Chapter 89

In a small room of the labyrinth, there were six thieves.

None of them had particularly high levels.

Four were in their teens, and two were in their twenties.

Can a party that comes to the twelfth floor with just this level of strength really attack?

It seems unlikely.

A party can have a maximum of six members, so if there are six opponents, it becomes a six-on-six battle.

It would be a close call to fight one-on-one.

Even if they try to catch us off guard, it’s impossible to instantly kill all of us.

If we fight back with all our might, one or two casualties are inevitable.

In that case, it would be impossible to continue plundering over a long period.

Perhaps they would resort to such reckless actions if they were in a dire situation.

However, it doesn’t suit a cold-blooded band of thieves who ambush and attack in the labyrinth.

It’s safe to assume that these six wouldn’t act alone.

Are they divided into other groups, or are they still observing the situation?

It might be early in the morning, and they haven’t fully prepared yet.

The possibility of them suddenly attacking has decreased.

“××××××××××”

“?”

The thief said something, but it wasn’t in Brahium, so I couldn’t understand.

I tilted my head, and this time a Level 28 thief approached.

“Good morning. The room with the boss is that way. We’ll go after resting a bit.”

He pointed to the left with his arm.

He was the highest-level among the six thieves.

It seems this man can speak Brahium.

I entered the small room while remaining cautious.

The thieves scattered.

Oh, damn.

Their movements were as if they had been trained in advance.

The thieves quickly spread out in the room.

They didn’t surround us.

They were just keeping a cautious distance.

Since we were also on guard, we couldn’t ask them to stop.

However, it would be difficult to take them all down at once.

Turning back now would look unnatural.

What would happen if I started something here?

Their levels are low, so I could probably take out two of them quickly.

The third one is uncertain.

With the others surrounding us, it would be impossible to take out more than four.

If we fight here, Roxane, Selly, and Miria would each have to face a thief one-on-one.

We might not lose, but we can’t guarantee a win.

It’s better to avoid unnecessary risks.

I should just follow what the thief says.

“Thank you.”

I followed the thief to the left.

The thieves stood at a distance, blocking the other passages.

They didn’t show any signs of attacking.

I see.

I understood the thieves’ strategy.

One of the three directions other than the door we entered must lead to the boss’s room.

Otherwise, there would be no point in setting up an ambush here.

And one of the three must have other thieves waiting.

They’ve thought this through well.

With six thieves in this room, a normal party would think they’re just resting.

If a strong group comes and they think they can win, they can kindly lead them to the boss’s room.

If a weak group comes, they can lead them into a trap.

We were either judged to be strong or considered easy prey.

I should have made Selly and Miria wear their bracelets more conspicuously.

While maintaining a distance from the thieves, I moved forward, and the thief looked behind him.

He had a lecherous smile.

Are they after the women?

I want to punish them right here, but it’s better not to move.

At least, I don’t want to be considered easy prey.

The door opened, and we entered a cave to the left.

No one was there.

The cave continued further.

“...I hope they perish.”

The thief was looking at Roxane and Miria’s chests.

Selly, I agree.

“There are three or four people around the corner.”

Roxane, who was at the back, caught up and stood beside me, whispering.

Selly, rejoice.

We’re going to destroy them.

We’ll be attacked from the front and back.

Not a bad strategy for thieves.

It seems we were judged to be easy prey.

Maybe they were blinded by Roxane’s chest.

It’s a highly effective lure.

“Those are thieves. We’ll have to fight. If they attack, Roxane, you take the front, Selly, you take the back. Miria, provide support from behind Roxane. I’ll take care of the thieves, so focus on defense. I’ll move freely, don’t follow my movements.”

I took out a copper spear from the item box and exchanged it with Miria’s wooden shield.

A spear is better for fighting thieves.

It’s good that I kept it as a precaution.

We reached the corner.

Looking at Roxane, she shook her head slightly.

The thieves were still ahead.

We turned the corner.

There were four people ahead.

Rogue Level 24, Pirate Level 67, Thief Level 48, Explorer Level 42.

All of them had high levels.

The Pirate was especially impressive.

I had never seen a Rogue before.

This must be their main force.

I didn’t want to be caught from behind, so I moved quickly.

The four spread out in the cave, blocking our path.

Three were in front, and the Rogue Level 24 was at the back.

Is he the leader?

“Did you think the boss was here?”

“Too bad, they’re just thieves.”

“××××××××××”

The men in front taunted us.

One of them wasn’t speaking in Brahium, so I couldn’t understand.

He was probably saying something unpleasant, given his lecherous smile at Roxane.

The Explorer wasn’t coerced or reluctantly joined.

He was completely corrupted.

His actions and thoughts were regrettable, like a typical thief.

Without appraisal, it would be hard to tell if they were thieves.

If we could catch them off guard, we might have an advantage.

The six from earlier caught up from behind the corner.

Of course, they were setting up an ambush.

The ten thieves surrounded us from the front and back.

“If you leave your belongings and the women, we might spare your lives.”

I see.

They want us to think there’s room for negotiation.

It might result in fewer casualties than a pointless battle.

Some parties might give up when surrounded from both sides.

However, the thieves have no intention of letting anyone live.

It’s obvious if you think about it.

If they let someone escape after finding this place, it would become useless.

If suddenly surrounded by thieves, one might not even be able to make such a judgment.

“Hey, drop your weapons quickly.”

“Your life is precious.”

There were ten of them.

The four in front had very high levels.

If it were a single party, they would have an easy win with this many.

Under normal circumstances.

“Entrance to the labyrinth, guiding thread of the brave warrior.”

I ignored the thieves and cast a spell.

“The walls of this cave are coated with shielding cement. You can’t escape.”

The Explorer spat out mockingly.

They must have considered this.

If a party has an Explorer, they could escape using Dungeon Walk even if ambushed.

If the walls are coated with shielding cement, Field Walk can’t be used.

Dungeon Walk would also be blocked.

Coating the walls with shielding cement prevents parties with Explorers from escaping.

“Dungeon Walk.”

I ignored the warning and said the skill name.

I said “Dungeon Walk” and thought “Warp.”

A black wall appeared.

Warp can be used even with shielding cement.

I entered the wall.

“What? You can use Dungeon Walk?”

“××××××××××”

“No, only one person escaped. Leaving the women behind, what a fool.”

“What fool are you talking about?”

I heard Roxane’s voice as I thrust Durandal.

I stabbed the Rogue Level 24, who was alone at the back.

I had warped right behind him.

I aimed for the Rogue’s neck and thrust Durandal.

It hit almost exactly where I aimed.

The Rogue Level 24 fell, struck from behind.

The sound of his fall alerted the other thieves.

“What? What’s happening?”

“Whatever, let’s take them all down.”

It would be troublesome if they all came at once.

I created a Fire Wall between Selly and the six thieves behind.

“There’s another one. There must be a hidden mage somewhere.”

“××××××××××”

The thieves were flustered.

The Fire Wall couldn’t block the cave, but it served as a deterrent.

It would be difficult for Selly, who was waiting with a spear, to be attacked head-on.

The three high-level thieves came towards me.

Good judgment.

By moving, I’ve put them in a position where they are now surrounded.

Eliminating me would allow them to regain the upper hand.

It’s also convenient for me.

If they come towards me, it reduces the danger to Miria and the others.

Now, how to take down these three.

I can’t use area-of-effect magic on people.

I can use single-target magic.

I can’t cast other spells while the Fire Wall is burning, but I can use bonus spells.

The spells cast by the Mage job and bonus spells are counted separately.

I took a step back to create some distance, but I moved forward again, confident I could use bonus spells.

I don’t want to, but I can’t afford to be picky.

When the thieves approached, I focused on the middle man and released all my MP.

It was a single-target attack spell I had selected as a bonus spell.

The Pirate Level 67 exploded.

The middle man of the three thieves was suddenly blown away.

His equipment remained, but he literally exploded.

“Huh?”

The men on either side paused for a moment.

It’s understandable, given that the Pirate next to them suddenly exploded.

I also struggled to suppress the emotions that welled up.

I can’t waste this opportunity.

Suppressing the urge to lament, I swung Durandal.

I easily decapitated the Thief Level 48, who was completely frozen.

I felt my MP recover.

It seems I can absorb MP from humans.

I wanted to escape, but I held back.

The Explorer, who was next to the Pirate, was still frozen.

The splatter from the Pirate’s body had stuck to him.

It would take some time for his thoughts to restart.

Taking advantage of the recovered MP, I suppressed my reluctance and moved my arm.

I decapitated the Explorer with a return swing.

My MP recovered further.

It’s not much, but I can’t afford to be picky.

I immediately warped again, appearing behind the six thieves.

“Over here. You can’t escape.”

I called out to the thieves from behind.

I opened the item box and took out all the strength potions and strength pills I had.

I couldn’t afford to fight a prolonged battle without recovery.

“××××××××××”

“××××××××××”

The six argued and then ran towards me.

The Fire Wall had disappeared, but there were three of us on this side.

I was alone.

There was no exit on their side, so they naturally came towards us.

However, it’s not a good judgment.

They forgot something.

Until just now, there was a Fire Wall between the six thieves and Selly.

I cast another Fire Wall without incantation in front of the six approaching thieves.

The lead thief didn’t seem to take much damage, but I decapitated him while he was distracted by the fire behind him.

The second and third thieves rushed into the wall of fire.

I cut them down, but my MP didn’t recover much, so they might have died instantly.

The fourth thief, after entering the fire halfway, panicked and tried to escape to the side, but I cut him down there.

The fifth thief managed to step back a little and sit down.

It seems only one survived.

I advanced while keeping an eye on the sitting thief.

The one who survived backed away as I approached.

Roxane and the others caught up from behind the thieves.

“Step back a bit.”

I had Roxane and the others step back.

With the distance, the one who survived backed away further.

I moved forward.

The thief backed away.

I stepped into range and decapitated the sitting thief.

Seeing this, the surviving thief attacked me.

It was the best judgment for the thief.

If my sword wasn’t Durandal.

With a normal sword, it would be difficult to decapitate someone so easily.

He might have killed me while I was trying to cut his head off.

However, my sword is Durandal.

The swing I aimed at the sitting man easily decapitated him and hit the thief attacking me in the side.

The thief’s attack lost momentum, and I easily dodged.

I put all my strength into pushing Durandal into the thief’s abdomen.

Then I slowly pulled it out.

The thief collapsed.

“Master.”

Roxane and the others ran over.

“Are you all okay?”

“Yes.”

“Roxane and Miria, please check if anyone else has escaped. Selly, help me collect the Intelligence Cards. Wrap your wrist and cut the thieves’ clothes.”

It’s not over yet.

I immediately gave instructions to the three.

I should have taken care of everyone if I confirmed all the thieves were down.

I used non-incantation magic, Warp, and full MP release.

If anyone saw, I should finish them off.

Roxane and Miria ran to the small room where the six thieves were.

“That was an excellent battle.”

“Thank you.”

“We should collect the wrists quickly.”

Selly started the task calmly.

I also cut off the thieves’ wrists.

I piled them on top of the clothes Selly had cut off.

It seems we just managed to collect the wrists in time.

When I cut off the last Rogue’s wrist, he was sucked into the labyrinth.

His body disappeared, leaving his equipment.

The Rogue’s body sank into the labyrinth floor in an instant.

The other thieves’ bodies also disappeared one by one.

This is how the labyrinth digests people.

“I don’t think anyone escaped.”

Roxane and Miria returned.

“I see.”

“Still, that was an amazing battle. As expected of Master.”

“Thank you. I’m glad you’re all safe. None of you are injured, right?”

“Yes.”

None of them seemed to be injured.

The most worrying thing was if any of them were hurt.

It’s the best possible outcome.

“The Fire Wall you cast prevented the thieves from attacking us. Thank you.”

“××××××××××”

“Miria says you were amazing too.”

I sliced the thieves, but it seems I didn’t make them dislike me.

After all, they were the ones who provoked this.

Counting the wrists, we had eight in total.

The Explorer’s wrist wouldn’t be worth a bounty, so I didn’t take it.

I couldn’t recover the wrist of the Pirate who exploded from the full MP release.

It seems his body was scattered so much that no wrist remained.