Chapter 53: Even in a Labyrinth
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 53: Even in a Labyrinth
“Yoo Eon...? Where are you going so early in the morning?”
“Oh, Sera. Did I make too much noise? I’m sorry for waking you up when you were sleeping so soundly.”
“Mmm, no. I usually wake up around this time anyway.”
Four days had passed. It was a cool morning in early May. Sera, dressed in baggy pajamas, rubbed her eyes and let out a long yawn.
Between her disheveled hair and her ivory-colored matching pajamas, her beauty was dazzling even first thing in the morning.
“I’m going into the Labyrinth. I might be gone a bit longer this time.”
“The Labyrinth...? You’re dressed rather lightly today.”
“I suppose I am. Don’t you worry, though. I left a leather pouch on the desk. Use it to feed Walter and pay Tresha’s wages. Buy yourself something delicious and take it easy while I’m gone.”
Sera looked in the direction his index finger was pointing and saw a small leather pouch sitting on the desk.
She noticed that the sword he usually wore at his hip was missing, as were the gauntlets that had felt incredibly heavy whenever she’d picked them up to wipe off the blood.
He only had a small bag attached to a pouch belt around his waist. He wasn't even wearing a thick gambeson under his single robe. She assumed he was planning to get new equipment before heading in.
“Okay, I understand.”
“I hung the Sunstone lantern outside, so you don’t have to go upstairs.”
“Thank you, Yoo Eon. Please be careful not to get hurt.”
With her eyes half-closed, Sera waved a slender, pale hand. I gave a small smirk in response and quickly made my way toward the Guild.
Left alone in a corner of the first-floor restaurant, Sera brushed her hair back with a comb and walked over to the desk. She picked up the small leather pouch.
It was modest in size, fitting easily within her palm. Surprised by its light weight, Sera absentmindedly opened the pouch, only for a softly shimmering coin to catch her eye.
“H-huh...?”
It was a gold coin with the number ‘10’ embossed on it.
* * *
8:00 AM. It was the time when the night shift workers, their eyes bloodshot, began to greet the arriving morning staff.
Despite having stayed up all night, Dahlia maintained her smile. She faithfully assisted the returning explorers with their post-processing until the very end and attended to those entering the Labyrinth at the crack of dawn.
As the arriving staff changed into their uniforms, the end of Dahlia’s long shift finally approached. She gave a bright, joyful smile to her final explorer of the day.
“Two Silver Grades. A Dive Party, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The voice was a rare blend—calm yet not frivolous, dignified yet possessing a hint of youth. Recognizing the memorable tone, Dahlia looked up and saw pale yellow eyes glowing faintly from beneath a hood.
“Aven.”
“Dahlia, should I stall for a bit until your shift change?”
“Hehe, it’s fine. I was actually planning to finish with this one and then head out.”
Dahlia tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and smiled brightly. Working the night shift was a struggle no matter where you were. I felt like the sun was shining on this trip to the Labyrinth just by being lucky enough to be Dahlia’s last customer.
“A Dive Party... So you aren't planning to return after reaching the 11th Floor?”
“Correct.”
A Dive Party referred to a group that didn't aim for a specific floor but instead pushed as deep as they possibly could.
While it wasn't very common for Silver Grades, Dahlia smiled faintly at the news that Yoo Eon—whom she had watched since his rookie days—was forming a Dive Party. Still, she didn't forget her usual words of caution.
“Anyone watching would think I was sending you into a Brass Grade Labyrinth.”
“I still find it hard to believe that Aven is only Silver Grade.”
“I feel the same way.”
After some trivial small talk, Dahlia finished the registration and offered her usual words of encouragement. It bothered her slightly that the party consisted of only two people—one being a name she had never seen before—but she let it slide.
Since Theodora usually handled her entry procedures at the Northwest Guild lobby, it was only natural that Dahlia didn't recognize her. A short while later, Dahlia watched from afar as a companion with a hood pulled low joined Yoo Eon in the lobby, and she cheered for him in her heart.
* * *
“That’s a lot of Rare Metal wasted.”
“W-well... the Southwest Guild is closer to you, so give me a break.”
I playfully teased Theodora, who had once claimed her time was worth Rare Metal, for being slightly late. Of course, being a few minutes late wasn't actually a problem.
“Entry procedures are done. All we have to do is go in.”
“Thanks. Let’s get moving.”
Unlike the flashy velvet dress she’d worn before or the suit she wore for work, she was now dressed in high-quality leather armor designed for efficiency and mobility. With three or four expensive Artifacts draped over her, it was a very luxurious lineup.
“But you... didn't you bring anything else?”
Theodora looked me over, seemingly unimpressed by my equipment. To be fair, the only difference from my usual appearance was the pouch belt and the single robe over it. I had almost no luggage for this trip. At most, I had a small pouch the size of a fanny pack; she probably wondered how much could possibly fit in there.
I could see why she’d think that, but I had come to a realization.
“I don’t need anything else.”
“No, but still. What about food? You seem to have at least brought a canteen, but you’re missing everything else.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
—Zzzzt.
It had been a while since I’d stepped onto the first floor of the Labyrinth. It was a pleasant spring day; the wind was cool, but the sunlight was warm, and the bright light-green grass was freshly sprouting. I could see Theodora’s fluffy ears twitching toward the sky as she scouted the surroundings.
“Why are you so on edge? It’s only the 1st Floor.”
“I’m not on edge, okay? This just happens naturally when I’m trying to listen.”
Theodora finished stretching her arms and legs. As I stood there watching her blankly, she started nagging.
“You should loosen up, too. Don’t just stroll along; let’s do a light jog.”
“Sure.”
I also prepared to tackle the Labyrinth. I took off my shoes and socks, tucked them into my Storage Artifact, and rolled my wide trousers up past my knees. Theodora tilted her head and asked.
“What are you doing now?”
“Hold on to me. Or do you want a piggyback ride?”
“What? I can run too, you know!”
“No. Either hold on or get on my back.”
Judging by her reaction, she had no intention of doing either. Well, I had no choice then.
“Kyaak?! Wh-what do you think you’re doing?!”
“Hold on tight so your gear doesn't fall off. I’m going to move fast.”
I scooped Theodora up into my arms and planted my bare feet on the ground.
“Ssssp, haaa.”
In an instant, the structure of the bones and muscle fibers below my knees shifted. I took on the digitigrade joints characteristic of certain beasts. Hard hooves formed, and my skin grew a coat of strange, dark reddish-brown fur.
“D-don’t tell me... a Minotaur?!”
“Yep.”
These were the legs of a ‘Minotaur,’ a massive bipedal bovine monster that appeared between the 16th and 20th Floors. It was a creature possessed of ruinous leg strength, capable of propelling its several-hundred-kilogram frame across 100 meters in just five seconds.
Its thigh muscles were top-tier even among monsters of the same weight class. These legs were absurdly powerful for supporting the weight of just two human adults.
“Here we go. Wrap your arms around my neck and hold on tight.”
“W-wait a second—Waaaaah!!”
Boom, boom, boom—
Powerful impacts crushed the earth as my body shot forward like a bullet. Theodora’s weight was actually helpful, providing just enough ballast to keep me from flying off the ground.
“This is great...!”
“Kyaaaaah!!”
The current time was 9:00 AM. My goal was to clear the 10th Floor before noon.
* * *
We reached the 9th Floor without any significant combat. Unfortunately, it was already past noon, so I didn't meet my goal. The Minotaur legs weren't as well-suited for traversing mountainous terrain as I’d hoped, which caused a slight delay.
It wasn't a big deal, though. It was just a personal goal, so there was no penalty for failing.
“Ugh, you’re not human....”
“Theodora, there’s something I need to do on the 9th Floor.”
“Huh? Like what?”
There was a specific reason I stopped on the 9th Floor.
“I need to find food.”
“Food.... If it’s the 9th Floor, do you mean Wild Boar?”
“Yeah.”
While Wild Boars were more commonly hunted on the 8th Floor, their population was actually higher on the 9th. The 8th Floor was only more popular because Orcs didn't appear there. But for me, that wasn't an issue.
“Honestly, I haven't done anything, so I’m not really hungry... Are you that starving?”
“I’m not hunting Wild Boar because I’m hungry right now.”
“Then why? If you’re gathering food for the rest of the trip, just buy some jerky at a base camp. It doesn't look like you can make preserved food here.”
From the perspective of the wealthy Theodora, Wild Boar jerky—which sold for a pittance—was just a cost-effective ration. That was true from my perspective as well, but...
“Theodora. What is my skill?”
“Isn't it... turning what you eat into your own body?”
“Exactly.”
My skill is the ability to store and reproduce what I’ve eaten. I had realized that, unlike what I previously thought, it didn't only manifest when I was injured, nor did I need to replace an existing organ in my body.
“It means I can store Wild Boar meat regardless of weight and produce it in a fresh state anywhere.”
“That... Oh!”
Only then did Theodora realize my intent, covering her mouth with her hand in surprise. The most important things in a Labyrinth are food and consumable supplies. Due to weight and bulk, there’s a limit to how much you can prepare in advance unless you use Artifacts.
But my skill bypassed that.
I could eat an entire Wild Boar, store only the edible meat portions, and discard the rest. Then, I could use my skill to summon a hunk of Wild Boar meat at my fingertips, cut the thin connection, and heal the area with Snowfield Troll blood.
Furthermore, in the 2nd Stratum (Floors 11–20), most of the monsters were inedible—skeletons, ghouls with rotting flesh, filth slimes, and the like.
The edible Minotaurs were notorious among explorers for having tough tendons and a foul smell. The standard method was to rush through the relatively low 1st to 10th Floors and consume the rations brought from the surface while clearing the 11th to 20th Floors.
“Even if we’re in a Labyrinth, let’s eat something delicious. It’s better that way.”
Wild Boars were consumed as a staple meat even on the surface because they were both tasty and plentiful.
“Then... what’s inside that pouch...?”
“This? Salt and pepper.”
As long as I had spices, I could eat well.
“Wow....”
Theodora stared at me with hollow eyes. Hey, no matter how much of a Labyrinth it is, a man’s gotta eat well, right?