The Outpost System
“···The base system?”
Most of the ability enhancements I’d seen online for Awakeners simply added new skills or passives. I’d expected something similar—maybe another skill at most.
True Ancestor’s Base LV1
- Can declare a space in reality or on the 1st floor of the Labyrinth as a base.
- Special functions unlock as the base’s level rises.
- The base’s level rises in proportion to the level of the True Ancestor and the familiars residing there.
“···What the hell does that mean?”
I wouldn’t know what made it special until I tried it. Might as well give it a shot.
“Declare base.”
Scanning space.
Would you like to designate this 10-pyeong officetel as a reality base?
“Yeah.”
Base conversion in progress···. The reality base can be replaced later.
A flash of light filled the room.
Base designation complete.
Reality Base: 10-pyeong officetel.
Please set the Labyrinth base.
···
Reality had been easy, but the Labyrinth base was another story. The system was basically telling me to enter the Labyrinth.
“Ha. I really don’t want to go in.”
Still, I couldn’t skip it. This wasn’t just another skill—it was a unique system only I could use. It had to be an enormous advantage.
“Fine. Let’s just do it!”
It was only the 1st floor. I’d declare the base, find the nearest exit, and get out. Exits existed on the outskirts, and the 1st floor’s outer areas were only populated by ordinary goblins.
“Labyrinth ent··· haa.”
The moment I tried to step in, fear hit me like a truck.
That was when my eyes met the goblin sitting quietly in the corner of the room, watching me. The hero who had brought me Ether.
“···Still, I should prepare properly before going, right?”
We’d probably split up the moment I entered, but there was a chance we might meet and he could help.
“Come here.”
“Kerk!”
The goblin scurried over and looked up at me with wide eyes.
“Job Change.”
Please select the desired job.
“Goblin Warrior.”
Please bestow blood.
“···?”
Blood? So I had to give this goblin my blood?
I picked up the sharp dagger left behind by Goblin #3. Surely I didn’t have to bite him directly? That sounded awful.
When I pricked my fingertip with the dagger, blood welled up. The goblin seemed to understand what was happening—he suddenly dropped to his knees and raised both hands.
I let a single drop fall onto his palms.
The blood sank into his skin like it was being absorbed. Then—
Flash!
Light burst from the goblin’s body.
Crack. Crack!
His frame grew slightly larger, and muscle filled out his once-thin limbs. He now looked noticeably stronger than an ordinary goblin—a Goblin Warrior.
“Kerrrrk!”
His voice was far more powerful than before.
His level remained 1. It seemed goblins also had to hunt monsters to level up. Still, his starting stats—Strength and Agility—had increased. Intelligence would’ve been nice too.
“···Now that I think about it, you’re the first one, aren’t you? I can see the bite mark on your shoulder.”
“Kerkkerk!”
The Goblin Warrior grinned proudly and thrust his shoulder forward so I could see it clearly. It wasn’t a goblin’s bite mark—it was the one I’d left when I was fighting for my life.
My very first familiar. And the hero who had found me Ether.
“Alright. From now on, your name is Gob.”
“Kerk!!”
Gob LV 1
Job: Goblin Warrior
Strength: 7
Agility: 7
Intelligence: 4
Recognized for his contributions, this goblin has been granted a name by the True Ancestor. He will serve with absolute loyalty.
The title “Goblin Warrior” had become his job, and now he had a proper name—Gob. The description had changed slightly, but his stats stayed the same. Still, since he was the first, giving him a name felt right. Naming every single one after this would be impossible, though.
“Here, take this. And this is a gift.”
I took the dagger he’d been holding and handed him the sharp one Goblin #3 had brought—the same dagger I’d used to prick my finger. It was meant as a keepsake, but—
“Kerrrrgh!!!”
Gob bounced around excitedly, then—
Slurp, slurp!
“···”
He started licking the blade furiously with his tongue.
…Maybe I shouldn’t have given it to him.
Leaving Gob to his enthusiastic licking, I switched to third-person familiar view. Nine goblins were still wandering the Labyrinth. They had daggers now, so the next priority was armor.
“You guys, look around for some armor nearby.”
-Kerrrk!
-Kerk!
Once we had armor, I’d enter the Labyrinth.
***
Preparation didn’t take long. Nine goblins scoured the Labyrinth. Without bags, they could only carry eighteen items total between them, but that was enough.
Clothes from reality were no better than plastic inside the Labyrinth. Even low defense was better than nothing.
We had enough armor now.
“Kerrrk!”
“Kerk!”
“Kerkkerk!!”
Including Gob, ten Vampire Goblins who had been promoted to warriors stood in my room.
“Listen carefully. Once you enter the Labyrinth, find me first. Got it?”
“Kerrrk!”
“Kerk!”
The goblins nodded. I took a deep breath. Full armor set, weapons included. I felt like I was overreacting for just the 1st floor, but it was necessary. My life was on the line. If a wild goblin stabbed me in the back, I was dead. With full armor, though, I could handle at least one.
Let’s go!
“Enter Labyrinth.”
Flash!
The world brightened, and my surroundings changed. Instead of my cozy 10-pyeong officetel, I stood in what looked like a ruined city after an apocalypse. The 1st floor was in permanent daylight, but the light didn’t feel like real sunlight. It must be artificial.
The air had changed the moment I entered. Dust, mold, and moss filled my nose and throat.
This was the Labyrinth. A mysterious space where some died and others struck it rich.
A system window appeared before me.
You have entered the Labyrinth for the first time!
Huh? Already?! What a disappointing achievement!
···What the hell, you little—
A reward has been given for your cowardice!
Reward: Blood Scent (A)
Never mind. Thank you, System.
An A-rank skill? I should be bowing.
I immediately checked the skill.
Blood Scent (A)
A vampire’s blood leaves a special trace.
The True Ancestor can sense the location of his familiars.
Familiars can find the True Ancestor no matter where they are.
Familiars can locate other nearby familiars.
“Nice.”
This was exactly what I needed right now. I used third-person familiar view to check on the goblins.
-Kyaaaak!
-Kieeeeek!
-Kerk!
All the goblins, including Gob, were sprinting toward my location at full speed. I could feel them coming too. The 1st floor was as large as Seoul, so only the ones who had landed nearby—Gob included—would reach me. The rest were unfortunately on the opposite side.
With the new skill confirmed, I gripped my dagger and scanned the area. I had landed in what felt like a residential district—low-rise buildings packed tightly together.
Where would be a good spot for a base? I walked slowly, staying alert for any goblins that might jump out.
“Man, it really does feel like a real city.”
People called the Labyrinth another world. I’d thought it was more like a VR game, but standing here, I understood what they meant. The smell of the air, the texture of the ground, the dust rising from crumbling walls—this was undeniably real.
After wandering for a while, I found a wide open lot. Unsure whether a field or a building would be better, I stood between the lot and the wall of a nearby one-story house.
Let’s try here.
“Declare base.”
Scanning space.
Would you like to designate coordinates 243.57 as a Labyrinth base?
“Yeah.”
Base conversion in progress···. Labyrinth bases cannot be replaced.
Flash!
With a rumbling sound, the terrain transformed alongside the light. The open lot remained, but the building beside it melted away like wax. In its place appeared a circular stone wall surrounding the lot, a wooden storage box in one corner, and a single door standing in the center.
Base designation complete.
Labyrinth Base Lv1
Base Facilities:
- Base Entrance
- Simple Storage Lv1
- Defensive Wall Lv1
“So this is what a base looks like?”
I could feel the wide, field-sized space now under my control. This was where I would operate from now on.
First, I checked the door in the center. It stood alone, as if it needed locking. Was this the entrance?
When I grabbed the handle and pulled, the door opened smoothly. Beyond it was—
“···What? That’s my house.”
My 10-pyeong officetel. Stepping through, I naturally exited the Labyrinth and returned to my real home.
So this was how Labyrinth entry worked?
“This is seriously amazing.”
The reason the Labyrinth was so difficult was because every entry dropped you in a random location. That made party farming almost impossible. It was why nearly every Awakener played solo.
But with a direct passage like this···
“I don’t need to scatter the goblins anymore, do I?”
I’d gone through the trouble of bringing them in with me for nothing. I could’ve just set the base and called them through the door.
I returned to the Labyrinth base through the new door that had appeared where the wall used to be.
Next, I checked the area labeled Simple Storage. Rows of boxes sat neatly inside. When I opened one and reached in, I felt far more space than was visible.
“Holy crap?! This is an extradimensional space!”
It was only twice the visible size—tiny, really—but even this was huge. And since it was only Lv1, it could probably be upgraded. Either way, I wouldn’t have to worry about storing farmed items at home anymore.
The base’s purpose was now clear. I’d arm and manage the goblins here, then sweep the 1st floor for items.
That left the defensive wall···
“Hm?”
I heard a noise from the outer edge and approached. Climbing onto the stone wall, I looked over.
“Kyaaaak!”
A wild goblin was pounding on the wall. So this was the defensive wall?
If I had any Domination Power left, I would’ve gone down and bitten it myself, but I could feel my first subordinate rushing over.
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
Thud!
“Kyak!”
“Good job, Gob.”
Gob arrived just in time and drove his dagger into the goblin’s neck with one strike. Then, as if he were hungry, he hugged the fallen goblin and—
Crunch!
Slurp, slurp.
He sucked the blood like it was a drink.
“···”
Yeah, he was definitely a vampire. I didn’t feel like doing that myself, though. Was it because I was a True Ancestor?
“When you’re done, dump it nearby and come inside.”
Nod, nod.
Gob gulped down the blood while nodding frantically. I headed back inside.
This place was now completely my territory. Only goblins were nearby, and from what I’d seen, ordinary ones couldn’t climb the wall. That meant I had a safe zone inside the Labyrinth.
“Thank goodness. I was wondering where I’d house them all as their numbers grew.”
Now it didn’t matter if I had a hundred or a thousand goblins. They could stay at the Labyrinth base while I gave orders from the reality base.
Gob wiped his mouth and came inside, though he looked unsatisfied. His stomach growled loudly.
“···You just drank blood, didn’t you?”
“Kerk! Kerkkerk! Kerrrk!”
He gestured wildly, using every bit of body language he had.
“Blood is··· a drink?”
“Kerk kerk!”
“And food is separate···?”
“Kerrrk!!”
Gob nodded vigorously.
“So blood is like water, and you need actual food too?”
“Kerk!!”
“···”
They had maintenance costs?
I immediately opened the door and returned to reality. It was 3:30 a.m.—too late for delivery.
“···Just hold on a little longer.”
“Kerk!”
Gob clutched his stomach and collapsed.
Wait. They actually ate food? Then···
“Does the food cost go up every time I increase the number of familiars???”
I’d have to start making money from what I’d farmed first.
The End
© Diwalls #1mxtx