Chapter 72: To the 4th Floor
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 72: To the 4th Floor
The elven forest where Yernil had lived was a backwater village in the middle of nowhere.
It was a closed-off community with no contact with the outside world, a place where beautiful deer roamed the woods and fairies gathered to bathe in a stunning lake.
Yernil grew up happily, catching fish in that very lake.
She deeply loved every single elf in her village, without exception.
The boys her age would sometimes drone on about cities and labyrinths, reciting tales of a world they’d never seen as if memorizing a script, but to Yernil’s ears, it all sounded nothing but tedious.
She would never leave that village.
That’s what she believed back then.
So when Yernil left the forest alone and was dropped into the city of Flandre, the sense of desolation and terror she felt was beyond words.
Every beastfolk who passed by was terrifying, for they were all species she had never seen before.
That was why she got a job at the Errand Center.
At least the owner there was an elf.
*
“Ugh…”
Yernil glared at the Errand Center owner, the man who had so thoroughly crushed her trust and screwed her over.
“Easy now. Your eyes are shooting daggers.”
“Weren’t you arrested by the Public Security Headquarters back then? You’re out already?” Yernil asked.
“‘Already?’ That was ages ago. I got out a long time ago. After two days of questioning.”
The owner burst out laughing.
“W-what did you say?!”
Yernil was so shocked she staggered.
But this was something I didn’t understand either.
“Do they let drug offenders off that easily in Flandre?”
Yernil, who was just a simple courier, was fined and sold into slavery when she couldn’t pay, yet the mastermind behind the whole operation got out ages ago?
“Because I paid the fine.”
“The person in charge of trafficking drugs gets off with just a fine?”
“Who said I was in charge? Me?”
The man shook his head.
“I, too, regret that my business, which supplied a distribution network and delivered goods throughout Flandre, became so corrupt. And I’m the one who really suffered a loss here. I even got my business license suspended because of it.”
He said all this, but his expression was far from that of an aggrieved man.
He was obviously the one who had supplied the drugs.
He pinned it on a subordinate.
And he got away with it by paying a fine for neglecting his supervisory duties as a business owner. With a business suspension tacked on.
But the fact that he was now in Sohen, sniffing around the Magic University…
“Are you preparing to start another business here?”
“You’re half right.”
The man nodded.
“I’m not starting a new one here; I already had a business here. From way back. What choice do I have but to focus on that one?”
“…”
“I’m late with my introductions. I am Lilweed, an elven businessman.”
He extended his hand to me.
“My name is Caleb. What kind of business do you run here?”
“Right now, I’m in the business of buying magic items. I heard a few interesting pieces came into the appraisal department, so I came to have a look, but they said only the owner could see them.”
He must have been talking about our items that Yernil had submitted. But I didn’t say anything.
You have to watch your mouth around guys like this. He was a drug dealer, wasn’t he? He could have his hands in other crimes. For example, he could be running a few raider groups.
There was nothing to be gained by letting him know I had something valuable.
So, Yernil, you keep your mouth shut too. I’m getting a bad vibe from him, like a pseudo-Antonelli…
“Ah, there you are! The clients for the appraisal.”
Fuck.
An employee from the appraisal department waved and approached me, completely oblivious.
“I’ll bring everything out for you, along with the appraisal certificates.”
As if trying to help me out, he glanced at Lilweed and gave me a wink.
“The items that came in this time are truly amazing, Caleb. They’ll fetch a very high price at the auction house.”
He continued, hyping them up.
Nothing to be done. I might as well see the items.
“Two wands, one necklace, one belt, and one short, hooded cape. Five items in total.”
The cape was from the treasure room Soyul and I found, and the rest were Antonelli’s belongings.
To be honest, I was a little excited.
Because they were items used by Antonelli, the 4th-floor necromancer, they would likely be compatible with me, a wizard.
Even the final item, the cape, was for a magic user.
First, I examined the wands.
[Soul Infusion Wand]
▶This item has been appraised by the Magic University’s appraisal department. Magical power has been confirmed, but at a Tier 1 level, it has received a ‘Normal’ grade.
▶This wand contains the Tier 1 combat magic ‘Soul Infusion.’
[Corrosion Wand]
▶This item has been appraised by the Magic University’s appraisal department. Magical power has been confirmed, but at a Tier 1 level, it has received a ‘Normal’ grade.
▶This wand contains the Tier 1 combat magic ‘Corrosion.’
The two wands were basically duds.
The Magic University could also craft wands imbued with magic, and the mass-produced ones typically contained a single Tier 1 spell.
That’s why wands with only one Tier 1 spell were cheap. They were common, mass-produced items.
So common, in fact, that they even gave one to each member of the university’s slave teams when they shoved them into the Labyrinth.
To be valuable, a wand needed to contain either a Tier 2 spell or two Tier 1 spells. For example, like the Thunderclap Wand I received from Isilof, which contained both Lightning Shock and Superconductivity.
“These won’t even cover the appraisal fee.”
“So it seems. Haha.”
Still, they might be useful someday, so I packed them away.
Next was the necklace.
[Caleb's Appraised Item: 1. Necklace]
▶This item has been appraised by the Magic University’s appraisal department. Magical power has been confirmed, and it has received a ‘Magic’ grade.
▶This necklace contains the Tier 1 combat magic ‘Peaceful Mind.’
Oh.
This was excellent.
An item like this probably came from a 4th-floor treasure room or was dropped by a powerful exit boss.
Of course, he could have also bought it at an auction.
[Caleb's Appraised Item: 2. Belt]
▶This item has been appraised by the Magic University’s appraisal department. Magical power has been confirmed, and it has received a ‘Magic’ grade.
▶This belt contains the Tier 1 utility magic ‘Potion Regeneration (1 Pocket).’
This was excellent, too.
Potion Regeneration was a spell usually enchanted onto belts. If you placed an empty bottle of a specific potion into a designated pocket, its contents would regenerate.
A small healing potion would refill in just a few minutes.
Conversely, while it could regenerate powerful, rare, and expensive potions packed with vitality restoration, resistances, and buffs, it would take years.
Since you couldn’t just relegate a magic belt to the status of a wine-aging oak barrel, most people compromised on a potion that offered reasonable efficiency. Still, it was a handy belt that saved you a decent amount on potions.
“Lastly, this cape.”
The garment was clearly made for a magic user.
When you pulled it over your head, the hood comfortably enveloped the crown of your head, the sides of your face, and your neck. Below it, a breathable black cape draped smoothly down to chest height. It was light and didn't hinder movement, but the material was quite tough and durable, so it seemed to offer a bit of defense as well.
And its ability was…
[Caleb's Appraised Item]
▶This item has been appraised by the Magic University’s appraisal department. Magical power has been confirmed, and it has received a ‘Magic’ grade.
▶This cape contains the Tier 1 utility magic ‘Dense Fog.’
I was satisfied. All three were quite good finds.
Of course, I could find a use for just about any junk item, but still.
“Did you get anything useful?”
Lilweed had sidled up next to me and was peeking over.
He seemed to want a look at the appraisal certificates, but I quickly stuffed them into my bag.
The wands wouldn’t sell for much anyway, and I was going to use the rest myself.
It was best not to get involved with a shady elf like him.
*
This was a bad omen.
My intuition, honed by countless unfair setbacks, was telling me so. It felt like I would get tangled up with that elf again, one way or another.
For example, when I go down to the 4th floor of the Labyrinth, a group of raiders sent by the elf might just pop up.
No, wait a minute.
It wouldn’t follow such a predictable pattern. True to the nature of this place, I bet it’ll escalate into some other ridiculous situation.
“Caleb.”
Yernil still looked resentful.
Not only that, but she seemed deeply shocked that her former boss, Lilweed, had been released in just two days.
“How can the world be like this? It’s just… it’s so unfair…”
Guilty if you’re poor, innocent if you’re rich.
That cruel rule had applied in the Republic of Korea, but it was far worse here.
The Labyrinth City was a wicked place.
“But you’re rich now, Yernil.”
“…”
Yernil thought for a moment, then nodded.
“That’s true.”
After our last payout, she now had more money than Aimus, a family man in his forties, or Back Attack, who had been an adventurer for much longer.
That was because Yernil had received a share from our second Labyrinth run and from the prize money we won at the Bertenga estate.
Come to think of it, where did all that money go?
“I saved it, of course.”
She had deposited the money she received straight into the bank.
That was Yernil for you.
*
“I went to the back alleys and blew a shit-ton of it, boss.”
Back Attack, on the other hand, had already spent about 50% of his share.
“I mean, I just got resurrected, right? I had to let the back alleys know that Mr. Back Attack was back.”
“…”
“Heard a few private gambling houses opened up after the casino closed, so I made the rounds, bought some gifts for the girls.”
You really live life on the edge.
“I did make some investments, though. The bank had some new investment product, so I put the other half in there.”
That part was good, but did that mean he had no money left?
“I just kept a little for living expenses. We just have to go into the Labyrinth again, right?”
His expression changed slightly when I told him we were going to the 4th floor, but Back Attack still agreed to come along.
“I’m going too.”
Surprisingly, Aimus, whom I had been most worried about, also joined without hesitation.
“Did your wife not try to stop you?”
I was still concerned, so I had to ask.
To be honest, if I were Aimus’s wife, I’d probably stop him from going.
In my party, Aimus had died during our first run and encountered a monster wave during our second.
At this point, she would be completely justified in forbidding him from ever going again.
“She was indeed very worried, but I managed to persuade her. You have to earn while you can. And…”
The middle-aged monk was slowly unfolding a dream he had long since put away.
“I’m starting to think I could live the second chapter of my life as an adventurer.”
The full Caleb party was back in action.
*
After checking and servicing the equipment for Aimus, Back Attack, and Yernil, I went to see Professor Isilof.
He had sent me a message saying he had a new mission for me.
“Welcome, Caleb.”
Isilof was watering a plant called an Isaacberry.
“I hear you’re going to the 4th floor.”
“That’s right.”
“Isn’t it a bit too soon? Have you analyzed and prepared enough?”
“Yes, I’ll be fine.”
“Good. I can trust you, Caleb. If you’re going to the 4th floor, there’s something I’d like you to do for me.”
Isilof asked.
“The 4th floor marks the end of the ‘lower floors.’ From the 4th floor onward, you’re in the middle floors. And each of the middle floors has a special area. Are you aware of this?”
Of course, I knew.
While the 1st to 3rd floors were mostly just monsters, exit rooms, and treasure, the 4th floor was where special areas first appeared.
And the special area on the 4th floor was…
“The Ancient Mana Ironworks.”
It covered an area of about five square kilometers.
The massive ironworks had long been abandoned by its workers, but it continued to operate due to the mysterious power of the Labyrinth.
The crushers and furnaces of the ironworks moved on their own, shattering and melting magic stones, pouring them into frames, and then stamping them out with hydraulic presses—this was how the monsters of the 4th floor were made.
In short, the Ancient Mana Ironworks was the birthplace of the 4th floor’s field monsters.
“They say the ironworks holds many mysterious magics that can enhance an adventurer’s abilities. I’ll give you my research data. Would you be willing to go and investigate it yourself?”
I knew all the enhancement effects that came from the ironworks.
Including some that weren’t even mentioned in his research data.
Byullant’s Hammer.
That was the very reason I had decided to go to the 4th floor.
Because with it, I could modify or expand my special abilities.