WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Mordor
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Surviving the Frozen Dark Fantasy as a Genius Mage ◈
Chapter 95: Back to the Labyrinth
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[Ian and Elena have stolen auction items from the underground auction house!]
"W-When did you get those...?"
My companions stared at the Grace Stones in Elena's and my hands in disbelief.
"Back when we rode on that shapeshifting dwarf's back."
"But that's stealing..."
Daisy blinked her big eyes and looked at me uneasily.
I answered without changing my expression.
"Those dark elf bastards probably looted these things in the first place. Isn't it better for them to end up in the hands of good people like us than be used as military funds by evil bastards?"
"I-Is that so...?"
"Mm... Maybe."
They still felt uneasy, but my companions accepted it.
Right afterward, we stopped by the temple to appraise the Grace Stones we had stolen from the mage dwarf... No, the Grace Stones we had found.
The one Elena got made thick fur grow all over her body like a beast's...
"Why the hell does something like that exist? That's not a Grace Stone, it's a curse."
"It's similar to the mutations you sometimes encounter in the Labyrinth."
"Still, you could sell it for a high price to someone with a furry fetish."
"What's that?"
"Romantic fools looking for true love."
The other one I had picked up was...
"I can sense the power of a guide who finds a path through darkness."
"Oh?!"
It was a Grace Stone commonly called Mind Map.
It created a map of the surrounding terrain in the user's mind.
'A map hack!'
"That looks expensive."
"We hit the jackpot!"
It would be useful even for a vanguard, but it was an indispensable ability for a Scout.
Since they were guides, the ability's bonus became even greater in their hands.
'There was a limit to how many Grace Stones a person could absorb anyway.'
Veterans could absorb three.
Mid-tier Expedition Party members could absorb five.
High-tier Expedition Party members could absorb seven.
Deep Floors Expedition Party members could absorb nine.
"So stop being greedy, Elena. You've already gobbled up two."
"Tch."
I ignored Elena's click of the tongue and spoke to Hans, who had been staring intently at the Grace Stone.
"Something perfect for you came up, Hans. What do you think? Of course, you'll have to pay a fair price for it."
"Of course. If you're willing to hand it over, I'll use it gratefully."
Hans happily paid me and took the Grace Stone.
This hadn't even come from a Labyrinth expedition, so the money was entirely mine.
'Even with a companion discount, three hundred gold coins!'
Yes! This was it!
I had gone from being broke to filthy rich again in an instant.
All from one little sleight of hand.
'Is this why pickpockets never disappear?'
"Are you really a mage? You thought of stealing that in the middle of everything? Are all country bumpkins like that?"
Gimlius grumbled, probably because he was jealous.
So what?
If he was so upset, he should've honed his potato-stealing skills in the countryside too.
"I'll find something incredible too! Just you wait!"
Gimlius ran off toward the Crystal Auction House on his short legs.
"Then I'll see you during the expedition."
Hans followed after him.
'Why can't mages absorb Grace Stones?'
Getting money was nice, but I still smacked my lips in disappointment.
In Dungeon of Death, classes that handled spells couldn't absorb Grace Stones, which meant I couldn't absorb it.
"That's because, Ian, people have vessels inside them. Unlike other people, mages and priests already have their vessels filled with water. So they can't take in any more water."
Daisy tried to teach me with theological knowledge she had picked up somewhere.
It was probably for balance.
It would be ridiculously overpowered if a mage could absorb things like an immortal's power or an Ogre's strength.
I had liked that kind of balance in the game, but now that it had become reality, it was inconvenient as hell.
After that, Daisy, Elena, and I headed to an inn.
Was it called the Dung Beetle Inn?
We had stayed there for four months, so it felt as comfortable as home.
"Are you really leaving?"
It was finally time to leave that smelly inn.
"Yes."
I gave the innkeeper, who looked regretful, my honest review.
"I'll be honest. The food here was fucking awful."
"T-That can't be...!"
I tossed a few silver coins each to the young porters who had fetched water for us even late at night.
"Here."
"Thank you, Mage!"
"W-What about me?"
"I'm not giving money to a furry innkeeper who can't cook."
"Urgh!"
The main reason for leaving was the Secret Society, more than the food or hygiene.
They already knew where we were.
'Moving was still better than staying put.'
We moved to an inn closer to the city center.
"Wow..."
"A place fitting for a veteran, gorgeous Paladin."
"It's a little lacking for the quarters of a super-genius mage, but... I suppose it'll do."
The three private rooms we rented were one and a half times as large as our old inn room. The blankets and pillows smelled of dry sunshine instead of dampness and sweat.
There were no cockroaches or rats, and best of all, every room had its own bathroom.
"Now this is what I'm talking about!"
Fifteen copper coins per night.
It was twice as expensive as our old inn, but it was well worth the price.
'This is comparable to a motel room in the twenty-first century!'
Food, clothing, and shelter were life's basic necessities.
I liked the rooms so much that I regretted not moving sooner.
"You're this happy just because it has a bath... You're such a girl."
Elena shook her head at me.
"You should wash more, you uncivilized medieval barbarian elf."
"What?! I'm an elf, so I naturally smell like fruit!"
Daisy had already unpacked, washed, and tidied her clothes. She said she was going to the temple.
"I've been away too long. Even if I go now, Sister Agape will scold me."
Elena glanced at Daisy, then took off her armor and stretched her shoulders in lighter clothes.
"Then I'll maintain my equipment and visit the swordsmanship training hall."
The two of them left.
I also stepped outside the inn to take care of my own business.
I needed to go to the Magic Tower.
'There's a high chance the one who turned Hans into that is hiding there.'
The Secret Society made me uneasy, but I had no choice.
I needed to learn new spells with the money from selling the Grace Stone in preparation for the Labyrinth expedition.
I also had to report the Floor Master incident to the masters of the Magic Tower.
* * *
"He's here!"
"What? That arrogant brat only showed up now?"
"Mage Ian! There's something I want to ask!"
As soon as I arrived at the Magic Tower, the place became noisy.
The mages who normally researched or argued about pointless things, like whether one hundred Orcs were stronger than one Ogre, gathered around me.
"How in the world did you defeat it?"
Their main interest was the Floor Master.
"Don't explain with research materials or papers. Tell us yourself!"
"Ah, it was nothing special~"
Those proud mages were practically begging me for answers.
My confidence soared, and my shoulders straightened on their own.
"First, I dealt it as much physical damage as possible and made it expend its authority, increasing the possibility of reality distortion."
"What was the extent of that physical damage? What equipment did you use?"
"That was..."
I could've had a useful discussion for ten hours, even twenty-four hours, but...
"Mage Ian. The masters have summoned you."
The senior members of the Magic Tower had called for me.
All four of my masters, no less.
"Ah, I'm out of time."
"Aaargh!"
The life of a popular person was exhausting.
Regretfully, I headed straight for the upper floors of the Magic Tower.
"Oh, Junior Ian. I heard what happened this time. They say you did something incredible?"
On the way, I ran into Kulkin, my close senior.
"It was nothing special."
"You're probably the only mage who can call defeating a Floor Master nothing special. Hahaha!"
I smiled, but inwardly, I watched Kulkin closely.
'Could this kind senior actually be part of the Secret Society?'
"Hey, Widen. Want some lemonade?"
"Gasp! M-Mage Ian... sir?"
Or could it be Widen, that loser apprentice mage?
"Hoho, you've finally arrived. The masters have been waiting eagerly for you."
Or Iromis of the Golden Lion Clan?
Putting my suspicions aside, I met Thunderclap Castlelight, master of the Astrafe School.
"You brat. Contact us once in a while. You cause an incident big enough to shock the entire Magic Tower, then run off somewhere again?"
"I'm sorry, Master. I've been busy."
'Fuck, this old man isn't a member of the Secret Society, is he?'
I narrowed my eyes.
"Hoho, I never achieved anything like this when I was young. You're truly something else. You're making even the Magic Tower's finest talents, the ones who call themselves geniuses, look ordinary."
Castlelight only laughed, looking proud of me.
"Here. Take this."
He even gave me valuable magic materials as a gift.
Afterward, I met Marianne, master of the Luminous School.
"I knew I had a good eye for people~ Student Ian, you're such an outstanding talent~ Ah, by any chance, did you obtain any biological tissue from the Floor Master?"
'This lady isn't in the Secret Society too, is she?'
"I heard from Iromis. An artificial cumulonimbus cloud made from humidity and snow crystals. You did something quite interesting."
'Could this old man be one too?'
It was Gerard, master of the Frost-affinity Glacier School.
"I heard you summoned an Ogre. You truly have tremendous talent for dimensional gates. Hehe, I'm thinking of conducting large-scale research on this at the school level someday. Are you interested?"
Or could it be Lerum, master of the Arcane-affinity Arcana School?
'This gacha addict?'
Damn it, there were too many suspicious people.
Still, the people at the Magic Tower treated me normally, just as they always had.
I watched closely just in case, but no Coin appeared to let me read their thoughts like before.
'If I can get that item, I might be able to learn that bastard's identity.'
Shaking off the unpleasant feeling of a snake crawling down the back of my neck, I prepared for magic research.
'What spell am I lacking right now?'
'The third floor. And the fourth floor I'll have to visit next.'
'Lightning, Water, and Frost magic depend too heavily on circumstances.'
'For versatility, Arcane spells are the best choice.'
'Ah, I want another protective spell besides Arcane Barrier.'
When I went to the workshop inside the Magic Tower to buy catalysts, an unexpected person was there.
"Welcome, Student Ian. What can I get for you?"
A seductive woman with lush blonde hair and a striking beauty mark beneath her eye.
It was Marianne, the Luminous School master and an expert Alchemist.
"I didn't know Master Marianne ran this place."
"Hehe, running workshops is part of the Luminous School's work too. Whenever my disciples are busy with their research and studies, I come help out."
The busiest schools in the Magic Tower were the fire-affinity Heide School and the Luminous School.
As the greatest group of Alchemists, they transformed the countless Mana Stones produced in the city into useful resources.
Boom! Boom, boom!
Even now, the slaves, including Widen, were probably hard at work...
"I wish Student Ian would take just a little more interest in alchemy~"
"Then I might give you a nice gift~"
'No, thank you. I don't want to become a graduate student.'
"I'll try my best."
I answered indirectly, then listed the catalysts I needed.
"I'd like two Ice Golem Cores, three vials of Frost Wyrm Crystal, five Doppelganger Eyes, an outer dimension fragment, a magic pencil, gold dust, mithril powder, and a neutralizer."
"Nothing but expensive, difficult-to-handle materials. The total is two hundred and fifty gold coins. But since Student Ian did such a great job this time, I'll give them to you for two hundred and forty~"
Fuck, I had expected it, but it was still insanely expensive.
'How many loaves of bread could I buy with this money?!'
Still, if I wanted to get stronger, I had no choice.
Trembling, I held out the money.
"Thank you! Master Marianne is the most beautiful woman in the world!"
Unlike a delinquent like Elena, I was a young man of Joseon raised on Eastern manners, so I didn't forget to offer my thanks.
"Hehe, thank you, even if you don't mean it~"
I carried my newly purchased magic materials back to my laboratory and began my research.
I had to be careful not to make even the slightest mistake...
I drew an intricate double rune circuit on the floor with the magic pencil, mithril powder, and gold dust.
The Doppelganger Eyes peeked around grotesquely from the center of the mana circuit, while the outer dimension fragment trembled ominously in the air.
When I carefully poured in mana, the rune letters shone brilliantly and melted the Doppelganger Eyes.
Colorful phenomena spread outward.
A tingling wave filled the laboratory and wrapped around my entire body.
"This goes like this..."
After dedicating myself to research for a long time, observing and recording the phenomena...
[Ice Armor]
[Arcane Ray]
I finally learned two new spells.
"Whew."
Even for a genius mage like me, the higher I rose, the harder it became to learn new spells, no matter how much money, time, and passion I poured into them.
Still, this was... a huge success!
"Ugh, I'll rest until the expedition. Fuck."
I dozed off in the dusty laboratory. When Elena and Daisy came to find me, I returned to the new inn with them and collapsed.
* * *
At last, the day of the expedition arrived.
'I confirmed the Contraction Period cycle, and since I exiled the third floor's Floor Master, it won't appear again for the next six months.'
'We have enough food for two months.'
"Holy Water, pickaxes and shovels, Black Oil Flasks, fake keys, perfume, pig lure, cooling water, and potions. We packed everything."
I checked every possible variable and filled our supplies to the brim.
"Haha, it's finally time to show my strength!"
Gimlius had spent a fortune at the Crystal Auction House to get that made, and Hans had finished adapting to the Grace Stone he received this time.
"I'm ready too."
"Let's go already! Let's beat them to a pulp!"
Daisy and Elena were ready as well.
"Good. Let's move."
Leaving behind the countless Expedition Party members who still flooded the area after the Floor Master's rampage, we stepped into the Labyrinth.
Our goal was to thoroughly explore the third floor, which we hadn't been able to clear properly because of the chaos last time.
Not only that...
"If we find a Secret Dungeon while we're exploring, we'll go in."
For faster growth, I intended to be bolder this time.
Footnotes:
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