Shadowed Gaze: The Highserk War Saga - Chapter 117

Upon his return to the surface, Walm found himself carrying an unwelcome, vile presence. This was an odor, often acquired by those who lingered too long in the undead levels of the labyrinth. The ghastly dark brown stench, a mix of decaying and rotting undead flesh, clung to Walm like a curse even after the creatures had been vanquished. This odor repelled people.

Reactions from passersby varied greatly. Some overtly changed their paths, others covered their noses upon realizing the situation, and some even looked at him with a sense of sympathetic understanding. In the labyrinth, it was hard to maintain cleanliness, and a bit of odor was generally tolerated. However, the undead levels were on a completely different level.

“Now I’m treated like walking filth,” Walm muttered to himself.

Feeling uncomfortable, Walm planned to return his token at the reception and quickly find an inn to cleanse himself. Fortunately, it was well past noon, and the sun had already begun to set, giving a calm atmosphere. The busy hours had passed, and the reception area was quite deserted.

Though the waiting area was known for being operational around the clock, the patterns of human activity were hard to change, and it still saw peak times in the early morning and evening, resembling a bustling public office or a special sale day.

Walm, carrying his foul stench, walked through the waiting area towards the reception. There, one of the few familiar faces he knew in the labyrinth city, the receptionist, was diligently working as usual.

Whether she sensed his presence or smell, it was a matter of five minutes before the receptionist, her face buried in a ledger, greeted Walm with a faint smile.

“Welcome back. I see you’ve returned safely from the undead levels.”

It felt as if she was indirectly pointing out his smell, delivering a surprisingly stinging blow. Even Walm, who wasn’t overly thick-skinned or insensitive, felt a bit affected being told this by a woman directly.

“Well, on the outside, at least,” he replied, suppressing his inner turmoil and looking down at his arms and clothes, thoroughly disgusted by the lingering foul odor.

In the undead levels, he had taken great care to avoid getting drenched in the putrid juices and flesh, but against the Bone Collector, it was impossible. The cursed undead wolf’s blood and flesh had splattered onto his arm.

“Don’t worry about it. It happens quite often. Your case is relatively mild. Some people come back with their entire bodies covered, drenched from head to toe.”

Having experienced the labyrinth firsthand, Walm shuddered at the thought. The stench was so strong that it stung the eyes. Water alone wouldn’t be enough to wash away the odor from those unfortunate victims.

“I guess I was lucky. After returning my token, I’ll rent a tub at an inn and take a bath. I can’t rest like this.”

“There are facilities here in the labyrinth management area where you can bathe. It costs a fee, but many use them to clean up after handling meat or getting dirty in the labyrinth.”

On his first day back from the labyrinth, Walm had noticed a door near the transfer room but hadn’t thought to explore it further. Among the critical looks he felt in the waiting area, there might have been some who assumed he was either a miser avoiding the bath fee or an ignorant mercenary.

“I didn’t know that. Sorry for the trouble,” Walm said.

“I’m a guild employee here to support adventurers, but I’m also part of the labyrinth management team. Even if you’re not an adventurer, I’ll help within my means,” she replied.

“I appreciate it. I wouldn’t mind treating you to something,” Walm said.

“My name is Lizzy. It’s on my name tag, you know? If you’re feeling grateful, a little gift wouldn’t hurt,” Lizzy joked.

Walm peered into his coin pouch. Though it wasn’t enough for eye medicine, he had earned a decent amount since entering the labyrinth. For Walm, who had little access to information, Lizzy’s information was valuable. Spending a bit of his own money seemed a small price to pay for such a helpful source.

“It’s just a joke, so please don’t take out your coin pouch. Who would be happy to receive coins directly? I’m not that much of a money-grubber,” Lizzy said, shaking her head in exasperation. Walm replied with a mock frown.

“As you can see, I don’t lead a life that involves much fashion.”

“I can tell just by looking at you.”

With no way to counter her quick retort, Walm had no choice but to surrender.

◆

In the city of Bergana, which housed the famous labyrinth, the walls surrounding the city held a special significance. Having undergone repairs and reinforcements with each change of ruler, the walls proudly showcased their robustness, honed through real battles, to all who visited. Naturally, the city’s order and security were maintained by soldiers befitting its scale.

At its center was the largest labyrinth among the Archipelago Countries, promising unending wealth, albeit atop countless unspoken tragedies and joys of explorers.

Living within the walls signified a certain social status. However, not everyone inside the walls was successful. Many repaired worn-out equipment, lived communally in cramped quarters, and continued challenging the labyrinth without guarantees. They were, if anything, the majority.

These people were producers of the labyrinth’s resources, a kind of labor force. Naturally, they lived daily with danger, and on days when they were lucky enough to achieve results, they headed to the taverns, talking about their hopes for the unseen tomorrow while holding a drink and meal.

“You know, since coming here, we’ve been able to go deeper into the floors. Guess our talents are finally blossoming.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. We just got lucky enough to find discarded equipment to upgrade our gear.”

“But, doesn’t that mean that as long as we have the right gear, we can make it?”

“That’s what I’m saying is overconfidence. Besides, remember how you got too eager and ended up with ghoul juice all over you?”

“Yeah, but we managed to cut their numbers early on. Even the veterans and that scary mercenary got covered in the liquids.”

“They’re not normal people. You’re going to end up with your head split open one day if you think you’re on their level.”

With some drinks in them, the differences in opinion between the two from the same hometown widened. The party leader, Paleuze, stepped in as usual to mediate.

“Leek’s got a point. Reducing their numbers at the start isn’t wrong, but what Dona’s trying to say is that you need to think about how you do it. You’ve got to minimize unnecessary risks.”

The cheerful Leek gave a small groan, accepting the point, while Dona nodded triumphantly. Though the two often clashed, they were remarkably in sync during battles. Paleuze often thought that if they were always like that, his job would be easier, though he had half given up on that hope.

He glanced sideways at Mattio, sitting at the same table, who was busy stuffing his mouth with a dish of minced meat and sour fruits mixed with wheat. He twirled the wheat noodles on his fork and ate so voraciously that he choked and had to hastily wash it down with water.

“Mattio, the pasta isn’t running away. Calm down.”

“Hey, Mattio, don’t be such a glutton. You planning to eat it all yourself?”

“It’s like you’re possessed by a wraith only during meals.”

Leek and Dona, putting aside their earlier argument, now criticized Mattio. To Paleuze, there was little difference between them.

“We can just order more. Mattio’s hunger is extreme, but eating a lot to grow strong isn’t a bad thing.”

Despite being younger, Mattio was larger than Paleuze, and his spear skills, bolstered by his strength, were effective even against the undead.

“Two more plates of orc meat pasta and an order of grilled orc meat!”

Paleuze called out from the table, and a raspy reply came from the kitchen. It didn’t take long for the table to be filled with the new dishes.

Paleuze was four years older than the other three. He had originally intended to leave his rural village alone, but was begged by the three and ended up bringing them along. Due to his age, he was naturally made the leader. His competent performance in the labyrinth was both a blessing and a curse, as it led to more drinking and smoking. However, the party functioned well, even prosperously.

“Get me some water.”

“Don’t boss me around.”

“I’d like to have fish sometimes.”

“Orc meat is cheap, so deal with it.”

In the Archipelago Countries, known for their vibrant fishing industry, fish were usually cheap. But in Bergana, orc meat was abundant, creating a reverse phenomenon. Although Paleuze was bored of the orc meat three times a day, its affordability and nutritional value made it a staple.

“Speaking of which, I heard a story about an armed merchant ship capturing a mid-sized Kraken.”

“Even mid-sized, catching a Kraken is impressive. Maybe they had a great sea mage?”

“A Kraken, huh? I’d like to try that.”

“We can’t afford something that expensive. If you want to eat something, settle for pickled herring.”

Paleuze, bringing Mattio back to reality from his food dreams, was about to resume eating when a voice from the side interrupted.

“Hey, haven’t seen you in a while, and your gear’s looking fancy.”

It was an adventurer from a mid-tier group operating on the 20th floor. They were one of the parties Paleuze’s group had interacted with since diving into Bergana’s labyrinth.

“We managed to get down to the thirteenth floor.”

Leek proudly showed off the new equipment obtained from the thirteenth floor. To Paleuze, it was a tasteless shield and spear made from bones fused together. Yet, the black color from the dark slime provided steel-like strength while retaining the lightness of bone, making it a fine weapon.

“Is that the Bone Collector’s shield and spear?!”

Even a mid-tier adventurer was surprised. The Bone Collector was a known irregular monster, dangerous enough that encountering it on the lower floors could cause casualties even among seasoned parties.

“So, where did you steal it from?”

The mid-tier adventurer joked, prompting a protest from Leek.

“That’s harsh. I didn’t steal it, I found it!”

“Ha, there’s no way you just find a Bone Collector lying around. Though, these days, I guess anything’s possible.”

The mid-tier adventurer’s attempt to laugh it off weakened, as he seemed to recall something. Lately, abandoned corpses had been found in increasing numbers from the lower to middle floors. Not just random monsters, but valuable ones left untouched.

“There are parties that skip the low-level floors and leave monsters behind, but they usually head straight to their hunting grounds. Yet, recently, there have been too many abandoned corpses, as if simple fighting was the goal.”

“Yeah, we saw a mercenary bypassing orcs without even skinning them.”

“Indeed, I didn’t see that person harvesting any materials.”

As Leek and Dona pointed out, the recent mercenary had not been seen carrying monster materials. Paleuze suspected that the untouched Bone Collector’s remains were also his doing.

As Paleuze and the mid-tier adventurers gossiped, more adventurers in the tavern, attracted by the rumors, began to gather, sharing information. Amidst the dubious tales and off-topic chatter, another adventurer joined the conversation.

“Interesting talk you’ve got going. So, was he really working solo?”

He was Faust, the leader of a rare party that had reached the 30th floor of Bergana’s labyrinth. An experienced adventurer well past middle age, Faust was known for his dedication to advising mid-tier and lower parties.

“I watched him fight orcs and ghouls. With just a halberd, he took down an entire group of orcs in seconds.”

Paleuze recalled the battles in the labyrinth. The mercenary’s thrusts were unbelievably fast and precise, even with a weapon like a halberd that wasn’t suited for close quarters.

“A halberd, huh? That’s impressive.”

Faust murmured in admiration. The mid-tier adventurer, listening, teased him.

“Faust, who can reach the 30th floor, could probably do the same. But maybe we should take these rookies’ tales with a grain of salt.”

Leek and Dona, puffing their cheeks in dissatisfaction, were calmed by Paleuze. He listened closely to the speculation about the solitary labyrinth explorer.

“He’s from the Forest Alliance or a warrior monk of the Republic?”

“If he’s carrying a halberd, probably not a monk.”

“Could be a soldier from somewhere.”

“Either way, soloing the labyrinth, he’s got to be either exceptional or crazy. Maybe a battle maniac?”

“Who knows. The northern countries used to have an armor similar to the one he’s wearing.”

“Whatever the case, he’s making our job easier. Here’s to his long life.”

In the end, the gathered adventurers, without finding an answer, raised their glasses in a toast and moved on to other topics.

Translator – Lyxxna