(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.

Today’s breakfast was the same hard bread as yesterday and mountain goat milk.

Mountain goat milk has a peculiar smell but well, it’s not like I can’t 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 we’ll be coming back here to stay again so could we get 2 rooms?”

“Would a single room and a double room be alright?”

“Yes, we’ll 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 tonight’s stew? It’s alright if you take the remaining portion as well.”

“Oh, it’s a good cut of meat. Is it really alright?”

“It’s because I feel like eating meat.”

“Understood. Leave it to me, I’ll cook up my best dish.”

Yup, I believe the lady’s 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 Carol’s level.

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

“Ichino-sama, could you change Carol’s 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-sama’s alchemy.” (TL: I translated薬師as Herbalist but it might be more like a Medicine Man or even Physician? Don’t really know as of now. It’s different from Ichinojo’s Pract.i.tioner 法術師.)

“I see. Then I’ll 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 labyrinth’s entrance huh?

Understandably, there were no sentries at all.

We entered the labyrinth just like that.

“It’s a little late asking this now but why are there G.o.ddess 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 G.o.ddess statues, wouldn’t it be fine to just have the G.o.ddess 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 G.o.ddess statues to the deepest part of the labyrinths? That’s what I’m wondering about.”

“The role of the labyrinths and G.o.ddess statues right. G.o.ddess statues were originally magic tools made to acc.u.mulate 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, G.o.ddesses made the G.o.ddess statues themselves to acc.u.mulate and purify the miasma.”

“The G.o.ddesses 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 labyrinth’s degree of difficulty is determined by the density of the miasma in the region, the number of labyrinths and the strength of the G.o.ddess statue to acc.u.mulate miasma.”

“Then, what about the boss rooms?”

“Bosses are born from a ma.s.s 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 acc.u.mulate.

“Does the fact that Florence has 3 labyrinths mean that miasma acc.u.mulates 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 ma.s.ses of miasma or instead, the miasma ma.s.ses 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 I’ve picked up quite a number but I’ve 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 shouldn’t be any problems.”

“I’d say it’s more of a psychological issue.”

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

Yup, let’s 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, I’ll proceed with magic specialisation so enter with that in mind. Carol will stay beside me while Haru will be in front.”

It’s better to have enemy searching abilities in labyrinths to make it harder to get surprised attacked.

Outside, there’s 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 Pract.i.tioner.

“Understood.”

“Yes.”

At that moment.

Even before I noticed, Haru’s tail stood straight up.

“I smell something … it’s the odour of a monster that possesses poison.”

“Poison huh … it sounds slightly troublesome so don’t 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 —

“「Pet.i.t Fire」! 「Pet.i.t Wind」!”

The small flame flew out and curved.

【Ichinojo Leveled up】

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

It’s 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.

“「Pet.i.t 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 Magic」has skilled up to「Earth Magic II」】

【Magician skill: 「MP Strengthening (minor)」 obtained】

【Apprentice Pract.i.tioner skill: 「Healing Magic」has skilled up to「Healing Magic II」】

Yup, it’s 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? What’s wrong?”

“For some reason, Carol’s 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, Carol’s surprised expression was also cute but it’s time for me to explain about my blessings.