Depths of the Otherworldly Labyrinth (WN)

Chapter 1: Lost in the Otherworld Labyrinth

—So dark.

There was opaque darkness no matter where I looked, without a speck of light.

The first thing that bothered me was the smell.

It smelled so rancid that I wished I could cut my nose off.
My throat felt like it was chocked full of mud.
Startled by the discomfort, I jumped to my feet, and my eyes jolted open. 

“—!”

The first thing that jumped into my sight was a dark corridor.
It was a stony space that seemed vaguely luminous, despite there being no apparent sources of light. 

I looked around and saw a small mound-like structure sitting behind me.
After taking a closer look, I finally recognized it as an altar, though it was so weathered down that it was about to collapse.
On top of the uppermost stone was the lumpy residue of two candles; there was also what seemed to be an offering that looked like an animal skin with an old arrow stuck in it.

“What the hell…”

For someone like me who often spoke to himself, those words naturally spilled out of my mouth. 

“Th-this is insane… I feel sick…”

The more I spoke, the faster my heart thumped in my chest.
My heartbeat was getting louder and louder in my ear. 

This is insane.
I don’t understand what’s happening.

I had simply gone to sleep and then… woken up?

But there was no warm bed there.
There was no noisy mechanical alarm clock, no morning sunlight that slipped through the curtains, no light bulbs on the ceilings.

What there was, however, was a dirty, cold, stone floor.

There was that strange odor that wanted to make my nose shrivel.

And there was that faintly luminescent, stony space.

I felt sick…

I covered my mouth and waited for the nausea to pass; then, I heard a distant roar— 

“————, ——————!!”

It was a wail without any shred of reason.

It was an echo of fever and killing intent, akin to the fury of a wounded beast. 

“H-hold on… Wait, wait, wait, wait…!!”

I didn’t know what I was talking about, as I had no idea what was happening. 

I let myself be swept up in my own confusion and started running in the opposite direction of the roar that I had heard. 

“Haah, haah, haah!”

I ran through the stone corridor, my breathing ragged with exhaustion.
The path turned several times, but I didn’t put any of it in mind.
as all I cared about was getting as far away as possible.
My frustration mounted as every turn seemed to look identical. 

…Then, I heard an uncanny crunching sound.

It felt like I had stepped on something jagged, so I checked the sole of my shoe.
What I saw was an insect the size of my fist, writhing and squirming as it let out a death cry—

“U-uwaah!”

I yelped at the terrible spectacle.

It’s not like I was bad with insects.
That being said, I felt a strong physiological aversion to such large insects that no one would ever meet in a human city.

The insect chirped.

It sounded as if it was shouting for help. 

Suddenly, a chill ran up my back, and I looked up to the road ahead. 

There, peeking out from the next turn in the path, was an insect the size of an adult human. 

* * *

Reaper Scans

Translator – Mab

Proofreader – ilafy

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* * *

The size of the creature was unbelievable.

Its jagged limbs, characteristic of insects, moved around with a crackling sound.

At a quick glance, it looked almost like a stag beetle.
However, its abnormal size and similarly abnormal dual horns were shaving away at my sanity.

“——!!”

I couldn’t even scream.

The monster would jump at me if I did, leaving me no choice but to run back the way I came.