Volume 1 - CH 25

Volume 1

Chapter 25-Shadows and Strange Things

(TL:By Rafael)

"There's a trap in there. Be careful."(Yuki)

We walked carefully through the three underground levels, where the light from the collapsed ceiling had become difficult to reach.

From here on, the surrounding environment is not so good.

There is a greater chance of demonic monsters popping out of the darkness, and their strength also increases a bit.

However, for the adventurers around here, it's only a pathway to the main dungeon of this labyrinth, the Auld Dread City Labyrinth, so there's not much to fear.

"Oh, by the way, there are no floor bosses here."(Marina)

"There used to be a floor boss in front of the Auld Dread City Labyrinth, but it hasn't been observed for about ten years now. I've heard that there are several demon monsters called Shadow Stalkers guarding the doors.

I read the logs as preliminary information, but I did not see the actual situation. 

At the time, magical tool artifacts for delivery had not yet been developed, and by the time I dove in, their appearance had not been confirmed.

"Hey, what kind of demon monster is that?"(Marina)

"It was described as a pitch-black mannequin with glowing eyes: ......"(Yuki)

"Like that?"(Marina)

Marina pointed to a corner of a small room a little further on.

There was a figure standing there. It was completely black, with only its eyes glowing like a cat's at night.

"......!"(Yuki)

I felt a chill run down my spine.

"All of you, stop. They're looking at us. ......!"(Yuki)

The three of them stopped at my words and nervously checked their surroundings.

Silk in particular is a spirit user. It's easy to see in dark places with the help of a dark spirit.

"It looks like it's just that thing. ......!"(Silk)

"Stay alert."(Yuki)

It's an unknown demon monster. I don't even know if it's hostile or friendly.

As long as they live in a dungeon, they should  move to eliminate intruders.

"......"

We continued to stare at each other in silence, but then he suddenly disappeared into a small room.

What should I do now?

Should we follow him to the small room and take him down?

Or should I continue to head for the stairs?

I couldn't tell how intelligent it was, but it seemed to be observing us.

There were records of several of them when they appeared as floor bosses, and they might be planning to call in their friends to ambush or attack us.

But oddly enough, they didn't seem to be hostile.

It could be that they were just watching .......

"Let's take a vote. Let's make a decision: pursue or ignore."(Yuki)

"I don't think I should touch it."(Marina)

"Neither do I. If it doesn't attack us, let's just leave it alone."(Silk)

Rain pondered for a moment and then decided in favor of the chase,

"It's a undead."(Rain)

"It's two against one. Rain, are you fine with this?"(Yuki)

"Yuki?"(Rain)

"I couldn't decide, so I asked you guys."(Yuki)

He chuckled lightly.

"We'll be on the lookout, though. We'll be spraying holy water as we go."(Yuki)

"Hmm. They don't seem to be hostile, but they are undead. There is a possibility that they will attack us."(Silk)

"But Shadow Stalker, the Shadow Man. I've never seen a real one before."(Marina)

The report said that it was a very powerful enemy.

If possible, I do not want to encounter them in the future.

It's not easy for me to support against the undead, especially since it's hard to use weak magic on them.

"For now, let's decide what to do first. If it comes to a battle, I'll aim for physical domination first."(Yuki)

"What about the《 Turn Undead》?"(Marina)

I respond to Marina's words with a shake of my head.

"According to the information I read before, they need to be weakened considerably to be effective. Think of them as doing whatever we humans do."(Yuki)

"So, magic too?"(Rain)

"Yeah. I believe there was a record of dark magic being used."(Yuki)

Dark magic is the reverse mechanism of holy magic used by monks.

It opens wounds, raises the dead, and spreads disease and bad luck. ......

It is the kind of magic that is illegal to learn, and is said to be used with the help of evil gods and demons.

"Can we handle this?"(Silk))

"Yes."(Yuki)

I assure her.

Silk's virtue of prudence can sometimes lead to a narrowing of vision.

It can sometimes be a backward-looking suggestion that prevents action.

"I'll take care of it when it comes down to it. Just leave it to me."(Yuki)

"If you say so, Sensei."(Silk)

Silk nodded, looking relieved.

"You're right, I feel like I'll be fine with you."(Marina)

"Yeah. I feel safe, too."(Rain)

I'm glad to see that their tension has been relieved.

My nerves have been also  relieved, although I'm feeling a little anxious and sick to my stomach.

But there was a harvest, too.

I was able to catch a glimpse of the Shadow Stalker, which hadn't been observed for more than ten years.

This can be submitted as a record log that has some value.

...... This means that we can expect to add to our adventurer credibility score.

"There might be a battle in front of the door. Let's keep our heads up and go."(Yuki)

"Understood."(Silk)

"Got it! Let's do our best!"(Marina)

"Hmm."(Rain)

The three of them each nodded at my words and looked forward.

They were not as nervous as they needed to be, but they were not relaxed either.

Okay, we're in good condition.

"Let's get going."(Yuki)

I reapplied the reinforcement magic just in case, and started walking.

There is no record of this, but there is a possibility of a surprise attack,......, so we have to be more careful than before.

But why now all of a sudden "Shadow Stalker, the Shadow Man" appeared ?

There may be something strange going on in this labyrinthine group.

Is it strange that Shadow Stalker disappeared ten years ago, or is it strange that Shadow Stalker has reappeared?

In the end, we won't know what's right until after something happens.

However, we must keep in mind that this is not the same as it was before ...... and we must act accordingly.

With that in mind, I walked through the dungeon, which seemed to be getting colder, and reached the end.

"Okay, stairs. The next step is the final one. Let's take a rest first."(Yuki)

From the stairs to the fourth underground level, I felt a strange and quiet presence leaking out.