Eastern Labyrinth (2)
'Bingo.'
The man named Kal's eyes gleamed as he curled up the corner of his mouth. A girl impassively tilting her head at a map, and next to her, another girl shrinking back anxiously. Anyone could see they were greenhorn adventurers clueless about the world. Crawling into the labyrinth without a single weapon meant they were either fearless to a fault or delicate greenhouse flowers with heads full of blooming fields. That bulging backpack ready to burst couldn't be empty, though. A rough growl and some intimidation should cough up a nice haul of decent loot.
Kal was just stepping forward when—
"Hold up, boss."
"What?"
"Over there."
One of his comrades grabbed Kal's thick forearm in a panic. His finger pointed to the black-haired girl's shoulder area. A red orb floating in midair.
...A mage?
It wasn't a torch or lantern. A literal flame hovered there, bobbing along. Stabilizing a flame's shape like that and suspending it in the air might seem simple at first glance, but not just anyone could pull it off. She was likely at least a Rank 2 Structure mage.
"Whew, that was close. Almost got messy."
No wonder her stride was so leisurely—she was a mage. Kal clicked his tongue softly. A mercenary's iron rule was cost-performance. The goal was easy money fleecing pushovers, not picking a fight with a Rank 2 mage over one bag. One wrong move, and burn ointment would cost more than the take. Best to just part ways naturally here.
"Let's just pass by. Don't provoke 'em—walk casual."
"Got it, boss."
Kal eased his grip on his axe haft. His comrades nodded in agreement, silent. They hugged the wall, slipping quietly past the girls fussing over their map. Best to dodge trouble. The vast 1st floor was crawling with easy marks anyway. No need to pluck a thorny rose.
That cautious approach had narrowed the gap somewhat when it happened. His eyes met those of the expressionless black-haired girl who'd been glaring holes through her map.
"Ah, ahem. Just passing through. Good luck with your—"
"Hey."
"...Huh?"
Kal froze, dumbfounded. The black-haired girl jerked her chin.
"Hand over everything you've got."
"?"
And just like that, Kal's crew lost every magic stone they'd sweated all day to collect.
###
The labyrinth's passages are dangerous. Not just from monsters, but people too. Especially for two slender girls—the risk skyrockets, rivaling even the dread of late-night streets in my past-life South Korea that kept countless women on edge.
After endless agonizing over how to navigate this terror...
I reached one conclusion.
What? Scared of the dangerous path? If I become the most dangerous thing on it, no need to fear.
"Excuse me."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"This the right way?"
"Of course!"
The mercenary Kal snapped to attention.
"Freshest moss on this floor, and top-quality soil."
"You bet! We know it cold!"
The three burly men leading the way cut imposing figures—reliable as could be. No wonder folks party up in labyrinths. I reflected on my naive past self. I'd figured with a map, it'd be a casual cave hike. Labyrinth delving without a guide was no joke. Without Kal's bunch, we'd still be lost in the dark twists.
"Lucky we met such kind, helpful folks, right?"
"Yeah."
Evel and I followed at an easy pace.
"We're here!"
"Oh."
We'd reached the spot. Lush green moss blanketed the walls, glistening with moisture—prime stuff matching the quest specs. The floor was soft, damp earth, not a rough pebble in sight. Seasoned 1st-floor pros who preyed on rookies were a cut above.
"Here, fill these."
I slung my pack forward and pulled out two empty pouches.
"Moss—thirty handfuls here. Soil—one full sack. Pack it tight."
"...Pardon? Us?"
Kal gawked, alternating between the pouches and my face. The brute lugging a man-sized axe scrunched his rugged mug into a pitiful pout—quite the sight.
"We're delicate newbies. Help us out."
"H-ha... Right you are! Delicate ladies touching rough dirt? No way! We'll handle it!"
Why they groveled so? Evel demo'd her Heart Image magic, flash-freezing the ground at their feet. They straightened up quick.
Scrape, scraaaape.
Scratch, scritch-scritch.
Mercenaries delicately scraping moss with daggers, sweating buckets to avoid bruising it. Pitiful, but no mercy here. I'd overheard their chat from afar before we met. My ears are sharp. If we'd been ordinary weak girls? No kindness—they'd have stripped our packs, our coin, everything. Would they stop at emptying pockets? Who knows.
I scanned the surroundings, leaving the busy soil-shovelers behind. Blue-green moss carpeted the walls. Seemed ordinary, but in the labyrinth, everything from trivia like this brimmed with mana. That's why guild boards overflowed with gathering quests—scholars dissecting ecosystems or folks needing raw mats. Either way, it paid.
"No monsters in sight, huh."
My mutter drew a sly glance from Kal, crouched scooping soil.
"Ah, well... Labyrinth rearrangement season's near. Low-level beasties on 1st floor are thinning out."
"Ah."
"So lowlifes who can't hunt switch to fleecing easy marks."
"...Is that so?"
I narrowed my eyes down at him.
"That's why you tried robbing us earlier?"
"N-no, ma'am! Never! How could we dare touch such delicate—!"
Kal paled, waving his hands frantically.
"Whatever. Didn't happen. Your magic stones and guiding make up for it."
"Th-thank you...!"
Kal bobbed his head, scooping away. I nodded—might as well maximize this. Entry fee was one silver; moss and dirt alone wouldn't break even. I'd come to gauge my level anyway, and check on Dusty too.
"Where to find monsters? 2nd floor still have some?"
"Y-yes. Deeper down, sure, but..."
"Know the way?"
Kal's eager face soured slightly.
"Aw, we know it, but... 2nd floor's beasts are a whole different league from 1st."
"Tough even for Rank 3 mages?"
"Nah, not that bad. But... rearrangement's imminent. Risky to push deep."
He had a point. No reason for them to risk it. But I wanted to go.
"Magic stones and loot from 2nd. Generous guide cut—way more than those stones I took."
Kal paused mid-scoop.
"...A commission, you mean?"
"Yeah. Much better than what I confiscated. Deal?"
Kal glanced at his buddies, eyes weighing risk vs. reward. Soon, he packed the sacks tight and cleared his throat, standing.
"Ahem! We know paths like the back of our hand! Moss and soil done—let's roll!"
"You know 2nd floor layout? Seem like 1st-floor specialists."
"Hey now, don't sell us short! We're no bottom-dwellers stuck on 1st."
"Oh?"
Kal thumped his chest jauntily.
"Merc life ain't newbie days! We've partied up, hunkered down to 2nd plenty for big bucks."
"Then why stick to 1st now?"
"Sigh, yeah... 2nd beasts jump tiers. Gains don't match the grind for us. Meds, repairs eat profits—nets same as safe 1st-floor hustling."
"Bad cost-performance?"
"Exactly! You get it, mage lady!"
So, outclassed on 2nd, they squat on 1st skinning rookies. Real villains.
"Fine. Guide solid, pay's fat."
"You got it! No worries!"
Kal and crew hoisted the sacks and marched ahead briskly. We followed awhile until a red crystal like the entrance plaza's greeted us.
"Here we are."
Kal pointed to the massive crystal spinning slowly, pulsing red. Unlike the entrance's clear blue, this one felt ominous, murky—like a hazard light.
"Let's go, Evel."
"Okay."
We placed hands on it. The mercenaries followed suit.
And—
Hummm—!
The same floating sensation from the entrance enveloped us as our vision flickered.