Subjugating the Earth Dragon, Part 3
'There is no need for a guide in the upper zone.'
Step, step.
The paths in the upper zone of the Labyrinth Village were simple.
Even if a fork appeared, simply following the downward slope would eventually lead to the middle zone.
As long as one had a decent sense of direction, getting lost was impossible.
'But from the middle zone onward, a guide is absolutely necessary.'
The complexity of the labyrinth wasn't the issue.
From the middle zone, the terrain of the Labyrinth Village shifted constantly.
When the Earth Dragon coiled in the deep zone twisted its massive body, the aftermath would collapse ceilings and create entirely new paths.
Therefore, reaching the deep zone without a guide was practically impossible.
Only the guides could read the subtle patterns created by the Earth Dragon's movements.
'Of course, I researched the patterns in my own way, but...'
Having played Lost Elder nearly two hundred times, I had accumulated a massive amount of data.
Thanks to that, I could navigate the lower zones of the Labyrinth Village well enough without a guide.
I prided myself on pathfinding skills that surpassed most ordinary guides.
After all, surviving nine out of ten expeditions into the lower zones spoke for itself.
'But what if I get caught in that one-in-ten cave-in accident during this run?'
Needless to say, it would be disastrous.
In the game, I could just blame bad luck and hit the retry button, but here, a single mistake meant death.
In that sense, even a ten percent risk could not be ignored.
I had to find a foolproof method to reach the deep zone, by any means necessary.
'...Ah, we've arrived.'
And the place I sought to secure that 'foolproof method' was right here.
"Where on earth are we...?"
Adelia looked around, her eyes wide with wonder.
Graves and tombstones stood scattered in every direction.
This was the Old Cemetery of the Labyrinth Village, located right along the border between the upper and middle zones.
'It's much creepier than seeing it through a monitor.'
Wooooosh—
True to its name, the Old Cemetery was visibly neglected.
Cobwebs clung to the tombstones, and weeds grew thick over the mounds.
'According to the game's lore, people frequented this place until just a decade ago.'
The reason this cemetery had been abandoned was simple.
The barrier's influence had weakened, leading to frequent monster attacks.
In the end, the residents of the Labyrinth Village had no choice but to tearfully abandon it.
'And as a result...'
Groaaan—
'...the Old Cemetery became a haven for the undead.'
Rustle—
In places where the touch of the ancient god Elder had faded, evil energy easily took root.
Unattended graves, abandoned corpses, and the foul remnants of those bastards lingering over them.
There was no better recipe for an undead infestation.
"Adelia."
Dark figures began crawling out from the graves.
Rotted flesh hung loosely from their bones, and their hollow eyes flashed with blind malice toward the living.
The corpses returned from the dead slowly closed in on us.
Ruuumble—!
The ceiling and ground vibrated.
An endless wave of the dead surged forward.
Yet, I didn't even blink as I spoke.
"Clear them out. Leave none standing."
"Yes, Master."
...After all, Adelia's holy aura was their natural enemy.
'That was quick.'
I looked down at the mountain of corpses.
No matter their numbers, they were ultimately low-tier monsters driven solely by primal instinct.
The undead surging like waves were torn apart as easily as paper before Adelia's blue-green aura.
Mumble, mumble.
Having finished the battle, Adelia began her prayers for the dead, just as she always did.
It was to soothe the souls of those who had been unjustly turned into the undead.
How much time passed?
Having finished her prayers, Adelia slowly turned her gaze toward me.
"It is done."
"...Good. Well done."
With this, all preparations were complete.
Confirming the situation was settled, I took the lead and began walking through the cemetery.
Now was the time to find 'it' in this quiet graveyard.
'Adventurers have no reason to come near here.'
The undead were incredibly troublesome monsters.
Cut off their arms, legs, or even their heads, and they would still stubbornly cling to life.
Unless one could wield holy aura, it meant fighting an endless, eternal battle against a relentless tide of corpses.
For this reason, adventurers avoided the Old Cemetery.
'Because of that, people don't know what kind of treasure is hidden here.'
The environment of the Labyrinth Village was atrocious.
Sunlight never reached it, the air was stagnant, and the smell was musty.
Yet, there was another reason the residents settled in the Labyrinth Village besides the 'barrier'...
It was the fertile soil of the Labyrinth Village.
'The Earth Dragon's excretions and bodily fluids contain special components.'
Every time the creature squirmed, nutrients from deep underground were pulled upward, enriching even the soil of the upper zone.
Thanks to this, any crop grew exceptionally well in the soil of the Labyrinth Village.
This was why the village's produce was sold at high prices in the market as local specialties.
'And what grows best in such fertile soil is...'
I stopped in my tracks.
A smirk played on my lips as I thought to myself.
'...things like that.'
Just then, Adelia spotted something in the dirt, her eyes widening.
"Huh?"
Soon, she let out an exclamation that was almost a shriek.
"A-A Mandrake...!"
True to her noble holy family lineage, she recognized the rare elixir at a single glance—something others might not see once in their entire lives.
Indeed.
A Mandrake.
A magical creature that grew by absorbing the energy of death, and a herb treated as a top-grade elixir in the game.
There were three of them rooted here.
'And they aren't just ordinary Mandrakes.'
Not only did they grow in the fertile soil of the Labyrinth Village, but they had also fully absorbed the negative energy constantly emitted by the undead.
In other words, they were top-tier specimens that couldn't be obtained anywhere else.
Adelia couldn't hide her awe at the sudden appearance of the Mandrakes.
"How did you know Mandrakes were hidden here...? Ah!"
Realizing something, she looked at me with a face full of admiration.
"You received a revelation this time as well, didn't you?"
"Yes."
I lied through my teeth without changing my expression.
A revelation?
Why would I need something like that when I have game knowledge?
'Besides, game knowledge and revelations are basically the same thing, aren't they?'
In the end, they both grant knowledge of the future, so there's no real difference.
"..."
...But after a moment of thinking that, I couldn't help but shut my mouth.
Damn it.
Was it just my imagination, or was I becoming increasingly shameless?
'Anyway.'
I planned to use these Mandrakes to explore the deep zone of the labyrinth.
To be precise, using them as 'bait' to lure a guide would be a more accurate description.
Even after hearing my explanation, Adelia still looked half-doubtful.
However, she didn't question me further.
She had already witnessed me defy common sense several times, so she likely just accepted it.
"Cover your ears tightly. If you don't, your mind might shatter."
Squeeze!
Right before pulling the Mandrake, I grabbed its leaves with both hands and warned Adelia.
Though it looked like an ordinary herb at first glance, a Mandrake's root was a magical beast shaped like a human.
The moment it was pulled from the ground, the shriek it unleashed could drive a person mad. In the worst-case scenario, it could even lead to death.
That was why thorough preparations, like earplugs, were absolutely necessary.
"Huh?"
Just then, Adelia flinched and looked at me.
"Wait. Then what about you, Sir Gaon...?"
"I am fine. The scream of a mere magical beast cannot affect me."
Hearing my reply, Adelia furrowed her brow slightly and asked back.
"What did you say?"
"..."
It seemed her soundproofing was working perfectly.
I saw her stuffing cotton deep inside her earplugs earlier...
Well, then I could pull it without any worries.
"Hup."
Taking a short breath, I used my entire body weight to yank the Mandrake.
Rip!
The root buried deep in the ground revealed itself.
Instantly, a sky-rending shriek echoed.
The Mandrake's signature high-pitched scream.
The monstrous sound reverberated, shaking the entire tunnel.
"Argh...!"
Thud!
Adelia collapsed to her knees.
Despite the heavy soundproofing, she let out a painful groan.
It was only natural.
A Mandrake's scream was among the highest tier of mental attacks.
Ring!
Your 'MAX' Mental Strength resists the Mandrake's roar.
Ah, of course...
Unlike Adelia, who was collapsed on the ground in agony, I felt absolutely nothing.
It was thanks to the passive effect of the Soul of the Sword Master, which blocked all mental attacks.
'Except for my ears ringing a bit, it's manageable.'
Grabbing a handful of dirt, I wrapped it tightly along with the Mandrake in the high-grade silk I had prepared.
I packaged the second Mandrake in the exact same manner. Then, I placed them in a chest and locked it.
Click!
With the sound of the chest closing, the two Mandrakes fell silent, fooled by the environment that mimicked being underground.
'And as for the last one...'
My ears hurt a bit, but I had to wait.
Until he arrived.
The Mandrake's shriek echoed endlessly along the tunnels.
It was loud and sharp enough to be heard not only in the upper zone of the Labyrinth Village but also in the middle, and perhaps even the lower zones.
However, there was no need to worry about attracting unwanted attention.
In a field like the Labyrinth Village, there were no adventurers gutsy enough to investigate such a horrific scream in the first place...
'...and most wouldn't even know this was the scream of a Mandrake.'
But there was an exception to every rule. There was bound to be someone who would seek us out despite the commotion.
'For example...'
Hee-haw—!
'...just like that fellow.'
The braying of a donkey echoed from afar.
The faint sound of hooves drew closer, followed by the urgent, panting voice of an old man.
Finally, the 'guide' who would lead us to the deep zone had made his appearance.
Dangno, who had run over panting for breath, grimaced heavily.
His gaze darted back and forth between his donkey and me.
"Haa, haaa..."
Chew, chew.
The stupid-looking donkey was chewing on the remaining leaves as if nothing had happened.
The sound of the top-grade Mandrake being crushed in its mouth broke the silence of the cemetery.
"S-Surely..."
After a long silence, Dangno finally spoke.
"Surely, that stupid donkey didn't just eat the Mandrake you found...?"
The old man's eyes flickered with resentment toward the donkey, mixed with dread over the consequences of this situation.
I nodded, driving the point home.
"You know exactly how much a top-grade Mandrake is worth, don't you?"
"...Ah."
Thud.
Upon hearing my words, Dangno's face turned deathly pale.
A top-grade Mandrake grown in the Labyrinth Village's soil and infused with undead energy would be worth an astronomical sum.
Just the single stalk that the donkey had devoured would equal several months of profit for an average merchant guild.
Ah, of course...
'...but it's a dirt-cheap price to pay to hire the best guide.'
I smirked.
I smiled inwardly, savoring the victory.
I had created the perfect leverage to force Dangno to guide us to the Earth Dragon's deep zone.
'And perhaps...'
I might even be able to bind him to us until the late game using this debt.