Chapter 38: The Price of Curiosity

“Why is there an untouched Winged Panther here!”

After narrowly evading a fierce strike from the panther, Aesop cried out, his question a lament from his very soul.

“Could it be that the previous expedition group didn’t encounter it?”

The usually elegant Alicia, showcasing terrifying strength, grabbed the tail of the Winged Panther—a creature dozens of times her size—and flung it away from Aesop.

“Mr. Aesop, please don’t utter such thoughtless remarks,” she said. “Anyone who enters the 73rd floor is bound to be attacked by a Winged Panther. This is especially true for a large expedition force.”

“So, did we pass the refresh time?” Theodore asked, executing a flourish with his spear in mid-air before plunging it forcefully into the Winged Panther’s body from above, striking it down to the ground.

As the Winged Panther tried to rise again, countless colossal vines erupted from the earth, pinning it firmly in place.

Just as the panther attempted to lift its head, Larkin descended from the sky, bringing his massive red axe down hard on its skull.

His entire body was encased in a layer of red metal armor. Had Theresia been there, she would surely have exclaimed, ‘Armored Warrior!’

Larkin’s actual combat prowess had indeed improved significantly. In terms of speed and strength alone, he was now on par with Aesop.

“I calculated it, and we weren’t over time,” Samuel stated casually, as he effortlessly cast spells. “Of course, we definitely are now.”

The panther had completely lost its will to resist. Its eyes, in essence, pleaded, ‘Kill me.’

“It’s a bit strange. The Winged Panther’s actions don’t match the intelligence we received.”

Alicia gracefully knelt before the dead panther, poking its large face with her hand.

Though her long dress had transformed into a more practical, elegant attire, shedding its former opulence revealed an unprecedented agility and charm.

Upon their arrival, Theodore and the others were immediately ambushed by the panther’s main body. Its fighting style was nothing like the cunning tactics described in the guides; it was a desperate, mad-dog assault.

Initially, they suspected it was merely a shadow clone meant to harass dungeon explorers. However, after Theodore was twice batted away like a ball, they finally realized its strength was far too real to be a mere clone.

Aesop ran his hand over the exposed flesh at the panther’s wound, a look of regret on his face. “Indeed,” he murmured, “I feel like its desire to die was incredibly strong. The way my knife cut through it felt unpleasant; its flesh was saturated with negative emotions, severely diminishing its quality.”

“But thankfully, it’s still alive! I’ve been wanting to cook these floor bosses for ages. Cutting fresh meat from them while they’re still living and then cooking it—the taste should be quite good. The bones could even make a decent soup.”

Aesop was already sharpening his knives. Though the panther wasn’t technically dead, in his eyes, it was already a meal waiting to happen.

“Let’s not rush to kill it. We can do that after we’ve eaten. What do you all think? Barbecue, hot pot, or stir-fry?”

Alicia gently stroked the panther’s fur. “Panthers are so adorable, Mr. Aesop,” she said softly. “Occasionally empathizing with them can help you survive in human society, you know.”

Aesop raised an eyebrow. “What’s your brilliant idea? Tell me how you plan to handle it.”

“Such a majestic, wondrous panther has never been seen in the world above,” Alicia said gently. “To treat it merely as food would be an utter waste.”

The panther nodded vigorously. Finally, a normal, sympathetic, and caring human had appeared.

Then Alicia added her final suggestion, “How about we wait for its injuries to heal, then bludgeon it to death with a blunt instrument, and finally arrange its body in a humiliating pose to create a specimen? Such a work of art would surely be immortalized.”

Panther: “…”

Tears streamed down its face. Truly, it wept. Even as a beast, it felt these humans were worse than animals.

It regretted its luxurious thought of a glorious end in battle. It should have just slammed its head against the wall earlier. Perhaps only then could it have avoided contact with these deviants.

Samuel raised an objection. “Oh dear, that would be far too cruel. Why are you always thinking of killing it or turning it into food? Only a living being can radiate the most brilliant light. A momentary indulgence for the palate or a lifeless specimen is such a waste. Shall we let it live?”

Alicia tilted her head, asking cutely, “Let an enemy who attacked us live? So it can spread tales of human benevolence to its fellow monsters?”

“If it could attract its companions, that would be wonderful! After all, such a rare creature would be perfect for alchemical experiments. I have many potions that require robust living organisms to test their reactions. Moreover, this creature has significant value for anatomical dissection.”

Samuel spoke to the panther with a hint of excitement. “Don’t worry, you won’t die. I’ll dissect and heal you simultaneously, ensuring you stay alive to make a great contribution to the field of alchemy. Then, you, a mere magical beast, will be remembered for centuries among humans. How about that? Aren’t you touched?!”

The light had completely vanished from the panther’s eyes.

‘If only I could move, I’d definitely be touched!’ it thought.

‘The world might as well end.’

‘What talent! They’re all so talented!’

Theodore felt truly ‘lucky’ to have so many ‘human-like’ creatures around him. Even though the panther couldn’t speak human language, Theodore could sense its profound despair from its expression.

Though Larkin was eager to express his own opinion, Theodore no longer held out hope for him to say anything normal, given the excellent performances of the previous three. Judging by the panther’s vicious beating of Larkin earlier, it was likely filled with the darkest thoughts.

As the only ‘normal person’ in the team, Theodore felt it necessary to preserve humanity’s reputation. He cleared his throat and said, “We’ve wasted so much time on this creature. We don’t have time to stop and do any of the things you’re suggesting. We need to catch up quickly.”

With that, Theodore subtly shot the panther in the head. Despite facing death, the panther’s eyes were filled with gratitude toward Theodore.

Its tragic panther life had finally come to an end.

*Tsk.*

*Tsk.*

*Tsk.*

Three indistinct clicking sounds echoed. Theodore pretended not to hear them, while Larkin stared blankly at the now-cold panther, holding a contract. “I was just about to sign a pet contract with it!” he exclaimed, incredulous. “Did you really have to be so fast? Give me a chance!”

Theodore looked at Larkin in shock. “You only wanted to do *that*?”

Larkin asked, a little confused, “What else did you think? Isn’t that perfectly normal?”

‘The dark one was me all along,’ Theodore mused silently, reflecting on his thoughts. Then, he said earnestly, “I observed a rebellious streak in that panther; it would surely devour its master in the future. It was likely not a good pet.”

Samuel added, “Besides, these monsters from the labyrinth will quickly die if brought to the surface. Don’t even think about it.”

“Oh, so that’s how it is. What a shame,” Larkin, the truly normal one, scratched his head, sighed, and abandoned the idea.

A sweating Theodore addressed the group. “Let’s hurry to the next floor.”

Although they had been inexplicably ambushed by the Winged Panther at the start, delaying them significantly, it wasn’t without its benefits for Theodore.

He had realized that those around him were far from ordinary beings.

Theodore now seriously suspected that when these individuals spoke of reaching the 100th floor of the labyrinth, they were telling the truth but concealing 99% of the details.

To compensate for the time lost on the 73rd floor, Theodore’s team had to risk accelerating their pace, quickly catching up to the previous refresh time.

During this process, Theodore’s temporary companions could no longer conceal their true abilities.

Theodore watched as Aesop’s body suddenly shimmered and became ethereal when struck by a magical laser, allowing the beam to pass through him without inflicting even a scratch.

Larkin’s dazzling magical armor was far from ordinary. Not only did it possess self-repairing capabilities, but it could also unleash magical attacks infused with battle aura, boasting immense power.

Theodore witnessed Alicia, cornered by a colossal beast, her eyes flaring with unprecedented coldness. Her normally delicate arm suddenly expanded several times in size, bulging with taut muscles, before she delivered a punch that sent the beast’s head crashing into the ceiling.

Even more astonishingly, Theodore saw Samuel’s arm swallowed by a giant python hidden underground, only for it to regenerate instantly. In the next moment, Samuel, without incantation, crushed the subterranean python to death.

Of course, Theodore was no less impressive. Faced with an enemy whose size rivaled a dragon, he too had no choice but to reveal his giant form, swiftly eliminating the formidable foe.

Aside from Larkin, who had already thrown caution to the wind and had no intention of holding back, the four ‘individuals’ displayed their unique abilities only for a fleeting moment. Yet, being extraordinary themselves, they each noticed the unusual traits of their companions, capturing these details completely.

However, everyone implicitly agreed not to question it.

Ultimately, they were a temporary team formed for individual objectives. Delving too deeply into each other’s hidden secrets was not a wise course of action.

Nevertheless, in subsequent labyrinth explorations, the four began to use their hidden abilities more frequently, intentionally allowing others to understand them for better coordination.

Finally, the group caught up to the refresh time, and there was no repeat of the 73rd-floor scenario where a boss blocked their path.

The good news was that they were only one floor away from Theresia.

The bad news was that Theresia had already entered the 100th floor, while they were on the 99th, and had no intelligence regarding the 100th floor. That information was solely Theresia’s.