Chapter 10

Turn-Based Yernil

Kurururung-.

The cleared exit room begins to collapse. Egg shells and wooden rafters, mud and stones, sand and such were pouring down from the ceiling.

The structure of the 1st floor of the labyrinth is changing. And the exit room will be newly generated somewhere else.

The cleared exit room closes after about 5 minutes. The walls gradually approach and narrow the space, then teop! and swallow everything up.

If you’re inside, you die.

So if you’re a human capable of sound thinking, you should normally run away, but there was still one human and one Elf remaining in the Venomic Spider exit room.

Me and Yernil.

“Caleb, but I’m not really doing this because I hate working. I’m prepared to do anything Caleb tells me to do, you know? If it’s dangerous, you can use my life. But.”

After laying out plenty of insurance, Yernil asked.

“Wouldn’t it be faster if we do it together……?”

The Venomic Spider’s venomous fangs are embedded one each on the left and right of the upper jaw, and Yernil was extracting the right one, while I was watching her.

“Yernil.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t chatter and focus on extracting the venomous fang.”

“……Yes!”

Yernil quickly returned to work. cutting through the gum tissue at the root of the venomous fang with a Goblin dagger.

Yernil.

Sorry, but there’s a reason I can’t help you extract the left venomous fang.

The success rate of this type of item extraction depends on the Dexterity status.

So what level is a wizard with 0 Dexterity points at extracting venomous fangs?

From what I’ve experienced in the game, it’s similar to my nephew.

A destroyer who breaks everything he touches-. Just like that child who smashes wallpaper and toys and his mother’s Yves Saint Laurent lipstick and even the LCD of a newly bought 2 million won TV, I would probably burst the venom sac while trying to extract the fang.

In the game, the success rate was around 10%.

With Yernil’s 2 Dexterity points as the standard, the success rate is 90%.

“But will I be able to do it in time?”

Eoheo.

Yernil talking back?

Do you want to test the hourglass?

“You’ll be able to do it. Don’t worry.”

I comforted her while thinking of that ridiculous line.

Even in the game, extracting a venomous fang only consumes 1 action point on a turn basis.

So focus, Yernil. 60 seconds per venomous fang should be enough.

“I got it!”

See?

“I got it!”

Yernil held up one venomous fang and smiled brightly.

With bodily fluids all over her face.

“Give it here, and please extract the one next to it too.”

“Yes!”

While receiving the venomous fang from Yernil and putting it away, I reviewed the hourglass message window in front of me once more.

It’s like an American dad who tells his kid to pull weeds in the yard and then reads the newspaper.

[Trust with Yernil has reached 100%!]

[You can now give commands to Yernil during your turn.]

[When you end your turn, Yernil will carry out the instructions with her own will.]

[High-difficulty actions or commands that violate Yernil’s disposition may not be carried out by Yernil.]

‘High-difficulty actions or commands that violate Yernil’s disposition may not be carried out by Yernil?’

Indeed, it’s fitting for the backstabbing hourglass that kidnapped a gamer without consent.

To inform me of such important information only after I’ve made my decision.

But I can roughly predict what it means.

For example, Yernil! Since the spider’s venom sac is bursting, push Virtanen from behind so he can’t escape from there! So that Virtanen melts in the poison!

……A command like that would absolutely never be carried out given Yernil’s personality.

And Yernil! Fire 10 consecutive arrows while doing a triple axel!

……A command like that would fail because Yernil’s athletic ability couldn’t handle it.

I’ll have to slowly test how far Yernil can carry out commands in the future.

“I got them all!”

Yernil held up two venomous fangs and smiled brightly.

With bodily fluids all over her face.

“Let’s go. We’ll make the arrows outside.”

***

Yernil has 11 Agility points, so why didn’t her attack power come out that well?

Her arrow stuck in the Venomic Spider’s side was almost at the level of a toothpick, but why was that?

The reason is because the equipment is lousy.

Archers especially depend heavily on equipment, and the Goblin bow was too lousy.

On the other hand, since a wizard’s magic power is influenced more by Wisdom value than weapon attack power, the 4-shot Fireball dealt decent burst damage.

Archers have something similar.

‘Special arrows.’

A method to extract tremendous power even when shooting with a trash bow. Because the arrow itself is powerful.

Exit bosses of any kind are not easy to subdue with the damage output of a normal 2-person slave party. We needed Yernil’s power-up from the beginning, and I had established this strategy from the moment I knew there was a Venomic Spider in this exit room.

“You can combine the venomous fangs with Goblin arrows to make poison arrows.”

I handed both venomous fangs to Yernil.

“Similarly, please do it again this time, Yernil.”

In the game, you can open the combination window to make poison arrows, and even there, the success rate is proportional to the Dexterity status.

So again this time, the crafter is you, Yernil.

“Hmm.”

In the game, you open the combination window, put in two items, and click the combination button. But I don’t really know how it works here……

“Like this?”

Yernil clicked and made a poison arrow.

“What? How did you do it?”

“I just carefully inserted it into the inside of the venomous fang with the soft tissue.”

“……”

Easier said than done.

The squishy soft tissue is attached to the venom sac, so if you poke hard with a blunt end like a Goblin arrowhead, the venom sac might burst too, and if you do it gently, it won’t go in.

“Yap.”

Yernil also cleanly crafted the second poison arrow.

She does it quickly as if inserting Lego blocks.

Anyway, it worked out well.

If it were a game, a description window like this would have appeared.

[Poison Arrow]

▶Poison Damage: 60~68

▶Physical Damage: 7~9

▶Creates poison gas in the target area.

[Poison Gas]

▶Causes ‘poisoned’ status ailment to creatures that inhale the gas.

The 7~9 physical damage is based on Goblin arrows, and that poison damage has that insane power because it comes from a Venomic Spider.

Plus it releases poison gas for area poison damage!

Because that poison’s DOT damage is tremendous, even the next exit boss would have no choice but to whine and return to the labyrinth master after being hit by two arrows.

“Keep them safe. Don’t shoot until I give instructions.”

“Yes.”

“We need to save them. Let’s go now.”

We need to find a new exit room too.

***

On the way, I test the hourglass’s expansion function.

Let me experiment with simple things first.

[It’s your turn. Time remaining: 60 seconds]

[Action Points: ■■■■]

“Yernil. Take out the water bottle from your bag and give it to me.”

I gave the command, but my action points weren’t consumed.

Instructions I can give to Yernil seem to be treated like a kind of bonus action points.

It makes sense since I’m not acting directly, right?

This is really awesome.

“Caleb.”

When I ended my turn, Yernil suddenly held out a water bottle to me.

“Why the water all of a sudden?”

I ask, feigning innocence. I commanded it, but I checked to see how Yernil perceived it.

“I thought you might be thirsty. Isn’t it a bit hot here?”

That’s what she thinks.

Next, I tested how it works during combat.

While progressing through the passage, I found two Goblins, deliberately blew up only the one in front with Fireball, and had Yernil handle the remaining one.

“Yernil, shoot the Goblin behind, in the leg.”

Then Yernil shot the leg and brought down the Goblin.

“Kiaaaaak!”

While finishing off the Goblin that was screaming and writhing on the floor, I checked with Yernil again.

“Why didn’t you shoot the head and shot the leg instead?”

“Eh…… That…… Just? Because the leg was easier to hit.”

That’s what she thinks.

It’s just as the hourglass guidance stated.

When I give commands to Yernil during my turn, Yernil carries them out with her own will.

It’s definitely convenient. With this, I can entrust Yernil to handle it when troublesome problems arise that are difficult for me to deal with.

However, if I request actions that are too difficult or things Yernil doesn’t know, Yernil cannot carry them out.

For example, like this.

“Yernil. Do the slick back.”

“……”

I gave the instruction and ended my turn, but Yernil just stood there with a somewhat uncomfortable expression.

Then……

“Yernil. Do any dance.”

Turn end.

Let’s see what happens……?

Hmm.

Yernil, who had been following behind, suddenly started stepping deulssok deulssok. Something like shuffle dancing.

Then when our eyes met, she quickly stopped.

“……”

“……”

Her face turned slightly red.

So this is how it works.

Good, I understand.

Next, I try ordering something that would be difficult for her to carry out due to her disposition.

“Yernil, try kissing me.”

I suddenly feel like I’m operating some hypnosis app from an adult webtoon.

I feel a bit guilty?

Anyway, turn end.

“……”

Yernil couldn’t carry out the command this time either.

Given her timid and introverted personality, suddenly giving a surprise kiss to a party member would be impossible.

But it’s different from the slick back situation.

Because Yernil’s face turned red like a sunset and she hung her head low. Judging by the saturation, it’s about ten times more intense red than when she got caught doing shuffle dance earlier.

She’s embarrassed.

She’s probably imagining kissing me and acting like that due to shame.

The information I’ve analyzed now is important.

Even with equally impossible instructions, words that don’t exist at all like slick back are blocked from even being conceived in the mind.

However, instructions that go against her disposition like kissing can be imagined in her mind. For someone with transparent expressions like Yernil, you can obtain information just from changes in facial color.

Then……

“Yernil.”

Let me move on to important questions.

“Tell me about people who were playing the game Abyss of the Labyrinth and got possessed here.”

Will Yernil fail to conceive this in her mind?

Or does she know but will show a troubled expression because it’s some kind of taboo?

Or will unexpectedly rich information pour out?

“……”

I ended my turn and waited with a pounding heart, but.

‘No reaction.’

It’s the slick back side.

Disappointing, Yernil!

Are there no possessed people other than me?

Or are there some, but Yernil doesn’t know?

Anyway, I can’t end with no harvest like this.

“Yernil.”

Let me move on to the next question that’s been bothering me.

“Tell me what you know about me from before entering the labyrinth.”

I don’t know about my past.

Since that could pose a danger to me, I need to understand it in advance.

***

This time, Yernil knew quite a bit.

“Caleb. I thought about this when we were riding together on the slave ship.”

Yernil began to carry out my command with her own will.

“You said you became a slave because of murder, right?”

“Puhup!”

I was drinking from the water bottle Yernil gave me earlier and spat it out.

It’s a disaster from the start.

Murder? Murder!?

What the hell did I do?

“Are you okay?”

Her eyes became round.

“Ah, I’m fine. So?”

“So I thought you were a very scary person, but you seem kind, so I like that.”

“……”

“The murder you committed probably has some story behind it too. I didn’t hear it though.”

“That’s…… Right.”

Is that so? It probably is, right?

Please!

“You said you killed some Yoho tribe woman who was your team colleague.”

The Yoho tribe is one of the different races that appear in Abyss of the Labyrinth.

It’s a bewitching fox race(?) that’s skilled in magic, intelligent, and beautiful in appearance, so they’re good at charming people.

“That woman probably deserved to die!”

Yernil.

Did I make you like this……?

You’ve completely changed like a fanatic?

Wait a minute.

But what does it mean that the Yoho tribe woman was a ‘team colleague’?

“You said Caleb used to work as a labyrinth adventurer in some labyrinth city far to the east?”

Is that so?

“The Magic University placed one person with labyrinth experience in each 4-person slave party, and in our team, that was probably Caleb.”

The bald guy comes to mind again.

Indeed, that guy was originally a wizard affiliated with the Magic University, judging from his talk about Magic University expulsion and such, and he seemed to have some labyrinth experience.

In our party, that position was mine?

And the Yoho tribe woman I killed was a former labyrinth party colleague……

Now that I think about it, it’s also coincidental that both my and Yernil’s debts are 3,000 gold.

Anyone can see that murder is a much more serious crime than drug trafficking.

My actual debt should probably be tens of thousands of gold or more, right?

But seeing that it’s only 3,000 gold, there might have been some circumstances in that murder case worth considering.

“Caleb!”

Yernil suddenly pointed forward and shouted.

“Look over there!”

“Huh?”

To find it this quickly.

Am I really the unlucky gamer who got kidnapped to a labyrinth while gaming?

“It’s an exit room!”

We find it this quickly?