Chapter 132: Minotauros (5)

Time passed and the day of the Minotauros subjugation arrived.

Usually, adventurers moved individually or in teams, but seeing them gathered en masse in front of the monument leading to the Labyrinth was something else.

“It looks like a demolition crew for the Labyrinth.”

“That’s why no country dares to invade Pangrave, which generates immense profits.”

Their armaments were all different, and they weren’t even lined up properly, just scattered around nearby…

As more and more beginners shed their rookie status and got used to killing, the atmosphere became quite fierce.

The adventurers inside, however, seemed bored as if tired of waiting.

“By the way, there are so many strong-looking adventurers. With such insurance, can proper combat even take place?”

“Yes. Surprisingly, it can.”

Currently, the fact that I summoned the Floor Guardian of the first floor isn’t widely known.

In fact, Minotauros, the guardian of the second floor, is the first Floor Guardian that adventurers can face.

Surviving until now means they’ve somehow managed to secure stable victories against common monsters.

However, even such individuals couldn’t help but struggle with their first boss fight, and to aid them, adventurers who operate at least two floors deeper were assigned as protectors.

“The Labyrinth isn’t stupid. The moment your life is protected, most of your accumulated merits flow to the one who saved you.”

“Ah. That makes sense. After all, it was the Goddess of Love herself who designed the Labyrinth’s merit system.”

Saving someone earns you far more merits than killing them. What the Labyrinth evaluates isn’t something like battle records.

It is everything done within that space.

Helping someone else in a place full of dangers must have been considered noble.

“Noble… Perhaps Miss Lydia too?”

“…Well, that’s why my nickname is ‘The Noble’.”

Even in a Labyrinth filled with death, she never loses her humanity and always strives to act honorably.

Helping those in danger, punishing the wicked, standing at the forefront when advancing, and at the rear when retreating, showing courage and dedication.

That’s why Lydia is considered strong even among high-level adventurers.

“The number of monsters subjugated may be similar, but the deeds are not the same.”

“Oh, but do such so-called good deeds help in some way? Like increasing strength by exerting power, or stamina by fighting for a long time. There is some randomness, but…”

“Well, I’m not sure. But I don’t think it’s a physical issue… But can’t you just ask the Goddess?”

“Hey. That’s an oracle and a revelation, right? It’s not something that comes down so easily. Though, if I do ask, she might answer…”

Since I can’t convey the message directly, she might try to communicate through the fully-leveled Goddess Statue. However, there’s the problem that the gacha rates tend to lean towards the unfavorable side each time.

This time, I spent nearly 100 gold to somehow reset the penalty, so I can’t waste it on something random.

“It would be a burden on the Goddess. And I have a hunch too.”

“A hunch?”

“Yes. I think it might be related to mental strength.”

Having acquired the Avatar of Love, my mental resistance greatly increased. Along with that, my mental strength also grew stronger, resulting in an unexpected synergy.

I can control a much larger amount of power more easily than usual. In other words, the output and control of the three great abilities – Aura, Mana, and Divine Power – had achieved remarkable growth.

And Lydia’s total amount of Aura was significant; she boasted an immense output that seemed almost magical, scattering Aura around her.

The flame-like Aura that enveloped the surrounding area, and thus the domain Lydia unfolded, was probably an art that other Aura users would find hard to imitate.

“That’s what I think. I don’t know if it’s the correct answer or not.”

“This can’t be… Was it not my genius talent…?”

It seemed that Lydia thought it was only possible because she was a genius.

Lydia trembles as she looks down at her hands. I momentarily enjoyed watching her violently shaking chest.

In the distance, a familiar face appeared. Tall stature and well-proportioned body. Flat…no, agile chest and bright blonde hair. An elf, the second-generation rich brat with strangely annoying features.

It was Rosemary. Behind her was the muscular archer lady seen before.

Though she was overpowered by Lydia in one blow, from her appearance, you’d think she was some kind of human weapon.

With a happy heart, I waved my hand and shouted.

“Here! Over here!”

“Eek!”

Rosemary, who noticed me, was startled and immediately turned her head, but how could she resist this?

I quickly ran over and hooked my arm around Rosemary’s shoulder. I wanted to put my arm around her shoulder, but Rosemary was taller than expected, so it wasn’t easy.

“Why did you pretend not to see me when you did?”

“Th-that’s because….”

“I greeted you so warmly, so why didn’t you respond?”

“Th-that…you suddenly used formal language, so I was surprised….”

“No, that’s because I was angry then. How could I speak informally to someone over 100 years older than me? …So why did you pretend not to see me? Do elves turn their heads away when they’re surprised?”

“Uh…well, that is…um….”

Rosemary lowered her head and mumbled. I leaned in to look up at her face from below.

The key here was to keep my eyes as vacant as possible, letting my pupils go unfocused.

In that state, I began repeating the same words mechanically, like a broken phonograph.

“Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?”

“Eek!”

Rosemary seemed to love my fashion yandere act, as if she was going to die from joy.

I grabbed her trembling hand and pulled her.

“Come here.”

“Hiccup.”

With a pale complexion, Rosemary quietly followed. Berry, who was supposed to be the escort, closed her eyes tightly as if she couldn’t bear to watch the scene in front of her.

…Anyone would mistake this for a human trafficking scene.

After bringing her over, I stood next to Lydia and nodded my head.

“Stick close to us in the Labyrinth and fight.”

“Wh-why?”

“So we can save you when it gets dangerous.”

Rosemary’s eyes widened as if she had heard something unexpected. However, the elf Nuna, who was her escort, whispered into her ear with a complicated expression.

“If they say they can help when it gets rough, it means they can cut you down when it gets rough. It’s best to follow their words here.”

Rosemary flinched and looked at Lydia and me in turn, nodding slightly.

“No, I can hear everything? It’s not like that. If Rosemary dies by accident, the plan will go awry.”

“Then if I take you to the meeting as planned….”

“Why would I keep a horse that has lost its utility?”

“…!”

“It sounds like you want me to say that. Honestly, it’s frustrating. I only responded because you provoked me first, and now you look at me as if I’m the embodiment of evil.”

I patted Rosemary’s shoulder.

“It’s okay. There won’t be anything to worry about.”

Rosemary nodded stiffly, like a broken doll.

Lydia, who had been watching all this, sighed and shook her head.

After a while. An adventurer belonging to the Guild arrived and, under her guidance, we all held hands and entered the Labyrinth together.

As soon as we arrived at the Labyrinth, the Guild’s adventurer, who might also be a competent guide, surveyed the surroundings and led the way without hesitation.

Seeing dozens of people lined up in a narrow cave was quite a spectacle.

Although some of the monsters we encountered along the way charged at us without fear…those at the forefront took care of them without me, who was relatively in the rear, needing to step in.

Well. If they are challenging the Floor Guardian, it’s only natural that they can easily defeat the regular monsters on the second floor.

We followed the Guild’s guide for a long time. Deep, deeper.

Having become stronger after defeating Morgana, I boldly pushed through to the depths I have never ventured into with the subjugation team.

Slowly, the kobolds disappeared, and queen spiders with multiple offspring or crude golems made of earth began to appear….

These too were swiftly hunted down.

After taking only the Magic Stones from the loot and leaving the rest behind, how long had we continued on?

The sound of a gigantic heartbeat grew closer. The intermediate cavities no longer appeared. There was only a narrow passage stretching on.

At the end was a place as wide and open as a plaza on the surface.

Thump-thump! Thump-thump!

And the heart of the God of Earth was right in front of us.

“Wow.”

An involuntary exclamation. The other adventurers were no different.

The gigantic heart made of earth and rock pulsed rhythmically, emitting a heavy sound.

The sound resonated throughout the entire second floor, so I thought it would be extremely noisy as it was the reference for finding our way, but when I got closer, it wasn’t really so.

The reason is simple. What I had thought was a sound reaching my ears was actually something deeper, perhaps stimulating what we call the soul, rather than the body.

Of course, I know that the heart before my eyes is merely an illusion. It’s just an echo of the past.

Even knowing that, in the midst of my awe that welled up.

Thud-

The heart that had been pounding incessantly suddenly stopped its movement.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Following that, the calm voice of a Guild adventurer was heard.

“It’s coming. Everyone, get ready.”

Crack.

As soon as her warning ended, a small crack appeared in the massive heart.

No, the heart was so huge that it seemed small, but in reality, it was quite a significant crack.

Crunch, creak. Crack!

With a loud noise, cracks begin to break and twist from the inside. And before long, an illusory figure materializes, breaking through the outer wall of the heart.

A bull walking on two legs. A fallen hero of the past. The one who receives the love and sorrow of the God of Earth.

-BWOOO!!

It was Minotauros.

,

Time passed and the day of the Minotauros subjugation arrived.

Usually, adventurers moved individually or in teams, but seeing them gathered en masse in front of the monument leading to the Labyrinth was something else.

“It looks like a demolition crew for the Labyrinth.”

“That’s why no country dares to invade Pangrave, which generates immense profits.”

Their armaments were all different, and they weren’t even lined up properly, just scattered around nearby…

As more and more beginners shed their rookie status and got used to killing, the atmosphere became quite fierce.

The adventurers inside, however, seemed bored as if tired of waiting.

“By the way, there are so many strong-looking adventurers. With such insurance, can proper combat even take place?”

“Yes. Surprisingly, it can.”

Currently, the fact that I summoned the Floor Guardian of the first floor isn’t widely known.

In fact, Minotauros, the guardian of the second floor, is the first Floor Guardian that adventurers can face.

Surviving until now means they’ve somehow managed to secure stable victories against common monsters.

However, even such individuals couldn’t help but struggle with their first boss fight, and to aid them, adventurers who operate at least two floors deeper were assigned as protectors.

“The Labyrinth isn’t stupid. The moment your life is protected, most of your accumulated merits flow to the one who saved you.”

“Ah. That makes sense. After all, it was the Goddess of Love herself who designed the Labyrinth’s merit system.”

Saving someone earns you far more merits than killing them. What the Labyrinth evaluates isn’t something like battle records.

It is everything done within that space.

Helping someone else in a place full of dangers must have been considered noble.

“Noble… Perhaps Miss Lydia too?”

“…Well, that’s why my nickname is ‘The Noble’.”

Even in a Labyrinth filled with death, she never loses her humanity and always strives to act honorably.

Helping those in danger, punishing the wicked, standing at the forefront when advancing, and at the rear when retreating, showing courage and dedication.

That’s why Lydia is considered strong even among high-level adventurers.

“The number of monsters subjugated may be similar, but the deeds are not the same.”

“Oh, but do such so-called good deeds help in some way? Like increasing strength by exerting power, or stamina by fighting for a long time. There is some randomness, but…”

“Well, I’m not sure. But I don’t think it’s a physical issue… But can’t you just ask the Goddess?”

“Hey. That’s an oracle and a revelation, right? It’s not something that comes down so easily. Though, if I do ask, she might answer…”

Since I can’t convey the message directly, she might try to communicate through the fully-leveled Goddess Statue. However, there’s the problem that the gacha rates tend to lean towards the unfavorable side each time.

This time, I spent nearly 100 gold to somehow reset the penalty, so I can’t waste it on something random.

“It would be a burden on the Goddess. And I have a hunch too.”

“A hunch?”

“Yes. I think it might be related to mental strength.”

Having acquired the Avatar of Love, my mental resistance greatly increased. Along with that, my mental strength also grew stronger, resulting in an unexpected synergy.

I can control a much larger amount of power more easily than usual. In other words, the output and control of the three great abilities – Aura, Mana, and Divine Power – had achieved remarkable growth.

And Lydia’s total amount of Aura was significant; she boasted an immense output that seemed almost magical, scattering Aura around her.

The flame-like Aura that enveloped the surrounding area, and thus the domain Lydia unfolded, was probably an art that other Aura users would find hard to imitate.

“That’s what I think. I don’t know if it’s the correct answer or not.”

“This can’t be… Was it not my genius talent…?”

It seemed that Lydia thought it was only possible because she was a genius.

Lydia trembles as she looks down at her hands. I momentarily enjoyed watching her violently shaking chest.

In the distance, a familiar face appeared. Tall stature and well-proportioned body. Flat…no, agile chest and bright blonde hair. An elf, the second-generation rich brat with strangely annoying features.

It was Rosemary. Behind her was the muscular archer lady seen before.

Though she was overpowered by Lydia in one blow, from her appearance, you’d think she was some kind of human weapon.

With a happy heart, I waved my hand and shouted.

“Here! Over here!”

“Eek!”

Rosemary, who noticed me, was startled and immediately turned her head, but how could she resist this?

I quickly ran over and hooked my arm around Rosemary’s shoulder. I wanted to put my arm around her shoulder, but Rosemary was taller than expected, so it wasn’t easy.

“Why did you pretend not to see me when you did?”

“Th-that’s because….”

“I greeted you so warmly, so why didn’t you respond?”

“Th-that…you suddenly used formal language, so I was surprised….”

“No, that’s because I was angry then. How could I speak informally to someone over 100 years older than me? …So why did you pretend not to see me? Do elves turn their heads away when they’re surprised?”

“Uh…well, that is…um….”

Rosemary lowered her head and mumbled. I leaned in to look up at her face from below.

The key here was to keep my eyes as vacant as possible, letting my pupils go unfocused.

In that state, I began repeating the same words mechanically, like a broken phonograph.

“Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?”

“Eek!”

Rosemary seemed to love my fashion yandere act, as if she was going to die from joy.

I grabbed her trembling hand and pulled her.

“Come here.”

“Hiccup.”

With a pale complexion, Rosemary quietly followed. Berry, who was supposed to be the escort, closed her eyes tightly as if she couldn’t bear to watch the scene in front of her.

…Anyone would mistake this for a human trafficking scene.

After bringing her over, I stood next to Lydia and nodded my head.

“Stick close to us in the Labyrinth and fight.”

“Wh-why?”

“So we can save you when it gets dangerous.”

Rosemary’s eyes widened as if she had heard something unexpected. However, the elf Nuna, who was her escort, whispered into her ear with a complicated expression.

“If they say they can help when it gets rough, it means they can cut you down when it gets rough. It’s best to follow their words here.”

Rosemary flinched and looked at Lydia and me in turn, nodding slightly.

“No, I can hear everything? It’s not like that. If Rosemary dies by accident, the plan will go awry.”

“Then if I take you to the meeting as planned….”

“Why would I keep a horse that has lost its utility?”

“…!”

“It sounds like you want me to say that. Honestly, it’s frustrating. I only responded because you provoked me first, and now you look at me as if I’m the embodiment of evil.”

I patted Rosemary’s shoulder.

“It’s okay. There won’t be anything to worry about.”

Rosemary nodded stiffly, like a broken doll.

Lydia, who had been watching all this, sighed and shook her head.

After a while. An adventurer belonging to the Guild arrived and, under her guidance, we all held hands and entered the Labyrinth together.

As soon as we arrived at the Labyrinth, the Guild’s adventurer, who might also be a competent guide, surveyed the surroundings and led the way without hesitation.

Seeing dozens of people lined up in a narrow cave was quite a spectacle.

Although some of the monsters we encountered along the way charged at us without fear…those at the forefront took care of them without me, who was relatively in the rear, needing to step in.

Well. If they are challenging the Floor Guardian, it’s only natural that they can easily defeat the regular monsters on the second floor.

We followed the Guild’s guide for a long time. Deep, deeper.

Having become stronger after defeating Morgana, I boldly pushed through to the depths I have never ventured into with the subjugation team.

Slowly, the kobolds disappeared, and queen spiders with multiple offspring or crude golems made of earth began to appear….

These too were swiftly hunted down.

After taking only the Magic Stones from the loot and leaving the rest behind, how long had we continued on?

The sound of a gigantic heartbeat grew closer. The intermediate cavities no longer appeared. There was only a narrow passage stretching on.

At the end was a place as wide and open as a plaza on the surface.

Thump-thump! Thump-thump!

And the heart of the God of Earth was right in front of us.

“Wow.”

An involuntary exclamation. The other adventurers were no different.

The gigantic heart made of earth and rock pulsed rhythmically, emitting a heavy sound.

The sound resonated throughout the entire second floor, so I thought it would be extremely noisy as it was the reference for finding our way, but when I got closer, it wasn’t really so.

The reason is simple. What I had thought was a sound reaching my ears was actually something deeper, perhaps stimulating what we call the soul, rather than the body.

Of course, I know that the heart before my eyes is merely an illusion. It’s just an echo of the past.

Even knowing that, in the midst of my awe that welled up.

Thud-

The heart that had been pounding incessantly suddenly stopped its movement.

Following that, the calm voice of a Guild adventurer was heard.

“It’s coming. Everyone, get ready.”

Crack.

As soon as her warning ended, a small crack appeared in the massive heart.

No, the heart was so huge that it seemed small, but in reality, it was quite a significant crack.

Crunch, creak. Crack!

With a loud noise, cracks begin to break and twist from the inside. And before long, an illusory figure materializes, breaking through the outer wall of the heart.

A bull walking on two legs. A fallen hero of the past. The one who receives the love and sorrow of the God of Earth.

-BWOOO!!

It was Minotauros.