Surviving in the Labyrinth City of the Reverse World

9 – Suin #1

Nicola and Chessie. Members of the “Vanguard of Miracles” guild.

Current location: the labyrinth. Came down with me. Got separated due to a problem.

But what are they doing over there? Why did they bring so many dangerous-looking women with them?

The question didn’t linger for long. The fight had begun with Suu’s leap.

Suu even used “Beast Soul” to invert the form of the beast and threw a punch towards Nicola.

The sequence of events unfolded decisively. There was no hesitation in attacking Nicola.

It was a complete designation as an enemy.

“Kill this b*tch first!”

Suu’s sharp claws slashed through the explorer’s chest. They had needlessly stepped forward to provoke and ended up taking a direct hit.

Crack!

The leather armor she was wearing on her chest split open wide like a fish’s mouth. Blood splattered out in a gush.

The bleeding was severe, as if the wound had been deeply cut.

“aaah!”

A painful scream echoed through the corridor.

The woman desperately clutched her chest, trying to stop the bleeding. But the wound was too large and deep. The bleeding couldn’t be properly controlled.

“…I thought she would pass out again. She’s holding on.”

My mind was clear. I managed to endure without losing consciousness.

Thanks to the experience earlier, it seems like I’ve developed some resistance.

“I’ve heard that newly drafted men are often kidnapped… but I never thought there would be actual bandits who would do such crazy things.”

“…Bandits? Kidnapping?”

The guild sisters of the “Dictator’s Sword” asked me.

“You mentioned having the ‘Soul Protection’ rank in the guild, right?”

“Yes.”

“The B-rank ‘Soul Protection’ is extremely rare. If there were 100 guys, maybe one of them would have it.”

About 1%. It was by no means a common figure.

“You could charge a very high price for it. More than directly mining for magic stones… That’s why your party members tried to sell you.”

“The sisters… they…”

“Seeing that you woke up and immediately encountered the bandits, it seems like this was their plan from the beginning. It’s not easy to meet people in the vast labyrinth. Meeting by chance is unthinkable.”

While saying that, the thief sisters readied their weapons. They were in a hurry, ready to jump in if necessary.

“We have to escape for now. If we get dragged away by the bandits, it’s a death sentence. There hasn’t been a single boy who survived after being kidnapped.”

“What about Swoo? He’s fighting over there!”

Swoo, disguised in a beast’s fur, is facing off against the female adventurers. There is a tense atmosphere.

The opposing adventurers slowly formed a formation, surrounding Swoo. If we want to help, we need to do it now.

The guild sisters of the “Dictator’s Sword” nodded.

“…It’s a crowd.”

“The bandits are veterans. They’re women who survive in the labyrinth, so their poison is extraordinary. Most adventurers can’t defeat bandits.”

“Moreover, we have a guy with us. We need to run when we have the chance.”

“Didn’t Swu say earlier? He said he would use everything to save you because you saved his life.”

“Ray, let’s go.”

I brushed off Nuna’s hand holding the ‘Dictator’s Sword’.

The Nunas tried their best to persuade me, but they couldn’t move my heart.

“I can’t leave Swu, who is about to die.”

To be honest, it’s scary. I’m hesitating.

But if I run away from here, Swu will definitely die.

No matter how strong of a martial artist he is, it would be very difficult to win against five opponents.

“In a way, it’s thanks to Swu that we got this opportunity.”

If Swu hadn’t appeared through the portal going down to the second floor?

I would have been sold to the thugs without knowing anything. And I would have been dragged to an unknown place and experienced all sorts of brutal things.

“It’s frustrating to think that I almost fell into that.”

I am not a good person like a saint. I want to be a law-abiding citizen and not become a bad guy who breaks the law, so I am more like a decent civilian who lives within the law.

To forgive those b*tches who tried to stab me in the back? That’s nonsense.

I want to punish them. I almost had a sh*tty second life, and I never had any intention of going easy on them like a sucker.

“Help me, Nuna!”

The power of the ‘Dictator’s Sword’ guild is absolutely necessary. I couldn’t help Swu alone.

I drew a dagger from my bosom. It was a dagger that I had never actually wielded.

But it was sharp enough to cut, stab, and slash.

“…It’s too dangerous.”

From the perspective of the “Dictator’s Sword” guild, there is no need for them to help us. I understand that.

But still, I wished they would help.

I know that what I’m saying is selfish, but aren’t all humans like that?

I cut off the “Soul Protection”. I removed Nicola and Chelsea from the list.

In that moment, Nicola, who was fighting against Swoo, flinched.

“Ray! How could you do this!”

“You betrayed your sisters? You sided with that damn half-breed!”

Nicola and Chelsea. The members of the “Miracle Vanguard” glared at me and shouted insults. Anyone who sees this would think I’m the one in the wrong.

I felt unjust.

“You were the ones who tried to sell me out first!”

Even if I act like a brat, my soul belongs to an adult in modern society. I’ve been in the military, tasted the bitter and sweet of the world, and died in an accident.

If you think of me as a scruffy guy like Brown, you’ll be in for a surprise.

I am prepared. I am ready to roll the dice with my body as the bet!

“Swoo! I’ll save you!”

I drew my dagger and rushed into the battlefield where Swoo and the bandits were fighting.

“Take the bait!”

This is a bait thrown to both sides simultaneously.

“Capture the brat first!”

“Hey, why is this kid so fearless!”

My expectations were spot on. Both the bandits and the thief sisters turned their bodies hurriedly.

“Don’t you guys want to fight? Huh?”

I only needed to kidnap him. There was no need to fight the Baekho Clan and the Suin.

So all eyes were instantly focused on me.

The thief sisters were the same.

Just like they couldn’t ignore the dying Suu, I thought the sisters would also have a conscience.

“These damn thieves…!”

“They’ll just back off. Why did they suddenly intervene?”

“Shut up, you b*tches!”

“Do you think your boy will be fine? Do you think he’ll come out unharmed?”

The tide had turned. With the addition of the two thief sisters, who had been barely holding their own in the fight, the bandits were at a disadvantage.

The bandits were quickly overwhelmed.

Slash!

Suu didn’t miss a beat. His sharp nails tore through Chehsi’s neck.

Thump!

“I’ve definitely killed him this time.”

“Sigh, damn it…!”

“A woman trying to sell off a boy? You filthy b*tch.”

Blood sprayed from Chehsi’s neck.

Chehsi desperately grabbed his throat. However, the bleeding was severe.

Chessie collapsed.

“Uh, uh….”

Confronted with a brutal sight, my hands and feet trembled.

I had the audacity to join the battle, but I couldn’t muster the courage to swing my dagger. Once I engaged in combat, my confidence was shattered.

By pushing the thief sisters into the fight, I could consider the mission accomplished.

I stood frozen for a moment before retreating. I quietly returned to Brown, thinking to myself that it would only be a loss for me if I got captured while holding a dagger.

Brown whimpered as he looked at me.

“Ray, you’re so reckless.”

“…You wouldn’t understand, being just a baby.”

“……?”

“I’m talking about men. Sometimes, there are times when you can’t retreat. That was just now.”

“……”

Brown’s expression was not a pleasant one. This world is a world where the roles of men and women are reversed.

From Brown’s perspective, I must have been no different from a crazy person.

“Argh!”

“sh*t, you bastard! Nicola, you son of a b*tch…!”

As soon as the “Poison Dagger” sisters joined the fray, the atmosphere improved dramatically. With the thief sisters taking care of them one by one, the burden on Swooh was significantly reduced.

“Run, you bastard! Run!”

Swooh, who had been focused on defense, launched an attack. The bandits couldn’t regain their composure against Swooh’s swift attacks.

One by one, they fell.

At some point, Swoo’s lower body also became that of a beast.

“It seems only the torso of Exodia remains.”

Suddenly, the bandits scattered in all directions.

Swoo didn’t let them slip away. In an instant, she approached and stabbed her claws into their backs.

Swoosh!

“Ow!”

The thief sisters also had no intention of sparing the bandits. They swiftly threw daggers, piercing the back of their heads.

Their skills were excellent.

“Ugh…!”

Then, Brown collapsed. It was a bandit who was hit by the dagger.

Why?

“Brown!”

The thief sister, who confirmed Brown’s fall, hurried back. She held Brown and checked his condition.

Another thief sister scolded her.

“Hey, what if he had used ‘Dagger Throw’? Brown couldn’t handle it.”

“…No… He was standing fine, so I was momentarily confused.”

The protesting thief sister glanced at me with an unjust look in her eyes.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

I wondered.

“Young man…”

Swu, who had disposed of all the bandits, walked towards us with a thud. As he released his “Beast Soul,” the fur and muscles that covered his upper and lower body disappeared and shrank in an instant.

The sisters with the “Dictator’s Sword” took turns looking at me and Swu, asking,

“Ray, how on earth are you standing?”

“Excuse me?”

Thud.

While I was contemplating how to answer the question from the thief sisters, Swu, who had been walking weakly, collapsed.

“Swu!”

He lost consciousness and fainted.