Chapter 180 – The Space-Warping Labyrinth

“There are a lot of unknown letters written on it. Do you know what it means, Mongma-nim?”
“Wait a minute. I’ll try to interpret it.”

The parchment he had received from Kate was filled with writings in ancient letters. These are the characters used by the ancients before the Great War. Having taken Rumi’s lessons, I knew how to read ancient texts.
It is virtually impossible to learn rune science without learning the ancient language. What I learned in class was also helpful for my adventurer work now.

“Eh… I’ll… See… I’ll report the results of the water survey on Mikung.”
“The result of patrolling the labyrinth?”
“Yes. I’m going to read what’s written on the parchment now.”

A parchment found in the labyrinth’s bedroom before going to bed. Everyone in the party who tried to sleep to hear the contents woke up. Five people were looking at me with curious eyes.

I read the text written on the parchment to the party. If you introduce the article with proper pronunciation, it will be like this.

“I will report the results of patrolling the labyrinth. Today, the guards dealt with the ratmen who broke through the wall at the entrance. These days, the facilities are very outdated, so sometimes monsters come into the labyrinth. The rat man was also responsible for the robbery of preserved food from the restaurant in the past.”

「We need personnel to repair the facilities in the labyrinth. Please listen to our guards’ request. The war on earth is not yet over. In the worst case, the war could continue until the end of my generation. Please. Overseer.」

On the parchment, there was a journal of patrolling the labyrinth. In the distant past, there must have been separate people who lived in the labyrinth and managed the facilities. The living space created in the labyrinth was a lodging for those people.

The patrol log continued after that. However, there is no reason to mention it because all of them are whining about the recruitment of manpower.
I understand that the person called ‘The Supervisor’ is extremely irresponsible in managing the labyrinth.

“…I will finish the report. This is the end.”
“So you’re saying that there were people living in this labyrinth? It’s a long time ago, but it means that there were guards patrolling. So, where are all those people now?”

People who once inhabited the Labyrinth.
It was easy to guess what had become of the guards who kept their patrol logs. Just think about what material the mass of ghouls in the labyrinth were made of.
I raised my finger and pointed at the corpses of ghouls that had been put away in a corner of the bedroom.

“I guess they all became ghouls. They became ghouls and wandered the labyrinth for 500 years. It’s easy to think that way.”
“Hey, are these five hundred year old ghouls?”
“It’s very likely. Ghouls never die of old age or starve to death. As long as no one touches them, they can live forever.”

A 500-year-old ghoul!
If my hypothesis is correct, we are dealing with the ghouls in the labyrinth.
He’s a ghoul too old to have dentures to snap.

“Luke-nim. If you submit your patrol log to the adventurer’s guild, it will be recognized as an achievement. You should keep it well until you leave the labyrinth.”

After thinking about it, I decided to take the parchment with the patrol log written on it. It would be better to take care of such a valuable item than to entrust it to someone else.
With the exception of Brute, who was on the first watch, we decided to go to sleep. Before falling asleep, Kate grinned and talked to me.

“Demon-sama! With the results of the exploration, the love potion is one step closer.”
“…”
“It means that the day when I will monopolize Mongma-sama is nearing. Wouldn’t it be better to be prepared? I’ll drink the potion and show you that I’m more attractive than my older sister.”
“Fighting-.”

I cheered on Kate, who was full of enthusiasm. Unlike other times, during the labyrinth exploration, Kate was full of enthusiasm.
I think I want to have a lot of love potions. I’m honestly a bit afraid of what kind of eccentricity he will commit in front of me after drinking the potion.

Still, being motivated is a good thing now.
All I had to do was take care of Kate after the exploration quest was over.
Cheer up, future me.

*

Time passed and Hannah’s pocket watch pointed to 6:00 AM.
Having managed to get some sleep, we got up from our stone beds and prepared to leave immediately.

“In the afternoon, we’ll finish our exploration and return to the adventurer’s guild. We’ll have to submit our exploration results and figure out what rank we’re among the adventurers. I hope we find one more usable antique before it’s too late. Let’s go now.”
“Yes! Mr. Dream-! I’ll follow the tempo-.”

I melted the ice wall blocking the passage of the labyrinth and left the bedroom with my friends.
As I picked a fork in the road and continued moving forward, Hannah addressed me with her words.

“Luke-sama. If it’s a 500-year-old labyrinth, wouldn’t it be possible to find treasure? A box containing gold and silver treasures, or a jewel package. This underground labyrinth doesn’t seem to have been robbed by grave robbers.”
“I hope there is. But even after exploring for a day, I can only see bricks and ghouls. In fact, aren’t all the ancients beggars?”
“All the ghouls looked poor. They had no hair and no jewelry on their bodies.”

When it comes to exploring a labyrinth, one would expect to make a fortune. However, in this filthy wide underground labyrinth, there was no treasure chest to be seen.

I muttered as I let out a sigh.

“Hannah, I need a pussy.”
“Yes? See…?”

At that moment, Hannah was looking at me like her madman. He’s ready to roll up his suit sleeves right now and slap me.

“Are you sexually harassing me now? I’m disappointed!”
“Oh, it’s not sexual harassment. It’s a slang used by adventurers.”

Before being slapped by the female secretary, I hurriedly explained.

“Adventurers shorten ‘treasure map’ and call it pussy.
“Oh my God, did you really use such obscene words in slang? I can’t believe it. It’s vulgar!”
“What do adventurers do with vulgar things? Besides, it’s an abbreviation, so it doesn’t mean lewd at all. Even female adventurers look at it casually. I’ll show it right in front of my eyes.”

I turned and spoke to Ally.

“Allie. What if you shortened the treasure map?”
“What is it? You see! It’s common sense that all adventurers know.”

The answer came very naturally. Everyone knows except Hannah, the secretary. They are also seasoned adventurers.
Oh, there’s one more person I don’t know. Rebecca, as well as Hannah, blushed at Allie’s voice as she shouted refreshingly.

“Look at the treasure map…? Crazy perverts.”
“You’re dizzy. Rebecca-sama, please use the right words and kind words. Please don’t fall as old adventurers do.”

I don’t know what went wrong. It is an abbreviation that was inevitably created by the economics of language.
I almost became a garbage dreamer who made fun of the female secretary by bringing out sweetfish.

“Hannah, I need a treasure map.”
“I see. I’m sorry for misunderstanding earlier. I don’t know adventurers’ slang.”

It was when they were exploring the labyrinth while chatting like that.
Suddenly, the frequency of ghouls appearing on the other side of the road gradually increased. Unlike the entrance, which was relatively safe, the ghouls continued to attack us.

ㅡ Bake it.

I kept smashing them by freezing them with my cane. A chilly chill from the reaction of the ancient magic lowered my body temperature.
Even though it is inside the labyrinth, which can be called indoors, I am alone in the cold.

“Huh.”

However, it was not that there was no meaning in using ancient magic enough to feel the cold. The fact that there were more ghouls blocking my way meant that there was an important object nearby.

Before becoming ghouls, they were the people who managed the labyrinth.
Due to the nature of the undead, who are bound by memories from their previous lives, they will unconsciously try to protect an important part of the labyrinth.

“I see a bunch of antiques in front of me? No one has touched them.”
“Before leaving the labyrinth, I’ll be able to achieve decent results.”

Before the exploration ended, we found a large warehouse inside the labyrinth. It is a warehouse where antiques are displayed on each stone shelf. Things like old tea cups and jars.
I’m not an archaeologist, so I don’t know the exact value of antiques. But if you keep it, it will be money later.

“They are ghouls. There are a lot of them.”

The ghouls who had been drooping in the warehouse found us and got up.
A whopping twenty ghouls. Before we get the antiques, we have to finish off those corpses.

“Please wait! There is a ghoul holding a staff.”

But something was strange.
A strange-looking entity can be seen among the group of ghouls.
As soon as I saw the guy, I felt embarrassed.

‘Isn’t he dressed the same as me?’

I’m not kidding, they’re ghouls dressed up like wizards.
Wearing an old robe and wearing a circlet on top of a rotting head.
But what bothered me even more was the staff the ghoul was holding with both hands.

“Quarter staff…? The ghoul is holding a quarter staff. That must be a magic wand.”

A magic wand in the form of a quarterstaff. A weapon of rune mages with the longest history among wands.
A familiar wave of magical energy flowed from the quarter staff the ghoul was holding.

That he is holding a quarterstaff in his hand.
That means that ghoul was a rune mage just like me when he was alive!

I prayed earnestly in my heart.
Please, I hope the ghouls don’t have any reason to use ancient magic.

The moment I watched while breaking out in a cold sweat, the ghoul holding the quarter staff opened its mouth.
A cracked voice escaped from the rotten mouth.

“Kenaz…”

The ghoul has spoken! It was different from the ghouls that howled like beasts until now.
Could it be that he was a ghoul as intelligent as he was a rune mage in his lifetime? However, the ghoul mage, intelligent or not, had no intention of conversing with us. From the beginning, it is only casting ancient magic full of life.

Fire-!

The quarter staff with the ghoul mage burned roaring. Contrary to how he prayed earnestly, he knew how to use ancient magic.
The ghoul mage, whose staff sparked, slowly approached us.

“Hagalaz.”

I clenched my staff tightly as I recited the starting language.