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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: The Barbarian Who Hid His Face in the Reversal World
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I am an intellectual, capable of making wise judgments and rational decisions.
That is to say, I am not a barbarian who immediately swings his axe to split skulls just because someone gives me an unsettling stare.
What is the difference between humans and beasts? I believe it is the ability to communicate, to express our opinions and achieve desired outcomes.
Even if it means letting go of a slightly larger immediate gain, we seek methods that benefit both parties.
In good terms, it’s humanity. Not some effeminate, weak kind of humanity, but the kind where people consider and care for one another.
‘Let me think about this. Has there ever been anyone with such humanity in this fucking Labyrinth City?’
Cold reason brought back past incidents. The conclusion was quick to form.
‘The vast majority of people in this world are not human.’
They are beasts and barbarians, chasing only their own self-interest.
How many times have I been burned in the Labyrinth City? At least a dozen times, easily.
‘I don’t know what’s going to happen to me right now, so shouldn’t I just strike first?’
“Master.”
Densi’s voice pulled my sinking mind back to the surface. First, I reassessed the situation.
Considering that Zelvin and Mercy were with them, the probability of them being purely benevolent explorers was infinitely close to zero.
“They have Reformed Explorer ID tags on their waists. They used to be outlaws.”
Densi whispered quietly beside me. It was as I expected.
But even if they were outlaws in the past, they are explorers now. The reformed ID tags on their waists proved it.
Unlike with Deluna, if they threatened us first and we retaliated, that would be one thing. But if I just went and split someone’s head open because the atmosphere felt a bit off, I’d have no excuse if I were treated as an outlaw myself.
For now, I should observe the situation further.
I calmly asked the one I presumed to be the leader of the opposing party.
“Are you perhaps planning to use a Teleportation Trap?”
“Yeah. Why?”
A Teleportation Trap is an area-of-effect trap. If they trigger it, we’d be caught in it too, for no reason. And, separate from that.
‘Rudeness confirmed.’
My words were polite, but their reply was utterly crude, so I no longer felt the need to speak formally.
“Then, could you delay using it and wait until we’re out of the Teleportation Trap’s range?”
As I spoke, I observed them. Starting with the rude one who just answered.
[Derusio LV. 21]
Her level was quite high. Among lower-tier explorers, she was top-tier. No wonder they were heading to the 5th Floor.
The others averaged around Level 15. Zelvin and Mercy, with their hardened expressions, were bringing down the average level.
Furthermore.
[Current Blessings and Curses: 2]
[◆ Puppet’s Curse, 26221st]
– Derusio has become the 26221st puppet.
‘Her too?’
I didn’t know what this curse was, but it seemed to stick to every rude, unsettling woman I encountered. Was it like Valerius’s version of a Good Housekeeping Seal?
Not everyone afflicted by the Puppet’s Curse might be evil, but most of the despicable women I’d seen had that curse.
My wariness increased. I tightened my grip on my axe, just enough so they wouldn’t notice.
“No.”
Derusio said, a slight smirk playing on her lips. She seemed quite malicious.
“Why should we care about you? We’re busy as hell with our own business.”
“...Ten seconds. No more, no less, just ten seconds. Give us ten seconds, and we’ll be out of here quickly.”
“Alright. Then I’ll give you exactly ten seconds.”
What?
I was momentarily flustered by how easily she agreed, considering her posturing, but this wasn’t the time to be dumbfounded.
Just as I was about to grab Densi and Jeremy and run.
“Ten seconds! Time’s up!”
Derusio declared, and her goons blocked our path. We hadn’t even taken a step yet.
“...What exactly is this about?”
“Why? I gave you ten seconds. It feels like about ten seconds have passed while we’ve been facing off, doesn’t it?”
It was bullshit logic. At the same time, I realized. From the start, that bitch had no intention of letting us go.
“...What did we do to deserve this? We haven’t done anything to you.”
A question arose. Why would someone who reformed from an outlaw and became an explorer again commit such an outrage?
‘Actually, there’s only one reason.’
Looking at their eyes, glistening with lust, I could pretty much guess.
So, I acted as weak a Balkan as possible.
Trembling, slightly faltering.
“...?”
“...B-Big Brother...”
Densi and Jeremy looked at me with bewildered expressions, but that wasn’t the problem right now.
“That, that bastard again...!”
“Ah, ah, my, my axe, my axe...”
Zelvin and Mercy, as if their past encounter with me had traumatized them, began clutching their heads in agony.
“Hey, are you guys alrigh—”
At that, the attention of two surrounding goons was diverted.
However, even with the minor commotion, Derusio’s eyes remained fixed on my arm or thigh.
Well, it had been three days in the Labyrinth, so her lust must have built up quite a bit.
‘Thank you, Deluna.’
Your impressive acting might be a big help for my survival.
“W-We’re just explorers who just arrived on the 2nd Floor. If we get caught in a Teleportation Trap, there’s no hope...”
“That’s your problem. We have no reason to understand or accommodate it.”
“You’re 5th Floor explorers, what could you possibly want from us?!”
“Well, your gear looks pretty plain. But as you’ve probably guessed, something like this doesn’t usually happen just for gear, does it?”
Derusio ran her red tongue over her lips. I could hear the sound of her swallowing from here.
“No matter how busy I am, I have to take care of business. You. Take off your pants.”
No matter how appallingly bad the average explorer’s character was, and how much worse Reformed Explorers were, this clearly crossed a line.
“I won’t tell you to take off your breastplate. There has to be some thrill in the conquest, after all. Just take off your pants. I’ll be gentle. Hmm?”
But she began to threaten me daringly, as if she had something she trusted.
‘Either she’s an idiot who acts purely on instinct, blindly charging in, or she has something she trusts... a powerful backer.’
Logically, the latter seemed more plausible.
Zelvin and Mercy had tried similar things but trembled at my threats, so it seemed the supposed ‘backer’ was only favorable to Derusio.
‘If I could just get my hands on that backer, maybe I could learn a hint about that curse?’
“You fucking bitch—!”
Densi exclaimed, drawing her bowstring. The poisoned arrow I had given her was aimed at Derusio’s forehead.
“...To utter such words to a man, I cannot forgive it.”
Jeremy also gripped her spear tightly, taking a thrusting stance.
“Haha. Just calm down for a moment. This could be good for you too, you know?”
Derusio swallowed, gazing intently at me.
“If that man just gives himself to us, I’ll give you time to leave the Teleportation Trap area. No more tricks like before. So, choose. Will you quietly give yourselves to us and leave alive, or will you be violated as cold corpses?”
What was the cause of this standoff in the first place?
They tried to use a Teleportation Trap, and we were almost caught in it.
But Derusio spoke as if she was bestowing mercy.
“Are you seriously saying that—?”
“Densi. Calm down.”
“No, Master! That bastard is doing that to Master—!”
“Densi.”
“...!”
When I called her name, Densi froze.
It was the first time. The first time I had called her by her actual name.
Perhaps because of that, Densi’s eyes trembled. She immediately bowed her head deeply.
*Grind—*
Then I heard the sound of her teeth grinding, as if suppressing her rage.
Secretly, I pulled a dagger from her waist and slipped it into my own waistband.
“Big Brother. No. As long as I’m here, I won’t let Big Brother suffer such a thing.”
Jeremy, with her strong male sensibilities by this world’s standards, was already teary-eyed and looked ready to charge at Derusio’s group.
“I’m fine, Jeremy.”
“...”
I patted her shoulder, feeling her trembling.
Then I leaned closer to her head and whispered in a very quiet voice.
“If I approach those bastards, immediately take Densi and bolt in the opposite direction.”
“...! Understood.”
I never intended to be easily caught.
The plan was simple: make them drop their guard, then strike and run.
The chances of success were quite high. The 2nd Floor was a field of unpredictable traps.
‘But we have Densi.’
Unless they had Densi-level trap detection abilities, they wouldn’t be able to track us even if they died trying. And if they did, the damage would be catastrophic.
Fortunately, Jeremy seemed to have understood my intention.
“If I really give myself to you, you’ll keep your promise, right?”
She had just played a trick like that, so she’d hardly keep her promise. Even thinking that, I did my best to induce complacency with my words.
“Heh heh. Of course. It’s a truly tear-jerking sacrifice, isn’t it? It’ll make you even more fun to take. Oh, and leave your axe behind, okay?”
Derusio laughed like a cuckolding villain from an NTR manga. She looked ready to conquer the heroine through threats and even send a video.
Good. It was fortunate, actually. If she thought this was a sacrifice, it seemed she wasn't very perceptive.
*Clang—*
The axe hit the ground with a metallic clang.
I cautiously assessed the situation and approached Derusio.
My individual stats were higher than theirs, but considering the entire party, the advantage was theirs.
However, thanks to Zelvin and Mercy’s outbursts, two goons had moved to the back, and a total of about four people had fallen back.
Currently, there were three enemies directly in front.
Derusio was the strongest opponent I had faced so far, but she was also the most complacent.
Her complacency was incredibly helpful.
“Come on. Come here. And take it off yourself.”
Derusio, who was now right in front of me, smiled with a perverted grin. Her hand began to roughly grope my thigh.
I quietly pretended to undo my belt and pulled out the dagger I had hidden at my waist.
Derusio’s subtly smiling face twisted violently moments later.
“You, you fu—”
Her reaction speed was faster than I expected? But she was slightly too late.
*Thwack!*
“Aaaargh!”
Densi’s dagger was slightly embedded in Derusio’s collarbone.
I had clearly aimed for the carotid artery, but the bitch had blocked the dagger with her hand, willing to let her left hand be pierced.
So, she had some experience as an explorer, huh? If she hadn’t been so consumed by lust, she would have been a really annoying opponent.
“What the hell are you doing, you bastard!”
Two goons drew their swords and charged. But they were just goons. My Agility is twice yours, do you think that’ll work?
“Aaaargh!”
I pulled the dagger from Derusio’s left hand and threw it.
The dagger flew instantly and accurately embedded itself in the neck of one of the charging goons. He immediately frothed blood and collapsed.
The falling position was also good. It was right where my axe was. I immediately ran over and equipped my axe and the dagger.
I easily dealt with the other charging goon.
“Ugh, h-huh, you, you bastard. If you’d just complied, none of this would’ve been necessary!”
“Yeah, I told you earlier. I only needed ten seconds. You couldn’t wait for that, and now this mess is happening?”
Instead of replying to my words, Derusio made a different decision.
“Hey! You! Trigger the Teleportation Trap! We’re going to the 5th Floor’s fountain!”
“Yes!”
At her command, one of the goons who had been watching Zelvin approached the Teleportation Trap.
‘That’s enough.’
I immediately turned to prepare to flee. Getting caught up ambiguously would be the end. Looking behind, I saw Jeremy about to run with Densi. Good job, Jeremy. I’m coming too.
*Crunch!*
“Where, *gurgle*, are you going, you man-lover…?”
“You bastard!”
Just as I was about to run, the goon I thought was dead grabbed my ankle tightly and held on. If he was a goon, he should have just died gracefully, but his life force was persistent.
I brought my axe down on his wrist, severing it, and just as I was about to sprint.
*BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP—*
A bright yellow flash erupted from behind, and an unpleasant noise echoed through the Labyrinth.
Just hearing it felt incredibly ominous. It meant the Teleportation Trap had been triggered.
I glanced back to see Derusio, stemming her bleeding and holding hands with her party members, smiling grimly.
“You’re fucked.”
Bullshit.
‘There’s still time!’
The activation range of the Teleportation Trap was 100 meters. It said it takes about ten seconds from when the teleportation magic circle is triggered to when it activates.
And my Agility is a whopping 17.
I believe in you, my Agility. Move, legs. You can definitely cover 100 meters in ten seconds! About two seconds have already passed, so I need to run it in eight seconds!
*Whizz!*
As I pushed off the ground, the wind slapped my face.
A violent sprint, strong enough to leave small footprints on the Labyrinth’s stone floor.
Immense power surged from my explosively swollen thighs. I didn’t know it for sure, but even Usain Bolt wouldn’t be able to hold a candle to me right now.
In the distance, there was a line drawn, like the finish line of a 100-meter dash.
The area inside the line was bright yellow, and outside was the Labyrinth’s ordinary stone floor. Presumably, crossing that line would take me out of the Teleportation Trap’s range.
I noticed Densi and Jeremy, whom I had already caught up to.
‘I can do it. It’s tight, but I can do it!’
I can escape the Teleportation Trap’s area safely!
Immediately after that thought.
The world slowed down again.
No matter how I stretched my legs, I didn’t move forward. A strange calm, as if time had stopped again, came over me.
“Motherfucker.”
Why? What now? Did we just step on a trap? No. There wasn’t that characteristic activation sound when a trap goes off. It wasn’t a trap. Then what the hell is the problem?
“Ah.”
I get it. The problem.
My Agility is 17.
And I, with that Agility, can barely cross that line.
But Densi and Jeremy are significantly slower than me.
In other words, they couldn’t reach that line even if they died trying.
At best, they’d be swallowed by the Teleportation Trap right before escaping.
Only then did I understand why that strange calm and focus had returned.
This wasn’t time to recognize danger.
‘This is time to force a decision on me.’
What choice will I make?
Will I kill the Goblins? Or will I quickly run away?
Will I endure injuries and sacrifice to save free points? Or will I invest in Agility and survive?
In this case.
‘Will I abandon Densi and Jeremy and escape the Teleportation Trap alone?’
Or.
‘Will all three of us fall to the 5th Floor together?’
Naturally, I should have chosen the former.
For fuck’s sake, shouldn’t I focus on my own survival first? A party isn’t eternal, anyway. If there’s a meeting, there’s bound to be a parting. This was simply the fate of our party.
It wasn’t the 3rd Floor, nor the 4th, but the 5th. I had no idea what kind of hellish things we’d encounter.
‘But why the hell am I agonizing over this?’
Even if all three of us fell to the 5th Floor, the danger would be the same. No, in fact, going as three would be even more dangerous.
I might be able to manage just by relying on my stats, but the two in front of me are different. It’s clear they’d struggle against even one monster and die.
Even if I tried to protect them and move, there’s a high probability we’d face a situation far more dangerous than a rain of arrows trap.
‘Abandon them. Just abandon them. How long have I even known them to have grown attached? Just grit your teeth and do it. You’ll forget them soon enough anyway. The Labyrinth City is that kind of place, isn’t it?’
My inner self whispered. Make your choice. You know what the wise decision is.
The world began to flow at its normal speed again.
After much deliberation, I made my choice.
Not the first, nor the second.
The third choice.
Having quickly caught up to Densi and Jeremy, I channeled all the power from my legs into my upper body.
*Thwack!*
And with my palms, I shoved them hard in the back.
““...?!””
Their bodies floated as if struck by a ki blast, flying out of the area.
A mix of slight pain and great surprise was visible on their faces even from here.
Behind me, the yellow light began to erupt even more fiercely. This was truly the end.
At least it was fortunate. By the time that light surged, they would have fallen outside the area and survived.
‘Idiot.’
I had made a fucking stupid choice. I had chosen others’ survival over my own.
But I had to make this choice, even for my future life.
What is the difference between humans and beasts?
It is finding ways that benefit both parties, even if it means letting go of immediate gain.
‘In other words, it’s being willing to accept your own loss.’
I had made a human choice.
‘Of course, this is a pretty big loss, though.’
Nevertheless, I have no doubt that those I ‘bought low’ will come back having skyrocketed in value.
The vast majority of people in this world are beasts and barbarians who only chase their own self-interest, but I don’t think those two will forget my benevolence.
It was a rather selfish decision. If I put them in great debt to me, wouldn’t they be helpful until the very end?
“Master—!”
“Big Brother!”
As soon as they hit the ground, they turned to look at me.
“Noooo! Don’t go! Don’t go!”
Densi ran from afar with a desperate face, reaching out to me.
But there was no way she could reach. I’d thrown them quite far.
With a faint smile, I opened my mouth as I was swallowed by the bright yellow light.
“Farewell.”
*BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.*
Along with the strange noise, an unfamiliar sensation of floating came over me.
And so, I fell to the 5th Floor.
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