Becoming an Extra in a Trash Game

Episode 38

Generally, it’s widely known here that 10 floors or less are classified as lower levels, around 20 floors as middle levels, and anything above that as deep levels.

In fact, the exploration of the Labyrinth city’s labyrinth has probably reached about 40 floors by now.

As with most places where people live, important information tends to circulate only at the upper levels. Moreover, to descend to the deep levels, you need a lot of food and preparation, so only large guilds or small parties with capable individuals can explore them.

Additionally, Pioneering itself involves many variables and dangers, so going down to unexplored lower levels is an adventure. If you have the capacity to easily take on such challenges, you’re more likely to be working elsewhere than in Labyrinth city at this time.

I think there was a mention in the original work that when Kane had just entered society, the Labyrinth city was keeping an eye on each other around the 50th floor.

In fact, there are 99 floors.

“So, up to the middle of the middle levels… About the 15th floor is still manageable…”

“However, like other adventurers, managing food and sleep is a bit difficult.”

“Hmm… I guess it’s because we’re progressing as a duo… Still, we found treasure chests here and there and got various things besides magic stones… I wonder why those are there?”

Indeed. In games, it’s natural to get rewards for clearing each floor, but this is reality, so why are those things here?

From what I overheard while staying at the temple, the locals speculate that it’s intended to motivate people with small rewards along the way, ultimately encouraging them to reach the deep levels.

So, in fact, many people suspect that something might be sealed at the very bottom floor. A deduction that the Labyrinth is a prison for something with immense power.

The monsters are used by the forces that imprisoned it to prevent access to the Labyrinth, and the treasure chests in between are the struggles of the imprisoned entity trying to attract as many people as possible… Something like that.

‘Hmm… Who knows? In the game, all you got up to the 99th floor were revival potions or elixirs. Only epic items and the Ego Sword on the very last floor. There was no calamity related to this in the game.’

Well, as Luna said, if they’ve reached the mid-20s, which are known as the middle levels, I’ve actually solved the utility problems by setting up my position, so for two vanguards to reach that far is really an effort.

I patted Luna’s head in praise and also praised Kane with an additional green juice voucher.

“Damn it.”

Heh, I didn’t expect him to be so happy about it.

“Shall we check how much you’ve improved?”

“…Yes?”

We’ve had plenty of sleep at the temple for days. We just finished eating.

“We need to digest. Don’t we?”

“Don’t we need time to talk with Harlon using that siren thing?”

“Oh, that? Harlon suddenly shouted “Thank you, Young Master” and seems to have handed it over to Alkaido for research, so we have a few days to spare. Get up quickly.”

I originally planned to let the kids rest for a day, but after feeding them, their eyes looked so bright and full of energy.

Ah, I can’t resist.

If they had looked drowsy from fatigue and food coma, I would have felt sorry and let them rest, but seeing that they have energy to spare, how can I not put them to work?

You should grow them a lot when they’re ready to grow.

We don’t need to do the enchant experiment right away.

I keep thinking this, but Kane is a protagonist who grows well the more you work him, like a weed.

As for Luna…

It’s okay. I can give her a carrot later.

I took Kane and Luna, who were getting up with reluctant faces, and slowly walked out of the restaurant.

Caw caw!!

“What’s that?”

I looked up at the sound as soon as we left the restaurant.

I smirked at the sight of a crow circling above my head, screaming as if it was either deeply saddened or angered by something.

It’s crying as if asking where I’ve been all this time. Someone might think it’s following me.

I started walking towards the Labyrinth, leaving behind the crow that had been squawking irritably for a while.

* * *

“Come to think of it, Young Master… I broke one of the Labyrinth compasses…”

The Labyrinth isn’t just a labyrinth in name; the location of the stairs going up and down differs on each floor, and sometimes there are stairs that span not just one floor, but two or three.

There are rumors of stairs leading to special floors, but I’m not sure about that.

The Labyrinth compass is an artifact made by the local Labyrinth management office. It captures the direction of magic flow in the Labyrinth and shows the location of the nearest stairs.

Just having that reduces the chances of getting lost by going around and around in the Labyrinth, so it’s an essential item when entering the labyrinth.

It’s quite expensive, so usually, a party rents one or buys one together to share, but…

‘Well, I have plenty of money.’

I bought one for each of them and even got some extras.

“So Luna’s is broken, and Kane’s?”

“Mine is still intact.”

In Kane’s words, I took out a new Labyrinth compass about the size of a pocket watch from a small subspace and gave it to Luna.

“Then, for now, I won’t participate in the lower levels. Show me your skills working together.”

I have plenty of food in my subspace and lots of alarm magic in my Codex. Plus, the Labyrinth has many narrow paths, so even if we can’t use the tent artifact, we have sleeping bags.

“Let’s try to go as deep as we can.”

Luna checks her greaves, and Kane inspects his dagger and sword before nodding.

But the whispering behind us is kind of bothering me.

“So cute… But the monster crusher there… And because of that guy next to her, Miya rejected my date request?”

“Shh, don’t stare so openly. Do you know what happened to Max who tried to hit on her last time?”

What’s this all about?

Seems like something happened while I was away. I’ll have to ask about that later, but for now, let’s enter the dungeon.

As expected, lower-level monsters like slimes, baby kobolds, and goblins that appear in the lower floors can be handled with just Kane’s dagger.

To what extent? He can throw the dagger while running, retrieve it as he passes by the dead monster, and throw it again in an almost unbroken relay.

So even if we switch the vanguard from Kane to Luna, the lower floors are pretty much the same.

“Hah!”

She sweeps the floor with her leg to break their balance, then kicks them up into the air and pushes them with her foot toward other monsters. Two or three of them crash into the wall and disappear into ashes.

“At this rate, it’s inefficient to hunt monsters on the lower floors. Let’s use the compass to go down as fast as possible. What’s the deepest floor you’ve reached?”

Even picking up small magic stones is a chore.

I’m tempted to leave them behind, but when I see items right in front of my eyes… The gamer’s habit of hoarding even junk items is scary.

I poured the clinking magic stones from my hand into a small subspace like peanuts and took out the labyrinth compass.

Short needle for stairs going up, long needle for stairs going down.

I walked at a slightly faster pace in the direction the long needle was pointing.

We passed by baby orcs and encountered a combination of skeleton spearmen and archers, but fortunately, since we met them at the entrance of the lower and middle floors, they weren’t too strong.

The orcs were underdeveloped, and the skeletons were decayed, so one slash with an aura-imbued sword split them, and one spell I activated from the Codex made them crumble.

“This is easy?”

It’s certain that the swamp troll from back then was an outlier.

With Luna and Kane, who have become well-coordinated over the past few days, firmly guarding the front and me supporting, we were truly unstoppable up to the entrance of the middle floors.

Moreover, whether it was good luck or bad luck we had fewer chances to check our skills, we didn’t encounter any monsters other than the skeletons we met at the entrance of the middle floors as we descended to the lower middle floors.

“It’s definitely… Faster with you joining us, Young Master.”

“The presence or absence of ranged attacks makes a big difference.”

Just like in games where it’s frustrating when you only have melee fighters with short reach, the reality is the same.

With my joining, we also have increased vision to watch the rear.

I took out the compass again and turned to the left.

“Oh, the stairs right away?”

“This time, if we go down, is it the 18th floor?”

“That’s right.”

I put the compass back into the subspace and looked at Kane with a slightly bored face and Luna who was nibbling her lips as if craving a snack.

“Shall we eat something if there are no monsters right after we go down this time?”

“Sounds good!”

After seeing Luna smile brightly, I turned around first and walked down the stairs.

* * *

“What is this?”

Just as I was about to take out a carrot from the subspace to chew on while chatting with Luna about what to eat, it happened.

As soon as I stepped on the last stair, I found myself standing alone in a strange place.

Walls of a different color from the original Labyrinth.

‘No way…’

No, what… Is it because Kane is the protagonist? Really?

There were rumors that some stairs led to special floors. I had thought about that just before entering the Labyrinth today.

It’s not that words became reality, but thoughts? Huh?

I swallowed the rising irritation.

For now, I don’t know what kind of floor I’ve been transported to.

‘There must have been quite a lot of rumors.’

When I was lying in the hospital bed at the temple, new patients would come in once or twice a day and stay for a couple of hours if short, or a day if long, before leaving.

Staying for several days like me was financially burdensome, and most people used it as a resting place before the priest arrived.

I overheard various things then, but most were unfounded rumors or just idle chatter from gossip mongers.

‘A room made of treasures, a floor with unique monsters, a floor that’s an entire village, a floor that’s a cozy resting place.’

Things like that. First, I need to check what’s on this special floor.

If it’s a place where monsters appear, I’ll have to hide as much as possible until Luna and Kane find me.

‘If not, I’ll have to find them myself.’

I have most of the food and water. Luna and Kane have small backpacks, but they won’t last for more than a few days with those.

‘I was planning to buy them subspace artifacts even if it was a bit much… If I could sell them.’

I bit my lip and quietly walked out of what seemed to be a corner.

A passage wide enough for two people to pass through.

I activated both the Parts Shield and the bracelet shield, then opened the Codex and placed my hand on the page imbued with wind magic that pushes the opponent away.

It’s awkward to use attack magic right away if something suddenly jumps out or if I meet someone, but I can’t be without any preparation since monsters might appear, so I have no choice but to prepare magic that’s closer to defense for now.

After walking silently for a while, brighter light seeps through a passage that bends to one side.

Peeking out carefully, what comes into view is a cavern that’s quite large at a glance.

Judging by the faint humming sound, it seems there are already others besides me.

‘Why?’

Is it designed for people to gather in that cavern?

For now, I minimized the Parts Shield as much as possible to not be noticeable and slowly walked into the cavern.

“No… I’m telling you, I don’t know anything else besides that. Sir?”

“I’m asking you because you seem to know a bit more than others!”

“It’s not certain, that’s why. What if something goes wrong and I’m held responsible?”

“Both of you, please speak more quietly. The sound echoes everywhere and it’s giving me a headache.”

There are already about seven or eight people.

The overall round-shaped cavern has passages like caves open on all sides, and although no light source is visible on the ceiling, a faint light continues to descend.