Chapter 38 (1/2)
Thirty-Eighth Episode~ Magic Labyrinth Sabido Kentsiru
Translator’s Corner: Good chapter today! Enjoy~
Editor’s Corner: Well now that I am the editor and plan to stay, I am looking for a proofreader. The proofreader is needed to help with the fine cleaning of the translation and help find the mistakes that I have missed and other such things.
Just after the transfer finishes there is a *bua* in my ear.
The change in atmospheric pressure makes it feel like my ears are full of air.
However, such a thing is overwhelmed by the scene around me.
There is a great number of adventurers.
Humans wearing strong looking heavy armor.
A tiger beastman wearing black leather armor with a big sword strapped to his back.
The strong looking adventurers have gathered in the open s.p.a.ce. They are welcoming the adventurers who are appearing from the transfer formation. There are groups that are working out strategies. Although there is fighting and quarreling happening, they are laughing as well. Scenes like this are all around.
The noise is loud…so many people.
There are several merchant stalls too.
Wao, there are places to eat too…
A photosphere of magic floats around the heads pa.s.sing adventurers. This combined with the torches and lanterns it becomes a very bright s.p.a.ce.
It lacks the feeling of a labyrinth and has the feeling of looking at some big surface market.
Rollo reacts to the smell of the food drifting from the stalls. Her nose is twitching as she sniffs and she reaches out a leg.
Moreover, there is a sound of the adventurers’ armor rubbing together and I look around the area restlessly.
This place looks like a gathering and rest zone before entering the labyrinth.
There are some big statues resembling G.o.ds on the far-off wall.
The statues of the G.o.ds give off the feeling of watching the brave adventurers advance into the labyrinth.
There are a lot people praying to the statues and I remember that I saw something similar in the Vallaida Insect Shrine.
As I am looking around like a newbie Kuna talks.
“…Shuya, please let me guide you. And then…”
Like that, she approaches and just like a sweet heart is kissing me on the cheek, she brings her face to my ear.
She smells good. She wearing a special perfume?
She whispers like that in my ear. “I know ‘various’ things about this magic labyrinth…so will leave it to me?”
This s.e.xy appearance, it is no joke, she carries the feeling of a woman.
“…Understood.”
I answer shortly, and stare at Kuna who has a cute expression then I try to get a sense of the internal conditions.
Her words are confident, after all, as a B ranked adventurer she would know a lot about this labyrinth.
…Nevertheless, her dimpled face is great and the beauty mark under her lips is seductive too.
Even if I try to understand my feelings and her face is cute. I end up thinking about other things but there is no helping it since I am a man.
To not respond to my gaze, Kuna extends the ring on her left hand.
The ring is made of silver and it is shaped like a level pyramid with lines forming triangles.
A light sphere like a soap bubble appears from the pyramids with a *nyuru*.
Wonderful.
Rollo reacts immediately by turning her red eyes to the light sphere that suddenly appeared. Her pupils dilate, and she begins to stare at the glowing light sphere questioningly.
The floating light sphere seems to have caught her eye and she gets down from my shoulder to chase it.
Kuna moves the light sphere freely and begins to play with Rollo.
On her finger in addition to the silver pyramid ring that created the light sphere, there are several gaudy rings. There is also a bracelet and a chain wrapped around her wrist, jingling.
The rings and bracelet all contain mana.
I remember the ring Zoru had for a moment.
“…Fufu, are you interested in this? It is a magic tool that produces a sphere of light and it can be used without the light magic attribute, so it’s easy to use.”
“That ring is convenient.”
“Yeah, but let’s go now so follow me.” Kuna nods her head in satisfaction and starts to move to invite me.
We join the line of adventures going ahead and begin to walk down the cave pa.s.sage.
However, in the middle of the pa.s.sage we suddenly turn left.
Thinking we turned left, we then turn right and have now begun to advance along a small rocky path.
What kind of thing is this and why are we taking this snaking pathway? It is a different direction than the other adventurers are going.
We advance in a narrow s.p.a.ce between rocks with no one else…
It is difficult to see on the small path due to the darkness.
Kuna has the light sphere lead us and brightly light up the small path. There is no helping it so I continue to follow her.
Despite me showing her such a questioning face, she walks indifferently along the small snaking path.
Sighing, I follow Kuna.
The rock is cold and there are places that cannot be pa.s.sed unless I side step.
I turn left and right through the small pa.s.sages and proceed through.
We advance through the maze-like cave and soon I no longer feel the sign of adventurers behind us. It then becomes only Kuna and I pa.s.sing through.
Coming out of the small rock pa.s.sage we appear in a large cavern where bats seem to have settled down in.
Rocks are scattered across the ground and there is a sunken crevice in ground that stands out. Still, it is a large s.p.a.ce.
Kuna does not pause and walks to the right, but she then looks back as she walks.
“Beyond this point there is a pa.s.sage. We’re going this way because if we went left there is a metastasis formation prepared by the labyrinth.”
“…Labyrinth?”
“Yeah. it’s a little-known place. It connects to an easy hunting ground and there are few adventurers that know about this.”
A little-known spot. I see.
Are these what high ranked adventurers are like?
Maa, I would like to go if it is easy to hunt there.
…However, it is too suspicious.
Is it a trap for newbie adventurers? For now, I should be careful.
Yet, I'm still going to check it out even if it is a trap and I would like to explore the magic labyrinth first.
And, above all Kuna is a beautiful woman, I would like to trust her. (TL: I wonder if she has a d.i.c.k.) [ED: No comment.]
“Kuna?”
“Un?”
Kuna looks at me with a smile.
The surface of her eyes glitter yellow.
-Mysterious eyes.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Strange~ this way.”
Kuna leads the way and as she said before there is a magic formation carved into the ground.
A metastasis formation created by the labyrinth…
“Beyond this point, monsters appear is ‘swarms’ so be careful.”
My turn.
“Then, should I enter first and be on guard?”
“No, I will go first.”
My manly words…are easily rejected.
Kuna smiles. “It isn’t necessary.” There is such a feeling.
My vanity is sticking out.
Like that, Kuna lifts her staff then steps into the magic formation and disappears.
Now then, I should go too.
Rollo- I move my eyes to the black cat.
“After we pa.s.s through the magic formation be wary of our surroundings.”
“Nya~”
Nya cries as if to say 『Understood, Nya』
Like that, I step into the metastasis magic formation.
Soon after transporting. Just like the time I transferred from the guild there is a sensation of air clogging up my ears. I check my footing.
Oi, this is a bit different from the metastasis formation I stepped into?
The magic formation is a hexagram formation with a dark ominous color. And, there are huge lit candles set up at the six corners. (TL: Not the trap I was thinking, but still really trapish.)
Rather than metastasis, this is more like a magi formation for a ritual.
Along the outer edge of the magic formation but excluding the candle a thin transparent black film is visible.
The film encloses the outer edge of the magic formation and extends to the ceiling.
This film, possibly, is it a trap?
Have I been trapped?
With such impressions, I hear Kuna’s voice from inside.
“…Sabido-sama. I brought a good specimen.”
“…”
It is Kuna and she is higher up on a stone staircase.
Kuna has sunk to the floor on one knee and is lowering her head to a throne.
My eye naturally go to the creature sitting there.
Uhe, it is a big type of person, but…roughly a s.p.a.ce creature. A boss-like character.
I confirm with magic observing eye.
Wow, magic essence is pouring out of the creature sitting on the throne like a raging river.
Kuna is too small compared to this guy.
Rugged dark red skin, a humanoid creature with six eyes.
Catapult like projections rise from his cheeks and shoulders, his muscles and frame swells, a great number of black like cut out and protrude from the middle…like gills, the lines are opening and closing.
Rough violet armor. This is Kuna’s boss.
It is different than what I expected, but…I have been betrayed.
“Kuna? What kind of thing is this?”
I speak in a weaker than normal voice and try to exit the magic formation.
However, I am blocked by the thin black wall and cannot exit.
“Nya!”
Rollo tries to exit the black wall by jumping through it, but she hits the wall and bounces off.
Kuna stands up and turns cold eyes to us.
All too soon, Kuna casts off the dark blue robe.
Yet, there is still the stone return ball I bought from Kuna…
Can I return if I use this?
“It’s regrettable, but can the stone ball of return not be used here?”
She talks as if reading my thoughts.
After all, the stone ball can’t be used here so things will not be that easy.
“…However, you. Baka, coming so willingly… after this, will you work so hard to be useful to Sabido? I think you will become a good specimen and a splendid guinea pig.”
…Maa, I guess I will act like I have been deceived.
“Specimen! Bulls.h.i.+t.”
“It’s no use even if you act tough? As I said before you can’t use the stone ball of return in my black prison crest magic. You can never exit unless I dismiss it. Puu, obediently follow your instructions.”
She has a cute face, but it looks disgusting.
Oi, then I should docilely obey because I cannot get out.
However, this magic formation carved into the floor, it is called dark magic.
I am a darkness attribute holder, so I may be able to interfere with it…
However, I should not struggle in this place.
If I resist and cannot get out, then I will be shut in.
“…I should obey your instructions?”
“Ara? You’re obedient…”
Then, the stiff-shouldered creature sitting on the throne speaks for the first time.
“Kuna. This one looks ‘merely human,’ but…”
This guy is the boss of the demonic being. A deep resounding voice.
The difference in the voice, the difference in the dignity it totally incompatible with what I felt from Kuna.
“Sabido-sama. It surely looks like a normal human, but I touched this one and the quality of the magic essence in his body was enormous. I didn’t notice at first because he doesn’t seem to leave magic essence for some reason. But, in addition the human I brought…He has an ancient magic tool ‘ring’ equipped that Sabido-sama once gave to the ‘Magician Zoru Gustave.'”
When the man on the throne hears Kuna’s words,
“Hou, a magician then. It’s stupid to be pleased by a second-hand magic tool, since he has it…did he kill him? N? Aah, it’s such a thing. The reason Mize the bone wings did not return…”
Sabido was leaning on the arm of the throne but as he talks he rises from the throne.
Despite his large build his heavy armor like skin, he steps lightly.
Because of his abnormally swelling shoulders he gives off a powerful aura several times that of an American football player.
His whole body is wrapped in a fleshy meat sh.e.l.l that is reinforced with a dark purple exoskeleton that extends to his ankles.
The armor looks hard.
A black mantle bordered in purple s.h.i.+mmers behind him.
Sabido walks with a light pace and he stops in front of Kuna.
“Kuna. You who has a superior observing eye skill did not notice at first glance? Maa, this is the human that killed Mize. It may be natural, but…”
Sabido talks while looking this way.
“Fumu. With such enormous magic essence, it will be good food for the labyrinth… Rivguraf-sama will certainly be pleased as well.” (TL: Rivguraf mentioned in chapter 10.)
Kuna speaks deferential to Sabido and her face blushes vermillion as she falls silent.
Then, Kuna’s form gradually changes.
Uhaaaa, she is changing.