Chapter 133: As If the Labyrinth Could Be Safe
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 133: As If the Labyrinth Could Be Safe
“By any chance, do you have any magic equipment in the mansion?”
Edward, the head of House Berten, seemed amused by my question.
“In adventurer society, the mere possession of magic equipment often translates to power. That’s why the wealthier one is, the more they focus on collecting such items. So, of course, we have plenty. A wide variety, in fact.”
“Would you consider selling any to us?”
“Haha.”
He laughed heartily.
“How naive. These are not items we easily sell to outsiders.”
Of course not.
A house like Berten has no reason to sell its magic equipment. It’s not like they need the money.
So what do they do with it all?
They use it for all sorts of political, legal, and diplomatic lobbying.
As he just said, simply owning magic equipment is a form of power in adventurer society. Rumors alone—that Edward Berten has a mountain of magic gear—are enough.
Wizards from the west, east, and north would flock to him, regardless of their race or origin.
Edward, do you happen to have this or that piece of magic equipment?
Ah, you mean such-and-such item? We do have one in our vault.
Please, you must sell it to me!
As a rule, we do not sell our items to outsiders.
And just like that, Edward would have the upper hand in the negotiation.
He could demand what he needed from the other party or use the item to build a relationship. I was aiming for the latter.
Of course, I wasn't a wizard on the level of Meldini or Isilof who could deal with Edward as an equal, so there was a high chance of being rejected.
But he already had a favorable impression of me. Maybe he’d be willing to invest in my potential for growth.
“But Caleb.”
Thank goodness.
“I wouldn’t call you an outsider. Aren’t we already friends?”
“Thank you.”
It was no wonder that exceptional wizards swarmed around Edward.
“But not too many. I will give you three pieces. Follow me.”
Edward led Yernil and me out of his office, down the central staircase, and into the living room.
“To be honest, a lot of our magic equipment was just brought out and is now being collected again, so we might not have what you’re looking for.”
“Brought out?”
“We lent them to the Public Security Headquarters during the Labyrinth Eruption.”
I see.
It made sense to cooperate during such a major emergency.
“And recently, Clorence took a few more pieces with him when he went down to the 6th floor.”
“Clorence went to the 6th floor?”
“While not on your level, Caleb, our second son is quite a clever wizard. He’s already opened a Tier 4 magic slot at his young age.”
He used to be a Tier 3 wizard active on the 5th floor.
It seemed his level had shot up while fighting high-floor monsters alongside his father and sister during the Labyrinth Eruption.
“Besides, Isel is a Tier 6 wizard now. Isel… well, she had good party members and has already cleared up to the 10th floor.”
“What kind of people were in Isel’s party?”
“You don’t know? They were a rather famous high-floor exploration team in Wyndham. But Isel disbanded the party when she came to Sohen.”
Soon, we descended into the basement and arrived before a massive iron door.
A man’s face was embossed on it…
-Welcome, Edward.
It recognized us.
“The door is talking!” Yernil whispered in my ear.
“It’s Tier 8 security magic.”
When I told Yernil, Edward reacted with surprise.
“You know of this magic.”
I’d seen it a few times in the game.
Tier 8 security magic, ‘Faithful Iron Door.’
The door itself was a magical summon that sealed a specific space, deciding whether to open or close based on the caster’s will.
Like a Watcher, it could see through stealth and disguises as a basic function, and it also constantly activated life detection, undead detection, magic origin detection, and doll detection within a 100-meter radius.
It also had a reinforcement trait that strengthened its defense every time it was attacked, immunity to charm and illusion magic, and even immunity to lockpicking.
It was, in every sense of the word, an impregnable security device.
“That’s right. Its only drawback is that these abilities gradually weaken and eventually disappear after the caster’s death…”
Edward approached the door.
“Still, it should hold up for a good year after I’m gone. Would you open up?”
He knocked on the wall next to the embossed face, and the door replied.
-Opening for Edward. And for one human male and one elf female, who appear to be friends of Edward.
With a heavy groan, the iron door swung open.
“Even if I were to die in an emergency, I’ve set it to open for those I trust,” Edward said.
“The late Chief Inspector, Consul Peterson, Professor Meldini, Professor Isilof, and the late Archmage Dalstream.”
“…”
“Along with a few others, I’ve also registered my family. My wife, Isel, Clorence, and Avison.”
As we stepped inside, Yernil worried about Avison.
“Isn’t that dangerous for Avison? What if someone kidnaps him to open the door?”
“That won’t happen.”
Because the Faithful Iron Door didn’t just mechanically identify targets to open; it possessed the intelligence to judge the overall situation.
“If it detects any signs of coercion, it won’t open. I’ve commanded it as such.”
Inside the vault, a staggering amount of treasure was piled up.
The classes were diverse. There were cold weapons like swords, axes, and spears, as well as magic wands, staves, clothes, armor, and accessories. There was even a large collection of items commonly used by Eastern adventurers, such as Taoist fans, prayer beads, monk’s gloves, and even iron staffs.
“May I take my time looking around?”
“Of course.”
This time, I planned to enter the 5th floor.
Originally, I had intended to run the 4th floor a few more times to solidify our growth, but…
‘Everyone’s level has gone up so much.’
After meeting Hyedam, Bipa, and Mugol last time, we camped together in the Labyrinth twice on our way out of the 3rd floor. At that time, I had assessed each member’s level-up progress as follows:
[Caleb Lv.20]
[Strength (0), Agility (0), Wisdom (29), Health (0), Dexterity (0)]
[Yernil Lv.19]
[Strength (0), Agility (25), Wisdom (0), Health (0), Dexterity (3)]
[Aimus Lv.20]
[Strength (23), Agility (2), Wisdom (0), Health (4), Dexterity (0)]
[Back Attack Lv.20]
[Strength (0), Agility (25), Wisdom (0), Health (0), Dexterity (4)]
It was probably because of the Labyrinth Eruption. They had all fought tooth and nail outside.
The reason Yernil was one level lower was probably…
‘Because she was the only one not there when we bombarded the White Lion with Corpse Explosion?’
It was a possibility.
“Are you planning to go to the 5th floor?” Edward asked, having noticed the types of items I was examining.
“Yes.”
“You’re heading to a dangerous place. The 5th floor is a desert.”
That’s right.
After passing through the stable(?) 1st floor, the swamps of the 2nd, the snowy mountains of the 3rd, and the lava fields of the 4th, adventurers who descended the stairs would find themselves in a vast desert.
There were several things to watch out for in that desert.
First, sunburn and thirst.
The 2nd and 4th floors were also very hot, but the 5th floor was qualitatively different. In game terms, you would get burned just by standing in a safe spot, similar to the freezing effect on the 3rd floor.
And unlike the 2nd or 4th floors, the environment was extremely dry, so any water you brought would evaporate quickly. Countless adventurers died of dehydration from thirst.
Second, the oases.
Ironically, the oases here might seem like saviors in the midst of thirst, but they were actually springs of death. They were teeming with all sorts of monsters.
Even if you managed to kill them all, drinking the water wasn’t easy. The water in the oases inflicted random negative status effects on those who drank it.
Third, the sand hells.
A type of trap that sucked people in like a sinkhole. You could suffocate buried in the sand, be attacked by monsters while trapped, or in the worst-case scenario…
“Do we really have to go there?”
Yernil’s face turned pale as she listened to Edward’s explanation.
“There’s no need to be so scared. As long as you’re well-prepared, there won’t be any problems,” Edward said.
“Even Clorence cleared the 5th floor and has now moved on to the 6th.”
“That’s right, Yernil. Don’t worry too much.”
I soothed Yernil as I picked out the items one by one.
Honestly, if I had the luxury, I wouldn’t be rushing through the Labyrinth like this.
But I had no choice.
The White Lion, the Dagger Raptor, the Wyndham trio.
There were too many monsters in this world.
The fact that I had survived in the midst of it all was a miracle in itself.
Right now, the best course of action was to hunt monsters that gave a lot of experience and grow as much as possible, even if it meant taking some risks.
It was no exaggeration to say that ‘growth is urgent.’
“Besides, a party at our level can handle the 5th floor.”
In the game, a party with an average level of 20 could proceed through the 5th floor just fine as long as they were well-equipped.
“This one, this one, and this one. May I purchase these three?”
I chose a wand-mountable light-condensing lens, a large-scale moisturizing ring, and a hood.
“The condensing lens is to prevent sunburn and to channel sunlight into the wand to increase magic power, and the moisturizing ring is to suppress moisture loss…”
Edward examined the items I had chosen one by one.
“The hood is an unexpected choice.”
[Hood of Flank Necrosis]
▶This product has been appraised by the Magic University’s appraisal department and confirmed to contain magical power, receiving a ‘Treasure’ grade.
▶When the user attacks a target’s flank or rear, this hood grants the Tier 3 combat magic ‘Necrosis’ to bladed weapons.
It would be more than enough for the field mobs on the 5th floor, though our damage output might be a bit lacking for the exit boss.
I planned to give this to Back Attack.
“How much will it be?”
“Just take them. Return them when you’re done.”
“Really…?”
The magnanimity of the tycoon was so great, I was honestly a little surprised.
“Isn’t it possible you might run into my daughter or son in the Labyrinth soon?” Edward said. “You might find a way to repay me then.”
“You want the dust-proof bracelet?”
I received the bracelet from Isilof. A large-scale dust-proof bracelet.
It was the one the professor had lent me when I entered the 4th floor last time, for the mission to investigate the ironworks.
As a reward for completing that mission, I asked if I could just have the bracelet.
“So you’re going to the 5th floor.”
The bracelet was necessary on the 4th floor, but also on the 5th, where sandstorms kicked up a lot of dust.
“Here. Take it.”
“Thank you.”
After receiving the bracelet, I went to the weapon shop. I had the Heat-Resistant Scale Armor I’d left there repaired.
It was the armor that contained Aimus’s Steel Parasol skill.
I also had Back Attack’s Flame Dagger repaired.
It was a dagger that burst into flames when struck.
I had various other miscellaneous items repaired, bought new food and water, and also a new backpack.
[Backpack of Shrinking Magic]
▶This product has been appraised by the Magic University’s appraisal department and confirmed to contain magical power, receiving a ‘Magic’ grade.
▶This backpack contains shrinking magic that reduces the weight and volume of its contents.
I also bought a separate pouch for food.
[Pouch of Freshness Preservation]
▶This product has been appraised by the Magic University’s appraisal department and confirmed to contain magical power, receiving a ‘Magic’ grade.
▶This pouch contains freshness preservation magic that prevents its contents from spoiling or deteriorating.
Putting our water bottles in this pouch would also keep them safe from the dryness of the 5th floor, minimizing moisture loss.
“Let’s go!”
Our preparations were perfect.
Ten days had passed since we met Hyedam.
“To the 5th floor!”
We took the elevator down to the 4th floor and ran straight to the 5th.
And then.
“What the.”
The order of crossing through the gate was Aimus, our vanguard; then me, for situation analysis and to back up Aimus; then Yernil, with her sound mapping.
Back Attack was last.
“Where are you all standing…”
Back Attack, who came through last, had a grim expression on his face.
There was a trap right where we had gathered after crossing the gate.
‘A sand hell!’
Suddenly, the ground beneath us gave way.
A horrified Yernil tried to activate Sentry Relocation, but it failed.
Anyone caught in a sand hell is considered ‘Bound,’ which restricts most movement-type skills.
“No. Fucking hell!”
Back Attack tried to grab my arm and Shadow Leap, but he only ended up getting caught in the sand hell with me.
‘No way.’
My mind went blank.
‘A trap right in front of the gate?’
I’d seen monsters waiting in ambush many times, but this…
“We’re falling!”
“Wha-what…”
Yernil’s face turned pale as she was sucked downward.
“Caleb!”
She reached out her hand and vanished into the mire. But I was right behind her.
I remembered the first time Yernil and I fell into the 1st floor of the Labyrinth. She had stepped on a trap then, too.
Inside the hourglass turn, I had guessed at the type of trap.
Spikes shooting up, exploding nails, gas, and a pitfall trap.
The answer had been exploding nails, but the one I had no solution for at the time was the pitfall trap.
While getting a taste of the hellish Sohen, I had often thought that the Labyrinth might be safer.
What a stupid thought.
Of course it wasn’t.
If you fall into a sand hell, you can suffocate inside it.
Or you can be attacked by monsters while trapped and die.
But there was a worst-case scenario.
Fuck.
CRASH!
Our falling speed slowed as we collided with a giant mushroom.
We slid down its springy surface.
Hallucinogenic spores burst all around us.
The ground was covered in moss and slime.
Yernil was beside me, Back Attack was on top of the mushroom.
And above him, Aimus was still falling.
“We’re fucked.”
Since being possessed into this game, I could count on one hand the number of moments this desperate.
“This is the 6th floor…”
Every plan we had prepared for the 5th floor was now for nothing.
The 6th floor was never part of my plan.