“Seems like a [Gem Golem] that’s usually in the crystal zone of the middle layer has wandered up to the upper layer. Maybe the labyrinth’s activation period has started.”
If it encounters rookies, they’ll be toast, Gogo said half-jokingly, half-seriously. Karme glanced at Glenn and Rodz. Rodz had a stern look, while Glenn shrugged and said lightly.
“They might die, those kids.”
“Is this the time to be saying that!!!?”
Karme dashed back into the labyrinth.
///
continue
///
It was huge and sparkled like a gemstone. Literally, it glittered.
Over ten meters tall, the monster was shaped like a human. Ur knew it was a so-called “Golem” type monster. Unlike the ones he knew, this one’s body was made of gleaming, Gem-like stones.
The eerie grandeur of the Golem reflected the labyrinth’s dim light.
[OOOOOOOOOOO……!]
The problem was that this dazzling giant was trying to crush them.
“Wait, wait, wait, no, no, no, we’ll die!”
“We will die!!!”
Ur and Shizuku ran desperately, but they couldn’t shake it off.
The giant’s movements seemed slow, but each step closed the distance between it and the sprinting pair, with the impact knocking them off their feet.
“Are we mice?!”
That’s exactly how it felt. No matter how much they ran, they couldn’t escape the Golem. This situation alone was dire, but there was something even worse.
“Where are we even running to…!?”
“I don’t know!!”
Amidst their already confused state, pursued relentlessly by Golems, Ur and shizuku were hopelessly lost. They felt they were moving deeper and deeper into unknown territory.
“Who’s chasing us!?”
“It’s just the Golems!”
If there was one silver lining, it was that those Golems had pulverized the shadow dogs into dust. But the fact remained—they were still being chased.
“[OOOO……!!]”
“Show us the way back!!”
Raising his right hand, Ur activated the magic embedded in the alabaster ring—a device with a single function: a rudimentary magic to indicate the labyrinth’s exit. After a moment, a simple arrow appeared at the top of the ring, pointing in the opposite direction to where Ur and the others had been heading.
“Looks like we need to go back!”
To exit, they had to head in the direction from which the gem Golems were now advancing. That meant finding an opportunity to maneuver past the giant and backtrack. But—
“[OOOOOO……]”
“At what, timing—!”
The gem Golem continued its pursuit. If they stopped their feet for a moment, they would be crushed.
“Calm down, this should still be the first layer…right!?”
Ur reassured himself. Despite the overwhelming size, this was the entrance to the labyrinth. It was unlikely that there would be unbeatable enemies lurking in the shallow layers where amateurs like Ur wandered.
“[OOOOOO…!]”
The fist grazed by. Dodging just in time, Ur swung his dragonfang spear down at the sparkling arm of the Golem before him.
“What the────!?”
A grotesque sound reverberated as the spear bounced back. The sensation was dull, hard, and merciless. Not a single scratch was left on the gem Golem’s arm.
This is impossible.
With his current strength and this dragonfang spear, Ur knew he couldn’t leave a single mark even after a million strikes. It was a sensation that strongly reinforced this belief. But he realized it too late. The gem Golem was already preparing its next attack.
“I’ll create an opening!”
Sizuku seemed to understand Ur’s misjudgment. She sang again in a voice like the ringing of a bell, immediately casting a spell with enhanced precision.
“[Fireball]!”
Sizuku’s flames hit the gem Golem’s head, slightly pushing it back.
“[OOO…!]”
Although it didn’t seem to have taken damage, it staggered. As a result, its attack on Ur wavered, narrowly saving him from being minced.
“Uoo…!?”
Ur narrowly escaped death, but the danger was far from over. The gem Golem now redirected its body towards Sizuku, who had just cast the fireball. “This is bad!” Ur turned around, but Sizuku inexplicably nodded as if everything had gone according to plan.
“Ur sama! I’ll distract it, so run, okay!?”
“Are you stupid!?”
As he started to protest, he turned around and headbutted her, grabbing her by the collar.
“The Golem’s targeting me!”
“That’s why you should run, you idiot!!”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
He pulled her along as they ran forward—not away from the Golem, but straight towards its face.
Ur wasn’t sure if this timing was correct. However, with the Golem towering so close that he couldn’t see its head even when he looked up, instinctively, his legs tensed further as he lunged forward.
“[OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…!!!]”
The gem Golem’s hand moved. Although Sizuku’s magic had slightly thrown off its balance, it reached out to Ur and Sizuku in a wild manner. Ur instinctively raised his dragonfang spear high, trying to protect himself.
In the next moment, a weight descended upon him, crushing every muscle and bone in his body.
“Guuo…………ga……!?!?”
I’m going to die. This is death. With just one attack from the Golem, Ur felt like he was about to die like an insect, muscles screaming and bones creaking.
“Ur sama!!!”
“Move, you…!”
Trying to stop Sizuku, his voice failed him. Crushed, minced, and dying.
“…………! [Sing, flames, exorcise our enemies]!”
The next moment, Sizuku ignored Ur’s command and acted. She extended her index finger, beginning another incantation. It reminded Ur of the minor labyrinth. It was her third magic, meaning she was pushing herself beyond her limits. But Ur had no room to worry about her now.
“[Fireball]!”
Sizuku’s third magic flew straight as she intended. Her target wasn’t the gem Golem’s head but the middle finger pressing down on Ur’s dragonfang spear.
The finger, which was about to crush Ur, was slightly lifted by the impact of the fireball, freeing Ur from its weight.
“Whaaaa!!!”
Just before his muscles collapsed and bones snapped, Ur angled his dragonfang spear diagonally. The force flowed, and the finger fell to the ground. It grazed past them, embedding itself into the ground.
“Whew!”
He exhaled from his clogged lungs. Pain and sweat gushed out, paralyzing his body. But he couldn’t afford to collapse just yet.
“Run!!!”
“Yes!!”
Ur and Sizuku ran simultaneously. Both knew it was their limit. Now, all they could do was flee.
However, Ur was already exhausted. The fact that his legs were still moving was nothing short of a miracle. At this rate, they would be caught up—!
“[OOOOOO…………]”
“Huh…?”
Contrary to Ur’s desperate expectations, the gem Golem didn’t pursue them. Instead, it glanced briefly at them before turning back and disappearing deeper into the labyrinth. It vanished into the darkness.
“Looks like we made it.”
“…seems so.”
After witnessing it to the end, Ur collapsed to his knees on the ground. Beside him, Sizuku did the same.
“I thought we were done for.”
“So did I.”
They didn’t have the luxury to consider this place as just a labyrinth or the danger of monsters. They could only stare dumbfoundedly at the fact that the storm had passed.
“I never thought it would be just like usual, or anything like that…that was impossible. Yeah, impossible.”
“How…do you think…? Surely…it’s too dangerous.”
“Come to think of it, did we collect ten magic stones?”
“We were halfway there when the shadow dogs got smashed to bits, so…not yet…”
“I want to quit being an adventurer…”
Ur’s heartfelt lament echoed through the labyrinth.
Entrance to the Greedy Labyrinth of Deadly Sins, Great Square, Jaws of Desire
“Well, congratulations on your safe return, you lot of weaklings.”
Before Glenn stood aspiring adventurers, now in a pitiful state—bruised, some injured, their proud weapons broken. Their momentum upon entering the labyrinth had completely evaporated.
“I really thought I was going to die…”
“We were saved thanks to Sir Karme coming to our rescue.”
Among them were Ur and Sizuku.
After that hellish chase, Ur and Shizuku were rescued by a rescue team of silver-ranked adventurers who heard the commotion. In the end, they failed to gather the ten magic stones, but Ur and Sizuku, at their wits’ end, gratefully accepted the rescue.
—To be chased by gem Golems during their first exploration was indeed a valuable experience,
as stated by the silver-ranked adventurers, but Ur couldn’t tell if that was meant to console them or what.
“It seems there are some poor souls who were chased by gem Golems…but irregularities in labyrinths aren’t uncommon. It was fortunate that a rescue team was on standby, wasn’t it?”
Glenn shrugged pointedly in their direction, causing Ur to think this guy…but he had learned during this exploration that unpredictability was a given in labyrinths. No one’s listening! There are flaws! Even if he complained, it was a place where no one would listen.
“Well then, what about Karme? Say something.”
“Don’t throw away the job just because it’s troublesome.”
“Fine by me. You’re getting paid by the Guild anyway, right? Hang in there.”
Feeling underpaid, Karme sighed and glared at the tattered group.
“Understandable, right? Labyrinth exploration, especially Deadly sins Labyrinth, is never easy.”
His sharp voice sank deeply into the exhausted minds of Ur and the others.
“The ferocity of monsters, their high frequency of appearance. But above all, what’s different is the malice of the labyrinth.”
The word “malice” made Ur recall how they had been dragged deeper and deeper into the depths of the labyrinth, feeling utterly helpless.
“Contempt – labyrinth of deadly sins easily devours the careless. Countless would-be adventurers have died, thinking they could easily conquer a small labyrinth and then this one would be the same.”
Those who recognized the implication reacted with a start, but no one dared to speak up, lowering their heads.
“I’m not saying you need to be on high alert all the time. But don’t forget that you’re taking on the largest labyrinth in the world. As for the rest…”
After a moment of thought, she flicked her silver ring with her nail.
“As you’ve probably realized, I have no intention of handing out real rings here in the training facility.”
She then pointed accusingly at the relaxed Glen.
“This man’s skills are reliable, but his teaching methods are disastrously sloppy. If you don’t want to get broken, quickly steal whatever you can and make do. That’s all.”
With that, she disappeared back into the labyrinth, as if her work here was done. Apparently, she intended to complete more rescue missions and delve deeper into the labyrinth. The top-tier adventurers seemed to have a different level of stamina.
And Glen, without a care in the world, cheerfully announced:
“Alrighty then, let’s get going! 20 laps around the training ground when we’re back. Gotta attune that magic, y’know?”
He made one last provocative remark, challenging anyone who still had the energy to respond, but not a single voice was raised in reply.
Adventurer’s Guild – Greed Branch Training Facility
245th Batch
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