Chapter 31. Centaur
Beyond the massive door, a field spread out before us.
【Yumi】─We’re finally outside of the labyrinth!
【Pururu】─Ooo! Did we successfully escape?!
【Mysticism】─😮
We were outside the labyrinth, or so it seemed…
For now, it was true that we had exited the cave.
However, I wasn’t certain if this place was truly outside the labyrinth.
“Clown, is this place outside the labyrinth?”
［Kirik? Outside the labyrinth? What are you talking about?］
The Clown tilted its head in confusion.
It was giving me a look like I had asked a nonsensical question.
［To leave the labyrinth, you have to go through a black portal. There’s no other way. Kirik.］
【Pururu】─?? Does that mean this place is still part of the labyrinth?
【Yumi】─I thought the term ‘labyrinth’ referred to the cave Geon was in? This place clearly looks like the outside.
It seemed like the “black portal” referred to the Dark Portal.
I asked the Clown again.
“So, you’re saying this is still inside the labyrinth?”
［That’s a strange question. Of course, this place is part of the labyrinth.］
The name of this world is the Ancient Labyrinth.
So, when they say “outside the labyrinth,” it means outside the world itself.
The Clown added that explanation.
“My initial assumption was correct.”
Just as I had suspected on the first day.
This was a world where no space existed beyond the labyrinth.
【Yumi】─So, the cave isn’t called the labyrinth, but the whole world is.
【Pururu】─But maybe that’s for the best. Outside the labyrinth, you wouldn’t be able to tame monsters. If I remember correctly, Geon’s taming ability only works on labyrinth monsters.
After organizing my thoughts for a moment.
I decided to eliminate the plan of finding a dimensional mage to return to Earth.
Three methods remained.
Become the ruler of the labyrinth.
Find a monster that can use dimensional magic.
Or, lastly, purchase a return ticket.
The price of the return ticket was ridiculously high.
However, there was hope, as the prices varied from vending machine to vending machine.
［Gauntlet… are you planning to return to your original world…?］
Psycho Clown asked with a gloomy expression.
It seemed like it had used telepathy on me.
“Why did you use telepathy without permission?”
［Kirik. I apologize. Your expression looked dark, so I used it briefly out of concern.］
I didn’t make an issue of the Clown using telepathy without permission.
Since it claimed to have done it out of concern for me, I let it slide.
The Clown asked again if I planned to return to my original world.
It wasn’t me who answered, but Rizenova.
“Of course, Gauntlet must return. You can’t live here forever, away from your homeland.”
［Kirik…］
The expressions of all the monsters, including the Clown, darkened.
Seeing that, I had a lot to think about.
If I were to return, what would happen to the monsters I had tamed?
If I successfully returned, my qualification as an explorer would likely be revoked.
Both the return ticket and the escape ticket stated that the explorer’s qualification would be lost.
Would these creatures go back to being wild labyrinth monsters?
Or perhaps they would remain here, waiting forlornly for my return forever. After all, tamed monsters were different from those subdued by the Dominant One.
【Pururu】─Geon, what are you thinking about this time?
【Pururu】─You’re not seriously thinking about staying here forever because of the monsters, are you?
【Yumi】─No way. You haven’t been with them long enough to be that attached.
I would definitely go back.
But the thought of abandoning the tamed monsters left a bit of a bad taste.
Was there no way to maintain my explorer qualification and freely travel between both worlds?
It would be great if I could occasionally come here to manage them.
‘I don’t know…’
I shook my head, deciding to stop thinking about it.
There was no need to worry about this yet.
First, I needed to figure out how to return.
I could deal with these concerns later.
***
As I strolled across the endless field, I looked up at the blue sky.
Far up there.
A sphere that lit up the world came into view.
It wasn’t the sun.
Though it was too far to be sure, it seemed to be some kind of monster.
The clouds also appeared to be monsters.
‘The sphere is S-rank… and the clouds are probably A-rank.’
That was likely the reduced danger rating.
Their actual danger levels were probably SSS-rank and SS-rank.
This was the third time I had encountered an SSS-rank creature in my life.
‘I’m still not used to this. How can those things just float in the sky like it’s normal?’
It was absurd.
This truly was the worst labyrinth ever.
‘Well, at least they don’t seem hostile, which is a relief.’
They weren’t paying any attention to us.
It was as if their only purpose was to float in the sky, offering no threat to the creatures on the ground.
So, we decided not to pay them any mind either.
I also resolved not to fly in the sky.
There was no point in provoking them.
‘Let’s just pretend they’re not there.’
Thinking of them as an ordinary sun and clouds seemed better for my sanity.
***
Current time: 7 p.m.
We still hadn’t found the Drifters.
When I asked the Clown, it said we still had a long way to go.
As we continued moving.
［Shiiiik!］
We encountered a monster.
It was a Pig King.
【Pururu】─Another Pig King? It shows up so often.
【Yumi】─Looks like they live outside the cave as well.
【Mysticism】─😋
The Pig King posed no threat to us.
Our forces, with one A-rank and four B-ranks, far surpassed it.
［Pii!］
Jellyfish stepped forward with a proud look.
【Pururu】─Lol, it’s so confident after winning earlier.
【Mysticism】─🤭
【Yumi】─It’s cute, though not in appearance.
I grabbed Jellyfish by one of its tentacles and pulled it back.
“Jellyfish, this isn’t your opponent. Stay still.”
［Piii…］
【Yumi】─Its sulky face is kind of cute.
【Pururu】─Jell-moody.
【Mysticism】─🤭
Jellyfish and the Pig King were evenly matched.
There was no need to send Jellyfish into a fierce battle.
【Pururu】─Are we gonna gang up on it?
That was one option.
Attacking in numbers wasn’t cowardly—it was smart.
But there was no need for that.
Just like last time, Black Magma Slime could handle it alone.
“MagSlime, don’t kill it. Just melt its legs so it can’t move.”
［Sssss!］
Black Magma Slime lunged at the Pig King.
“Dog Spider, once it loses its legs and falls, wrap it up in webs.”
［Sii!］
Dog Spider started spinning a ball of thread in advance.
Next.
“Jellyfish, cast Levitation and Haste magic on this.”
［Piiiee!］
Jellyfish cast Levitation magic on the severed arm that I had already prepared.
I focused, lifting it into the air.
【Pururu】─Creepy.
【Mysticism】─😨
Once I was ready, I looked ahead.
［Shii, Shiiiik!!!］
The Pig King, having lost its legs, had collapsed to the ground.
The battle was already over.
【Pururu】─Damn, that was quick.
【Yumi】─Yeah, it didn’t stand a chance.
It was proof of how strong Magma Slime was.
This wasn’t a battle but a hunt.
［Siii.］
Dog Spider thoroughly wrapped the Pig King in webs.
Now it was time to check.
【Pururu】─Are you gonna secretly tame it?
“I’ll do that later. For now, I need to check if I can tame it with this arm.”
I planned to try secretly taming monsters with the detached arm later, once the right situation arose.
I placed the severed arm onto one of the Pig King’s spots.
Not my actual hand, but the third hand that was detached from my body.
【Yumi】─How is it? Is the color changing?
【Pururu】─So intense.
【Mysticism】─🧐
I watched the spot closely.
The red color was slowly, very slowly, turning green.
“…It’s working. The color change is slow, though, probably because it’s filled with hostility, like Poison Apple.”
Still, it didn’t really matter.
I had extended the arm for situations like this.
For hostile monsters, I just needed to restrain them and place my hand on the spot.
Then, I could leave and return later to find it tamed.
That way, I wouldn’t be constrained by using both arms or stuck taming monsters for long periods.
By the way, it was impossible to tame monsters with a paralyzed arm.
Earlier, when I asked the Clown to disconnect the arm briefly, the color reverted, indicating the taming process was canceled.
It was the first time I learned that removing my hand during taming reset the process.
【Pururu】─But couldn’t you just use Clown’s mind control to get rid of the hostility?
“I think it only works on himself.”
I wasn’t sure.
I asked the Clown to clarify whether he could use mind control on other creatures.
The Clown shook his head.
［Kirik. I can’t use it on this one. I can only mind control beings weaker than me.］
“So, in this labyrinth, there’s almost no one you can control with mind control.”
［Exactly. Every creature in this world is equal to or stronger than me. The only ones weaker than me are the Drifters.］
【Pururu】─What a shame.
【Yumi】─Mind control… It’s a scary yet tempting ability. I can imagine how useful it’d be for treating patients.
While we were talking near the Pig King.
“Gauntlet! Something’s approaching from over there!”
Suddenly, Rizenova shouted while pointing in a direction.
I turned my gaze toward where he pointed.
Beyond the horizon.
Five figures were charging toward us at an incredible speed.
And within a few blinks of an eye.
The five figures had already reached us.
【Yumi】─Gasp! They’re half-human, half-horse!
【Pururu】─I know that! It’s a Centaur!
【Mysticism】─😃
Upper body of a human.
Lower body of a horse.
Just as Pururu said, they were Centaurs.
However, they weren’t ordinary Centaurs.
Their danger levels were all B-rank.
Which meant their real danger levels were S-rank.
Normal Centaurs weren’t that dangerous.
At least not the ones I had seen.
The creatures kept a certain distance from us.
They exchanged glances among themselves, speaking to one another.
［…It’s confirmed.］
［They are explorers.］
［It seems they’re not the Dominant One.］
【Pururu】─Wow, they can talk too. Maybe it’s because they’re horses? Lol.
【Yumi】─Not funny.
【Mysticism】─😡
As they nodded and talked among themselves.
My monsters stood on alert, blocking my path and glaring fiercely at the Centaurs.
Perhaps sensing the hostility.
One Centaur stepped forward and shouted.
［Please wait a moment!］
Oh. Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t just Centaurs.
Among the males, there was also a female.
It was a female Centaur, a Centaurides.
Of course, given their real danger levels were S-rank, she wasn’t an ordinary Centaurides.
The Centaurides looked straight at me and spoke.
［We are not your enemies, Explorer! We’ve come to help you!］
They were here to help me? Why?
Just as I was about to ask why they wanted to help.
The Centaurides shouted loudly once again.
［Our mother was also an explorer who crossed over from another world into this labyrinth!］
【Pururu】─?
【Yumi】─???
【Mysticism】─😶