A week had passed.
Once again, shocking news swept through the Labyrinth City.
The Explorers’ Guild made the announcement first.
Out of the three teams of High Explorers dispatched, only three returned. Out of the twenty teams of Mid-level Explorers, twelve teams managed to return.
Hans’s party, however, was nowhere to be found.
Among those who returned were survivors who had passed through the black portal. They testified that upon crossing it, they were randomly teleported to different floors.
This was also the reason why Jeong Yusin’s party had been trapped in the tower without support from other exploration parties.
Most of the corpses of the novice and mid-level explorers who had gone missing were discovered on the fifth floor.
Especially beneath the rubble of the collapsed tower where many bodies were found.
Although most of the bodies lacked heads, they were identified through their IDs.
Next, the announcement came from the Labyrinth Tower.
A new ‘phenomenon’ had emerged within the Labyrinth.
A phenomenon where new demons would appear on random levels.
This phenomenon, the tower labeled the ‘Eldritch Wave.’
The explanation was simple.
When interdimensional energies from the depths of the Great Labyrinth burst forth and linger within a specific layer, creatures from other realms were born within that layer.
The earthquake that had occurred was also due to this explosion.
However, now that this ‘phenomenon’ had become a ‘rule,’
it was predicted that there wouldn’t be another quake for the time being, according to the head of the tower.
The movement of the Eldritch Wave between levels was gradual.
This was why creatures like the man-faced spiders found on the fifth floor were also seen on the fourth floor.
The townsfolk were chattering endlessly about this announcement.
Some sought out the members who participated in this expedition to hear more details.
The long-lived races simply nodded in agreement, offering no additional commentary. To them, it was simply the inevitable happening of what was bound to occur.
On the contrary, what was odd was that there hadn’t been any changes in the great labyrinth for nearly 300 years.
It was their belief that ‘Magic’ took on different forms across different eras.
The evil sealed away by the Sage Ezra still stirred in its confinement deep below, reshaping itself.
Upon hearing this announcement, Jeong Yusin summed it up succinctly:
“It’s just a random level-up burning event.”
The first to third Labyrinth ventures tied directly into this burning event.
Though he had thought life was harsh and without rhyme or reason, everything had its own purpose.
Jeong Yusin accepted this and let it go.
The methods to combat the Eldritch Wave were straightforward:
Either endure until the wave subsides,
Or rush towards a Telestone and return to the city.
The chaotic atmosphere in the city gradually settled down after a few days.
Now that the unknown had a name, people were apprehensive but not fearful.
With throats parched like a fox’s, they began venturing into the Labyrinth one by one.
The city quickly returned to normal.
The knights retreated to the inner citadel, and people resumed their daily routines.
Two days had passed since the complete lifting of the Labyrinth closure order.
Karin’s party gathered early in the morning at Dar Mongolia’s inn.
Five people sat around a table.
“Strange. It feels like a dream.”
Loenel, who had transformed back into an elf, muttered, gazing blankly.
“What is it?” Jeong Yusin asked.
Loenel stared into the air for a moment, then turned to look at Jeong Yusin.
“Being a duck was good. Flying around the streets, flapping my wings felt amazing. Living as an elf and then becoming a duck, experiencing the world from a duck’s perspective—it was astonishing and wonderful. Transcending the self of an elf and looking at the world from the perspective of nature, everything seemed new. It’s as if my perspective broadened. It feels dreamy. I wonder if I was the duck or if the duck was me.”
It was absurd.
Not Zhuangzi’s butterfly dream, but the “duck dream”?
“So, what do you want to say?” Jeong Yusin carefully inquired.
“I intend to leave the party.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll return to my hometown to raise ducks. Further riches or accomplishments are meaningless to me, just pointless things.”
“Really now.”
Jeong Yusin scratched his head.
Suddenly declaring enlightenment and talking about oneness with nature while also announcing a party departure—this was unexpected.
Karin nodded her head in agreement.
“Alright. Is there anything you need?”
“No.”
“Cheep.”
Ahiman’s disciple, Maya, spoke up.
“My teacher also plans to leave the party. He wishes to conduct further research on lizards…”
“Ah.”
Karin nodded her head again.
Jeong Yusin looked at Gilsian. The wise light in his eyes was now calm.
“I intend to visit the Light Spirit Temple and pay my respects. It looks like it might take some time.”
Why did it sound like he would be visiting some distant place?
Curiosity sparked.
“Is there no Light Spirit Temple in the city?”
Jeong Yusin asked.
“There is none. The Light Temple is located outside the city.”
“I see.”
How curious.
“Alright.”
Karin accepted Gilsian’s departure as well.
Thus ended the party meeting.
Though it likely wasn’t the end.
While Loenel was uncertain, as long as they remained in the Labyrinth City, they expected to bump into each other occasionally.
They drank and exchanged various trivialities.
At some point, the conversation shifted to magical artifacts.
It was definitely available from level five upwards. He remembered. Gilsian mentioned it when they were at the level five tower.
It was curious.
If there were various magical artifacts, might there not also be some that could suppress branding?
Or perhaps some kind of magic?
“I have a question.”
Jeong Yusin spoke to Maya.
“Ask away.”
“Is there a way to suppress these brands?”
Maya tilted her head.
“Yes, there is. Have you perhaps acquired a negative brand?”
Jeong Yusin’s face flushed slightly.
“Don’t misunderstand, but hear me out.”
Jeong Yusin recounted the cursed brand he had obtained.
The party members, who were chatting amongst themselves, fell silent and focused on Jeong Yusin’s explanation.
Jeong Yusin noticed that his fellow party members were listening intently, and his face turned even redder.
It was trustworthy being around people with whom he’d risked his life. Still, telling something so embarrassing—like a brand about female corruption—was quite awkward.
“…So, I’m trying to find a way to inhibit this brand.”
Having wrapped up his story, Jeong Yusin paused.
Maya nodded.
“Ah, so it’s the female corruption brand.”
Gilsian pulled his chair slightly back.
“…Could we please keep it down?”
Jeong Yusin, looking around nervously, whispered softly.
“Yes.”
Maya gave a perfunctory nod, propped her chin in her hand, and fell into deep thought.
The lizard chirped and nudged her neck with its beak.
Maya clapped her hands.
“Oh! Generally, you use magical artifacts to suppress the brand. There are also incantations and magic, but they’re not very efficient. How about checking out the magical artifact shop in the Central Sector?”
“Whereabouts in the Central Sector?”
“Hmm. It’s hard to explain. Would you like me to come with you tomorrow?”
“Would that be all right?”
He was a bit worried. What if she developed feelings for him, leading to an unstoppable downfall?
Maya chuckled as if it was the most ridiculous thing.
“Barbaroy, you didn’t seem like that kind of person, but your self-consciousness is overblown. Get a grip.”
“Ah… yes.”
He regretted inadvertently creating such a black history.
He was so embarrassed he wanted to die.
Jeong Yusin searched for a hole in the table to hide in.
“Besides, I have someone I like.”
While smiling, Maya gently caressed the lizard.
The lizard’s body stiffened like ice.
“I see. I leave it to you.”
Jeong Yusin bowed deeply.
By evening, he saw off Loenel, Gilsian, and Ahiman.
Leaning against the entrance of the inn, Jeong Yusin watched the departing backs of his party members.
The dream of Zhuangzi’s butterfly.
Loenel’s dream of a duck.
‘If I were a werewolf, would I understand Karin?’
‘If I were an elf, would I understand Loenel?’
He thought of Dell.
The elf archer who had become a goblin.
As his party members disappeared over the distance, Jeong Yusin stretched, then entered the inn.
It was the early summer evening in the Labyrinth City.
*
The next morning, Jeong Yusin went to the central district with Maya.
They passed by the Explorer’s Guild headquarters they had seen before and went through the central square.
There were more well-dressed people here compared to the southern district.
After walking for a while,
Jeong Yusin and Maya entered a narrow alley lined with wooden buildings. The scent of old wood wafted faintly in the air.
“Here we are. The magical artifact street.”
“There are so many!”
Jeong Yusin was amazed as he looked at the closely clustered signs sticking out from the alley buildings.
“There’s a store I recommend. Please be careful, though.”
“Don’t worry.”
Maya deftly navigated the tangled alleys,
and Jeong Yusin followed slowly.
Maya stopped in front of an old wooden building, catching Jeong Yusin’s eye. Her gaze was a warning not to do anything stupid.
Jeong Yusin nodded.
Ding.
When they opened the door and entered, the sound of a bell rang.
Inside, the smell of old paper and herbs filled the shop.
Bookshelves were densely packed with mysterious magical tomes.
Tall robed figures were browsing through books in front of the shelves.
Maya walked past them and headed toward the counter.
A dwarven man with a stylishly trimmed mustache and glasses sat reading a book in a chair at the counter.
“Maya, what brings you here?”
The dwarf looked up from his book at Maya, then at Jeong Yusin standing behind her, and his eyes widened in surprise.
“Barbaroy?”
The dwarf asked in a shocked tone.
Having nothing to say, Jeong Yusin shrugged and moved on to the main topic.
“I’m looking for a magical artifact.”
The dwarf frowned.
“You looking for something that enlarges your size? We don’t sell that here.”
“I don’t need such a thing.”
“Then what? We don’t have anything that infinitely boosts stamina either, you know?”
“Huff. And I don’t need that either.”
“Confident, are you? We don’t sell the ‘Collection of 108 Magical Positions to Drive Women Wild’ either.”
“Not that.”
“Wait till you hear. We don’t stock the book ’50 Ways to Conquer Innocent Priests’ either.”
Hmm…
No, don’t be distracted. I must stay focused.
“…No, I came here because I heard you had magical artifacts that suppress brands.”
“What kind of brand?”
“The female corruption brand.”
The dwarf frowned.
“Are you sitting there planning to gobble up innocent virgins? You have no decency. Barbaroy should at least pretend to hunt brides.”
“Excuse me… Do you have any idea how I got this brand?”
Jeong Yusin’s expression twisted.
Maya interjected.
“Besides, Barbaroy can’t get anywhere without mutual ‘affection.’ It sounds too difficult.”
The dwarf nodded.
“That’s right. Just wait a moment.”
The dwarf got up from behind the counter and went into the storage room behind it.
The sound of items being rummaged echoed.
After a while, the dwarf came out holding a small ring.
“I found one. It was hard to locate.”
“Is this the one to suppress the female corruption?”
“Exactly. But, there are side effects.”
“Which are?”
“It will augment the wearer’s sexual desires.”
That was a manageable side effect.
It had been over four months since he last had any action.
“Forget about it.”
The wise Jeong Yusin readily nodded and said,
“How much does it cost?”
“Since you came through a contact, I’ll give you a discount. One gold coin is fine.”
Jeong Yusin’s eyes bulged out.
“What… what did you say?”
Jeong Yusin’s voice trembled.
A gold coin was no mere trifle.
He wanted to rip off the dwarf’s beard that so casually mentioned it.
“Hey, why the upset when I’m already discounting it for you?”
Jeong Yusin turned to look at Maya.
“Is that correct?”
“Yes. That’s already a cheap price.”
Too expensive.
Jeong Yusin gritted his teeth.
Still, he had to buy it.
Not to mention, it was already hard enough to join a normal party as a barbarian. Add the female corruption brand, and it would be as hard as plucking stars out of the sky.
Also, considering he needed to learn to write to understand the scriptures, he couldn’t risk unintentionally branding the little ones with lewd texts.
If that happened, he’d become a child hunter who defiled the innocent—a permanent disgrace, leading to the city’s guards chasing after him with swords drawn.
‘Yusin, you’ve truly become a deadly man.’
Jeong Yusin sighed inwardly and took out a gold coin from his pouch.
“Here’s one gold coin. I’ll think of it as a sacrifice to save the countless young maidens of the future who would be mesmerized by my charm.”
“…”
Both the dwarf and Maya looked at him as if he were crazy.
“I’m kidding. Let’s lighten up, shall we?”
“Barbaroy, where should we laugh here? Besides, there are plenty of older maidens in our city too.”
The shop owner grumbled.
Jeong Yusin shook his head and pinched his own forehead.
Really, these people lacked any sense of humor.
He decided that engaging them in conversation would only make things worse.
Giving up on speaking, Jeong Yusin immediately slipped the ring handed to him by the dwarf onto his finger.
“Hmm? Is the brand suppression working right?”
He felt nothing.
“Just wait a moment.”
“!”
True to the dwarf’s word, after about a minute, the effect began to take hold.
His vision swirled. He covered his eyes with his hands for a moment.
After a while, as the dizziness subsided, he reopened his eyes.
The world as it was supposed to be spread out before him.
Why had he forgotten?
The sight of the dwarf standing in front of him… now appeared feminine.
Short stature and a blunt expression.
He wanted to knock her onto her back and imprint the pleasures of a female on her wrinkled face immediately.
Jeong Yusin’s eyes narrowed predatorily, like an animal eyeing its prey.
He reached out and stroked the dwarf’s beard.
“Dwarf, how do you get to keep a beard so alluring? Come with me to the storeroom right now. We’re due for a private meeting.”
The dwarf’s face turned pale.
[ Mind Flash ]
Maya began casting a spell.
Bang!
Something exploded right before their eyes.
Jeong Yusin’s neck snapped back violently.
His vision wavered, and nausea surged upwards.
“Ugh…”
He gripped his head and groaned.
“Wha… What just happened?”
He asked his trembling voice.
He couldn’t remember anything. He only had the vague sense that he’d nearly done something terrible.
“Nothing happened. Barbaroy, don’t be consumed by lust.”
“I understand. I nearly did something dangerous just now, but I don’t recall much.”
“Stay vigilant. Darkness lingers everywhere.”
“Understood.”
As the conversation between Maya and Jeong Yusin ended, the dwarf coughed.
“Hmm… You two should leave now.”
At that moment, Jeong Yusin leaned on the counter.
“Hu… Huuuhk!”
The dwarf let out a startled shout.
“Shopkeeper,” Jeong Yusin quietly said.
“Wh… what?”
“Didn’t you mention that last item?”
“What?”
“That… the fifty ways to bring down the priestess. If it’s named, it must exist. Can you tell me where I can find it?”
“It’s in the Eastern Sector. Look it up sometime.”
“Thank you.”
“Leave quickly.”
The dwarf shop owner watched Jeong Yusin leave, then noticed his drenched back.
‘A dangerous man.’
The dwarf shuddered at the recollection of Jeong Yusin’s carnivorous eyes.
Jeong Yusin and Maya came out of the magical tool shop.
“Maya, thank you so much.”
Jeong Yusin bowed deeply.
“In return for saving my teacher. Though it’s not enough, I’m glad to help.”
Maya stroked the lizard once and turned her body around.
“Then, I’ll take my leave here. Goodbye.”
“Yes.”
Jeong Yusin watched Maya leave, then exited the lane and returned to the southern sector.
A significant amount had been spent. His mouth felt bitter. But there was meaning in preserving the surrounding peace.
Because to him, peaceful daily life was far more important than unthinking breeding.
Still.
‘Perhaps I should visit the Eastern Sector once.’
Jeong Yusin’s eyes sparkled like stars.
