TW-Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Magic University Slave Team (2)

The bald man appeared to be the leader of that slave party.

And surprisingly, rather than fighting me, he came with a strategy to recruit me.

The logic he poured out flowed like water.

“You can’t break through this shield with 1st-grade magic anyway.”

It was incorrect information, but it was true for now. To destroy a Goblin shield with 1st-grade magic, you need more than 13 points of Wisdom.

“Same goes for those toothpick-like arrows.”

The bald man pointed at the arrow Yernil was holding. This was also correct. The arrows would either bounce off the shield or get stuck in it.

“If those weapons are all you have, there’s no way to attack us beyond this shield.”

This was also plausible intimidation.

While we could intercept Goblins by exploiting gaps when they ran around holding shields randomly without knowing how to use them properly, it was true that it would be tricky if they positioned their shields like riot police deployed in front of protesters.

“And the moment you try to chant something, our archer will pierce right through your forehead.”

The bald man added, pointing to his team’s archer.

“Fighting like this, you have absolutely no chance of winning. Don’t rack your brains and just hand over that Elf bitch. Then I promise to let you go peacefully. If not… There’s also the option of forming a new 5-person party excluding that girl.”

After breaking their fighting spirit, he moved on to recruitment.

“Wouldn’t that be advantageous for you too? Wouldn’t it be safer to travel with four men rather than that Elf bitch?”

No.

I could sleep with Yernil standing guard, but I could never sleep even for a moment trusting you guys.

However, that threat seemed to work quite well on Yernil for the purpose of dividing us, as she glanced at me with a very flustered expression.

“Ca, Caleb…?”

“How about it? Join us and form a new party of five. It’s good conditions for you too. You couldn’t touch her before because she was your only companion, right? Now you can do whatever you want.”

“……”

“We’re honestly guys who wouldn’t be strange to die anytime in this labyrinth. This might be our last chance. Don’t miss this opportunity.”

Yernil’s face turned white.

She hesitated and stepped about half a step away from me.

Now it was time to ease Yernil’s anxiety a bit.

The reason I silently listened to the bald man’s chatter was to analyze them a little more during that time. But now there didn’t seem to be anything more to figure out.

“Stop spouting bullshit and I’ll let you live if you back off now.”

I warned the bald man in the most resolute tone possible.

“Puhahaha!”

He burst into laughter.

“You’re joking, right?”

“I’m serious. This is your last chance.”

That was the final humanity I could offer.

No matter how shitty the situation I was in, murder wasn’t such a simple thing for me, who had been a modern person until half a day ago.

But even so, I had no intention of being overwhelmed by the burden of murder and struggling in this situation. In horror movies, those kinds of guys die first.

A moment’s hesitation here would be fatal. I had already steeled my resolve. If someone was going to die here, it should be you guys, not me.

If you don’t accept this proposal, I will kill you at that moment. I’m serious. I’ve already prepared myself and can slam a Fireball into your shameless faces at any time.

Surprisingly, my mental state was calm and collected. Like wearing perfectly fitting clothes, that ruthless resolve felt comfortable. So much so that I was unfamiliar with myself.

“Haah.”

The bald man scratched his hairless crown.

“Can’t be helped. Kill him.”

He signaled to the archer.

But he couldn’t release the bowstring.

[It is your turn.]

[Action Points: ■■■■]

Because it was my turn.

***

Electrocution.

One of the status ailments in this game.

Lightning Shock magic can only electrocute one at a time, but it’s a different story if there’s water.

Honestly speaking, I wasn’t sure if it would work perfectly like in the game, but the world I had experienced so far followed the game’s rules almost 100%.

And even assuming real-world physics, naturally unless it was pure distilled water, electricity would conduct through a puddle like that.

“Lightning Shock.”

First, I used lightning magic with the wand I received from Yernil. The target point was the water puddle.

Crack!

Lightning has a short range but instead of being a ‘projectile’, the attack is instantaneous.

Blue current jumped from the wand and connected to the water puddle on the floor. It looked like a blue line was connected. As soon as the turn ended, it would electrocute the enemies.

Then they’d have no choice but to drop their shields, bows, and wands.

[Action Points: ■■■□]

Remaining action points: 3.

Considering the shields would drop, I sniped them one by one with magic.

“Fireball.”

[Action Points: ■■□□]

However, I placed the first Fireball aimed at the water puddle.

[It is your turn. Time remaining: 49 seconds]

After waiting for the cooldown.

I adjusted the direction and aimed at the bald man beyond the first shield.

[Action Points: ■□□□]

“Fireball.”

I placed one Lightning Shock and two Fireballs.

[All action points have been consumed.]

[Ending turn.]

***

That lightning couldn’t be described with expressions like ‘fast’.

It wasn’t the kind where ‘I was being careful but missed it’ or ‘it was too instantaneous to respond to’.

Rather, it felt more like ‘I didn’t know but I had already been struck by lightning’. It was closer to checking dice that had already been thrown after the fact. Like in turn-based games where when it’s my turn, I’ve already been hit when the opponent attacked me.

The enemies didn’t even have a ‘chance to release’ the pulled bowstring.

“Krrrrreuk!”

Strange groans and bloodshot eyes.

The high-voltage current that electrocuted four people through their feet and ankles paralyzed their motor nerves.

Their bodies tilted backward like stiff wooden logs.

Still holding swords, shields, and wands. Still in the position of having the bowstring drawn.

But the electrocution state doesn’t last long.

When their bodies would be plunged into the puddle with a splash, sensation would gradually return. As evidence of this.

Twang!

Finally, an arrow freed from the bowstring was fired. As the paralysis from electrocution wore off, the motor nerves relaxed and the bowstring was released.

Thud!

But the arrow, already severely off-target, hit the stone ceiling.

And like releasing the bowstring, weapons like Goblin shields, swords, and wands also fell clatter from their weakened grips. Toward the disarmed enemies.

Boom!

Two Fireballs exploded.

One at the bald man who had dropped his shield, and another at the water puddle.

Steam mixed with dust erupted explosively from the water puddle that suddenly boiled from the intense heat.

“Aaaak!”

“What!”

After a brief moment, screams poured out from beyond the steam.

The situation was perfectly reversed.

“Can’t see!”

The enemies had lost their vision due to the steam.

“Scatter!”

Splash splash – the sound of water splashing in all directions.

I also couldn’t precisely locate their positions in the steam, but.

“Yernil!”

Our team had a Sound Mapping archer.

I flattened myself on the ground and shouted to her.

“Shoot!”

Fortunately, Yernil didn’t hesitate. She understood exactly what she needed to do.

Twang!

“Kraak!”

In the steam, all characters become blinded, but those with Sound Mapping special abilities are exempt.

‘Yernil maintains her attack range even when blinded.’

That’s why I devised this strategy.

“Shoot them all!”

My magic cooldown was 5 seconds. Since the hourglass had ended, I had to wait for cooldown recovery in real time.

The steam wouldn’t last more than 5 seconds. It was already starting to settle.

Before that ended, Yernil needed to take down at least one.

If my Fireball succeeded in burning the bald man, and Yernil killed one, we could create a 2-versus-2 situation.

Even then, it wouldn’t actually be a hopeful development.

Twang!

Because I was a wizard who only invested in wisdom, and Yernil was also an archer vulnerable in close combat.

On the other hand, they had a warrior with a Goblin sword. I didn’t know what his stats were like, but he’d be stronger than me. At this distance, if the steam settled and he approached us, it would be over.

‘Now the remaining time is…’

Light was gradually returning to the Fireball wand.

About 2 seconds left on the cooldown.

Damn, I never knew 5 seconds could be this long!

The legs and torso of the bald man’s corpse became visible in the steam. The steam was disappearing now.

“Intercept the warrior first!”

To prevent the worst-case scenario, I shouted to Yernil again, but an unexpected response came back.

“I… I killed them all.”

“Huh?”

Wait a minute. Yernil, didn’t you only shoot two arrows?

***

After the steam settled, I understood what had happened.

Yernil’s first arrow had stuck precisely in the enemy archer’s neck, and the second arrow tore through the shield warrior’s carotid artery and flew to stick in the wizard’s neck behind him. So, a triple kill with two arrows.

The positions and angles of the warrior and wizard getting up in panic after the electrocution had coincidentally made this possible.

There are judgments for penetrating hits or ricochet hits in the actual game too, but I never expected this.

Yernil, you… You were kind of scary, weren’t you?

“Cough!”

The bald man spat up a handful of blood.

“You were alive.”

Looking now, Yernil had 3 kills, I had 0 kills.

“I was… Unconscious…”

He seemed to have fainted from shock. That was understandable.

Both his arms were gone.

After dropping his shield, he had reflexively crossed his arms in an X to block the incoming flames, and thanks to that, his arms had disappeared.

So even without anyone touching him, he was already on the verge of death. The bald man gasped his last breaths and looked at me with bloodshot eyes.

“… You… What the hell are you…?”

Trembling from the cold caused by blood loss.

“You use magic without incantation…?”

So that’s how it looked.

This was probably also the reason this guy had acted cocky while standing in the water puddle.

Because arrows could fly while chanting ‘Lightning Shock.’

But from the bald man’s perspective, it was unfair since he was hit without even hearing an incantation.

“And… Three spells… Simultaneously… With no delay… Heh, heheheh! Cough.”

He coughed. He gasped and said.

“The world is so fucking… Unfair…”

Tears streamed down the bald man’s eyes.

“Some people… Get expelled and become slaves for lacking magical talent… And some… Cough! Ultra-fast casters with chantless talent freaks… Ugh! Cough.”

The bald man said the same thing as Yernil.

“On top of that… Even with a woman… Keheheh. Life is shit…”

His breathing gradually slowed. Strength was gradually leaving his eyelids.

“The Magic University… Bastards… will be happy…”

The bald man’s breathing stopped.

“Caleb…”

Yernil glanced at me and suddenly apologized out of nowhere.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I didn’t know he was alive.”

“…?”

“Earlier, when I said I killed them all…”

Ah.

You’re sorry for giving wrong information then?

“It’s fine. Next time, please do a confirmation kill too.”

“Yes…”

As her tension released, her shoulders shook severely.

“It’s my first time… Shooting people…”

“… It’s my first time shooting magic at people too.”

But surprisingly, I was calm.

Was I actually a psychopath?

I doubted it to that extent.

If I had committed murder in the modern world, I would have had a mental breakdown, but this situation that occurred in this crazy game’s labyrinth was, how should I put it.

It felt so unreal that it wasn’t even surprising?

That kind of feeling.

It contrasted greatly with when I nearly died to a Goblin for the first time. Are humans that self-centered?

Or had my mentality been rapidly strengthened like a war veterans in just half a day since entering the labyrinth?

However, even though my feelings were numb, my nose was terribly fishy. The smell of burning human flesh mixed with the bloody stench.

I can say with certainty that it was the most disgusting smell I had ever encountered.

***

We took everything they had. Four wands, a bag of potatoes, and one large backpack combined with a sleeping bag.

“What’s this backpack?”

The Magic University never gave slaves things like this. All that was distributed was one wand and one bag of potatoes.

“Maybe they took it from another adventurer?”

Yernil’s thought was probably right.

When I opened the backpack, I found a utensil case, handkerchief, keychain, bible, one small frying pan, one water bottle, one healing potion, large bread and bacon, a lump of butter each, and a multi-purpose knife, rope, and wallet.

I opened the wallet and took out the ID.

[Abisson]

-Confirmed that the above individual possesses F-grade adventurer qualifications.

-Labyrinth Guild Leader (Seal)

A photo of a haggard human man was attached.

He appeared to be the real owner of this backpack.

Probably his party had died while exploring the labyrinth and it was abandoned, or he was murdered when isolated and alone.

Death is common in labyrinths.

Whether you’re an F-grade adventurer or an S-grade adventurer, no one knows when or how they might die a terrible death.

Even when gaming, there were often cases of game over through various amazing methods.

For example, the bald man.

He probably never expected to die to a fellow slave either.

Because judging from the earlier conversation, he seemed to have been a student at the Magic University and appeared to have considerable knowledge about combat.

He would have thought he could easily dispose of one scrawny human and one Elf.

‘What if it had been a game?’

The bald man’s defeat became likely the moment he entered the water puddle. Would I have removed the puddle from outside instead of entering it?

Would I consider the possibility that the wizard of the fleeing 2-person slave party trash would ambush and suddenly appear, using chantless Lightning Shock to cause electrocution status ailment to make allies drop their shields, then continuously cast Fireball to trap them in steam and direct a Sound Mapping Elf archer to intercept?

No way.

I would have just entered for quick progress.

I could have ended up exactly like the bald man. If we had been in opposite positions.

Damn. I suddenly felt like the survival difficulty had gone up significantly.

I newly realized that my survival so far was just luck. The luck of this irregular characteristic called the hourglass.

This wasn’t my style.

All battles must be certain and perfect. All strategies must be thoroughly planned. My life is even at stake!

If I couldn’t do that, I’d end up like the bald man.

Pull yourself together. Focus more and think more.

I put Abisson’s ID back in the backpack.

Whether he died and was abandoned or died after being isolated, either way, he would also be giving off a disgusting and fishy smell by now.

Hopefully we wouldn’t encounter his corpse.

Praying for this, we moved forward.