Chapter 27: Solo Play – 2

“This time, we divided the gold based on contribution again. We earned quite a lot, but…”

Erme had a somewhat sad expression.

A very large pouch sat in front of her.

“Glasses, you’re in the negative this time. Please work hard in the next labyrinth.”

“Ugh…!”

Glasses looked devastated.

“And Theresa, here’s your share—10% of the gold.”

“Yay.”

A monotone voice, completely expressionless.

But I could tell she was actually quite pleased.

“And the rest goes here…”

Thud.

When Erme placed the pouch on the table, a heavy sound echoed.

“All of it goes to you, Yuseong.”

“…All of it?”

“Yes. I got a sword, and Glasses took a potion and a skill book.”

“Hm…”

“Sigh, even though we’re a bit tired, we should still decide on our next plans.”

“…I want to rest until tomorrow.”

“…Ag—”

“…Marcel’s suggestion is reasonable. Pushing too hard is dangerous.”

“Wait a second, did you just call me ‘Glasses’—?!”

“Anyway, let’s set the next labyrinth run for next week. How about Monday?”

“Sunday isn’t bad either. Taking three full days off sounds nice, but resting too much might make us sluggish.”

“Sunday for me too.”

Erme nodded at both Glasses’ and Theresa’s opinions.

The way they counted days here was the same as in my past life.

Well, it is a game world, after all.

But then, a sudden thought crossed my mind.

Is this world a game-based reality, or a real world that was turned into a game?

The thought crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it as a pointless luxury.

I took a moment to stretch my body.

Despite yesterday’s intense battle, I felt light and refreshed.

The others are exhausted, though.

I wondered why I felt so fine—then realized it was because I had carefully managed my stamina by dividing roles properly.

“Well, since everyone must be tired, let’s call it a day and head our separate ways. Yuseong, you and I can go on a date—”

“Oh, I have some business at the Adventurer’s Guild today.”

“Hmmm…”

Erme gave me a sharp look before flashing a bright smile.

“Then, I’ll head back first. Last night was so intense that I’m completely drained.”

“Pfft!”

Glasses coughed violently, clearly caught off guard.

“Cough! Cough! You two! Even if I gave you space, how could you progress that much in just one night?!”

“…Did you two get intense?”

Ignoring Glasses’ flustered reaction, Theresa asked casually.

Erme smirked and glanced at me slyly.

“Nothing happened. We just talked, that’s all.”

Hic.

Rozanté hiccupped as I spoke while looking at her.

“Oh, but last night was intense~ Yuseong was staring at me with such longing eyes, trying to convince me he wanted me.”

Hic.

Rozanté, clearly drunk, blurted out nonsense.

She was so polite and reserved yesterday…

This wasn’t just converting pain into pleasure—this was practically a whole different personality coming out when she was drunk.

“Well, I’m heading out first.”

“Okay~ Don’t be too late~”

As I waved, Erme waved back playfully.

Glasses gave me a strange look.

…Must be my imagination.

He was definitely misunderstanding something.

After parting ways, I made my way to the training grounds inside the Adventurer’s Guild.

I’ll be heading into the labyrinth today, but…

I couldn’t stop thinking about what I had learned from the masked man yesterday.

Martial arts.

It seemed to be a way of controlling the body—something that looked quite useful.

After changing into my training gear, I stood in front of a scarecrow.

I adjusted my stance.

But for some reason, I hesitated to attack.

“Kid, you’re here again today?”

It was because of Volcan, who was watching me with an approving gaze.

“Young people these days don’t usually show this kind of dedication.”

“I’m pretty diligent.”

“You’re a little bratty, but yeah, you’re diligent.”

At least this guy knows what he’s talking about.

Rishiel nodded in agreement with Volcan’s insult.

Ridiculous.

Ignoring both of them, I kicked the scarecrow.

Hmm?

The masked man had mixed swordsmanship with martial arts, using footwork to make his movements more dynamic.

This is harder than I expected.

But Volcan seemed to see it differently.

“Kid, what the hell did you just do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you level up or something in that short time?”

“I haven’t leveled up yet.”

“Yeah, I figured you couldn’t have done it that fast. But you’re improving at this pace?”

Volcan muttered in disbelief.

Rishiel nodded beside him.

This growth rate is absurd. Even among elves, there are few who could match this.

Well, of course.

Unlike others, I had received plenty of benefits—things that could be considered special perks.

In fact.

Wouldn’t it be a problem if I wasn’t improving this much?

That was just how I saw it.

Anyway, after working up a light sweat with martial arts, I changed back into my usual clothes.

Then, I removed the iron rings Volcan had given me.

Now I can breathe.

My body felt lighter.

Maybe it was because I’d been carrying extra weight this whole time.

Pretending to tuck them into my clothes, I instead stored them in my secondary space.

“Leaving already?”

“I’m heading into the labyrinth today.”

“Already? Didn’t you just go yesterday?”

“My stamina held up better than expected.”

“Your stamina is fine? Oh, right, you were in the rear guard… No, but even then, shouldn’t you still be tired?”

Volcan looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“Judging by your face and body language, it doesn’t seem like you’re forcing yourself.”

“Who pushes themselves to enter the labyrinth?”

“There are idiots who do. It’s dangerous even when you take your time, but some people rush in like they’re being chased. Sure, they make good money at first, but in the long run, it’s not worth it.”

Well, whatever.

Volcan said that, then looked me over again.

“You don’t seem to be carrying much. Are you going with a different party?”

“No, the others are resting.”

“There are still people you could go with… No, actually, maybe you’d prefer going alone.”

Volcan muttered that after examining me once more.

A different party, huh?

I didn’t feel like I needed one.

But if I wanted to maintain peak condition, I’d at least need someone to take watch at night.

It was really convenient when Glasses was around.

Since he handled all the night watches with his so-called innovative alarm magic.

Well, I could probably find someone suitable.

Even if they only pulled their own weight, I could handle the rest.

With that in mind, I set out to recruit a party.

“Hey, nice to meet you! You’re an archer, right?”

I had been pulled into a party by a rather friendly-looking man.

I glanced around at the other members.

A hooded man in a black robe, his face barely visible—giving off a gloomy vibe.

A middle-aged man with a hand axe strapped to his waist.

A young man carrying a massive shield on his back.

And finally, the man who had brought me here, carrying a greatsword on his back.

Three frontline fighters, huh?

There was no mage or priest in sight—not that it was surprising.

Those two roles were rare, after all.

Still… something about this feels off.

On the surface, nothing seemed wrong.

But I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling this party gave me.

Was I just being overly cautious?

“Alright, I brought an archer to cover our rear.”

“Tch, when has an archer ever been reliable? We should just be grateful if he doesn’t shoot his own teammates.”

“Cut it out, James. I did some checking—this guy’s actually pretty well-known.”

“Well-known?”

The middle-aged man, James, looked at me warily.

“Yeah, and in a good way.”

“Well… I guess that’s a relief.”

“Anyway, let’s get moving. Even if this guy only pulls half his weight, the four of us should be more than enough.”

“Yeah, fair point.”

Judging by their confidence, they seemed capable enough.

Well, that should be fine, then.

With that, I followed my new party into the labyrinth.

The labyrinth is a place where time and space are distorted.

Because of that, accidents happen frequently.

And that’s not all.

Many adventurers go missing, and any incidents that occur inside are considered beyond the law.

In the early days, this led to countless problems.

The Adventurer’s Guild had made countless efforts to prevent such issues, but in the end, they realized it was impossible to stop them all.

That’s why they turned a blind eye when an adventurer killed someone who attacked them first.

This was only possible thanks to the artifacts held by the Adventurer’s Guild.

Either way, incidents were common in the labyrinth.

This was my third time entering it.

And.

I finally realized just how lucky I had been.

“S-Save me! Please, save me!”

“T-There are five goblins…!”

“D-Damn it! If you all run, what the hell am I supposed to do?!”

I came to a painful realization.

Meeting Erme had been pure luck.

How the hell does a party like this even exist?

At first, things seemed to be going smoothly.

They spoke confidently, as if they knew what they were doing.

The only warning sign was how all of them fell silent the moment we entered the labyrinth.

But I thought, They talked big—there’s no way they’d be completely useless, right?

And yet.

They had no skills to speak of.

Two frontliners collapsed, and another was injured.

All because of just three goblins.

If it had been Erme, she would have wiped them out in an instant.

I should have run away then.

I should have abandoned this useless party and focused on my own survival.

But no.

Some misplaced sense of responsibility made me draw my sword and behead a goblin.

“A-As expected…! You really are as strong as the rumors say…!”

If things had ended there, there wouldn’t have been a problem.

With their level of skill, they would’ve struggled to make it through the labyrinth.

I could’ve just let them go their way, wandered the labyrinth on my own for a bit, and then left.

That iron sword looks pretty nice, doesn’t it?

Now that I look closely, that robe of his seems valuable too.

Is it enchanted?

They had only seen me wielding a simple iron sword.

And yet, they still tried to stab me in the back.

So.

I had no choice.

I sighed as I looked down at the bloodstained bags.

There really isn’t a single peaceful day, huh?

Maybe I had been blessed with good teammates for too long.

Starting with Erme, my current party members were all reliable.

Lucia is still a mystery, though.

I wasn’t too eager to deal with someone known as the Executioner Princess.

Anyway.

Now I stood at a crossroads.

Should I continue exploring the labyrinth alone?

Or should I grab some of their belongings and head back?

Exploring the labyrinth solo wouldn’t be a bad experience.

That was Rishiel’s opinion.

If you struggle, I can keep watch at night. As a spirit, I don’t need sleep.

…You don’t sleep?

I never needed sleep to begin with.

…Is that so?

Enough talk. Let’s head deeper inside.

Rishiel sounded impatient.

I nodded and stepped further into the labyrinth.