These Demons Do it for Free-Chapter 76

His name was Hernan Wakefield. Among the experts, he was officially referred to by the guild as "The Cartographer." However, Hernan had another, more popular nickname—one that was even more widely used than his official title.

As Hernan came to a stop before us, after his mad dash through the maze, the nickname spilled from his lips.

"Long time no see, Maze Crawler."

The one who crawls through the labyrinth. Given the way he had just moved, the nickname was certainly fitting.

With a sly grin, Viola greeted him casually. Surprisingly, Hernan didn’t seem shocked at all.

‘There are only a handful of people who could pull off something this crazy.’

He probably had a shortlist of suspects in mind.

Instead of showing surprise, Hernan grumbled in annoyance.

"…So after all these years, you come down here just to pull this kind of stunt?"

"Was it too much trouble to find you? I was planning to do it a couple more times if I had to."

"That’s insane!"

Hernan shouted in disbelief, and Viola laughed out loud, clearly amused.

She really was as brash as Ray had warned.

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Crashing through walls with a lance just to ring someone’s doorbell—it was absurd. And she had even planned to do it again if he didn’t show up immediately.

Not even a mischievous prankster would go that far.

"Well, you’re here now, so it’s fine."

"…Are you trying to find a path down to the third level? If that’s what you want, I’ll tell you. Just hurry and leave."

His tone made it clear: he wanted us gone.

Unfortunately for him, our purpose here wasn’t simply to pass through to the third level.

"Don’t you know? A new path has opened up on the second level. It seems to have happened all at once. It’s strange that you don’t know about it."

"I’ve been staying close to the base recently. It’s been cleanup time. But if it’s happening simultaneously…"

"What else could it be? Those cult bastards are at it again."

Viola said irritably, extending her hand.

"So hand over your map."

"…You’re nothing but a robber."

"You could at least call it a requisition."

After all, you’re technically being conscripted.

'It’s like being asked, "Hey, we’re having a party at your place, are you coming?"'

"Hmph, I suppose I don’t have much choice. If there’s an emergency, it’s better to deal with it quickly. Fine."

Hernan seemed to accept the situation quickly.

He must have calculated that getting rid of Viola as soon as possible was the most efficient course of action. As expected of a veteran explorer, he was quick to assess the situation.

"We need to head to the gathering point first. We agreed to meet at E-20 Plaza, which is kind of the center. Lead the way."

§

Forced into joining us by Viola’s reckless actions, Hernan turned out to be an excellent guide. Our own guide, Ray, was skilled, but Hernan seemed to have an intimate knowledge of the entire structure of the second level.

"If you press there, a hidden passage opens. It’s like a little escape hatch."

He was aware of every special mechanism, just like the one we encountered now, and was adept at using shortcuts.

As expected of the Cartographer. He had the obsessive goal of creating the perfect map of the second level.

Hernan made it clear he wasn’t interested in us, keeping his focus solely on guiding. So I decided to approach him and strike up a conversation.

"Hernan, how long have you been on the second level?"

"…Let’s see. Over five years."

"Five years… Is that even possible?"

"A major expedition lasts at least a year. Five years isn’t even that long for someone like me."

"Do you get supplies?"

"If you want to go further down, you’ll need to rely on local resources."

In other words, you need to hunt monsters for food and find water sources within the Abyss. That’s pretty much the basic skillset of an explorer.

I wasn’t asking because I didn’t know, but as a way to break the ice.

"But is it even possible to create a map of the second level?"

Not only was it vast, but as I had mentioned before, the structure of the second level changes periodically. Sometimes it remains the same for over a year, but other times it shifts within a month. On average, it changes every six months.

It took Kim Jeong-ho five years to create the Daedongyeojido map. Even though the second level of the maze is smaller than the Korean Peninsula and contains mystical artifacts, making a complete map would still take months. And by the time the map was finished, wouldn’t it become obsolete?

"It’s possible."

Hernan answered without a hint of doubt in his voice.

"You just have to find the pattern in the changes."

"Isn’t it random?"

"The transition points in the first level are caused by the flow of mana. There’s a pattern there. That’s how we were able to establish the main base."

So, if Hernan could figure out the pattern of the second level’s changes, creating a map wouldn’t be impossible. That was his claim.

"I’ve secured 103 maps in total."

"103 maps?"

How was that even possible? That would mean it took 50 years of data collection, assuming each map lasted six months.

"I’ve collected maps made by previous generations and restored those recorded in history. There’s still a lot of data missing, but eventually, I’ll gather enough maps to discern the pattern."

He was obsessed. Throwing his entire life into a task that countless others had failed at for hundreds of years—that in itself was madness.

The profession of an explorer is already a little insane by nature, but Hernan took it to a whole new level. I had a feeling I knew where he belonged.

"Hernan, are you a member of Enigma?"

"That’s right."

As I thought. If there were any expert-level explorers crazy enough to take on such an impossible task, they would definitely be from Enigma.

"Why? Didn’t the volunteer tell you?"

"Ah, I’m not with the Frontier Guild."

"Oh, really?"

His voice, which had been curt and unfriendly until now, suddenly showed a hint of interest.

"Then, who?"

"I’m from the Telemachus school. We don’t belong to any guild. Although, I am here because that guy, Arthur, is a direct disciple of the guild leader, and we trained together. That’s how I got involved."

"Hmm, interesting. And the volunteer agreed to that?"

"One of our teammates trained with them. See that lion beastkin over there? He did."

"Hmph. Don’t get too friendly with the Frontier. They’ll only give you headaches."

"I can hear you."

Viola chimed in from behind with a warning, but true to the reputation of Enigma, a guild known for its eccentrics, Hernan didn’t care.

"I said it for you to hear."

That he could speak so boldly to a Pioneer like Viola was impressive. Sure, Hernan was a bit of a weirdo, but realistically, he could get away with it because he had powerful backing.

There are three major guilds involved in Abyss exploration: Frontier, Conquerors, and Enigma. All three have produced Pioneers, and Hernan was backed by one of Enigma’s own. That’s why he could stand his ground against Viola.

'So it’s all about connections in the end, huh?'

With Hernan showing such defiance, he turned to me, completely ignoring Viola, and asked,

"So, you’re just here for the experience?"

"Well, that’s part of it, but we’re also here to fight the Sentinel."

"The Sentinel?"

You guys?

A group of novices?

Hernan didn’t say it out loud, but his expression and tone made it clear he was skeptical. However, he didn’t keep his doubts to himself for long.

"There's a Sentinel nearby. Hmm… It’s of a lower rank, but it might be worth checking if the new path really leads to the Sentinel’s territory."

And of course, he’d get to see whether we could actually handle a Sentinel as well.

§

The remains of something lay scattered on the ground.

It was unmistakably the remains of a Sentinel, one of the terrors of the second level.

And standing before it were none other than four novices, new to the path of exploration.

Even Viola, who was normally quick with her praise, was momentarily speechless. Hernan, on the other hand, was staring at Roman, the one who had delivered the final blow to the Sentinel.

'What is this?'

Was that guy really a demon warlock?

How did he have so much mana?

Hernan didn’t consider himself a man of common sense. He had long since strayed far beyond the boundaries of the ordinary. But this—this was something entirely different.

"Hey, you…"

Hernan spoke with difficulty, still in shock.

"Have you ever thought about joining our guild?"