Chapter 3: The Shaking Labyrinth
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 3: The Shaking Labyrinth
Get a grip.
If I lose consciousness now, it’s all over.
“Gasp! Cough, cough!”
I barely managed to open my eyes.
The world before me was stained in darkness, and my entire body throbbed with pain. Seeing as the vibrations had stopped, it seemed the Great Cataclysm was over.
The Labyrinth had likely shifted into a completely different shape than before.
Where am I?
For starters, this wasn't the Botanical Garden we first entered. Given the lack of weeds, it was clear I’d been flung to a different location.
Should I light a torch?
No, the light might attract monsters.
Since I didn't know what floor I was on, I couldn't afford to recklessly reveal my position.
I’ll use Map Creation...
I needed to grasp the surrounding terrain. With this, I could get a rough idea of the layout without needing a light source.
As expected, it’s a place I’ve never been. I’d guess at least the 4th Floor or deeper.
I had been down to the 3rd Floor before, so I had a rough map of those levels. But this place felt entirely foreign.
Wait, no. The terrain shifts completely after a Great Cataclysm. This could still be a floor I’ve visited.
Regardless, there were no plants, so it wasn't the Botanical Garden. Even during a Great Cataclysm where the geography resets, the themes of the floors usually remain consistent.
Surely I wasn't thrown into the Deepest Part?
I’d heard that in the Deepest Part, even breathing is a struggle. If you descend too deep without sufficient Mana Adaptation, the air itself becomes heavy. It’s essentially a level requirement.
If that was the case, I wasn't in the extreme depths yet.
I’m not having any trouble breathing.
I had undergone Mana Adaptation roughly five times, which meant I was around Level 5. From what I knew, Level 5 was by no means a high level. If I went below the 5th Floor, I would start to suffocate.
At most the 4th Floor, at least the 1st.
This meant I was still in the Upper Levels of the Labyrinth. That was a relief.
“Ugh... What in the...”
While I was assessing the situation, the Young Lady lying beside me opened her eyes.
“W-what? I can’t see anything. Hey! Is anyone—mph! Mmph?!”
“Shh. Calm down. It’s me, the Porter.”
“Mmph?”
“You can’t make any noise. If we attract monsters, we’re both dead.”
“Mgh...! Phew. What... what is this? What happened? Explain it to me.”
“It was likely a Great Cataclysm.”
“A Great Cataclysm? What’s that? I’m scared...”
“Just stay calm. I’ll tell you what a Great Cataclysm is.”
I gave her a brief summary of the information I had. As I spoke, she became visibly anxious.
“What? I never heard about anything like that. W-what do we do? Someone will come to rescue us, right?”
“They might, but the chances of a successful rescue are slim.”
“What?!”
“We have to get out on our own. The terrain has changed, making maps useless. We have no idea when a search party will make it this far. In fact, they probably don't even know we're here.”
A rescue team would eventually be formed, but there was no telling when they would arrive. There was also a high probability they would never find us.
That’s why we have to get out ourselves.
In my Inventory, I had enough food, water, and daily necessities to last thirty days. Furthermore, I had a mental map that would guide me through the twisted Labyrinth.
“You... how can you be so calm?”
I suppose my calculating how to escape the Labyrinth alive looked like composure to her.
“You have to be calm to survive. If you’re tense and panicking, you’ll be eaten in no time.”
“Eaten by what?”
“By the Labyrinth.”
That’s the kind of place the Labyrinth was. A monster always ready to swallow intruders whole. A malicious entity that fed on fear and terror. It was a place that brought despair to those who laughed, talked, and dreamed of the future. The Labyrinth took more pleasure than anyone in watching the desperate struggles of its victims.
There were even some practitioners of jusuri who believed the Labyrinth was a living being. It probably wasn't an entirely wrong sentiment.
Above all, it was always the optimistic and positive ones who died first. In contrast, the cold-blooded realists tended to live long lives.
“Can you stand up?”
“Yeah. My body is fine.”
“Then let’s find a way out.”
“W-wait a second.”
“Yes?”
“Um. Well...”
The Young Lady hesitated, unable to find her words.
“The others who disappeared... do you think we can find them?”
“Pardon?”
What was she talking about? Was she seriously asking me to find her companions when we didn't even know where they were?
We didn't even know what floor we were on, yet she wanted me to find people who could have been flung anywhere. That was asking too much. In this situation, she should have been grateful I hadn't abandoned her. Asking me to find her missing friends was like being saved from drowning and then asking for her luggage.
If she had any sense of shame, she would just follow me quietly and try to escape.
“Look, Young Lady. Do you realize what you’re—”
“Wait! I’m not just asking for a favor.”
“Then what?”
“A commission. I’m placing a formal commission. A designated request.”
She was offering a commission. A commission meant money.
“What are the details?”
“While we’re heading up... I want you to look for my companions. It’s not an obligation. If you happen to see a trace of them, just check it out. I won’t ask you to go down to find them. Just... just check while we’re on our way up...”
“Hmm.”
A request to search if we found traces while heading toward the exit.
“And the reward?”
“Twenty gold coins for every companion rescued.”
Twenty gold coins per head. That was a fairly reasonable price. For twenty gold coins, it was worth a shot. It wasn't a guaranteed rescue; it was a rescue if I found them during the search. I just had to keep an eye out while we moved.
Even if I didn't find anyone, there was no penalty, and if I did, I’d pocket twenty gold coins for free.
“And if they’re dead?”
“If you recover the body... I’ll pay ten gold coins per person.”
“That sounds fair.”
With my Inventory, recovering bodies wouldn't be difficult. I could earn ten gold coins just by putting a corpse into my Subspace Pocket and walking out. This was a good deal. I had already planned to collect any adventurer corpses I found on the way up anyway.
If I bring an adventurer’s body to the Cathedral, they provide a small reward.
The Cathedral would then resurrect the adventurer and charge them an exorbitant fee. Adventurers who couldn't pay would become debtors, falling into slavery for the Cathedral or being dragged off to places like the mines. It was the dark side of the Labyrinth City.
Regardless, the Young Lady’s proposal was quite rational and fair.
“And one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“If you get me out safely, my father will reward you. I promise. And later, make a list of everything you used because of me and bill me. I’ll compensate you for all of it.”
She was likely saying this out of fear that I might abandon her.
She’s a sensible one.
I’d thought she was just a sheltered girl who treated the Labyrinth like a playground, but she possessed the reason and judgment expected of a noble’s daughter. Above all, adventurers were the type of people who would abandon their own comrades if their lives were at risk. Did she already know that? She probably did.
“Very well. But a commission this important can’t just be a verbal contract, can it?”
“Of course not. Here, take this.”
The Young Lady handed me her Adventurer Badge and her family’s signet ring. Normally, we would need a written contract or a notary, but this was the Labyrinth. Handing over her badge and the signet representing her house was a sign that she would absolutely keep her word.
Besides, it’s the famous Lionel family. They aren't the type to fret over a few gold coins. Just rescuing the Young Lady alone would likely result in a massive reward.
I tucked the Adventurer Badge and the Lionel signet into my Inventory. An adventurer never works for free. An adventurer moves as much as they are paid.
“I will see you safely outside, Young Lady.”
“Good. I’m counting on you, Porter.”
First, the Young Lady’s combat ability was practically non-existent. At most, she had learned a few utility skills like lockpicking.
I’ll have to handle the combat myself.
I pulled a sword and shield from my Inventory. It was basic equipment. Perhaps because it was the weapon I had used the longest in the Labyrinth City, it felt natural in my hand.
“Young Lady, take this.”
“A spear? I have a dagger.”
“A dagger is a weapon for close-quarters hit-and-run tactics. You’ll likely be taken down before you can even land a hit. Beginners should always use a weapon with long reach.”
A spear was a weapon that even peasants with zero military training could use. Since it had reach, you just had to look for an opening and thrust at the right time. A well-placed thrust to a vital spot could neutralize or kill an enemy. Of course, there were high-level spearmen who could do incredible things with the weapon, but I gave it to her just hoping she could keep monsters at bay.
“Too much light can attract monsters. But walking through the Labyrinth with no light at all is madness.”
If we had a properly balanced party, we’d carry torches, but since our combat power was low, we needed to minimize the chance of encounters.
“This is...”
“Fairy Dust. It sparkles when you shake it, so just shake it periodically.”
It was a blue powder inside a glass bottle. When shaken, it emitted a soft glow. It was extremely useful in situations where torches couldn't be lit.
“I heard this is quite expensive.”
“I’m a Porter with a Subspace Pocket.”
“Ah. Right.”
A Porter with a Subspace Pocket. One could tell just by the fact that I was looking to buy a slave—despite being a Porter, the lowest class in the Labyrinth City—that as an S-rank Porter, my earnings were on a different level. It meant I had the financial power to stockpile survival items for emergencies like this.
“Now then, let’s move.”
I shook the Fairy Dust to produce light. The illumination was weaker than a torch, but the faint blue light was enough to show the path ahead.
It’s best to avoid encounters with monsters as much as possible.
If I got injured fighting a monster for no reason, we’d be in trouble. In the Labyrinth, a small mistake or a moment of carelessness leads to death.
Phew. Don't get nervous. If I can just get out of here alive...
I’ll be able to buy that slave.