How a Black-Haired Barbarian Survived the Labyrinth in Another World - Chapter 8

The new adventurer training lasted for a week. 

He learned quite a lot during that time. 

Of course, it was mostly theoretical knowledge, not yet something his body had fully internalized. 

Still, some things could be put into practice right away, like how to pack a backpack or administer basic first aid. 

They also covered formations, rules that must be followed for each level of the labyrinth, simple trap detection, and different hand signals.

Once you learned these things, you began to notice patterns—perhaps a philosophy or direction the guild followed. 

The key takeaway was that simply rushing into the labyrinth, slashing down monsters, and advancing to the next floor wasn’t enough. 

Preparation was essential. 

The goal was to reduce risks as much as possible, and even if progress was slow, to advance steadily and safely. 

This theme was emphasized throughout the entire week of lessons.

———

The next morning.

“Is today the day?” 

“Yes. I’ll be going now.”

“Don’t get your hopes up too high.”

Daramon threw cold water on his excitement, but Jeong Yoo-shin couldn’t help feeling a little thrill. 

Today was the party matching day.

A party was usually formed with five members, though sometimes there were four. 

Most people found a party by responding to recruitment notices on the bulletin board, but new explorers often had their parties arranged by the guild. 

Daramon had recommended the latter option since it was said that the guild often helped those who had taken the introductory course to team up. 

It was, of course, at the discretion of the receptionist.

The Explorers’ Guild building was packed with people. 

Jeong Yoo-shin chose the shortest line to save time, and soon regretted it. 

It was the receptionist with the same cold expression he’d seen before.

‘Ah! Damn. That same look again.’

There was a reason the line was short. 

It was too late to switch to another line now; more people had crowded in, making the lines even longer. He didn’t want to wait any longer.

‘Just think of it as bad luck. It’s not like I’m going to die.’

When his turn came, he stepped up.

“I’d like to be matched with a new adventurer party, please.”

“I’ve confirmed your request. There’s only one party looking for a frontliner at the moment. I’ll assign you to them. Please go to table 6.”

“Thank you.”

He quickly left the counter and headed to table 6. 

There were around 30 tables, and the noise of chattering people filled the room. 

After some effort, he found table 6. 

He recognized the faces sitting there—it was the boy who had slammed the counter and yelled the other day. Along with him were one man and two women. One man from the previous week was missing.

“Hello, I’m Skaro. I was referred here by the guild.”

“Hello, I’m Carl, the party leader.”

Carl’s voice was full of confidence and authority. He introduced the rest of the party. 

The other man’s name was Dean, who handled scouting. 

The red-haired woman was Anne, one of the backliners, and she used a bow. 

The other backliner was Marie, a brown-haired woman and an apprentice priestess of the Earth Mother, a deity worshiped by the Spirit Church.

Carl briefly explained the party’s situation.

Last week, they had entered the labyrinth for the first time and cleared the first floor without much difficulty. 

However, on the second floor, one of their members injured their leg, and they were temporarily looking for a replacement. 

That replacement was Jeong Yoo-shin.

The party had two tasks: the subjugation of hobgoblins and the collection of magic stones. 

The rewards would be split equally among the five of them. 

Their activities were limited to the first floor of the labyrinth.

After Jeong Yoo-shin and Carl’s party finished their discussions, they agreed to meet the next morning at the guild branch.

When Jeong Yoo-shin returned to the inn, he told Daramon about Carl and the other party members.

“Daramon, didn’t you say they usually match people who’ve taken the new adventurer course together?”

“That’s strange.”

Daramon stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“Well, whatever the case, I’m going tomorrow.”

“Skaro, be careful out there.”

Jeong Yoo-shin nodded in response to the serious warning. 

The night passed, and morning arrived—the long-awaited day to enter the labyrinth. 

He woke up at dawn and checked his equipment. He ensured the sword drew smoothly, that the shield straps weren’t too loose, and the joints of his hard leather armor weren’t too stiff. 

He inspected everything he could, though his knowledge was limited.

Once fully equipped, he packed his bag, making sure to carry only the essential supplies needed for the first floor, something he had learned in class.

“Alright.”

With his helmet clipped to his waist, he headed downstairs to the dining area, where Daramon was waiting with breakfast.

“This is your last meal in society.” 

“Stop with the nonsense.”

The meal consisted of a well-cooked steak and a mountain of garlic.

“Is it really okay to serve me such a feast?”

“I can already see you starving for days in the labyrinth, so you might as well eat well now.”

“Thanks for the food.”

He cleaned his plate without leaving a scrap.

“Whew.”

As he patted his full stomach, Daramon handed him something wrapped in paper.

“Jerky and biscuits. Eat them sparingly.”

“Thank you.”

Jeong Yoo-shin didn’t refuse. He didn’t want to turn down the kindness of the tough-but-caring bear beastman, especially since he didn’t have much money.

“I’ll be off now.”

He made sure to give a farewell before leaving.

“Once again, be careful.”

“Yes.”

With Daramon’s advice firmly in mind, Jeong Yoo-shin set off toward the Explorers’ Guild branch.

———

When he arrived at the guild, he sat at an empty table and waited for Carl’s party to show up. 

About 30 minutes later, they came in, chatting and laughing. 

One of their members had a minor injury, but their confidence and ease showed they had successfully cleared the first floor without much trouble.

“Ah! Mr. Skaro, you’re here early.”

Carl greeted him. His gear looked light—he wore leather armor and had a longsword at his waist. His pack also seemed light, though it was unclear whether this was due to financial reasons or a deliberate strategy.

The rest of the party was dressed similarly to Carl.

“Let’s head out now. This time of day gets crowded, so it’s better to leave early.”

“Understood.”

Jeong Yoo-shin stood up and followed the party. 

The Great Labyrinth was located on the western edge of the city.

As they approached the labyrinth, the number of people increased. 

Walking through the bustling crowds, he finally saw it—the Great Labyrinth. 

From a distance, he had thought it was a small tower. But up close, it was a sharp rock hill.

In front of the rock hill, a massive magic circle glowed, large enough to hold thousands of people. 

Guards from the labyrinth city were stationed at the entrance, controlling the flow of explorers.

“One party at a time, enter calmly!” 

Each party stepped into the magic circle and vanished in a flash of light. 

The explorers followed the guards’ orders without issue, and the guards efficiently processed the flow of people.

Soon, it was Carl’s party’s turn. 

Jeong Yoo-shin’s heart pounded with excitement and nervousness. 

As they stepped onto the magic circle, the light grew brighter, blinding his vision.

Flash!

Followed by bursts of intense light, he felt a floating sensation as if his body was weightless.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

He lost his balance and fell on his back. 

The cold, damp stone floor beneath him confirmed it—they had finally been transported to the first floor of the labyrinth.

Due to the nature of the labyrinth, everyone, without exception, had to start from the first floor, no matter if they had reached the 50th or even the 80th floor before. 

Once you left the labyrinth, you had to start again from the beginning.

This meant that countless people were currently on the first floor, and at this moment…

‘It’s the safest time.’

They needed to quickly assess their location and form a formation.

“Oh no!”

A startled voice echoed through the dark cave. 

It was Carl.

“What’s wrong?”

“I dropped the flint. Could you light a torch for me instead?”

“Got it.”

Jeong Yoo-shin pulled out his flint from his pocket and lit the torch. The surroundings became a bit brighter.

The first rule of the labyrinth’s first five floors, which were known as the surface layers, was simple. It was to always keep a light on no matter what.

There was a specific reason for this—because of the characteristic darkness of the surface layers. 

The darkness in these floors could drive people insane. 

It was a law that applied universally, regardless of rank. 

Even the most experienced explorers or legendary heroes were not immune to this rule. 

However, even a tiny light, like the glow of a firefly, would keep the madness at bay. 

Skilled explorers made it a priority to pass through the surface layers as quickly as possible, using the minimal amount of light.

“We seem to have landed at the outer edge.”

 Dean, the scout and guide, said as he looked at the map.

“Is that so? We’re not as lucky as last time.”

 Carl shrugged.

“Yeah, last time we were teleported close to the entrance of the second floor.”

Dean mumbled in disappointment, while Carl gave him a reassuring shrug.

“Some days are like that. Let’s go.”

Carl took the lead, holding the torch. 

Jeong Yoo-shin followed closely behind, with Dean, Marie, and Anne falling in line behind him.

They walked for hours and occasionally passed by other parties who brushed past them with a quick ‘Move aside.’

“Whew. Dean, where are we now?”

“Hold on a sec.”

In response to Carl’s question, Dean pulled out the map from his coat and unfolded it.

“If we take the left path at the next fork, we’ll reach the central area of the first floor.”

“Great!”

Carl cheered, trying to boost the morale of the tired group.

“Let’s get to the central area quickly, and then we’ll rest. Sounds good?”

“Yeah.”

“Got it.”

Carl looked at Jeong Yoo-shin as if waiting for his response.

“Yes, understood.”

With the promise of rest fueling them, they pressed on without stopping. Fortunately, they didn’t encounter any monsters along the way.

However, luck was not on their side.

“Dean, what is this? It’s a dead end!”

Carl glared at Dean with frustration in his eyes.

“S-sorry.”

“Get a grip. This isn’t like the village we used to live in. You can’t keep making mistakes like this…”

“Carl, stop. You’re being too harsh. This is only our second time in the labyrinth.”

The red-haired Anne interrupted Carl, cutting him off.

Carl sighed and shook his head.

“Alright, fine. Sorry Dean.”

“No, I should have been more alert.”

“I just want to rest for a bit.”

The apprentice priestess, Marie, chimed in. She looked exhausted after marching for hours.

“Alright. Let’s take a break.”

They slumped down, leaning against the dead-end wall. 

Jeong Yoo-shin sat a little apart from the group. 

The rest of them began chatting among themselves, talking about how they would be sowing seeds in the village fields by now, or about how the girl Dean used to like turned out to be a boy.

As Jeong Yoo-shin silently listened to their stories, Carl approached and sat next to him.

“All five of us are from the same village. Ah! The other member is probably resting at the inn right now.”

“I see.”

“We’ve been together since we were kids. Our village was isolated and barren, so we faced a lot of dangers growing up. But it never felt scary because we were together. After overcoming all those challenges, I realized something—you learn more from experience than from any book.”

“Yeah.”

Jeong Yoo-shin nodded. Though he wasn’t sure where Carl was going with the conversation.

“I remember seeing you at the new explorer class. You seem older than me, but you still seem inexperienced. Experience is where you learn the most. You’ll gain more from explorers on the street than from people sitting comfortably inside the guild building.”

It dawned on Jeong Yoo-shin.

‘He’s here to give me advice.’

Getting life advice from a boy in his late teens certainly felt different from hearing it from older folks. 

Carl’s words had a sense of conviction, as if he’d already figured out the truths of life.

“And from what I can see, Skaro, you—”

“Carl, I’m tired. Can’t we just sleep here for a bit?” Marie suddenly interrupted, whining.

“Marie, we’re almost at a rest area. Just hold on a little longer, and we’ll rest there.”

Dean came over and tried to soothe her.

“Dean, are you sure this time?”

“Yeah, I double-checked the map. There’s a rest area near the central zone.”

“Alright. Marie, just hang in there a little longer.”

“Ugh, fine.”

Carl got up, patted Marie on the back, and led the group onward.

They walked for another two hours. 

Just as Marie was about to collapse from exhaustion, they found the rest area. 

There was a gap between the cave walls, leading to a small chamber inside. It was just big enough to fit about ten people.

They entered, unpacked their gear, and used a blanket to cover the entrance so the torchlight wouldn’t escape. 

Each person leaned against the cave walls. They pulled out biscuits and jerky from their packs and ate, then quickly organized the watch shifts.

By this time, it was likely evening outside.

Marie took the first watch, followed by Carl, Jeong Yoo-shin, Dean, and Anne as the last.

They laid out blankets on the cold cave floor.

‘Not bad.’

The party’s camaraderie was evident, and it created a pleasant atmosphere. 

Despite a few tense moments, they comforted and supported one another. There had been no ambushes or conflicts.

Jeong Yoo-shin pulled the blanket over himself, hoping tomorrow would be as smooth as today, and closed his eyes to sleep in the dark depths of the Great Labyrinth.