TM-Chapter 33

The Wizard’s Super Save

“Our brother monk may not have hair, but he sure has good connections with people.”

Backstab gathered his equipment and extended his hand to Aimus.

“Where did you find such an awesome wizard? But what happened to Kaelin and Hersel?”

Those two were originally the druid and wizard from Aimus’s party.

“They died.”

“What······.”

Backstab looked a bit surprised, but quickly accepted it.

“I see······.”

Death in the labyrinth is not an unusual occurrence.

“So I couldn’t save them in the end. I remember rushing into the labyrinth.”

“No. You saved me.”

“Really?”

“And I abandoned you and ran away.”

“······.”

“Backstab. You had become an exit boss.”

“Me? I became an exit boss?”

“Yes. The Labyrinth Master’s seal is still imprinted on your forehead.”

Even after dying, becoming undead, falling into eternal rest, and being resurrected, that seal still hasn’t been erased.

Backstab rubbed his forehead.

“You’re the first and only case of someone becoming an exit boss and returning alive. Among possessed adventurers, that is.”

“······That can’t be.”

“And it was Caleb who killed you when you appeared as an exit boss.”

“······!”

“And he turned you into undead, found this place, and resurrected you.”

“Wait, hold on. It seems like there’s a lot I need to hear, but don’t do it here!”

Backstab shouted.

“Let’s get out of here first! Didn’t you say the cloud only lasts 10 seconds?”

“Right! That’s why I’m talking now because there’s no time! Backstab! Listen carefully!”

Aimus gripped his shoulders tightly.

“Join Caleb’s party!”

Perhaps Backstab’s adventurer career might be over now.

Because he has the Labyrinth Master’s seal imprinted on his forehead.

Because he has a history of being an exit boss.

When exploring the labyrinth together, who knows what strange phenomena that seal on his forehead might cause?

No adventurer would want to take such a risk. Especially the deeper the floor.

“But Caleb might be able to handle you.”

The evidence was that the wizard readily accepted this difficult project and actually demonstrated amazing knowledge and leadership to make it successful.

“So you join Caleb’s party!”

“······.”

“If you understand, let’s go now. Use Shadow Leap.”

“This old man is acting strangely today, maybe it’s because he’s getting old······.”

Backstab gripped the monk’s wrist tightly.

A skilled rogue’s teleportation never fails.

‘Shadow Leap!’

Kwagwang!

The sanctuary’s back door was completely destroyed. The furious Manager of Rest raised his wand.

Piiiiit!

The Sentinels swept away by the lightning torrent began to rise again.

Now the storm clouds were gradually subsiding. The earthen wall was also collapsing as its time ran out.

Even if the Manager and monsters chased them, it was already too late.

“Aimus and Backstab have returned too!”

Caleb’s party was already in front of the gate.

“Run away!”

***

About 1 kilometer south of the Adventurer’s Guild in the labyrinth city of Soren.

Past the bank, down the alley next to the restaurant district, houses stand closely lined up.

One of them.

In front of the old house, Mrs. Lenik greeted her guest.

With her newborn youngest strapped to her back.

“A fraud, you say?”

The pendant, that is.

Through a relative of the mill-operating man, Mrs. Lenik bought a protective pendant from a skilled shaman introduced through the black market.

A pendant that would activate 3rd-grade protection magic when receiving dangerous attacks. An artifact that also blocked curses and was favored by 3rd or 4th floor adventurers.

For Mrs. Lenik, who lived a hectic daily life raising three children, 450 gold was not a small amount, but she had made up her mind and bought it.

Since her husband, whose prime was long past, was entering the labyrinth again.

Hoping it might help somehow.

Foolishly not knowing it was a scammer.

“The Soren Sentinels have already arrested him and confiscated his assets. This is the gold coin that Mrs. Lenik was defrauded of. 450 gold. Is that correct?”

The Sentinel held out a pouch of gold coins.

“Here. We’re returning it to you. Where is the pendant?”

“I gave it to my husband.”

“Where is your husband?”

“He entered the labyrinth.”

“When he returns, he needs to return the pendant, so please tell him to visit the Sentinel headquarters.”

“Yes, thank you.”

After sending the Sentinel away.

Mrs. Lenik returned to her room with the bag of gold coins.

“Mom, mom.”

The youngest is still a newborn, and the second child calls for mom a hundred times a day these days.

“Yes.”

Mrs. Lenik hugged her second child and forced a smile.

Because children get anxious when their mother shows an anxious expression.

The eldest has an expression that notices the smile is fake.

Still, Mrs. Lenik smiled.

Because she needed to smile to soothe her own anxiety too.

***

“We’re alive!”

Labyrinth 1st floor.

In front of the secret stairs leading down to the 1.5 floor.

Eight adventurers had gathered and were cheering.

“We did it!”

Yernil jumped around excitedly.

The gate to the inter-floor space from which all adventurers had escaped began to rapidly disappear. Similar to exit room gates.

Green, yellow, red, then gone. Unless other adventurers enter.

“I can’t believe we actually escaped from that hell alive.”

Halfling crossbow user Remus honestly thought it was the end when they were trapped in the sanctuary.

“We even brought Austin back to life!”

Barbarian Greg was happiest about getting back his long-time party member.

“Caleb! I’ll repay this debt somehow!”

The Halfling who initially couldn’t give command to a 1st floor rookie party wizard had now completely changed his mind 180 degrees.

“Join our party! Wizard!”

The barbarian grabbed Caleb’s shoulders and shook him violently.

“No way!”

Yernil jumped up.

“Well, I only saw the end.”

Dwarf wizard Austin stroked his beard.

“But just seeing the end tells me everything. You must have commanded that impossible battle in that sanctuary?”

“This person also saved you, you idiot! It was this wizard who sent the Elf archer!”

The Halfling shouted.

“······.”

Actually, there was a slight correction needed to that statement, because the resurrection scroll was something Bernard had brought.

The Nataniel’s paladin felt somewhat overwhelmed by everything he had experienced since encountering Caleb in the sanctuary.

‘How is this even possible?’

Comparing individual party members’ capabilities, Bernard’s party and Caleb’s party probably wouldn’t have much difference.

But what about their performance?

It was Caleb who strategized, collapsed the roof to subdue enemies, and called forth torrential rain and lightning to sweep them away.

It was monk Aimus who bought time while handling the front line.

Even bringing back a fallen comrade from Bernard’s team was done by archer Yernil.

You could say that party did everything.

The mission from the church was ‘Confirm if there really is a place in the labyrinth where souls are preserved and find evidence of it.’

And that was regardless of Backstab.

It was a very difficult mission, but it was completed. Living evidence appeared – Austin.

But could you say Bernard was the one who succeeded in this mission?

What did he do in this adventure?

“······.”

Bernard became depressed with self-loathing. He suddenly remembered when he applied to Caleb’s party for an interview.

At that time, Caleb chose the monk, not Bernard.

A monk who couldn’t even use a single skill, who was just brutally strong, who was perpetually at the bottom of the Adventurer Guild.

Maybe Nataniel not putting Bernard in that party didn’t mean he shouldn’t get involved in Backstab’s resurrection.

‘It’s because I’m lacking.’

Bernard deeply realized this fact.

Caleb’s party is solid. The monk was actually a better front-liner than Bernard······.

“Aimus!”

Bernard’s eyes doubled in size as he discovered something.

Aimus’s breathing became rapidly unstable.

His complexion was pale like a Border Sentinel.

“Huk······. Huk······.”

Aimus was gasping for breath while gripping his ankle.

The ankle that had been grabbed by the Manager of Rest.

“What······.”

Caleb approached him.

“What is it? What is this!”

He rolled up Aimus’s ankle.

There was a mark that Bernard also recognized.

Decay Ray.

3rd-grade necromancy.

A curse that causes the target’s heart to decay and leads to death after a certain time passes.

***

When was it?

I didn’t make a mistake. I always kept that Manager’s most lethal magic in mind.

If he had shot it, there’s no way I wouldn’t have seen it.

When did I miss it?

There was only one time I looked away.

When I turned around toward Backstab, shouting for him to take out a dagger from my bag.

Damn.

Now I see the necromancy hit the right ankle that the bastard Manager was holding.

Right. Now I understand.

When Backstab came charging with the dagger, the Manager also cast magic. To intercept Backstab.

But the hand holding the wand was simultaneously gripping Aimus’s ankle.

So the magic hit Aimus’s ankle.

But still.

This crazy old man.

“Why didn’t you say anything until now……”

No wonder he was setting up death flags like crazy!

“What could we do even if I said something.”

Aimus gasped for breath.

Tumor erosion and decay were rapidly progressing from his ankle. Blackly contaminated blood vessels appeared above the skin.

Puck!

And they began to burst.

Blood flowed from all over his body.

At this rate, his remaining lifespan is measured in ‘seconds’.

“Aimus……”

The atmosphere of both parties instantly became as somber as a funeral home.

Yernil was already sniffling.

“Stop joking……”

Backstab grabbed Aimus by the collar.

“Don’t be ridiculous! You were jumping around so well on the rooftop earlier! What is this!”

“Back then……”

Aimus smiled with difficulty.

“It was worth jumping. Fortunately.”

“…….”

“Aimus……”

“You paladin! Do something about this!”

The Halfling shook Bernard violently.

“You’re a paladin! You can use healing magic too!”

“I……”

Bernard hung his head in helplessness.

“I can’t cure this kind of curse.”

“……..”

“Backstab.”

Aimus called Backstab while steadying his rough breathing.

“Remember what I told you earlier.”

“No, brother……”

“And Caleb.”

He said.

“Thank you so much. You were the greatest wizard I’ve ever seen.”

“……..”

“Ha. This pendant.”

Aimus burst into laughter while holding up the pendant.

“I thought it was fake…… So naive that I got scammed.”

“…….”

“I……”

Aimus covered his face with the hand holding the pendant.

“I should be by their side……”

Tears flowed down the pendant’s string. Blood was mixed in because the blood vessels around his eyes had also burst.

“This pendant….. Please return it. Caleb. Please tell them I’m sorry……”

Aimus spat this out as his last words.

And one difference from the game.

“The heartbeat……”

Sound Mapping is sometimes a curse rather than a talent.

“The heartbeat is getting weaker.”

Because I can hear things I don’t want to hear too clearly.

Yernil clings to my forearm and cries.

“Aimus.”

Bernard approached him.

A low-tier paladin who couldn’t cure curses. A paladin who couldn’t block enemies on the front line. A paladin who couldn’t even resist bad smells. A paladin who let party members fall behind and left them to die. The utterly incompetent Bernard could only do this one thing.

“I….Will pray.”

He placed his hand on Aimus’s forehead.

“I’m sorry for speaking badly during that interview.”

Bernard finally burst into tears.

“You’re the greatest monk. Someone like me doesn’t even compare…..I’m sorry. Aimus……”

***

Think. Think. Think.

Let’s think. He’s not dead yet.

When does a character hit by Decay Ray die?

After a random Nth turns, decay erosion begins and within 1 turn after that, the heart necroses and arteries burst, causing death.

How long is left until reaching that point? 10 seconds?

What do we have?

Useless healing potions and a few regeneration potions. Special arrows, food and various consumables.

What came from looting raider Sally’s team?

Combat golem’s core, beastman’s equipment, dagger, grenades, and.

What came from looting Sally?

One scroll and one elixir came from Sally.

Wait.

Those are…..?

“Backstab!”

I quickly tore open my bag and pulled out the elixir.

“Drink this!”

“What, what is it?”

“No time! Quickly drink it!”

I shouted because I was too urgent.

Backstab was startled but still took out the potion and gulped it down.

“Yernil! Backstab! Follow me!”

I pulled Aimus, who had half his body in the Jordan River.

Toward the 1.5 floor gate that had now turned red.

“Caleb! Are you insane!”

Leaving behind Bernard’s shocked voice, I jumped back into the gate.

***

That was close.

The moment Aimus died, that is.

If he had died outside, it would have just been the end, but inside the 1.5 floor is different.

Beyond the destroyed sanctuary’s main entrance, amidst the chaos.

Whoom!

A green light came on in one of the still-intact urns.