Chapter 435: Traps! Traps! Traps Everywhere!

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

Explosions rang out time and time again. Flames engulfed the corridors and lightning danced along with it. It was a chaotic scene, not a semblance of serenity to be seen, smoke and dust brewing all over the place as clouds.

Two figures bolted across the sea of flames and explosions, steps light as a feather as they traversed the hellish landscape. They didn't just run by the ground, but on the walls and even on the ceiling, using every solid surface as their footing.

A smile was afloat on the young lady's face. She stepped on the mines and triggered the traps one after another. Yet before the raging flames could chase her, she was already out of reach, not a single lock of her hair touched by the turbulent flames.

Soon, the walls narrowed and the end was in sight. The long flight of stairs drew in closer and closer with every step they took, and before long, they made their stop. The cacophony of explosions was soon over as well.

"Whew～! That was fun!" ［Yuna］

"Fun, huh... Normally, people would be scared and trembling, you know? In the first place, traps are meant to be avoided, not triggered." ［Grey］

"Nah～! Don't sweat the minor details, Grey. I mean, now, people won't get hurt, right? We triggered every trap, after all!" ［Yuna］

"Haah... I guess you're right." ［Grey］

Grey wanted to say a couple more things, but with his fiancée as enthusiastic as she was right now, there was no way she would listen to his words. It was her first time diving in a Labyrinth riddled with traps every other corner, and she seems to like the novelty of the place has to offer.

Well, it was also thanks to her excitement and enthusiasm that all the dangerous traps are now disarmed. It may be a Labyrinth, but it wasn't so cruel to reset every trap after being triggered. Just once was more than enough.

Of course, with the presence of traps much higher than the previous Labyrinths, the abundance of treasure rooms and the number of monsters were also tweaked. It was so that balance could be achieved and everyone's hard work could be rewarded.

"Grey, come to think of it... How many treasure rooms are there on the first floor? There should be a lot, right?" ［Yuna］

"Yeah. We haven't explored most of the place, but I've already sensed over a hundred. That's almost twice as common as the other Labyrinths." ［Grey］

"Ohh～! Great! The knights should be able to gather a lot of funds, then! I'm sure everything will be helpful for rebuilding the Capital!" ［Yuna］

"Hopefully so... Well, enough about that. Why don't we head down the stairs, Milady? I'm sure there are a lot more traps waiting to be triggered." ［Grey］

"Un! Let's go!" ［Yuna］

There was no hint of hesitation in her eyes, the young lady immediately agreeing to Grey's proposal. She was about to rush off into the second floor, but thankfully, Grey was able to grab her by the hand and quell down her recklessness.

With Grey once again looking after Yuna like a parent, the two headed downstairs and traversed the Labyrinth carefully and cautiously, eyes swimming left and right as they quenched their curiosity and made sure to see everything was safe.

Normally, the stairs are safe zones, but in the Labyrinth of Thunder where traps were in abundance, there was no harm in being cautious. Thankfully, it was just as normal as the others, no signs of danger lurking within.

The stairs also served as a transitional space between the floors, more and more bricks embedded in the walls and veins of lightning running throughout the place, pulsing and radiating as if the Labyrinth of Thunder itself was alive.

"Waah～! It's like lightning is coursing throughout the Labyrinth! So cool!" ［Yuna］

"From what I know, these are large veins of electricity. Be careful not to break them cause they explode quite violently." ［Grey］

"Really? Isn't that retry dangerous then?" ［Yuna］

"Don't worry, the shells of the veins are pretty tough, so it would take at least a High-Ranker to break them, and they get tougher each floor. If anything, it's more like they are only here for aesthetic purposes." ［Grey］

"That's neat... It does make the place look better." ［Yuna］

Said the young lady as she continued to look at the veins of blue and yellow running all throughout the floor, walls, and ceiling. It reminded her of the veins of magma and lava from the Labyrinth of Flames, fully completing the atmosphere of the place.

She continued to stare, her head tilted ever so slightly. Much like a child, her mind is being flooding with curiosity, really interested about what will happen if she really does break them. Her eyes were sparkling ever so radiantly.

"Yuna, don't even think of breaking them. Residues might remain for some time. You should know that it could be dangerous for the others, right?" ［Grey］

"But.... I'm just so curious! I really wanna know! Please～?" ［Yuna］

"Haah... Fine... But only on the 9th floor. That way, I'm sure no one else would be caught up in the trap. That's my only compromise." ［Grey］

"That's more than enough! Thank you so much, Grey!" ［Yuna］

Well, the fool in love that he was, Grey couldn't even say no to the young lady. He could only heave a lengthy sigh and make some compromise for her. He was no match for her pleading puppy eyes. It was too effective.

Grey and Yuna continue to traverse the Labyrinth, and before long, the two of them have finally descended down the second floor. What greeted them was an even more immaculate sight, the corridors expanding as far as the eyes can see.

Compared to the first floor, the layout has become semi-inorganic with lots of bricks and sharp turns and corners present. There're still some jagged and organic features here and there, but for the most part, everything has been smoothed out.

It was a sight which screamed a maze through and through, the whole place seeming to look like a massive maze with lots of geometric features present. The treasure rooms Grey could detect were laid out more uniformly. It was totally different.

"Waah～! What is this place?! It looks very different from the first floor!" ［Yuna］

"Hmm... This reminds me of those dungeons in the video games I played quite some time ago. How nostalgic..." ［Grey］

"Video games... Ah! Are you talking about those games you said you played on your umm... Smartphones, was it? Am I right?" ［Yuna］

"Yeah... Well, it's already a distant past. Even if I try, it would be extremely difficult to recreate them here. It's really a shame though, I really wanted you to try it." ［Grey］

"Fufufu! It's okay! After all, adventuring with Grey is more fun!" ［Yuna］

A sudden attack, stabbing Grey's heart without any warning. There was only a bright smile and a cheerful expression afloat on the young lady's face as she said such words to Grey, fully meaning it from the bottom of her heart.

It was a shame indeed that Grey couldn't play those RPGs, puzzles, FPS, and all sorts of video games, but hey, he's in a fantasy world anyway. If he wants to fight monsters then going outside should do the trick. It was far more interesting.

With such a thought in mind, Grey soon scanned the surroundings and surveyed all that he could see. Much like the first floor, there weren't as many monsters, but there were still dangerous zones located throughout the Labyrinth.

Especially the black zones. Not only are there lots of monsters and powerful ones at that, there were also a ton of traps laid within them. In a zone where there was no light, it was especially challenging, life-threatening, even.

"Grey, where are the traps located? I wanna trigger them." ［Yuna］

Well, for the young lady, any trap was useless. Rather than avoiding them, she wants to trigger and disarm them with much glee in her eyes. She was clearly excited, all eager to hear a cacophony of loud explosions once again.

Grey wanted to scold her, but with her eyes now sparkling like the stars, his words would simply get in one ear and out to the other. It was better to let her have her fun until she gets tired of triggering them. It should still be safe for them, anyway.

"Grey? Are you listening to me?" ［Yuna］

"Yeah, I am... And to answer that question, it's in front of you, My Dear." ［Grey］

There was no need to walk any further. They have already arrived on the second floor and there is yet to be a monster party greeting them warmly. The answer was simple. It was because it was a trap waiting to lure them in.

In the first place, the color of the torchstones was yellow. Even if such a zone belongs to the lower end, there should still be a few monsters spawning here and there. It was obviously a trap waiting for them to lower their guards and catch them off-guard.

"Right, Yuna, don't just rush in reck,.. less... lyー Eh? Yuna?" ［Grey］

Grey tried to warn Grey, but it was already too late. He just blinked once and Yuna was already nowhere to be seen, the young lady now inside the trap zone, her head turning left and right as she looked around the yellow zone.

She wasn't stupid nor was she careless. Rather, she has been keeping a sharp eye on the zone's layout and scanning the place for anything suspicious. She made sure to utilize her senses and use mana to sense some abnormalities.

"Ah! There you are!" ［Yuna］

It didn't take Yuna long before finding where the triggers are, over a dozen of them appearing right before her eyes. They looked nothing more than bricks and seemed just as harmless as well, looking very suspicious because of such normality.

Like any other normal person would do, the young lady avoided the traps and made sure to trigger them from a distanceー No! That's not what happened at all! Rather, Yuna was more excited to approach them and quench her curiosity.

And by quench her curiosity, it meant nothing more than the young lady triggering them herself. She simply stepped foot over the pressure plate and let a smile bloom on her face, clearly anticipating what's going to happen.

"Yuna..." ［Grey］

FWOOSH FWOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH

Grey was speechless, and what followed such utter silence was a volley of arrows coming from left and right, even from the ceiling. They weren't just normal arrows either. They mana arrows powerful enough to pierce trees and crush boulders.

Such a volley continued, hundreds of arrows now shot out, yet not a single one has yet to graze the young lady. She simply danced around the place, dancing the volley as if it was nothing, a cheerful smile blooming on her face,

And just when the torrent of deadly arrows stopped, she stepped on another pressure plate to activate yet another volley. Soon stepping on a couple more to make things more exciting, and make the beat and tempo much faster.

She danced and danced, her steps light as can be as she twirled her body and took a couple leaps. She was having a lot of fun, her eyes shimmering blue and bright as she danced in the palm of death. It was a sight to behold.

"Grey, come on! Join me! Let's dance together!" ［Yuna］

"Haah... I'll pass for now, Milady," ［Grey］

"Boo～! You're no fun! I'll dance with the spirits then." ［Yuna］

She didn't waste any time and as soon as she gave her words, Yuna summoned the spirits before her. They weren't fast enough to dodge, but in their spiritual forms, no physical or magical attacks could harm them. They were completely unscathed.

A serpent made of flames, a snowman of white and blue, a walking pile of roots and flowers, and a boulder with large earthy arms. With the spirits now summoned, the scene has turned even more absurd than before.

CLICK CLACK CLACK

"Oh?" ［Yuna］

RUMMMBLLLLLEEEEEEE

For the finale, Yuna stepped on the last pressure plate and the ground suddenly started to shake. The ceiling has opened up and several massive boulders came falling down and rolling towards Yuna and the dancing spirits.

It was a scene straight out of a movie, massive boulders rushing towards Yuna at incredible speeds, ready to flatten her out. Yet despite that, the young lady only looked at it with excitement, eyes and expressions sparkly as can be.

She took her leap and reached out her hands towards the rushing boulders. She soon waved her hands, and suddenly, spears of blue appeared out of thin air. They swirled and they spiraled, all ready to be shot at a moment's notice.

⟨⟨Icicle Shotgun!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］

The spell was conjured and a volley of icicles rushed forth towards the boulders, all of them piercing through without any problems, the power of frost engulfing the rocks and slowing down their pace as frost formed under them.

A second volley of ice soon followed, and the boulders were pierced yet again. This time, they penetrated with such power enough to spread shock all over the boulders, cracks spreading and soon enough, crumbling them down to pieces.

Rumbles and thuds echoed in the air, a large pile of rubble now to be seen. It was all messy and rocky, blocking the path which many people will use soon after. However, there was no need to worry. With just a flick of her fingers, the large rubbles broke down once more into fine dust.

"Grey, what do you think of my performance?" ［Yuna］

"What do I think... I want to scold you, that's what." ［Grey］

"Ehh～?! That's unfair! Didn't I look pretty while dancing? Can't I get at least one compliment? That won't hurt, right?" ［Yuna］

"Haah... Really... I shouldn't have spoiled you too much." ［Grey］

Said Grey, mumbling his own words under his breath, but it's not like he could help himself after all the things he's done. He could only accept his fate as it was his own doing anyway. He simply spoiled his beloved far too much.

"Haah... You did well, My Dear. You looked beautiful." ［Grey］

"Fufufu! Then, let's dance with each other next time!" ［Yuna］

He doesn't even think when he praises the young lady like a doting idiot. Before he knew it, his hands already moved and patted the latter's head. Seeing such, the spirits also wanted to be pet, Grey spoiling them as well all the same.

All the sweetness and fluffiness aside, Grey and Yuna continued to tread on the 2nd floor, encountering all sorts of traps and monsters as they bolted, defeating those they could defeat and having the spirits deal with them as well.

After all, they may now be E-rank, but they are still weak compared to the familiars and the others. The Labyrinth was the perfect place for them to train and grow, to also consume and purify corruption while they're at it.

⟨⟨Icicle Shotgun!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］

⟨⟨Gale Waltz!⟩⟩ ［Grey］

A frenzy of wind blades and icy spears rushed out towards the enemies, some then pierced and some cut in half. There was no resistance whatsoever as they received the attacks head on. The enemies didn't even have time to counterattack.

CLING CLING CLING CLING CLING

The spirits doesn't lose out either. Scheat sent down a torrent of flames, Markad had the ground rumbled and devoured the enemies, Algenib brought forth a small blizzard, and Alpheratz lashed out with her leaves and vines.

The training and extermination method continued, and they all ran throughout the Labyrinth of Thunder, descending down the floors one after another another, and crushing all the traps and enemies on their paths without any shred or mercy.

2nd... 3rd... 4th... 5th... And 6th...

In just a couple of hours, Grey and Yuna had now arrived at the 6th floor while the others were still at the 1st floor, only some lurking around the 2nd floor. Even the General was still on the 3rd floor, finding her way to the 4th floor.

Of course, the traps weren't just arrows, explosions, and boulders either. Sometimes there were cannons, poison gas clouds, spikes coming from all sides, a quick shock of electricity, massive swinging axes, monsters suddenly pouring out and many more.

There were a variety of traps, each one interesting as can be. The deeper they went, the more traps they encountered, each one more difficult than the ones before them, some actually posing some dangers to High-Rankers if they're not careful.

RUMMBBBLLLEEEE CREAKKK CREAKKK CREAKKK

"Oh! The walls are moving! Are we going to get crushed, Grey?" ［Yuna］

"Normally, yeah... The walls are quite thick and resilient as well... I'd say about 5... No, 7 meters thick." ［Grey］

"Ohh! That's amazing! Even C-Rankers would have a hard time with this! That's really exciting! That's really dangerous too!" ［Yuna］

"Yuna, this is no time to be excited, you know?" ［Grey］

Or so he says, but it wasn't time to be calm. The walls are already closing on them, and though it wasn't very fast, the suspense would be more than enough to drive the victims crazy and sacred. It was a trap filled with suspense,

However, it was also one which is quite easy to escape from. All one needs to do is make a dent in one of the walls and fit themselves there. By the time the walls collide, they should be safe as the walls will stop moving from then.

After which, one only needs to dig their way out before they run out of air. It may be a little challenging at first, but if one could make a clear judgement, it should increase their survival rate by quite a long shot.

"Well, let's get out of here, shall we?" ［Grey］

Or... If one were to have enough brute force, like a Transcendent, for example, there was no need to think. Grey simply pulled back his arm and focused his attention to the closing walls before him. He heaved a deep breath, and....

BOOOOOOMMMM FWOOOSHHH CRACK CRACK BOOOOOOMMMM

... With a single punch, the winds started to howl and the ground started to rumble. He was still over 10 meters away, but the sheer force behind the punch was more than enough to carve a large crater upon impact.

A crater which became deeper and deeper with time, boring a hole through the thick and tough walls until the other side was in sight. Debris flew out and clouds of dust spread all throughout the place, light shining upon them once more.

"And another one..." ［Grey］

Of course, he couldn't just leave a hole on one wall and nothing on the other. Then, the others would find it hard once they dive, their pathway blocked before them. So Grey made a conscious effort to dig through another hole as well.

With that a weird and debris-filled tunnel was formed. walls busted through and the walls now inanimate. Grey and Yuna could continue down their path, the spirits dancing in excitement as they watched such a scene unfold.

"Then, we should go now, Yu... na...?" ［Grey］

It happened yet again. Before Grey could even notice, Yuna had already disappeared from his sight and was now quite a distance away from where she previously was. The former didn't even hear her footsteps, let alone notice where she has gone to

Besides the young lady was yet another obvious pressure plate, not even a single monster to be seen around. It was clear that it was another trap, a mischievous and cheerful smile blooming on Yuna's face. She was up to no good.

"Yuna, My Dear... You aren't thinking what I am thinking, are you?" ［Grey］

"My～! I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. I'm just curious what kind of trap this is, you see～! Just a little curious～!" ［Yuna］

Or so she says, but her expressions say otherwise. She knows exactly just what kind of trap it was and could already tell it was dangerous for other people. Even a High-Ranker might get hurt if they're not careful.

Of course, it was a trap completely useless for the likes of Transcendents like Grey and Yuna. However, knowing Grey's overprotective personality, Yuna knows full well he'll come rushing to her rescue at a moment's notice.

After all, Grey is always the one who teases her when they're spending their time together. And while it's a little extreme, Yuna won't actually do something that will harm either of them. It was an extreme prank just to get back at Grey.

"Bzzt! Time's up! The answer is... A pitfall trap!" ［Yuna］

It was as if they were playing a television game show, Yuna cheerfully answering herself as she stepped foot on the pressure plate. As soon as she did, the ground started to rumble, and the walls started to shake.

Soon enough, the floor disappeared like magic and a deep abyss was suddenly unveiled. It was a depth which reached over a hundred meters, sharp and deadly spikes laid down on the bottom, ready to pierce the unfortunate victims.

And as if such wasn't enough, spikes also grew from the ceiling and it soon started to fall unto Yuna. It was planning to sandwich her, making sure she doesn't escape. Yet despite all the danger, Yuna was calm as can be as she fell to the trap.

"Fufufu! You took shorter than I thought!" ［Yuna］

"You... You're really gonna give me heart attacks." ［Grey］

After all, her knight in shining armor has arrived. Light shone upon the young lady as Grey opened a gate, catching her in his arms, and holding her tight. Yet another gate opened and they soon escaped the trap, a loud rumble resounding soon after.

Before long, Grey and Yuna were already out, not a single scratch to be found on their bodies. There was no fear nor dread, only excitement on her face. The young lady was smiling, clasping her hands around Grey's neck.

"So? Did I give you a good scare?" ［Yuna］

"Yuna, there's a limit to how much you can prank people, you know? If this continues, I'll really die of a heart attack." ［Grey］

"Please don't. I still plan to marry you!" ［Yuna］

"Then please stop pulling these kinds of pranks on your fiancé. It's really bad for the heart, alright?" ［Grey］

Grey said, but no affirmation nor negation came ringing in his ears. It was obvious that Yuna was still far from giving up on such a thought, still excited to trigger the traps and still wanting to pull some shenanigans. She was too energetic.

"Grey, let's try this again. Take 2." ［Yuna］

"Why are you whispering? And no. That's final." ［Grey］

"Boo～. You're no fun～." ［Yuna］

CHAPTER 435 END