Chapter 262: Bug (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 262: Bug (1)
When I announced we would be entering the labyrinth, Raven quietly asked, "I guess that means you believe the rumors, Mr. Yandel?"
It wasn't a matter of believing it—I knew it was the truth. The outside world was fine, and all of Noark was out there.
"I don't fully believe it, but I think it's more than possible." However, since the source of my information was a community of evil spirits, I couldn't act too confident, so I told them about the strange feeling I got when I saw the guards atop the walls of Bifron looking inward. "I felt something was off then, but if the rumors are true, that would explain it."
"Hmm, to be honest, I've been suspicious of that too. Even the Magic Tower doesn't have any windows."
The Magic Tower was a high-rise building that stood taller than the castle walls. When the palace approved the construction of the building, they demanded no windows be included. On paper, the reason was so that the Magic Tower could not look into the royal palace.
"What? Wait... then is the outside really fine like they say?"
"It's just a story with the potential to be true for now." Raven cut Mr. Bear off before he could start freaking out. Then she looked at me. No words were spoken, but it was easy to understand what she wanted to say. She wanted to know if I was really going to bet on that possibility and enter the labyrinth.
I offered the answer I had prepared. "To be honest, I don't think it matters whether the rumors are true or not."
"Your logic?"
"I see it as an indisputable truth that the palace has occupied Noark's castle."
Whether the bastards were outside or still underground, what did it matter? The army was already occupying Noark's fortress, where their portal was located. That meant there was no need to worry about running into anyone from Noark inside.
"I thought the same thing. All right. I'm in." It seemed Raven had just been curious about my opinion and actually thought this was a good opportunity, as she cast her vote in favor of my plan. That naturally kicked off a round of voting from everyone else.
"Well, if you two say so, then I'm sure it's all right. I will follow your lead."
"Ohh, are we finally entering the labyrinth again?!"
Mr. Bear and Ainar were excited, and Missha and Erwen also agreed to go in. From there, it was time to move on to the next order of business.
"Then what are we going to do about the number of members? Including Erwen, there's now six of us."
"We will split into groups of three and meet up on the second floor."
"Hmm, that means the fourth floor will take up quite a bit of time."
At Raven's comment, Erwen paled and hurriedly apologized. "I-I'm sorry. I'm inconveniencing you all..."
"N-No, that's not what I meant. Really."
"But..."
No buts. Before things could get more awkward, I stepped in. "Still, it won't take as long as you think. Unlike me, Erwen is a proper scout. It's possible the total time will be similar."
"Oh, then there are no problems."
This ended the conversation about Erwen. After that, we talked about future plans, and a unanimous decision was made.
"Yeah, I don't think I'm ready yet, but..."
"We've gotten a lot strrronger now."
"Haha, we should get ready. It's been a while since I've been up there."
Our target was the sixth floor.
***
After the clan meeting, my busy daily life continued. It was finally time to use up the money we had been saving.
"If any of you have a piece of equipment or item you've been wanting, buy it now. Ainar, you consult with me before you buy anything."
"Wow... I heard it was like this, but it's rrreally bad. Lithinum equipment is seven hundred thousand stones?"
While the price of food and items essential to daily life had skyrocketed, the price of equipment, consumables, and labyrinth-related items had plummeted. This was because 70 percent of the demand had vanished. As the majority of adventurers had been killed, all related items left in the city had become dead stock.
Still, this will be the lowest point.
That was because the value of the money we had collected so far, including the money we received from the palace, rose on its own. I had saved all that money until now, but it was time to use it. Once the situation in the labyrinth stabilized, prices would gradually rise.
"This is the recent transaction history you have requested."
"Ah, thanks. I'll take a quick look at it and give it back."
A quick look at the market prices at the Central Exchange these days showed almost no changes. Even just a few days ago, the market had been crashing again and again. The reason things were different was that there were people like me gradually starting to use their money. Vendor anticipation that the market would soon recover was also having an effect.
If things had stayed like this for a few more months, it could have been possible to graduate to the next level with items on the Exchange alone.
Even though I felt a bit disappointed, I went to the Exchange every day with my teammates and made several reasonable purchases. I bought a total of three items.
[You have equipped a Large Battle Shield made of adamantium. Your General Item Level has increased by +1750.]
First, I replaced the shield that was destroyed in the last battle. While I was at it, I got it in a grade-five metal. The price was unbelievably cheap. The fact that it wasn't made to order was a factor, but it was even cheaper than the grade-four metal moonstone usually was.
[You have equipped No. 8820: Iron Wall. Your General Item Level has increased by +310.]
The second item was a pair of steel boots. As it was an item that doubled the user's Physical Resistance and Mana Resistance for three seconds upon activation, it was a great match for a Shield Barbarian. Of course, that didn't mean it was a top-class item. There were better boots among the higher numbered items than that.
Still, these boots should be good enough for the second half.
The last item I purchased was an ingredient named Soul of the Dead. It was the most expensive item of all the ones I purchased to receive the seventh stage of the Spirit Imprint. It could also be used as an ingredient in alchemy and magic. The price for this had plummeted like everything else, but only by a relatively marginal amount.
I can't guarantee when I'll be able to get it again.
The cost wasn't the issue—it was just that these materials were harder to come by than equipment. That was because the supply itself was limited. For that reason, I decided to buy it as soon as I saw it.
Mm-hmm, it's better to buy this thing with money than try to find it myself.
Soul of the Dead was an item that had a certain probability of dropping when you hunted rank-four monsters with a distortion spell. That meant there was no way of knowing how long it would take to get it yourself. I could use my time in much more productive ways.
Our target was the sixth floor.
***
After the clan meeting, my busy daily life continued. It was finally time to use up the money we had been saving.
"If any of you have a piece of equipment or item you've been wanting, buy it now. Ainar, you consult with me before you buy anything."
"Wow... I heard it was like this, but it's rrreally bad. Lithinum equipment is seven hundred thousand stones?"
While the price of food and items essential to daily life had skyrocketed, the price of equipment, consumables, and labyrinth-related items had plummeted. This was because 70 percent of the demand had vanished. As the majority of adventurers had been killed, all related items left in the city had become dead stock.
Still, this will be the lowest point.
That was because the value of the money we had collected so far, including the money we received from the palace, rose on its own. I had saved all that money until now, but it was time to use it. Once the situation in the labyrinth stabilized, prices would gradually rise.
"This is the recent transaction history you have requested."
"Ah, thanks. I'll take a quick look at it and give it back."
A quick look at the market prices at the Central Exchange these days showed almost no changes. Even just a few days ago, the market had been crashing again and again. The reason things were different was that there were people like me gradually starting to use their money. Vendor anticipation that the market would soon recover was also having an effect.
If things had stayed like this for a few more months, it could have been possible to graduate to the next level with items on the Exchange alone.
Even though I felt a bit disappointed, I went to the Exchange every day with my teammates and made several reasonable purchases. I bought a total of three items.
[You have equipped a Large Battle Shield made of adamantium. Your General Item Level has increased by +1750.]
First, I replaced the shield that was destroyed in the last battle. While I was at it, I got it in a grade-five metal. The price was unbelievably cheap. The fact that it wasn't made to order was a factor, but it was even cheaper than the grade-four metal moonstone usually was.
[You have equipped No. 8820: Iron Wall. Your General Item Level has increased by +310.]
The second item was a pair of steel boots. As it was an item that doubled the user's Physical Resistance and Mana Resistance for three seconds upon activation, it was a great match for a Shield Barbarian. Of course, that didn't mean it was a top-class item. There were better boots among the higher numbered items than that.
Still, these boots should be good enough for the second half.
The last item I purchased was an ingredient named Soul of the Dead. It was the most expensive item of all the ones I purchased to receive the seventh stage of the Spirit Imprint. It could also be used as an ingredient in alchemy and magic. The price for this had plummeted like everything else, but only by a relatively marginal amount.
I can't guarantee when I'll be able to get it again.
The cost wasn't the issue—it was just that these materials were harder to come by than equipment. That was because the supply itself was limited. For that reason, I decided to buy it as soon as I saw it.
Mm-hmm, it's better to buy this thing with money than try to find it myself.
Soul of the Dead was an item that had a certain probability of dropping when you hunted rank-four monsters with a distortion spell. That meant there was no way of knowing how long it would take to get it yourself. I could use my time in much more productive ways.
"Bjorn, then I'm going to the training grounds!"
Anyway, when the time came to leave the auction house, Ainar ran to the training grounds again. It seemed she was very happy with the two numbered items she bought.
"Missha, what about you?"
"I'm going home. I need to prepare dinnerrr."
"Then you can take Abman home."
"Huh? Are you not going home?"
"I'm going to stop by the holy land for a bit. I might not be able to come home today."
Missha flinched at my words before turning to stare straight at me. "Holy land...?"
Ah, it was because of that particular keyword. I hurriedly offered an explanation. "I bought those ingredients, remember? I'm thinking of getting the Spirit Imprint."
"Ah, yeah. I see. Yeah, right..."
Ever since that day, there had occasionally been awkward moments like this. I knew we agreed to pretend nothing happened, but there was no way that would be easy.
"T-Then have a good trrrip. I'll take good care of the girls."
"Yeah... I'll leave it to you."
I parted ways with Missha and boarded the carriage heading toward the holy land. On the other side of the street, I could see Missha sitting on a bench, still waiting for her carriage. When our eyes met, Missha hurriedly averted her gaze, then looked back and waved stiffly.
Ugh, honestly. This is so uncomfortable.
I nodded awkwardly and drew the curtain on the carriage. A moment later, I wondered to myself what the hell I was doing and felt a sense of shame, but even this was a lot better than before. As the saying went, time healed all wounds. If I kept pretending that nothing was wrong, one day that would really be the case.
"Then we are departing."
The carriage soon left the platform, and after resting my eyes for a bit, I arrived at my destination before I knew it—a platform on the outskirts of District Seven close to the holy land. After crossing the castle gates and walking down the forest path, the barbarian camp appeared before my eyes. First, I entered the tent of the chieftain and said hello.
"Long time no see. Spar?"
Whew, looks like he hasn't heard about the blessing yet, thankfully.
I had been a bit worried after Goblin, that fucker, talked about the blessing at the Round Table, but it didn't seem to have reached the chieftain's ears. Well, that was only a matter of time, though.
"I came to see the shaman."
"Shaman? Then you have bad timing. You can't meet with the shaman right now."
"Why?"
"He is in the middle of a Soul Receival."
"Soul Receival...?" This was a term I hadn't even encountered in the game.
"You don't know about it?" When I tilted my head, the chieftain narrowed his eyes. That wasn't a huge problem, though. In the past I would've flinched, wondering if this was common knowledge that only I didn't know about.
"I forgot." Now, after living as a barbarian, I had come to realize that it wasn't strange for them to lack common sense.
"I see." As expected, the chieftain readily accepted this excuse and explained what a Soul Receival was. "Soul Receival is a ritual that must be performed by the shaman every few years to be able to make incantations."
"Then how long do I have to wait?"
"Since the ritual started at the beginning of the month, you should be able to see him next month."
Hmm, next month, huh?
"Okay. I'll come back then." I left my regrets at the door and turned around.
***
It was late evening, around the time when drunk people began to appear all over the city when we gathered at Mr. Bear's tavern. Oh, for reference, the closed sign was up today so we were the only ones there. Mrs. Bear was healthy enough to work at the tavern even in her third trimester, but now she was really close to her due date.
"Is it really okay for you to leave her side?"
"Stop fussing. We'll only be gone for a day—what could go wrong? I'm going to have a baby soon. I need to make more money. My wife agreed to this, so don't worry."
"If you say so." My argument was half-hearted anyway so I said nothing more. To be honest, if Mr. Bear decided to stay behind now, we were the ones who would be screwed. "Then let's get a binding spell done."
After a quick meal at Mr. Bear's tavern, Raven divided us into threes and cast the binding spell. The way we'd divvied our forces was simple. Me, Mr. Bear, and Raven were Team A. Erwen, Missha, and Ainar were Team B. Not that it meant much—we were only traveling separately on the first floor and meeting on the second.
"It's almost time. Let's go."
"Oh, wait." As we finished our preparations and were about to head to Dimension Square, Raven stopped us. With a somewhat embarrassed look on her face, she took out a few small items from her sub-space. "Um... we're a clan now, right? I had some free time recently, so I made us an emblem."
Emblems were the symbols that adventurers in clans always wore on their armor.
"I did some research while I was making it, and they say the symbolism behind a clan's emblem is very important. So I borrowed Mr. Yandel's nickname and made it a Giant..."
"But this looks like an ogre, not a giant."
"Ugh, then never mind!"
"I never said I didn't like it. Once we get back tomorrow, let's officially register it as the clan's emblem at the guild."
When I said we should register it as our clan's emblem, Raven's expression went from stoic to bright. It looked like she was looking forward to that. "Now, everyone, gather round. I'll attach it for you."
Raven proceeded to attach the emblem to everyone's equipment with magic. When we actually put it on, it looked rather cool. Should I say it felt like we'd become well-off adventurers?
"Thanks, Raven. You took care of this without being asked."
"...Well, it is my clan, after all."
"That's what I'm thankful for."
"Empty flattery. Whatever, let's just go. We're going to be late at this rate."
Oh, so embarrassed.
After we finished installing the emblem, we hurriedly headed to Dimension Square. There were quite a few people around to watch the proceedings, those looking our way from a distance.
"Hey, Bjorn Yandel is there too."
"He's going in again already after going through all that?"
"I heard he made a clan, but there's six of them."
"But what's that emblem? Is it an ogre?"
"The ogre is one of Bjorn Yandel's essences."
The area around the square was crowded with more people than expected, but the number actually waiting to enter was not many—three or four hundred at most. Most of them were low-level adventurers who had no choice but to put on their equipment and come because they were short on cash.
If the other squares in the city are like this, the upper floors will be almost empty.
I spent the rest of the time going through my plans for this quest one last time, and before long, a portal opened in the center of the square with a burst of light.
[You have entered the Crystal Cave on the first floor.]
This time, there were quite a few things for us to get done in the labyrinth.
"Bjorn, then I'm going to the training grounds!"
Anyway, when the time came to leave the auction house, Ainar ran to the training grounds again. It seemed she was very happy with the two numbered items she bought.
"Missha, what about you?"
"I'm going home. I need to prepare dinnerrr."
"Then you can take Abman home."
"Huh? Are you not going home?"
"I'm going to stop by the holy land for a bit. I might not be able to come home today."
Missha flinched at my words before turning to stare straight at me. "Holy land...?"
Ah, it was because of that particular keyword. I hurriedly offered an explanation. "I bought those ingredients, remember? I'm thinking of getting the Spirit Imprint."
"Ah, yeah. I see. Yeah, right..."
Ever since that day, there had occasionally been awkward moments like this. I knew we agreed to pretend nothing happened, but there was no way that would be easy.
"T-Then have a good trrrip. I'll take good care of the girls."
"Yeah... I'll leave it to you."
I parted ways with Missha and boarded the carriage heading toward the holy land. On the other side of the street, I could see Missha sitting on a bench, still waiting for her carriage. When our eyes met, Missha hurriedly averted her gaze, then looked back and waved stiffly.
Ugh, honestly. This is so uncomfortable.
I nodded awkwardly and drew the curtain on the carriage. A moment later, I wondered to myself what the hell I was doing and felt a sense of shame, but even this was a lot better than before. As the saying went, time healed all wounds. If I kept pretending that nothing was wrong, one day that would really be the case.
"Then we are departing."
The carriage soon left the platform, and after resting my eyes for a bit, I arrived at my destination before I knew it—a platform on the outskirts of District Seven close to the holy land. After crossing the castle gates and walking down the forest path, the barbarian camp appeared before my eyes. First, I entered the tent of the chieftain and said hello.
"Long time no see. Spar?"
Whew, looks like he hasn't heard about the blessing yet, thankfully.
I had been a bit worried after Goblin, that fucker, talked about the blessing at the Round Table, but it didn't seem to have reached the chieftain's ears. Well, that was only a matter of time, though.
"I came to see the shaman."
"Shaman? Then you have bad timing. You can't meet with the shaman right now."
"Why?"
"He is in the middle of a Soul Receival."
"Soul Receival...?" This was a term I hadn't even encountered in the game.
"You don't know about it?" When I tilted my head, the chieftain narrowed his eyes. That wasn't a huge problem, though. In the past I would've flinched, wondering if this was common knowledge that only I didn't know about.
"I forgot." Now, after living as a barbarian, I had come to realize that it wasn't strange for them to lack common sense.
"I see." As expected, the chieftain readily accepted this excuse and explained what a Soul Receival was. "Soul Receival is a ritual that must be performed by the shaman every few years to be able to make incantations."
"Then how long do I have to wait?"
"Since the ritual started at the beginning of the month, you should be able to see him next month."
Hmm, next month, huh?
"Okay. I'll come back then." I left my regrets at the door and turned around.
***
It was late evening, around the time when drunk people began to appear all over the city when we gathered at Mr. Bear's tavern. Oh, for reference, the closed sign was up today so we were the only ones there. Mrs. Bear was healthy enough to work at the tavern even in her third trimester, but now she was really close to her due date.
"Is it really okay for you to leave her side?"
"Stop fussing. We'll only be gone for a day—what could go wrong? I'm going to have a baby soon. I need to make more money. My wife agreed to this, so don't worry."
"If you say so." My argument was half-hearted anyway so I said nothing more. To be honest, if Mr. Bear decided to stay behind now, we were the ones who would be screwed. "Then let's get a binding spell done."
After a quick meal at Mr. Bear's tavern, Raven divided us into threes and cast the binding spell. The way we'd divvied our forces was simple. Me, Mr. Bear, and Raven were Team A. Erwen, Missha, and Ainar were Team B. Not that it meant much—we were only traveling separately on the first floor and meeting on the second.
"It's almost time. Let's go."
"Oh, wait." As we finished our preparations and were about to head to Dimension Square, Raven stopped us. With a somewhat embarrassed look on her face, she took out a few small items from her sub-space. "Um... we're a clan now, right? I had some free time recently, so I made us an emblem."
Emblems were the symbols that adventurers in clans always wore on their armor.
"I did some research while I was making it, and they say the symbolism behind a clan's emblem is very important. So I borrowed Mr. Yandel's nickname and made it a Giant..."
"But this looks like an ogre, not a giant."
"Ugh, then never mind!"
"I never said I didn't like it. Once we get back tomorrow, let's officially register it as the clan's emblem at the guild."
When I said we should register it as our clan's emblem, Raven's expression went from stoic to bright. It looked like she was looking forward to that. "Now, everyone, gather round. I'll attach it for you."
Raven proceeded to attach the emblem to everyone's equipment with magic. When we actually put it on, it looked rather cool. Should I say it felt like we'd become well-off adventurers?
"Thanks, Raven. You took care of this without being asked."
"...Well, it is my clan, after all."
"That's what I'm thankful for."
"Empty flattery. Whatever, let's just go. We're going to be late at this rate."
Oh, so embarrassed.
After we finished installing the emblem, we hurriedly headed to Dimension Square. There were quite a few people around to watch the proceedings, those looking our way from a distance.
"Hey, Bjorn Yandel is there too."
"He's going in again already after going through all that?"
"I heard he made a clan, but there's six of them."
"But what's that emblem? Is it an ogre?"
"The ogre is one of Bjorn Yandel's essences."
The area around the square was crowded with more people than expected, but the number actually waiting to enter was not many—three or four hundred at most. Most of them were low-level adventurers who had no choice but to put on their equipment and come because they were short on cash.
If the other squares in the city are like this, the upper floors will be almost empty.
I spent the rest of the time going through my plans for this quest one last time, and before long, a portal opened in the center of the square with a burst of light.
[You have entered the Crystal Cave on the first floor.]
This time, there were quite a few things for us to get done in the labyrinth.