Never in my life would I hear the continuous sounds of the clanging and clunking coming from pickaxes and shovels the Nons and Slayers are using in this Labyrinth’s pathway. I too should help this raid team mine the aqua-colored mana crystals, but I've been told by Mr Seo to save my energy as much as I can. He insists that a porter’s job mainly involves pulling the team's bandwagon until his people and the ‘freelance’ Slayers have cleared this Labyrinth. That led me to just standing here with my arms crossed and my back leaning against the cavey walls.

Oddly enough, I’m starting to feel bored even though I should know that mining every single crystal in this Labyrinth will take at least two hours based on the number of the raid members here. One of them doesn't look pleased with my current behavior’s look which is followed by a few yawns I make in between the mining’s duration. Either I’m unable to hide my boredom look in a more discreet manner or that Slayer Ban, whom I just realized we're almost the same height, has her senses heightened more due to her awakening as a rare subclass.

“Hey, Kang Joo-yeon. Just because you're the only Slayer with the lowest rank, that doesn't mean you should do nothing at all.”

Her starting this sudden conversation with me exudes so much tension, especially when she holds up her pickaxe and rests it on her right shoulder. I guess even Slayers with a somewhat pointless subclass like hers will still treat me as a useless being. I let out a sigh while I ruffle my bob haircut, indicating my annoyance with her bossing me about when she’s not exactly an assistant to Mr Seo.

“I don't remember badmouthing you, Slayer Ban. Let me guess. Am I chosen to be your target in receiving your frustrations?”

“Excuse me?”

“Your kind of coping mechanism doesn't help you become strong. I suggest you learn to be competent and make up for what you lack in.”

I can see this tomboyish woman clenching her pickaxe; her frown and furrowed eyebrows looking more intense after I say a fact or two about her powers as a Slayer.

“You’re…strange, Kang Joo-yeon.”

I raise my right eyebrow while she somewhat rambles about my attitude towards her.

“It's as if you're not the same person I last saw in the raid I managed to back away from.”

Sounds like you're bragging that you didn't have to make a choice if you were…

“Hey, y’all!”, the ponytailed woman calls out with a loud tone. “Stop mining for a sec! I just smelled something!”

With her leadership skills of telling her Non colleagues to get themselves ready for a battle, I can see why Mr Seo got a special permission to clear a Labyrinth; not to mention why I've to pull a bandwagon that not only has loaded pickaxes and gunny sacks, but also lots of robotic-like accessories and parts. The Non members proceed to putEach of these equipment, whether in the form of bracelets, rings or parts of plate armor, is embedded with a champagne-colored gemstone. Then, the gemstones start to glow.

I start to realize that they’re actually made from a rare type of mana crystal. Within seconds, I can feel a sudden surge of mana output coming from the Nons’ bodies. This can only mean one thing. They're wearing battle equipment made by Maorga Inc.; the rare metal material made of orihalcum which can channel any amount of mana coming from their gemstones. It’s basically a magical battery for any Non who can afford it since the purchase of this very special item, even if imbued with a D-rank power, cost half a million.

I start to remember what Ms Han warned about someone who has yet to be caught red-handed by the Alliance, but for now, I’m occupied with the current warning from the ponytailed woman. She's right about smelling something, and it's a nasty smell that makes most of the members here cover their noses or hold their breaths for some moments.

“Ugh! What's this smell?!”

“It smells revolting!”

“I feel nauseous!”

“Everyone, don't let your guard down!”

I'm still taken aback with everyone, including the Slayer members, looking with all sorts of emotions on their faces. Some look scared. Others look cautious. As for Slayer Ban, she also looks determined to make it out alive with the pickaxe she's still holding on to; even though inquisitors, even though they're not of the healer class, are unable to channel mana output on to any weapon.

“Mr Seo, it's best if you stay next to the bandwagon,” the ponytailed woman advises her boss as she gears up with the Maorga equipment in the form of a chained whip. She turns to look at me and says, “You too, Ms Kang.”

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I somehow obey her instructions for me to just stay out of the upcoming battle even though I, or more precisely the Guideline, might be capable of fending off whatever creature is coming at us right now. Speaking of them, they're already here judging by the sudden sound of loud growls and hisses.

“But where are they? I can hear them, but I can't see them.”

“Maybe they're still faraway, but to think they're able to make loud noises from that distance…”

Something's not right. The creatures are actually here. There's enough lighting because of the mana crystals being our light source so why…

“Ah!!! Something bit my arm!”

I quickly turn to see one of the archer Slayers’ arms is bleeding. I see the ponytailed woman calling him. She quickly tosses the Alliance’s healing potion, which was in the bandwagon, to the man who’s able to catch the bottle with his other arm. As he drinks it, some of Mr Seo’s assistants declare they're being clawed by something. I can see minor cuts slowly form on their bodies.

“We better slay these monsters quickly! Before we're literally dead meat for them…”

Each of the raid members keep turning around, searching for the hidden creatures, but nothing is appearing in their sight. Only the foul odor is the only sense everyone here is able to detect with their nose.

“Darn it!,” Slayer Ban cusses in this heavy atmosphere we're all feeling now. “It's as if they're invisible…”

Invisible? Could it be…

“Hey!,” I call for their attention. “Does anyone have an ‘Uncover Skill’? If you have one, use it right now!”

“Ms Kang, what are you…”, Mr Seo asks before I interrupt his complete sentence.

“They're literally hiding in plain sight, Mr Seo.”

“So they're invisible?! No wonder…”

“Ouch! They're slashing with their claws again!”

“They really are invisible!”

Right on time, the Slayer, who has the wizard subclass, opens up his grimoire which glows a bright yellow light. He's activating the ‘Uncover Skill’ his grimoire fortunately has.

“If that's true, then I've got this! Everybody, close your eyes! This skill will blind you!”

We quickly close our eyes as we're told to. A few seconds later, I hear shattering-like sounds which indicate the hostile creatures are exposed now. We then open our eyes to see several hideous kangaroo-like creatures surrounding us. Their reddish eyes stare at us. It's creepy enough that their heads are lowered in between their hind legs with reddish-brown fur; the position of their clawed paws facing the opposite direction.

“These are Sigbins!”

“Look out!”

One of the Sigbins starts attacking a few of Mr Seo's assistants with its constant running backwards along with its quill-like tail being used as a weaponized whip. The tail makes a huge blow on their armored chest, sending them flying backwards that makes a huge crater on the Labyrinth's wall. At least I don't hear broken bones and they're not coughing blood. Their equipment must be really durable, though it's mostly because of the embedded mana crystal, withstanding a Sigbin’s attack.

The rest of the members, who are still standing, including the archer Slayers attack the Sigbins with their weapons. Surprisingly, the Slayers are able to be coordinated with Mr Seo's assistants’ offensive moves. As for Slayer Ban, she swings her pickaxe at whichever Sigbins is attacking her. I’m speculating the reason she's not putting up her defensive barrier is because she wants to use it when this raid team meets up with the final Beast of this Labyrinth.

I’m still staying at my designated spot until I notice something is creeping up behind Slayer Ban. It's another invisible Sigbin in which I can see its outlined silhouette. I instinctively pick up a random rock that's next to my foot. Just when it opens its jaws right above her head, I throw the rock at its gaping mouth. The rock gains so much forceful momentum that it goes right through the monster’s head. Some parts of its brain stick out once the rock comes out with that kind of velocity.

Its corpse falls down backwards, giving Slayer Ban a shocked look on her face. I too am looking surprised though I keep it under my stoic look. I’ve come to believe that it's the ‘wisdom stat’, in which all of my 32 points have been applied there, the Guideline has given to me. Then, I begin to make a decision in collecting the corpses of the Sigbins. Of course I need to do so without being seen by this raid team I've just joined in. And that gets me wondering if…

If some Labyrinths are said to be evolving at an unpredictable stage, then it'll be alright to do this even in plain sight.

I proceed to use the {Lightning Skill} for ten seconds. I use my focus on hitting the remaining Sigbins only. The raid members, including Mr Seo, look flabbergasted to see their beastly enemies getting a literal shock of their lives. Soon after I’ve deactivated my skill, the Sigbins have become slightly burnt corpses. Each of them plop to the ground like a lifeless sandbag. Before anyone wonders what exactly has happened, I quickly inwardly say [Store all Sigbins] which the Guideline complies with my command. And so, my storage’s blue light surrounds the whole team. It ‘swallows’ the corpses into the ground before having its light disappear completely from anyone's sight.

“What on earth was that?”

“Hey! That's not fair! Those corpses should have body parts that are worth selling at the Alliance’s auction!”

“It can't be helped that some Labyrinths are evolving at a fast pace. Just that we can't predict its next behavior.”

“You mean, Mr Seo…this is a Labyrinth’s doing? This case sounds familiar…”

“Anyway, the important matter is that we're all safe for now, and that there are no casualties. I only expect to collect the mana crystals and this team to defeat the final Beast. That's the requirement y’all need to do, okay? Now, if anyone is suffering from bruises or cuts from the Sigbins, please take and consume the healing potions that's in this bandwagon.”

“Thank you, Mr Seo!”

Each member takes a break from the non-stop fight they had against the Sigbins. Some drink their water bottles. Others readjust their equipment’s position on their bodies. As everyone is busy getting themselves ready before heading into this Labyrinth any further, I begin to suspect that the Nons (Mr Seo and his assistants) know something about this Labyrinth more than the Slayers.

The ponytailed woman told me earlier, before I arrived with her here, that the Slayers are online applicants for this raid team’s job requirement. She told me the maximum to hire Slayers is five people while also telling me that I'm the lucky one to be getting this lucrative deal from her boss Mr Seo.

Even before entering inside this Labyrinth, I was surprised there's no healer Slayer amongst Mr Seo's company. As much as healing potions bought at the Alliance are reassuring enough for the Slayer applicants, I was already suspecting that Mr Seo or any of his assistants is keeping some secrets from us Slayers.

Also, there was another smell on the Sigbins’ bodies while I was observing the team’s fight against them. It was the smell of sage, which was absorbed with mana energy, on the Sigbins. It's a good thing I swap my ‘luck stat' to ‘wisdom stat’ today, seeing how the Guideline’s notification appears to me like this as if it's explaining why the old man was in a hurry to warn me not to go inside here.

[You have stored 26 bodies of Sigbins.]

[...]

[The Guideline via the Wisdom Stat has detected traces of ‘mana-absorbed Sage’.]

[...]

[Choose the following on what you want to do with its residue.]

[(1) Remove]

[(2) Replicate]

[(3) Retrieve]