NOVEL WEB Chapter 4
The party went awry because of one crazy girl.
*
It all started smoothly.
Derrik, the frontliner, took the lead, with Bernard, who was in charge of trap disarming and scouting, following behind me.
Right behind me, the mage Scarlet and priest Yeriell were whispering sweet nothings while Hans, carrying a huge load on his back, brought up the rear.
While cautiously walking and keeping an eye on our surroundings, I thought it might be good to gauge the abilities of my party members before the fight.
‘Alright. Let’s take a look.’
I focused on the backs of Derrik and Bernard, who were the most naturally in my line of sight.
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[Derrik]
[Strength: E+] [Agility: E] [Durability: E+]
[Endurance: E+] [Magic: E] [Luck: E]
[Traits] (fold)
Beginner Swordsmanship
Steadfast Stance
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As expected of a leader and frontliner, his overall stats were impressive. Yet seeing that E+ is the highest, it looks like reaching D rank isn’t easy, huh?
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[Beginner Swordsmanship (E)] [P]
The basics of weapon techniques using a shield and one-handed sword. Can grow with steady training and practical experience.
─Weak bonus when wearing a sword and shield in combat.
─Can use skills “Shield Slam” and “Bash” by consuming magic power with specific movements.
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[Steadfast Stance (D)] [A]
He stands at the frontline, shaking off fear to block enemy attacks; though still a novice, he has earned his title as frontliner.
─Activation phrase “Defense Stance”.
─If a shield is held in front after activation, gains resistance to crowd control.
─While active, can dissipate a certain amount of shock into the ground beneath him with magic consumption.
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Just by looking at his stats and traits, he appeared to be a reliable tank. Though I’m still not sure about the labyrinth, with specs like these, I wondered if it’s the level of a 3rd-floor adventurer?
‘By the way, how many floors have been discovered in the labyrinth? Didn’t they say we had to get shards from the depths to finish the gods’ fight? From which floor does it count as the depths?’
[Chaos says the depths start from the 25th floor.]
That’s a bit far.
[Chaos apologizes, saying it’s been a long time since they last descended to the underworld, and that it’d be best to gather more details in the city.]
‘Since you’re at it, could you tell me if Derrik is around the average level of a 3rd-floor adventurer?’
[Chaos says that at this level, assuming a party of five, they could manage reasonably well on the 3rd floor.]
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[Bernard]
[Strength: E] [Agility: E] [Durability: F+]
[Endurance: E] [Magic: F+] [Luck: E]
[Traits]
Beginner Archery
Hunter’s Basics
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[Beginner Archery (E)] [P]
The first step as an archer and the basics of using a bow. Can grow with steady training and practical experience.
─Weak bonus when using a bow as the main weapon in combat.
─Slightly increases penetration power when using a longbow and hit rate when using a crossbow.
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[Hunter’s Basics (D)] [P]
Having inherited the family trade from an unnamed mountain range, he possesses solid fundamentals as a hunter.
─Expertise in trap disarming, scouting, and herb gathering.
─Weak bonus to vision and hearing during non-combat.
─Slightly increases resistance to poison.
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Just as I suspected from the reliable first impression, his status panel was solid in basics.
As I finished reading, suddenly Bernard raised his arm as if he spotted something, halting the group.
Then he whispered to the party, “A group of goblins is up ahead. There are three goblin warriors among them, and there are many, so there’s a possibility of an ambush from an archer.”
Hearing this, Derrik asked, “Did they notice us?”
“No. But they probably will soon. What do you want to do?”
After a moment of hesitation, Derrik quickly began issuing commands.
“Bernard, you slip to the back with Hans and take rear guard. Once it feels safe back there, provide covering fire as needed.”
“Got it.”
“I’ll divert their attention and defend while Aren reduces their numbers, and Scarlet hits hard. Yeriell, buff me right away!”
Right, Yeriell was specialized in healing and buffs!
“The light that executes evil shall guide us!”
[Thanks to the effect of Divine Weapon, strength increases by one tier for 10 minutes.]
[Strength: E+ → D-]
Crack!
After receiving the buff and tightly clenching my fist, I instinctively felt something different. Is this the difference between E and D?
[Chaos reminds me not to be overconfident and to be cautious.]
‘Of course. Don’t worry.’
“Alright. Let’s stick to the plan. Go, Aren!”
Derrik began running, showing his eagerness.
Thud thud thud!
The start of the battle was Derrik taunting the goblins, banging his sword on his shield with all his might.
“Here I am! You worthless green midgets!”
The goblin group was startled by the sudden emergence of two humans.
Then, as if they realized Derrik was insulting them while banging on his shield, most of them turned red-eyed and charged at him.
Most of them.
Two goblin warriors, armed with shabby gear, seemed to underestimate my equipment and didn’t care about Derrik’s provocation, instead targeting me.
Gulp!
Whoosh. Swish!
While dodging with my slower gaze, I made my move.
Slash!
Thanks to the instant boost in strength from becoming D rank, the wounded spot split open like it had been hit by an axe.
‘They’re done for without a doubt.’
In one sweep, I sliced down two of them, drawing the attention to myself, overshadowing Derrik’s prior provocation.
“Kyah!”
“Kerrk!”
Slash! Crunch!
After taking down a couple more, I heard Scarlet’s voice from the back.
“Derrik! Aren! Fall back!”
Upon seeing Derrik signal to retreat, I hurriedly jumped back.
“…Burn them. Fireball!”
Boom─!
As her casting finished, a fireball the size of a barrel shot out from her staff, exploding on impact.
‘Wow, if I hadn’t backed off, I would have been roasted alive. Is this what magic feels like?’
Hissss…
‘Wait a minute. There’s something off…!’
As the fireball exploded, an eerie, almost resonating essence of magic brushed against my body.
“Aren, are you hurt? Is it your first time seeing magic? Stop spacing out and let’s go. The goblins visible to us have all died from our blades and magic.”
Ah, come on! I was just starting to get the hang of it!
“Yes. Thank you for your hard work. Let’s move.”
Derrik patted my back as he moved, chuckling.
“By the way, you were quite impressive! You don’t seem to have learned swordsmanship, but you wield the sword so deftly. You dodged attacks before they even came! I almost thought you had a glimpse into the future.”
Guess that’s how it looks to others.
“It’s usually expected to take a cut on equipment costs when joining a fight, but I’ll have to discuss accounting with the party members later.”
Sigh. This guy praises me and acts like a benefactor, but it’s too troublesome to get angry at him for having missed out on honing my magic, too.
As we hunt while looking for the portal, I’m sure there will be another opportunity next time.
“Haha. Thanks. I guess my eyesight is just somewhat sharp.”
I awkwardly laughed and wrapped up the conversation.
As I returned to where the party members gathered, Scarlet bounced over to me.
“Great job, you two! Derrik’s valor is unquestionable, and Aren was just incredible!”
Then she came up close, slapped hands with Derrik, and started swaying back and forth in a silly manner in front of me.
“Like this! Wiggling all around! How did you do that? Hmm?”
Just as I was about to scratch my head and answer vaguely, everything around me suddenly slowed down. Why can’t I see anything?
Where am I?
Slowly turning my head in this slow-motion world, with the only free eyes, I finally spotted a red dot piercing through the diagonal right side, thankfully.
Whoosh─!
An arrow shot through, and in the blink of an eye, I tackled Scarlet and rolled forward.
“Eek!”
Swish. Thud!
The arrow sliced through the air and lodged itself into a tree as the world resumed its original pace.
“That way!”
As the arrow lodged in, I pointed at the thicket.
Seeing this, Bernard, who had nocked an arrow, shot without hesitation, and the sound of a goblin’s dying cry echoed through the air.
[Chaos hastily asks if I’m alright.]
‘Phew. Thankfully, I’m good.’
[Chaos sighs in relief.]
“Ugh, would you mind coming out now?”
Right, Scarlet.
“Are you alright, Miss Scarlet? I’m sorry for suddenly tackling you like that. You must have been quite startled.”
I quickly released her from the position I had her pinned in and extended a hand.
She gripped my hand and spoke, “Th-thank you… You just saved me, right? They really said there could be a goblin archer hiding around, and it turned out to be true. I should’ve kept my mouth shut…”
‘Why does she seem so out of breath? Was she that scared? Well, if she’d gotten hit in the head or heart, she could have died…’
Trying to brush it off as nothing, the party members came rushing in.
Derrik, looking pale as a ghost, shouted, “Scarlet! Are you alright? Did you get hurt when you fell?! Oh, Aren, thank you so much. If she had been hit in a critical area, healing wouldn’t have mattered—it’s such a relief!”
“Derrik. I’m talking to Aren right now. I get that you’re worried, but could you please keep it down a bit?”
What’s with this sudden icy reaction? Aren’t they supposed to be in a relationship?
“It’s nothing. I’m just glad no one got hurt. It seems like you two are just a bit shocked, so feel free to continue your conversation. I’ll take my leave now.”
“Aren, wait a moment…”
I could hear Scarlet saying something, but the atmosphere was odd, so I left the scene.
I approached Bernard and Yeriell.
“Bernard! I might’ve pointed the direction with my fingers, but it was amazing how you shot that arrow and caught the goblin right away!”
Bernard, with a hint of a smile, downplayed it as just a small talent, saying instead how amazing I was.
“Yeriell, your buff was unbelievable too. Thanks to that, my sword strikes were smooth, making the hunt easy.”
Yeriell blushed, saying, “Hehe, I’m glad it helped.”
As we exchanged compliments and shared a laugh, Hans, who had been standing there like air, muttered quietly.
“Tch. What’s so impressive about slicing a few goblins and accidentally knocking Scarlet over?”
Oh Hans, you’re just too clueless to get the vibe and are eager to put others down.
Just when Bernard was about to respond with a frown, Derrik chimed in.
“Alright! Let’s skin the corpses, do some tidying up, and head out again.”
Feeling the tension in the air, I oscillated between Derrik and Scarlet to find the cause. They must’ve fought.
Scarlet was glaring coldly, turning her head away.
I averted my gaze and made my way to slice off the ears of the fallen goblins, handing them to Hans.
“Tch.”
Once the work was finished, we quickly tidied up and set off again.
Three days passed like this.
*
“Finally, we’re close to a goblin village with an escape portal. Let’s camp here for the night.”
Derrik suggested we rest, and everyone agreed.
We set up with the low-tier tents and sleeping bags we had received and shared a meal.
After shoving food into my face and moving around a bit, I entered the tent and laid down.
‘It’s been five days since joining the party and having my first fight. Occasionally hunting goblins or just passing by other adventurer parties, and just like that, five days have flown by. I was so shocked when I first dropped in the 3rd floor.’
[Chaos is happy, saying there seems to be no trouble with escaping.]
During those five days, I’ve gotten to chat with my party members and learned some basic knowledge about the labyrinth from Bernard and Yeriell on what to do when we get out, and how to settle in with our identities.
Sadly, though I actively participated in several hunts, the tingling feeling only intensified, but I haven’t felt my magic awaken.
[Chaos mentions that what’s annoying is that Scarlet has been clinging onto me.]
…Right. Just like Chaos said, things began to change since I saved her the other day.
─Aren! Want to see some magic? Isn’t it cool!
─Aren! If we go outside the labyrinth, you won’t know what to do, right? Can I stay in our party forever─?
─Go to Derrik? …Am I bothering you? Annoying you?
─Aren. If you’d like, I’d like to end things with Derrik and seriously date you. What do you think?
She treated Derrik, who she claimed to love, coldly or with irritation, but came to me, acting all buddy-buddy.
Derrik seemed to try his best to pretend it didn’t bother him, but I could see it clearly. The whole party’s vibe started getting off, too.
I pondered what could be causing it, and just the day before, I happened to glance at her status panel and nearly fell over in surprise.
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[Scarlet Ennis]
[Strength: F+] [Agility: F+] [Durability: F]
[Endurance: E-] [Magic: D] [Luck: E]
[Traits] (fold)
Emophilia
Noble Demeanor
Basics of Magic
Blessing of Fire
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She’s a noble from another world? And her magic is D rank with four traits? That alone is not that important compared to the details of one trait.
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[Emophilia (B)] [P]
As a noblewoman from a distinguished family, she became an adventurer after breaking free from being oppressed and unloved, falling in love easier and faster than others. The same goes for cooling her feelings.
{Last partner: Derrik}
{Trigger: First invitation to join the party}
{Current partner: Aren}
{Trigger: Life debt}
─If an event stronger than the current partner occurs, she easily falls in love with that partner.
─She believes that the person she has fallen in love with also loves her back.
─The intensity of the bond created at the point of falling in love will lead to increased obsession over time.
─If her lover makes material demands regarding her body or family, her feelings will cool down.
─When she’s in love, magic increases by three tiers, and operation and output vary with her emotions.
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At first, I was surprised by the B rank; it seemed too high for someone in this party.
But reviewing the backstory of the trait, the rank meant nothing. This trait was just a curse.
A toxic curse that could ruin a person’s life.
Possibly because I saved her life, her target shifted from Derrik to me, and since then, Scarlet had been clingier.
It even got to the point where she whispered about breaking up with Derrik yesterday, and it was such a headache.
‘No matter how much I understand it’s because of her trait, is this really okay? I mean, I had a strange feeling from the very moment we introduced ourselves.’
I didn’t want to be a person who snatches someone’s lover away, and Derrik especially had been a benefactor, taking me in, dressing me, feeding me, and giving me a place to sleep.
If Derrik, the leader, hadn’t opposed or brought it up, I would probably still be wandering in the woods alone.
If only Derrik were like Hans, I could just let it be…
“Damn it. I must push her away no matter what. It’s unthinkable to betray Derrik and destroy this party.”
Since it was said that love would cool if there’s a material demand, I deliberately asked to borrow some money. But she merely said she’d give it to me once we escape, and just to endure until then.
So, the first option was out. I wondered if I could just ignore her as she keeps clinging and subtly gesturing at me, but I continued to keep my distance.
‘Phew, it’s almost time.’
Finally, I succeeded in reaching the vicinity of the goblin village, where the escape portal is supposed to be.
If I can just endure a bit more and keep this subtle stance, I’ll be able to leave the labyrinth, and then I can have a fresh start in life.
‘It’s a shame I will be parting ways with Bernard and Yeriell, but… well, even if we’re not in the same party, we’ll probably run into each other at some point on the way outside.’
I silently prayed that I would be able to use the portal tomorrow or the day after, as I closed my eyes.
As I gradually drifted into a drowsy sleep.
Rustle─
‘What’s that?’
[Chaos says there’s something strange because the alarm magic that the magician cast did not activate.]
Just then, something entered the tent, climbing atop me as I lay down.
Thinking it was an assassination attempt, I was about to swing my fist when something spoke.
“It’s me, Scarlet.”
‘Why is she here?’
“Aren. Listen quietly. In a day or two, we’ll be out of the labyrinth. Seeing how I’ve been clinging to you while you’ve ignored me, you’re planning to leave the party, and it’d be pointless for me to try to hold onto you.”
Well, that’s probably true.
“I fell in love at first sight. The moment you tackled me and saved me. My mind was filled with your face, and the scent of your embrace penetrated my nose and wreaked havoc on my brain!”
That’s just because of your trait. This isn’t a romance novel, how can someone change so drastically just because they saved their life once?
[Chaos calls her a crazy girl.]
“Are you serious? What kind of nonsense is this? You just say you fell in love because of a small favor after dating with Derrik?”
“W-whaat?”
“And what? Virgin? When you were with Derrik, did you do everything but have sex? You’re all over me right now, what did you do with him? That and—nope.”
It does say that love cools down when there are material demands, so I have to consider that.
But if she throws herself at me like this, that shouldn’t be a problem, right?
If Derrik’s trigger was the first invitation to join the party, then what about before that? Did she fall for me just because we made eye contact?
After my thoughts wrapped up, Scarlet trembled violently, almost going into hysteria.
“How rude! What terrible things are you saying? Sure, I acknowledge that I’ve had some casual skinship.”
She cried out with an aggrieved tone, “But that’s all! I just started to break free from my family, and this is my first party! Derrik came up to me for the first time and I only briefly fell for him! I haven’t even kissed anyone yet! How can you say that the jerk was playing with my feelings?!”
“…”
“Regardless, I’m pure! Do you want me to show you?! If I do, would you then believe I love you? I love you!”
She almost shouted in exasperation as she began ranting.
“If you continue to reject me, I’ll scream right now, making it a fact that you’re raping me, and then I’ll have you expelled from the party! You wouldn’t be able to escape this labyrinth alone!”
[Chaos grinds its teeth, feeling like it wants to kill her immediately.]
“Go ahead. Let’s see what you can do.”
Scarlet stared at me in disbelief.
This is a crazy gamble. I’d rather bear the brunt of the blame and leave than be appalled at the disgraceful act of deceiving my benefactor.
I swear I’ll somehow escape this labyrinth and take my revenge on this crazy girl.
“Do you really mean it? Do you think I can’t do it?!”
“Go ahead. Should I scream for you?”
“Urgh…”
With clenched teeth, she began tearing at her clothes in various places, disheveling her hair and then started to scream.
“Eek─!”
The scream echoed as it pierced through the entrance.
I hear the commotion of the guys waking and trying to find the source of the sound.
…But that didn’t matter.
Leaving Scarlet behind, I packed my gear and stepped out of the tent, only to find Yeriell standing right in front of me.
“Y-you crazy girl.”
But something seemed off about Yeriell.
Instead of rushing inside to see Scarlet’s state and beating me up for what I just did, she seemed to have her mouth covered and was muttering something.
What was she saying?
Leaning closer, I caught her words.
“You crazy psycho bitch.”
…Looks like Yeriell must have overheard Scarlet threatening me.