WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Mordor
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Surviving the Frozen Dark Fantasy as a Genius Mage ◈
Chapter 112: The Secret of the Deep Floors and Ian's Disappearance
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[Ian has fallen into a dimensional rift somewhere in the Labyrinth’s Deep Floors!]
[Danger! This is a space where the still-weak Ian cannot endure even one second!]
In the pitch-black darkness, reptilian eyes with vertical pupils gleamed.
Blackened scales, as though they had burned away and rotted. Miasma and dark-red blood streamed endlessly between them.
Whenever it twisted its body, someone’s screams burst forth. No matter how high I raised my head, I could not see the end of its enormous body.
‘A snake large enough to reach the end of the world.’
Hissss!
The portal was gone. In its place, an enormous, horrifying snake flicked its tongue as it stared at me.
It was strange.
The darkness was so thick I could not see an inch ahead, yet I could clearly perceive that being. Its overwhelming presence pressed down on me.
Its distinctive appearance made the answer obvious.
There was no doubt.
The Snake King.
One of the Seven Kings, worshipped and hated by mankind alike.
I gritted my teeth as I considered the sudden situation.
‘The rumor that the kings exist in the Labyrinth was true!’
There was no one here but me.
‘And I took a return portal, not a random portal. So why did I suddenly run into this thing?’
It had probably dragged me here with its power.
The reason was easy enough to guess.
‘Because I’m a genius mage and a transmigrator!’
Because I was special.
It was not narcissism. I was not originally from this world.
Fuck.
Separate from why this bastard had summoned me, I had plenty of questions of my own.
‘The ancient Eight Kings, including the hidden king of the dark elves, are beings equal to gods.’
It must know much about the Labyrinth’s secrets that I did not.
Starting with the fundamental question of why I had fallen into this fucking game.
Why did it bring eternal winter into the world alongside the Giant King?
The scriptures of other faiths say that the Five Kings, revered by the people, are no different from you bastards. Is that true? Or is there another reason?
There was much I wanted to know.
But would it answer so readily if I asked?
More than anything...
‘I can’t speak!’
My entire body trembled against my will under the overwhelming aura it emitted, as though my soul itself were being crushed.
My frail body.
My mind and soul themselves were rejecting the sight of this space and the being before me.
‘My eyes feel like they’re going to pop out...!’
“The stopped wheel has begun to turn once more.”
“Is this the final attempt...?”
As though my very existence were being pierced through, the Snake King Ouroboros flicked its tongue as it observed me.
No, more precisely, its immense will was driving itself into me.
That alone made the world shake as though I had been struck by a mental spell.
Ghk.
“Hey... Snake King.”
At that point, sheer stubbornness rose in me.
Fuck, why did I, who had been living comfortably in twenty-first-century South Korea, have to fall into this place and suffer like this?!
Why did I have to kill others for a few scraps of money and live under the threat of death?!
‘A world where I have to eat potatoes every meal and worry about freezing to death!’
‘This fucking world!’
Do you know why I have to go through this shit?! Huh?! You snake bastard!
“Speak, Pioneer.”
“Why did you summon me here?”
Why had it called me into this space?
No, why had I fallen into this fucking game in the first place?
Overcoming my fear with anger, I asked two questions.
“That is because you are the chosen one. Apostle of the Goddess of Fortune and Fate.”
“...What?”
Huh?
It answered?
Normally, wouldn’t they shut up after saying something pointless about forbidden knowledge or truths I was not allowed to know? It answered so readily that I was the one left confused.
‘An apostle of the Goddess of Fortune and Fate?’
And what was that supposed to mean?
Still, I sensed that this was my chance to uncover the world’s secrets.
“What the hell do you want from me?!”
“Everything.”
But all I got was a vague answer.
Fuck, then I should ask something else.
“Why did you destroy the world together with the Giant King?”
“I ruined it? Heh heh heh. No. I saved it.”
The black snake laughed.
Not sincerely or kindly, but darkly and wickedly.
“Pioneer. You...”
Hissss!
Just as the Snake King spoke to me in that sticky voice.
“Do not listen to the wicked voice, Pioneer!”
Crash!
The darkness shattered, and brilliant light poured forth.
Then a being emerged from beyond the crack and stood between me and the Snake King.
“Master of Fate! Heir to the will of the final god! Return! This is not yet a place for you to come!”
A human-shaped being nearly as large as the snake that reached the end of the world.
Like good gods such as Meia and Lu, it radiated holy light from its entire body.
“Ugh!”
I could not make out the situation clearly amid the blinding light and the writhing darkness opposing it, but the crown and scepter it held stood out.
Hissssssss!
“You filthy meddler!!!”
Unlike before, the black snake flew into a rage at the crowned being and lunged at it.
“You are...”
Thanks to my knowledge of Dungeon of Death, I knew this being’s identity as well.
Just as I expected...
“I am Gwyndolin. To your descendants, I am known as the First King.”
An endless holy, numinous aura flowed from Gwyndolin, in stark contrast to the black snake that constantly emitted wicked energy.
Gwyndolin, the Human King.
One of the original Seven Kings, an ancient hero who sacrificed themself to crush the ambitions of the Snake King and Giant King, brought the Labyrinth into this world, and prevented humanity’s extinction.
“Apostle of the Goddess of Fate and Pioneer. One day, as you descend the Labyrinth, the day will come when you meet me. But that day is not now.”
Like the Snake King, Gwyndolin spoke words that hinted at something more, then stood against the darkness.
Craaaaaash!!!
When the king and the black snake collided, a wave of power beyond anything I could imagine erupted.
The world shattered, and my whole body felt weightless.
“You fucking bastards! You’re the only ones who know what you’re talking about...! Agh! My eyes!!!”
Beyond my blinding vision.
Two Coins spun above the heads of the two clashing kings.
[Heads/Tails]
‘Heads.’
Before the massive current of fate, I instinctively tossed the Coin.
[Heads]
[Success]
‘Heads.’
[Tails]
[Failure]
One succeeded, and one failed.
But the two massive beings were fiercely entangled, so I could not tell which Coin had failed.
[The King’s Blessing descends upon you.]
[The Snake King’s ??? descends upon you.]
[Level Up!]
[Ian can now imprint 11 spells!]
A thrilling shudder ran through me as new power filled my body.
Then my vision went dark.
* * *
They had returned to the city, but they could not find Ian or Daisy there either.
“They’re not here either...! Fuck!”
Elena’s long ears trembled pitifully before drooping.
Unlike herself, Elena collapsed to the ground and sobbed bitterly like a child.
“Ian... Iaaaan... Sniff. Waaaaah!”
It was an unbearably weak sight, unlike Elena.
“Elena...”
Hans comforted her and helped her up.
“Let’s put up a reward and gather people immediately.”
“I’ll contribute every last coin I have!”
With a face full of guilt, Gimlius offered everything he had.
They had barely escaped after a desperate struggle and looked ready to collapse at any moment. Yet Elena, Hans, and Gimlius did not even rest from their journey. They immediately began planning Ian’s rescue.
During that process, the three realized something.
Ian’s influence was far greater than they had imagined.
“They won’t gather right away, but...?!”
From the moment they filed a missing-person report at the Expedition Party Guild and recruited people to help, countless people began arriving.
“What the hell happened?! Ian and Daisy disappeared...?! No! I’ll help first! That’s okay, right?!”
“Of course!”
His best friend Dize and his companions.
“I might not be much help, but I’ll help too.”
Narita, the archer they had met on the first floor, though that encounter had ended in tragedy.
“We’ll help too. Ah, you don’t need to pay us.”
Elias’s elf party, whom they had met in the Salt Cave before.
“If something like this happened, you should have told me first. Let’s go quickly.”
Alejandro the golem mage had rushed over after hearing the news despite his bad leg.
“Wh-What? Dark elves?”
“Why are those bastards...”
Grrrrrr! Woof! Woof!
There were also people who seemed least likely to join a search for missing persons.
The dark elves had arrived as well, bringing a pack of hunting hounds.
“By the authority of the great Twelve Families, Lady Darnen Veliar has sent us. You there, smelly elf. Give us detailed information on this Ian fellow.”
It turned out Darnen had heard the news and sent people.
“Madam Cotillard sent supplies too... She says to use them to rescue Ian and Daisy!”
That was not all.
“We will help search for Sister Daisy as well.”
Agape, Daisy’s teacher and guide, joined them with several monks.
Even more formidable people came from the Magic Tower where Ian belonged.
“Our junior would never die from something like this.”
Kulkin, the fire mage who had traveled with Ian through the snowfields.
“Th-Those people are...”
“The Golden Lion Clan!”
Iromis, the senior mage and sixth-floor expedition member who had fought alongside Ian during the Floor Master incident, arrived with members of the Golden Lion Clan.
“Searching recklessly will only ruin what might have worked. We have people specialized in tracking and special tools. Let’s use them.”
“Even you...”
Hans had not expected even the Golden Lion Clan to come help.
As he stood there in shock, Iromis held up an object like a compass that gave off a mysterious light.
“Do you have any of Ian’s belongings? Hair, perhaps, or something with his scent or blood on it.”
“I do!!! Here!!!”
No one knew why she had it, but Elena urgently held out a bundle of Ian’s hair.
“That’s fortunate. If Ian is on the same floor, we can find him without fail using this.”
“It has that kind of power?”
Hans was astonished.
“It’s a tracking compass, a magic item. You’ve probably never heard of it. It’s an incredibly precious object. Master Marianne lent it to us.”
“A Magic Tower Master did...?”
Normally, the Masters of the Magic Tower did not concern themselves much with the lives or deaths of mages who went missing during Labyrinth expeditions or external training.
Mages were individualistic by nature, for one thing. More importantly, if the Masters acted like parents whenever such incidents happened, the Magic Tower’s order and discipline would become a mess.
But that unwritten rule had just been broken.
Iromis explained why.
“Too many mages affiliated with the Magic Tower have suffered lately, including during the Floor Master incident. The Masters were already keeping a close eye on the Labyrinth’s dangers.”
Of course...
“That is only the official reason. In truth, it is because Junior Ian has drawn that much attention from the Masters.”
“That idiot... He always went on about being a genius... and having connections... Sniff! It helps at a time like this!”
In any case, Elena felt relieved now that there was hope.
“Keep this a secret. Though it will become public soon enough...”
Crackle!
At that moment, Iromis looked toward the outside of the guild.
The already noisy surroundings had grown even louder.
“Oh dear... They are already here. They seem quite angry.”
The instant Iromis finished speaking, a rough voice boomed like thunder.
“Why are you still standing around instead of leaving already?!”
“That person is...!”
The entire rescue party was stunned when they saw who appeared next.
“Master Castlelight?!”
A Master of the Magic Tower had come in person.
* * *
Commonly called a punching bag.
Rage, a receptionist in the Missing Persons Division, one of the Expedition Party Guild’s most avoided departments, yawned lazily.
The only sanctuary in a world beneath eternal cold.
Labyrinth was prosperous, but it was also a city powered by someone’s blood, sweat, and sacrifice.
Countless people entered the Labyrinth every day for their own goals, and some of them disappeared.
Even famous rookies, established expedition members, or heroes known by everyone in the city were no exception.
Yes, reports of missing persons were common.
And most ended in tragedy.
“Ian, sixth-rank expedition member. Daisy, seventh-rank expedition member... The report has been filed.”
This time would be no different.
Still, Rage thought that these people must have been blessed with good connections.
Usually, even if a companion went missing in the Labyrinth, people merely filed a report out of formality before losing interest.
Some even changed the inheritance beneficiary to themselves to steal whatever property they could if their missing companion had not left a will.
Most missing people were dead, but some occasionally returned alive and realized what had happened. Then they would fight with one another in a situation too absurd to laugh at.
“Let me go!”
“Let’s split into teams of five and search! Where are the portraits?!”
To receive this much goodwill in such a hellhole, this missing mage named Ian must have been a person with considerable popularity.
‘Ian, the mage of Thunderfall.’
‘He’s the one who stirred up the whole city recently.’
But even someone so remarkable had ultimately been swallowed by the Labyrinth.
Meanwhile, Rage was still alive, even while stuck sitting here as a punching bag for little pay.
Heh.
Rage felt a thrilling sense of superiority.
What was the point of making money and becoming famous?
In the end, the one who survived was the winner.
Had she sensed that?
One of the missing mage’s party members, a sharp-tempered elf woman, glared at Rage.
“Hey, are you laughing right now? Someone’s missing.”
“You misunderstand. And I understand how you feel, but please do not act emotionally. If you do not follow procedure, it will be difficult for us to help you.”
“We don’t need that crap. We said we’ll find them ourselves.”
“If you continue, I will call the guards.”
“What?!”
Rage flinched and deliberately responded forcefully.
Then the infamous dark elves suddenly appeared in a group.
‘W-Why are dark elves here...?!’
On top of that, the Golden Lion Clan, a large clan even the guild could not easily deal with, appeared.
‘Fuck, what is this...’
And every one of them said they were looking for a mage named Ian.
‘What the hell is this Ian person?’
As Rage panicked, someone placed a heavy hand on their head.
“What kind of shitty job are you doing here?”
Rage turned his head at the cold voice and saw a bald man with a vicious face twisted like an evil spirit.
“D-Deputy Branch Manager...?”
It was Max, the deputy head of the southern branch, whom the staff called a devil.
“You useless bastard... Don’t come in from tomorrow onward.”
“Y-Yes?! What do you mean...?! Ghk!”
Max shoved Rage aside and took his place.
“I am Deputy Branch Manager Max! Regarding the disappearance of Ian, the mage of Thunderfall, and Priest Daisy, we will do our utmost to assist you as quickly as possible!”
Max, unusually fired up for a deputy branch manager, began handling the matter at once.
He distributed missing-person flyers to expedition members entering and leaving the Labyrinth, lifted restrictions, and provided every convenience he could through methods that were normally forbidden.
“This is how it should have been from the start. Now I won’t have to kill you like that idiot who left crying earlier.”
Part of the reason was Max’s close ties with the dark elves of the Veliar Family.
But the fundamental reason was his political instinct, sharpened through every kind of hardship.
‘This is no ordinary incident!’
Max had made the right choice.
Before long, Masters from the Magic Tower appeared.
“You still are not ready?!”
A grand mage and former Deep Floors expedition member.
Castlelight of Thunder.
An elderly figure with a fiery temperament, dressed in luxurious robes, appeared as though they might kick down the guild’s doors.
Crackle!
As if reflecting Castlelight’s emotions, chilling lightning energy already surged around them.
Yet neither the overbearing guild nor the proud high-floor expedition members dared complain.
“...”
“Why would an Archmage come all the way here...?”
That was the stature of a Magic Tower Master and grand mage.
And beside Castlelight stood Marianne, the Golden Hand, a Magic Tower Master and head of the Luminous School.
“No, sir! Master Castlelight! Master Marianne! You may depart whenever you wish! We will dispatch a separate search party as well!”
With two Masters appearing in person, the bald deputy branch manager Max broke out in a cold sweat.
They were such important figures that even the branch manager personally came out to greet them.
‘It is certainly unusual for Magic Tower Masters to get involved...’
‘The Floor Master Hunter. Just what kind of person is he?!’
That was how special Ian was to the Masters.
“I did not come here to argue! We must find my disciple at once!!!”
Regardless of ability as a mage, Castlelight was an eccentric old mage.
Some days, Castlelight remained indifferent even when major incidents happened, while on others, the archmage erupted over trivial matters.
Perhaps because Ian had impressed his extraordinary talent upon his teacher once more during the Floor Master incident.
Or perhaps for another reason.
Whatever the case, Castlelight had personally stepped forward upon hearing of Ian’s disappearance.
“Do not be so harsh. These people are doing their best right now.”
Marianne was the same.
A beautiful woman with an alluring air, clad in combat gear like Castlelight as though she intended to enter the Labyrinth herself, flicked the belt strung with colorful potions as she spoke.
Castlelight frowned at her as though he disliked the sight of her.
“Baba Yaga. I did not think you would care about this sort of thing.”
Though she usually called them her children, shielded them, and smiled sweetly, Marianne was in fact the Master least concerned with her disciples.
‘Sly fox!’
“Student Ian is special to me as well. Ho ho! And please refrain from calling me an old witch.”
Marianne covered her mouth and laughed off the name by which she had once made herself infamous in the Labyrinth.
“Hmph. I will see what you are plotting this time.”
Still, having another Master-level force help with the search was a good thing, so Castlelight let it go.
Finding that foolish disciple was more important right now.
“Everyone, move out!”
Sixth-floor expedition members, a large clan, and Master-level mages.
Thus, a massive search party was formed to find a single expedition member.
“What is going on...?”
Even when the son of a central noble had gone missing, nothing on this scale had happened. The guards at the Labyrinth entrance were bewildered.
“These are signal flares. This is a transfer scroll, and this is a communication magic item. We will pass through the first floor as quickly as possible and focus the search on the second, third, and fourth floors.”
“Yes.”
The search party, wearing determined expressions as they prepared to enter the Labyrinth, suddenly stopped.
A portal opened, and a group of expedition members emerged from it.
“Hey, which route did you come from?”
“What? Why are you asking that, and why are so many of you gathered here?”
“We are looking for someone.”
By coincidence, they were Argus’s party and Lucian’s party.
“Have you seen a mage named Ian?”
They had found nothing so far.
They did not have much hope, but just in case, the search party asked the dragonkin group whether they knew anything about Ian.
“Ian, the mage of Thunderfall? He should be coming out soon.”
But Argus gave them a shocking answer.
“...?”
“What?!”
“What did you say?”
The people who had been about to ask if he was talking nonsense shut their mouths.
Bzzzzzz!
Another portal opened, and just as Argus had said, someone emerged from it.
“What? Why is it so noisy?”
Though he looked exhausted and disheveled, it could not hide the young man’s beautiful face or his silver hair, white as snow.
“I-Ian...?”
It was Ian.
Daisy stood beside him as well.
“Huh? Elena? Mr. Hans? Gimlius? Sister Agape?”
Daisy looked around and became confused.
“...Eek?!”
The people gathered there were shocked.
“There are a lot of familiar faces... Why are you all gathered here?”
Ian scratched his head as he looked around, seeming even more bewildered than they were.
Patter!
Golden hair fluttered.
Elena ran faster than anyone else and threw herself at Ian.
“Hey!!! You... you idiot! Sniff! Waaaaah!”
Squeeze!
She hugged Ian so tightly his arms nearly broke, burying her head in his chest and crying as her shoulders shook, as though she was simply grateful he had returned alive.
Creeeak...!
“Ghk.”
After surviving being stranded, a Secret Dungeon, and witnessing the secrets of the Deep Floors, Ian nearly suffocated to death in his friend’s hug.
“Save me... Fuck.”
What the hell was this?
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