CHAPTER 135: 135 - LABYRINTH OF THE NURTURER [7]

"Everyone’s still sleeping... Good."

Raven mumbled after seeing the others sleeping peacefully.

He just finished cleaning up the Giant Gorilla’s blood... And there wasn’t even a trace left that a battle happened in this place. Not even the faintest scent of blood lingered in the air, he made sure of that.

’Good thing the gorilla didn’t wake them up.’

Raven thought with a quiet sigh.

He already knew that the Giant Gorilla would come to where they were sooner or later.

That’s exactly why he stayed awake instead of resting like the others. He wasn’t simply pulling an all-nighter for no reason. He was waiting for it.

How did he know...?

Because the place that their group decided to temporarily stay in... Belongs to that Giant Gorilla. That’s why there were no monsters nearby from the start.

Monsters have instincts. They avoid places that belong to stronger predators. If a creature is stupid enough to wander into another’s territory, it usually doesn’t live long enough to regret it.

In the novel... Alec and the others also chose to settle in this exact same spot when they reached this floor.

And when the night came and they all relaxed their guard, exhausted from endless fighting, the Giant Gorilla returned to its base and saw them lying there.

It was supposed to be an ambush.

Alec and the others had their defenses down at that time because of fatigue...

So they got attacked off-guard!

Though they were able to deal with the Giant Gorilla eventually, the fight wasn’t clean. Adelle sustained some injuries in that battle, and while they weren’t life-threatening, it slowed down their progress.

That single fight delayed their advancement.

Raven doesn’t want that to happen this time.

So, instead of letting the story repeat, he took matters into his own hands and personally dealt with the monster before it could ever cause trouble.

Anyway...

’I’m pretty sure that no more monsters will dare come near this area now...’

’But just in case... I shouldn’t let my guard down completely.’

With that thought, Raven slowly closed his eyes, not to sleep, but to give himself even the smallest bit of rest. He let his body relax while keeping his senses sharp, ready to wake at the faintest disturbance.

...

...

...

*****

Five hours later... A day and an hour since Raven and the others entered the labyrinth—

"You guys ready to continue?"

Eve asked the others after stretching her body lightly. She had regained most of her energy after having a proper rest without interruptions.

"Yep, I’ll just make sure I didn’t forget anything."

Adelle said as she carefully looked around, double-checking her belongings to make sure she had everything packed up.

"I’ll just refill my quiver with arrows."

Aoi mumbled while kneeling down to organize her equipment.

Aoi had a special quiver made for storing her arrows. Unlike a normal quiver, this one was linked to spatial magic, letting her store more than a regular container could and draw them quickly in battle.

The only drawback was that it couldn’t store as many as an actual spatial storage ring, so she always needed to manage her supply carefully. That’s why she never let her arrow count run low.

"I’m set to go. I didn’t bring much with me to begin with."

Alec said while lightly scratching his cheek.

"Same here. Just my shields, some potions, and the basic necessities like a sleeping bag."

Blake followed with a nod.

Both of them sounded casual, but inside, they were restless. Their minds kept replaying the scene from last night— the moment they saw Raven deal with the Giant Gorilla like it was nothing. They still couldn’t forget it.

"If you’re not doing anything, why not just check your equipment’s conditions?"

Curtis’ voice rang out calmly as he sat cross-legged, sharpening his sword [Sachael].

That sword was important. It wasn’t just a weapon— it was an heirloom given to him by his family before he entered the Lunar Academy.

"Ohh... Good point."

"Yeah, that’s better than sitting around."

Alec and Blake replied almost at the same time, exchanging a quick glance before following his suggestion.

They both started checking the condition of their gear, tightening straps, polishing weapons, and ensuring nothing would fail them mid-battle.

’Hmm... At this rate, I think in an hour we’ll be ready to move out.’

Eve thought as she scanned everyone’s preparations carefully.

Then, her eyes shifted to Raven...

Raven was sitting silently with his eyes closed, Yuki curled up on his lap like a small ball of fluff.

’Did he get a proper rest..?’

Eve wondered.

She had no way of knowing. And knowing Raven’s personality to some extent, she was certain that even if she asked, he wouldn’t give her a straight answer. He’d probably brush it off.

So in the end, Eve decided to keep quiet and focus on preparing herself.

*****

After about an hour...

"Let’s go."

Eve gave the signal, and the others were all set to move.

They left their temporary base immediately, their steps steady as they marched toward their next destination.

-Kyuu!

Flying above them was Yuki, acting as their scout.

She alerted them whenever a monster was nearby and guided them to the safest and quickest routes.

She was also actively searching for the entrance that led deeper into the labyrinth.

Meanwhile, Aoi was tasked with watching over Yuki from below. She kept her eyes sharp, ready to take down any flying monsters or long-range threats that might target her.

The group’s formation was simple but effective:

Blake led at the very front, flanked by Alec and Curtis.

Behind them were Adelle and Eve, covering the center.

At the rear, Aoi stayed close to Raven.

Blake was the vanguard, responsible for shielding the group from danger head-on. Alec and Curtis handled the brunt of the fighting alongside him.

Eve protected Adelle while covering the flanks, her role both offensive and defensive.

Adelle handled support, providing buffs, healing, debuffs on enemies, and occasionally casting offensive spells to lighten the pressure.

Aoi served as their long-range support, covering the skies and picking off enemies from afar.

And Raven... His role was flexible. He stayed at the back, watching for ambushes, but his abilities allowed him to adapt to any situation. Whether it was long-range, close combat, or support magic, he could handle it all.

That’s why he moved freely, relying on his own judgment of the battlefield.

...

...

"..."

As they marched carefully, Eve glanced back.

Her eyes lingered on Raven, who opened his eyes at that moment and caught her gaze.

"What?"

He asked flatly.

"..."

Eve was silent for a moment, choosing her words carefully.

Then she spoke.

"What’s your goal today?"

Her tone was serious.

The others turned their eyes toward Raven as well, waiting curiously for his answer.

"..."

Raven didn’t respond immediately. He thought about it before finally opening his mouth.

"My goal today is to reach the middle of the 5th floor."

He declared confidently.

And before anyone could react...

"That is... if you guys can keep up with me."

He added, his words deliberately provoking.

"Hmm... Okay."

Eve responded calmly, unfazed. The others didn’t bother reacting either, continuing their march forward.

"...?"

Raven blinked, confused. He expected irritation, at least some grumbling or complaints. But instead, they ignored him.

Before he could say anything more...

-Kyuu!

Yuki gave a warning from above. Enemies ahead.

"How many are there, Aoi?"

Eve asked immediately.

Aoi closed her eyes, activating her Presence Detection.

Within seconds, she answered.

"There are eight Mud Golems and four Swamp Monkeys."

Her voice was firm.

"Oh... They’re running straight toward us."

Adelle added quickly.

"It’s as she said..."

Aoi confirmed.

After hearing that...

Swoosh–

Eve’s mana surged, flowing through her body. She concentrated it into her legs and arms, wind gathering around her in visible streams.

FWIIIISH—

Strong gusts of wind wrapped around her entire body, her spear humming as it was coated with dense mana.

"Hey, what are you planning to do?"

Raven asked curiously, still a little thrown off by earlier.

Eve glanced at him but didn’t answer.

-GRAAAAHHH!

-GROOOOWLL!

-KIEEEEK!!

The monsters came into sight, rushing straight at the group.

BAM–!!

And before anyone else could move, Eve kicked off the ground!

"HUUP!!"

She dashed forward like a storm.

SWOOSH–

Her spear thrust forward with brutal force!

BOOOOM!!

The impact shook the area, a violent explosion echoing out!

SWAAAA~

Cold air scattered in every direction, chilling the battlefield.

Thud- Thud- Thud-

Pieces of flesh, chunks of dark mud, and shattered remains of monsters began to rain down.

If not for Adelle’s Cocoon shielding them, the group would have been showered in gore.

"..."

Raven stayed silent, staring at the scene in front of him.

Eve stood tall, calm amidst the chaos.

The ground around her was painted in blood and mud, corpses of Swamp Monkeys scattered with chunks missing.

All of the enemies had been obliterated.

She hadn’t even let them make a sound before killing them.

’She killed them instantly, not even giving them a chance to roar or scream...’

’Impressive.’

Raven thought to himself.

"Hey."

Eve’s voice then called out to him.

"Hm?"

Raven looked at her.

And with a calm face, Eve spoke—

"I plan to reach the sixth floor by today."

She declared firmly.