Chapter 93: Abandon Conscience, Reap Profit
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 93: Abandon Conscience, Reap Profit
The Witch reached for my arm and touched the bracelet.
What she touched wasn't the Bracelet of Growth, but the 'Ability Fixing Bracelet' Mabel had given me. Wearing this increased the probability of obtaining an Ability from the same lineage as the ones I already possessed.
Mabel had linked this bracelet to my Subspace Pocket so that I could acquire spatial-type Abilities more easily.
-First, let's start with this.
'What are you trying to do?'
-Mabel tried to focus on developing the Subspace Pocket you already have. That was a bad move.
-Spatial magic can be learned through other means at any time.
-What's important is maximizing the functions of your Spiritual Eye.
The Witch placed immense significance on my Spiritual Eye.
She claimed it was better to develop methods of handling souls rather than focusing on spatial magic.
-Spiritual power channeled through the Spiritual Eye moves in a slightly different direction than necromancy.
-To face the malice of the Labyrinth, you're going to need more allies.
-And the only allies you can find within the Labyrinth... are the souls of the humans who have died here.
-The Spiritual Eye will be the answer. Therefore, it's better to link it to the bracelet.
The bracelet felt no different after the Witch's touch grazed it.
However, the enchantment engraved upon it must have changed.
-As long as you wear that bracelet, any Ability you gain from now on will be 90% locked into a path that strengthens your Spiritual Eye. If you don't like it, you can just take the bracelet off.
'Strengthening the Spiritual Eye is the right choice, isn't it?'
-It is the best way to descend to the deepest part of the Labyrinth as quickly as possible—a place that could erupt at any moment.
-With the remnants of Shaka left in your body, you will never reach the deepest part.
'Is it really that bad?'
-Look at that Giant over there.
The Giant that had supposedly come up from the 7th floor.
That thing had turned the 5th floor into a disaster zone all by itself.
-On the 7th floor, there are more than a dozen such Giants roaming around.
-And there are monsters even stronger than that.
-Even on the 7th floor, a Giant is considered one of the stronger types, but there's no telling what kind of monsters lurk even deeper.
-With the strength of a Great Warrior, it seems it would be difficult to even break through the 7th floor.
The Witch was certainly right.
Currently, the furthest I had information on was the 7th floor.
Even Olivia didn't have perfect memories of anything below that.
This meant the unknown territory was fast approaching.
After all, the maximum depth reached by the adventurers of the Labyrinth City was only the 7th floor.
It was hard to even guess what the 8th floor would look like.
-The important thing isn't just you getting stronger on your own.
-It's about using the Spiritual Eye to increase the number of minions you can command to the maximum.
'I can increase my minions with the Spiritual Eye?'
-It's possible. No, in fact, that's likely one of the greatest functions the Spiritual Eye possesses.
An inherent power within the Spiritual Eye.
-You've become able to see the souls crumbling away within the Labyrinth.
-And most of them are the vengeful spirits of adventurers who died harboring deep resentment.
The Spiritual Eye reveals the vengeful spirits of adventurers.
It allows me to communicate with them and interfere with them.
Furthermore, I could arbitrarily allow their souls to possess my body, or take them up to the surface and release them.
The Witch asked me: with a Spiritual Eye capable of such diverse interference, was I really just going to use it for simple soul salvation?
'Don't tell me...'
-Yes, what you're thinking is correct.
You get rewarded just for recovering a corpse.
But this was about saving vengeful spirits who would otherwise never escape the Labyrinth.
-Are you going to let them pass on for free?
I fell into deep thought at the Witch's question.
'You're telling me to use the souls of the dead.'
-Exactly. Letting them pass on for free won't be of much help to your journey.
'Hah...'
-They are people who would have rotted away for eons until they were utterly annihilated within the Labyrinth anyway.
-It's not like it'll make much difference if they have to work a bit more.
'No, I mean... wow.'
This crazy Witch.
She introduced herself as the Saintess's enemy; was it a case of "it takes one to know one"?
Her way of thinking was remarkably similar to the Saintess's. In fact, this might be even more malicious.
Unlike the Saintess, who simply enjoyed killing people, the Witch was suggesting we use them as tools.
-Why are you looking at me like I'm some kind of freak? From where I'm standing, you're not exactly normal either.
'Me?'
-Yes. You were thinking about committing arson while eating a sandwich, weren't you? Am I wrong? You're quite the nutcase yourself.
'....'
She hit the nail on the head.
Right, while thinking about weeding and cremation, I had reached the conclusion that committing arson would be the fastest way to wipe out the heretics.
'I see. I guess I wasn't much different after all.'
-Indeed. Humans are inherently wicked. If anything, those who believe themselves to be good are the most wicked of all.
-And that kind of "good boy" mindset only serves to block the expansion of your thoughts.
The Witch took a long drag from her pipe and exhaled a cloud of smoke.
Her eyes looked weary of life. What kind of hellish path had she walked to have eyes like that?
"Weary" was truly the most accurate expression.
-To keep your thinking flexible, you need to engage in superhuman logic.
-You mustn't be bound by morals or ethics. As a strong person, you must be willing to use any means or methods to reach the true answer.
'So the answer is that I have to use souls?'
-Yes. Strengthen your Spiritual Eye and form contracts with souls. Promise them salvation and use them for everything they're worth until you can't use them anymore.
'That sounds exactly like a slave contract.'
-It is a slave contract. Did you think this was some kind of equal partnership?
-They're dead anyway. Pitiful souls who would have vanished in the Labyrinth.
-No one is going to be angry about being used for a few more years in exchange for a promised return home.
-They should be grateful just to be taken back up to the surface.
'Strengthen the Spiritual Eye, collect souls, and work them like slaves. Understood, for now.'
-It's the most efficient method with the least risk of casualties. Since you're using those who are already dead, no living person has to die.
'That is a plus.'
-See? How great is that? You don't have to kill innocent people and turn them into debtors with a Resurrection Spell. You're just recycling people who were already dead. No food costs, and it's cost-effective. This is truly a wonderful thing.
Listening to her, the Witch's words started to make sense.
In any case, it was my destiny to crawl down to the deepest part and re-seal the Labyrinth before it erupted.
So, if I had to go in, it made more sense to go with those who were already dead rather than those who might die.
It was truly an eco-friendly Labyrinth raid.
-However, if you take in every Tom, Dick, and Harry, your own soul will collapse.
'I suppose so. Even today...'
Due to the Giant's roar and the heretics' curses, the vengeful spirits of the adventurers currently residing within me had shrieked in agony. I had almost lost my mind and died right then and there.
If the Witch hadn't suppressed their wailing, I would have frozen in place and been trampled to death by the fleeing heretics and Dungeon Trolls.
-You need to be selective. Use the weak souls as disposables, and pick out the elites to turn into your vanguard. How about it? Become a collector of vengeful spirits.
'A vengeful spirit collector...'
My dream was to be a slave collector.
How did I end up becoming a vengeful spirit collector?
Wait, isn't this also a form of slave collecting?
The only difference is whether they're alive or dead.
If I sign a slave contract and use them however I want, they're basically slaves, aren't they?
Wait a minute. Instead of spending a fortune to buy weak slaves who can't even handle a dungeon, wouldn't it be much cheaper to just wander the Labyrinth, pick up elite souls, and sign unfair contracts with them?
Moreover, since these aren't people brought back by a Resurrection Spell, the Church can't even interfere.
This was an opportunity to legally obtain free slaves (a private army).
My conscience, which felt like I was desecrating the dead, clashed with my desire to borrow their strength.
Then, I realized that this very worry was meaningless.
'Conscience? Conscience, huh.'
What a joke.
The fact that I'm even debating conscience in this situation is hilarious.
I must have it too easy lately.
Have I gone soft because I'm making good money?
Now that life is comfortable, was I trying to live with a clean conscience?
Am I in any position to be weighing my flimsy conscience against survival?
'The Labyrinth is about to blow; to hell with my conscience.'
I must have lost my mind for a moment, becoming a fat, pampered pig thanks to the comfort provided by my Subspace Pocket.
Charity work and I were never a good match to begin with.
It seems Yuria, Moira, and Lady Leah have made me too soft. Their care and warmth raised my humanity far too much.
I never used to care about others this much.
Yes, the Witch is right.
I can't let them pass on for free. It's give and take.
If you give something, you should get something back.
-Have you sorted out your thoughts?
'Yes. I've just resolved to use them actively.'
-Good. There's no need to take the long way around for the sake of moral superiority and righteousness when there's a shortcut available.
I nodded at the Witch's words.
In the first place, how many people in the Labyrinth City actually live with a conscience?
If I can use vengeful spirits, I'll use them to the fullest.
-Now then, next is the method to strengthen your Spiritual Eye immediately. What I'm going to teach you now is how to perform Mana Adaptation within the Labyrinth.
'What? Is that even possible?'
-It is. Think about it. Mana Adaptation only occurs in places where there is no mana.
-So, what if you could artificially create a space without mana inside the Labyrinth?
'Don't tell me...'
-It means you can perform Mana Adaptation. However, this requires magic knowledge on the level of a Tower Lord and an immense amount of study into spell formulas.
I had to learn it, no matter how long it took. Being able to level up inside the Labyrinth? That meant I could get stronger in real-time as I descended.
If this method became known, it would surely bring a revolution to the Labyrinth City. People wouldn't have to go through the trouble of heading back up to the surface just for Mana Adaptation; they could adapt and gain Abilities right then and there.
'How long will it take for me to learn that technique?'
-Don't even try. You don't have the brains for it.
'Excuse me?'
-I said you can't learn it.
The Witch was blunt.
Wait, if I can't learn it, why did she even brag about it?
Was she just humble-bragging?
-Even if you can't learn it, I'll make it so you can use it.
'How?'
-That bracelet of yours. Hold it out.
This time, the Witch told me to hold out the Bracelet of Growth.
When I did, she fed something into it.
-If you feed the bracelet your blood and meditate, it will temporarily block out the surrounding mana.
If the wearer feeds the bracelet their own blood and meditates, it would temporarily block the surrounding mana.
A new function had been added to the Bracelet of Growth.
-That's all I can do for now. My strength is fading...
Soon, the Witch's form began to blur.
Before long, the effect of the Homeward Grass wore off, and my Spiritual Eye deactivated.
A slight headache throbbed in my temples. Everything I had been seeing until a moment ago felt like a dream.
I had received too much information, and two of my accessories had been modified by the Witch.
I wasn't sure if the situation had improved or not. The Witch's help was certainly a blessing, but the thought of the Labyrinth becoming even more of a nightmare after another upheaval brought tears to my eyes.
"Mr. Porter! What are you doing there?"
"Ah. That... it's nothing."
Rosier called out to me.
She said the Saintess was finishing her divine power recovery.
We had to decide on our next destination.
Whether to escape the Labyrinth or stay and continue the mission.
Or perhaps hunt the Giant that had taken up residence in the Garden Section.
Regardless, we had to leave the Central Section if we wanted to get out of the Labyrinth alive.