Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 355

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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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355. The Great Prison Break (2)

The prison changed its structure as the cells moved.

“Oh no. Everyone get into the cells!”

When the prison structure first changed, Serena had been inside a cell.

She hadn’t known it then since she was inside, but the cells moved faster than expected.

If unlucky, one could be crushed or struck by a moving cell. The Princess led the group into a cell.

“Good grief. All sorts of crazy things are happening.”

“Ground shaking! Earthquake!”

“It’s not an earthquake. The prison structure is changing into a labyrinth because it knows we’ve escaped.”

“Gasp. Our escape has been discovered? Was there a guard who saw us in the corridor?”

“Corridor. Armor. None there. No eyes. None there.”

“We weren’t caught here, but they found our empty cell, right? We didn’t capture the patrolling guard.”

“We disguised it well with the mat. Rather, didn’t a guard see the collapsed guard at the door entrance and notice the escape?”

The escapees shared their theories about how the escape was discovered.

Serena was also racking her brains when Ying pointed in one direction.

“Sound. East.”

“You’re saying the whistle sound came from the east?”

The Archer nodded. Hearing this, the escapees’ gazes turned eastward.

“If it’s east, isn’t that where Olive is imprisoned?”

“That guy probably got cocky trusting his abilities and got caught, right?”

Krom recalled the Guide’s frivolous behavior and suspected Olive.

“That’s not it! Olive likes to joke around, but he’s a deep labyrinth adventurer. There must be unavoidable circumstances.”

Ralph emphasized Olive’s professional aspects and defended the Guide.

Seeing this, the Princess thought.

‘Neither of you doubts it was Olive’s doing.’

Of course, Serena had also thought of Olive first the moment Ying mentioned east.

Whether the professional labyrinth expert moved due to unavoidable circumstances, or got caught while looting boxes.

‘The problem is Olive could do either.’

In the end, the Princess couldn’t reach a conclusion, and the prison completed its structural change.

Serena pressed her forehead and spread out the map.

Though she didn’t have a labyrinth compass, fortunately she could guess directions with the magic map.

“Labyrinth. Armor. Many. We. Can’t escape?”

Kara saw the guards moving in pairs of two and opened her large mouth wide.

“Even though the prison became a labyrinth, guards still ignore us if we’re in cells. And from now on, even if guards catch us, we won’t be automatically imprisoned.”

“We can fight?”

“Kara! Warrior! Fight!”

At the news that the stealth game was over, the Knight and Warrior showed enthusiasm.

“If we ambush them when passing in front of cells, we can immediately break their stance. We have more people now, so we have a chance of winning.”

“Kara. Tail. Strong!”

If escaping the labyrinth were that easy, Serena would have changed the prison structure long ago.

The Princess recalled the harrowing past of being killed by a mace and delivered bad news to the Knight and Lizardman Warrior.

“It’s not that easy, Count Ralph. The guards can infinitely summon other guards. We must end battles as quickly as possible before they call for backup.”

“Ah.”

It would be easier if they were monsters whose vital points could be targeted for killing or whose mouths could be covered. Moving Armor required targeting magic circles that weren’t visible from the outside.

Ralph’s troubled face brightened when he looked at Ying.

“It’s fine. Ying will pierce their weak points like before! Isn’t that right, Ying?”

Instead of smirking with just one corner of her mouth raised, the Archer looked around the prison that had brightened again after the structural change.

“Bright.”

“Since it’s brighter, Ying’s arrow accuracy will improve too!”

Serena mentally objected to Ralph, who was happy without knowing better.

‘Ralph, don’t you get it yet? Our archer’s accuracy improves when it’s dark.’

Ying seemed to be thinking about something, then shook her head.

“Impossible. Even if possible, time and strength are needed.”

Serena interpreted Ying’s words as meaning another black bandage would be added each time she sniped weak points.

‘Unless it’s really dangerous, it’s better for the High Priest not to use her power. But isn’t now a dangerous time?’

At least this side had Serena providing information, and several people safely in cells.

How Olive was coping alone was unknown.

Though she trusted the best Guide, the best Guide was a prison novice.

If they lost Olive, they’d have to restart the 12th Layer, so she wanted to meet him quickly if possible.

‘What should we do?’

Clank clank. A hand landed on the Princess’s shoulder as she glared at the guards moving in pairs.

The boldness to place a hand on the Princess’s shoulder without hesitation, a hand that felt cool due to slightly lower body temperature than others. It was Ying.

“Target the grain.”

“Ying. That’s not as easy as it sounds.”

“Haven’t you already tried it?”

She had felt her brain aging 10 years in real-time while trying.

As Serena was about to massage her temples again, Ralph stepped forward.

“Princess. You don’t need to target the magic circle location precisely! Since you said it’s okay to be caught by guards now, just tell us the general area and we’ll handle the rest!”

“Armor! Smash!”

Ralph showed his magic sword, and Kara showed her tail while encouraging Serena. The Gruff and Cranky Undead Crone also helped.

“I’ll keep my eyes wide open looking at the map. Three eyes are better than one.”

“If it’s burdensome, we can share the load. That’s what companions do.”

The area around Serena’s heart tingled.

The blood vessels connected to her heart felt ticklish like when overworking her brain to find weak points, but strangely she felt fine.

Serena tried to manage her expression with a princess smile but failed.

Not wanting to show her failed expression management, she turned to look at the corridor.

“Thank you.”

“We’re companions.”

Clank clank. To paralyze the guards moving together in pairs, the Archer pulled an electric attribute magic arrow from her quiver, then put it back.

‘What?’

As Serena wondered, the Archer took out paper from her chest.

It was the magic paper Serena had asked to be delivered to the Count, an instant scroll.

Before tearing the scroll containing electric arrow magic, Ying glanced at Serena.

“I heard the expiration date is short.”

“Right. After today passes, the magic power will drain and it can’t be used.”

“Mm.”

Ying’s elegant lips curved up slightly, then Ying tore the magic paper.

Serena narrowed her eyes and looked at the Archer.

‘This person, don’t tell me. She pulled out the magic arrow then put it back because she thought it was wasteful?’

Considering the instant scroll’s expiration date, it was a rational decision. But it lacked style.

‘Of course, that’s not what’s important right now!’

The magic paper was torn, and the electric arrow flew.

Serena opened her one eye wide and concentrated.

After gritting her teeth and scanning the two suits of armor paralyzed by the electric arrow.

“That one’s left leg! That one’s upper body, but I don’t know if it’s chest or back!”

The Princess shouted the areas where she guessed magic circles might be. It felt so difficult she could spit blood.

“Understood!”

“Leg! Kara!”

Ralph and Kara, who heard the Princess’s instructions, rushed toward the Moving Armor.

The armor freed from paralysis faced off against the knight and warrior.

The guard swung the iron ball at Ralph, its power enhanced by spinning it around.

Ralph deflected the iron ball with his shield and thrust his sword into the guard’s chest.

If it wasn’t certain whether the magic circle was on the chest or back, he could just stab both.

The knight’s magic sword penetrated the armor and pierced through to the back.

The light gleaming from the eye holes was still bright. So the knight pulled out his sword and stabbed again.

Serena thought Ralph had moved his arm once, but two holes appeared in the armor.

One of the newly stabbed spots must have contained a magic circle, as the light disappeared from the helmet and it lost its adhesive force, rolling down to the floor.

Kara’s combat without weapons was simple.

Kara struck the moving armor hard with her tail and bit down on its left leg with her snout.

Realizing that her teeth except for the fangs couldn’t pierce the armor, she gnawed with her fangs, crunching away.

The light from the helmet rolling on the floor grew brighter.

Crackle!

An electric arrow flew toward the evil monster trying to summon its companion.

Around the same time, Kara’s fangs pierced through the location where the magic circle was, and the light disappeared from the helmet.

“Phew.”

Serena, who had hastily torn magic paper to shoot the electric arrow, wiped the cold sweat flowing from her forehead.

She had thought she was burning through expensive magic paper, mana, and mental power like ash, but it was worth having prepared the scroll.

“We did it!”

Ralph opened his mouth wide, trying to share the joy of victory with his companions.

Clank.

The monsters wandering the prison-turned-labyrinth weren’t limited to just two.

Hearing the clanking footsteps approaching, the escapees panicked.

“What should we do? Should we return to the cell?”

‘If we do that, won’t we just exhaust our stamina without advancing a single step?’

Serena was the party’s leader. As the leader, she should guide the party, but the current Serena didn’t have the capacity to make proper judgments.

‘Being both a mage and guide is impossible!’

As Serena screamed internally and even imagined grabbing and shaking her head, an unexpected lifeline was thrown down.

“This way. Come here.”

Krom had picked the lock of another nearby cell and called the group over.

Everyone seemed to think a new cell was better than returning to Ying’s cell, so they all moved together.

“Could you pick cell doors from the outside too?”

Cell doors couldn’t be destroyed from the corridor side.

When asked if unlocking with lockpicking tools was possible, Krom replied indifferently.

“The hollow armor had a key, so I used that to open it.”

Krom spun a large metal key on his palm.

His movements were smooth, as if he had done this often in life.

“Undead. Smart.”

Kara, who had been searching the armor for weapons, expressed admiration. Serena couldn’t help but admire internally as well.

Ralph excitedly recited an escape plan for the labyrinth.

“We can use the key to open cell doors and advance little by little!”

‘Right, that’s exactly it. I thought of that too.’

The princess and knight were happy, having come up with a slow but safe escape plan.

However, a labyrinth with 12 layers couldn’t be that easy.

“That won’t work.”

“What? Why not?”

“The keys don’t match.”

Krom pointed to the pattern on the key, the pattern on the door of the cell where the group currently was, and the pattern on the cell door visible across from them.

The first two matched each other, but the cell door across had a different pattern shape.

“I could pick the door from outside, but the locking mechanism is state-of-the-art, so my outdated skills can’t handle it.”

Krom added that he had tried when he was in the West Wing.

The lizardman who had listened carefully to what the undead said nodded repeatedly.

“Armor. Has. Key. Fight. Armor. Catch. We. Have. Key.”

Kara looked at the princess with wide eyes.

“Magic. Princess. Fighting.”

‘This is princess abuse.’

Serena rubbed the back of her neck and prayed that all this effort and pain would be reflected in the coins.

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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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