Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 85

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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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85. Conquering the 4th Layer of Heuji’s Labyrinth (1)

A strong force choked Serena’s neck. Serena hadn’t expected it at all.

“Gah, gasp.”

“What are you doing, Zero!”

“Kyaa, Lady Serena!”

The others hadn’t expected it either.

The archer who always stood like a totem in the corner or back of the party suddenly attacking the princess?

“Y-young master shouldn’t see such terrible things!”

“Wait, Sister Lavenda! Let me go, I can’t see anything!”

“Release the princess immediately!”

Even as the people around were shocked, threatened, and commanded, Ying didn’t loosen her grip on the princess’s neck.

“Gah!”

Serena clawed mercilessly at the hand choking her neck.

Her nails didn’t pierce the archer’s pale skin but only scratched over the bandages.

‘What? What is this?’

She couldn’t understand at all why Ying was suddenly acting like this.

Since she already had bad memories associated with being choked, she had to focus her mind to avoid falling into panic.

Even when Serena put strength into both hands, she couldn’t remove a single finger of Ying’s grip on her neck.

Not only that, but Serena’s feet gradually lifted off the ground.

Ying had lifted the princess with one hand. Serena’s feet flailed in the air.

“How did you obtain that power?”

As if demanding an answer, the grip choking her neck loosened slightly.

Inside Ying’s black eyes, something like black snakes or black flames writhed.

“What… are you talking about…!”

“The blessing dwelling in your eyes. How did you obtain it?”

‘Eyes? Blessing? Is she talking about the gacha and shop?’

“The Labyrinth… God gave it… You know too. You’ve been… watching…”

“Not the left eye, but the blessing dwelling in your right eye.”

‘Right eye? What about my right eye… Ah!’

Serena couldn’t immediately understand Ying’s words, then barely recalled an incident from a previous cycle.

‘Is she talking about the blessing that lets me see well in darkness? That remained even after death?’

It was even an event that occurred in the future from the regressed timeline’s perspective, though it was the past for Serena.

“Zero, I counted to ten, you know? I won’t go easy on you anymore?”

“Quickly eliminate that assassin and save Lady Serena! Quickly!”

The party members tried to attack Ying to save Serena. Serena hurriedly waved her hands to stop the attack.

“Lady Serena!”

Philia’s resentful voice could be heard.

‘It’ll be hard to appease her sulking.’

Leaving future matters to the future Serena, the current Serena focused on what she had to do right now.

“The blessing of darkness… you mean?”

“Yes. How did you obtain it?”

“How did I obtain it… You gave it to me.”

Serena told the truth. Ying wouldn’t remember the previous cycle so she wouldn’t believe it, but there was nothing else to say.

“I see. Sorry for the misunderstanding.”

Far from doubting Serena’s words, Ying believed them completely and lowered the princess to the ground.

At the same time, the grip choking her neck was also released.

“Cough!”

Serena shuddered at the lingering sensation on her neck and scratched around her throat.

Ying reached out her hand toward Serena’s neck again. This time it was her right hand without bandages.

Ying’s unbandaged right hand lightly touched Serena’s neck then withdrew.

Serena, who had been irritably scratching her neck, felt the unpleasant feeling that had remained on her neck disappear.

The feeling that brought back bad memories and the pain remaining on her neck. Both vanished.

‘It doesn’t hurt. What?’

Serena felt around her neck instead of scratching it. Ying calmly announced the end of the incident to the party.

“There was a brief misunderstanding.”

“A brief misunderstanding, my foot!”

“Bind that assassin immediately! I will personally interrogate her to reveal the mastermind!”

Philia, who had made the threat, ran to Serena while scattering tears and embraced her.

She examined Serena’s body while tears streamed down her face.

“My goodness, Lady Serena. Are you alright? How dare she do such a thing to this delicate neck! Fortunately there isn’t a single scratch!”

“She seems fine now but there might be bruises later, my lady! Please apply this potion quickly!”

While the Count and Countess examined the princess, Ralph and Olive approached Ying with rope as the Countess had ordered.

“Zero, I don’t know why you suddenly did that, but stay still and let yourself be tied up!”

“How could you do such a terrible thing to the princess! Un-unforgivable!”

Ying didn’t resist or run away but was tied up obediently.

Olive kicked Ying’s knees from behind, making her kneel.

“We all saw you suddenly choking the princess~ But I’ll ask out of courtesy anyway. Anything to say?”

“There was a brief misunderstanding.”

“Do you choke people whenever there’s a misunderstanding! I wondered why parties kept breaking up, but there was a reason! Death penalty!”

Olive kicked Ying again then bent down to bring their faces close.

“Instead of that, just tell me. How much did they promise to pay you to kill the princess? If it’s enough to tempt Zero’s Ying, the amount must be enormous-.”

“Impudent!”

“Hey, Countess. I’m not really curious, it’s an interrogation technique. You know good guard, bad guard, right?”

‘If you’re going to do that, you shouldn’t hit her. Why try to play both good guard and bad guard alone.’

Serena pressed her forehead and stepped forward in front of the people.

“Now, I’m fine so don’t worry. As Ying said, there was a brief misunderstanding.”

Fierce protests poured in.

“Your Highness. Surely you’re not going to let this person’s crime go unpunished? I acknowledge that Zero’s Ying is a skilled labyrinth explorer, but covering up attempted murder in such an isolated situation is a very dangerous decision that threatens the very existence of a small community, you fool.”

Grey spoke as arrogantly as if he were the Grand Mage himself rather than the Grand Mage’s grandson.

“That’s what grandfather would have said.”

Perhaps sensing Serena’s teasing mood, Grey suddenly smiled cutely and stepped back.

‘I’m starting to figure out this kid’s identity too.’

The princess decided to pretend not to know until he revealed it himself.

“Sigh.”

Serena didn’t hold back her sigh and let it out fully, then massaged her temples.

“Ying. Explain in detail what misunderstanding you harbored.”

“I cannot say.”

“Look at that insolent attitude when Lady Serena showed mercy! There’s nothing more to hear. Torture her to find out the mastermind then kill her!”

Heuji Jeolmi called for execution.

Death! Death! Death!

The others joined in unison to pass judgment.

How dare she try to harm the princess who receives the Labyrinth God’s favor in the labyrinth! Death!

Trying to calm an excited crowd without proper grounds would only result in being torn apart by the crowd.

The easiest way to handle the situation would be to use god as an excuse, but Ying had refused.

For the party’s friendship and smooth future conquest, Serena asked Ying with her eyes.

‘Possible?’

Even while tied with rope, kneeling, and surrounded by an angry crowd, Ying answered with indifferent black eyes.

‘Possible.’

When Serena nodded, the archer broke the rope, stood up, and choked the princess’s white, slender neck with her bandaged hand.

Her neck bone was broken, so even in the dream her neck felt stiff.

As soon as the god with crimson eyes approached, Serena asked.

“Are there heretics in the Cult of Darkness?”

“Things seem to be tangled up in a complicated way.”

To think there were heretics even in a world where gods existed and wielded power.

Serena opened her eyes in wonder.

She grabbed the bandaged hand reaching for her neck and looked directly at Ying. In the archer’s black eyes, a snake-like flame coiled menacingly.

“You gave it to me.”

Anyone else would have demanded an explanation, but this was enough for Ying.

Ying withdrew her bandaged left hand and nodded.

‘I’ll have to ask for details later.’

Serena turned her head this way and that.

In such a short time, her neck had been pierced by a dagger, strangled, and her neck bone broken, leaving phantom pain that lingered long.

“Your neck seems uncomfortable. Wait a moment.”

“Shall I massage your neck and shoulders?”

When the Princess complained of discomfort, the Mysterious Stranger appeared like a ghost.

Seeing the living Lavenda reminded her of the dead Lavenda, making her heart feel both heavy and glad at the same time.

“Please do.”

The Mysterious Stranger applied oil to hands roughened from doing odd jobs and placed them on Serena’s shoulders.

“The center of your neck is very stiff. It’s from stress…”

“It can’t be helped.”

Just a few passes of the Mysterious Stranger’s hands made her neck and shoulders feel much lighter. Even her headache seemed to improve.

Serena picked a lemon from the fruit tree and squeezed the juice into ice water to make lemonade.

“You always work so hard.”

When she offered it to the Mysterious Stranger who was struggling in this foreign land, Lavenda awkwardly bent her knees in gratitude as she received the cup.

“Princess, I’m really fine… Thank you.”

“What about me, Lady Serena?”

Countess Randy’s eyes lit up as she squeezed between the Princess and the Mysterious Stranger. Serena took this opportunity to warn her.

“This exploration might take a long time, though I’m not certain. But you must not do anything dangerous or try to tackle the Labyrinth yourself.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Hiiing.”

“Grey, the same goes for you.”

“But I was just staying still?”

“Don’t fill your aunt’s head with nonsense about going together if she passes some test. Just wait in the Lobby.”

“I never said that!”

Serena ignored the two protesting people and touched the Minotaur God’s statue to update her regression point.

The Guide followed alongside the Princess as she led the way to the teleportation circle.

“Will this layer take a long time to clear? Did the Minotaur God tell you in advance? Or are you just saying that because the real Labyrinth starts from the 11th Floor?”

“Is it starting now?”

“Yeah. Grade 5 and higher Labyrinths show their true colors from the 10th Floor~”

It was a conversation she had heard before. Serena honestly admitted it.

“Yes. The god told me in advance that it’s a special layer.”

“Wow. Then maybe the stairs too…”

“I’m not certain, but I can sense something. Follow my intuition for this exploration. You can refuse if you don’t like it.”

“Of course I’m fine with it!”

Kiyaathou!

Olive excitedly rode the zipline. After Serena’s party left, Richard complained about companions just like before, but Serena didn’t know this.

This time, Serena decided to take the Path of Light from the start. To reach the treasure chest containing the magic lantern, it was closer to go down toward the Path of Light from the 3rd Layer.

“Go, Sir Knight! Body slam!”

Ralph pushed the wall with his shoulder, creating a shortcut to the zipline and stairs. As they went down the stairs, it gradually became brighter, just like the stairs in the other direction had.

Eventually they reached the 4th Layer, which was blindingly bright. The party all squinted as they surveyed the 4th Layer.

“The Priests said it would be dark? But it’s bright here.”

“That’s right.”

Though it was different from what they had heard, the Party didn’t suspect much.

Since they had chosen different stairs, it was natural that the results would be different.

Cluck cluck.

“It’s a Labyrinth Chicken! Prepare for battle!”

“You said Undead would appear, but this isn’t Undead!”

“It’s good if no Undead appear! But since we used silver coins, hit it gently so the plating doesn’t come off!”

“How do we catch it if we hit it gently?”

“Skillfully!”

Since the first monster to appear was just one Labyrinth Chicken, Olive left the battle entirely to Ralph.

After the battle ended, Count Randy smiled contentedly.

“My wife will be pleased.”

“Yes.”

The person who used to melt monsters to death with a soul-lost expression after his wife died was no longer there.

Serena smiled bitterly.

***

They collected the magic lantern from a fairly good treasure chest and moved toward the stairs while fighting Labyrinth Chickens.

At the crossroads, she explained her theory that choosing the path of darkness would connect to the stairs her Sibling and the Priests had chosen, and also showed that Labyrinth Chickens and Undead didn’t leave their respective territories.

Serena and her party arrived at the stairs leading to the 12th Floor very smoothly and quickly.

This time too, Ralph defeated the Floor Boss alone. The shop coins that had disappeared through regression increased by one. Since there was nothing she desperately wanted, the treasure chest contained an antidote just like before.

‘Let’s proceed like this on the next floor too.’

As Serena took one step down toward the light side of the stairs divided between light and darkness, the Guide walking ahead said lightly.

“Wow, having the Princess here really makes it easier compared to the difficulty level.”

The Guide who knew everything had committed a taboo.

Startled, Serena missed her step and tumbled down the stairs.

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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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