Labyrinth Exploration 101 - L.E Chapter 19 (Part 1): Rush (3)

I climbed to the top of the forest.

“The view is nice.”

The highest point of a particularly tall tree in the labyrinth’s dense woods. The open view felt liberating, and the crisp air reminded me of the past.

Back then, I used to laugh while descending from even higher altitudes, when my body was still in perfect condition.

Now, my arms tremble. Even though I climbed up using only my gloves, without needing to engage my muscles at all.

Grandma once told me, “You were born with a sturdy body.”

Well, I guess that’s why I survived ‘that day.’

“…Whatever.”

There’s no time to dwell on nostalgia.

I expanded my mana outside my body, weaving threads of mana like a net between the branches.

A technique for purely manipulating mana— [Low-Grade Mana Manipulation] .

I laid my body on the hammock of woven mana. It was comfortably warm. From there, I observed the ground below.

According to [MoMo] ’s system, my perception is high. My senses of sight and hearing are exceptional. I even have the free trait 【Good Eyes, Good Ears】.

This means I can see the situation in the orc village clearly, even from this distance.

“Bravo 1, 2, 3. Set your positions and move to your assigned spots.”

I spoke into the radio.

“Familiarize yourselves with the terrain thoroughly. Not just the differences in elevation, but also the protruding rocks and roots, the direction of water flow, and the density of the trees. Picture everything in your mind.”

Only then can we use the terrain to our advantage.

─Yes!

─Roger that!

─Understood!

Listening to their crisp voices, I let out a shallow breath.

*Whooosh….*

The forest wind brushed against my cheeks, carrying with it the tension of a battlefield. The kind of tension where you hold your breath and wait.

Not so long ago, the instincts of the battlefield came rushing back, vivid and fresh.

* * *

Kang Hyun’s class is ‘Warrior’. Of course, even within the ‘Warrior’ class, there are quite detailed subcategories.

The ‘Pure DPS,’ who focus entirely on offense like archers;
The ‘Bruiser,’ balancing attack and defense;
The ‘Swordsman,’ excelling in duels.

In that sense, Kang Hyun is an all-rounder. He has more destructive power than most ‘Pure DPS’, his resilience matched that of any Warrior, and undefeated in personal combat so far.

*Swish—!*

At the entrance of the cave where the cargo was located, Kang Hyun’s blade, swift as the wind, cut down an orc. At the same time, *thud—!* another orc’s neck snapped, and *splat—!* a hole was pierced through the neck of an orc atop the watchtower.

A momentary ambush.

Yet, the process was eerily quiet. It was thanks to Yoon Hwa-rim’s [Wind-Like Steps] , a spell formula particularly popular for its specialization in stealth.

Having neutralized the guards at the entrance, Team A4 entered the cave.

There were quite a few orcs patrolling inside, but they were easily cut down as the team advanced deeper.

“There it is….”

The labyrinth’s cargo. The spoils were piled high on a cart.

Kang Hyun first briefed the transport team via radio.

“Transport team. We’ve secured the cargo.”

─Ah, roger..

─Confirmed.

Lim Hae-jun’s voice cut off mid-sentence, and Seol Ha-woon’s reply came back sharp and clear.

“Let’s transport it.”

The method of transporting cargo in the labyrinth is simple. It’s a labyrinth-standard thing, you could say. Surprisingly, the labyrinth is quite considerate in this regard—each cargo cart came equipped with a driver’s seat.

“Hwa-rim.”

“Yes. I’ll get ready.”

Yoon Hwa-rim climbed into the driver’s seat.

Driving the cargo cart was one of the Mage’s key roles. If the cargo got destroyed, the mission would be deemed a failure, so Warriors typically stuck close to it, while Archers and Martial Artists varied by situation.

“Everyone, hop on!”

The three of them climbed onto the back of the cart, the cargo area.

The first destination was the dense forest Seol Ha-woon had specified.

“…Tsk.”

For Yoon Hwa-rim, the urge to twist the wheel and take her own route tugged at her even now, but she held back. The viewers would handle the reckoning anyway. That Seol Ha-woon—or whatever his name was—just wanted to hog the spotlight, the attention-seeker.

“Hah!”

She poured mana into the cart. A handful of mana quickly spread through the cart’s internal circuits, and soon the wheels began to turn.

*Vroom—*

The speed of the cart depends on the mage’s skill. Yoon Hwa-rim, an elite graduate of a magic school, could maintain a speed of 40–45 km/h.

Definitely top-tier.

“Let’s go!”

“Okay.”

Warrior Lee Jong-su held up his shield on top of the cargo. Archer Asher also nocked a mana-infused arrow, ready for combat.

*Vroooom—*

The cargo cart began to move in earnest. Yoon Hwa-rim burned mana like she was flooring an accelerator.

*Thud, thud, thud, thud.*

As they exited the cave at a steady speed, a massive roar erupted from the orc village.

*Grooooooaaaaar—!*

The chieftain’s rage shook the ground.

“They’ll be here soon.”

The moment Kang Hyun spoke, orcs came rushing down the slope. Asher fired a mana arrow first. Kang Hyun cut down the orc warriors trying to cling to the cart. Lee Jong-su raised his shield to block the arrows from the orc archers.

“Jong-su. Keep an eye out.”

“Leave it to me!”

Kang Hyun left the cargo cart to Lee Jong-su and landed on the ground. He freely swung his broadsword, cutting through the orc horde. With one vertical slash, limbs flew off, and with two horizontal slashes, torsos were severed. Asher’s arrows backed him up from behind.

The operation was going smoothly. The orcs running on two legs would have a hard time catching up to the accelerating cart.

“Hehe.”

Yoon Hwa-rim smiled from the driver’s seat.

“This is easy.”

Should I just turn onto my own route? Going into the forest would only slow the cart down. Anyway, it’s all because of that weird soldier—

*Clunk!*

Suddenly, something hit the cart. The speed slowed down. The ground beneath felt unstable.

“What, what’s going on?”

“What’s happening?”

Lee Jong-su asked from atop the cart.

Yoon Hwa-rim leaned out of the driver’s seat to check the wheels. She also examined the ground below. The flow of mana felt strange.

The ground kept shaking….

Belatedly, Yoon Hwa-rim realized.

“…An orc shaman!”

But it was already too late. Fireballs the size of soccer balls, about a dozen of them, came raining down toward the cart.

Dangun

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