Chapter 21
WOOFSON’S ODOR-REPLICATING magic was super effective, dragging the First Pupil out of his delusions. Unfortunately, it would take him ten more minutes before he would be able to move on his own again.
“Well, I’m just happy you’ve returned to your senses,” Mira said.
After finally standing up, Cat Sith slumped over sadly. “I’m very sorry for my actions.”
“No, no, it’s okay. This was a risky mission to begin with. You did well.” Mira held him in her arms and petted him in consolation.
Once they were back in top condition, Mira and her companions continued into the depths of the labyrinth. There were many traps along the way, such as pitfalls hidden under dead leaves and vines that would entrap anyone when touched, but the First Pupil and Woofson’s efforts nullified them all.
Moreover, they tested what would happen when these traps were sprung, using dark knights as bait. As a result, they found that all of them forced the victim back to the entrance; despite the labyrinth’s haunting atmosphere, they’d found no traps that could directly kill. No doubt that was because they were based on Martel’s original seal. Despite being corrupted, they hadn’t fully been turned evil. However, that didn’t mean the team could let their guard down, for there were many things that could whittle away their willpower.
They found many more flower-bud traps along the way. When they did, they kept a wide berth in order to avoid repeating past mistakes. Cat Sith’s eyes lingered just a little too long when he spotted the red buds. Did they have addictive effects? If so, the problem would surely be solved with time—or at least, Mira hoped it would.
***
They managed to progress smoothly for a while, but after passing through the middle layer and reaching the lower layer, they fell prey to a new trap.
“I didn’t think…it would be so simple…but this is still its own brand of hell!” Mira giggled.
“Nya ha ha ha! Stop iiit! That tickles!”
“I won’t…be defeated by this, woof…”
Martel had warned them about this, but due to the dead leaves that littered the floor, they had not noticed something lurking there. The trap was a poison that made the victim feel like they were being tickled all over, mercilessly. The bright blue and yellow leaves were poisonous, and despite decaying and falling to the ground, the poison in them remained active.
If they were being tickled normally, they could shake off their assailant. This was caused by poison, though, so it tickled no matter what they did. It was inescapable, and because Martel had made it, no antidote worked.
Mira rolled around on the ground, spasming. First Pupil jumped around, laughing loudly. Woofson tried to withstand it like a monk in training, but his shoulders trembled, showing that he was at his limit.
Immediately baptized by the lower layer, the group agonized for ten minutes, until they were finally released. Despite not injuring the victim, this trap was more than enough to ward off intruders.
“I didn’t think tickling could be so cruel… Terrifying, to be sure.”
“I thought I was a goner…”
“I can’t… No more…”
They fell to the ground, utterly exhausted. Some might have been broken by this trap alone; though it was just tickling, it put such a burden on the victim’s body that it could be used for torture. Whether she knew that or not, Martel had created a truly vicious trap.
However, Mira still managed to stand up. Holding her quivering legs, she caught her breath and looked forward to granting Martel’s wish, to saving the wolf, and if all went well, to obtaining a new summoning contract. Cat Sith and Woofson likewise showed their grit by standing up.
“This…is what makes conquering labyrinths all the more worthwhile!” First Pupil put on a bold smile. Perhaps he’d let his guard down after things had gone so smoothly so far. But now he declared, “From now on, I’m su-purr serious!”
“I’ve memorized the smell. We won’t get fooled again,” Woofson said confidently, gazing at the dead leaves behind him. Then he turned to face forward again and announced the presence of more traps. “There are more smells I don’t recognize up ahead.”
“Now! Labyrinth Expedition Team, onward!”
“Will do, Meowstress!”
“Roger that, woof!”
They moved out energetically, marking a fresh start in their states of mind. Then, they stepped into the sealed labyrinth’s lowest layer, for real.
***
The corruption was most prominent here, turning the labyrinth into an even more treacherous place than the previous layers. Set among a decayed forest showing no signs of life, there were many traps that they hadn’t run into earlier. Some had evolved without Martel’s knowledge, and others had fused in unexpected ways.
However, it wasn’t all bad. Now that they’d come this far, Cat Sith began to sense what seemed to be the wolf.
“Meow meow?! That presence… That’s definitely the wolf!”
“Ooh. Well done, First Pupil.”
To this point, they’d only gone deeper by testing paths one by one. But now that the location of their target was clear, they could head straight there.
“Woof! Go that way first.” Woofson’s abilities discerned all warps and traps that might make them lose their way. He quickly calculated the optimal route toward the wolf.
“Fantastic work, Woofson.”
Cat Sith and Woofson often ended up at odds when they worked together, but in a labyrinth, they were the most reliable allies one could have—most of the time. Mira thanked them both as she walked toward the depths where the wolf waited.
They already knew the correct route, but because it was the correct route, there were abundant traps to ward them off. While none threatened their lives, they often created enough annoyance to make for some truly devious traps. Many traps even began to fool First Pupil and Woofson. When they thought that a trap was merely a red flower bud, they found that it was mixed with the green buds’ sludge. When they thought they’d found a bud with sweet nectar, the ticklish poison was mixed in.
They found a pitfall trap that looped to a point directly above itself as well. When they tested it with a dark knight, it fell for ten minutes before finally being warped back to the entrance. Given the raw sadism of this trap, Mira chose to believe that it was a result of the corruption.
They overcame these many diverse traps with First Pupil’s intuition and Woofson’s quick wit. Despite occasionally falling for traps, Mira’s Labyrinth Expedition Team managed to break through and finally arrived in front of the place where the wolf was sealed.
At the center of the wide sealing area was their objective.
“I heard it was a big wolf, but that is ridiculous!” Mira was stunned by his size, but she soon understood.
She had imagined a wolf that was bigger than average. His true size, however, was incomparable to that of a normal wolf. He was a giant, probably over thirty meters, and took up half of the clearing.
Martel had claimed that the earthquakes were a result of his struggling. Judging from his size, that certainly made sense. There were countless chains around his giant form—probably part of the seal—depriving him of any freedom. As long as she didn’t get close, his fangs could never reach her.
“Nuh-uh, is’s too much… I’m gonna pee my poor little self…”
“I’m not going any closer, woof…”
Even First Pupil and Woofson, who were naturally adventurous and had carried the expedition so far, tucked their tails between their legs. And despite all their arguing, it seemed they’d finally agreed on something: retreating.
“While I would love to leave, sometimes a man must do what must needs be done,” Mira declared. The chains kept the wolf from moving much, but even the slightest motion from that giant would have enough force to strike them down. Mira hid in the corner of the entrance and observed the wolf, trying to Examine it. “What…?”
It had come back “Unknown;” just like the angel Tyriel, Mira was unable to Examine the wolf.
This ability, inherent to former players, had only two limitations: it didn’t work on former players or angels—more precisely, beings close to the sacred realms. In other words, it was likely that the wolf before her was one such being.
“Spirit King, do you know what that thing is?” Mira used the Spirit King as a bit of an encyclopedia, but he was close to being a god. Perhaps he knew something about the wolf. As expected, he was able to answer her—but the answer made the summoner shudder.
“Yes, I recognize it. He’s gotten a fair bit smaller due to the seal, but that is certainly Fenrir.”
“Fenrir?! The surprises never cease…”
The way Martel talked about the wolf, Mira had imagined he would be a little cuter. Instead, he was a famous wolf from Norse mythology, of all things. She trembled in fear. This was a mythological monster said to devour even gods. It was natural to be scared of him, especially when one knew the legends. Yet at the same time, Mira’s heart quaked with excitement. What possibilities lay before her if she managed to form a contract with this beast?
She had contracts with all kinds of spirits. Surely, she could do the same with a mythical beast. Despite not knowing for sure, she found herself filled with certainty and hope as she faced Fenrir. At the same time, she remembered something Martel had said: Fenrir had come looking for his brother and sister. His siblings were famous too. If he had come here in search of them, then Jormungand and Hel must be somewhere around here as well. Mira chuckled at the frightening, yet exciting news.
Despite Mira being in hiding, Fenrir locked eyes with her. A chill ran through her, making her body jolt and her back straighten. Then, she saw it. Instinctively, the giant suddenly leaped forth.
“Whoa!”
“Meow meow?!”
“Awoof?!”
Faced with his force and momentum, she swiftly seized First Pupil and Woofson before using Shrinking Earth to jump back. However, she soon realized that doing so was unnecessary.
The chains wrapped around Fenrir creaked, and the earth quaked violently. It seemed this was, indeed, the cause of the earthquakes in town; whenever Fenrir struggled, the impact shook the world around him. Those chains were impressively strong. Despite Fenrir’s continued raging, they barely moved.
However, Fenrir had other means of attack, even when trapped. He stopped struggling and howled, causing darkness to gather and form in the shape of a wolf.
Sensing danger, Mira reflexively summoned a holy knight.
“What?!”
Though it was about the size of a large dog—nothing compared to Fenrir itself—the shadow wolf was surprisingly agile. It also had high offensive prowess, putting the holy knight on the defensive and gradually wearing it down over time.
“Much stronger than any old monster. Fenrir’s no slouch,” Mira mused.
The wolf was powerful enough to rival an A-rank. However, that alone was nothing to Mira. While the holy knight drew its attention, she summoned five dark knights. As a result, the battle was turned on its head, and the wolf was overwhelmed by their numbers. However, when the shadow wolf loosed a backkick as its final resistance, it struck the dark knight that happened to be behind it. This blew the dark knight away in an instant, sending it crashing into the ceiling.
“Ah!” Mira gasped. It didn’t end there; the dark knight fell in a heap before Fenrir, just as intended. Despite the shadow wolf’s defeat, Fenrir devoured the dark knight in one bite. “Well, we’d best avoid that combo…”
Fenrir howled, causing darkness to spread. This time, it also created multiple wolves.
“Whoa! It can send out so many at once?!”
Continuing the fight without a plan would only wear her out. Knowing that, Mira ran back the way she’d come, before the wolves could move.
“We gotta do a tactical withdrawal!” First Pupil screamed.
“Agreed. Our only choice is to escape!” Woofson added.
The moment she’d decided to make an exit, First Pupil and Woofson suddenly became very vocal. They knew that they weren’t meant for combat. Little did they know, they would be given a role in the coming operation.
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