Chapter 183 – The Space-Warping Labyrinth

“What do you mean by strengthening the wand? You don’t mean to gamble with me?”
[Why is reinforcement linked to gambling? I don’t understand the wizard’s way of thinking. Reinforcing the quarter staff is on a different level from low-level gambling.]

Reinforcement is a gamble, what is it?
As a game junkie who enjoyed K-rpg on Earth, my hands tremble when I hear the word Ganghwa.

Pay to Win! A malicious system that sucks money from users.
It’s not once or twice that I cried out because my equipment was broken while shouting for reinforcements.

After listening to Rumi’s explanation, I relaxed my guard slightly.
If it’s not a low-level gamble, you’re saying that there’s no way your savings will be robbed while strengthening, right?
I believe that my precious quarter staff will never be broken.

“It’s different from real gambling? It’s hardening, but it doesn’t cost money and the staff doesn’t break?”
[Of course, money goes in. You can spend money to strengthen the magician’s quarter staff with a chance. That probability is about 10%.]
“It’s a gamble, you bitch!”

Is this magic book bitch playing puns with me?
If you add money to the probability of success, that’s a gamble.
At 10%, the odds of success are low. Considering past life experiences, 10% is absolutely not a high probability in reinforcement.

[At least the quarter staff doesn’t get smashed. It means that if you pour money, you can infinitely strengthen the wizard’s quarter staff.]
“My balance isn’t infinite. You’ve been acting a bit suspicious since before? You’re not trying to retaliate against me for putting it in your backpack? You’re trying to make me a beggar by introducing you to Ganghwa.”
[I am not retaliating. I’m just a magic book helping the wizard. I don’t know why you get angry when you hear the word Ganghwa. The means to become stronger have increased, isn’t it a good thing? First of all, trust me and listen to the specific strengthening method.]
“Huh… Why do you feel like selling drugs?”

Great.
Let’s take a look at what strengthening methods are. Even if the probability is 10%, it doesn’t matter if the goods that go in are cheap. If it was one copper coin per reinforcement, I would do an infinite try today. I will strengthen the staff to its limit and make a planet-destroying weapon.

[Quarter staff parts and manastones are required to attempt enhancement. For parts, you can tear off the newly obtained quarter staff, and the wizard only needs to prepare magic stones.]
“How many magic stones do I need to prepare?”
[It takes 8 normal grade magic stones to enhance once. It can be said that it is a reasonable price.]

The money to buy 8 magic stones is roughly equivalent to 1 silver.
The price was reasonable, and 1 silver was my monthly living expenses. Excluding the inn fee, it only comes out to about one silver coin.

It’s Gae Chang-ryeol because he thinks that a month’s living expenses will fly away at once.
It’s not unconditional, it’s 10 percent.
I have a hunch that if I touch it even by mistake, I won’t be able to turn it back.

My super-coward instincts warned me. This is the magic book making a mess.

“It’s okay. It’s better to think about reinforcement after earning more money.”
[How about giving it a try? After all, wizards aren’t extravagant, aren’t they? All you have to do is put the money you’ve earned so far into savings. What are you planning to do with that money?]
“I don’t have any plans.”
[Then invest in a wand. Quarter Staff is the main body of Rune Mage. Eating things like food and disappearing. But the reinforced quarter staff will be with you forever.]

If the wand is the main body, then I am an accessory.
Is it a magic wrapper holding a wand and chanting spells?

Although Rumi’s remarks were absurd, I knew that quarter staff were important.
It is also true that there is no plan to spend the money saved.

[Please try a few times. In my judgment, the mage’s luck is good. You’ve already met two women of destiny that no one else can meet in your life.]
“My girl is on the lucky side. But why are you talking so much all of a sudden?”
[I just want to help the wizard.]

Gradually, his ears were persuaded by Rumi’s endless persuasion.
Maybe my luck in this world isn’t bad.
You’re lucky to have met two women of your destiny. It’s not something to be afraid of only 10% chance.

“How many times should I try?”
[Great. Please prepare the magic stone right now. I will support everything else. It means to tell you how to dismantle the quarter staff or the strengthening ceremony. It is not an opportunity that comes every day-.]
“Okay, let’s do it.”

I put on my backpack and walked quickly towards the adventurer’s guild. They say you need magic stones to strengthen your quarter staff, but you don’t need to buy them separately. If it’s magic stones, they’re piled up in the guild storage. You just have to tell Wendy to buy it.

*

Some time later, as soon as I arrived at the Adventurer’s Guild, I went to see Wendy.
She was sitting at the reception desk, and she submitted to Wendy the antiques she had excavated in the labyrinth and the results of various explorations.

“Is it a patrol log…? Are you saying that the ghouls wandering the labyrinth are ancient people with 500 years of age?”
“Perhaps that’s the case. I haven’t found any traces of the ancients leaving the labyrinth. Besides, we also encountered ghouls who used ancient magic. The magic wand I’m holding is the weapon that ghouls used.”

Rather than purchasing magic stones, submitting the results of the exploration is probably more important. After receiving the various items I submitted, Wendy put on a surprised expression. Everyone can’t help but be surprised when the citizens of Yoensuu find out what they found in the labyrinth.

Pre-war ghouls roam the city’s underground, she says.
The citizens of Yoensuu have lived in the same space as the ghouls for hundreds of years. If you search the labyrinth, you might meet the ancestors of the natives here.

“…Luke-sama. Could the ghouls come to the surface? Me and Mary won’t be able to meet our rotten ancestors, right? I want to avoid family reunions.”
“Don’t worry. Our adventurers are actively involved in exploring the labyrinth. If something happens, I’ll protect Wendy.”
“You’re trustworthy, whoops.”

When she said that she would protect her, Wendy burst into laughter.
I was shy and smiled awkwardly.

“Luke-sama has grown up a lot, too. He was a cute person who quarreled with goblins when he was little.”
“The poor kid who couldn’t even kill that goblin is dead. I pushed him off a cliff. The one who survived here is a silver tier wizard.”
“It’s good that you survived!”

When I made a joke, Wendy responded lightly. Her white breasts, exposed through her receptionist dress, swayed whenever she laughed.

Rumbling.
Every time I see her K-cup mama barrel full of maternal love, her heart is warm. Wendy with the big mamma barrel is the treasure of this adventurer’s guild.

Protecting is not an empty word.
I don’t know about the other receptionists, but Wendy is a special person to me.

“—-You’ve received the report, Mr. Luke. I’ll deliver the results of the exploration to the Mage Tower right away tomorrow morning. I don’t think there’s been a party with such good results among adventurers yet.”
“Are you saying my party is ranked first? Can I get a magic tool?”
“Finding more explorations will be enough for a place in the rankings. Cheer up.”

The report on the results of the exploration is over. I handed over the small antiques to Wendy, but decided to keep the crimson quarterstaff. I was thinking of disassembling it right now and taking out the parts.

“Are you done with your business? I have to go home soon…”
“Not yet. I want to buy magic stones in bulk from the adventurer’s guild. I need them to strengthen my magic wand.”

I told Wendy that I wanted to buy magic stones. She wants to buy all the things she needs before Wendy leaves.

“It is said that my staff will be strengthened with a low chance when I consume magic stones. It will be helpful when exploring the labyrinth.”
“How many magic stones do you need? Magic stones are found in the guild storage.”

How much should I buy? Originally, I was going to try it lightly a few times, but suddenly I got greedy. Finally, the 20 silver I received as a down payment last time was in my hands.

‘It’s 1 silver to try once.’

It’s a 10% chance, so if you try 10 times, you’ll get it. I feel bad when I just soak my feet and throw away money.

If it ends in failure, it’s no different from no billing without spending money.

“Overview of 80. I would like to purchase 80 normal grade magic stones.”
“Are there 80 of them? Can I use them all?”
“If there is anything left over, I plan to sell it to a general store. The flow of reinforcement is important. If it is cut off in the middle, my mentality will be broken and my luck will decrease.”
“Flow? You speak difficult words like a wizard. If it’s a magic stone, I’ll take it out of the warehouse right now.”

Wendy tilted her head and entered the storage room near her reception desk. The people of this world did not understand my reinforcement theory, which was trained through games.
Well, they are people who don’t know the spicy taste of K-rpg.
Middle school students who do not know the concept of sacrifice, strengthening law, or the perfect place.

In comparison, you could say I’m a professional reinforcer.

[Wizard. There is no time. Let’s disassemble the quarterstaff right now. We will complete the setting while the Holstein receptionist is away.]
“You don’t have time?”
[It is important to go with the flow when strengthening the quarter staff. If you procrastinate for nothing, even successful reinforcements will fail. Mage, you already know what’s important. Let’s move quickly.]
“That, yes…”
[First, take a look at the core of the newly acquired quarterstaff. If you separate the wand exterior, you will see the magic circuit and numerous parts.]

As Rumi taught me, I disassembled the crimson quarterstaff.
It happened that the guild’s operating hours were over, so the reception desk was empty. I took a table and sat down to take apart the wand.

“What is that adventurer doing?”
“It’s the adventurer that Wendy unnie is in charge of. Leave it alone.”

Looking at me, I heard the whispering voices of the receptionists. All eyes were on me, but it was not the time to be shy. Disassembling the quarterstaff was a more precise task than I could have imagined.

‘Only the outside is made of wood, and the inside of the wand is very complicated.’

Peeling off the bark-like outer shell of the cane, the parts inside were revealed. Numerous magic circuits were connected like a spider’s web, and a thick jewel hung in the center.

[Do not touch the jewel in the middle. It’s a gem called the ‘core’, the heart-like organ of the quarterstaff. The staff will not tolerate stealing the core.]
“You mean you can take off the other parts?”
[That’s right. As long as the core remains, it is possible to restore the staff. Look at the stone attached to the magic circuit. It is a stone called ‘Rune Stone’, and it is an important part of the quarter staff. If you rip it off, you can use it to strengthen the quarter staff.]

A stone the size of a fingernail was attached to the magic circuit. A stone with runes engraved on its surface, possessing magic power. I exerted my utmost concentration and slowly tore off the runestone.

Took!

Soon, the rune stone came out cleanly from the magic circuit. This is another material used to strengthen the quarter staff. I didn’t need any other parts other than this, so I covered the cane’s shell again.

[The enhancement ceremony is simple. After collecting the rune stones and magic stones, place the wizard’s quarter staff around. Then, if you shout Raido as the starting word, the enhancement ceremony will be activated. It’s a function built into the staff itself, so you don’t even need to learn a separate spell.]

Now everything is ready.
Rumi’s explanation was kinder than ever. A magic book that actively introduces reinforcement to its owner. It may be because of my mood, but it seemed that pleasure was dripping from Rumi’s tone.

[Please don’t stick together.]
“What? You bitch?”
[Wrongly said. Please stick together at once. I am currently praying to the God of Heaven and Earth on the Midgard continent.]

It was when I was staring at Rumi that I had taken out of my backpack.
Just then, Wendy appeared from behind with her heavy sack.

“Luke-nim! I brought 80 magic stones!”

It’s time to start the show.
It was time to put my living expenses on quarterstaff.

My heart was pounding and my hands and feet were shaking.