Surviving in the Labyrinth City of the Reverse World

7 – Vanguard of Miracles #2

A week ago. The day when I was searching for a guild to join along the glass. Cowardly Brown was the first to choose a guild.

I didn’t contact or meet the other kids who were enlisted separately. I didn’t have the luxury to care, as I spent my days busy preparing for the labyrinth exploration.

But that guy was in front of me. How did this happen?

“What’s up.”

A chill ran down my spine. I realized that I was lying on the cold floor.

The events from earlier came flooding back.

“Swoo attacked the sisters.”

Why? How?

Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, I couldn’t stop the three of them. In the end, Chesie was injured, blood flowing, and I fainted from the shock.

“The blood of a demon… it shouldn’t be a big deal…”

As soon as I saw the blood, I couldn’t breathe.

Taking a deep breath, I got up. I greeted Brown, a familiar face.

“You helped me?”

“Uh-huh.”

Brown nodded, looking relieved. It wasn’t he who saved me, he just happened to stumble upon me while exploring.

“There was a werewolf near Ray. I thought it was a dangerous situation.”

“….”

Now that I think about it, Suu was protecting me. The older sisters of the “Miracle Vanguard,” who were supposed to play the role of Suu, were nowhere to be found.

No way, did they run away because of Suu?

Even so, isn’t it a bit much to leave me behind and run away…?

“Were there no other sisters?”

“Sisters? Other than Suu, there were none.”

Chesie was seriously injured. It was obvious even at a glance.

But where did she go?

“She’s still under the effect of the ‘Soul Protection’ skill. Does that mean she’s not dead?”

Thank goodness. If she’s still alive, it means we have a chance to clear up any misunderstandings.

“S…”

I tried to ask Suh how he dealt with the sisters.

Brown interrupted.

“Ray. Were there any other sisters at the party besides Suyeon?”

Brown asked me with a worried look in his eyes. I explained what had just happened.

“Yeah. Nicola, Chaei. Originally, the sisters came in. But Suh was suffering alone in the darkness without any boys.”

The words flowed smoothly.

Whether it was because we traveled together from the outskirts of the empire to the labyrinth city of Labyrinth for two weeks, or for some other reason, Brown seemed more comfortable than the other sisters.

“I must be an irresistible man too.”

It’s difficult to deal with sisters who emit a sweet scent. Brown, who looks like a peer on the surface, and the boys were much easier to handle.

“…So.”

A woman I had never seen before suddenly intervened. She seemed to be a sister from Brown’s party.

A thief sister from the “Monopolist Sword” guild, whose exposed flesh area seemed wider than the area covered by the cloth she was wearing.

The thief sister pointed at Suh and asked.

“He’s not an official party member with the Baiho Clan, right?”

“No, we met in the labyrinth.”

“…When we met, he was already being consumed by the darkness of the labyrinth. Did you use the ‘Soul Protection’ skill to save him?”

I nodded.

Is it because she’s an adult? She had better understanding than Brown.

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

“Is that even possible? Are you okay?”

The thief sisters, who were listening to the summary, exclaimed in admiration.

“So what about the others? What happened to the two official party members? Did that werewolf kill them?”

“I’m not sure about that. They’re still registered under ‘Soul Protection’….”

“But that means they’re alive.”

The thief sister gasped.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, why?”

Although I had a slight headache from fainting after seeing blood, my overall condition was not bad. I felt even more refreshed after taking a short nap.

“Are your legs wobbly or does your stomach feel weird?”

“No, not at all.”

Except for the momentary exhilaration when I activated ‘Soul Protection’, I was completely fine.

The thief sisters began to show curiosity towards me.

“Handling two humans and one werewolf….”

“This kid is no joke.”

“Um, by any chance, can you take off your pants?”

Asking to see my rank in ‘Soul Protection’ was their way of showing interest.

“…Is it really that rare for a guy to take responsibility for three people?”

I countered with a question to liven up the atmosphere.

It was not because I was desperate to show off. I had confidence in my abilities.

“The average is two. Some even handle three. But it’s too risky. Shouldn’t it be at least Rank C?”

In the “Vanguard of Miracles” guild, they casually referred to me as a B-rank. They even lowered it a few steps from EX-rank.

Judging by the reactions of the thief sisters, it seemed like even C-rank was extremely rare.

“Besides, you also have beastmen.”

At the words of the thief sister, I turned to look at Suu.

Suu was glaring fiercely at the “Lonely Blade” guild explorers. She was ready to rush at them at any moment.

Solid. Just by looking at her absentmindedly, I could sense a different weight compared to the “Vanguard of Miracles” guild sisters.

I wasn’t talking about a mere bluff.

“Why beastmen?”

“Well, it’s obvious because of the unique characteristics of beastmen. Didn’t your guild tell you anything?”

“I’ve heard that such races exist.”

“…Beastmen have the skill called ‘Mating Season’.”

The skill ‘Mating Season’ possessed by beastmen consumes a lot of the cost of a boy’s ‘Soul Protection’ skill. Should I say it devours it?

That’s why recruiting beastmen into a party is a bad idea. It’s like saying you’re going to the labyrinth to die.

But I managed to find such a beastman. There was a reason why the “Vanguard of Miracles” sisters were having seizures.

“Of course, it’s not just disadvantages. There are advantages too. Beastmen are stronger than humans. They have superior strength and agility, and each species has its own unique characteristics. Moreover, since the activation of the labyrinth, they can even receive the ‘Blessing of the Dragon God’. It’s safe to say that in terms of power alone, they are the strongest among all races.”

“What is the ‘Blessing of the Dragon God’?”

At my question, Suu stepped forward and answered.

“It allows them to use the ancient forgotten art called ‘Beast Soul’.”

Suu’s lower body gradually became covered in white fur. Starting from her shoulders, it transformed into the front paw of a white tiger, including her nails.

The beast transformation she showed when facing Nicola and Chesha earlier. That was the skill called ‘Beast Soul’.

Soo briefly activated “Beast Soul” and then retracted it. He quickly returned to his original form.

The “Autocratic Sword” sisters looked at me in awe.

“…Are you okay?”

“You just used ‘Beast Soul’. Why are you fine?”

“I can’t believe it. I need to see it. Ray, I’ll ask the sisters. Please show me your skill level.”

I firmly pushed away the sisters’ hands and said,

“It’s B. Skill rank ‘Soul Protection’ is B.”

There was no need to confirm the item. I just needed to tell them the rank.

“B rank…?”

“Really? Seriously? Wow.”

The “Autocratic Sword” sisters covered their mouths. It was not a gesture of regret but rather a gesture of reverence and admiration.

Even Brown had a similar reaction.

“I’m F rank. As expected of Ray. Amazing.”

F rank is at the bottom.

Without realizing it, I glanced at Brown’s crotch. It was also a sin to have such a vivid imagination.

“If it’s B rank, Soo might be able to handle it too…”

“So, it was okay.”

Just as I had peeped at Brown’s crotch, the “Autocratic Sword” sisters also glanced at my crotch. Soo hid me behind him.

Seeing that, the rogue sister smiled slyly.

“We’re a temporary party, right?”

“The party is a party. Don’t look at the boy with those eyes.”

“What’s wrong with wanting a great guy? It’s a natural desire for an adventurer.”

“……”

Suedo didn’t deny his sisters’ arguments. He thought they were right in his head.

I broke the strange standoff by stepping forward.

There was an urgent matter at hand. The image of Chessie, groaning in pain with his shoulder torn, flashed before my eyes.

“We need to find our sisters first.”

“You want our help?”

The thief sisters smirked. They crossed their arms as if suggesting I propose a condition, and tapped their chins.

I won’t be swayed by the adults.

“Brown, help me.”

“Okay!”

Cowardly Brown believed in me without question. The name Brown was something I made up for the guy who was recruited and sobbing.

“……”

If Brown tells me to do something, I have to. Within the category of adventurers, boys were superior to the sisters.

The members of “Dokdangeom” couldn’t hold a grudge against Brown. They wouldn’t want to leave a bad impression either.

The thief sisters captured Brown’s expression. In an instant, they changed their attitude and clung to Brown.

“Brown. We were going to help anyway.”

“Don’t you know our hearts?”

Brown received all kinds of cuteness from the sisters’ provincial prison.

“Stop it, please!”

Although Brown himself seemed to dislike it.

“I envy them!”

I want to be embraced too!

Silently, I gazed at Su’s magnificent prison. Its size was immeasurable, unmatched by any thief’s eyes.

But it doesn’t confine me.

“….”

What happened between us today?

* * *

“Damn it, damn it!”

Nicola and Chesi ran away, blood streaming down.

The two members of the “Vanguard of Miracles” were injured in Su’s attack. Especially Chesi’s condition was severe.

“…This is why you can’t trust these bastards.”

“Chesi, you’re bleeding heavily. Just shut your mouth for now.”

Nicola calmed down the growling Chesi and urged her to walk faster.

“…How the hell did he figure it out? That we were trying to sell him?”

“I didn’t know the details. I probably just read his malice with my ‘Mind’s Eye’ skill.”

“….”

“He’s under ‘Soul Protection’ right now. That damn White Tiger tribe b*tch can’t explain anything to him. Why the hell did she do that?”

They moved, guiding their injured bodies.

There was no obstruction. They didn’t wander.

It felt like they were piercing through the first floor of the ant-like labyrinth as if it were their own bedroom.

“Did it even make sense for the White Tiger Tribe to come up from the second floor portal?”

“…It was the worst. We just had bad luck.”

Nicola and Chessie pressed firmly on their bleeding wounds, heading towards the meeting point.

They planned to meet the buyer and ask for help.