Chapter 55: Liberation (Part 1)
Heading towards the labyrinth today are not just the usual six people.
Now that the labyrinth worm's barrier has disappeared, there should be no limit to the number of people entering. Thus, even the executives like Zagoo and Igris, who were the main force for subjugation at first, are accompanying the group, wanting to see the deepest part.
Surprisingly, even the elderly Sebastian is accompanying us. Sebastian has apparently seen the situation after the labyrinth's subjugation decades ago when the worm was defeated and the deepest part was revealed. He seems to be here to confirm it.
"That was during the rule of the previous generation, a time when hopes gathered for a young and promising knight..."
Oh, here comes the old man's reminiscing. The people around seem a little annoyed.
However, as we enter the entrance of the labyrinth, everyone's caution intensifies. Piles of debris from fallen ceilings are scattered all around.
There were quite a few cave-ins since the worm rampaged yesterday.
Since I didn't want the cave to collapse during the investigation and bury us, I used my "Earth" magic to repair it, and Beth reinforced the interior with clay walls. We proceeded slowly.
But as the walls, previously illuminated by the worm's mucus, became covered, the cave grew darker. For the first time since the first day, we needed torches.
"There they are, three Kobolds!"
As Laruq warned, small, swift figures leaped out from the dark depths of the cave.
However, with our current group, Kobolds weren't much of a problem. Greon, who was leading with Laruq, quickly took care of two, while Igris dealt with the other. She seems to have fully recovered from her injuries.
It seems Igris also earned experience points from the battle before leaving the party, as she's now a Level 7 Knight. Moreover, having the "Sword Skills (Level 4)" skill, her swordsmanship is quite impressive.
Speaking of which, I also reached Level 15 as an adventurer when I woke up this morning.
"Job: Adventurer (Level 15) / Slave (Subordination: Cecily Istlefi)
Skills: Doll Play (Level 9)
Clay Play (Level 9)
Sword Skills (Level 3)
Throwing (Level 1)
Archery (Level 1)
Riding (Level 1)
Potion Brewing (Level 1)
Detection (Intermediate)
HP Increase (Intermediate)
Speed Increase (Minor)
Item Box
Party Formation
Party Experience Boost
Perception
Map
Discovery
Skill Points Left: 4"
Furthermore, I've acquired the skill I wanted, "Detection (Intermediate)", which allows me to discern the skills and abilities of others even when not in a party. It's a really convenient skill that feels like something out of a game. Even though I'm not particularly interested, I can now see things like "
Other party members, except for Beth, each gained a level, making Caleena, Cecily, Laruq, and Greon Level 12, and Greon Level 13.
Even though Beth was clearly the MVP yesterday, things got a bit complicated. The even distribution of experience within the party and the fact that others didn't level up the day before while Beth reached Level 11 likely played a role. It seems that mages have a harder time leveling up, probably due to the greater amount of experience points required.
Being a mage might be a job that's difficult to level up in that sense. However, attempting to solo play to avoid this might be risky for a mage with probably lower HP, making it a tricky decision.
When I decide to change jobs, I'll need to think carefully.
"By the way, even though we've supposedly cleared it, monsters are still appearing on the first floor."
Bat muttered, bringing me back to reality. That's right, that's an issue.
"While we did defeat the Labyrinth Worm, there are no longer barriers separating each floor, so it's possible that magical energy is surging, causing this."
Carena looked slightly worried, and Zagoo reassured her.
Ultimately, we encountered three more battles within the first four floors.
All of them seemed to be low-level monsters that had just spawned, and with twelve people today, there was no problem.
Sebastian once cut down a Level 3 Orc in a single strike.
His swordsmanship was elegant, resembling a sword dance, which was quite surprising. Afterward, he was panting and gasping for breath, so it's clear he shouldn't push himself too hard. But lines like, "I won't lose to young ones!" were so cliché and fitting that it left an impression.
So, until the fourth floor, combat was relatively safe. Beth and I acted as construction workers, focusing on repairs to ensure the labyrinth didn't collapse.
However, as soon as we descended to the fifth floor, the atmosphere changed.
This doesn't bode well.
Since I had already passed through here, I could use my map skill. I could see numerous red dots indicating monsters. It seems that a large number of monsters have spawned again. I signaled to Laruq, who was fully using his scouting skill.
"Looks like we need a good cleanup."
I had the executives, who were mainly close combat fighters, step back a little, and I brought Beth and the transformed Linna, now in matching mage attire, to the front.
After walking a short distance, we encountered areas covered with carnivorous vines on the ceiling, walls, and floor. Slimes were sticking to them, mostly at Levels 1 and 2, indicating that they had just spawned.
Beth and Linna, the twin witches, used their flame breath to burn the area clean.
"With monsters spawning this much in a single day, no matter how much we swing our swords, it'll be never-ending."
Cecily murmured helplessly. Indeed, if we were to deal with them all through melee combat, it would be an endless task.
When we reached a water's edge, I summoned a ceramic boat. The executives who had never seen this before were astonished.
"We were wondering how we would cross, but we never expected this..."
Sebastian mentioned that there were no such water areas in the labyrinth he had previously conquered. This method isn't always possible, and it probably has to do with underground waterways, he speculated.
They had heard about it during the labyrinth subjugation in another territory. On that occasion, they had the laborers transport wood and had shipwrights construct ships within the labyrinth. It seemed to have become a massive undertaking.
The fact that there was such a water area in the underground labyrinth caught the other executives by surprise.
We were also taken aback the first time we saw it.
Even though we had swept through this lake with our lightning strategy yesterday, a significant number of monsters had reappeared. However, they were low-level creatures like jellyfish.
This was once again Beth's exclusive territory. By channeling enhanced lightning underwater, a considerably smaller number of jellyfish corpses floated to the surface compared to yesterday.
If left unattended, these creatures might become the source of another monster resurgence, so we borrowed nets from the river fishermen within the territory today.
The executives, along with Rina, who had transformed into her priestess mode, Carina, and Valon who had accompanied us, converted the jellyfish carcasses into magic stones one after another.
Although they were more like small grains of sand in size.
"This can also be used as raw material for making talismans and magical tools, so it sells somewhat," the old man Valon informed us.
As we finished crossing the lake, through a thin mist, the massive body of the worm came into view.
Yesterday, we could only see the shimmering haze due to the barrier, so it was clear that the barrier had disappeared. In other words, we had taken down the worm, there was no doubt about it.
Carena and Cecily beside me seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, probably thinking the same thing.
However, as we approached, an eerie and unsettling sight unfolded before us.
The carcass of the worm was covered with glistening moss and wriggling slime.
"Ugh, ugh..."
Beth seemed to be suppressing her nausea, but at least I wasn't the only one affected.
It had a smell distinct from yesterday's corrosive liquid, indicating advanced decay or perhaps being digested by the slime. The odor was enough to make one's nose scrunch up.
The giant shell was translucent, allowing us to see the interior, which was filled with countless squirming slimes.
Especially around the holes Greon and the others had created yesterday and near the rear, which had spewed corrosive liquid, numerous slimes had gathered. They might have entered from there.
"This is certainly a successful subjugation... however,"
"It would be better to deal with this sooner."
Berisha and Zagu were conversing while pinching their noses, unable to ignore the gruesome scene.
"To purify this, we need to eliminate the surrounding slimes first, right, Beth?"
"...Yes, I'm fine."
Beth, with a pale face, began to manipulate her magic power.
I also transformed Rina back into a mage. Carina and Valon were here too for later purification.
And so, the most significant blaze of the day engulfed the massive worm's shell.
There was barely any gap between the labyrinth's wall and the worm, so the flames might not completely reach everywhere. Nevertheless, at least the slimes in our line of sight were incinerated, allowing the priestess group to approach the shell.
Carina and Valon chanted in unison, like a chorus. Given the size of the creature, they probably needed two people to purify it.
"Purification!"
With a resolute voice echoing in the cave, the colossal body was enveloped in a faint light and gradually, little by little, it began to blur.
I suddenly realized and exchanged a glance with Beth.
Beth seemed to have realized too. Hastily, she took out a magic power restoration pill from a small bag and after a brief hesitation, took a bite before passing the rest to me, keeping an eye on our surroundings.
"It's not like it's completely depleted yet..."
Was she making an excuse to Rina? Come on, even Rina is looking at her like that. This is not the time for that.
The labyrinth worm's massive body vanished completely, transforming into a large, orange-colored magic stone about the size of a softball, something I hadn't seen before.
At that moment, the deepest part of the cave, supported by the massive body, began to collapse with a loud rumble, and intense vibrations, like a constant rumbling, echoed around us.
See, I told you they'd come!
Beth and I exchanged a nod, activating our Earth Manipulation and Ground Magic skills with all our might.
Beth seemed to be suppressing the cracks and movements in the surrounding ground, while I attached a clay arch structure to the interior and rapidly solidified it.
Others huddled close to those holding shields, desperately attempting to protect themselves from the falling debris.
My mental image was of tunnel construction I had read about in an encyclopedia a long time ago.
In large tunnel construction within a mountain, they would spray a quickly drying liquid concrete onto the walls from the end they'd dug. They called it "sprayed concrete."
Rather than relying on brute force to bear the weight of the debris, it was about bonding the earth to create a unified structure. The weight of the debris itself would then create compressive forces that pushed against each other, maintaining the space. Or something like that, it said.
It was impossible to directly oppose the overwhelming mass of earth and debris, but by focusing our energy and continuously reinforcing it, the vibrations gradually subsided, and the falling debris lessened.
Beth further concentrated on the unseen underground water veins and seemed to be applying freezing magic. This should prevent further collapses.
"Seems to have stopped..."
With the walls covered in clay, the light that had filled the space vanished, and the surroundings became nearly pitch-black. Someone seemed to be looking for a torch, but before that, Rina conjured a small light.
Good thing we turned her back into a mage.
"At last, we have liberated our territory from the threat of the labyrinth's monsters," Sebastian spoke, his voice filled with emotion.
"We have finally reached the point where we can consider how to bring peace and prosperity to our people through both 'war' and 'politics,' Your Highness," Berisha added.
"Yes, it's true. From now on, or rather, it will only get more challenging..."
Carena's solemn voice echoed within the dark cave.
"Count on us for support from now on."