Chapter 12: Farming for the Final Battle
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 12: Farming for the Final Battle
“This is our base camp.”
I briefed Yernil on our plan.
“We have two days. We’re going to search this area and gather a few types of consumables.”
According to the game’s lore, the reason the Labyrinth was so profitable was because it was a space of creative economy, endlessly spewing out goods.
The Labyrinth was littered with chests, boxes, containers, sacks, and lockers of unknown origin, and from them, you could get equipment, potions, precious metals, food, and even money.
Of course, what I wanted right now wasn’t precious metals, food, or money…
“Defense magic scrolls and oak barrels.”
Those were our main objectives.
It would be nice if some decent weapons or armor dropped, but the probability was low.
And one more thing, the most important of all.
“From now on, we’re going through hellish training!”
“Eh?”
“We’re going to kill about a hundred goblins.”
“What…?”
Sensing that things were taking a strange turn, Yernil’s world went dark.
*
A mad wizard had appeared on the peaceful first floor of the Labyrinth.
“Fireball!”
“Fireball!”
“Lightning Shock!”
Like something out of A Better Tomorrow… except with dual wands instead of pistols, I ran around committing mass slaughter.
Four goblins appeared at once? Didn’t matter!
“Fireball!”
“Ice Lance!”
“Fireball!”
“Ice Lance!”
Want a taste of McCree—no, McCaleb?
It’s High Noon!
Boom! Boom! Kaboom!
Flipping the hourglass with every encounter, I unleashed a storm of fire on every monster horde I met.
Goblin warriors, goblin rogues, goblin archers—it didn't matter. Now that my Wisdom was over 13, I could even blast right through their shields.
The goblin trifecta was nothing! Bring on as many as you want!
More than five of them?
Couldn't intercept them all in one turn?
Time for the Yernil-assist!
“Yernil! Shoot the goblin rogue on the far right in the head.”
I’ll take care of the four on the left.
“Fireball!”
“Fireball!”
“Fireball!”
“Fireball!”
In truth, I made sure to give Yernil a kill in every single battle. At least one, sometimes two.
Because I figured that was the only way she would level up, too.
We killed the Venomic Spider.
My guess was that we were already past level 4 and heading toward level 5.
On the first floor of the Labyrinth, level 5 was pretty much the limit. The three types of goblins stopped giving experience points from level 5 onward.
But on the flip side, that meant we could reach level 5. If we grinded hard for two days.
Level 5 was a crucial growth point.
Because that’s when you could pick one more special ability.
“Fireball!”
“Fireball!”
For farming, I focused only on lightweight and valuable magic stones. I had no use for the goblins’ trashy equipment.
My targets were chests containing items, or goblin shamans.
“Found one!”
Yernil shouted, cupping a hand to her long, elven ear.
“Just like you said, I can hear a goblin shaman mumbling!”
“Where? Where is it?”
My mouth was already watering.
“This way!”
“I’ll take the lead, just point the way.”
Because if you go first, Yernil, you might step on a trap.
“Straight ahead for now!”
I led Yernil forward, carefully scanning the floor, ceiling, and walls. Straight, right turn, right turn, straight, left turn.
Found him!
A goblin shaman, holding a wooden staff, appeared, peacefully camping(?) with its minions.
“Grrrk?”
[It is your turn. Time remaining: 60 seconds.]
“Fireball! Fireball! Fireball! Yernil, arrow to the right! Fireball!”
The reason for hunting goblin shamans was that they often carried scrolls.
I had to find as many useful scrolls as possible in these two days.
[Unlock Scroll]
▶Can unlock low-difficulty locks.
A dud.
What I was looking for were defensive magic scrolls.
“Next!”
I led Yernil to find and kill a second goblin shaman.
[Stairs Scroll]
▶Can teleport you to the ‘stairs’ leading to the next floor of the Labyrinth.
Another dud.
I led Yernil to a chest and we farmed it. One healing potion. A dud again.
“Over there!”
We found and killed the next goblin shaman.
[Cleanup Scroll]
▶Can automatically clean and tidy a room.
Aargh!
Something useful! Please!
*
About eight hours later, at base camp.
The moment we arrived, Yernil collapsed onto her sleeping bag as if she’d fainted. I gathered stones and firewood and started a fire.
“I’ll do it.”
Yernil came over and took the baton from me, putting a pot of water on the fire and chopping potatoes, carrots, and beef to add to it.
“Not much of a haul today,” she said.
“Tell me about it.”
We absolutely needed a defense magic scroll and an oak barrel.
This was bad.
“Here, Caleb.”
Yernil handed me a bowl of the cooked soup.
As I rested my weary body and ate the warm soup, a harsh wave of reality suddenly came crashing down.
Was my body, the one that had been sitting in front of a computer in Nokdu Villa, Room 201, in Nokbeon-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, okay?
Was I a missing person? Or had I died suddenly?
Please, let it not be the latter.
Humans are creatures of adaptation, and their greed knows no end. At first, I was chewing on measly potatoes, but after finding Avison’s backpack and eating this stew, it felt like a Michelin-star meal. Now, it was just okay.
Same with Avison’s sleeping bag.
The first time I lay in it, I thought my body would melt from the soft cushioning. Now, it just felt cold and uncomfortable.
I’d give anything to be lying under a cotton blanket with the boiler turned up, watching MyuTube on my smartphone.
“Hoo.”
I let out a small sigh and scrubbed at my face.
Caleb.
Get a grip, you crazy bastard.
You’re still in the middle of the Labyrinth. You’re losing your edge, aren't you?
“Um, Caleb.”
Yernil called to me.
“Yes.”
“The sound of the larva moving has gotten a lot weaker.”
I went closer to look, and it was definitely less lively.
That was because this thing was supposed to devour a human leg every six hours.
It had probably been a few hours since it finished off Avison’s remaining thigh and started starving.
Poke.
I gently prodded the larva with the tip of my wand. It squirmed violently and let out a squeaking sound.
“It’s still alive, but it’ll die in two or three days. That’s why we absolutely have to farm a defense magic scroll and an oak barrel tomorrow.”
“Caleb.”
“Yes.”
“Should we… feed it… Avison…?”
Yernil.
You’ve gotten pretty hardcore these past few days.
To be honest, I had considered it too. The problem was…
“Desecrating a corpse under soul preservation is a serious crime.”
“Ah.”
In the game’s lore, it was treated as an assault charge proportional to the degree of desecration.
And what if the damage was so severe that resurrection became impossible?
Then it would be considered murder.
“They can confirm if we desecrated the body using magic like ‘Speak with Dead’ or psychometry. If we get caught, we’re finished. Besides…”
There was another problem.
“We don’t have any tools to cut the body.”
Like a saw or an axe. All we had was a palm-sized multi-purpose knife. To slice it up centimeter by centimeter with this?
Just imagining it made me think the Labyrinth Master would come to interview me as a promising candidate for madness.
And even if we somehow managed it, how would we cut the bones? Using magic would likely turn an assault charge into a murder charge.
“What if we bring a goblin corpse and feed it that?”
Yernil was getting smarter!
You didn't happen to put points into Wisdom, did you?
“Goblin corpses are toxic.”
In-game, goblin flesh inflicted poison damage. Of course, that was based on human standards, so I didn't know if it would apply to the larva.
“There’s no need to choose an unverified method.”
I picked up a strip of bacon and put it in the larva’s mouth.
“Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!”
It devoured it in an instant, writhing as if in ecstasy.
Don’t die.
Little larva.
You have to hold on.
*
The second day.
A miracle occurred.
[Magic Armor Scroll]
▶This scroll contains the Tier 1 defensive spell, ‘Magic Armor’.
“Found it! I found it!”
A goblin shaman, killed after about three hours of progress from the exit room, had dropped a defense magic scroll.
“Woooow!”
Yernil jumped up and down with joy.
And what’s more.
“I found an oak barrel, too!”
A huge oak barrel was sitting just a few meters from where we got the scroll.
Of all the containers that appeared in the Labyrinth, oak barrels had the largest capacity. And they had the great advantage of being able to hold liquids.
“Let’s go! Yernil, can you drag the barrel?”
“Yes!”
Full of fighting spirit, Yernil clenched her fists. She slung her bow over her shoulder like a crossbody bag, tilted the oak barrel slightly, and started dragging it.
“I’m an experienced barrel-dragger now, you know! Leave it to me!”
She threw a playful joke, clearly in high spirits.
“Yernil.”
Sorry, but I have to rain on your parade.
“Yes?”
“That’s the wrong way.”
Yernil was about to head back the way we came. She thought that since all the farming was done, we could go back to base camp and get a good rest.
But our hellish training wasn’t over.
“We still haven’t killed 100 goblins yet.”
“...What?”
When I checked last night before sleeping, I was still level 4.
“If we go back the way we came, there won’t be any goblins to hunt.”
For a moment, the look in Yernil’s eyes was similar to when I told her ‘we’ll settle up back in town.’
“Not that way, let’s go this way.”
It was the longest route, the one most infested with goblins.
I had already figured out how all the paths connected while making a round yesterday.
We were going to take the long, hard, roundabout way back.
“…”
Yernil’s world went dark.
*
“Yernil! Put the barrel down and grab your bow!”
“Yes…! Yessir!”
When I shouted, she would quickly put down the barrel, take out her bow, and nock an arrow.
Fireballs and arrows rained down, and the battle ended.
“Good. Let’s go again. Barrel, please.”
“Yes!”
Yernil’s ranger training had begun.
“Yernil! Bow!”
“Yes!”
“Let’s go again. Take the barrel.”
“…!”
“Yernil, bow!”
“Aaargh!”
“Barrel.”
“Let’s go slower!”
“Yernil, bow!”
“Gah!”
“Barrel!”
“Yernil!”
“Barrel!”
“Bow!”
“B’rrel!”
“Bow!”
“B’rrel!”
“Bow!”
“…”
After two hours, Yernil was completely exhausted.
“Pant… pant…”
She was gasping for breath, utterly spent.
Yernil.
Your trust in me isn't dropping, is it?
Just in case, I turned on the hourglass and asked her to sing. Thankfully, it worked(?).
“Sunlight… nice, strawberry… forest… pant… pant… The girl with… pretty ears…”
But what was with the state of her voice?
“Pant… pant… The girl with dimples when she smiles… cough!”
Was that a necromancy incantation or something?
“What song is that?”
“It’s a… work song… from my village.”
I’m so sorry.
I wanted to drag it for her, but then I’d lose a ton of Action Points taking out my wand when the hourglass was active.
“We’re almost there. Just hang in a little longer.”
“Okaay… I’m sure Caleb has his reasons for making me do this…”
“…”
Together, we killed another 35 goblins and made it back to base camp.
*
“We’re… we’re here. Is it over now?”
On the verge of fainting, Yernil plopped down on the floor the moment we arrived.
“Rest for a bit.”
I used magic on the wall.
“Ice Lance.”
I made a bunch of icicles, broke them off, and then stacked them neatly inside the oak barrel.
“What are you doing?”
“Filling the barrel with water.”
When the ice lances melted, the barrel would be full of water. Since I didn’t have a ‘Create Water’ spell, this was the only way for now.
“Let’s get some sleep now.”
“Yay!”
Yernil, exhausted from both dragging the barrel and fighting, brightened up.
“Finally!”
Her eyes sparkled at the thought of a sweet sleep in her soft sleeping bag, but…
“I’m going to sleep first.”
I quickly slid into the sleeping bag, beating her to it.
Sorry, Yernil.
“…!”
For a moment, Yernil looked as if the sky had fallen.
Am I being a little petty right now?
“…I’ll sleep first. Is that okay?”
“…Yes…”
Yernil hung her head.
It can’t be helped, Yernil.
I have to sleep first. That way, I can confirm my level-up, choose a special ability, and adjust our strategy while you’re asleep.
And as soon as you wake up, we’re going into the exit room.
So this is the most efficient order of things.
“Wake me up in 2.5 hours.”
[Caleb has leveled up.]
▶Lv.4 → Lv.5
[Yernil has leveled up.]
▶Lv.4 → Lv.5
Thankfully, Yernil leveled up too.
[Please select Caleb’s special ability.]
[Please select Yernil’s special ability.]
*
The water barrel was full.
We had leveled up and chosen our special abilities.
Yernil had also slept soundly and woken up.
We had a hearty breakfast and finished a detailed strategy meeting.
“We will now enter the exit room.”
But first, just one last thing.
“Are you… serious?”
Yernil’s pupils trembled as she watched the crazy thing I was doing.
“Screeeeeee!”
I was in the middle of pulling the Black Hornet larva out of its egg sac.
“Ughhh!”
Even though it had starved for over two days, the bug was so massive it felt like doing a heavy deadlift.
In the real world, I was far from athletic and could barely deadlift 80kg. This wizard’s body was even weaker than my real one.
Because my Strength was 0!
“Gah!”
I barely managed to pull it out of the egg sac.
I tried to toss it aside, but I ended up collapsing with the larva in my arms.
“Are you okay?”
Yernil ran over to help me up. The larva was on the floor, screaming and squirming wildly.
“Squeak! Squeeeak!”
“Stay still, you little punk.”
There was a reason I kicked the larva out of here.
A reason for Yernil to be horrified and the larva to be furious. A reason for the Labyrinth Master to put me on the list of madness candidates.
“You’re really going to wear that egg sac?”
It was to use this as armor.
“Yes.”
The Black Hornet’s egg boasts incredible defense against external physical damage. In-game, it’s treated as an object, and you can’t break it no matter how much you hit it.
However, it’s weak to impact from the inside. It evolved that way to make it easier for the larva to break out when it becomes an adult. That’s the lore, anyway.
Therefore.
Crrk!
If I stick my hand into the mouth of the egg sac and carefully cut it out with the multi-purpose knife, I can make a hole.
Crrk!
Like this.
After making a few holes in the egg sac, I lift it up and put it on upside down, headfirst. I stick my arms through the holes I made on the sides, and it’s complete.
“Done! How do I look?”
“…”
It looks idiotic, but awesome.
That’s what her eyes were saying.
The name of this fucking awesome breastplate is the Black Hornet Egg Plate Chest Armor (Legendary).
The reason its grade is Legendary is because if word of this ever got out, it would become a true legend in more ways than one.
“Shall we go?”
Wearing the egg sac made my body a bit wobbly.
Plus, the stench was pretty bad, and the larva’s droppings, fluids, and the ooze from Avison’s corpse were dripping down, which was a bit of an ordeal.
But this was the only way.
Yernil dragged the oak barrel full of water.
I dragged the larva.
You are the sacrifice for my new special ability.
“Screeeeeee!”
With the struggling larva in tow and Yernil behind me…
Click.
We finally opened the gates of hell.
*
It was an empty room, 15 meters wide and 15 meters long. On the left, there was a small set of stairs, a wooden platform, and a ladder. In front, there was a large stone chair.
A human man was sitting there.
The former strongest being of the Labyrinth’s first floor.
Mr. Back Attack.
If this were a game, a message would probably be floating above his head.
[Madness]
It wasn’t there now, but the look in his eyes as he lifted his head was definitely unhinged.
Limp hair, dry skin, chapped lips.
The mark of the Labyrinth Master was stamped on his forehead.
An eerie wind blew from the adventurer who had been captivated by the Labyrinth’s magic.
A chill ran down my spine.
Yernil’s breathing, which had been shallow with nervousness just a moment ago, disappeared.
She had stopped breathing altogether.
Do not attack first.
That’s what I had told her.
Because even if she fired a precious poison arrow, he would likely dodge it.
“Hehehehe.”
Mr. Back Attack suddenly burst out laughing.
Hoo.
I clenched my teeth, tense as well.
An adventurer possessed by madness, who would cause a game over nine times out of ten even if you faced him with a party of four in the game.
And a rogue type, a wizard killer, no less.
To think I’d be challenging him with my life on the line in a party of two.
Even I had to admit, it was insane.
“Bring it on, you bastard.”
I’m the strongest on the first floor of this Labyrinth now