Labyrinth Shop (3)
A hidden world detached from the dimension containing the continent. In a small dimension created solely for this meeting, the Dragon Lord—taking human form—sat at a table.
Woooong.
Across from him, on the opposite side of the table, demonic energy gathered at a single point.
The demonic energy took the form of a sphere, and from within it, the absolute ruler of the demon world, Demon King Diana, slowly stepped out.
"Calling a meeting without any warning? This body is a busy one."
"I apologize for the sudden summons. Have a seat first."
As Dragon Lord Iosif extended one hand palm-up, a chair for the Demon King materialized in the air.
Clack, clack.
The Demon King walked to the chair prepared for her and leaned back into it.
"So. What did you call me here for?"
She scowled, not hiding her irritation in the slightest.
"First off, thank you for responding to the meeting request."
With a gesture from Iosif, steaming teacups filled with warm tea appeared before him and Diana.
"This is…."
The Demon King's slender fingers lifted the teacup.
"Green tea, huh."
"Indeed."
"Never thought I'd see this outside Luddera. Did you make it yourself, Lord?"
"Heh."
Iosif smiled in affirmation.
"Slurp. Looks like you're really enjoying Luddera, huh."
The Demon King elegantly brought the tea to her lips.
"What? As the Lord tasked with safeguarding the balance of the middle world, I have little interest in such frivolities. I'm merely studying the new culture from another world."
"Sure, sure."
The Demon King smirked at Iosif, who denied it outright.
"…What was that laugh about?"
"Nothing. Just thought of something funny all of a sudden."
"It seems you've misunderstood. Allow me to explain again. I am the Lord of Dragons. I don't indulge in such lowly pleasures in that world. So…."
Not satisfied with the Demon King's reaction, the Dragon Lord tried desperately to convince her.
"Enough."
The Demon King raised a hand to cut off Iosif's words.
She had no desire to listen to his pointless ramblings, which he could never end properly once he started.
"I get it. Lord, whether you enjoy Luddera or not is utterly irrelevant. Explain why you dragged this body here right now. This body is busy."
Because she'd answered the meeting call, the community was left leaderless.
Without her here to rein them in, unchecked terror spam was devastating countless users.
Not that it mattered much to her.
"…Sigh. Fine. No helping it. The reason I called you here is…."
Iosif let out a deep sigh and got to the point.
"You're aware that the Labyrinth Tower appeared in Luddera not long ago."
"Of course."
"And right after that, just recently, something called the Labyrinth Shop appeared as well."
"I know."
The community she managed had been in an uproar over the Miracle Spring Water item that popped out of that Labyrinth Shop.
As if she wouldn't know.
"It seems to sell some pretty rare items. Since I don't indulge in Luddera, I haven't checked it out properly myself."
Who was it that said dragons never lied? Here was the Dragon Lord spouting falsehoods without batting an eye.
"That spring water that's all the rage on the continent holds tremendous value."
"Rare items, huh. That spring water was certainly beyond imagination."
The Demon King nodded in agreement.
"It removes whatever debuff the user believes they're suffering from. Not just trivial ones like baldness, but even special conditions like aging, curses, or backlash effects—everything can be healed. It's like water crafted by a god himself."
Even for the Demon King, on the verge of godhood, its principles and mechanisms were mysteriously hard to grasp.
"Exactly. A divine cure-all that heals even disease and aging. A potion of power that could save countless souls across the continent."
Elders with days numbered by senescence.
The bedridden, waiting only for death from incurable ills.
The Miracle Spring Water held the power to heal them all and turn the continent upside down.
"But that's not the important part."
Snap.
The Dragon Lord snapped his fingers, and images of various weapons floated in the air.
"This is…?"
"Special weapons from the Labyrinth Shop's catalog."
"…I see. So this is…."
Though the Demon King hadn't visited the Labyrinth Shop herself, she'd glimpsed discussions of its catalog in the community.
"Excalibur. Gungnir. Leviathan. What do you think?"
"…I get why you called me now."
Like the Dragon Lord, the Demon King stood on the cusp of godhood.
Just hearing the names let her sense the immense power each weapon contained.
"Divine treasures… it wouldn't be hard to believe."
"The descriptions say as much. Gungnir is the spear of the gods' king, Leviathan the magic sword of the fire giant."
"You can buy weapons like these?"
"Yes. From the empire's emperor to street beggars—every player who can access Luddera has the right to purchase them."
"Weapons of this caliber would affect reality too. What's the price?"
"Astronomical. Based on the ratio of Labyrinth Coins earned per contribution, you'd need to conquer at least ten floors solo to afford one."
"Hm. Sounds impossible."
Ten or more floors?
The Demon King had visited the Labyrinth Tower once.
Unless you were extraordinarily skilled, solo-clearing even a single floor was impossible in that hellishly difficult place.
And competing with others on top of that? No way.
Hadn't floors 2 through 4 already been conquered by other players?
"Of course. With player competition, it's practically impossible. But what if beings like us seriously climbed the Labyrinth Tower? Things would change."
Iosif said gravely, his expression stern.
"…I understand."
The Demon King met the Dragon Lord's eyes directly.
"You're wary of this body climbing the tower for those weapons. You're suggesting we both stay out of it."
"…."
Iosif fell silent.
"Coward."
"…Say what you will. As the guardian of the middle world, I only wish to maintain balance and peace."
"Is that so."
The Demon King rose from her seat.
"Demon King!"
Iosif hurriedly stood as well.
"Don't be so hasty. I'll do as you want."
Her demon eyes, marked with a star, fixed on the Dragon Lord.
"Right now, I have no desire to climb the Labyrinth Tower. I don't want to be the adult wrecking the kids' playground."
GM, who shook the continent daily with new incidents from the Labyrinth Tower.
The Demon King wanted to see the changes he aimed to bring to the continent.
"But do you really think such half-baked measures can stop the tide of change? Luddera's god added the Labyrinth Shop. Don't you grasp what that means?"
"…No, I do. It's probably meant to radically transform the continent."
"You're not dumb. He connected the people of the continent to another world called the Labyrinth Tower and gave them chances to conquer it. Now he's made rare treasures from other dimensions easily obtainable. It's all to upend this boring, stagnant continent."
The Dragon Lord stood mute.
"It's time to bid farewell to the old peace and order. That's the new era GM, master of Luddera, desires."
A world where those who pursue new challenges grow stronger, and those who cling to reality's status quo are weeded out—an evolving world.
The new era GM was forging.
It was the ideal paradise the Demon King, bored to death, had always dreamed of.
"That scary, huh? The new era!"
"I…."
Iosif gritted his teeth but couldn't speak.
"You enjoy your little deviant act of shitposting anonymously in the community, but you're terrified to let go of outdated order in reality."
"…! H-How do you know about that?!"
Iosif's eyes went wide.
"Decide if you'll fade with the old era or advance into the new one, Lord. Think carefully."
With those final words, the Demon King vanished in a swirl of demonic energy.
"…I…."
Left alone, the Dragon Lord.
Grip.
He clenched his fist hard, but
"I…."
His strength failed him.
"GM. It's frightening. So frightening. What are you planning to do to our continent?"
He collapsed weakly into his chair.
"Do you really intend to turn this continent into a arena of competition and evolution…?"
At the same time,
GM Albus was
"Five should do it? Or should I send more?"
pondering how much hair loss medicine to send his father via the mailbox function.