How a Black-Haired Barbarian Survived the Labyrinth in Another World-Chapter 42: Welcome to the Labyrinth City.

The next morning.

Jeong Yushin entrusted the shop to Silva and headed to the monster dissection house.

When he returned after finishing his third dungeon journey, Dalmong told him that the monster dissection house chief had returned.

The notorious monster dissection house chief who once ruled the back alleys of the eastern district.

An elf who was beaten like a dog by the spirit teacher Shimus and was rehabilitated.

Though he had put his reckless ways behind him, he still held influence in the eastern district, and it was highly likely he had information about slave hunter groups.

He entered the western district, walking for a long time until he arrived at the building in front of the monster dissection house.

It had been a while since he smelled the blood.

As he entered the dissection house, Malone immediately recognized Jeong Yushin.

"Hey! You're that Barbaroi, aren't you?"

"Yes. Where is the chief?"

"He's here."

From among the dismembered monsters, an elf wearing an eye patch walked out.

The elf, dressed in loose work clothes, had a decadent aura.

The monster dissection house chief.

Aldain Ashwood.

"What is it?"

Aldain, with his hands in his work clothes, slowly approached and spoke.

"Do you know about the slave hunters?"

Aldain smirked at Jeong Yushin's question.

"I know. Did Dalmong tell you about me?"

"What are their names? Where are they?"

Aldain approached and stared straight into Jeong Yushin's eyes.

Jeong Yushin furrowed his brows.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Aldain grinned.

"It's nothing. I'll help you. It'll take a day. But there's a condition."

"What is it?"

"Help me with some work."

Jeong Yushin's face twisted.

He was in charge of managing Dalmong's inn. He wanted to get back quickly.

"Are you saying that now?"

"Yes. That's my condition."

"Ugh. Alright."

Jeong Yushin changed into work clothes and began working alongside Malone.

Thanks to his leveling up and improved insight, he could easily dismantle the monsters.

Once he started working, his focus sharpened instantly.

All distractions vanished, and his mind poured into cutting, disassembling, and tearing apart.

The restless thoughts within him calmed down.

Evening arrived.

Those who finished their work gathered in the yard of the dissection house, laid down iron plates, and began grilling meat.

Jeong Yushin declined their invitations.

He had left the inn all day today.

He felt guilty that Silva must have handled everything alone.

He felt a strong urge to go back and at least show his face.

Aldain spoke from behind Jeong Yushin as he was leaving.

"I’ll come tomorrow evening. Stay here and wait."

"Yes."

He quickly walked back to Dalmong’s inn.

The inn was quiet. Silva was nowhere on the first floor, possibly already asleep after finishing all the work.

Jeong Yushin looked around the inn, scratched his head, and went up to his room on the second floor.

Exhausted, he threw himself onto the bed. Darkness descended.

The next morning, at dawn.

Jeong Yushin woke up early, feeling guilty, and helped Silva clean the inn’s hall and wash the dishes in the kitchen.

Jeong Yushin and Silva worked tirelessly from morning until evening.

Night came. After sending off the last guest, they finished cleaning the inn's hall.

Jeong Yushin and Silva sat at the stairs of the inn, holding a bottle of alcohol.

Silva took a sip, then sniffed the air.

"It looks like it’s going to rain."

Jeong Yushin looked up at the sky.

The dark night sky made it hard to tell.

A gentle breeze passed, carrying a hint of moisture.

Could it be the first rain of early summer?

His mind was unsettled.

‘Right!’

He needed weapons. His longsword had broken on the 5th floor of the dungeon. His light armor was completely torn up.

The only usable weapon he had was the slave hunter’s dagger in his possession.

He had taken it from Dito's son.

"I need to stop by the blacksmith for a moment. Silva, you go ahead and sleep."

Silva tilted his head at Jeong Yushin’s words.

"At this hour? Well, there are some places open, but how about going tomorrow instead?"

"I need to buy something urgently."

Jeong Yushin got up and ran to the blacksmith in the western district.

Boron's blacksmith shop was closed.

"What’s going on?"

He grabbed a passing dwarf and asked.

"Oh? Boron? His new apprentice swung the hammer wrong and hit his head, knocked out cold."

It seemed that Ainhopper, who had a tremor disorder, had finally caused a mishap.

Jeong Yushin turned around and headed back to the inn.

He couldn’t go to another blacksmith.

He had expected to buy equipment cheaply and had brought little money.

‘Damn.’

He felt frustrated, and nothing seemed to be going right.

In the first place, going to the blacksmith this late was a mistake.

Jeong Yushin walked quickly.

His head grew hot, and his heart began to race.

A few raindrops began to fall under the dark night sky.

‘Why is this happening?’

Jeong Yushin wiped his dampening hair and slowed his pace.

He walked for a long while and finally reached the inn.

Clunk!!

He opened the inn door and entered.

The inn was quiet.

Most of the guests had gone to the dungeon, so it was always quiet at night.

But this silence felt different.

Jeong Yushin’s head slowly turned.

There was a wooden box on the table. The seat he often sat in. The one closest to the counter.

Jeong Yushin, almost in a trance, approached the box.

A strong scent of blood wafted from the box.

His trembling hand opened the box.

Creeeak.

The lid of the box slowly opened, revealing its contents.

A ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) middle-aged female gnome’s head.

Three small gnome children's heads.

One of the small heads was already familiar.

All four heads had their eyes gouged out.

The corners of their mouths were torn up to their ears.

Inside their mouths, silver coins and mashed food were mixed together, filling it up.

The faces of the children, who had likely suffered until the very end, were twisted in agony.

"Ughhh!!!"

Jeong Yushin bent over and vomited.

The reason why Dito had betrayed the worthless party.

The reason Dito had tried to kill him.

The answer was inside the box.

Clunk!!

The inn door opened.

Jeong Yushin looked up.

Aldain stood there.

"It suddenly started raining. No wonder the weather felt off."

Aldain, dressed in his loose work clothes, glanced at the box and spoke.

Thud. Thud.

Aldain shook off the water on his work clothes and walked over to Jeong Yushin.

Squeak.

Thud.

Aldain closed the box on the table.

Jeong Yushin stared up at Aldain vacantly.

"What are you staring at like that?"

Aldain bent down and placed a hand on Jeong Yushin’s shoulder.

"Get a grip."

Aldain gave Jeong Yushin’s shoulder a few taps.

"You can’t hold it together, can you?"

Swoosh!!!

Jeong Yushin’s head turned. His cheek burned.

The light returned to Jeong Yushin’s eyes.

Aldain grinned.

"I brought you some information. Want to hear it?"

Jeong Yushin nodded.

Aldain stood up and shouted.

"Hey, come in!"

A few people in thief’s attire entered through the inn's entrance.

There were a boar beastman, a cat beastman, a lizard beastman, and elves and dwarves. Some familiar faces from the monster dissection house.

"Check for any ambushes. Clean this up."

Aldain pinched his nose and pointed at the vomit.

Aldain’s subordinates scattered, heading to the second floor and kitchen.

One of the subordinates returned with a rag and broom from the storeroom and began cleaning the vomit.

"Sit."

Aldain sat at a nearby table.

He then pointed across from him with his finger.

Jeong Yushin silently sat in the seat Aldain pointed to.

Aldain took out a note from his pocket and waved it.

"Can you read?"

"I don’t know well."

Jeong Yushin’s voice was hoarse.

"I’ll read it for you."

Aldain started reading the note.

"The name of the slave hunter group is Crimson Hunters."

"They came from the Western Empire, washed their identities in the southeastern Lionell Kingdom, and gathered in Dungeon City."

"These bastards have some money. They kidnapped people from the Eastern Alliance and made a fortune. Karin tried to stop them, but honestly, she was powerless."

"...30 low-ranking members, 1 mid-ranking member. That’s it."

Aldain mumbled, finishing reading the note, then yawned.

Jeong Yushin looked at Aldain.

"Where are they now?"

"In the eastern district."

"Why are they left alone in Dungeon City?"

"They’re just a bottom-dwelling group focused on money. There are plenty of them. The higher-ups in Dungeon City have other things to deal with. The guards are busy."

"Why...?"

"Did you come to petition me?"

Aldain tilted his head.

"Did you come to say that Dungeon City’s laws are wrong, that there’s no justice? You, a dumb mixed-blood barbaroi, get a grip. You think you’re something because you’re hanging around with good people?"

Jeong Yushin glared at Aldain.

Aldain raised his finger and scratched his eye patch.

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"Dalmong, Karin, Mion, Shimus, Luke, Ashur."

"Chief, we found a wolf beastman in the yard storage. Looks like they were forcefully injected with strong drugs."

A cat beastman who had come out of the kitchen interrupted Aldain.

"I’m talking here, you idiot."

Aldain glared at the cat beastman with his lone eye wide open.

"S-sorry, Chief."

The beastman trembled and bowed his head.

Jeong Yushin gritted his teeth.

‘Silva.’

The face of the beastman who had been quietly smiling flashed in his mind.

Aldain tapped the box lightly.

"Can’t you tell just by looking? Slave hunters don’t mess with strong people. They target the weak, the unprotected, the trash of the city. Look at this white wolf beastman. He’s high on drugs, but his limbs are fine, right?"

Aldain leisurely leaned back in his chair and continued.

"What are you going to do? Crawl into Mion’s skirt? Run to your swordmaster and grab his pant leg? Can’t you stand on your own when no one’s around?"

A murderous rage surged up.

Those who would target his life, force children starving to death to kill, and make them carry out murders after giving them a few coins.

Those who plucked the eyes out of the child he had shown kindness to, tearing their mouths open.

Jeong Yushin raised his head.

"I’ll kill them all."

A dark flicker swirled in Jeong Yushin’s eyes.

Aldain stared into Jeong Yushin’s eyes for a while, then grinned.

"That’s more like it. You’ve got the same eyes as when we first met. No, they’ve gotten sharper. Nice eyes."

Aldain’s subordinates, who had thoroughly searched the inn, lined up behind him.

"Take it out."

Aldain spoke casually.

"Yes."

An elf responded and took out a set of clothes from a leather bag, placing them on the table.

A black coat.

"You don’t have any equipment, right? Wear this. It’s made from monster leather, so it can block most sword strikes."

Jeong Yushin nodded as he looked at the coat.

Clunk.

Aldain unsheathed the sword from his waist and placed it on the table.

"This is my sword. Try drawing it."

The subordinates standing quietly behind him flinched. They didn’t speak a word, but their eyes were as wide as lanterns.

A long sword with a reddish tint.

Jeong Yushin took the sword.

Aldain observed Jeong Yushin’s every move, as if he wouldn’t miss a single moment.

Swish.

Under the dim light of the inn, the sword revealed its shape.

It wasn’t a regular double-edged sword.

Not even a thin single-edged sword.

It looked easy to cut through flesh but difficult to pierce armor.

"It may look that way, but it cuts well."

Clang.

Jeong Yushin slid the sword into the scabbard.

"Why are you doing this for me?"

Jeong Yushin’s question made Aldain lean on his chin and fall into deep thought.

Not even the sound of a needle dropping could be heard in the inn.

Aldain’s mouth slowly opened.

"When someone needs work, you give them work. When someone needs advice, you give them advice. When there’s a desperate guy, you want to give him a sword. In short, it’s my will."

Aldain stood up from his seat.

"This is all I can do. Those slave hunters are deep in the eastern district, so be careful. I’ll attach a guide. I can’t fight with you, though."

"..."

"Trench-nose, stay here and guide him. If you don’t want to, just come back. Take this box and the wolf beastman with you. We’ll protect you until the work is done."

"Yes."

The boar beastman answered, bowing his head.

"I’m going."

Aldain stood up and walked slowly, then suddenly stopped.

He turned back to Jeong Yushin and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I should have told you this, but I almost forgot."

Aldain’s single eye curved like a crescent moon.

"Welcome to Dungeon City."