Flesh Golem of the Labyrinth City

"Ah, uh..."

"G-good work."

"Thanks. But why was I the only one working?"

"Umm..."

After dancing with my blade as if possessed, I was surrounded by goblin corpses, a female explorer who looked half-dead, and Lis and Isolde with equally lifeless expressions.

"W-well... um..."

"No, I'm not criticizing. I was just wondering if you were hurt."

"N-no way! Yoo Eon did so well... that? We couldn't find the right moment to step in... right?"

"Why are you suddenly speaking formally, Lis?"

Wondering if she might have hit her head, I reached out my hand, but Lis jumped back in surprise before extending her arms to push my face away.

"Y-Yoo Eon! Maybe you should wipe your drool a bit..!"

"Drool? What is this?"

I had been drooling like a dog for who knows how long. Wait, could this be...?

"Did I do something wrong during the battle?"

"Not wrong exactly... but you were excessively wild."

I'm currently using the muscles and organs of the alpha specimen. Even some of its blood too.

Mixed with parts from regular specimens, a high percentage of my body is currently composed of Dire Wolf components.

Add to that the power of night magic, and I must have momentarily lost my mind and gone berserk due to the Dire Wolf's instincts.

"Are... you okay?"

"Yes. There are some side effects. But I'm back to normal now, so don't worry."

I swung my sword to shake off the blood and hung it on the loop. If I put it back in the scabbard without cleaning it properly, the blood would stain the inside and start to rot and smell if not properly washed.

Basic common sense is to go outside, properly maintain the sword, and only then put it in the scabbard.

The moment you dramatically sheathe your sword after slicing through monsters, you're instantly paying for a new scabbard and halving your blade's lifespan. Reality is so different from manga—points deducted for romance.

"Well, I should check the other areas. Please escort this woman outside."

"Understood. Yoo Eon, are you really okay?"

"Yes, of course. I think I just lost control for a moment."

"I seriously thought it was a cursed skill that couldn't distinguish friend from foe."

"I'm sorry about that. Please wait outside for now. If there are any stragglers, I'll handle them alone."

Lis and Isolde carried the female victim toward the cave entrance. I went with them part of the way, then at the fork, I headed toward the left passage.

I don't need light thanks to the Dire Wolf's eyes, and being alone means no restrictions.

"There aren't even enemies around. I'm truly invincible."

It seems those 40 goblins piled up like a mountain were all of them. Originally, cave-dwelling goblins usually number between 30 and 40 anyway.

I also took down an elite specimen, so I think I've cleared them all out.

"But bingo. These bastards have offspring."

The left passage also had a fork, and one path was short enough to see the end, so I quickly went in. And what do you know—young goblin offspring were trembling in fear.

They're such a cute and adorable size that I feel the urge to grab them with my fist and grind their faces into the ground.

"No, wait. What's wrong with me?"

Something feels a bit strange. I know Dire Wolves are hostile toward goblins, but am I being strongly influenced by that right now?

"Whew, let's calm down."

Maybe I should stop using the alpha's organs. There's no danger now, and the strength of a regular specimen is enough to move these offspring.

"Eight of them? They certainly... gave birth to many."

Thinking about it, the mother who bore these creatures was likely a human woman. I should watch my language.

"Sigh... I hope I'm not feeling maternal instincts."

I took out the rope I'd brought for mountain climbing from my pouch and tied them all together in a row like dried fish, then picked them up. They're just offspring of goblins that barely reach an adult man's waist. Each one is only about the size of my forearm. I carried them into the unexplored path.

"This is..."

Two naked women tied up, and equipment that appeared to belong to other explorers. There were also four explorer tags. Judging by the equipment, which included male items, it seems the men died and only the women survived.

A party of one man and three women? What a terribly sad end.

"Hello, are you alright?"

"Ah, aaah..."

Both were alive. One was in a deep sleep, but I confirmed she was breathing.

I found robes among the piled equipment, draped them over the women's bodies, and held the knotted parts in my hand like bags.

I'll have to call Garond outside to help move all that equipment.

"Whew, I saved some people."

For the first time since entering the labyrinth, I did something to help others. It makes me feel so good I could belt out a song.

"Mighty wolf!!! Crazy goblins!!!! Even if they block our path!! We are never afraid!!!"

The goblin offspring dangling from my hands flailed their arms in the air, expressing their earache. The woman wrapped in a robe being carried beside them seemed to have awakened from her sleep.

Let's not sing anymore.

"Finally, you're back."

"Yes. I also rescued some captured explorers."

"Well done. I didn't expect you to accomplish so much."

Garond gave me a thumbs up with a big smile. I told him there was explorer equipment at the end of the left path inside the cave that we should retrieve together. Meanwhile, Lis and Isolde looked after the injured female explorers.

Garond and I each carried half of the equipment we found—the iron one-handed sword I'd passed by earlier, plus various clothing, armor, and weapons we'd seen inside.

We gave the weakened women a few sips of water and wrapped them in cloaks to keep them warm. Of course, we didn't forget to light a fire. We easily started it by transferring the flame from a lit lantern to paper, then to firewood.

Since it was still night, there was a problem with moving the traumatized explorers. Of course, night is easier for me, but not for others.

"Let's camp for now. Everyone needs to recover."

"Yes, that sounds good."

It's a bit awkward, but we started camping near the goblin cave entrance. We moved the fire closer, and all sorts of things popped out of Garond's enormous backpack.

"Wait, you even carry a pot?"

"With just this one item, the variety of food you can eat in the labyrinth increases significantly."

"You must be quite the gourmet."

Garond opened his eyes wide at that comment, then let out a hearty laugh.

"Do I look like one? Actually, I'm part of the Culinary Clan!"

"Oh? Such a clan exists?"

This is slightly different from the clan I had in mind. I thought clans were just strong people gathered together thinking only about how to conquer the labyrinth.

"Yes, clans are groups of people who want to do various things in the labyrinth city."

From what I heard, there were plenty of ridiculous clans that made the Culinary Clan seem perfectly reasonable.

'Really, why is there a Theater Clan in the labyrinth city?'

Clans were originally created to conquer the labyrinth, but over time their scope broadened. Now they're more like gatherings of people with similar interests who want to do the same things in the labyrinth city.

Of course, the clan buildings are still occupied by large explorer clans aiming to conquer the labyrinth.

But there are also small clans without buildings that just meet at inns or plazas.

"The Culinary Clan does have a building. It's quite a large clan."

"Must have many members."

"That's part of it, but they also make a lot of money. The restaurant run by the Culinary Clan earns big money in the northwest. The higher-ups like it too."

"I see."

"Do you know anyone who likes delicious food? Or maybe yourself. If you're interested, feel free to join the Culinary Clan anytime."

Hmm, delicious? Not sure about that. But I do know someone who eats a ton of food.

"Do you know Ruby?"

"...That female explorer is banned from the Culinary Clan."

"Oh, something must have happened."

"She ate food, a lot of it. Food prepared with great care. After devouring hundreds of plates... she dismissed the evaluation with just a simple 'it was delicious.' That's an insult to gourmets."

"I see."

"I think I heard that the explorer is still paying off the cost of the food she ate then."

"Oh my."

I should avoid getting involved with Ruby.

— Boiling sounds —

"This is... amazing."

"Does it taste good? That's a relief."

Thanks to the pot, we could drink warm broth. Dried jerky lasts long but is hard to eat and has high salt content.

But when you boil jerky in water, the high salt content makes the broth taste quite good. Since the fat was removed to make the jerky, it wasn't particularly greasy.

"Mmmm."

"You certainly eat with enjoyment."

Soup is an essential part of any Korean meal. The jerky softened in water tastes excellent too.

We still had some food left from earlier in the day. When Garond and I went into the cave to retrieve equipment, we brought back some edible food from a storage-like space inside.

They looked like ordinary tree fruits.

"We'll have to spend the night here."

"We should set watch shifts."

Lis made a displeased face as she poked at the burning firewood with a thin twig.

"Lis, you should rest. I'll take watch for you."

"Really!? Is that really okay!?"

"Yoo Eon, recklessness isn't good. I know you're strong, but without sufficient sleep, you won't be at your best condition."

"I'm more active at night."

Hearing that, Isolde nearby nudged Lis in the side and whispered softly in her ear. The crackling fire made it hard to hear.

"Oh, um... then I'll take first watch! Isolde, you take second!"

"You mean watch order? Well... if you want."

"Garond, when would you prefer? If fourth is better for you, let's do that."

"If that's what you suggest."

"Isolde, Isolde..!"

After two hours on watch, Lis woke Isolde.

"Mmm... is it my turn already...?"

"Yes..! I think my breast milk is coming...?"

"Ah... yes, a little."

Taking advantage of the time when everyone was asleep, Lis took consecutive watch shifts to help resolve Isolde's curse.

Naturally, the first watch is the easiest, which is why Isolde, who was receiving help, took the second watch.

— Rustling sound —

As Isolde removed the leather armor covering her chest, a garment with buttons that could easily reveal the breast area appeared.

Isolde paused as she grabbed the buttons, then looked at Garond and Yoo Eon lying on cloaks spread on the ground.

"Hmm... just to be safe, should we move somewhere else?"

"Oh, yes."

Lis and Isolde left the cave entrance.

The moment they turned right from the cave entrance and went around the rocky path.

"Oh?"

"Huh...?"

A giant bear was staring at the two women from the darkness far away, emitting a faint light.

"Isolde. Am I seeing things because I'm sleepy...?"

"...Run away, Lis. Wake everyone up."

Translators corner

Forgot the name Ruby exists. Should I keep Rubika or change it?