Chapter 22: The Unknown Labyrinth

A fierce battle erupted between Dennis and the ordinary Carbuncles, with the Carbuncles launching lightning ball attacks while Dennis skillfully evaded and retaliated.

The Ruby Carbuncle appeared fixated on summoning more of its kind, but Dennis managed to bring down one of the Carbuncles. At that crucial moment, the true name of “Lightning Strike” flashed through his spirit.

“Oh no, this won’t work.”

Dennis realized that if he didn’t take down the Ruby Carbuncle, he would run out of stamina before it did. He unleashed his Armor, knowing that he could withstand several lightning ball attacks by relying on it.

Ignoring the regular Carbuncles’ attacks, Dennis made a daring decision to charge straight at the Ruby Carbuncle. With this plan in mind, he dashed forward, even as a lightning ball struck his body.

Undeterred, Dennis pressed on, enduring the pain of the attack. However, when the third lightning ball connected, his armor membrane quivered, and stray currents assailed his nerves.

“Ee~~~~~~”

Dennis gritted his teeth and locked eyes with the Ruby Carbuncle before charging forward. With a final leap, he swung his Quaking Blade down, landing a solid hit on the creature’s thick neck and slicing through its flesh and skin.

The Ruby Carbuncle let out a shriek of pain. Sensing that his armor membrane wouldn’t hold up much longer, Dennis made up his mind to finish it off swiftly.

Once he concentrated, Dennis relentlessly targeted the Ruby Carbuncle’s neck. After several attack, the Quaking Blade sank halfway into its neck. Victory was within Dennis’s grasp.

The Ruby Carbuncle shattered into countless fragments, disintegrating into dust. Simultaneously, the summoned Carbuncles vanished as well. It seemed that when the summoner perished, the summoned creatures disappeared too.

Right then, a new true name flashed into Dennis’s mind. It was “Summon (Carbuncle)”

“Summon…a rare true name. However, its usefulness remains questionable.”

There were several known true names for summoning, but they weren’t considered highly valuable. Yet, the true name used to summon the Carbuncles this time seemed to possess exceptional utility.

Creatures capable of using lightning ball attacks can be valuable assets in battle. However, it is said to be difficult to coordinate the summoned beings’ actions as a team. To gain complete control over the summoned creatures, one must exert mental power to command them effectively.

Attempting to make the creatures fight according to instructions would render the summoner unable to participate in the battle. As a result, many individuals who possess the ability to summon refrain from using it, as it would serve no purpose.

While it may be possible to utilize powerful summoned creatures, obtaining a true name that allows summoning such creatures requires defeating beings several levels stronger, like the Ruby Carbuncle.

Nevertheless, among the nobles, there are some who employ their subordinates to assist in defeating the creatures before dealing the final blow themselves, and thus obtaining the true name for summoning.

Dennis named the dome-like space where the Ruby Carbuncle resided the “Boss Chamber”. Inside the Boss Chamber, there were no mineral deposits, but instead, he discovered a large door in the back.

“What could this door be?”

Dennis opened the door, which stood about three meters tall. Beyond it, an unbelievable expanse stretched out before him—a vast forest covering an immense area.

Dennis thought that he had stepped outside the labyrinth, but when he looked up, he saw a ceiling covered in rocky formations. He was still within the labyrinth. It was at this moment that the sixth floor of the labrynth was discovered.

“This is a great discovery!”

For decades, even centuries, it was believed that the Rock Mountain Labyrinth consisted of only five floors. Hence, it was deemed an insignificant labyrinth. However, this recent discovery shattered those beliefs.

The sixth floor that unfolded before Dennis appeared like a vast forest, spanning several square kilometers. Labyrinths of this magnitude were only known to exist in the vicinity of the royal capital; they were the three major labyrinths of the kingdom.

In these forest-like labyrinths, a diverse range of food and materials could be gathered. They often served as natural treasure troves, which meant that the Beneshof territory gained a significant source of income.

The entrance to the sixth floor was affixed within a cavity halfway up a cliff. There was a height difference of about ten meters from the ground to the door. To descend to the ground, it seemed Dennis had to follow a pathway carved into the cliff.

Dennis, succumbing to the desire to uncover the nature of the next level, broke the cardinal rule of exercising caution within the labyrinth and descended the slope.

What he encountered seemed like an ordinary forest, but the fact that it thrived with lush greenery in a sunless labyrinth was inherently unnatural. The ceiling radiated a dimly lit ambiance reminiscent of an overcast sky.

A gentle breeze rustled through the air, reaffirming the mysterious essence of the labyrinth. Dennis thoroughly observed the forest, keen on every detail. From within the woods emerged a figure resembling that of a small child.

“A human… no, a humanoid monster.”

The creature had an ugly, gnome-like appearance, adorned with a rich green skin. It was a type of monster known as a goblin. Dennis recalled the information he had read about goblins in one book.

They were described as creatures with the intellect of a five-year-old child, yet adept at wielding tools. The book also noted that they possessed strength on par with that of an adult man. Dennis realized that underestimating them due to their small stature would result in him getting hurt.

The goblin noticed Dennis and swung the club it held, rushing towards him. Dennis raised his vajra staff in a high stance. At the moment the goblin was about to enter striking range, Dennis lunged forward and swung his staff down in a diagonal strike.

The vajra staff crashed into the goblin’s skull, delivering a single blow that sent the creature tumbling down and vanishing into dust. Dennis decided to go back. because he felt a little tired.

He ascended the slope and returned to the door, finding no change in the surroundings. However, something caught his eye—a glimmering object. It was the crystal horn of the Ruby Carbuncle, a drop item, it seemed.

“This looks like it could fetch a good price.” 

He carefully placed the crystal horn into his pouch and started trudging back towards the surface. He considered bringing back some coal, but his mental fatigue urged him to abandon any further mining efforts.

Upon returning to the mansion, Dennis reported his findings to his father, Lord Egmont.

“W-What… you discovered the sixth floor?”

 Egmont displayed an expression of profound astonishment.

“We won’t know unless we investigate, but I might be able to gather valuable herbs and food,” Dennis said.

“That’s excellent news. However, having only you retrieve them won’t be of much use,” 

“What about calling for help from elsewhere?” Dennis proposed.

Egmont dismissed the idea with a negative shake of his head. 

“I still don’t want the existence of the sixth floor to be known in other territories. If we hire people from elsewhere, it will eventually be revealed.”

Other than the so-called small labyrinths, labyrinths like this were highly sought after by nobles as a source of resources. If it became known that such a labyrinth existed within the Beneshof territory, it might attract unwanted attention, and people might interfere.

Egmont seemed to be afraid of such people.

“Developing our dungeon explorers steadily seems to be the best approach,”

Dennis remarked, to which Egmont nodded in agreement.

“It will take time, but it’s the most reliable method,” 

“In that case, should we use Amelia and the others as test subjects?” Dennis suggested.

“You said test subjects?” 

Egmont raised an eyebrow, which made Dennis realize that his choice of words had been poor.

“Let’s just try to develop Amelia and the others into dungeon explorers. I won’t push them beyond their limits,” Dennis clarified.

“I hope so. If Amelia gets seriously injured, Elise will kill me,” Egmont remarked.

Despite his haughty demeanor, Lord Egmont seemed to be under someone’s thumb. If Amelia’s mother, Elise, were present in the mansion, she would likely have opposed Amelia’s exploration of the labyrinth.

As the discussion about the labyrinth concluded, Egmont appeared hesitant, as if there was something weighing on his mind.

“Is there a problem?” Dennis inquired.

Egmont made up his mind and began to speak.

“It’s about the debt we owe to Baronet Victor. I want to find a way to repay it as soon as possible, but I can’t see a clear solution.”

He asked Dennis to lend his wisdom in finding a solution to repay the debt.

Dennis had an idea, or more accurately, it was an idea that had come from Masaya. To the north of Beneshof town, there was a forest. Within that forest, there was a grove of trees that bloomed with red flowers and bore large fruits.

Masaya, upon seeing the forest, had remarked that it resembled a camellia tree. He had informed Dennis that oil could be extracted from camellia seeds and suggested that the oil could be sold.

Recalling this, Dennis decided to have Egmont look into it after conducting some research. In the meantime, he thought of asking Masaya to investigate the method of extracting oil from camellia seeds.

Incidentally, the tree resembling a camellia was called a Sange tree. Its fruits seemed to serve as food for squirrels and field mice.