The labyrinth is a place where you can gain strength just by returning alive. No one knows what kind of strength or how much you’ll gain, though.
However, the tendency for growth has been revealed. …that’s the setting.
First, the parts that the person needs most have a high probability of growing. Like, if someone is weak or has a lot of physical labor, their muscle strength increases, for example.
Out of the blue, senses might become more acute, a mage might gain an aura, or their lifespan might increase. There are some unusual cases, but… those are extremely rare exceptions, so they can be disregarded.
Next is how much one grows. This is also simple.
The amount of activity carried out in the labyrinth. And depending on one’s achievements, the degree of growth is determined.
For example, someone who quietly breathes has less growth than someone who wipes out monsters.
Even if you don’t catch any monsters, making significant changes in that layer will also be reflected in your growth.
In simpler terms, think of it as login bonuses, battle experience points, achievement experience points. It’s a concept I’ve visualized with a tight setting.
Up to this point, the strength of the labyrinth seeps directly into the body.
To put it more elegantly, fragments of myths sleeping in the labyrinth can elevate an adventurer’s rank. This is the most common method of growth.
But besides this sound growth in the labyrinth, there are opportunities for massive comebacks.
The divine power and authority left behind by a fallen god. And the artifacts from the God-Slaying War are like that.
Divine power and the authorities fueled by it are all given by the gods, but that doesn’t mean they’re free power.
A priest is someone who can wield this power only by paying a price for the ambiguous concept of faith.
But what if that god is already dead? Then there’s no need to pay the price anymore.
In other words, the powers of a dead god obtained in the labyrinth are fragments of miracles that can be wielded without payment, a pleasure without responsibility.
However, since it’s the power of a dead god, there’s no room for further growth.
Next are the artifacts from the God-Slaying War…but what’s there to say about that?
For humanity, which has been rebuilt after one destruction, ancient technologies are lost technologies and over technologies.
The weapon’s performance is obviously on an outrageous level. Ordinary furniture is sold dearly to nobles, books are sold at a high price to historians, and when research materials are discovered, the nation often steps in directly.
No matter how fierce a criminal may be, if they’re not a traitor, they can be pardoned; for commoners, there are titles to inherit, and for nobles, various benefits are offered along with promotions.
…Honestly, I hadn’t thought this through in detail. I just set up the idea that the remnants of ancient civilizations found occasionally traded for high value.
But the people here filled in the plausible details themselves.
Anyway, the labyrinth is a veritable land of opportunity. So what did I gain from this labyrinth exploration?
“I’m sure my luck has improved!”
There’s no basis for it. How much growth can you really achieve by just catching a few goblins on the first floor?
Nevertheless, I wanted to believe it. Because from now on, I’m going to do a single draw…!
With a goofy grin, I took out my wallet and mana stones. The money I earned from selling goblin byproducts to the guild was about 60 copper.
The monster on the first floor, the weakest guy. It’s understandable that the price is low. I should be grateful that they even bought it.
Adding what I already had and the rent I paid to Ellie means I have a total of 72 copper left!
Here, goblin mana stones go for 3 copper each, so if I sold all 11, I would have gotten 1 silver and 4 copper, but… this time I decided to keep the mana stones.
Not for any specific reason, just that I heard that the stones can also be used like cash in the draw system, so I wanted to test it out.
“Gacha-gacha.”
Muttering randomly and picturing the system, a bell rang in my ears.
Ding!
[Normal Draw]
– Spend cash or corresponding mana stones to randomly acquire items and skills between 1 and 5 stars.
[Single Draw] [10+1 Draw]
With my heart racing, I clutched 7 large coins worth 10 copper and 10 mana stones, focusing on the single draw. Soon enough, a question popped up.
-[Would you like to proceed with the 1-time draw?]
“Whoa….”
First of all, it’s confirmed that I can mix draw items with mana stones. Next, it’s time to check the exchange rate.
I know the guild buys goblin mana stones at 3 copper each, but I need to see if the system calculates at the same price.
If it accepts prices higher than the guild… regardless of other loot, it would be more profitable to use them for draws.
First, I pulled out one mana stone.
-Insufficient funds.
“Ugh… of course, right?”
Next, I added one 1 copper trinket.
-Insufficient funds.
“If, if this one works…!”
Finally, I grabbed one more trinket and looked at the system.
-Insufficient funds.
“Curse it!”
It didn’t work again. Apparently, the ‘corresponding value of mana stones’ mentioned in the gacha system uses the guild’s buy price as the standard.
That buy price isn’t absolute, but since mana stone prices can change depending on various circumstances, I’ll have to check again later.
Well… prices for low-grade mana stones like goblin mana stones don’t fluctuate much, so I need to check it later on.
With features like change return in gacha or only necessary amounts consumed even if you have more than needed, I’ve tested everything that can be done without mana stones. Now there’s nothing left to experiment with.
“Let’s do a single draw for 5 stars!!”
After doing the single draw, I’d be left with only 4 copper! I could gather 10 silver to do a multi draw for one more, but! I couldn’t care less! I just want to spin the gacha right now…!
…Somehow, it reminds me of the famous marshmallow experiment from my previous life.
I must have been the kid who couldn’t resist eating the marshmallow right away. Though later it was said that the experiments were full of errors, it doesn’t mean that my current impulse to do a single draw is wrong either.
Of course, I want to spend the money I earned from my first labyrinth exploration on something meaningful. Yeah, it was all the labyrinth’s fault. I’m not bad.
“Phew…”
Taking a deep breath, I collected my thoughts. Since it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance, I should try everything I can.
With my right hand full of mana stones and coins, I started a dance that I vaguely remembered seeing somewhere.
“A dance to increase gacha luck…!”
My arms spread wide, wriggling like seaweed, and my hips swayed left and right in a rhythmic, strange movement.
From a distance, I danced passionately, looking like a worm wriggling for about a minute.
This should do the trick. With a pounding heart, I spun the gacha.
Deguurr…
With a sound of dice rolling somewhere, the mana stones and trinkets vanished without a trace. At the same time, my heart began pounding like crazy.
Breath quickening. A colorful view. A feeling as if my entire body was floating, making laughter emerge involuntarily.
Ready to cheer at any moment, but… the expected rift in the air did not appear.
Instead, a sudden headache started.
“Ugh…!”
It wasn’t extremely painful. Just about the level of banging my head on a corner when I stood up too fast?
But even if it was far worse, I would surely be laughing. This pain reminded me of the one I felt when I first drew a pickpocket… I mean, when I drew a skill instead of junk!
Holding my head and smirking, sure enough, a translucent notification window popped up instead of an item.
Ding!
[1 Star: Magic – Weak Flame]
“Whoa…!”
It was definitely a skill! I felt a bit let down by it being 1 star, but drawing a skill as a single pull is totally a win.
Although pickpocketing could be classified as junk, it turned out to be a pretty useful skill when used, and this is magic. Even if the rank is low, it should be more practical!
With my heart racing, I pulled the knowledge just inscribed in my head. At the same time, a warm energy surged in my heart.
I transported a tiny bit of mana to my fingertips and uttered the activation phrase.
“Weak Flame.”
Whoosh.
A small flame ignited in the air just a bit away from my index finger. …And that was it.
I examined the cute little flame stuck to my hand, shaking it around, but nothing changed. It was just a small, cute flame.
“Is this a lighter…?”
It didn’t even last long before it went out. That was because I lacked mana to use as fuel.
While there’s no denying it’s nice to have gotten mana without much effort, the amount was only enough to cast the weak flame once, which was the problem.
What the heck am I supposed to do with this…?
A sense of utter disappointment rose from deep within my heart. Plus, my heart began to feel a bit stuffy.
It felt similar to the tightness you get after sprinting. Could this be a talent drain symptom? Even though the amount of mana is tiny, draining it seems to produce exhaustion.
“Give me back my meteor….”
Now that I think about it, skills aren’t necessarily good. What matters is the rank. Only the number of stars can satisfy me, Kim Jonah.
Staring vacantly at the 4 copper left in my hand, I pondered what I have spent a silver on.
With 1 silver, I could have devoured a hearty meal with enough meat for a full stomach, buy a decent set of clothes, or get properly made crossbow bolts instead of cobbled-together wooden arrows.
Yet, I squandered it all on a lighter. And that’s a lighter that, once used, you have to wait hours to reuse.
It’s not a total loss… okay, just a single draw, but still, the unique emptiness of having a failure started to rise.
The bubbling dopamine seemed to have died, leaving behind a feeling of profound gloom. But just as I hit rock bottom, a new idea flipped my perspective.
“Huh?”
If it’s just a lighter, why not use it as a lighter? Why did I try to use it in combat?
Drrrr.
I opened the desk drawer and took out a few dried mana herbs. I shoved them in my mouth. They were bitter, sour, and chalky tasting, but not inedible.
What makes mana herbs mana herbs? Because they contain a bit of mana.
If I eat them raw, the efficiency sucks, but my mana pool is tiny anyway, so it doesn’t matter.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
Lighter means cigarettes. Cigarettes mean Ellie, right?
A good idea popped into my head.
