LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 47
“Ugh…”
I slowly opened my eyelids, which I had previously closed due to a sudden bright light. There was a slight afterimage, but thankfully, my vision seemed fine otherwise. In front of me lay the corpse of an orc shaman, and around…
“Whoa!”
A walking chunk of stone, which I assumed was a fist, swung toward me. I had to swing the sword I was holding quickly, but before I could, something yanked at the back of my neck faster.
“Ugh!”
As I was forcefully pulled back, I saw a gigantic great sword being swung. Instead of breaking apart, the stone that hit the sword cleanly split in half.
I was caught by the scruff of my neck by Emma, who was small in stature, and I stood awkwardly. Fortunately, as the stone broke into two, Emma sighed and let go of my clothes.
“This is a real headache now.”
“What do you mean…?”
As I was about to voice my confusion, I sensed something was off. The walls surrounding us, the oddly shaped structures I had never seen before, and the suddenly appeared monsters. It was a bit unsettling, but I wasn’t naive enough to think this wasn’t an unusual situation.
“This is a forced transfer. The necklace you just cut—it shattered, causing a forced shift to the depths of the labyrinth.”
I recalled the necklace that I had inadvertently sliced in half along with the orc. It had looked a bit unusual and caught my eye, but I hadn’t paid it much mind. That it was now the cause of our current predicament was astonishing.
“Uh… I’m sorry.”
“No, there’s no need to apologize. It’s our responsibility for not explaining to you to be cautious first. I honestly didn’t expect those leftover lowlifes on the outskirts to have it.”
“But to think it’s a transfer magic… I thought teleportation magic was a pretty high-level spell.”
“You’re right, an orc shaman shouldn’t be able to create such an artifact. They probably just stumbled upon it and started using it without knowing where it connects. They carry it around hoping it might save their lives if luck strikes.”
“I see, that’s a new fact for me.”
“Well, let’s wrap up that little lesson and look for a way out.”
Emma dragged the great sword along as she surveyed the area. I couldn’t just sit idle, so I looked around too.
But all I could see were the fallen orc shaman, the crumbled stone golem, and only one door—no decorations or furnishings in sight. The only thing illuminating the room was the luminous stone embedded in the ceiling.
“For now, we have to get outside to think about what we can do.”
Realizing there was nothing nearby, Emma quickly moved to the door, the only exit.
Suddenly—
Bam!
Without any hesitation, she kicked the door open wide. Should I call it reckless or bold? I found it hard to judge.
But Emma had a reason for her confidence.
Clang clang clang!
The moment the door opened, arrows flew inside without making a sound. Whether they were aimed at anyone entering the room or not, their trajectories were subtly angled toward the outside.
Luckily, Emma effortlessly swatted away all the arrows with her great sword. With the broad surface of the blade, she simply defended and swept them away with ease.
“Let’s go.”
“Yep.”
Despite looking several years younger than me both in appearance and stature, she had a charisma that made people follow her. Her adorable voice sounded refreshing, yet there was a hidden robustness in her fragile frame compared to the great sword she wielded.
As I stepped out of the room after her, I found a plain corridor that could be seen anywhere, except for the unfamiliar structures surrounding us. As I moved beside her, she rather pushed me back.
“It’s going to hinder me swinging my sword if you’re right next to me. Just stay behind. If we’re in a labyrinth, I know more than Lady Elysia.”
Though I felt a bit hesitant to use her as a shield, I had no valid argument, so I maintained my distance and followed her.
Leading the way, Emma smashed through the labyrinth’s monsters and traps as we progressed. Occasionally, I dealt with any beasts that slipped past or dodged untriggered traps. There were times we encountered forks in the path, but Emma seemed to choose whichever way without hesitation.
How long had it been? Although it felt like a few hours had passed, honestly, this labyrinth wasn’t that difficult. I might have been lost if I was alone, but as promised, Emma was confidently guiding us through the maze. Sometimes, I even confused whether we were still in the labyrinth.
“Well… I’m not sure if this is good luck or bad.”
As we arrived in front of a door, Emma spoke up. However, this door was significantly different from the ones we had passed earlier.
It was several times larger than the other doors, adorned with intricate patterns suggesting something was behind it, and it emanated a creepy aura even from the other side.
While it’s rare for a labyrinth to display itself so plainly, I couldn’t shake the feeling that a labyrinth’s master was waiting on the other side of this door.
“The best outcome would be to exit the labyrinth, but instead, we’ve ended up in the deepest part of it. Now we have two options: completely break through the labyrinth or turn back now. Of course, we could also just wait here for rescue, but if that were the case, we wouldn’t need to move at all.”
“What do you think is better, Emma?”
Naturally, it made sense to follow Emma’s decision since she understood the labyrinth better than I did. With no imminent danger, Emma plopped down, taking a moment to explain.
“Both choices come with their risks. Not knowing how strong the labyrinth’s master might be is the biggest concern. If they’re a manageable foe, that’s great, but I can’t guarantee that with the top-tier demonic monsters blocking our path earlier.”
She sighed and continued to explain.
“Now, as for the choice to turn back, it’s just as risky. Up until now, the traps and monsters haven’t posed much of a threat, but there are no guarantees that will persist. Besides, I have no idea how deep this labyrinth is. The worst case could see us trying to climb back for a week without reaching the entrance.”
“So if we defeat the labyrinth’s master, we might be able to return?”
“Unless this was a labyrinth formed for a specific purpose, like an artificially created one from the past, its creator would usually have made exits for themselves. So, it’s likely there’s a high chance of finding a direct path back.”
Emma’s words suggested she already had part of the decision made. I agreed with her thoughts, and after a moment’s contemplation, I spoke up.
“Then let’s break through. We came this far, and if both options are dangerous, it’s better to push forward.”
“Seems like my daughter made good friends. Clear and straightforward—I like it. A true swordsman should be like this.”
Emma, with a smile at my words, got to her feet.
“Then I’ll take care of the labyrinth master. If there are any guards around, Lady Elysia can take care of them. There are things to consider, but we can’t predict every situation, so just make individual judgments as we go along.”
“Yes, I’ll leave it to you.”
After exchanging a few hasty words that barely qualified as a strategy, Emma stood before the door.
“Shall we go?”
With that, Emma didn’t open the door cautiously. Instead, she kicked it wide open.
As we entered the boss room, I spotted a skeleton sitting in a chair, holding a staff. Unlike a mere skeleton, the aura emitted from each joint was anything but ordinary. It must be a Lich. While I couldn’t classify it into a higher category, its danger level far exceeded that of the top-tier demonic monsters.
Moreover, the true danger of a Lich lies not only in its magical prowess but also in its immortality—surviving unless its vessel is destroyed. While it couldn’t stray too far from its vessel, even that limitation seemed ridiculously powerful.
“Good. I’ll handle that thing, so for now, please find the vessel.”
Without even waiting for my response, Emma dashed straight toward the Lich. Unlike the orc shaman, the Lich began casting spells immediately upon noticing Emma’s advance. Rapid, powerful magic.
A enormous fireball flew toward Emma. However, a much larger flame erupted from Emma’s great sword, effortlessly splitting the fireball apart as she continued her advance.
The Lich showed no signs of panic, throwing various spells as he faced her, but Emma either sliced through them with her gigantic blade or blocked them, rendering all the magic ineffective.
As soon as the Lich stepped into Emma’s range, she swung her great sword down at it. But the searing blade, which had been splitting all the magic, couldn’t break through the Lich’s barrier and halted. Still, the barrier was not unscathed; it had cracks and even holes forming.
I couldn’t just stand back and watch anymore, so I started to move. Yet, I felt an ominous presence I couldn’t identify. Was it because of the Lich’s magical power? I turned back to check, but that wasn’t it. The feeling was familiar to me.
That’s when I realized I needed to search for the hidden vessel around us or follow my instincts.
But my pondering was short-lived.
Hadn’t Craig told me? To move according to instinct. Of course, what he mentioned was about my sword, but I should accept advice with flexibility.
So, I acted instinctively. Into the battlefield where magic exploded, and flames from the great sword swirled. Emma, focused on combat, hadn’t even noticed my approach.
And then I understood what the unease I felt before was.
It was a faint killing intent. The result of someone suppressing and holding back their murderous energy, now leaking out.
This wasn’t the killing intent of a mere mage; it was the aura of an assassin—not something a dignified warrior would exude.
As the creature lurking in the shadows realized their plans were going awry, it moved immediately. Thankfully, I could react just a moment faster.
Clang!
I deflected the blade aimed at Emma’s neck. Only then did she seem to notice the figure in the shadows and me, backing away while shouting.
“I’ve got this!”
I wondered if there were more hidden enemies, but if that were the case, they would’ve sprung out during the last attack.
Emma was engaged in close combat with the Lich, while I faced off against another skeleton at a slight distance.
“Heh.”
A chuckle escaped me involuntarily. Of course, my face must have been smiling as I looked at the black skeleton before me.
We’re kindred spirits, aren’t we?