The Great Sin City Greed, the main plaza, The Jaw of Desire.
Upon arriving at the main plaza at the entrance to the Great Sin Labyrinth, the first thing Ul noticed were the stone pillars erected on its four sides.
The plaza was as lively, if not more so, than the marching road he had just traversed. Stalls were packed shoulder-to-shoulder within the limited space, and merchants hawkeds their wares as if shouting.
And the customers gazing upon them—the adventurers—were equally serious. None of them seemed to be enjoying their shopping. They held products in their hands, scrutinizing them as if to discern their quality. Everyone was making thorough preparations before the labyrinth.
Then, at the back of the main plaza, it stood.
Amidst the vibrant energy of the plaza, for some reason, a chilling, damp wind blew from that spot. Beyond the ancient gate, a staircase descended deep into the ground, from the plaza below.
This was the heart of the city. The largest labyrinth among the many that had appeared.
It was none other than the Great Sin Labyrinth Greed.
“That’s it…”
Ul instinctively shivered at the unsettling feeling and made his way toward the labyrinth’s entrance. Along the way, he spotted what looked like a crowd of people. As he approached, he realized they were Healers from the Healing Hall, carrying the injured.
While some of the injured were unfamiliar faces, the overwhelming majority were ones he had seen recently. In fact, every single one of them was a riff-raff adventurer who had rushed out from the training hall.
“……”
“……Ow…”
“It hurts…it hurts…”
They were in such bad shape, it made one wonder what had happened to the bravado they showed toward Guren. Well, the Healers seemed to have only provided light first aid, not using Healing Magic, so perhaps they avoided serious injury.
“Oh my, you’re Ul, aren’t you?”
A familiar voice called out Ul’s name. It was the female Healer who had treated him at the Healing Hall. She must have been working, bandaging the thugs lying at her feet. She was treating them mercilessly, ignoring their moans of pain.
“They’re always so noisy.”
“Always?”
“Always. Treating those who barely qualify as adventurers from the training hall.”
So, those sent out from the training hall were expected to get injured. If Guren’s words were to be believed, their purpose was to injure them just enough to break their spirit, not seriously, which made sense, but it was a harsh reality.
“So, are you two going in too? I’ll tell you, you won’t get a ring.”
“I heard that the most outstanding among the participants receives one.”
“That’s right. And by the way, among those who charged in, there were also experienced adventurers mixed with those trainees.”
He glanced over and saw a single woman standing gracefully among the groaning injured. She wore two swords at her hips and was completely wrapped in a cloak. Amidst the chorus of pathetic cries, she was busy depositing a large number of Magic Stones from her “Expansion Bag” into the “Exchange Office.”
“…That’s a terrible story.”
“So, you won’t get a ring, but you’re still going?”
“……For now, I will. If I don’t descend into the labyrinth, I can’t become an adventurer anyway.”
It wasn’t because of Guren’s orders, but he felt the logic was sound. Whatever their intentions, they intended to become adventurers. And if that was the goal, the labyrinth was an unavoidable path. There was no time for leisurely training.
“……Hmph. Then don’t push yourself too hard. Aim for about 10 monsters. And stay only on the first floor. Even on the lower floors, it’s the Great Sin Labyrinth, you don’t want to end up like these people, do you?”
“I definitely don’t.”
“I’ll be careful. Thank you.”
Ul and Shizuku bowed to the Healer and turned back to face the labyrinth.
Their first exploration of the Great Sin Labyrinth was about to begin.
◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆
“Huh? First time? White Jade. Then rub your ring against that big ‘Pull Stone.’ It’ll guide you to the exit. White Jade is only allowed up to the third floor. All Magic Stones must be submitted here. That’s all. Go.”
The explanation at the Exchange Office, where Magic Stones mined from labyrinth passages and monsters were exchanged for currency, and which also served as a checkpoint, was appallingly brief.
“Is it really okay for it to be so casual?”
“It’s fine to enter. It’s lax.”
Instead, Ul looked at the adventurers who had emerged from the labyrinth at the Magic Stone exchange. They were all undergoing thorough inspections of their belongings. Not only Magic Stones, but everything brought back from the labyrinth, including the equipment they were wearing, was being meticulously checked.
“They’re strict over there?”
“We can’t afford to have fewer people entering the labyrinth. So, the entrance is easy, but the exit is strict because we can’t have them pilfering Magic Stones or relics.”
“That’s logical.”
“It’s a bit too blunt… but, well, never mind.”
Ul didn’t particularly care how the city managed the labyrinth. No matter how lax the entrance was, as long as the Adventurer’s Guild acted as a gatekeeper, it was likely that truly problematic individuals wouldn’t get through.
“Now then.”
Ul said, checking his attire and equipment. It was not the ragged civilian clothes he wore when exploring that small labyrinth. It was a rather tattered leather armor, a small shield in his right hand, and a spear in his left. It felt insufficient for labyrinth exploration, but it was better than being sent in with just one weapon.
However, this was not Ul’s own equipment. It was lent to him by Guren at the training hall.
“Take it gratefully. It’s equipment left behind by your Seniors.”
“It’s not some mementos left behind after they died, is it?”
“……”
“Say something.”
And so, he had been lent some of the weapons and armor stored in the warehouse…
“Hey, doesn’t this smell bloody? Kind of.”
“Well, Master Ul. That leather armor has a dark stain on the back.”
“Is this shield moldy?”
“It’s a slightly cute purplish-blue hue?”
“I only sense its toxicity.”
Since they were free borrowed items, he couldn’t complain, but he couldn’t help but wonder if there wasn’t anything that looked more presentable. Guren had at least said, “It won’t hinder your labyrinth exploration,” but it was unsettling.
“You’re still doing alright… relatively speaking.”
“You’ve received something beautiful.”
Shizuku’s equipment consisted of a staff made of spiritual wood to aid her magic as a Magician, and a set of leather armor similar to Ul’s. Although it was just as worn as Ul’s, lacking the bloodstains, it looked somewhat better, perhaps due to her appearance. It was a trivial matter, but still.
At least, the equipment was vastly superior to when he fought that Great Fang Boar. While he still felt unease and distaste, the reassurance of being clad in armor still encouraged Ul.
10 monsters. Ul had defeated that many before. Not in the Great Sin Labyrinth, but he had earned the food for himself and his sister in place of his parents, who had little income.
I can do it. It’s fine. Everything will be okay. Ul told himself.
“Alright.”
“Shall we go?”
They descended the stairs leading into the underground toward the Great Sin Labyrinth before them.
Most labyrinths originated from underground. Even the Great Sin Labyrinth was no exception. However, as they descended, Ul felt an unfamiliar sensation. It was as if an unknown “malice” was clinging to his entire body, like an invisible, colossal creature wrapping around him and staring with hostility.
He continued down the stairs, pretending it was his imagination, and finally arrived.
“――――This is.”
The first floor of the Great Sin Labyrinth Greed.
It was a vast underground space. Despite not descending that deep, the ceiling was remarkably high. It was so immense it felt as if he had shrunk to the size of a dwarf. Irregularly shaped pillars stood arranged, and from the vast space where Ul and Shizuku stood, entrances to several passages snaked out, surrounding them. However, the magical light emanating from the labyrinth itself only illuminated a short distance ahead, and the unseen darkness stared back at them.
Ul stood frozen and thought,
“Maybe it’s not okay after all.”
“……It’s spacious, isn’t it?”
The exploration of the Great Sin Labyrinth Greed begins.
