"I must have shown my benefactor such an embarrassing sight."
"Ahem. Hm... Ah, no. That could happen..."
I had no memory of taking off my clothes, but it wasn't hard to figure out why they were gone.
In my dire straits, I'd been wearing that stretched-out T-shirt for ages, nursing it along. It finally met its end after the brutal fight with the goblin.
It's not like it was a cape or anything—how did it rip up like this?
This wasn't even clothing anymore; it was closer to a sackcloth rag.
My pants were in a similar state. At least these could pass for ripped jeans fashion, maybe.
I draped the irreparable T-shirt around my shoulders like a cape and pulled on the pants.
Better than nothing, right?
And truth be told, the space itself felt a bit chilly. Looking around, it resembled a vast cave.
A passage about five meters wide and six meters long. Glowing stones embedded in the walls lit it up brightly.
It looked just like one of those dungeons or labyrinths from games or media.
"...Is that really all you're wearing?"
"Yes. My clothes got a bit torn up in the fight."
"...It looks even sexier now..."
"Pardon?"
"Ah, nothing."
Did I just mishear that? Sexier? Who? Me?
...Must've been my imagination.
I figured the exhaustion from everything today was making me hallucinate.
I ran my hand over the stab wound on my thigh, visible through the torn jeans.
The potion really works wonders.
The muscle had been shredded, gushing blood, but now there was just a bit of soreness—no scar, just fresh new flesh.
I'd braced for twelve weeks of recovery. Checking the rest, all my other wounds had healed cleanly too.
Oh, speaking of goblins, that reminded me of something else.
"There were a few guys getting done in by the goblins—do you know what happened to them?"
"They're all dead."
"...Pardon?"
Her bombshell statement made my body tense up instantly.
Dead? They're dead? Why?
At the end of the fight, when I'd headed to the men's bags for the antidote, they were still thrusting their hips, begging for goblin pussy.
How did those maniacs end up dead?
"Did the goblins take out the men first—?"
"No signs of goblin attacks. By the time I got there, they'd all bitten their tongues and killed themselves. Guys who get raped by monsters can't handle the pleasure, go insane, and off themselves—it's common enough to show up in fairy tales, isn't it?"
"No, that's just..."
Unbelievable.
The words caught in my throat.
My brain reeled from the absurdity; it defied all common sense.
Hell, it wasn't even something my common sense could process.
Goblins were real, breathing things, and potions regrew flesh in seconds—how was any of that normal?
But I had to accept it as the new normal now.
I'd just fought goblins for my life and gotten healed.
I forced the info into my head: monster rape = pleasure overload = suicide ending.
"That's why it's even more impressive! Dragged into a goblin den and not only surviving without getting raped, but wiping them all out."
"I got lucky."
"Luck is a skill too."
The armored knight praised me, but it really was just luck.
Honestly, I still thought surviving was a miracle.
If I hadn't stumbled on the explorers' gear nearby, or if the knight hadn't helped, I'd be dead already.
I didn't want to linger in a place where death was this close.
I already missed warm meals, a cozy home, and my little sister greeting me with "Welcome back."
"Do you know how to get out of this cave, by any chance?"
"Planning to leave the labyrinth? Wait, aren't you an explorer? You should know that..."
"I got hit in the head right before the goblins could rape me, and my memory's fuzzy after that."
I lied without missing a beat. Who'd believe "I was grinding on Earth, touched a magic circle, and ended up in a goblin den"? Not even light novel titles were that ridiculous. Not even I'd buy it.
But getting hit on the head was true enough.
"Hm... Yeah. That tracks."
Shwoop!
The armored knight thrust her hand into thin air. To my eyes, her right hand just vanished.
What the...?
Some kind of inventory skill? My sense of normalcy kept crumbling.
She casually pulled her hand back, now holding an unfurled scroll.
"Here. We're right here, the deepest part of the labyrinth's first floor. The escape portal is here, in the central area of the first floor."
"How long on foot?"
"Took me about four hours. Longer if you run into monsters."
"...Monsters—you mean things like goblins?"
"Yeah. Only goblins on the first floor."
Four hours. Seemed doable, but no.
Factoring in monster vigilance and potential fights, it'd drain a ton of stamina.
"If you're wandering the labyrinth, you need a map. Take this. I have spares. Oh, and take this antidote too. Goblins use poison, so it'll come in handy."
The knight rolled up a map of the first floor's paths, slipped the antidote inside, and handed it over. I didn't refuse.
"Thank you. You saved my life and now give me this—I don't even know how to repay you."
"No big deal. Just pocket change."
I bowed deeply to the knight, who chuckled and waved it off.
A small question popped up. Were explorers usually this nice? The adventurers in stories were always cutthroat egoists.
"Could you at least tell me your name? I really want to repay this kindness someday."
Plus, accepting gifts like this could bite me later. I needed it now, but it might become a debt.
Better to settle it upfront. Starting with a name.
"...Name. My name, huh..."
The knight hesitated unexpectedly, reluctant to reveal it.
"...White Royal Knight. Yeah. That's my name."
"White Royal Knight... Um?"
"...No, drop the 'Um.' Just White Royal Knight."
A name like White Royal Knight?
Sure enough, it sounded like an obvious alias. I let it slide—no point prying.
"...Yes, White Royal Knight. If we meet again, I'll definitely repay you."
"A-Already leaving?"
"Yes."
"...Oh. R-Right..."
What's with her?
She'd been all magnanimous knight earlier, now sulking like a kid whose friend is going home.
"...Hope we meet again someday."
"...! Y-Yeah! Me too!"
My casual line got an over-the-top reaction.
I was a bit thrown, but shrugged it off. Too mentally drained for overthinking.
"Here—the axe and helm you used in the fight. I grabbed them for you."
"Ah, thank you."
I gripped the axe and donned the helm. It covered my whole face, narrowing my vision and making breathing tough, but what choice did I have?
To boost survival odds even a little, I needed it. The shock of that goblin headbutt still lingered.
"Well then, I'll be off for real."
I bowed to the knight again and turned to leave when—
"One last bit of advice as a send-off."
She spoke softly. The odd vibe made me glance back.
"...Keep that helm on at all times. Always."
...
Crack!
On the way to the escape portal. That made five goblins I'd beheaded already.
"These bastards keep popping up every chance they get."
About two hours in, by my gut feel.
No watch, so not exact, but my labor-honed internal clock said two hours.
Grrroooowl—
Mealtime had long passed, and my stomach was roaring like a whale demanding food.
I'm starving too! So hungry!
But no rations. Just the helm, axe, map, and antidote from the knight.
Just a bit longer. Two more hours and we arrive.
Another three hours passed. Five total. An hour longer than the knight said.
Where is it? Why isn't it showing up?
No sign of the portal, not even a shadow.
I unrolled the map, checking my start point and the portal marker.
Straight, left, left, straight, right, left, straight.
"...Huh?"
Finally noticed something off.
I'd gone straight the whole time. Just straight down long passages.
But the map had four branches to the portal, plus two more straights.
Meaning I hadn't even reached the first branch.
—Took me about four hours.
White Royal Knight's pace: four hours.
How long for me?
—Grrroooowl.
My stomach screamed.
"...I'm screwed."
Something more dangerous than monsters had arrived.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
I'd thought only monsters were the threat.
People can only perceive immediate dangers, right?
Dropped into this insane place, first threat goblins—beat them, escape the labyrinth easy.
Wrong.
Vast. Incredibly vast.
This labyrinth was fucking enormous.
"Shit. Fucking hell."
At the first branch after endless time, curses spilled out on reflex.
Nine hours.
Nine whole hours to the first branch.
The first straight passage on the map—the one with the smallest scale.
Nine hours for one passage.
—Grrroooowl.
Mealtime way past, nothing eaten—stomach in agony.
Just hunger? Throat burning too. Water. Desperately needed fluids.
Until now, I'd rationed spit to wet my throat, but saliva was gone.
Warped in post-labor, fought goblins bloody, walked nine hours straight—no real rest.
No proper meal, no water. Even sleepy.
Worst-case scenario.
Body at its limit, path ahead still long.
A day—or days more, maybe.
"This is too much."
"Kek, kek!"
"Ah. Please, no."
A grotesque horror waddled toward me—a goblin.
These pissed me off most. Couldn't rest properly because of them.
Walk carefree? No, constant goblin ambushes drained mental and physical energy.
Try to rest? They creep up, eyeing attack angles.
"Alone this time?"
"Kek, kek!"
At least, unlike the den, they came solo.
"Come on, then."
"Kekek!"
Crack!
I dodged the idiot's knife charge effortlessly, slamming my axe down—its head burst like a flower.
Dodge to chop flowed smoothly now.
Getting used to the killing.
How many so far? Easily over ten.
"Just a bit more."
Whining changed nothing. Pressed on silently.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"..."
Chilling. Like a dagger to the chest.
Thud, thud.
After two branches, start of the second straight passage.
Footsteps ahead—multiple.
Instinct said heavier than goblins.
—Only goblins on the first floor.
So whose footsteps...?