Chapter 72

< Heading to the 4th Floor >

The fairy forest where Yernil lived was a remote countryside village among remote countryside villages.

A completely closed-off place with no external contact whatsoever, where pretty deer ran through the forest and fairies flocked to bathe in the beautiful lake.

Yernil grew up happily catching fish in that lake.

She deeply loved every single Elf in the village without exception.

The boys her age would occasionally recite adventure stories about cities and labyrinths, memorizing tales of worlds they had never seen, but to Yernil’s ears, it just sounded boring.

She would absolutely never leave that village.

That’s what she believed at the time.

So when Yernil found hersElf alone, having left the forest and dropped into Plandor City, the bewilderment and fear she felt was beyond description.

Every passing demihuman was terrifying to her. Because they were races she was seeing for the first time.

That’s why she got a job at the errand center.

The boss there was at least an Elf.

***

“Uuuugh……”

Yernil glared at the errand center boss who had completely betrayed her trust.

“Calm down, calm down. Your eyes are going to shoot fire.”

“Boss, didn’t you also get arrested by Security Headquarters back then? Did you already get out?”

Yernil asked.

“Already…… How long ago was that? I got out ages ago. After two days of investigation.”

The boss burst into laughter.

“Wh-what did you say!”

Yernil was so shocked she swayed.

But I don’t understand this either.

“Does Plandor City let drug offenders go that easily?”

Even Yernil, who was just a simple courier, was fined and sold into slavery when she couldn’t pay, but the head of that business got out ages ago?

“Because I paid the fine.”

“The head of drug distribution gets off with just a fine?”

“Who said I was the head? Me?”

The man shook his head.

“I too regret that my business of supplying distribution networks and delivering goods throughout Plandor City became so corrupt. And I’m the one who really suffered a lot of losses. I even got a business suspension because of it.”

He was saying that, but his expression was definitely not that of someone wronged.

Obviously, this person was the head who directly supplied the drugs.

He cut off the tail in the middle.

And as a business owner, he settled it by paying a fine for neglecting his management and supervisory duties. Plus a business suspension on top of that.

But now coming to Soren and lurking around the Magic University means……

“Are you preparing a different business here?”

“Half correct.”

The man nodded.

“It’s not preparing something new here, but I already had a business operating here. From before. I have to take care of at least that, don’t I?”

“……”

“I’m late with introductions. I’m the Elf businessman Rilwid.”

He extended his hand to me.

“I’m called Caleb. What kind of business do you do here?”

“Right now I’m buying magical items. I heard some interesting pieces came into the appraisal department, so I came to see them, but they said I can’t see them unless I’m the owner.”

It must be our items that Yernil entrusted. But I didn’t mention it.

You have to be careful with your words in front of guys like this. He was a drug dealer, wasn’t he? He might be involved in other crimes too. For example, he might be running several raider groups.

There’s nothing good about letting him know I have something useful.

So Yernil, you stay quiet too. I’m getting a sketchy feeling like that Antonelli guy……

“Ah, you’re here! The appraisal clients.”

Damn it.

An appraisal department employee waved at me and approached without reading the room.

“I’ll give you everything along with the appraisal certificates here.”

Apparently trying to help me, he glanced at Rilwid and winked at me.

“Caleb, the items that came out this time are really amazing, so they’ll get quite good bids at the auction house.”

While hyping things up with the same words.

Can’t be helped. Let’s look at the items first.

“Two wands, one necklace, one belt, and one hooded short cape. Five items total.”

The cape was an item from the treasure room Soyul and I found together, and the rest are Antonelli’s relics.

Honestly, I’m a bit excited.

Because they’re items used by the 4th floor Necromancer Antonelli, so they should be somewhat compatible with me as a wizard.

Even the last cape is for wizard use.

Let’s look at the wands first.

[Soul Infusion Wand]

▶This product has been confirmed to contain magical power by the Magic University’s appraisal department, but received a ‘Common’ grade as it’s 1st-grade level.

▶This wand contains the 1st-grade combat magic ‘Soul Infusion’.

[Corrosion Wand]

▶This product has been confirmed to contain magical power by the Magic University’s appraisal department, but received a ‘Common’ grade as it’s 1st-grade level.

▶This wand contains the 1st-grade combat magic ‘Corrosion’.

The two wands are close to duds.

Wands with magic can also be made by the Magic University, and mass-produced items have one 1st-grade magic.

So wands with one 1st-grade magic are cheap goods. They’re common supply items.

They’re so common that they even gave one wand each when throwing the university’s slave teams into the labyrinth, right?

To have value, they need to have 2nd-grade magic, or two 1st-grade magics. Like the Lightning Wand I received from Isilof that had both Lightning Shock and Superconductivity.

“This won’t even cover the appraisal fee.”

“That’s how it turned out. Haha.”

Still, there might be use for them, so I took them anyway.

Next is the necklace.

[Caleb’s Commission: 1. Necklace]

▶This product has been confirmed to contain magical power by the Magic University’s appraisal department and received a ‘Magic’ grade.

▶This necklace contains the 1st-grade combat magic ‘Tranquil Mind’.

Oh.

This is excellent.

This level probably came from a 4th floor treasure room or was dropped by a powerful exit boss.

Of course, it could have been bought at an auction house too.

[Caleb’s Commission: 2. Belt]

▶This product has been confirmed to contain magical power by the Magic University’s appraisal department and received a ‘Magic’ grade.

▶This belt contains the 1st-grade utility magic ‘Potion Regeneration (1 Pocket)’.

This is excellent too.

Potion Regeneration is magic usually attached to belts, where if you put an empty bottle of a specific potion in a specific pocket, its contents regenerate.

Small healing potions take just a few minutes.

Conversely, powerful, rare, and expensive potions loaded with life recovery, resistance, and buffs can also be regenerated, but they take years.

You can’t turn a magic belt into a wine-aging oak barrel, so most people compromise on Potion Regeneration at a level where decent efficiency is achieved. Still, it’s a nice belt that saves quite a bit on potion costs.

“Lastly, this cape.”

That clothing was clearly for wizard use.

If you put your head through the bottom, the hood stably covers the crown, sides of the face, and neck, and below that, a well-ventilated black cape flows down to about chest height. It’s not cumbersome for activity and is light but quite durable and sturdy material, so it seemed to have decent defense too.

And its ability is……

[Caleb’s Commission]

▶This product has been confirmed to contain magical power by the Magic University’s appraisal department and received a ‘Magic’ grade.

▶This belt contains the 1st-grade utility magic ‘Dense Fog’.

Satisfying. All three turned out quite well.

Of course, I could find uses for pretty much any random item anyway.

“Did you get something useful?”

Rilwid quickly approached and peered over.

He seemed to want to see the appraisal certificates, but I quickly put them in my bag.

Anyway, the wands won’t sell for money, and I’ll use the rest.

It’s best not to get involved with this Elf with a shady background.

***

It´s Ominous.

My intuition, having been screwed over countless times, is telling me. That Elf from earlier will somehow get involved again.

For example, when I go down to the labyrinth 4th floor, the raider group sent by that Elf suddenly appears.

No wait, hold on.

There’s no way he’d come with such a predictable repertoire. Befitting the abyss of backstabbing, won’t it lead to some other amazing situation?

“Caleb.”

Yernil still looked indignant.

Not only that, but she seemed very shocked that Boss Rilwid was released in just two days.

“Is it okay for the world to be like this? Really…… It’s just too much……”

Guilty if rich, innocent if poor.

That cruel rule applied in South Korea too, but here it’s much worse.

Labyrinth cities are evil places.

“But now Yernil’s rich too.”

“……”

Yernil thought for a moment and nodded.

“That’s true.”

Since the last settlement, she now has more money than Aimus, a family man in his 40s, or Mister Backstab, who’s been living as an adventurer much longer.

Yernil received settlements from the labyrinth 2nd round and also from winning prize money in Bertengga.

Come to think of it, where did she spend all that money?

“I saved it, obviously.”

She put all the money she received straight into the bank.

Very much like Yernil.

***

“I spent it all in the back alleys, brother.”

Conversely, Mister Backstab already spent about 50%.

“Since I just got revived, you know. I had to let the back alleys know that Mister Backstab is back.”

“……”

“After the casino closed, I heard a few private houses opened, so I made a round of those, and bought some gifts for the girls.”

You really live life recklessly.

“But I also did some investing. The bank had some investment product, so I put the other half there.”

That was well done, but then is there no money left?

“I just left a little for living expenses. We can just go to the labyrinth again.”

When I said we’re going to the 4th floor, his complexion changed a bit, but Mister Backstab still decided to come along.

“I’m going too.”

Surprisingly, Aimus, who I was most worried about, also joined in one shot.

“Didn’t your wife try to stop you?”

I still asked out of concern.

Honestly, if I were Aimus’s wife, I think I’d grab him and not let him go.

In my party, Aimus died in the 1st round, and in the 2nd round, didn’t we encounter a Monster Wave?

At this level, even if she absolutely forbade him from going, she’d have nothing to apologize for.

“She actually worried a lot, so I persuaded her well. You have to earn when you can earn. And……”

The middle-aged monk is slowly unfolding dreams he had put away long ago.

“I’m thinking that maybe I could live a second chapter of my life as an adventurer.”

It’s Team Caleb with full participation again.

***

After maintaining Aimus, Mister Backstab, and Yernil’s equipment once each, I went to find Professor Isilof.

Because he sent a message saying he had a new mission to give me.

“Welcome, Caleb.”

Isilof was watering a plant called Isaac Berry.

“I hear you’re going to the 4th floor?”

“That’s right.”

“Isn’t it a bit early? Have you analyzed and prepared sufficiently?”

“Yes, it’s fine.”

“Good. I can trust Caleb. If you’re going to the 4th floor, I have a job to assign you.”

Isilof asked.

“The labyrinth is no longer ‘low-level’ from the 4th floor onward. From the 4th floor, it’s mid-level. And mid-level labyrinths each have one special zone. Do you know?”

Of course I know.

From the 1st to 3rd floors, there were only monsters, exit rooms, and treasures, but starting from the 4th floor, special zones appear for the first time.

And the special zone that appears on the 4th floor is……

“Ancient Mana Steel Mill.”

The site area is about 5 square kilometers.

The enormous steel mill already had all its workers disappear long ago, but due to the labyrinth’s mysterious power, it’s still operating.

The steel mill’s crushers and furnaces move by themselves, crushing and melting magic stones, putting them in frames, and then pressing them out with hydraulic presses to create the 4th floor monsters.

In other words, the Ancient Mana Steel Mill becomes the point where 4th floor field monsters are born.

“That steel mill has many mysterious magics that enhance adventurers’ abilities. I’ll give you my research materials, so could you go there yourself and investigate once?”

I know all the enhancement effects that come from the steel mill.

Even ones not mentioned in this research material.

‘Vulant’s Hammer.’

That’s exactly why I decided to go to the 4th floor this time.

If I use that, I can modify or expand special abilities.