Unrequited Love, Lost for the Better - Chapter 34

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※ This work contains depictions of coercive relationships, explicit language, and other graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

Valerian stopped to check on her condition. As he tried to examine her closely, Collette shook her head and asked back.

“I’m fine. More importantly, when will we reach the exit? It feels like we’ve been walking for a while.”

“Well…”

“Can I see the compass?”

Collette held out her palm, asking for the compass. Valerian hesitated. He had been holding it as if using it, but in truth, his compass had stopped working a while ago. The needle had been spinning in circles, unable to find its bearings.

Should he tell her the compass was broken? He worried it might hurt her pride as its creator.

“Valen?”

When Valerian didn’t answer, Collette wiggled her fingers. Her fingertips were trembling. Valerian parted his lips.

“Actually… the exit is probably sealed right now.”

“What? Why?”

Handing the compass to Collette, Valerian gripped his sword hilt. Channeling his mana, he spoke.

“As soon as you were taken, the Labyrinth shook violently and the cave entrance collapsed. I had already instructed Team Leader Woodrow to escape with as many people as possible in case of unexpected trouble—so he’s likely fled with the team members.”

“Then… there’s no way out right now? I thought once a door closes, it can’t be opened from the inside.”

Collette stared at the compass he had given her and muttered. Valerian shook his head.

“For now, yes. But don’t worry too much. We can wait for the Labyrinth to open its mouth again. And…”

Even if the Labyrinth didn’t reopen an entrance, he could just make one himself.

He had been smashing through the Labyrinth’s tunnels—surely he could make one hole to the outside.

He had never tried to break through the Labyrinth itself before, but somehow it felt like he could do it now.

The blade, wrapped in reddish mana, took on a dark crimson hue. The more mana he concentrated, the more he could feel the dark—almost purple—veins writhing beneath his clothes. The curse grew stronger the more he focused, and the taste of blood filled his mouth, but…

One strike.

With the sole determination to take Collette outside, Valerian prepared to swing his sword.

At that moment, Collette shouted toward him.

“Valen, Valen! Look at this!”

Startled, Valerian froze mid-swing and turned to look at Collette.

“The compass is pointing that way. I think an exit has appeared!”

She held up the Labyrinth compass. Valerian was shocked.

What…?

The compass that had been useless when he held it was now clearly pointing to a single direction. As if urging them that they must go this way.

“Let’s hurry, Valen!”

“…….”

“Valen?”

Collette urged him to move quickly. Valerian couldn’t readily agree.

He had confirmed it was broken—how had it started working again?

Why?

His feet wouldn’t move easily.

The experiences of exploring the Labyrinth dozens, hundreds of times in the past were warning him.

Don’t ignore this ominous feeling.

“Valen. What’s wrong?”

Collette called again, wondering at his silence. Pressing his lips firmly, Valerian spoke.

“Collette, I’m telling you the compass was broken. Until just now, the needle was just spinning.”

A spinning needle, which moved according to the flow of mana in the air, meant it couldn’t find the existence of an exit leading outside.

From Valerian’s perspective, it was better to try breaking through the Labyrinth’s wall with all his strength than to wander around with Collette inside the Labyrinth, not knowing when they might be attacked.

But at his words, Collette tilted her head.

“…Really? That’s strange. It’s working so well now—why was it like that before……?”

Lowering her eyelids as if pondering something, she then spoke a belated hypothesis.

“Maybe it was affected by your mana?”

“…My mana?”

“Yes. You said it was broken when you used it, right? Maybe it was because your mana circuits were overloaded? This device is designed to detect changes in mana flow.”

“Ah…….”

Valerian’s expression darkened at Collette’s words. As she said, if his mana circuits were the cause, it made perfect sense.

“Since it’s a delicate device made to detect mana flow in the air, there must have been a variable. I’ll fix it once we’re out. For now, let’s follow this.”