Witch Taming System-Chapter 23: Labyrinth Dive [5]

Trapped between pushing forward and retreating toward the exit, there was only one realistic option.

Go deeper.

The path behind them was already crawling with approaching monsters. Fighting their way back now would mean facing the entire horde head-on.

That would be suicide.

If they moved further into the labyrinth instead, there was at least a chance to find a narrower corridor or hidden chamber where the monsters could be controlled and dealt with in smaller numbers.

In labyrinth combat, positioning meant everything.

It was always better to dictate the battlefield than to be swallowed by sheer numbers.

Honestly, first-time labyrinth explorers were a headache.

Several of the adventurers around him claimed to be seasoned veterans, yet their reactions told a different story. Panic, shouting, and arguing in the middle of combat.

Basic mistakes.

How had so many people reached A-rank without ever properly dealing with a labyrinth before?

"Forward," Lancel said, stepping toward the branching corridor ahead. "If we stay here, we’re dead."

"Deeper?"

"Yes," Lancel said. "Find a choke point."

The scraping sounds behind them grew louder as more labyrinth dwellers flooded into the passage.

The group made their choice quickly and pushed deeper into the labyrinth. Boots echoed against the stone floor until the sounds of the pursuing horde grew slightly more distant.

Eventually, they reached a narrower passage that opened into a small chamber.

For the moment, it was quiet. A breathing space.

Lancel stepped forward once again and looked around at the others.

"Is there anyone here with actual proper labyrinth experience?"

A few people exchanged glances.

The leader raised his hand.

"This is my third time," he said.

Lancel looked at him.

"Then what the hell was that back there?"

The leader frowned. "We weren’t expecting a ceiling ambush."

"That’s not the point," Lancel replied. "You abandoned every basic protocol."

One of the adventurers scratched the back of his head.

"Look, it’s not like we’ve been running labyrinths lately."

"What does that mean?" Lancel asked.

Another adventurer spoke up from the back.

"Most labyrinths these days are already under jurisdiction."

Lancel frowned. "Jurisdiction?"

"Yeah," the man continued. "Noble houses, guild sponsors, even certain merchant groups. When a labyrinth gets discovered, it usually gets claimed immediately."

"And once that happens," the Leader added, "they only allow adventurers they’re connected with to explore it."

In other words, opportunities like this were rare. An open labyrinth expedition was almost nonexistent now.

The leader crossed his arms.

"So most of us haven’t had a chance to explore one in quite a while."

Lancel hadn’t realized that was the case.

Back then, things had been different for him. He had connections. Being affiliated with certain factions meant he was often selected for labyrinth expeditions whenever one was discovered.

Those kinds of opportunities had come naturally to him.

But for the others, it seemed that wasn’t the case at all.

Which meant many adventurers, even those who held the rank of A-class, simply didn’t have the experience when it came to labyrinth operations.

Lancel rubbed the back of his neck.

"...I see."

That explained a lot.

In the end, it simply came down to a difference in privilege. Back then, Lancel had operated under certain affiliations that granted him opportunities others rarely received.

But now things were different.

He no longer had ties to the factions he used to work with. Whatever advantages came with those connections were long gone.

If anything, Lancel was the one who had more to learn now.

"But you seem quite experienced," the leader said. "I knew you weren’t ordinary the moment you volunteered as a scout."

Lancel glanced at him. "What makes you say that?"

"For one thing, corpses follow you."

"I have a special eye, you see. A curse, technically."

The man shrugged, as if the statement were completely normal.

"I was cursed by a witch a long time ago," he said. "Apparently, my father used to be her betrothed. But he left her and ran off with another woman."

"...."

"So the witch hunted them down and killed them both. Meanwhile, sparing me in the process."

"Spare you?"

"As a form of punishment for my birth. For my father’s betrayal."

He tapped lightly beneath one of his eyes. His black pupils slowly shifted into a reddish hue.

"She left me with a curse that ensures I will always see the deceased. For example, my parents."

The man’s eyes moved slightly past him.

"But they’re not the only ones. You have quite a crowd behind you."

"...What?"

"Corpses. Quite a lot of them."

Lancel didn’t turn around.

"They follow you everywhere," the man continued. "Most of them look... violent. I’d say they were killed rather than dying naturally."

The man shrugged.

"But I’m not one to judge. That’s simply the way of adventurers. We all end up taking lives sooner or later."

His red-tinted eyes returned to Lancel.

"That’s why you volunteering as a scout felt unusual. I figured there was a chance we might have to kill you before you killed us."

Metal scraped all around Lancel.

Several adventurers drew their weapons. It was evident that most of them had already been warned about him.

Lancel glanced around at the weapons pointed in his direction.

"Then why haven’t you done it?" he asked. "Why let me join the party in the first place?"

The man grinned. "Opportunity."

He leaned back against the stone wall.

"A man like you usually has a bounty somewhere. Figured we might cash in eventually."

He shrugged.

"But that doesn’t matter anymore. It was your call earlier. Your route and your map saved us from walking straight into a death trap."

He looked back at Lancel.

"So, unless you actually plan on killing us, Mister Lancel, I’d say we’re even."

Lancel looked at the group again.

Twenty-three people.

Even if he had intended to betray them, which he hadn’t, fighting that many A-rank adventurers alone would be suicide. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Never even crossed my mind," Lancel replied. "I’m just a returning veteran looking for honest work."

The leader chuckled and pushed himself off the wall.

"Heh. Good to hear. I believe in good karma, Mister Lancel."

The others slowly lowered their weapons, though a few still kept a cautious grip on them.

"So," the leader continued, "what should we do now?"

"The exit route is already crawling with monsters," Lancel said. "If we try to force our way back now, we’ll get surrounded before we even reach the first fork."

Several adventurers grimaced.

"But we’re not exactly trapped, per se. There are three corridors ahead."

One of the scouts nodded.

"I saw those."

"The wide one is a bad idea," Lancel continued. "Since there’s too much space, monsters can swarm us there."

"And the narrow ones?"

"Better," Lancel said. "If we control the choke point, we can fight them a few at a time."

Mael adjusted her shield.

"So we dig in?"

"For now."

Lancel unfolded the map on the ground and traced a line with his fingers.

"There’s a bend here. If we hold that corner, the vanguard can block the entrance while the rest rotate in and out. If there’s a nest nearby, we need to find it before the next wave does."

The leader looked at him for a long moment before turning toward the others.

"Alright. You heard the man."

The adventurers exchanged uneasy looks, though no one voiced an objection.

"I don’t know how a simple extermination job turned into a survival game," the leader continued. "But it seems we’ll have to rethink this expedition tomorrow."

He glanced toward the dark tunnel behind them, where the skittering sounds had not completely faded.

"And next time we return here, we’re bringing a lot more men."

A brief pause followed.

"If we survive, that is."