Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 164: The Seven Platinum Badges

When I opened my eyes after meeting my death, I found myself in the same grey space where I had previously spoken with Freya.

So, I still wake up here even when I die. I had lost all my experience points because of my death, but as long as I turned the Underground City into a monster factory, I could achieve mana adaptation as much as I wanted. I told myself not to be too discouraged.

From now on, all I had to do was wait patiently in this place until I was resurrected.

'Let's take a good, long rest.'

I sat down and waited for my companions to pull me back out.

Then, one by one, souls began to manifest around me.

"You said you'd give us new bodies!"

"Yeah! What happens to us if you just go and die?!"

They were the souls of the adventurers I had contracted with. They shouted at me, demanding their bodies immediately.

"Ah, seriously. I said I'd give them to you."

Of course, they couldn't actually attack or curse me. They were already bound by my Spirit Chain.

"Anyway, if I'm going to give you bodies, I need to know your adventurer ranks first. Line up according to your badges: Bronze, Silver, and Gold."

"What? Line up by rank?"

"Yes. And if any of you have a Platinum Badge, come to the front."

Since I had time to kill, I figured I should categorize the adventurers. It would be easier to utilize them if I sorted them beforehand.

"140 Bronze Badges, 72 Silver Badges, and 31 Gold Badges."

And finally, the long-awaited Platinum Badges—there were a staggering seven of them. I now had seven Platinum Badges in my hands.

'To be honest, the Bronze Badges are best used as laborers for the Labyrinth.'

The Bronze Badges who died in the Underground City were likely those who had come down just to explore and ended up dead. Therefore, I would put those 140 Bronze Badges to work as laborers in the Underground City.

From the moment I was resurrected, the Underground City would begin its full-scale transformation into a factory. The maze-like layers would be organized, and the monsters in each section would be herded into one place to allow for mass hunting.

Furthermore, I planned to gather the Transfer Stones in the Central Section to make traveling to the 4th and 6th floors even easier.

'And I'll probably be able to open the hidden dungeon that's essentially the 4.5th floor.'

Now that I had the 5th floor in my grasp, I expected to be able to find Arachne, whom I hadn't met yet. I had already met the Frogman, received a quest, and even completed it. The requirements to enter the Snake Nest had been met. Now, all I had to do was meet Arachne and prepare to enter the spider's den.

'There will be many tasks requiring manpower, so I'll group the 140 Bronze Badges and 72 Silver Badges into teams and put them to work in the Underground City.'

That would mean 212 people stationed in the Underground City. It would be good to have Roy manage them.

"Next are the Gold Badges..."

I intended to send them down to the 6th floor. Gold Badges should be capable enough to handle it. When my expedition team tackled the 6th floor, these 31 Gold Badges could join us. If I gave them Golem bodies and made it so they could be resurrected even if they died, they would uncover the secrets of the 6th floor that had yet to be revealed.

"And finally, you guys."

The seven Platinum Badges.

These were the ones who would stand at the absolute vanguard of the Labyrinth conquest alongside me. While they might be weaker than the legendary Helena or Freya, the fact that they were Platinum Badges meant they were the strongest among the spirits gathered here.

"I think I should learn your names individually. Could you introduce yourselves?"

"Listen here, brat. Don't get cocky. Do you think I'm at a rank where I have to introduce myself to the likes of you?"

"This guy is Maximus. I'm Chloe. We're twin warriors. Maximus mainly handles greatswords, while my primary weapons are the sword and shield."

"Hey! Chloe! I was trying to set the mood!"

"Maximus, look at the situation. We're the subordinates here, and that boy is the boss."

"Tch."

The twin brothers, Chloe and Maximus, had bronzed skin and features reminiscent of people from the southern regions. They were warriors who had come up from the south. While Maximus was a typical barbarian warrior who crushed enemies with massive greatswords or heavy weapons, Chloe seemed to be a gladiator who primarily focused on tanking with his sword and shield.

"We were both star attractions at the Colosseum before we came to the Labyrinth City."

"Is there a need to tell him all that?"

"Maximus, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠don't be so prickly. The dice have already been rolled, and fate has sent this boy to us."

"I... I still can't accept this."

Maximus seemed to be a naturally grumbly person. In contrast, his twin, Chloe, appeared very calm. They seemed to have completely opposite personalities, but since they held Platinum Badges, there was no doubt about their skills.

"Anyway, thank you for the introduction. Welcome, Chloe and Maximus. You will be the first to receive the best Black Iron Golem bodies, and I will provide you with living human bodies as soon as they are procured."

"If we receive living human bodies... what happens to the original owners?"

"I plan to provide the bodies of death row inmates."

"Aha!"

Chloe understood immediately. In this world, being a death row inmate meant you deserved to die and were considered less than human. If I pulled out their souls and gave their bodies away, it wasn't technically murder. You could even see it as disposing of trash and contributing to social welfare.

Exterminating parasitic scum who committed crimes and mass-producing Platinum Badges to help conquer the Labyrinth? This was something the entire Labyrinth City would applaud and cheer for.

"Alright, next person."

"I'm Kairan. A hunter."

"What are your primary weapons?"

"Daggers, bows, traps, and so on."

Kairan, who wore a deep hood, seemed to be the silent type. He just stared at me as if I were prey, showing no emotion whatsoever.

'He might be a psychopath...'

Still, he seemed useful as he could handle all sorts of long-range weapons and possessed various utility skills. Since I had the gladiator brothers as a tank and a melee dealer, it was good to have a ranged dealer as well.

"I suppose it's my turn next. Hehe."

A hunchback with a messy beard stepped forward. He looked like a beggar, but those were the types you had to be most careful of. A beggar with a Platinum Badge meant a powerhouse hiding his true strength.

"I am Ulysses, the voodoo shaman. As a shaman, I have the ability to handle curses and perform counter-curses. My specialty is manipulating thorns, so I look forward to working with you."

"Thorns?"

"Yes. I entangle, constrict, and drain the vitality of my opponents."

"Oh...!"

A supporter capable of physical attacks. That was excellent. The ability to hinder or bind an opponent's movement was extremely important. It would be even more useful on the 6th and 7th floors, where a single opening could cost you your life.

'Three people left.'

One was a dark-skinned woman, another was a smiling bard, and the last was a silent girl.

"You there. Could you introduce yourself first?"

"Me? Haha! Finally, my turn! I am Joshua le Capuchon, a performer from the most famous troupe in the Keislan Kingdom, Walpurgis, and a star performer of the Bard Academy! A pleasure to meet you."

It was a very flamboyant self-introduction. The man himself seemed to have incredibly high energy. Perhaps because I preferred low-energy people, I found him a bit hard to keep up with.

"You do have combat capabilities, right?"

"None!"

"Excuse me? No, you're a Platinum Badge without combat capabilities?"

"That's right! Why would I need to sweat and fight? The enemies who are moved by my performance will fight for me."

"What?"

"You'll understand once you hear my music."

He laughed with absolute confidence. He didn't seem to have a shred of doubt regarding his own skills.

"But how did you fight in the battle earlier without an instrument?"

"Hmm? Is an instrument strictly necessary?"

"No, what do you mean..."

"Instruments are everywhere. From the pebbles on the ground to the tendons of dead monsters, the screams of adventurers, and even the malice exhaled by the Labyrinth. If all those aren't instruments, then what are they?"

"..."

For a moment, I glimpsed madness in his eyes. He wasn't an ordinary performer. He had already... he had already been consumed by something.

'He's a madman.'

There are people like that—those who use their own madness as a weapon. Joshua seemed to be that kind of person. He likely possessed related skills or abilities. Perhaps he used corpses as instruments, or maybe he could utilize anything that could produce sound.

"I understand for now, Joshua. I look forward to working with you."

"Likewise! Let us perform a delightful melody together!"

I shook hands with Joshua. Such a person would be incredibly troublesome as an enemy, so I was glad he was on my side.

"Next... what is your name?"

I asked the girl. She made a gesture indicating she couldn't speak and then began to trace letters in the air. The traces didn't linger, so I couldn't make them out well, but she seemed sane enough. She ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠might be a painter or something similar. I'd find out for sure once I gave her a body.

"Then, you're the last one. Please introduce yourself."

"I am Zelia. An alchemist specializing in gem smithing."

"Gem smithing?"

"Yes. I create accessories using Power Stones and magic stones that can be obtained from the 6th floor."

Something was strange. Gem smithing was a technique whose lineage had already been severed.

"Wait a minute. You... what era did you live in?"

"Hmm? I'm not sure. What era is it now?"

"It's the era of the Keislan Kingdom and the Catlan Empire. Do you know those two nations?"

"Keislan? I don't know it. But why did Catlan become an empire...?"

"Wow."

The art of gem smithing had indeed been lost. This was because the only technician had disappeared in the Labyrinth. The person who told me this was Lafnel, and Lafnel was an elf who had lived for at least a thousand years. She had said that if gem smithing had been preserved, we would be using accessories on a completely different level than the crude ones currently found in the Labyrinth City.

In short, a creator of mass-produced artifacts that had been lost to time had just appeared before me.

'Lafnel said it. The reason her accessories have flaws is... because she didn't learn properly.'

The side effects, like the exhibitionism that comes after using the Ring of Intangibility, were all because Lafnel, who hadn't properly learned gem smithing, had clumsily imitated it. Even so, Lafnel was recognized as the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠best technician in the Labyrinth City. Almost no one could create accessories with better performance than hers. Perhaps only Tower Lord Mabel or Helena could compare.

'That's why most adventurers try to obtain accessories from the Labyrinth.'

Artifacts that can create variables beyond simple enchantments can only be found within the Labyrinth.

"Could you show me your ears?"

"Sure... here."

They were long. She was an elf. A dark-skinned elf.

"Welcome, Zelia."

If we could just conquer the 6th floor, we would be able to churn out items equivalent to artifacts. The gladiator brothers were certainly skilled, but Zelia was on another level. Her age was unfathomable, and her skills were unique in all of the Labyrinth City.

If A2, who could acquire knowledge from other dimensions, and Zelia started researching together, what could they create? Would the modernization of the Labyrinth City become possible? The mere thought sent shivers down my spine.

'I want to escape these pit latrines...!'

I would have to find a Golem for Zelia that specifically ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠maximized her finger sensitivity. Or perhaps give her a criminal's body right away.

The seven Platinum Badges—every single one of them was useful. Especially Zelia. With her, the conquest would surely become much smoother.