Hunting the Earth Dragon (1)
'How can I grow stronger in the shortest time possible?'
Since falling into this world, that was the question I had pondered the most.
Simply becoming strong was not enough.
To prevent the destruction of this world, I had to grow strong fast.
'The first solution that came to mind was raising my mana-related stats.'
What if I increased my mana pool and mana recovery rate?
The duration of Soul of the Sword Master would increase accordingly. Then, I could solve every problem with a single click of a skill.
But it didn't take long for me to scrap that plan.
'Obsessing over mana stats right now is actually inefficient.'
Mana was a stat heavily dependent on innate talent.
No matter how hard one trained, there was a limit to growth without a natural foundation.
And yet, my current mana stat was a measly 1.
'My mana circuits aren't formed at all. My talent in that area is practically zero.'
Trying to raise mana-related stats in this state would require an immense amount of time and effort.
Even then, it wouldn't rise past a certain threshold.
It was no different from pouring water into a bottomless bucket.
'Well, there will be ways to overcome this in the mid-to-late game anyway...'
I could worry about increasing my mana then. Until then, I needed to focus on building a foundation.
'...For now, I must raise my physical stats.'
My average stats still hovered between 1 and 2.
To properly internalize my skills, securing basic physical stats like Strength, Agility, and Stamina was essential.
No matter how brilliant one's swordsmanship talent was, a frail body would always limit the execution of those skills.
'Above all, I can't even function normally in daily life like this.'
Even a slightly strenuous movement left me breathless and trembling.
Frequent headaches throbbed in my temples even when I did absolutely nothing.
Fixing this weak body was a far more urgent matter than forming mana circuits.
'...Which is exactly why I must defeat the Earth Dragon.'
As I thought before, I knew the solution to this problem.
The boss of Labyrinth Village, the Earth Dragon.
If I made good use of the rewards obtained from defeating it, everything would be resolved.
"L-Lord Gaon? Do we really need things like this to go to Labyrinth Village...?"
"Yes."
Anyway.
Before heading to Labyrinth Village, I visited a certain place with Adelia.
The central market of Vertas. It was the largest marketplace on the continent, a place where it was said there was nothing you couldn't find.
After purchasing the necessities for the subjugation here, I nodded with a satisfied expression.
"This should do. Let's get moving."
"...Yes."
With this, all preparations to subjugate the Earth Dragon were complete.
Step, step.
As we walked, Adelia kept glancing back.
She seemed concerned about the backpack she was carrying.
It was filled with the miscellaneous items we had just bought at the market. Some of them were so bizarre that one might wonder if they were truly necessary.
Since the walk was quiet, I decided to strike up a conversation.
"How much do you know about Labyrinth Village?"
Adelia snapped her head up and replied.
"I do not know the details. Only that it is a tunnel village formed on the outskirts of the free city of Vertas..."
Nodding, I continued the explanation for her benefit.
People naturally gathered and lived near major cities.
After all, the interior of a city protected by a barrier was one of the few safe zones where humanity could survive.
And naturally, land in major cities was limited.
Especially in Vertas, where land prices had skyrocketed to the heavens, making it impossible for ordinary people to even dream of settling down.
"The inn we stayed at just now, for instance, costs around one million shillings per night."
"...?"
It was a truly murderous cost of living.
But hearing this, Adelia only tilted her head.
She wasn't shocked by the exorbitant price; rather, she simply had no concept of how expensive that actually was.
Then again, coming from a holy family, she had no reason to know the value of common currency.
Well, in a sense, the concept of 'fiat currency' itself was just an illusion created by humans anyway...
I have a lot to teach you, Adelia.
"It's a price ordinary people couldn't dream of paying for a single night. So, they began to gather and live in places where the barrier's influence still reached."
"..."
"Yes. Outside the city walls, or beneath the city streets."
Labyrinth Village was a settlement born from that very necessity.
Those who had no place to live above ground descended into the depths to carve out a home.
Thus, the tunnels grew deeper, twisting and turning like a maze.
Naturally, the deeper they went, the further they slipped from the reach of the law. The further they strayed from the surface, the more the village was dyed in darkness.
The lanterns that once lit the village gradually dimmed, and with them, laws and order faded. Consequently, countless criminals flooded into the depths.
Swindlers hiding at the bottom of the city, merchants fleeing their debts, vagrants who crawled down because they had no money—all sorts of people gathered.
Adelia, who had been listening quietly to my explanation, nodded and chimed in.
"Yes. I heard it is practically a lawless zone. I heard that heretics gather to worship demons, and that there are savages who resort to cannibalism because there is nothing to eat..."
Hearing that, I couldn't help but chuckle.
"You think of Labyrinth Village as a far too gruesome place."
"Pardon? But from what I have heard, it is a region on par with the dark city of Dawnguard..."
"Cast aside your prejudices and look around. You've already been inside Labyrinth Village for quite some time now."
"...?"
Adelia's eyes widened as she quickly scanned her surroundings.
Wooden bridges stretched like spiderwebs across the sheer cliffs.
Between them, stacked buildings lined the walls of the canyon.
Giggle.
Bright laughter echoed from various corners.
Hot broth bubbled at street stalls, and children played tag, running across the high-altitude bridges.
It was a village far removed from the gloomy, desolate image people usually associated with Labyrinth Village.
"Say what you will, Labyrinth Village is ultimately a place where people live."
"...Ah."
Indeed.
The entrance to Labyrinth Village was no different from any other lively district in Vertas.
How long had we walked along the canyon?
As the path sloped downward, the sunlight gradually began to fade.
At some point, the children vanished from sight, and the atmosphere of the village began to shift.
While the entrance was like a bustling marketplace, the streets here were lined with rough taverns frequented by mercenaries and adventurers.
Naturally, solicitors were out in full force.
"Hey there, travelers! Why don't you rest here? A bowl of hot soup will wash away all your fatigue!"
"Welcome! We have clean sheets and warm bathwater ready!"
"High-quality headlamps on sale! A must-have to explore the dark tunnels..."
We hurried along, letting the noisy solicitations go in one ear and out the other.
Crack!
Adelia suddenly grabbed the wrist of a man who had just brushed past us.
"Aaargh!"
Thud.
Screaming, the man's hand trembled violently as he dropped something.
It was the food pouch from Adelia's backpack.
"Get lost. Before I sever that wrist."
Adelia spat out a cold warning.
The pickpocket, who had tumbled to the ground, scrambled to his feet and fled without looking back.
Watching his retreating figure, Adelia spoke briefly to me.
"We must be careful. There are many with sticky fingers here."
"..."
I stared at Adelia, dumbfounded.
I knew Labyrinth Village was rife with pickpockets, but I hadn't expected them to target us in the blink of an eye.
Moreover, Adelia's senses, which had instantly detected that stealthy hand, were simply astonishing.
"Hahaha! You two are quite the impressive adventurers!"
It was at that moment.
A stranger's voice called out from the side.
Turning my head, I saw a man looking at us. Wearing an easygoing smile, he approached while bowing repeatedly.
Adelia frowned, immediately on guard.
Her gaze practically demanded to know who he was.
The man casually offered a handshake.
"Apologies. I'm late in introducing myself. I am Joel, a guide working in these parts."
"...A guide?"
"Yes. My job is to guide adventurers like yourselves deep into the tunnels."
The guide, realizing Adelia was a newcomer, immediately went to work.
He launched into a lengthy explanation about how a guide was absolutely necessary to venture deep into Labyrinth Village.
He warned that the maze grew more complex the deeper one went, and even seasoned adventurers would get lost, wander for days, and starve to death.
Naturally, he didn't forget to boast that he had traversed these tunnels hundreds of times.
"I even have a map I drew myself. From the upper levels to the deep zone, everything is meticulously detailed."
"If you have a map, can't we just buy it?"
"Well, there is a minor issue with that... You see, the map is right here."
Tap, tap.
The guide grinned, tapping his temple.
It meant he had memorized every single route in his head.
"Even veteran adventurers hire a guide when they enter the tunnels. It's even more crucial for a newcomer like you, my lady."
"..."
"So, how about employing my services?"
Adelia glanced back at me.
Having listened to the guide's pitch, she was waiting for my decision.
I immediately shook my head.
It meant we didn't need a guide right now.
"...That's a shame, then."
The guide didn't linger and backed off immediately.
He left us with a message that he would be around for a while, so we could find him anytime if we changed our minds.
Once the guide was out of sight, Adelia spoke to me in a low voice.
"You said the Earth Dragon is located in the deep zone of the tunnels, correct?"
"Yes."
"According to that man, the structure of the tunnels is incredibly complex. Do you plan to navigate it solely through your own abilities, Lord Gaon, without a guide?"
As she spoke, Adelia's eyes widened as if she had just realized something.
"Ah!"
Letting out an exclamation, she spun around to face me, her voice filled with excitement.
"Could it be that you received a revelation from the Great Ones...?"
"No."
"..."
When I cut her off flatly, Adelia's expression instantly slumped into disappointment.
Of course, I hadn't received any revelation.
Besides, there was not a single lie in the guide's explanation.
No matter how skilled an adventurer was, they could never reach the deep zone without a guide.
There was a reason people exploring Labyrinth Village paid high prices to hire competent guides.
Therefore...
"We will be hiring a guide as well."
"...Ah."
Adelia nodded in understanding.
"So you already had a guide in mind. That is why you rejected the offer just now."
"Yes."
I continued, recalling the guide I had planned to recruit.
"His skills are guaranteed, but he is a bit peculiar."
"...?"
"The reason we bought those miscellaneous items earlier was all to recruit him."
Adelia paused for a moment, looking puzzled.
Pondering the items we had purchased at the market, she asked me a question.
"Is the spice pouch for that guide?"
"No."
"Then, the high-grade silk?"
"No."
"...The empty chest?"
"Not that either."
"..."
Adelia's expression grew even more bewildered.
"Then what on earth are you referring to...?"
"Earplugs."
"...?"
She froze.
Adelia stared at me blankly.
She looked completely lost for words.
Her face clearly showed she had no idea why earplugs would be necessary to recruit a guide.
'Oh, my naive Adelia...'
...A veteran player always uses the most bizarre methods to clear a game, after all.