(058) Exploration of the Labyrinth in the Mountains (Prequel)

Translator: Tseirp

After using Clean to wash the night sweats off my body and clothes as well as the sheets, I got dressed and ready for the morning.

In the morning, we will eat our breakfast in the inn.

Todays breakfast was the same hard bread as yesterday and mountain goat milk.

Mountain goat milk has a peculiar smell but well, its not like I cant drink it. It seems like it would be delicious once you get used to it.

Aunty, we would be going to the labyrinth today but well be coming back here to stay again so could we get 2 rooms?

Would a single room and a double room be alright?

Yes, well go with that.

I nodded as I soaked the hard bread that came out for breakfast in mountain goat milk and took out a silver coin from my item bag as I held the bread in my mouth. I told her to keep the change as her tip.

Haru reminded me that it would most likely be required since the shop did not display the tip free sign.

After confirming that the stew would be made tonight as well, I took out wolf meat from my item bag.

It was a fraction of the wolf meat that I could not sell to the Adventurers Guild and we did not visit the butcher in the end either.

Here, would you mind including this wolf meat in tonights stew? Its alright if you take the remaining portion as well.

Oh, its a good cut of meat. Is it really alright?

Its because I feel like eating meat.

Understood. Leave it to me, Ill cook up my best dish.

Yup, I believe the ladys cooking skill can be trusted.

Cook: Lv18

The result of Job Appraisal was that she was a decently high leveled cook.

After we finished our breakfast, we aimed for the entrance of the labyrinth nearby on foot.

From what I heard, the labyrinth here is an unusual one, it is not a labyrinth that continues underground but is a labyrinth that extends upwards instead.

Carol said that she would not be useful there and offered to remain in the room but I heard that this labyrinth we were headed to is lower intermediate and has a lower degree of difficulty compared to the labyrinth in Belasra so I had Carol come along too.

Since I wanted to raise Carols level.

While we were headed to the labyrinth, Carol suggested to me.

Ichino-sama, could you change Carols job from Apprentice Magician to Farmer?

Why are you asking that for?

If Carol becomes a Herbalist and creates mana potions, it might aid Ichino-samas alchemy.(TL: I translatedas Herbalist but it might be more like a Medicine Man or even Physician? Dont really know as of now. Its different from Ichinojos Practitioner.)

I see. Then Ill change you to Farmer, then to Harvester when you level up and then to Herbalist.

Yes, well Carol would only be receiving 1/6 experience points so it would be some time before Carol level up to Harvester but once Carol becomes a Harvester, Carol would be able to pick the medicinal herbs growing on the road to level up.

Contrary to your expectations, I believe you would be able to become a Harvester a lot sooner though.

I conveyed such suggestive words as we head for the labyrinth.

After walking for about 10 minutes, we came across an entrance-like hole to a limestone cave.

So this is the labyrinths entrance huh?

Understandably, there were no sentries at all.

We entered the labyrinth just like that.

Its a little late asking this now but why are there Goddess statues at the innermost location of labyrinths?

I only thought about it now at this late junction.

If people can acquire blessings by praying to the Goddess statues, wouldnt it be fine to just have the Goddess statues near the entrances instead of deliberately placing them at the innermost location of the labyrinth? Or rather, in the first place, who with what purpose carried the Goddess statues to the deepest part of the labyrinths? Thats what Im wondering about.

The role of the labyrinths and Goddess statues right. Goddess statues were originally magic tools made to accumulate and purify miasma.

Is that so?

Yes. Both on the surface and within labyrinths, miasma is released when monsters are defeated. Miasma becomes the food for devils and devils grow with that as sustenance. To prevent that, Goddesses made the Goddess statues themselves to accumulate and purify the miasma.

The Goddesses did?

Yes. However, problems arose. On the surface, the amount of overflowing miasma increased and the miasma became monsters and attacked people as it could not be purified in time. For that sake, labyrinths were constructed to confine the monsters. That is the reason why monsters appear in labyrinths and the labyrinths degree of difficulty is determined by the density of the miasma in the region, the number of labyrinths and the strength of the Goddess statue to accumulate miasma.

Then, what about the boss rooms?

Bosses are born from a mass of the densest miasma. The reason why it takes time for it to reappear once again is because it requires time to gather the miasma.

Also, the reason why minotaurs appear frequently on the 24th floor in the Belasra labyrinth is because there are multiple stairs that lead underground in that labyrinth, allowing miasma to flow underground easily and the presence of only 1 stairs down to the lowest floor causes the miasma to accumulate.

Does the fact that Florence has 3 labyrinths mean that miasma accumulates easily at Florence?

It has been said to be so. But I also do not know the cause.

I see.

In other words, the labyrinth monsters are born from miasma so they disappear after they are defeated.

The monsters on the surface are not born from miasma so they do not disappear after they are defeated.

That means, the drop items are masses of miasma or instead, the miasma masses would more likely be the magic stones.

Then, what are the drop items? That is being investigated by great scholars.

The minotaurs dropped meat and such and Ive picked up quite a number but Ive lost the desire to consume them.

But, I have not heard of cases where eating the meat or flesh dropped by monsters in the labyrinths causing damage to the body so there shouldnt be any problems.

Id say its more of a psychological issue.

Though, its not good to dislike it even before trying to eat it.

Yup, lets forget about the information learnt today.

In addition, apparently, people who died in the labyrinth or items that are placed on the floor are sucked into the labyrinth because it is a system made to prevent miasma from clinging onto corpses and items and forming monsters.

For this labyrinth, Ill proceed with magic specialisation so enter with that in mind. Carol will stay beside me while Haru will be in front.

Its better to have enemy searching abilities in labyrinths to make it harder to get surprised attacked.

Outside, theres the danger of attacks from afar so I use physical specialisation just in case.

By the way, my current jobs are Jobless, Apprentice Magician, Magician, Apprentice Alchemist, Apprentice Practitioner.

Understood.

Yes.

At that moment.

Even before I noticed, Harus tail stood straight up.

I smell something its the odour of a monster that possesses poison.

Poison huh it sounds slightly troublesome so dont go out too far ahead okay Haru.

After walking for a while, it seems like it was registered in my enemy detection as well.

It was just around the corner.

Alright

Petit Fire! Petit Wind!

The small flame flew out and curved.

Ichinojo Leveled up

It seems like Magician level went up because I used magic.

Its my secret technique, flaming curve ball.

Or so I thought but in the end, it seemed like the ball of flame slammed into the wall just around the corner.

Along with the sound of the explosion, a monster appeared ahead a red frog the size of a St. Bernard leaped out.

Petit Stone!

To redeem myself, I threw a rock that defeated the red frog.

Purple blood splashed onto the surroundings and it was sucked into the labyrinth and disappeared.

What remained was a magic stone and some purple mucus.

Ichinojo Level up

Apprentice Magician skill: Ice Magic obtained

Magician skill: Earth Magichas skilled up toEarth Magic II

Magician skill: MP Strengthening (minor) obtained

Apprentice Practitioner skill: Healing Magichas skilled up toHealing Magic II

Yup, its proceeding well.

Looking at the magic list, it seems like I acquired a magic called Cure.

As expected of 20x experience point acquisition and 1/20 required experience points. Is it alright to level up so easily?

Er erm Ichino-sama.

Hmm? Whats wrong?

For some reason, Carols level has increased but

Congratulations. Did you learn any skills?

Yes, the Harvester job is now available and the skill for Sickle Equip but or rather, the level up is way too quick.

Carol was seriously perplexed.

Well then, Carols surprised expression was also cute but its time for me to explain about my blessings.