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Chapter 130
by JammyIn Front of the Stairs
‘This is as far as it goes.’
That single sentence rings like an alarm bell in my head.
The harvest…
Less than I hoped for, but more than I feared.
Still, I learned about the meeting and relationship between me and Hyedam, found out that my origins are from the western region, discovered that the possessor village is on 3.5 floor, and even figured out approximately where it’s located within that massive ruined city on 3.5 floor.
Moreover, I learned that Hyedam lives there, that she was possessed but didn’t completely lose her body, that the body’s control wavers back and forth, and that she’s staying there to suppress the possessor.
Not bad.
The only regrettable thing is that if I had known things would unfold this way, I should have enslaved her with the hourglass when Hyedam’s trust level was at 100%.
I had saved the enslavement card because I obtained it by experiencing death itself, but I should have just used it.
Anyway.
[Stair Scroll]
I need to use it now.
I take out the scroll from my pocket and grasp it with both hands.
“Scroll!”
Mugol’s movements are so fast that it’s impossible for me to see and react with my eyes. The moment that bastard spots the scroll and his eyes change, I flip the hourglass first.
[It is your turn. Time remaining: 60 seconds]
[Action Points: ■■■■■■]
In that split second, Mugol moved almost like teleportation, and his pot-lid-sized grip came right up to the point of twisting my wrist.
But he stopped.
“Whew.“
This reminds me of Sally’s incident. Back then, that damn swindler raider jumped deep into our party with blood streaming from her head, asking for help, then pointed her wand at me and cast magic.
Jester’s Spell Disruption Device.
And I tore up a status abnormality time reduction scroll and flipped the hourglass.
I used the hourglass’s 60 seconds to remove the spell disruption status abnormality.
[It is your turn. Time remaining: 54 seconds]
[Action Points: ■■■■■□]
This time is a bit different.
Instead of using the scroll and then flipping the hourglass, I flip the hourglass and then use the scroll.
How many action points will it require?
In the game, using a scroll consumed 1 action point.
However, the real hourglass has slightly different rules.
In a split second, there are clear limits to the movements my physical abilities allow.
Riiip.
The end of the scroll grasped in both hands tore slightly.
[It is your turn. Time remaining: 50 seconds]
[Action Points: ■■■■□□]
What will happen to the relationship between me and Hyedam from now on?
Earlier in Windham, I said that I got engaged to Hyedam and lived together in newlywed couple support housing, right?
I was practically a married man.
[It is your turn. Time remaining: 45 seconds]
[Action Points: ■■■□□□]
I can see Hyedam’s expression.
An extremely confused face.
Her spirit lake-like deep blue eyes contain complex emotions.
I somehow feel like I know what she’s thinking.
The exact circumstances are still unclear, but I became a Magic University slave under the false accusation of killing Hyedam, and from then until now, I’ve been rolling around like a dog.
Hyedam feels sorry about that.
On top of that, she feels guilty about suspecting me right now.
But it really is suspicious.
So she’s troubled. Activating Soul Tracking now is similar to checking each other’s phones between lovers.
Whether what comes out of that Pandora’s box when opened with suspicion and interrogation is betrayal or innocence, it’s too burdensome to handle.
Whether I’m really Caleb or a possessor, both are fatal pain to her.
But Hyedam isn’t a middle school adolescent girl. She wouldn’t do something like putting away Soul Tracking just because she’s afraid of that.
[It is your turn. Time remaining: 26 seconds]
[Action Points: ■■□□□□]
Now the scroll’s damage prevention margin has been completely torn off.
It’s a margin created at the scroll’s edge to prevent unwanted activation due to wear at the ends.
If I dig just 1 centimeter deeper below this, the Stair Scroll will activate.
[It is your turn. Time remaining: 19 seconds]
[Action Points: ■□□□□□]
And it will transport me to the stairs of the inter-floor village.
But I can’t be relieved.
Because there are still numerous problems.
First, I have no means to resist the cold. Even if I prevent delirium with ‘Tranquil Mind’ magic, I currently don’t have thermal potions or anything like that.
Second, clearing Floor 3 alone and getting out is very difficult. Forget about reaching the exit room – without Backstab, I’m more likely to step on a trap while moving to find the exit room and die screaming.
Third, Bipa and Mugol, and possibly even Hyedam. Once I activate the scroll and escape, they’ll immediately pursue me. Given their power, they might catch up in an instant.
But it’s fine.
I have solutions for all three.
‘Let’s escape first and see.’
[All action points have been exhausted.]
[Ending turn.]
[The hourglass has flipped again. Cooldown: 60 seconds]
***
“He disappeared!”
Only pieces of torn Stair Scroll fluttered where Caleb had been.
“Wha, what…”
Bipa grabbed his head.
“The confusion is truly Pa-yong-un-ran (turbulent waves and clouds). Why on earth is he running away? Caleb isn’t a possessor. But then why is he running? Why is he avoiding Soul Tracking?”
Bipa tap-tap hit Mugol’s shoulder with his fan.
“Mugol, you fool! Why did you suddenly attack? You scared him into running away, didn’t you?”
“He had already taken out the scroll before making eye contact with me!”
“Let’s hurry and chase after him. To the stairs. How could that guy handle 3rd floor alone? First of all, Caleb probably doesn’t even have a way to cope with the cold.”
“Let’s hurry and go. Hyedam!”
Mugol was about to leave the front door with Bipa when he looked back at Hyedam.
“What are you doing? Follow us! Hyedam!”
Hyedam was trembling on the spot.
Because of her fatal mistake.
“Caleb was… In a very unstable state right now.”
“What?”
“He was falsely accused of killing me and has been going through life-or-death situations alone. Caleb is different from you or me! He wasn’t originally a labyrinth adventurer…”
She had opened Pandora’s box. It might have been conveyed to him as an irreversible wound.
“He’s not possessed.”
She confirmed it with Soul Tracking that activated at the last moment, just barely.
“He was the same Caleb I knew.”
***
[The hourglass’s domination ability has expanded.]
[Please select a person to enslave.]
1.Aimus (Trust Level: 100%)
2.Backstab (Trust Level: 100%)
3.Izel (Trust Level: 100%)
4.Neko (Trust Level: 100%)
5.Bernard (Trust Level: 100%)
6.Hyedam (Trust Level: 100%)
“What the hell is this now?”
This is getting more and more confusing.
I thought the trust level would plummet after tearing the scroll and running away, but why did it recover back to 100%?
“I’m really going crazy.”
But I don’t have time to think about other things.
Because I came out to the stairs.
There’s an enormous amount of snow piled up around me, and not far away stands a massive large-scale evil extermination monument firmly in place.
I can’t move from this spot.
If I get attacked by monsters now, I’m finished.
Without the hourglass, if hunting dogs come running, it’s too much for me to handle alone.
Someone needs to come get me.
Who?
“Whew…”
I take a deep breath and shout.
“Spider Doctor!”
That monster told me in the 3rd floor exit room.
If I have thoughts of making a deal with it, to call for it again anywhere on Labyrinth 3rd floor.
“I’ll make a deal with you!”
But that’s only if I’m alive.
Right?
So hurry up and come save me!
***
“It’s Caleb!”
Yernil’s ears flutter trembled.
“Caleb?”
Aimus and Backstab looked at her.
“I heard Caleb’s voice! I can’t tell exactly what he’s saying because it’s far, but anyway, I heard his voice!”
“Really?”
Backstab brightened up.
“This way! Toward the monument direction!”
Yernil immediately ran toward that direction.
“Let’s save him!”
Honestly speaking, everyone here owes their life to Caleb at least once.
Aimus and Backstab were literally brought back to life by Caleb.
Yernil overcame death’s threshold several times thanks to him.
This time it’s the opposite.
I don’t know the exact reason or circumstances, but Caleb received an invitation from his old party and entered the labyrinth, and that might be a trap.
Honestly, they look suspicious to Yernil.
‘They attacked Caleb in the dormitory too.’
Soren has been unsettled lately, and Caleb is like a flickering candle in front of a strong wind.
Maybe this time too, Caleb is facing a life-threatening crisis.
‘This time we have to save him.’
Isn’t that what a party is?
***
‘It’s cold.’
Snow is pouring down from the sky.
My body is shivering.
I can’t go back down the stairs. Let’s wait for the spider.
I’m using ‘Tranquil Mind‘ magic to prevent delirium, but it’s so cold that I feel like I’m going insane.
My consciousness gradually becomes hazy.
I want to sit down comfortably and rest, but I can’t do that either.
Monsters might come after hearing me shout earlier.
I’m on maximum alert in all directions.
Whether it’s Hyedam’s party or monsters that come looking for me, both are dangerous to me.
I need to somehow stall for time until the Spider Doctor arrives.
Woof! Woof!
I hear dog barking from somewhere.
Precisely, it’s wolves.
Snow wolves that Frost Hunters bring along.
If I get caught, I’m finished, so I tighten my grip on the wand.
The hourglass is…
[Turn-based Hourglass Cooldown: 31 seconds]
Still 31 seconds left.
In other words, it’s only been about 30 seconds since I came out to the stairs.
“Grrrrr.“
I hear wolves growling.
Below the snowy mountain plateau.
Step, step, I also hear the sound of Frost Hunters stepping on snow.
“…”
I held my wand pointed in that direction and took a deep breath. If monsters appear, I’ll cast Dust Explosion at that moment…
“Caleb!”
Bipa’s voice running up the stairs thud-thud-thud.
Faster than I thought.
Did he use Swift Wall Light or something?
“Don’t come closer!”
I point my wand toward the stairs and shout.
And…
“Ah.”
From the monument direction, someone reveals their massive body and thud-thud-thud heads toward me.
In the swirling snowfall, that gigantic monster’s figure is revealed.
The lower body has the form of a spider, and the upper body is a gentleman in formal wear.
Lace-decorated cravat and vintage silk shirt. Even a bowler hat.
“It’s been a while, Caleb.”
“Wha, what is this monster…”
Bipa’s eyes doubled in size as he came up the stairs.
“Bipa! Fall back!”
Mugol grabbed him and drew his sword.
“Caleb!”
And then Hyedam appeared afterward.
“Ca, Caleb! Come here! I was wrong…”
“It’s a monsterrrrr!”
Someone else screamed from below the snowy mountain plateau.
This is unexpected.
Am I suffering from delirium?
Why is Yernil coming out from there?
“The monster is trying to eat Caleb!”
Moreover, Aimus and Backstab?
And where did that Torch Helmet come from? I never rented it from the university.
“Monster! Get away from Caleb!”
Aimus shouted, pointing his bent iron rod.
“What are you guys again!”
Hyedam shouted. She was very wary as unexpected uninvited guests rushed toward me.
“We’re Caleb’s party!”
Yernil shouted.
“You lured Caleb out to feed him to that monster!”
“What did you say!?”
“I knew you were suspicious! Absolutely not! We’re taking him!”
Me in the center with two 3-person parties front and back.
And beside me is the Spider Doctor.
“Hahaha.“
The lord of the inter-floor village, the demon of 3rd floor, was very interested in the scene unfolding before his eyes.
Right.
From a spectator’s perspective, it would be entertaining.
Let’s consider all the information we have at the moment.
In chapter 1, (Earth) Caleb made and customised the character Caleb. But it seems Caleb was a real person already living in this world given all the connections he’s made. So how the heck does that work? If he named him Cale instead, would history have changed all instances of his name?
And what about all the other possessors?
Did they start out as the character they created, or were they put into random bodies? The latter seems awfully likely given the number of possessor professors / possessors in high ranking places (black dog and the assembly) and the late onset possession of Hyedam.
And we’ve confirmed that Soul Tracking can determine if they’re a possessor, and that it fails on Caleb. This lends support that possessors are put in random bodies, but then that means Caleb has the same soul before and after possession? We’ve also seen that Caleb before and after has the same amount of cunning, and at least both (outwardly) display the same sort of sacrificial nature to those he holds dear (even if the reasons may not be the same).
Given how all the hints seem deliberate and pronounced, I don’t think these are going to be unresolved plot holes. This might be a major plot point, and it might involve the labyrinth master.
Speaking of which, everyone seems to be surprised that Caleb survived the meeting with the Labyrinth Master, especially after they escaped and left him there. They got separated permanently (or at least until now), before Hyedam got possessed (she had to explain the fact to current Caleb after all) (which means (not Earth) Caleb doesn’t know that), and would have no reason to cover up her death and no way to coordinate with Hyedam and the others.
However, everything lines up far, far too well. Hyedam disappears from the public, he declares he killed her on account of being a possessor, then ends up in the exact same situation as the start of the “Abyss of the Labyrinth” game. If that’s not absolute coincidence I don’t know what is. Additionally he drops exposition to the other slaves, which eventually worms its way back to his possessed self. Which is weird, because according to the memory, pre possession Caleb was not a man of many words.
One problem though:
He has absolutely 0 motive to declare that he killed a possessed (which he shouldn’t have knowledge about, let me remind you) Hyedam. If he did love her, he has all the motive to return to her side after escaping the Labyrinth Master. Even if he didn’t, he could’ve stayed low and avoided becoming a slave that would’ve eventually needed to fight in the Labyrinth.
Though maybe he did want to fight in the Labyrinth, given his combat capabilities which seem on par with current Caleb. Though if that’s was the goal, becoming a slave would be helpful, since he won’t be questioned about why he’s going in, and he gets teammates and/or 1-4 wands of useful magic (and after completion, the support he needs to become a full mage).
Returning to who Caleb is, here’s my (almost certainly false) conjecture:
He’s a reverse possessor. Caleb started out as an inhabitant of this world, possessed someone on Earth (but lost their memories), and gets the information necessary to save their world, and came back. While it explains some things, there’s not enough hints around to support this hypothesis.
^this
This reminded me of Tyrant of the Tower Defense Game, but it can’t be the same scenario as they are also other possessors. Also we don’t know for sure whether it’s just Caleb whose soul would be the same or if it applies with other possessors. One far-fetched theory I have is that when he created his character, he was reincarnated as that character and reawakened his memories until he reached the labyrinth in Soren. Like it doesn’t make sense that he possessed a character with that name and that very specific stat set unless it was prepared for him. We see with other characters that they have varying stat sets, like how Yernil had high agility but it wasn’t maxed out.
For his motive to declare he killed a possessed, I feel like he made a deal with the Labyrinth Master (LM) as it is known that he is a possible vessel for possession. Disproving my far-fetched theory, maybe the LM recognizes that this person has a maxed out wisdom stat and is available for possession. So he says he will spare Hyedam or something in exchange for a series of steps that will cause him to become possessed. That would explain his weird actions as he is following someone else’s script. The reason why the LM wants more possessors could be similar to the system in Tyrant of the Tower Defense Game, to utilize a balance to add more power to himself since there is more opposition. We see that when the Labyrinth spat out the Blacksmith and Golden Golem together. Now that there are stronger opponents, he is able to use more tactics.
Nice theorycrafting.
I look at the Blacksmith/Golden Golem incident in a slightly different manner. I hypothesise that the LM knew Caleb is the turn based mage (potentially even before possession), and is throwing all the stops to get him killed. Isn’t it a bit shady that the first foray into the labyrinth ended up with them meeting backstab, with no option to avoid it due to the impending monster wave?
The second foray was all of Bernard’s fault though.
The third expedition had them face off against an actual monster wave due to the LM inflicting a necromancer with madness.
The fourth has them encounter both golems at the same time, which i’m pretty sure is a doubly new phenomenon, given that they’re only supposed to be generated at the opening of a floor, and that there’s only supposed to be one.
Feels like the LM is pulling out all the stops for him, no?
Maybe the LM is powered up with the introduction/death of new possessors and they’re saving up the power to deal with the only person that can threaten it.