Witch Taming System-Chapter 22: Labyrinth Dive [4]

∎ Subjugate 50 Labyrinth Dwellers (6/50)

Slash——

∎ Subjugate 50 Labyrinth Dwellers (18/50)

Lancel was slowly finding his groove.

It had been a long time since he had killed anything. With a dagger back in his hand, the old rhythm returned.

The blade moved swiftly through the labyrinth as Lancel struck whenever an opening appeared. He moved with the party, coordinating his movements with the others as they advanced through the mapped section.

The frontliners held the narrow passage while the rest of the group pressed forward, cutting down the labyrinth dwellers that emerged from the shadows.

Lancel slipped between them whenever an opportunity presented itself.

Slash——

A quick step.

Slash——

A low slash.

Slash——

Then retreat.

The creatures weren’t particularly strong, but labyrinth monsters were persistent. One would fall only for another to crawl out from a crack in the stone moments later.

Still, the counter continued to rise.

"Look out!"

"Ah—Ahhhh!"

Before anyone could react, something shot down from above. A thin, silky thread wrapped tightly around one of the adventurers.

If Lancel remembered correctly, her name was Emily. She had introduced herself earlier as an A-rank archer. The thread coiled around her torso in an instant.

Then, before anyone could reach her, she was yanked upward. Silk threads continued to wrap around her body as she was hoisted toward the ceiling.

"Hold on!"

Lancel sprinted toward the wall and kicked off it, using the surface to launch himself upward. His body rebounded between the stone walls as he climbed higher with the dagger in his hand.

The dagger in his hand flashed as he prepared to strike. Behind him, the others reacted almost at the same time.

"Bring her down!"

Several weapons were thrown toward the silk threads. Even a small hooked axe spun through the air as the adventurers tried to sever the line that was dragging Emily upward.

Clink——!

Metal clashed against the threads.

Clang——!

But none of the weapons managed to cut through.

The blade flashed as he struck at the thread.

Lancel saw it clearly as he closed the distance.

"Those threads aren’t ordinary silk..."

Even as he reached striking range, a sinking feeling formed in his chest.

Still, he swung his dagger anyway.

Clang——!

The moment his dagger met the silk, Lancel realized it was for naught. His blade slid off with a metallic clang.

"...!"

His momentum broke immediately. Without anything to grip onto, Lancel lost his footing and began to fall.

The stone floor rushed up to meet him. But before he could slam into it, a pair of arms caught him mid-drop.

"Careful!"

Lancel exhaled as his feet touched the ground again. Above them, the silk threads continued to pull Emily upward into the darkness of the labyrinth ceiling.

"Emily!" another adventurer shouted.

It was Mael, the woman wearing thick padded armor and carrying a broad shield. Her voice echoed through the corridor as she looked up at the ceiling where the silk threads had vanished into darkness.

"What the hell was that?!" someone yelled.

Emily’s muffled cries could still be heard above them as the threads continued dragging her upward.

"Cut the line!" Mael barked.

"We tried!" the man who had caught Lancel said. "It’s not normal silk!"

Another adventurer pointed upward with his weapon.

"Something’s up there!"

The group tightened their formation, weapons raised toward the ceiling.

Then Mael turned toward the scouts.

"What the hell is this?!" she said. "There was no report of anything like this!"

One of the scouts frowned.

"We never saw anything like that during the sweep."

"You mapped the area!" another adventurer shouted. "You said this section was clear!"

"We said we didn’t see anything," the scout snapped back. "That doesn’t mean the place is empty!"

"That’s not good enough!" Mael shot back. "You’re the scouts! You’re supposed to know what’s here!"

The tension in the corridor rose quickly.

Lancel pushed himself upright and looked up toward the ceiling again. The silk threads were still stretched, disappearing into a dark crack in the stone above.

"Stop arguing! There’s still a shitton of monsters around!"

Lancel’s shout cut through the growing tension. The argument between the scouts and the others died down immediately.

This wasn’t the time to point fingers. Not when the labyrinth itself was still crawling with threats.

One of the vanguards backed him up almost instantly. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

He swung his blade in a wide arc and cleaved through a labyrinth dweller that had lunged from the side corridor.

"We deal with this first!"

Another monster crawled out from a crack along the wall. Its limbs scraped against the stone as it rushed toward the group.

Mael slammed her shield forward.

Bang——!

The impact knocked the creature back long enough for another adventurer to step in and drive a blade through its head.

"More coming!"

"What’s that sound?!"

The corridor soon filled with the sound of claws skittering across stone.

The scraping echoes bounced through the labyrinth’s tunnels, growing louder with each passing second.

Truthfully, casualties were not unusual in labyrinth extermination jobs. Anyone who had spent enough time exploring one understood that death was always a possibility.

But watching the reactions around him, Lancel could already tell something.

Some of these adventurers were still green.

Even though they had the title of Class A, there was a clear lack of experience when it came to labyrinth operations.

After all, there was one rule every seasoned explorer knew.

The number one rule of a labyrinth.

Never scream.

Labyrinth monsters were drawn to noise. Sound traveled easily through the corridors, bouncing from wall to wall and spreading far beyond what people expected.

And earlier, the group had been shouting at each other.

In other words, they had rung the dinner bell.

Because of that, a horde was coming.

"Retreat!" the leader shouted.

Mael turned toward him immediately, a frown creasing her face.

"Are you crazy?! What about Emily?!"

"Then go after her yourself! "I’m not risking my life for some bitch I just met!"

The argument only lasted a second.

Because the first of the labyrinth dwellers burst into view.

"Contact!"

Steel clashed against chitin as the front line immediately engaged. Mael slammed her shield forward and crushed one of the creatures against the wall before bringing her weapon down with brutal force.

Another adventurer stepped forward beside her.

"We can’t hold this position!"

"Fall back!" the leader shouted again.

But even as he said it, more creatures poured into the corridor.

Lancel glanced once toward the dark ceiling where Emily had disappeared.

Then he looked at the approaching horde.

"...Shit."