NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 134
I had some free time, so I watched the trailer with Rion.
[We are the Academy’s Occult Research Club!]
[A prestigious club that unveils the so-called “occult” and seeks the truth!]
[And I’m the club president! That’s the vice president, and the other two are Member A and Member B!]
[President! A new dungeon has been discovered in the Black Great Forest!]
[Why are you only telling me this now?! We need to investigate immediately!]
[The student council cut our budget, saying we’re useless! Those nasty student council jerks!]
[We’ve arrived at the dungeon!]
[Let’s go in, everyone!]
-Crack!
At that moment, the upper half of the vice president disappeared from the screen.
A monster, snake-like in appearance, had descended from the ceiling and devoured the vice president’s upper body.
[Kyaaaaah!]
[The vice president! The vice president was killed by a monster we’ve never seen before!]
[President, what do we do?!]
[Hmm~.]
[We’ll just recruit another member!]
『Labyrinthos Side Story: Dungeon Seeker』
And that’s how the trailer ended.
“…This game looks intense.”
Rion muttered, sounding incredulous.
“Let’s see… It seems like this game is an experimental combination of the existing Labyrinthos and something like RE:sir Company.”
“RE:sir Company?”
“Yes. Don’t you know RE:sir Company, unnie? They made games like Phasmophobia and Content Watching.”
“I’ve at least heard of it.”
I’d never played it myself. It seemed to be more of a multiplayer-recommended game.
“You surprise me. I thought you liked all PC games.”
“If it had a ranked mode, maybe I would’ve tried it.”
“Ranked mode in a game like this…? Oh, here it is. This is an email from Deadraus. Let me show you.”
Rion handed me her phone.
It contained a rough game description, which I summarized as follows:
1. Dungeons appear in various regions of the empire. Players are exploration agents who investigate them.
2. Exploration agents have four affiliations and six professions, and each player can choose only one of each.
Affiliations: Academy / Holy Church / Tower of Magic / Adventurers’ Guild
Professions: Exploration, Investigation, Survival, Protection, Collection, Recovery
3. Once created, players cannot change their affiliation or profession.
4. Exploration agents gather information and items from dungeons.
5. Players receive money for safely submitting the gathered information and items.
6. On the last day of the promotion, the team with the most money wins a special reward.
“They said our affiliation has already been decided. I think Rui picked it for your team.”
“Oh, you mean that lottery from the other day?”
“Yeah.”
Rion nodded.
A few days ago, each team’s leader had participated in a lottery. Rui represented our team. To be precise, they initially asked me to draw because I was the first-tier player of Leviathan.
However, since I wasn’t fond of luck-based games, I politely declined.
As a result, Rui drew for us, and now all Leviathan members were affiliated with the Holy Church.
“So, the only thing you need to think about is your profession. As you can see, the options are Exploration, Investigation, Survival, Protection, Collection, and Recovery…”
“I’ll choose Recovery.”
“Huh? Why?”
Rion looked utterly baffled.
“Recovery is the healer role. Don’t you love smashing everything to bits?”
“What exactly do you think of me?”
“…I mean, it’s true.”
How rude.
Despite living with me for three years, Rion seemed to have a huge misunderstanding. Where could you find someone as peaceful as me?
I’m simply efficient.
From my experience, overwhelming force is the most effective way to achieve peace. Not that I enjoy violence.
“You’re lying. Anyway, wouldn’t playing as a healer be very different from your usual playstyle? Are you sure you’ll be fine with that?”
“This is a team-based game, isn’t it?”
As I’ve said before, I don’t have a particular desire to carry games. Especially since this wasn’t a ranked or league match.
“Everyone seems to be playing casually, so I’ll let others do the hard work while I watch from the back and step in only if necessary.”
“Now you’re even slacking off in games…? If you stop being proactive in games, what do you even have left?”
“My noble bloodline as a ducal family member, my sun-like beauty, unparalleled elegance, and a strong yet graceful body… Listing it all would just tire my lips. Want me to go on?”
“Ugh… If only you didn’t talk, you wouldn’t be so annoying.”
Rion sighed.
***
===
【Virtual VTuber Gallery】
[Info] Fantasy League Labyrinthos Lottery Results
(Link)
Lottery Results
– Cerberus: Adventurers’ Guild (Resource Extraction Expedition)
– Behemoth: Tower of Magic (Incinerator Party)
– Gryphon: Academy (Occult Research Club)
– Leviathan: Holy Church (Inquisition Department)
[Comments]
– Why is the game called Labyrinthos lol
ㄴ (Author) Because it’s Dungeon Seeker
ㄴ Sounds a bit weird though
– What kind of game is this?
– Looks like a job-based Lethal or something
===
[Broadcast] Where is A-Grade Virgin?
【Dungeon Seeker】 Leviathan Team Assemble! Time to explore the dungeon! 【Hanabane Rui et al.】
Sora’s missing too. Are they off doing something shady?
[Comments]
– They’re late because of a recording, apparently.
ㄴ Why isn’t Sora here?
ㄴ ??
– What recording?
ㄴ Sora’s doing a yuri voice drama.
ㄴ Arrest this shady business.
ㄴ Jealous of Chel and Sora’s yuri project, huh?
===
They say sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic.
If that’s true, then maybe sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from science.
I was reminded of the games I’d played before: Isolation, Dead Space, even C-Protocol.
This place felt similar—a hyper-advanced facility, as if I’d stepped into a spaceship.
Though rusty and worn, it was a metallic labyrinth.
Once powered by mana, its lighting devices were now broken, leaving it dim.
Occasionally, unknown liquids dripped from the ceiling, and the stench of stagnant water filled the air.
This facility, ravaged and corrupted by the gate’s magic, was now abandoned.
No longer fit for humans.
A proper dungeon, through and through.
In the distance, I spotted a familiar corpse.
“Oh dear, Mero. You were here.”
Had they been beaten to death?
Mero lay mangled, reduced to pulp.
Poor, unfortunate Mero, my dear friend.
I gently closed their eyes and pulled out a knife.
Then, I severed the head from the body.
Crunch.
After cutting off Mero’s head, I carefully held it in my arms.
【Kim Yushin has donated 1,000 won.】
【Why are you cutting off heads again? lol】
【Acrophobia has donated 1,000 won.】
【Mero could sue for this.】
“Oh, about Mero? Honestly, it didn’t have to be the head.”
Just like other RE:sir Company games, this one treated players’ lives lightly.
However, if you brought a body part of a deceased player character to the church, they could be resurrected.
Of course, there was no strict requirement to bring the head specifically.
In fact, carrying a hand or foot would’ve been lighter and less bulky.
“It just turned out this way because I’m used to it.”
I couldn’t deny it—I wasn’t entirely rational.
【Memento has donated 1,000 won.】
【“Used to it”???】
【FunDude has donated 1,000 won.】
【Mero Breadman! A new face!】
【Jojo Maengdeok has donated 1,000 won.】
【How does it feel, MERO?】
【WhatAreYouDoingTorso has donated 1,000 won.】
【Mero’s weakness… it’s that separating the head from the body kills her!】
In any case, having obtained Mero’s head, I proceeded further into the dungeon.
I’d succeeded in rescuing Mero (or at least her head), but it seemed there were still other teammates in this dungeon.
【Holy Church Inquisition Unit “White Crows” Squad Member Status】
【Exploration: Hanabane Rui – Unknown】
【Investigation: Ayanokouji Sora – Offline】
【Survival: Kaga Mero – Confirmed Dead】
【Protection: Barubara Rian – Unknown】
【Collection: Inui Kirin – Unknown】
【Recovery: Aurora – Online】
“This is Aurora. If anyone can hear me, please respond.”
I spoke into the radio, but there was no reply.
That could only mean everyone else was either dead or unable to respond.
Starting today, the Dungeon Seeker promotion was in progress.
As Rui had mentioned earlier, we Leviathan members had been searching for a game to collaborate on.
With no suitable six-player games available, we’d planned to play a sandbox game.
However, the Dungeon Seeker promotion had begun just in time, saving us the trouble.
Today being the promotion’s first day, we had planned a six-player collaboration.
But unfortunately, Sora and I had to step out for an MV recording, which delayed our log-in.
By the time I joined, the team was already a mess.
‘I wonder if Sora hasn’t made it home yet.’
She had said she’d log in late, but her house had poor transportation options, so it seemed she’d be later than me.
In the meantime, it looked like I’d have to handle the rescue operations alone.
“The fact that Mero’s corpse is here suggests the other teammates aren’t far away.”
My guess turned out to be correct.
Thud! Thud!
The unusually loud footsteps were no illusion.
Standing about 3 meters tall, the figure was both vertically and horizontally massive. Its skin was black, and its muscular frame seemed exaggerated, especially in the arms and legs.
Its face was entirely black, making its features indistinguishable, while its eyes glowed white.
Its hair was long—so long that the front, side, and back dragged along the ground.
‘I recognize this monster.’
I quietly concealed myself to avoid catching its attention.
I knew exactly what kind of monster this was.
I had faced it several times “before.”
Placing my hand gently on Mero’s head, I activated a skill.
“
【System:
When I used the skill, Mero’s head began to glow.
Gradually, her body started to reform, and soon, she was resurrected.
“Hello, Mero.”
“Oh… uh, hi…”
Mero looked nervous as soon as she met my eyes. Why?
“How does it feel to be revived?”
“Oh, um… good. Really good… Yeah…”
“I’m glad to hear that. You can see the situation, can’t you?”
I gestured toward the monster with my chin.
“Judging by the bloodstains on the floor, our teammates might be deeper inside. Whether they’re alive or dead is another matter, though.”
“That makes sense… but there’s no way we can sneak past that monster.”
The hallway wasn’t particularly wide, and there didn’t seem to be any other routes.
To go deeper inside, we’d inevitably have to confront the monster.
“Let’s give up! I’d love to save the others, but we can’t defeat that thing!”
“True, we can’t defeat it.”
“Then… I guess we’ll have to let the others create new characters. I’ll lead the way, so let’s just head back!”
“Mero, do you know anything about that monster?”
I asked.
Mero frantically shook her head.
“N-no… I don’t know anything… So let’s not take any unnecessary risks, okay?”
“That monster is called the ‘Innocent Maiden.’ It was created by a witch who captured a village girl and submerged her in various toxic concoctions.”
“How do you even know that backstory?”
“Because of the toxins, her sight and hearing are severely diminished. However, you were killed by that monster earlier. Do you know why?”
“W-why would I know that…?”
“It detects vibrations and uses them to track its prey.”
With that, I gave Mero a firm shove.
Unsurprisingly, she stumbled backward, her movements causing vibrations.
The monster turned to face her.
“Draw its aggro for a bit. I’ll go rescue the others in the meantime.”
“Did you bring me back just for this?! Wait, no…! Don’t come here! Aaagh!!!”
Mero, panicking, turned and ran, while the monster began chasing after her.
A noble sacrifice indeed.
Watching the saintly Mero (surely deserving of the title, given her resurrection) as she fled, I marveled at her selflessness before quickly setting off to save the rest of the team.
This was true support carry.
Turns out, I’m pretty good at being a support too.
Was that too obvious?