Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Owner of the Shrine

‘What is this?’

Tsumugi’s eyes shook violently.

Even while seeing it with Tsumugi’s own eyes, doubt arose as to whether this was truly real.

That was only natural, because a completely unexpected situation was unfolding far too casually.

CRUNCH! SLASH! SHAAK!!

Ryu Jin moved like flowing water and cut down monsters.

A sword that was strong yet gentle, swift yet precise.

The monsters also raised weapons and shields in an attempt to defend themselves somehow, but they were nowhere near enough to stop Ryu Jin’s sword, which seemed to see through every movement.

CRACK!

Tsumugi turned at the thunderous sound coming from another direction.

Tsumugi had thought he was just a short, plump thing, but that was not the case.

The Kung... What had he called himself again? In any case, the seal was crushing monsters with strength and technique that did not match his size.

Contrary to his completely unreliable appearance, his combat power was excellent.

Tsumugi frowned and stared at the monsters being swept away.

Ordinarily, they were frightening enough to be called the real deal, yet now they were being swept away like leaves.

Had they grown weaker over time?

...No.

They had not grown weaker.

These people climbing the stairs without hesitation were strong.

Of course, there was exactly one person who matched Tsumugi’s original expectations.

“Hey, seal! You should have lowered yourself a little more there! You almost got hit by the club! Huh? Huuuh? Look at that sloppy punching! One-two, one-two, one-two. Do you not know jabs?”

Was fighting with her mouth her specialty?

The short, stubby steamed bun stood on the same rear line as Tsumugi and kept doing nothing but backseat coaching.

Since crossing the torii, she had not stepped forward even once.

“Hey. Translucent one.”

“What?”

“You were insulting me in your head just now, right?”

Her intuition, at least, was absurdly sharp.

“This Lady Aris can know everything, so be careful! Got it?! Huh?!”

“Uh... Right.”

One avoided dung because it was filthy, not because one was afraid of it.

Tsumugi forcibly ignored her and looked off toward a distant mountain.

“Oh, would you look at that? Now you are ignoring m—Ah!?”

Aris suddenly raised a hand over one eye.

Then she whipped around and ran up the stairs with her short legs.

“Booooss!! Three o’clock direction, five hundred meters! Monsters are coming out of a pit! Uh, uh, the west side too!”

Ryu Jin, who had driven the Clear Stream Blade into a monster, covered one eye.

[Sky View]

It was not only above the stairs.

This entire forest was a space that generated waves.

‘There is no need to let ourselves get surrounded.’

I went down and tucked Tsumugi and Aris under my arms.

Then I kicked off the stairs using First Blossom Step.

If we had to face them anyway, let us block them at the top.

The high ground was always a friend that gifted terrain advantage.

---

One hour later.

“Dduaaa... My arms and legs are aching, du!”

Poporu flopped down and massaged his arms and legs.

There had been more of them than expected, so the battle had dragged on.

Hissssss...

The Miniature Watcher, which had fired piercing lasers to its heart’s content, also spewed smoke.

It was small, but on a battlefield where monsters of an appropriate level rushed in, its performance was tremendous.

I shook the blood from the Clear Stream Blade and sat down.

The first wave seemed to be over, so let us catch our breath.

‘It has become much smoother.’

I smiled as I looked at the Clear Stream Blade.

With the previous training and awakening mana on top of it, the realm of Plum Blossom True Origin Sword had entered the Beginning of First-Rate.

I had wondered whether anything would change so dramatically just because I went from Second-Rate to First-Rate, but that had been the foolish misconception of someone ignorant of swords.

The details added as my understanding of Plum Blossom True Origin Sword deepened.

Thanks to that, my overall movements had become incomparably more precise and efficient than before.

This dark blue mana, in particular, was very nice.

It entered the body part I wanted at the moment I wanted and inflated not only speed but also power.

Without it, sweeping away Floor 41 monsters while climbing as I had just done would not have been easy.

Since there was still quite a bit of the section left, I could not just draw a weapon right away.

“Fortunately, no more monsters are coming!”

After finishing her aerial scouting, Aris walked over.

Unlike Poporu and me, who were drenched in sweat, she was perfectly dry and fresh.

Whoooosh.

“What is that?”

I lifted my head after Aris.

A pale energy was leaking from the shrine.

That energy approached and began seeping into Tsumugi, who was beside us.

“Uh, uh, why is this kid like this? Their eyes rolled back!”

Tsumugi stood straight as if possessed by something and accepted the energy.

Aris clenched her steamed-bun fist, intending to wake Tsumugi.

“Wait.”

I pointed at Tsumugi’s body with my chin.

Tsumugi’s translucent body was slowly but surely becoming clearer.

DING!

[The being born in the shrine is recovering its memories!]

[It is a being that was robbed of its place to stay and driven out into the outer space!]

[When the being’s memories are fully restored, the destruction condition will be achieved!]

Tsumugi returned their eyes to normal and lowered their head.

For some reason, the atmosphere had changed.

“Hey, brat! Stop acting all serious and say something!”

Even though the steamed bun threatened Tsumugi from the side, Tsumugi did not react as before.

Tsumugi had become more mature.

Tsumugi let out a small breath and opened their mouth.

“This is the place where I was born and raised. At the same time, it is also the place I protected.”

“From whom did you protect it?”

The Great Labyrinth Library had told me that Tsumugi was the destruction condition.

However, it had not told me why Tsumugi had such a role.

That was something I had to hear from Tsumugi.

Tsumugi pointed below.

“The beings below. I fought them for a long time, but in the end, I allowed them to make a path to my world.”

I slowly nodded.

I was not sure, but this seemed to have been the process by which Tsumugi’s world had been swallowed by the Labyrinth.

“It is still not whole. We must go farther.”

Tsumugi pointed deeper into the shrine.

It was not only dark. Because of the thick fog, we could not see even an inch ahead.

At that moment.

RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE...!

A vibration came beneath our feet.

Aris frowned.

Based on experience, a vibration like this had never once brought about a good situation.

DING!

[Someone in this space does not want the being’s memories to recover!]

[A sleeping wraith has sensed a presence and opened its eyes!]

[The Wraith Army will try to block the being’s steps by any means!]

DING!

[The Hidden Quest ‘Tsumugi’s Revival,’ hidden on Basement Floor 41 of the Labyrinth, activates!]

[For revival, Tsumugi’s memories must become whole! Escort Tsumugi safely to the place where the memories are stored!]

[A Hidden Quest activates only once throughout the entire Labyrinth, and if it fails, it can never be attempted again!]

[Upon clearing the Hidden Quest, Basement Floor 41 of the Labyrinth will be destroyed, and you will acquire the treasure stored in the shrine, ‘Nameless Warrior’s Secret Technique’!]

I smiled at the acquisition of the quest I had been waiting for.

The people who had failed to notice Tsumugi’s existence before and after the Regression.

That was the reason the Hidden Quest remained even though countless people had cleared this place.

“B-Boss?”

Aris, with cold sweat running down her face, stepped backward.

“There are really damn many of them?”

“Take off the bulletproof helmet and run with Poporu and Tsumugi.”

“Why am I taking off the bulletproof helmet again?!”

“If we get surrounded anyway, you’ll be beaten to death regardless of the bulletproof helmet.”

“Oh!”

Aris quickly took off the helmet and whipped around.

“Let’s go, brats!! I will take the lead!”

Aris led the way, diligently moving her short, stubby legs.

“My lord, du! Are you not coming with us, du!?”

“I will be there soon. Go first.”

“Understood, du!”

I walked to the stairs we had just climbed.

Thousands of red glows were quickly approaching from below.

This was not merely a matter of there being many or few.

Just as the steamed bun had said, they were truly swarming to a deadly degree.

‘Goddess of Luck. Please give me something that can sweep them away cleanly.’

After making the sign of the cross I had seen somewhere, I reached into the air.

[Owned Draw Tickets 1/1]

[Using a Draw Ticket!]

The weapon roulette spun at tremendous speed and gradually slowed.

I looked back and forth between the Wraith Legion surging up from below and the roulette.

Was I not afraid when a monster tide was rushing toward me?

Not at all.

In the Labyrinth, the Goddess of Luck was always on my side.

[The Goddess smiles at Player Ryu Jin!]

[You have drawn an SS+ weapon!]

This time as well, the Goddess would surely wipe them all out in one blow...

Ah?

I frowned without realizing it.

After reading the weapon description, I looked back at the incoming wave.

It looked a little different from before.

More precisely, it looked terrifying now.

Whoosh!

I turned toward the place where my friends had run.

An unexpected weapon had come out.

Let us run first.

---

CRACK! SNAP! CRUNCH!

Poporu, who had been knocking monsters away without pause, turned his head.

“Steamed bun, du! Where is my lord, du!”

“Don’t talk to me, you seal! I’m busy right now!”

Aris groaned as she dragged Tsumugi along.

This translucent ghost brat!

Because the energy kept seeping in, Tsumugi kept stopping.

If Aris did not drag Tsumugi like this, Tsumugi looked ready to stand like a stone statue whether monsters hit them or not.

“Seal! Should we throw this one away?! They’re complete baggage!!”

“What are you saying, du! Did my lord not tell us to take good care of Tsumugi, du!”

“Hey, in front!”

[Iron Mountain Lean]

Poporu pushed the monster with his sausage-like shoulder.

A group of monsters fell over all at once.

“Duuuuu... Who could block the path of Martial God Kung-du... du.”

“Stop posing and beat them while they’re down!”

“Understood, du! Dduaaaaaagh!”

Just as he rushed in and began stomping on the fallen monsters one by one.

Rumble...!

“Kuhuuuh!”

Aris’s mouth fell open.

A Dokkaebi Monster burst out of the ground and raised a giant club.

It gave off the rough feeling of a mid-boss guarding the path.

“Hey, sausage! Your head is going to burst!”

“It is nothing, du! Something that slow is... Ddu!?”

Poporu, who had been about to dodge, looked below.

There was a reason they were wraiths.

Even though he had beaten them thoroughly, they had not died and were grabbing his pant legs.

Whoooosh!

“Dduaaaaagh!”

Poporu crossed his arms against the descending club.

It seemed like it would hurt quite a lot, but let us block it for now.

“The sausage is going to burst!!!”

Aris closed her eyes.

At least that was fortunate.

She would not be the first one to be reverse-summoned.

At that moment.

Rustle.

A cool energy brushed past Aris’s cheek.