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Chapter 103
by JammyBattle in the Abyss (2)
Among labyrinth adventurers, only a very small number.
Tremendous wisdom and power, skills and magic, outstanding physical abilities and equipment. Additionally, not just techniques but also perfect mutual understanding and trust relationships among party members.
Only those who possess all of this can reach the final floor of the labyrinth, the 10th floor.
And among the adventurers who reach the 10th floor, some discover the ‘stairs’. This is closer to an invitation from the Labyrinth Master rather than their own ability.
The final puzzle hidden in the labyrinth and the ultimate ordeal.
Challenging it is no longer about money, honor, or fame.
Some say they’re crazy.
They say it’s destiny.
10th floor adventurers can never miss that opportunity. It’s not simple curiosity but rather a spiritual calling.
It’s a fateful challenge that pulses deep within the souls of those who have spent their entire lives diving into the labyrinth.
Going down the stairs from the 10th floor and facing that place.
The labyrinth’s final domain, filled with riddles and mystery where nothing can be predicted.
‘The Deep Layer.’
Only those who have survived there once or more receive this title.
Deep Layer Adventurers.
***
My ability is only at the 4th or 5th floor level.
If the 2 vs 2 doubles battle unfolding now were tennis, it would be the Wimbledon Championship. A match between players of that caliber.
And I would be in the ball boy position.
Earlier, Mugol and Bipa completely ignored me. They could kill someone like me anytime, but Meldini and Isilof in front of them were the problem.
Now.
So what’s the method for a ball boy to rush into the match, return a serve hit by a player, and score a point?
What kind of magic can I cast as a complete novice compared to them to land a hit on deep layer adventurers?
1.Hail Storm.
It won’t deal any damage whatsoever. The moment hail pours down, Bipa will unfold his fan and chant ‘May the blue sky within clouds be’, and then even amid the massive clouds, it will be clear and sunny above Bipa and Mugol’s heads.
In the same context, even if I summon Cumulonimbus clouds, once ‘Blue Sky Within Clouds‘ is cast, connecting to lightning becomes difficult.
2.Lightning Shock and electrocution.
Lightning flying at the speed of negative charge from this distance can’t be avoided even by deep layer adventurers. And those bastards are slightly wet because of Isilof’s ‘Storm Hill’. If I’m lucky, the ‘electrocution’ status abnormality might activate. At least for Bipa.
The Tiger tribe is the problem. If they’ve reached the deep layer, there’s a very high possibility that the special ability ‘Fierce Tiger’ has blossomed to the ‘Mountain King’ stage, and in Mountain King state, electrocution won’t work at all.
4.Ultimately, there are bound to be limits to taking down those guys with just the magic from my Memory Book. For a small fry like me to target deep layer adventurers, using environmental factors would be the best approach.
For example…
‘The inspectors and security officers around us.’
Dark Fragrant Small Shadow causes the status abnormality ‘drowsiness’ to enemies within a certain range.
And it wraps the caster and one companion in darkness, making them disappear. It’s a higher-tier magic than a rogue’s invisibility.
Professor Isilof revealed Bipa and Mugol with ‘Midday-like Moonlight‘, but the inspectors and security officers are still in a drowsy state.
‘Let’s wake those people up.’
Their positions aren’t bad.
With Bipa and Mugol at the center, we’re chasing from behind, and security officers are blocking the front.
If they stand in the way of Bipa and Mugol, the professors can finish them off.
So how?
Is there a way to instantly rescue about 7 security officers who have fallen into the ‘drowsiness’ of the 7th-tier sorcerer’s magic Dark Fragrant Small Shadow in the blink of an eye?
There is.
“Tranquil Mind.”
In that necklace I obtained after killing Antonelli before, there’s the mental combat magic ‘Tranquil Mind’.
Last time when going down to the 4th floor, I used this to resist confusion magic while passing through the 3rd floor.
This time I’ll use it to break the security officers’ drowsiness.
“Tranquil Mind.”
[It’s your turn. Time remaining: 48 seconds]
[Action Points: ■■■■□□]
It’s funny to say this now, but the game is really well made.
Tranquil Mind is only a 1st-grade magic, but it can block 7th-tier mental magic like Dark Fragrant Small Shadow.
It’s similar to how in chess, even the lowest-rank piece like a pawn can check the king if positioned correctly.
Of course, since the level difference between the two magics is severe, Tranquil Mind can’t originally be a counter to Dark Fragrant Small Shadow.
Dark Fragrant Small Shadow instantly makes enemies in all directions drowsy without number limit and is difficult to resist, but Tranquil Mind requires feeding them hangover cures one by one while waiting for cooldowns.
“Tranquil Mind.”
Of course, this doesn’t apply to Turn-Based Wizard. I’ll break the drowsiness of the security officers and inspectors in the best positions within the range my 6 action points allow.
Maximum six people.
When I end my turn, security officers will suddenly rush in from all directions and you’ll be flustered.
There’s a way for even a ball boy to serve in this Wimbledon Championship doubles tennis match.
Like this.
“Tranquil Mind.”
I suddenly think of Yernil. Is she safe and well right now? She probably went to Teramond’s murder scene, right? Judging by how she called Meldini and Isilof.
Anyway, I survived because Yernil moved quickly. It would have been terrible if the professors had arrived just a little later.
She’s probably with the security officers now, maybe even with the magistrate. From their perspective, Yernil is also one of the targets threatened with murder, so they’ll try to protect her.
[It’s your turn. Time remaining: 30 seconds]
[Action Points: ■■□□□□]
Even with Time Trader, I don’t use it recklessly. Because every second must be used efficiently.
That’s how much I have to put in all my effort to catch opponents I can’t capture otherwise, right?
I consider every possible scenario.
Wake up the security officers with Tranquil Mind, have them block Bipa and Mugol, and attack from front and back with the professors’ magic.
If the battle can end with that, it would be best, but it might not be enough.
Not just a simple serve but a spike is needed. Attack power that exceeds my ability as a middle-layer wizard. Something powerful enough to land a hit.
I’ve already brought that with me.
“Tranquil Mind.”
But it’s still too early to unleash that strike. Because it’s an attack that requires precise timing.
Let me think. The talisman Bipa used was ‘Natural Order Return‘. It banishes magical phenomena from the physical reality for a certain time.
For example, banishing ‘Structural Transformation’.
Then windows will return to the wall surfaces filled with magic, and they can break through and escape. That seemed to be the original plan.
Or with Natural Order Return, they can banish the 8th-tier summoned creature Magic Tower Lord.
The banished Magic Tower Lord will return to the astral galaxy and wander, then come back after some time passes.
How long does it take to return?
Exactly 1 minute.
“Tranquil Mind.”
If the battle doesn’t end within that time, I’ll have to use this.
***
Bang!
Inspector Adrian suddenly awakened as if waking from sleep.
Clear consciousness.
Eyes that clearly caught the target.
His subordinate security officers raise their weapons.
The opponents also noticed that the atmosphere on this side had changed.
“What… What!”
Even the Tiger tribe warrior who had experienced all kinds of hellish hardships in the labyrinth felt bewilderment in that situation.
“Bipa! Dark Fragrant Small Shadow has been dispelled!”
“What…!”
Bipa felt the same way.
‘Why on earth?’
Bipa couldn’t even guess the reason.
Dark Fragrant Small Shadow is large-scale mental magic, and to dispel it all at once like this, similarly large-scale healing magic should have been cast.
And that kind of magic usually isn’t learned even by university professors. Even if learned, they don’t put it in Memory Books. It’s usually what priests use.
No. First of all.
‘They never chanted an incantation.’
Meldini created a slide with Structural Transformation but hasn’t come down yet. Isilof came down but didn’t use any magic other than ‘Midday-like Moonlight.
There’s no priest here.
The security officers caught in Dark Fragrant Small Shadow couldn’t move a muscle.
Who on earth dispelled Dark Fragrant Small Shadow?
‘Could it be…’
That novice rushing out of the dormitory corridor in full pursuit catches his eye.
‘No way. That’s impossible.’
He internally scoffed.
It’s nonsense that that novice could have magic capable of dispelling Dark Fragrant Small Shadow, and it’s also nonsense that he cast it chantlessly. But intuitively, he’s certain it’s that bastard.
Ripples spread even in the quiet mind of the Spirit tribe who had reached the realm of ‘Ascension of Transformation’.
He hadn’t been shaken even when fighting two deep layer professors today, but now his heart was greatly stirred.
‘Damn. What the hell is that bastard?’
That guy isn’t the Caleb that Bipa originally knew.
But he wasn’t a possessor either.
His identity is incomprehensible to Bipa, like the mystery of the deep layer.
***
“Catch them!”
Inspector Adrian activates a skill.
‘Tendon Shot.’
The power of a god devoured in the labyrinth long ago dwells in the arrow, targeting the Achilles tendon and tendons of the target for guidance.
Kwaang!
However, Mugol trampled the flying arrow with superhuman reflexes.
A tiger’s paw print was stamped on the hard stone floor. Along with the broken arrow.
“Mon… Monstrous…”
Some security officers stopped in terror facing those blue-green eyes, while others charged more bravely.
‘Bull Charge.’
The blade flying straight ahead aimed precisely at Mugol’s neck, but.
Kwajik!
Shockingly, that Tiger tribe warrior bit the blade with his mouth to stop it.
Pakang!
Then he applied force with his jaw to smash it completely.
“Ptui!“
He spat forcefully at the security officer in front of him. The security officer got blade fragments stuck in his forearm.
“Uaaak!“
“Stand back!”
Isilof running from behind chanted magic.
“Let’s see you escape from this!”
Another 7th-tier magic is cast.
“Spirit Bog!”
The bedrock floor of the university courtyard collapsed. Like a sinkhole, the floor transformed into a ‘swamp’.
But it wasn’t a muddy pit made of moisture and soil, but a sapphire-colored bog flowing from the astral galaxy.
“…!”
And Bipa saw it.
Caleb chasing this way was holding something.
‘Really…’
That novice’s contribution to this fight could be said to be 0. I wondered what he planned to do by chasing, but that was his purpose.
‘I really can’t believe it.’
First, his knowledge is absurd. Even Windham’s adventurers don’t know the Spirit tribe’s talismans and sorcery inside and out. How could he do that without precisely knowing the duration and operating principles of Natural Order Return and calculating the timing?
Second, that sense is absurd. When on earth did he get it? Was it possible because he fell outside everyone’s attention during the urgent exchange between deep layer adventurers? Did he bring that while sliding down the Structural Transformation slide?
‘Magic Tower Lord’s sword fragment.’
Bipa had shattered it.
The sword fragment that fell then glitters in Caleb’s hand.
“Hup!“
That rookie wizard used the momentum from running to maximize throwing power. His physical strength is negligible, but there’s no difficulty in throwing one small sword fragment.
The most frightening thing about Magic Tower Lord is its vitality.
Summoned with 8th-tier magic, it’s extremely difficult to destroy. Didn’t it regenerate even after Mugol bit off its head? That’s why Bipa ‘banished’ it.
Now it’s time for it to return.
Normally it should fall where it was originally banished, but if fragments of its astral body exist somewhere on the ground, it designates that place as the re-summoning location.
“Damn…”
The sword fragment comes flying.
Mugol has no particular countermeasure while dealing with the front.
His feet are caught by the Spirit Bog.
That attack is close to checkmate.
Bang!
Magic Tower Lord regenerated from the sword fragment.
***
Kwaaaaang!
The sapphire-colored astral greatsword left deep wounds on the Tiger tribe’s shoulder and back.
“Kraaaang!“
The tiger’s roar bursting from that pain resonates throughout the university courtyard.
Shuuuk!
Magic Tower Lord’s greatsword sharply thrusts again.
Kwaang!
Mugol barely blocked the sword, but now he too has reached his limit.
‘There’s no choice.’
Bipa took out a talisman.
“Are you going to use that?”
Mugol said.
“Yes.”
How long has it been since using this? How many times have I been in such a pinch?
The price is great.
An immortal who achieved ‘Ascension of Transformation’ through tremendous cultivation loses tremendous magical power for a certain time.
‘Though life hangs by a thread, is there no path to survival?’
Still, naturally, it’s better than losing one’s life.
‘Pierce the wall and draw in light.’
***
Pat!
Suddenly both people completely disappeared without a trace.
“What, what!”
The flustered security officers stood still on the scene. So did I.
‘Damn.’
It’s 8th-tier magic of a Spirit tribe sorcerer.
Sorcerers can’t bind spellbooks, but they can use 8th-tier magic. Instead, they suffer tremendous penalties for a certain time.
“They can’t have gone far. We need to track and catch them…”
“Ca… Caleb!”
Isilof is looking at me with a shocked expression.
What?
Why are you looking at me like that, Professor?
And why…
“Huh?”
Why is something flowing from my abdomen?
“Caleb!”
Professor Meldini, who belatedly came down the slide, was limping due to being hit by the Tiger tribe’s attack.
But she had no intention of caring for your injury.
“Caleb! St… Stay still! Just lie down!”
A blade fragment was stuck in my abdomen.
“Huk…”
That damn tiger bastard.
When he chewed and shattered the security officer’s sword earlier, he threw one of the fallen blade fragments.
When I threw Magic Tower Lord, that bastard also threw something at me.
“Kreuk…”
My legs give out not because of the roaring sound but physically due to bleeding.
‘In case I expose information about the elevator.’
Even at the moment of escaping with ‘Pierce the Wall and Draw in Light‘, these crazy bastards attempted to silence me. If they can’t have the information themselves, they’d rather no one can have it.
No, the Spirit tribe sorcerer said it himself. That life hangs by a thread.
But in the midst of that, he tried to end my life?
“Really…”
The difficulty is insane.
“Too… Strong…”
My consciousness flickers on and off.
***
For the first time since possession.
I thought I might not be able to clear this damn difficulty.
It’s too hard.
Really too hard.
Even monsters who are so skilled haven’t seen the Labyrinth Master yet.
Or they met the Labyrinth Master and died.
Can I reach there?
In this fate where I have to enter the labyrinth once every two weeks, carrying my body that’s still young but will gradually age, how far can I struggle?
If I can’t return to reality, will I someday break the two-week rule and die with the labyrinth eruption?
Or would it be wiser to find a way to solve that problem?
Find a way to solve the two-week rule, don’t challenge the Labyrinth Master, and somewhere in Soren, safely.
If I could live with the friends I made here.
Rather than forcing myself toward the deep layer, that might be better.
Damn.
“…aleb.”
I should leave before getting attached.
“Caleb…”
I hear a sobbing voice.
When I woke up, I was in Nataniel Temple.
Beside the bed, Yernil was lying face down. Having soaked the blanket thoroughly with tears.
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