Chapter 47

A dim, cave-like place surrounded by rocks, in the upper level of the labyrinth.

"Huff, huff,"

Compared to the lower levels, the deeper parts of the upper levels, and the so-called middle levels, the passage was clearly narrower. A male adventurer was running as if fleeing from something. The speed at which the adventurer, clad in thin leather armor, ran was far beyond that of an ordinary person, indicating that he possessed a physical enhancement skill that focused on speed. At that speed, he could easily outrun the monsters in the upper levels, and even the middle-level monsters. From the state of his fatigue, it was clear that he had been running for a long time. Normally, even if he was being chased by something, it would be strange if he hadn't already outrun it.

"Damn! Damn it!"

...However, the adventurer did not slow down.

The adventurer had a wound on his arm that was not fatal but was quite deep. With each step, fresh blood flowed from the wound. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the adventurer would become anemic and unable to run. His face, covered in stubble, had turned pale.

"Huff, huff,"

But the adventurer did not slow down. Despite being close to his limits, he continued to run.

...As if trying to escape from an invisible illusion.

"Why, why is this happening?"

The emotion on the adventurer's face as he ran desperately was fear.

"I'm an adventurer of the middle levels!"

While running, the adventurer shouted loudly, trying to mask his fear. However, his cry did not have the effect he had hoped for.

"......!"

...Because the adventurer's words made him realize the strangeness of the entity that had attacked their party and killed his companions.

At that moment, the tension that had kept the adventurer running without a break snapped, and various emotions and thoughts swirled in his head.

The grief over the death of his companions.

The loss of confidence in being an adventurer of the middle levels.

The pain from the wound he had been trying to ignore.

...And the fear of the monster that had single-handedly scattered their middle-level party.

These emotions burst forth all at once, and the adventurer, overwhelmed, lost his focus on his surroundings.

"Ah!"

In the next moment, the adventurer's foot was caught by a protrusion in the labyrinth, and he fell hard. The fall caused his foot to hit the hard ground, and he groaned in pain. The impact of the fall, combined with the momentum of his run, had likely injured his bones, causing severe pain.

"!"

...The moment he realized he couldn't walk properly due to the pain, the blood drained from the adventurer's face.

This can't go on, he thought, but he could do nothing about it. Without a healer in the party, the adventurer had stopped carrying healing potions, and he had no means to heal his foot at this point.

The adventurer's face was stained with despair.

"There, there it is!"

It was then that he noticed the teleportation array beside him. The despair on his face disappeared, replaced by hope. It might take some time, but he could still return to the surface.

If he could do that, he could inform the Adventurer's Guild about the current situation.

With this sense of relief, the adventurer tried to crawl toward the teleportation array.

"Gi gi"

"......Huh?"

...But the next moment, a green hand that extended from the side blocked his movement.

At first, the adventurer didn't understand what was happening. But the moment he saw the green hand that grabbed him, he realized the identity of the entity that had stopped him, and his face was filled with despair.

"Gi, gi gi"

When the adventurer cautiously turned around, what he saw was a hobgoblin from the upper levels, its mouth twisted in a mocking grin. The mocking expression was one that a monster should not have, and the adventurer finally understood.

...The hobgoblin that had grabbed his shoulder was the same abnormal individual that had killed his companions.

"Who, who can help me!"

At that moment, the adventurer screamed desperately. The hobgoblin was a monster that should be easy for a normal adventurer to defeat. However, the adventurer understood that the hobgoblin in front of him was an exception.

...After all, this hobgoblin had the strength to easily destroy their middle-level party.

The adventurer screamed desperately for help.

...But his voice reached no one.

"AAAAAAH!"

The cries for help, which were becoming more and more distant, eventually faded away.

...And finally, they ceased altogether.

Starting from today, Chapter 2 begins.

Thank you for your support!

However, this time it's just the prologue, so I plan to update again tomorrow!

* I apologize, but I will temporarily remove the first chapter that was updated on July 16th. I will provide more details in my activity report.