Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 5 - E-Rank Labyrinth – Hideout of the Lurker Ghouls (4)

Chapter 5 — E-Rank Labyrinth – Hideout of the Lurker Ghouls (4)

 

“Do you understand?”

Marlin fell into thought for a moment before finally answering after a short pause.

“There’s something I don’t quite understand.”

“What is it?”

“The condition for clearing this Labyrinth is surviving for eight hours, right? So how can we get out using the method you just described?”

“Ah. I overlooked the possibility that you seriously lack basic knowledge about Labyrinths.”

“…”

Meeting the tiger beastkin girl’s blank stare, I kindly elaborated.

“Every Labyrinth hides a special secret known as a Hidden Piece.”

You could think of it as a kind of endgame content designed to encourage multiple playthroughs.

Since not even the smallest clue was provided, explorers had no choice but to discover them through trial and error.

It was the Labyrinth’s greatest mystery.

Hidden clear conditions.

Hidden items.

Hidden NPCs.

Hidden quests.

The specifics varied wildly from one Labyrinth to another, but they all had one thing in common:

They were hidden so thoroughly that finding them through ordinary means was nearly impossible.

“Even the Harmony Church priest’s Mysteries can’t uncover them?”

“For the most part, no.”

“As hidden as a Labyrinth… The other thieves used to say that whenever they found out how good I was at burglary.”

“So that’s where the saying came from.”

It was an expression I’d often encountered through party dialogue in the game.

A fitting idiom for a city built around Labyrinths.

“So this ghoul Labyrinth also has a Hidden Piece. And that’s the strategy you mentioned, right?”

“Exactly.”

Marlin gave a small nod before narrowing one eye.

“But… Do hidden clear conditions always require taking this kind of risk? One mistake and it feels like we’d lose our lives….”

“Don’t worry. It’s the safest plan I could come up with.”

“…Does that mean every plan is dangerous, and this one’s just the least dangerous?”

‘Sharp.’

Was this the power of 19 Sensory?

“Anyway, this is our best option. Can you do it?”

“…What choice do I have? Even if I can’t, I have to.”

Marlin nodded firmly.

“I’ll trust you. So please… just keep us alive.”

The nuance was completely different, but I’d heard that line in the game as well.

[Marlin: I’ll obey your orders, so please… spare me….]

Back then, the line had screamed the developers’ ugly intention:

“These two are here for you to exploit however you like.”

In the game, no matter which dialogue option you chose, the relationship always became one of master and servant.

You’d travel together, yet never truly build any bond.

But now…

Things were different.

That meant I might actually eliminate the Cultist’s greatest weakness:

Never being able to fully trust companions and always having to prepare for betrayal whenever entering a Labyrinth.

And because of that…

My heart couldn’t help pounding.

Just how high was the ceiling of a Cultist stripped of all their disadvantages?

Could the era of Lidni, the overwhelmingly popular deity, become reality… something the game’s systems had made impossible?

‘It’s not impossible.’

Excitement welled up inside me.

Still, the future only belonged to the living.

For now, escaping this Labyrinth had to come first.

Gods could wait.

If I died here, I wouldn’t be worshipping anyone.

“Ready?”

Marlin gently stood up, dragging the still-sleepy Abel to his feet.

Climbing onto a tree whose trunk had grown sideways, I leaned my back against it and nodded toward the siblings.

“Abel.”

“Yeah.”

The young brother and sister took one deep breath together.

Then…

“AAAAAAAH——!!”

A battle cry.

Though calling it something so grand was a bit much.

It was simply a loud shout.

Perhaps because they were still children, it lacked the overwhelming dominance you’d expect from a tiger, the true king of carnivores, far beyond any mere lion.

But intimidation wasn’t what we needed.

What mattered was revealing our location.

Drawing in the ghouls wandering throughout the forest.

 

[The stench of decay is approaching from every direction.]

 

They reacted.

Their hearing wasn’t particularly sharp, so they probably hadn’t heard clearly.

But simply making them aware of us was enough.

Now it was my turn.

Slice.

I drew my dagger across my palm.

Opening the wound wide, I let the blood drip freely onto the ground.

Bait.

A lure for the ghouls, who reacted intensely to the scent of the living.

 

[Countless ghouls have sensed the natural scent carried by your blood and are charging toward you at full speed. Are you perhaps planning a spectacular joint suicide?]

 

The phrase natural scent caught my attention a little.

Still, figuring out exactly what that meant could wait until later.

I’d bled enough.

Tearing off a strip of clothing, I wrapped my hand like a bandage.

“…Mister! They’re here!”

A monster carrying an overwhelming stench quickly closed the remaining distance.

“Intrudeeer!!”

“Kihihihihi!”

“Preyyyy….”

Grotesque figures darted in and out between the densely packed trees.

Compared to the speed they had shown the previous night, they now looked as though they were moving in fast-forward.

Their absurd agility had driven countless novice Cultists to rage-quit the game.

 

[Warning: Three ghouls are charging straight toward you.]

 

The leading group had nearly arrived.

As such enthusiastic predators, I couldn’t very well ignore their affection.

Instead of moving aside…

I simply waved at them.

With my left hand.

The one still covered in fresh blood.

“Intrudeeeer!!”

“Kihihihit!”

Had the scent of fresh blood driven them completely mad?

The monsters lunged recklessly toward me, slashing with their claws and snapping with their fangs.

‘Goodbye.’

Slice!

In the next instant…

The charging ghouls were all cut cleanly in half at once, their bodies collapsing to the ground.

Momentum carried the severed pieces forward, scattering them directly into the center of my overnight masterpiece.

“In… tru… der….”

Even reduced to the sort of corpse you’d expect in a murder mystery, the ghouls refused to die.

Instead, they regenerated around their heads.

One of the rare regenerative abilities possessed by only a handful of monsters.

Even individuals whose brains had been split in two stubbornly pieced themselves back together.

But…

The moment they had recovered enough of their bodies…

They were sliced apart again.

[:O]

The ghouls arriving afterward fared no differently.

Drawn by the scent of blood spreading from my gently waving hand, every undead creature that approached was shredded by the razor-thin spiderwebs.

The instant they regenerated…

They were severed again.

Then came the next cycle.

And the next.

The ghoul horde endlessly collapsed and regenerated, proving how close to immortal they were by suffering over and over again.

“Grrrr….”

One of them eventually managed to crawl up the tree I was sitting in.

I immediately drove my dagger into the center of its forehead and shoved it backward.

It promptly rejoined its companions’ lively infinite-resurrection party.

Being intelligent monsters, they’d probably realized it by now.

They’d fallen into a trap they couldn’t escape.

The murky blood spraying from their bodies gradually dyed crimson the lines that had previously been invisible in the air.

 

[Spiderweb That Binds All Things: The result of making the threads as thin and sharp as possible. This should be your first time using this Mystery, so why is your proficiency so high?]

 

Under normal circumstances, the ghouls would’ve noticed the threads and avoided them.

But now…

The enormous quantity of blood I’d deliberately spilled had robbed them of any rational thought.

“S-So easily….”

Marlin, peeking out from the hiding place, stared up at me with wide eyes.

She seemed utterly shocked at how effortlessly I’d neutralized the ghouls.

Fair enough.

I’d been just as surprised the first time I’d successfully used this strategy.

A tactic I’d personally developed through experience and analysis.

It had become so influential that even overseas communities had begun copying it.

“Mister… Is it over now?”

“Almost.”

This Labyrinth had two clear conditions.

Official Condition

Survive for eight hours.

Hidden Condition

Render every ghoul incapable of fighting.

Bzzzzz….

Eventually, after thrashing wildly for so long that even they became exhausted…

The movement of the scattered chunks of flesh gradually slowed.

At that moment…

A rectangular crimson light rose from the center of the little hiding space where the siblings had been concealed.

 

[Gate Leading Outside]

[The Labyrinth has been successfully conquered! The Forerunner of the Twisted Truth praises your accomplishments.]

 

E-Rank Labyrinth

Hideout of the Lurker Ghouls

Clear Complete.

“I never imagined it’d be solved this easily….”

“Easily? I almost died.”

My head still throbbed from forcing my Mental Power to its limit while weaving all those spiderwebs.

Carefully climbing down from the tree, I noticed one of the ghoul’s hands rolling at my feet suddenly become enveloped in a gentle light.

It transformed into a silver book.

The Hidden reward.

 

[First-Tier Grimoire of Mystery – Ghoul Mobility]

[Temporarily grants agility equal to that of a ghoul. Such an outstanding Mystery from an E-Rank Labyrinth! Even the Wise One is astonished.]

 

‘…This is it!’

Despite being only First Tier, it was an incredibly efficient Mystery.

A generous reward reflecting the developers’ philosophy:

“Great hardship deserves great reward.”

Carefully placing the silver book inside my clothes, I turned to the siblings, who were still staring at the ghouls lying around in countless pieces.

“Come on, kids. Let’s leave.”

There was nothing left to do in this foul-smelling Labyrinth.

 

***

 

Leading Marlin and Abel through the crimson gate, my vision swayed violently before returning to normal.

Outside the Labyrinth…

We found ourselves inside a tavern.

 

[An unfortunate tavern forced to close after the appearance of the E-Rank Labyrinth [Hideout of the Lurker Ghouls]. It was later acquired by the Harmony Church and now serves as a facility for explorers.]

 

“…We’re back.”

“I’m exhausted.”

The young siblings collapsed into chairs at a nearby table.

Resting her forehead against the tabletop, Marlin spoke in a dying voice.

“Mister… Can we go home now?”

“No. We still have to complete the expedition checkout procedure.”

“Ughhh….”

“Rest for a bit.”

I was about to wake the Harmony Church priest sleeping in the corner with an entire blanket spread out on the floor…

But first, I looked around.

The tavern I’d only ever seen as graphics in the game.

If I didn’t take the opportunity to look around now, I had no right to call myself a veteran player.

Like a tourist, I wandered here and there before finally opening one of the windows.

Outside… It was still late at night.

As I admired the city while a cool breeze drifted in from the dark streets, familiar text appeared before my eyes as though it had been waiting for me.

 

[The Labyrinth City of Pletika.]

[A paradise for explorers, where thousands of Labyrinths lurk. Are you prepared to spread the Wise One’s glory throughout the world?]

 

Pletika.

The city that served as the stage of the game.

A metropolis containing thousands of Labyrinths… and the place where I would now spend my life.

If I were honest, I’d have liked to leisurely explore the entire city.

Unfortunately, I wouldn’t have the luxury of doing so.

Taking a slow breath, almost like beginning another ritual, I solemnly looked up at the sky.

‘Even the constellations are the same.’

The softly glowing moon.

The countless stars.

It was a beautiful sight.

Yet I couldn’t simply admire it, because Eyes That Perceive the Truth had thoughtfully positioned a line of text in midair… perfectly to the right of the moon.

It was impossible to ignore.

 

[S-Rank Labyrinth – Nightmare Dungeon]

[If it is not conquered within five years, the Great Monster dwelling at its highest floor will emerge, trample every living creature, and reduce the entire continent to ashes.]

 

Five years.

If I failed to reach the ending before then… This world would be destroyed.