Chapter 9 - "The blind queen labyrinth"
After walking for a while we finally found ourself in front of the labyrinth who was in the middle of the city.
"Let's not lost time and finish this as soon as we can!" (Shun)
"Mmmumumumu... Do you want to have Setsuna this much? I warn you she have a really annoying personality!" (Mysty)
Wow, and that you who say that...
"It doesn't matter as long i can get stronger..." (Shun)
"With that mindset your going to get possessed..." (Mysty)
"Urg!" Now that she say it that was clearly a flag...
"A..Anyway! Let's stop wasting time and go inside... Honey..." (Shun)
"Yes dear!" (Mysty)
I'm starting to get the hang of it... I'm also not that much embarrassed anymore. The Entrance of the labyrinth looked like a crypt all made of stone, also beside the stairs who was going down was a sign.
[tr][tr]
[tr][tr]
Welcome to the Blind Queen LabyrinthHere a the rules you need to follow!
1. It is forbidden to start a fire in the dungeon, please use heat stone to cook! You can found them at the adventurer guild or any good magic item seller!
2. Stealing prey or taking spoil from another group will be severely punished, by making you forbidden to enter this labyrinth!
3. Fighting another group or pushing monster at them, will make you also receive the same punishment as .2!
4. If you are able to reach the 30th floor. DON'T TOUCH THE BLADE! If you are seen exiting the labyrinth with it you will be killed on the spot for being possessed!
Well damn, they don't joke around with cursed blades! Not that it concern me since i can make her change into human form after getting her.
And so we descended the stairs and entered the labyrinth and arrived in a long always whom was lighted by strange sigils who were on the walls and ceiling, but what was the most surprising was the crowd that was sitting on each side of the hallways, all of them were showing items, and browsing those items were merchants and adventurers. Maybe the adventurers sell directly the items they found in the dungeon here, or they are here only to showcase useful items to passing adventurers? Anyway i ignored all the people calling at me walked through the hallway, at the end of it stood a giant door made of stone.
"This sure is an impressive huge 'thing'!" Said Mysty will molesting my belly through my cloth.
Will you stop choosing your words as to try to entice me?! My will is made of iron! Well maybe not iron but it's tough for someone with an adolescent body... Maybe?
Trying to think of something else i touched the door to push it open, but when i came in contact with it, it opened by itself. Is this a wall mart automatic door or something? And after entering the room where leaded the door who was a simple empty room with nothing worth mentioning, the door suddenly close behind us.
"This door must be for prevent monster from escaping... Okay Mysty give me the first floor map!" (Shun)
"Yes dear here you go!" (Mysty)
"Thanks, honey." (Shun)
Wait, did i just said that naturally? Am i actually the one being trained here? Oh well as long as she is happy with that...
Reading the map Mysty handed me i found out that there is no monster or trap and that there only three empty room connected by a straight path... That's a scam! Why would they even sell this?! Wondering if the next map was like this, it was fortunately not the case. The clerk would have some serious balls to scam me after what happened at the guild...
Seem like the first was only an entrance so we rapidly gone to the next stairs and descended to the second one. There was a lot of peoples fighting monsters there, since i'm not here to make money or enjoy a fight with monsters it helped, and like that i traveled to the 6th floor without having to fight.
"At this rate we going to finish by the day..." (Shun)
"Dear behind you!" (Mysty)
"Wha?!" (Shun)
Seem like i talked to soon a white wolf with red glass eyes jumped at me from behind me, and i jumped to the side to evade is fangs who were going for my necks.
"Thanks honey!"
Since she just saved my life i thanked her while calling her honey, but the truth is i called her like that out of habit... I really was trained aren't i? But still i really shouldn't have drop my guard it seem i lack training...
"Mysty come!" While calling her i gave her my hand and she transformed into her chainsaw form.
"Let's do this!" Weirdly she seemed a little heavier than before.
The wolf looked cautiously at me will trying to walk slowly at my back, and suddenly jumped at me without warning, but since the simple fact of wielding enhanced my ability ans i was seeing him coming at me in slow motion, i simply killed him with a roundhouse kick, breaking it's neck with my foot. I looked around me but it seem other monsters were busy with other group, but looking around me i suddenly saw a group of female adventurer looking at me with their eyes wide open.
Shit... I should just go before it become more of a mess.
"Wait a minute!" (Blond Female adventurer)
"What can i do for you?" (Shun)
Let's play innocent they will give up soon enough... Or so i hoped but this stupid blade had to do something useless once again and turned back into her human form.
"HEY! Why didn't you used me again?! You were even holding me! Don't hold all the fun!" (Mysty)
*sigh*
"What the hell is that! She really did turn into a sword?!" (Blond Female Adventurer)
"It's just a trick, an illusion, i'm a circus magician in my free time..." (Shun)
"Are trying to make a joke?! I can sense magic and there were none!" (Blond Female Adventurer)
Oops... Seem there no illusionist using trick in this world, guess that normal since there real magic here...
"She's annoying and clearly trying to make a pass at you! Can i eat her?" (Mysty)
Oh for the god of love! Wait god in my case would mean Ymylfana... Okay let's forgot to ask help from god...
"Honey please, shut up..." (Shun)
"Yes..." (Mysty)
"Explain to me what that was! What is that sword?!" (B.F.A it was getting annoying to write it every time...)
"And why would i? To satisfy your curiosity?" (Shun)
"No, it's because if you don't give me a good explanation i will report you for using forbidden spell!" (B.F.A)
"Forbidden spell? What are you talking about?" (Shun)
"Don't play innocent! I'm talking about human experimentation, transformation magic with the use of illegal magic item!" (B.F.A)
There was such a thing? I remember having heard something about human experimentation using magic item but it wasn't precised what was those experiment were about, i guess it was that?
"Sorry to say, but i used no such thing, wouldn't you have sensed something if i did?" (Shun)
"There are a lot of way of hiding magic being cast!" (B.F.A)
"Wait a minute you said a second ago that you didn't believe it was an illusion precisely because there was no magic!" (Shun)
This is getting annoying!
"I was leading you to tell me the truth." (B.F.A)
*KKrr* Wait wait wait calm down, they only trying to do what they think is right, as annoying as they are... But now what to do if i tell her the truth they won't believe me since i'm not showing any sign of being possessed, and i can't seem to find any good lie to got away from this... Seem like their no way around it...
"Mysty."
"Yes!"
Sensing my will Mysty turned back in a blade, and i took my stance. Seeing that, the group of females adventurers also took their stance showing nervousness, i glared at them for a moment and... ran away!
"What the?! Wait!" (B.F.A)
Running at full speed i slipped through the numerous fights in my path making the adventurers quite surprised from seeing a kid with a giant sword running between them and their preys and evading the numerous magic attacks they were launching at them. Since i remember the maps of the Ten first floor i was able to run straight to the stairs going the seventh floor and leave the group of female adventurers pursuing me in the dust.
[Sorry dear... It's because i turned back into my human form without thinking that it turned into such a mess...]
You rarely think ahead Mysty...
"Don't worry about it since they already seen you turn in a sword before that either way, they wouldn't have leaved me alone..." (Shun)
[Okay then i won't worry about it...]
You also rarely worry about anything honey...
"Anyway i wanted to ask something. You feel a little heavier than before, did you gain weight?" (Shun)
[That's rude! I'm only heavier because i turned into my cursed blade form while wearing the packs!]
"Oh so that how it work?" (Shun)
[Yes everything i wear turn into a sword with me, apart for my underwear and dress whom are made with mana that i weave every time i transform back in human form.]
"I see, that why everytime you turn back in human form your dress look cleaner than before. But does than mean that you can change you cloth to anything?"
[Yes i can, why? Do want me to wear something for you? An angel nurse? Or maybe you like the forbidden feeling of dirtying a nun?!]
No... I would have liked it if your were wearing something less flashy! But a nurse outfit wouldn't be that bad too or maybe a bunny girl... Calm down mini-me! Shit, the curse of an adolescent body...
[Oh? I feel you are getting aroused?! So you do have fetish?! Tell me what is it?!]
"Another time okay...? Let's continue to dive!" (Shun)
Clearly avoiding the subject... You will have to wait bunny girl cosplay! I continued to advance through the floor will being cautious. There was much more less group on this floor... I guess they are starting to get too difficult for most? If i remember it good there are 'Orthros' monster on this floor, suddenly a monster seen me from afar, it was a dog with two heads from whose body, spark of lightning where flowing out.
Guess his appearance were like story i read from my old world. The monster slowly approached me and i took my stance waiting for it to attack me.
The monster then jumped at me trying to bite my neck with his two head, but since Mysty wouldn't shut up if i killed him the same way i used before, in simple slash i ripped him apart, but...
[Gyyaaaaaa!!!]
"Guh!" (Shun)
As i slashed at him electricity run through Mysty and burn my hands a little, but the scream Mysty made was really unexpected could it be lightning is her weakness?
"Are you okay?!" (Shun)
[Uuuhhhh, i'm okay... I can't die, but it still hurt a lot...]
"Turn back." (Shun)
[Uh?]
"Just do it!" (Nike... uh i mean Shun)
She glowed a little and turned back in human form, i inspected her form head to toes with my eyes, and seeing as she didn't have any wound on her i sighed in relief and took her in my arms.
"Thank god your okay..." Once again i thanked Ymylfana but i don't care at the moment.
Mysty looked quite shocked at my suddenly show of affection, but she just hugged me back while smiling from happiness from seeing i was this worried about her.
"Thanks dears..." (Mysty)
We kissed for a moment completely in our little world... Thankfully no other monsters attacked us in the meanwhile, but as she were going to change back into a sword she suddenly seen my hands and her eyes opened wide in shock.
"You are hurt! What are you doing showing me this must worry when you are hurt yourself!" (Mysty)
"It's okay, it's nothing i can't heal using your curse. Don't worry about it." (Shun)
"Okay... But still don't you dare die on me! I won't forgive you!" (Mysty)
"Your over exaggerating it's just a burn, if your that worried about it just turn into a sword and let me eat the corpse of the dog." (Shun)
On those words she turned back into her cursed blade form and i started my feast, but i had to eat almost a whole quarter of this monster before my hands finally where back to normal. This curse clearly work better with human meat, but if i can i prefer clearly to eat monster...
And as i finished to eat, another one appeared, those monster have one hell of a nasty ability, it's no wonder there so few adventurers on this floor. As he attacked me i used the same strategy as with the wolf and broke one his neck with a round-house kick. It seem that as long as you kill one of the head the other die with it.
[What are you doing?! If you attack it directly you going to be much more hurt than before!]
"Don't worry. Like you can see i wasn't hurt, my boots are made of pretty thick leathers, its enough to protect me from something this weak." (Shun)
[Fine... But if you ever in danger don't hesitate to use me!]
"Yes, yes, stop nagging." (Shun)
[Hmpf!]
She clearly understood i attacked like that as to not to hurt her... But thankfully my boots were insulated enough to kick them without a worry, i never thought it would be...
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Soon enough we reached the stairs and descended to the 8th floor, from information the maps gave me, there seem to be trap from this floor on, on this dungeon there only the type you step on and activated nasty spear appearing from wall trying to stab you or stone pillar to crush you. We need to advance two more floor to hit the tenth floor who is also a resting area...
"From now on it's going to be much more difficult to advance with speed... I don't want to waste time but let's not get killed stupidly because i didn't took the time to look for traps..." (Shun)
[Yes... Let's do that.]
There should be also white wolf like in the fifth floor, their instinct are quite acute so they can avoid traps without difficulty... Slowly i walked through the room, looking were i was stepping avoiding any suspicious lump on the floor and verifying with the map in my head where they supposed to be, to go to the next stairs i need to go through at least 6 rooms and hallways, all full of traps... It's going to take a lot of time...
Oh shit! Two whites wolfs! Of course the moment we crossed road they got into position, waiting for my next move... Urg i can't move freely here, it's really annoying... And when i think i'm only at the eighth floor, it seem like i clearly underestimated this freakin' labyrinth, you made a good job at making this annoying thing, 3000 years ago mages.
Those bastards wolfs seeing as i had a hard time to take my stance because of the traps, rush at me will doing little jumps or even running on the walls, well i be damned those thing sure know how to move in there.
One attacked me from the floor at my left the other from the wall on my right, using my left foot i kicked the one attacking from the floor and slashed a the same time the one coming from my right, but from my strategy rise two problems, the first by ripping apart the wolf to my right his blood splashed everywhere and now it was going to become a mess finding the suspicious lumps on the floor, the second one, i did kill the wolf on my left by breaking his nose and impale his brain with his bones, typical canine weakness, problem, now his body slide through the room floor activating at the same time almost all the goddamn traps in this room... SHIT!
Spear and mass of stone started to come out of the walls everywhere at different time so that even if you do evade the first trap the next one get your sorry ass. Evading and blocking in a awkward manner i finally reached the hallway after much difficulty.
"Okay! Fuck this shit! I'm going to do this my way!" (Shun)
[...]
I simply planted my foot in the wall at my right, but when i did, the traps in the very same wall were activated and started to attack me. Shit not again! Look like the mechanism is pretty sensible to shock... After another struggle i finally reached the next room after evading spears by a hair's breadth, seriously how deadly can be this floor?! Well since it was build with the intention of making so nobody reach the last floor it's not that surprising...
"If wall don't work what about the ceiling?! Transform back for a moment Mysty." (Shun)
[I'm not really sure what your trying to do but okay...]
After Mysty get back a little now in human form i stood on my hands, and using my arm strength i propulsed myself to the the ceiling kicking it, this time it worked like a charm and i was now upside down my feet planted in the ceiling.
"Ahahahah! Take that freakin' mages! Didn't think of that uh?" (Shun)
"You seriously have the strangest idea some time." Said Mysty while giggling a little...
Since the ceiling wasn't that high we were able to hold hand and she turned back into a sword making thing even simpler for me. And like that i started to walk upside down by planting my feet on the ceiling... After passing some rooms we were almost at the stairs when we encountered another group who were walking slowly trying to avoid the traps.
"Pardon me i'm passing through." (Shun)
"What the fuck?!" (Random adventurer)
Eyes wide open they looked at me walking above them, can't believing what was happening before their eyes, maybe they try my tactic latter? Or maybe not...
And like that we finally reached the stairs to the 9th floor and descended, and no i didn't took the stairs upside down... It's already been a good ten hours since we entered the labyrinth, well half of that was only for the two last one... I really want to reach the 10th floor as soon as possible to take a rest, even if i'm far from being physically exhausted, mentally it was another story... Also i'm starting to get really hungry since i didn't eat anything since this morning, well i did eat the Orthros but since i did it using the curse of Mysty it didn't fill my stomach...
"Urg i didn't expect this labyrinth to be this annoying, it's was not that dangerous until now but all those traps and monsters are really taking a toll on me..."
[Yeah, well those mages were quite the paranoiac fellow, but since some rare people are really able to reach the bottom floor it seem it still wasn't enough.]
"*Sigh* That would have been a real problem for me if i couldn't reach the 30th floor... Anyway i really want to reach this damn 10th floor to eat and sleep..." (Shun)
[Hang in there dear! You can do it!]
"Yeah... Thanks honey..." (Shun)
Arg! Goddamn it, i did it again, guess all i can do is accept it, and be resigned to my fate. (Manly tear)
From the maps there seem too be less traps on this floor but three type of monster, white wolf, orthros and hellhound. Seem like that labyrinth is pretty much canine themed huh?
Since it worked pretty well last floor i decided to use the same tactic and walk upside down, but seem those bastard mages upgraded the ceiling in this floor... When i planted my feet in the ceiling spears and arrows started to fall from it.
"Damn! Should know it wouldn't be that easy..." (Shun)
Evading to the best of my capability i spin and jumped in every direction like would do some ballerina, even though there are less trigger to activate the trap, the trap itself is much bigger than before... And as i was finally reaching the next room i was stabbed by an arrow to the shoulder, *phew* good thing my adventurer career didn't finish the same way the oldman accessory dealer did... Wait a second now that a i think about there healing magic in this world why would a simple wound to the knee would become an handicap?! But that really not the time to think about that...
[Are you alright?!]
"Yeah thankfully i'm thick skinned, it didn't stab me deep i won't be hindered to fight." (Shun)
[Okay, let's find a monster as soon as possible and heal that wound!]
"Yeah let's..." (Shun)
I'm really thankful for that ability, if it wasn't for that i wouldn't be able to act so rashly, still, it hurt like shit!
"Mmm? Well shit..." (Shun)
Seem like the ruckus i made with those traps gathered a lot of attention from monsters, i guess there no other adventurer on this floor and most must be resting on the next floor.
Two white wolf where accompanied by an orthos and a hellhound appeared, the hellhound look like a doberman with fire escaping from it's mouth, and eyes who looked like made of those very same flames. Making a strategy in my head for the fight to come i exchanged glares in silence with the beasts... It seem like they also decided their own tactic has the two wolfs started to ran on the wall on each of my side and the orthros rushed straight at me from the front while the hellhound stayed in the back spatting fire balls at me...
Waiting for the last moment, i used one head of the orthros like a step ladder breaking his skull and jumped in the air, avoiding the fireballs who made charcoals of the two wolfs who were now in the airs under me. It was pretty difficult to not touch the ceiling who was pretty low while avoiding the fireballs, i then leaped to the hellhound and ripped him apart using Mysty.
"*Phew* Those monster are pretty weak, but combined with the traps and their nasty ability they are annoying to fight..." (Shun)
[Yeah, most of them all, the orthros whom you normally can't fight in close combat.]
Is it me or Mysty less of a airhead when in her recently? Maybe it's just that she try to stay serious...
"Now to decide what to eat to heal my wound..." (Shun)
Since i already eat a orthros and the two wolf are now a little to much burned for my taste, guess i go with the hellhound. After taking out the arrow whom was still stabbing my shoulder i started to eat a hellhound leg while walking like you would a chicken one, it was... Spicy...
At least it felt lest irritating to do something while avoiding the traps,knowing that i started to talk to Mysty while advancing when i finished eating.
"Thinking back to before we enter the labyrinth you told me that Setsuna had a annoying personality, what did you mean?" (Shun)
[Ah that... I just mean that she talk in an over polite way while being a closet pervert...]
"That... Kinda weird yeah... But isn't that just your interpretation?" (Shun)
[Not really no... She ask to be punished at every occasion and get aroused from it...]
"Are all the cursed blades weird like that...?"
[What did you expect from cursed blades who killed a god with curse and insanity?]
"Right..." (Shun)
So you do know that you are weird. But still i didn't expect a masochist to be my second cursed blade... Oh well as long as she is useful, i just hope i won't fall in love with her at first sight too that would be really awkward...
After fighting our way while avoiding traps for two hour we finally reached the tenth floor stairs whom had a door like the one at the entrance of the labyrinth down them. Touching it, it opened the same way did the first one and behind it was an enormous room filled with adventurers, tents and guy trying to sell equipment, making something like a little bazaar, another door was at the opposite side of the room...
"Mysty sorry, but don't change back to your human form for now."
[Alright dear, i understand...]
"Hey there son! Did you make your way down here alone?! That hella impressive!" (Middle aged adventurer, or M.A.A for short...)
After saying that to Mysty and entering the room, a Middle aged man with a giant axe on his back approached me with a amicable smile.
"Ah yes, it did take me all the day but it wasn't that hard." (Shun)
"Wha... A DAY?! You arrived to the tenth floor in a day?! Ahahah no wonder you came here alone." (M.A.A)
Oops, since the tenth floor is the only place you can rest i thought it would be normal to come here in a day, look like i was wrong...
"Ah is it that strange? I guess i did come here in a rush..." (Shun)
"Yeah most of the time we take turn to sleep for at lest three hours every three floors until we come by a safe room. That the way of the adventurer, are you a newbie to don't know that?" (M.A.A)
"Yeah it's my first time dungeon diving." (Shun)
"First... Ahahahah your amazing lad! Too bad you work alone i would have gladly took you in my party! By the way the name Buck what about yours lad." The friendly adventurer give me is name while reached out his hand for a handshake.
"I'm Shun nice to meet you." I said while reaching his stretched hand with mine.
"Nice to meet ya too little guy, want to share a meal with my party so we can give you some hint on adventuring?" (Buck)
Buck seemed like a good guy but it really sounded like a trap to me... But hearing their advice on dungeon exploring would be pretty useful for finishing this quicker...
"Okay, go ahead please, i follow in a minute." (Shun)
"Sure thing kid! We wait for ya, i really want to hear how you reached this floor this quickly!" (Buck)
Maybe he just curious about that, but let's not take any risk.
"Mysty, if they drug me i count on you to protect me while i'm unconscious." (Shun)
[Okay, you can count on me! I won't leave anyone alive if they do something suspicious to you!]
No that's not what i asked you...
After whispering to Mysty to ask her to protect me if any problem arise i joined Buck party who were joyously cooking white wolf meat. After sharing a meal and answer each question we had for each other, it come to me that Buck was really just a good guy who were curious about me and wanted to give me advice... So people like him and his party do exist huh?
After thanking them for the meal and retire myself for the night i pitched my tent in a corner where there were not as much people and was at the opposite side of the 'waste' corner... The reason why adventurer sleep in tents even in a dungeon if i believe Buck is because that way it's harder for getting your stuff steal while you are sleeping and for intimacy...
But that night were going to me more 'rough' than i first thought...
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Next chapter there is erotica and plot twist! Stay tuned!