After the sloth-discipline time ended,
We continued moving forward along the corridor.
At first it stretched out in a straight line, but soon it began twisting and turning, splitting into two or three different paths.
Now it’s starting to feel like a real labyrinth.
We’d already gotten used to the basic controls and how the game progressed, so the game was telling us to really start wandering around.
Not only that, but the monsters’ level suddenly jumped.
Goblins were still common, but now orcs, lizardmen, and gnolls were mixed in evenly.
After several battles like that, Dang Gyu-young finally took damage for the first time.
A stray arrow grazed her forearm.
[TanQyu HP 5/6 MP 3/4]
She was about to brush it off like nothing, but then her eyes lit up like a predator who’d spotted an opportunity.
And she shot a sly look in my direction.
“Kim Ho.”
“Yes, noona.”
“You see that I’m hurt, right?”
“I see it.”
“You should give me a ‘ho~’, shouldn’t you?”
But before I could even respond, Jegal So-so cast a healing spell.
Flaaaash!
[HolySho HP 4/4 MP 4/6]
[TanQyu HP 6/6 MP 3/4]
“Sho-sho!!”
“I’ve healed you~”
“That’s how you’re going to interfere?”
“You think you get to receive Ho’s ‘ho’ all by yourself? Such behavior cannot be tolerated.”
“No, then you get hurt too!”
“I can’t get hurt; I’m the healer!”
Unable to watch any longer, I stepped in to mediate.
“Noonas, you promised me, remember?”
“Mhmm, we did. No fighting.”
“Let’s save whatever grudges we have left for after we finish this.”
Of course, by then there wouldn’t be any lingering resentment left.
Those two bicker all the time, but they almost never hold grudges.
There was also the thought that we’d be having a nice lunch afterward.
With the situation settled, aside from Dang Gyu-young being just the tiniest bit sulky, we continued our run.
After walking a bit farther, we heard noises ahead.
The clash and scrape of metal against metal, screams, and shouts.
We exchanged glances without a word and quickened our pace.
When we arrived, as expected, a battle was raging.
A group of adventurers was surrounded by a horde of monsters, and even at a glance, their situation looked grim.
Several of them were seriously injured.
Among them, a large orc swung an axe at one man.
“Chiik! Hand it over, human!”
“I can’t…. never!”
The man who seemed to be the party leader barely managed to block the attack as he answered.
Sensing our presence, everyone turned to look at us.
The adventurers called out desperately.
“H-Help us!”
The big orc pointed his axe at me and growled.
“Chiik, don’t interfere. Leave. No get hurt.”
Then the choices appeared on the screen.
1. Defeat the monsters.
2. Defeat the adventurers.
3. Leave the area.
4. Attempt to mediate.
5. Annihilate! Wipe them all out!
“……!”
Seo Ye-in didn’t blurt out her opinion in one second like earlier, but the excitement in her eyes made it obvious what she wanted to say.
I shook my head.
“You basically have “an-ni-hi-late” written right across your face.”
“Wipe them out.”
Meanwhile, Dang Gyu-young and Jegal So-so seemed to be digging through their memories.
“What did we do here back then?”
“I think we picked annihilate.”
“……!”
Maybe because their answer supported her idea, Seo Ye-in’s eyes sparkled even more.
She tilted her staff slightly, as if she could cast a spell at any moment.
Unfortunately for her, this was one of the choices that did have a correct answer, and it had a pretty big impact on what came next.
Still, it’s right to at least exchange opinions first.
Our goal was the prize, sure, but since this was a mini-game we were playing together, the process mattered too.
If I just pushed ahead by myself, the fun would inevitably drop.
So I turned to Dang Gyu-young and asked,
“Why did you go with annihilate last time?”
“Felt like they’d cling to us afterward.”
“They do look like the type who’d demand we hand over our loot if we saved them.”
“Yeah. And if we got items too, it’d be a win.”
“How about now?”
Dang Gyu-young thought for a few seconds before answering.
“…Maybe we try saving them this time?”
“And the reason?”
“I’m curious what they’ll say. And if not, we can just kill them then.”
A calculation that either way, there was nothing to lose.
If anything, satisfying our curiosity would be a gain.
Seo Ye-in also looked intrigued after hearing that.
“Kill them later.”
“I’m telling you, killing them isn’t the premise.”
While I lightly scolded her, Jegal So-so who had been watching the conversation with interest asked,
“So what’s the right answer?”
“Just as you thought. We should save the adventurers.”
“Knew it.”
“I’ll go ahead.”
When I selected option 1, “Defeat the monsters”, CrossbowHo waved his arms and shouted.
“Over here!”
“Th-Thank you! Thank you so much!”
The adventurers fled toward us with faces bright with relief.
Seeing this, the large orc swung his axe through the air in anger.
“Chiiiik! Don’t let them go! Kill all the humans!”
The monsters surged forward. Half of them were tightening the encirclement, and the other half were charging at us.
But right on cue, Seo Ye-in’s spell activated.
[Blink HP 3/3 MP 5/7]
[Blink HP 3/3 MP 3/7]
Its MP cost was twice that of a fire spell.
Naturally, its power was just as overwhelming.
Jiiiiiiiing—!
A blue beam shot out from the tip of her staff and began disintegrating everything it touched.
Goblins vanished in the blink of an eye, and even sturdier orcs and lizardmen didn’t last long.
Weapons or shields did nothing. They were pierced almost instantly.
Seo Ye-in swept the beam left and right again and again.
“Jiiing.”
“She’s really enjoying this.”
“Jiiing.”
The encirclement quickly thinned, allowing the adventurers to join up with us.
The monsters who chased after them were taken down with arrows to the forehead or had their heads sliced off by Tankyu’s sword.
As the tide of battle flipped in an instant, the large orc gnashed his teeth and spat incomprehensible curses.
“Grrrk! I’ll come back for you next time!”
Then he fled with the remaining monsters.
We had only a brief moment to breathe a sigh of relief before the adventurers rushed to treat their wounded.
And then the choices appeared simultaneously.
1. Hear their detailed situation.
2. (Priest) Help with healing.
3. Hand over everything you’ve got!
4. Annihilate! Wipe them all out!
So I said to Jegal So-so,
“Please handle the healing.”
“No need to save mana?”
“You can spend everything except one.”
“Alright.”
Perhaps thinking there must be some reason, Jegal So-so obediently cast healing spells one after another, and before long the wounded regained their strength.
[HolySho HP 4/4 MP 1/6]
Only after taking a moment to breathe did the man who seemed to be the leader speak.
“Thank you so much. I don’t know how we can ever repay you…”
“We only did what we should. But what exactly are you carrying that the monsters are so desperate to take?”
“That is…”
The man trailed off, exchanging glances with his party members.
Then he looked straight at CrossbowHo and continued.
“This may be shameless, but could you help us just a little more? We’ll tell you about the item as well.”
1. Accept.
2. Refuse.
3. Shut up and hand it over! Take it by force.
4. Annihilate!
Dang Gyu-young crossed her arms, looking annoyed.
“Good grief, these guys are really testing my patience. I knew from their faces they’d try to cling to us.”
“Let’s hold on just a bit longer. We’re already invested.”
“Well, yeah. Sho-Sho used mana too.”
If we killed them or took it by force now, all the mana we spent healing them would’ve been wasted.
So when I selected option 1, CrossbowHo nodded.
“Very well. Let’s hear it.”
“The truth is, we didn’t come here for treasure. We came to this labyrinth for research.”
“Research, you say?”
At that, the man pulled out an old book, flipped through it, and opened to a page with an illustration.
It depicted a golem, made of stone and mechanical parts intricately intertwined.
“This place may now be overrun by monsters, but long ago, it was a workshop used by a great mage. From what we’ve learned, several golems are still hidden inside.”
“You’re trying to find those golems.”
“We’ve already figured out their location. The problem is that getting there isn’t easy.”
Then the man unfolded a large piece of parchment.
[You have obtained ‘Crude Map’.]
It looked like a compilation of information gathered from various places, with several unclear areas scattered throughout.
Still, it was certainly better than wandering aimlessly.
The man pointed to several spots on the map as he explained.
“We’re currently here, and the golem is said to be hidden over here.”
“So all we need to do is escort you to that point?”
“…It’s a bit more complicated than that.”
His expression turned awkward.
Then he pulled out a mechanical sphere, about the size of a soccer ball.
[You have obtained ‘Golem Core (Depleted)’.]
“This is an essential item required to activate the golem.”
“It looks like it needs to be recharged.”
“Yes. It must be taken to… here, this altar, which is a bit of a distance away.”
“That’s quite far.”
“Yes, and the very thing those creatures are trying to steal is this core.”
It wasn’t just anything. It was a golem created by a great mage.
If they could secure it, their control over the labyrinth would be even stronger.
That’s why the monsters or more precisely, the boss monster currently ruling the labyrinth was desperately trying to seize the core.
CrossbowHo spoke.
“The road there must be treacherous.”
“Yes. At first, we thought we could manage it ourselves, but after clashing with them, we realized the reality. Still, it felt like such a waste to give up now… So we decided to ask for your help.”
“Alright. Let’s give it a try.”
“Th-Thank you so much!”
The man bowed repeatedly, his face filled with gratitude.
After thinking for a moment, CrossbowHo made a suggestion.
“Rather than accompanying us to the altar, it might be better for you to wait where the golem is stored.”
“Hmm… that does make sense. With our level of skill, we’d only get in the way.”
Besides, they’d also need time to perform their own maintenance on the golem.
CrossbowHo’s party had the strength, while the others had the technical skills. So each took on the role they were best suited for.
And so, the group began moving toward their first destination: the location where the golem was stored.
Dang Gyu-young and Jegal So-so each made a comment, sounding intrigued.
“I didn’t realize there was this kind of storyline.”
“We just beat the boss and called it a day.”
“Then doesn’t that mean the golem isn’t really necessary?”
The two of them looked at me with curiosity in their eyes.
Now that we had the map, couldn’t we just rush straight to the boss room and take it down?
I smiled slightly and answered.
“It’s not strictly necessary, but having it makes things a whole lot easier.”
“That does make sense.”
It might seem like we were taking a roundabout path, but in truth, it was more of a shortcut.
Meanwhile, Seo Ye-in seemed curious about something else.
“Can you control it?”
“It’s more than just control.”
“……?”
“You can pilot it.”
“Pilot…!”
Her gray eyes sparkled with excitement.
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