Chapter 176 – The Space-Warping Labyrinth

The next afternoon we left for the Adventurer’s Guild. When I arrived at the guild headquarters and went to the reception desk, I could see the scene more crowded with adventurers than ever before.

“Why are people flocking here?”
“It’s probably because of the underground labyrinth. Exploration quests have also been ordered in large quantities. They say they give you 20 silver as an advance payment just for completing the quest.”

It’s a fact I learned this morning, but the fact that a labyrinth was discovered in an underground waterway was not known to adventurers as well as citizens until yesterday. The only ones who knew about the labyrinth were those of high rank.

The upper echelons of the adventurer’s guild.
Nobles of the lord’s castle.
And the wizards of the Mage Tower.

High-ranking people kept their mouths shut to prevent confusion, but today they announced the truth about the labyrinth. Because of the frightened citizens, the whole city was now in an uproar. The adventurers are also making a fuss by grabbing the receptionist in charge.

“Receptionist! The underground labyrinth exploration quest. Is it true that you will be given 20 silver just for participating?”
“Yes, it’s true.”
“Wow, that’s crazy. Can I get the quest too?”
“I’m sorry. We don’t accept ordinary adventurers in this exploration quest. Only adventurers with at least third-class skills are accepted. I’m talking about warriors and wizards.”

Of course, not everyone can receive an exploration quest. There is a limit like a quest that scatters silver coins in advance.
That only third-class or higher warriors or wizards could do it. In other words, it means that only superhumans will be accepted and sent for exploration.

Of course, there was no choice but to complain from ordinary adventurers. One of the werewolves caught Wendy at the reception desk and saw her scuffle.

“Fuck!! Are you discriminating against adventurers right now! Even if you can’t handle mana, our beastmen are strong. I want to get 20 silver too-.”

Like a well-known wolf beast, he began to tremble in front of Wendy. It seemed that he was quite resentful of not being able to receive 20 silver. Then, earn some money by working hard on other quests. Why are you giving a damn about poor Wendy?

“Oh oh oh oh oh oh-!!”

The wolf beastman, unable to hold back his anger, howled in front of the reception desk. The adventurers gathered around frowned at the harsh cry. However, no one carelessly argues with the brawny-looking beastman. Because if anyone snooped on Soo-in, he would get bitten.

“Kurrrr! Receptionist with big breasts! Hurry up and give me 20 silver!”
“What are you doing now, Mr. Wolf! Did you change class from an adventurer to a robber!”

A werewolf named Wolf threatened Wendy by pulling out his sharp claws.

“Who the hell is that?”

I couldn’t stand it any longer and got up. As I moved while holding the quarter staff, the sensitive wolf beastman immediately noticed me approaching.

“What is this dreamy bastard! Do you want to be bitten off!”
“Get your hands off Wendy, you wolf cub.”
“Kurrrr.”

Swish-!
The moment I got closer, the wolf beastman swung his claws at me. If it were another time, I would have taught them true education through magic, but I want to try out the bongjutsu that I have learned so far. I hit back the nail that the beastman wielded with my staff.

Kwajik!
His fingernails were shattered in one blow, and the beastman let out a scream. My lovers came behind the scenes to support me, but they didn’t even have to intervene. My basic physical specs are higher than Suin. It was natural for me to win even if I fought with pure physical strength.

“Silence!!”
“Khhhhh! You were a wizard! Are you thinking of silencing me with your spells!”
“Shut up your mouth.”

I don’t know about magic like Silence!
I slammed my staff at the terrified wolf-man’s mouth. Even if you don’t know magic, you can silence it with force.

Quick-!
The wolf beastman, who had been howling loudly, shut his mouth in an instant. I hit the beastman whose teeth were smashed in succession. The moment he hit it about five times, the wolf beast passed out while shedding his blood.

Yes. Whoever touches my receptionist is fucked.

“The blonde dreamer took care of the wolf!”
“It was noisy, but it worked.”

The adventurers waiting at the reception area cheered when they saw me. The wolf beastman who was making a fuss happened to be in front of me, so I was able to immediately approach Wendy and receive the quest.

“Where are you hurt?”
“No. Thanks to you, I’m alive, Mr. Luke.”

Wendy looked at me and stroked her chest as if relieved. Reception girls do meet a lot of true adventurers. I’ve never had a death threat ever.
It was fortunate that the wolf beast made a fuss while I was there.

“Kay. Let’s get this wolf cub out of the way and come back.”
“Yep-.”

Rebecca and Kate dragging the knocked-out werewolf out.
Meanwhile, I received a quest from Wendy.

“I’m trying to get an underground labyrinth exploration quest. I’m going to do it with the fixed party members.”
“If you’re in Luke’s party, you deserve the quest. I’ll take out the advance right now.”

Wendy pulled out her money bag straight from under her counter.
After taking a pocket full of silver coins, she asked Wendy a question.

“I heard that Bella-sister personally dispatched adventurers to the underground labyrinth. Do you know what kind of adventurers she sent?”
“Mrs. Bugilma? Oh, I see what you’re talking about. In the morning, Lady Bugilma’s secretary took the quest herself. I had a party with two silver tier adventurers.”
“It means that Hannah was dispatched.”

Who did she send? She wondered. She sent her own secretary.
I never thought I would send a secretary who manages personal schedules to the underground labyrinth.
I feel a little sorry for Hannah, who has suddenly become an adventurer.

“Who are the two Silvers who are on the quest together?”
“Halfling Ally and Lizardman Brute. These are the people who went through a promotion match with Luke. Theoretically, it’s a perfect combination. The magician Hannah, the melee dealer Brute, and the presence detect Ally are all together. “
“It’s perfect in theory. It sucks in practice.”
“Yes…”

The moment I heard the name of Halfling Alley, I felt relieved. Hannah had selected the worst talent for her party.
Before her promotion, she suffered because of that troll bitch. She is a halfling with a weak body, but also a bitch who charges into the ignorant castle.

‘Hannah’s party won’t monopolize the results. She can rest assured.’

I heard all the information I wanted to hear.
I left the Adventurer’s Guild with Wendy and her lovers.

*

The entrance to the artesian canal of Joensu.
It’s a place that Kate and I have been to for quests. Normally, there were only guards near the entrance to the canal. However, today, when the exploration quest was ordered, people can be seen gathering.

Wizards of the Mage Tower.
Elite adventurers dispatched from the adventurer’s guild.

“Let’s go inside.”

We climbed down a long ladder to reach the culvert. It was a dark and stinking place when I came before, but today it was different.
Kate looked around the inside of the canal with a curious expression.

“Mongma-nim. There’s no rotten smell from the canal. Last time I came, I even put something on my nose because of the smell.”

I was just wary of the stench when I heard that an underground waterway had to be drilled. I even brought a deodorant cream to put on my nose, but I no longer need it.
Looking around, I quickly found out why.

“Magicians from the Mage Tower are doing purification work. They are removing contaminants with clean magic and managing the water quality.”

Robed wizards can be seen chanting spells throughout the underground waterways. The liquid magic separates the pollutants from the water, and the clean magic destroys the pollutants. An underground aqueduct that has been dirty for decades is being purified at this moment.

“They must be from noble backgrounds, so they must hate suffering from the stench. They even put magic lights on the walls. You don’t even need to carry a lantern.”

The magic lamp emits bright light, so there is no need to hold a lantern with a painful arm. As expected, when the Magic Tower intervenes, everything changes in scale. I thought that the underground canal, which was no different from a dungeon, would change into a good place to live.

‘Can I really sleep here?’

We moved straight along with the adventurers moving forward. The entrance to the labyrinth could be found in the depths of the underground aqueduct.

The entrance was in the stone chamber where Kate and I had stayed the night before. There was a hole in the floor of the stone chamber, and underneath it was a long staircase leading to the labyrinth.

“Are they adventurers entering the labyrinth?”

An old guard guarding the stairs spoke to us.
Before entering the labyrinth, I had a brief conversation with the guard.

“That’s right. These are the adventurers who came to carry out the exploration quest. Is there anything I need to be careful about before entering the labyrinth?”
“Even we don’t know exactly about the labyrinth. Aren’t you the ones who are dispatched to find out about it? But I do have something I can advise you on. The adventurers who went in first and came out told stories.”

The old guard told us about the mysterious part of the labyrinth.

“They say that if you go inside for the first time, you will surely get lost. They say that if you take the wrong path, you will return to the entrance of the labyrinth. Maybe the road is quite twisted?”

That was the end of the guard’s advice. The road is complicated. It would be natural if it was a labyrinth. I’ve never heard of a labyrinth with straight corridors. I’m losing steam because it’s not very helpful advice.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

I went down the long spiral staircase with my lovers to the labyrinth.
The moment I finally set foot in the labyrinth for the first time, a familiar voice rang from the front.

“Ms. Hannah! Follow the tempo!!”
“Ho, you shouldn’t charge like that alone.”
“Aaaaa!”

The loud voice of halflings echoed through the walls of the labyrinth. I see a small halfling that I fought with for promotion. Kate shouted in a surprised voice from the side.

“Te, tempo halfling-!”

It’s been a long time since we met again, but there is no time to say goodbye peacefully. I saw monsters fiercely pursuing Hanna and Allie.

Monsters that take the form of humans, but their entire bodies are rotten.
A stench emanates from the bodies of the monsters.

Ghoul.
It was the identity of the monsters nestled in this underground labyrinth. They are monsters that are not easy to catch because they have great strength and great resilience.
Certainly ordinary adventurers would be annihilated if they explored the labyrinth.

“Liquid ring.”

I uttered an incantation and summoned a wave of magic.
Before the ghouls, which ran like beasts on four legs, attacked Hannah and the others, they were able to send a narrow wave and bounce them off.

Shoot aaaaa!

“Mr. Dream! You’re welcome! I was holding the ghouls-!!”

Allie, who saved her life, shouted at me.
Seriously, that halfling had a bad night.