mountain peak, and even if they discovered the party, they didn’t attack first.

If the opponent had no fighting spirit, there was no benefit from fighting, so the party also ignored the monsters.

They’d love to just laze around enjoying the sauna, but they couldn’t waste a whole week.

Serena focused on meditation. She enjoyed the sauna occasionally and made traps while recovering and strengthening her mind and body.

Sesi tried to serve the Princess as Philia had taught her. But she lacked talent not only in dancing but also in service, making everything clumsy.

Instead, Sesi devoted herself to meditation alongside Serena.

Unlike the lobby with its high population density where noise and presence were constantly felt, the silent peak of the snowy mountain where snow absorbed sound seemed to allow better concentration.

Ying was the same as usual. She inspected equipment and took charge of the mountain hut’s meals and hearth management instead of Sesi, who was clumsy at everything.

And because Ying was Ying, after closing her mouth in the sauna on the first day, she never made a sound again.

The only sound Ying made was a “hmph” laugh when she heard Sesi admire her profile as “cool” while she stirred the charcoal in the hearth at dawn to revive the embers.

While the three women spent their time leisurely and peacefully doing their tasks, Count Alpha spent several days in a slightly tense state.

Perhaps thinking to grab Serena and flee to the teleportation room at any moment, he even asked Serena to dismantle some of the traps she had installed in the cave.

Even Count Alpha gradually relaxed his guard as he adapted to the quiet snowy mountain, save for the sound of falling snow.

The tension that had eased after 4 days heightened again on the 5th day. Because there were only two days left until Low and Hana’s promised return.

What if the hunter and pickpocket couldn’t return by the promised date? Should they really leave food behind and return to the lobby?

Anxiety and worry were added to the peaceful and monotonous daily life of the snowy mountain.

[The 5th Floor has been perfectly conquered. 10 shop coins are awarded.]

Even the notification that the 5th Floor had been perfectly conquered couldn’t alleviate the anxiety and worry.

That anxiety and worry grew even larger on the 6th day when a blizzard began to rage.

Whiiiiing-!

The mountain hut was safe inside the cave even when fierce winds blew.

But as the wind sounds grew louder, the gloom cast over the group’s faces deepened.

“It’ll just be today, right?”

Sesi asked with trembling eyes in her anxiety. Unfortunately, no one could answer Sesi’s question.

Mountain weather had peculiarities different from other terrains, and this wasn’t a real mountain but inside a labyrinth.

“It’s cold, so let’s go inside.”

“Yes…”

Though she answered yes, Sesi couldn’t easily step away from the cave entrance.

Count Alpha also hardened his gorgeously beautiful face and stared at the horizontally flying snowflakes.

“Staring won’t help. Don’t waste energy and let’s go into the mountain hut.”

Serena forcibly persuaded the two and brought them to the mountain hut. Ying maintained her characteristic expressionless face while focusing only on what she needed to do.

‘How reliable.’

If Ying had also been worrying about Low and Hana, Serena wouldn’t have been able to maintain her composure either. It was fortunate that Ying held the center firmly.

Following the unwavering example of the faithful servant of the darkness deity, Serena tried to maintain her composure.

But the Princess’s efforts came to naught because of the blizzard that didn’t stop even as evening came and night deepened.

“There’s nothing we can do by worrying. I need to stand night watch, so rest.”

How wonderful would it be if the sky were clear when they woke up?

Serena wished like a child who saw an 80% chance of rain forecast on the day of a picnic. The sound of wind tormented the Princess throughout.

Finally, the morning of the 7th day, the deadline Low had set, dawned.

The labyrinth’s fake sun rose, but outside the cave was dark as evening. The blizzard that started yesterday hadn’t stopped and had actually gotten worse.

Thick, dark storm clouds blocking the fake sunlight, snowfall that prevented people from seeing their own feet, strong winds raging from all directions.

The weather was worse than yesterday. Climbing a mountain on such a day would be suicide.

“Should we go back?”

When her sister didn’t return despite all hopes, Sesi’s face turned pale. Serena bit her lips.

‘Should I suggest waiting until evening? With a blizzard like that, they won’t come even if we wait until evening.’

Should they still wait? As Serena couldn’t speak easily and only bit her lips tightly, Count Alpha carefully spoke up.

“Your Highness the Grand Princess. Yesterday and today were not situations where movement was possible.”

“Yes, I think so too.”

“So shouldn’t we exclude yesterday and today, when movement was impossible, from Low’s promised 7 days?”

Sesi brightened upon hearing the Imperial Knight’s calculation.

“Ah, you’re right, Sir Knight! When we performed too, if it rained yesterday and today and we canceled, we’d stay two more days and then perform!”

Sesi jumped up and down in place. Then she lay down flat on the mountain hut floor.

Ying, who had been preparing to leave the mountain hut as soon as morning came, pushed Sesi. Sesi stuck to the floor and resisted. Chicken Leader also stuck his body to the floor.

The archer looked at the Princess with eyes asking what to do. Serena chewed her lips again.

‘Low said to go to the lobby without hesitation. But leaving right when the date changes seems heartless too.’

Moreover, Low had set the deadline without considering a blizzard that would trap people’s feet.

‘Even if he had considered it, he wouldn’t have thought their feet would be bound when returning.’

Everyone waited for the Princess’s decision. After long deliberation, Serena opened her mouth.

“I’ll wait just until tomorrow evening. After that, we return to the lobby as Low requested.”

“Yes! Thank you, Magic Princess!”

“They’ll definitely return before then.”

Sesi, who had been stuck to the mountain hut floor, jumped up and bowed to Serena. Count Alpha also let out a sigh of relief, pretending otherwise.

“…”

Ying stared at Serena with her characteristically deep, dark eyes, then silently unpacked the luggage she had prepared. Serena also hid her face while pretending to unpack and reconsidered her decision.

‘One day should be fine, right? If Low and Hana can’t return, they’re probably dead anyway, so we’d have to save them.’

If she didn’t have the regression ability, she would have left the 10th Layer immediately as Low requested.

It would be fortunate if Low and Hana arrived late at the peak and waited for Serena, but if they had become frozen corpses or monster food, the loss of power in the lobby would be great.

Serena shuddered anew at the advantages of regression.

‘Regression really is good. There’s a reason all protagonists are regressors. Regression over reincarnation. Yeah.’

Regression doesn’t come first in “regression, possession, reincarnation” for nothing. It’s because they’re good in that order, right?

‘Reincarnation really doesn’t know the future, doesn’t know the setting, doesn’t know hidden pieces. There’s nothing good except being born with a golden spoon.’

The Reincarnated One realized the truth of regression, possession, and reincarnation, but had no one to share it with, so she knew it alone.

The 7th day began with waiting and ended with waiting.

Sesi and Count Alpha couldn’t take their eyes off the cave entrance where the blizzard raged, and Serena couldn’t meditate, so she just fiddled with snare knots.

The only person who was the same as usual was Ying.

The blizzard that had raged for two consecutive days gradually weakened in the afternoon. When night came to the snowy mountain, the snow stopped completely and only strong winds blew.

The faces of Sesi and Count Alpha, who had been anxious throughout, brightened.

“Since the snow stopped, they’ll definitely return tomorrow!”

“I agree.”

“Even so, if it becomes afternoon tomorrow, we return to the lobby.”

Serena drove the point home to the two who seemed likely to say “let’s wait just one more day” when tomorrow came.

As the weather cleared, the storm clouds in their hearts seemed to clear too, as Sesi and Count Alpha answered brightly.

After a simple dinner with nothing else to do, they prepared to sleep early.

The night watch order was Serena, Ying, Count Alpha, then Sesi. Serena sat leaning against Chicken Leader. Though a fake monster, the warmth transmitted through the feathers was cozy.

Sesi also lay down next to Chicken Leader and covered herself with a blanket when the mountain hut door rattled and shook.

‘Did the wind reach into the cave?’

The snow had stopped, but the wind still blew fiercely. At the same time, chills ran through her entire body.

She thought a gust of wind had entered the cave, knocking on the mountain hut door and making her body tremble, but this time she heard a different sound.

Heyyyyyy!

Serena, who had been sitting, felt strange and suddenly stood up. It was a human voice.

The three who had been lying down trying to cover themselves with blankets also hurriedly got up.

“It must be someone!”

Sesi excitedly ran to open the mountain hut door. The Archer strongly grabbed Sesi. At that moment, a human voice was heard again from outside.

Hey!

It was too far away earlier to tell, but it sounded like a man’s voice. Ying and Count Alpha’s mouths opened simultaneously.

“Don’t answer.”

“Low? Is that you?”

“Haah.”

Ying, who was holding Sesi with one hand, openly sighed. This was the first time Ying had shown such a reaction since entering the Labyrinth.

She made a mistake.

Just when everyone in the mountain hut instinctively felt they were screwed, the reason for the Archer’s sigh was revealed.

Thump thump thump thump, crash! Crash!

Rattle rattle, clatter clatter-!

Someone outside was roughly shaking and pounding on the mountain hut door. Not just the door, but the windows were also rattling, yet not a breath of wind came through the window gaps that had been left open for ventilation.

Ying extinguished the fire in the brazier and closed the windows. After finishing checking the door’s lock status, the Archer stared directly at each party member with deep, dark black eyes.

The party, frozen upon realizing the gravity of the situation, swallowed their dry saliva.

“Never open the door or react to sounds heard from outside. Never answer. Don’t even sleep.”

Before Ying’s words were even finished, something shouted from outside the mountain hut door.

“Why are you doing this? It’s me! It’s cold, so please open the door!”

“Eek!”

The voice heard from outside was exactly Low’s voice. It was chillingly identical.

Sesi, who was terrified, let out a weak scream, then felt Ying’s cold gaze and covered her mouth with her hands.

As if the scream also counted as a reaction, Low’s voice became louder.

“I know you’re all inside! It’s cold, so hurry up and open it! Would you do this to a companion who came through the snowfall?”

The more she listened, the more it sounded exactly like Low. Goosebumps rose all over Serena’s body. If Ying hadn’t been openly on guard, she would have been convinced it was Low by now and opened the door.

“I caught a musk deer!”

When there was no response to Low’s voice, this time Hana’s voice was heard from outside.

Let’s say the speech pattern and voice could be imitated. But how did it know the information that they had gone to catch musk deer?

Serena’s upper and lower teeth chattered against each other.

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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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