Labyrinth Exploration 101 - L.E Chapter 20 (Part 1): Rush (4)

The labyrinth’s sky, from an unknown distance, was filled with silent support.

Amidst the orc horde, only the superior individuals were being eliminated—sharp bullets finding their marks.

—

There was no margin for error in sniping. Any orc wearing even slightly distinctive attire was instantly killed with a shot to the forehead.

—

With each straight line completed, a spell disappeared.

The mana and spells that had been holding the cart vanished simultaneously, and Yoon Hwa-rim regained her senses and sat back in the driver’s seat.

—

Kang Hyun stared blankly at the sky.

The trails of blue light, like shooting stars, still streaked across the pre-dawn indigo.

—

A mage’s aura is a reflection of the life they’ve lived.

No matter how much one tries to hide it, it remains like a fingerprint, revealing the self more clearly.

—

Thus, this is his sorcery as a soldier.

A technique forged in the cruelest of battlefields.

Yet for his allies, could there be a more beautiful sight?

“The cart’s ready!”

Yoon Hwa-rim shouted. Coming to his senses, Kang Hyun gripped his broadsword tightly.

The main force was already surrounded due to the orc shamans, but now there was no need to worry about them. All they had to focus on was transporting the cargo.

The reason was simple.

They were under escort.

Therefore, this was his spellcraft as a soldier.

A technique honed in the most brutal battlefields.

But could there be a more beautiful sight for an ally?

“The cart’s ready!” Yoon Hwa-rim shouted.

Kang Hyun, snapping out of his daze, gripped his broadsword.

The main force was already surrounded due to the orc shamans, but now there was no need to worry about them. All they had to focus on was transporting the cargo.

The reason was simple.

They were under escort.

—

”—For smooth transportation, we’ll deploy the turret forward.”

—

The turret. It must be referring to the archer, Lim Hae-jun.

“Understood.”

Kang Hyun responded briefly and swung his sword. An orc’s head flew into the air.

—

* * *

—

“—Bravo 1, Alpha Team is surrounded. Prepare for fire support after advancing 500 meters.”

“Roger!”

Lim Hae-jun followed Seol Ha-woon’s orders, relayed through the command authority he had delegated. He dashed through the forest like a flying squirrel, *sha-sha-sha-shat*. Not far away, he saw the transport team. Their cart was surrounded by orcs.

A chance to shine!

Lim Hae-jun notched a forked arrow to his bowstring. It was his first time using this type of spell arrow, but he already understood how to use it.

His target wasn’t the orcs but the ground—the road surface.

He fired four forked arrows in just two seconds. Rapid-fire, a basic skill for any marksman.

*Chrrrrrrk!*

The forked arrows hit the ground and erupted like a rain of spikes. Numerous orcs were skewered by the arrowheads.

“Hwup!”

Next, he fired two explosive arrows into the rear of the orc horde.

*Boooom!*

“Huh.”

He was startled by the stronger-than-expected impact. The terrain was even cratered. Thanks to that, the orcs’ advance slowed significantly, and the encirclement was broken.

“Whoa. That felt amazing.”

Lim Hae-jun flexed his fingers, impressed.

Not only was the arrow’s destructive power impressive, but its usability—the feel of it in his hands—was extraordinary. Ordinary spell arrows tended to feel heavy or sluggish when fired, so why were these so nimble?

—

“—Bravo 1, return to your original position.”

—

Since he’d provided backup for an unexpected situation, it was time to head back and prepare to resume escort duties.

“Yep!”

As he returned, Lim Hae-jun checked his quiver. He still had two forked arrows and two explosive arrows left.

“This stuff’s insane.”

He’d have to ask for more later…

* * *

Thanks to Seol Ha-woon’s sniping and Lim Hae-jun’s fire support, the cargo team barely managed to escape the slope.

In short, they caught a breather.

“…The durability’s almost gone.”

Yoon Hwa-rim checked the durability gauge on the cargo cart.

[ 3 / 100 ]

The durability was critically low. Even a slight bump could shatter its circuits. The orcs had battered it relentlessly.

“Is everyone okay?”

Yoon Hwa-rim looked at the team members in the cargo compartment. They all looked grim but nodded as if to say they were fine.

Fortunately, the cargo transport itself was now stable. The orcs were far behind, and the cart had gained enough speed.

“We’re entering the forest.”

Just as Yoon Hwa-rim said that, the escort team’s warrior, Jin Yun-hwa, appeared at the forest entrance. He climbed onto the cargo cart.

“Our escort team is stationed in the forest. Any orcs approaching from this direction will be handled by us.”

*Bang.*

A gunshot rang out. The dense trees made it hard to pinpoint the sound’s location, but the escort had begun.

“Alright. I’ll take my leave then.”

Jin Yun-hwa got off the cart.

*Clatter-clatter.* The cart descended into the forest. Unlike the earlier warzone, it was peaceful.

“…They’re good at this, huh.”

Lee Jong-su scratched the back of his neck. Yoon Hwa-rim silently agreed.

Seol Ha-woon’s team was impressively organized. Honestly, they had seemed unreliable at first, but they were far more elite than expected.

Of course, there was someone even more impressive than them.

“Hey, Kang Hyun, what exactly are you?”

Lee Jong-su forced a laugh at Kang Hyun.

“It’s nothing special.”

“Nothing special, my a*s… You were slicing through orcs like they were radishes. Even their armor went flying!”

They chatted casually, leaning against the cargo for a brief rest.

Yoon Hwa-rim also let out a yawn from the driver’s seat.

“Haaam~”

—

*Grrrruk!*

—

Occasionally, faint orc sounds could be heard, but none approached. The escort was clearly doing its job.

“…I’m so sleepy.”

Yoon Hwa-rim pressed her fingers to her forehead.

She had used quite a bit of mana, and it was making her drowsy. Her eyelids felt heavy.

“Haaam….”

She yawned, lowering her head, then raising it groggily….

*Thud!*

A ominous sound jolted her awake.

“…….”

The side wheel was stuck between trees.

*Gulp.* Yoon Hwa-rim swallowed hard, gripping the steering wheel. The team members turned to look at her.

“What, what was that? What just happened?”

“Uh, um… It’s nothing….”

Yoon Hwa-rim tried to infuse mana into the cart again. To reverse.

But—it didn’t work.

The cart wouldn’t budge. Mana wasn’t even entering the cart anymore.

“……!”

A chilling sensation ran down Yoon Hwa-rim’s spine. A foreboding feeling shook her mind.

She desperately hoped it wasn’t true and checked the cart’s durability gauge.

[ 0 / 100 ]

The cart was broken.

“Uh… Kang Hyun, Mr. Kang Hyun?”

Yoon Hwa-rim called out to Kang Hyun. He looked up.

“Yes?”

“This….”

She pointed at the gauge. Kang Hyun looked at it too.

Durability: 0.

“It must’ve happened when we hit—”

Yoon Hwa-rim’s words caught in her throat. Kang Hyun’s eyes were empty.

A gaze devoid of any emotion. Pupils clouded like a dull gray. Not contempt or anger, but something far more suffocating….

Kang Hyun closed his eyes, then opened them again. They had returned to their usual light.

“It’s fine.”

“What, what’s going on?”

Lee Jong-su asked. Kang Hyun answered briefly.

“The cart’s broken.”

“…What?!”

Lee Jong-su’s eyes widened.

“Does this mean… failure in the labyrinth?!”

“F*ck. What’s wrong with you!”

Asher cursed in English.

“No. Calm down. We don’t need the cart—we just need to transport the cargo.”

Kang Hyun drew his sword.

“We’ll remove the cart part.”

He cut away the unnecessary weight of the cart, including the driver’s seat, leaving only the wheels. He then attached handles so they could pull it manually.

“We’ll pull it ourselves.”

“Ourselves? We’re not oxen….”

“We have no choice.”

“…Sigh.”

Lee Jong-su let out a deep breath. Yoon Hwa-rim sulkily covered her face.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, no, Hwa-rim, I’m not blaming you. It’ll be fine. Look, it’s me we’re talking about.”

Lee Jong-su flexed his arm, showing off a basketball-sized bicep.

“Wow. Impressive.”

Yoon Hwa-rim absentmindedly poked at the watermelon-sized muscle. Lee Jong-su’s lips twitched.

“Well~ This is just a hiccup. Watch this.”

Lee Jong-su confidently thumped his chest and became the ox for the cargo. He grabbed the front handle and *hup!* pushed with all his might.

“…Huh.”

It was daunting. It moved, but the weight was far heavier than expected.

“It’s… kinda heavy, huh?”

“It’s because of the cargo’s protection spell.”

Kang Hyun explained.

In short, it was a weight spell. To prevent thieves from ditching the cart and stealing just the cargo.

“Let’s work in pairs. One pushes from behind, the other pulls from the front.”

“…Uh, yeah. But, uh, shouldn’t we call for another escort warrior? Hwa-rim probably can’t do this.”

Kang Hyun nodded and picked up the radio.

“This is the transport team. We’ve run into a problem and might need another warrior.”

—

“—Understood. Jin Yun-hwa will be there shortly.”

—

* * *