Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 209

Dungeon Journal-209

# 209

Dungeon Journal

Episode 210

78. Remodeling

After Mimir’s visit, the Great Labyrinth began to change rapidly.

Kim Jin-woo, who had been carefully managing the number of residents, increased the population of Big-Headed Dwarves and, on a whim, removed all restrictions within the labyrinth.

As a result, the number of residents, which had been stable since settling in the Great Labyrinth, increased dramatically.

Kim Jin-woo provided most of the necessary Down Jams [a type of resource or energy source] during this process, naturally prioritizing races that were even slightly beneficial to the Great Labyrinth.

[The dwarves born in the Great Labyrinth no longer shiver from the cold. While not as resistant as the Nagas, they possess considerable cold resistance.]

[The Frost Dwarf tribe has emerged.]

[The Frost Dwarves have ignited the frozen forges and hearths, replacing the existing dwarves who were weakened by the cold.]

[The deactivated dwarven smithy has resumed operation.]

The dwarves born in this way flocked to the smithy and began crafting equipment for the Nagas.

[Long-haired, big-tusked boars have been born. Their hides are thicker than before, and they are more resistant to the cold. Most creatures’ teeth will be stopped by their tough, bristly fur before they even reach their skin.]

[The Nagas have new mounts.]

[Some of the Naga Fighters have become Naga Chargers.]

The newly born races each possessed a unique appearance, but they shared one common trait: they had gained resistance to the cold.

The new races were remarkably obedient, as if born to serve the Nagas, leading one to believe they had always been allied.

These changes weren’t limited to the alien races that joined the Great Labyrinth later.

[The Frost Naga tribe has been born.]

[The Frost Nagas possess a cold and cruel nature, as if even their blood has frozen. They harbor intense hatred for any being that threatens the Great Labyrinth.]

[It is no exaggeration to say that the Frost Nagas were born for battle in extreme cold. They become more agile and stronger as the surrounding temperature drops.]

[Enemies struck by the Frost Nagas’ claws and fangs feel an immediate chill, as if their blood is freezing.]

The existing ‘Naga Warrior’ became ‘Frost Naga Warrior’, and Fighters, Dragoons, and Mages also gained the ‘Frost’ Naga title.

“The individual combat power hasn’t increased significantly. But things will be different in group battles.”

The strength of each Naga wasn’t drastically different from before, but the Frost Nagas exerted greater power as their numbers increased.

When their numbers reached one hundred, regardless of troop classification, they even temporarily created an effect similar to the Frost Battlefield [an area of intense cold], making them a formidable force in group battles.

“Reorganize the existing troop composition to match the characteristics of the Frost Nagas.”

Kim Jin-woo grouped the Nagas into units of one hundred and fifty, each forming a single squad. The Naga units, previously divided by class, were reborn as mixed combat units with a variety of troop types.

The newly reorganized combat units weren’t as fast as the Dragoon units of the past, nor as tough as the Warrior units, nor as fierce as the Fighter units, but they became versatile units capable of handling any situation.

“I wonder if this method will be effective?”

“On the 9th floor, the existing small single-troop units might be more powerful. But the battlefields Master will face in the future are the deep levels, not the lower ones. In the wide battlefields of the deep levels, we can expect a synergy effect from troops that can support each other as they do now,” Dominic explained, seeing Kim Jin-woo’s doubtful expression.

“Well, now that even the 10th floor has become a no man’s land, no one will invade the 9th floor.”

Even if someone did invade, they would likely be stopped by the countless Moais [stone statues, likely acting as guardians].

And even if they were lucky enough to break through and approach the Great Labyrinth, the greedy Great Labyrinth itself wouldn’t leave them alone.

“Okay, I’ll leave the troop organization to Dominic from now on.”

After a moment of contemplation, he finally nodded and approved the newly created units. Dominic pounded his chest, promising he wouldn’t regret the decision.

“What about Daedalus?”

Daedalus was the name of the Big-Headed Dwarf that Mimir had left behind.

“He said he would explore the Great Labyrinth with his tribe and left. He hasn’t returned yet.”

“Well, he’s an eccentric who created a replica of the Great Labyrinth without any references. With such a good sample, there’s no way he’d stay still.”

He recalled Daedalus, who, true to his title as a labyrinth designer, paid no attention to anything else and was solely focused on the labyrinth’s structure. Kim Jin-woo muttered with a face that was half expectation and half worry.

“I just hope he doesn’t cause any accidents like the Naga Mages.”

He already knew that the Big-Headed Dwarves were as fanatical as the Naga Mages, but now he could only hope that they would play a positive role and not cause any trouble.

But his expectations were dashed.

Gooooooo.

One day, he heard the Great Labyrinth screaming. He hurriedly led his troops to the source of the commotion and found Daedalus and the Big-Headed Dwarves sitting on the labyrinth’s border, engaged in some activity.

“Daedalus?”

Curious about what they were doing, he hurried over and saw Daedalus carving something into the outer wall of the Great Labyrinth.

It was a bizarre sight to see the wall of the Great Labyrinth, normally so hard, denting and popping out again each time the little dwarf’s hand touched it.

Geeeeee.

To make matters worse, the ferocious Great Labyrinth screamed at Daedalus’ touch. The true nature of the Great Labyrinth, which had swallowed thousands of rioters and devoured even more Moais, was nowhere to be seen.

“No, no. That’s wrong.”

Daedalus, absorbed in carving something into the wall for a long time without acknowledging Kim Jin-woo, suddenly waved his hands and rubbed the wall of the Great Labyrinth.

“Hmm?”

To his surprise, the Great Labyrinth shook at his small and weak touch. The boundary of the Great Labyrinth, which had been expanding repeatedly, shrank inward.

“What is he doing now?”

Intrigued, he strode forward and stood in front of Daedalus.

“Ah, the labyrinth’s appearance is so disorganized and inefficient that I was trying to fix it in my own way.”

His tone was still clumsy, but his words were significant. He was essentially saying he would alter the Great Labyrinth, which had always been a mystery, to his liking.

“Explain in detail.”

Kim Jin-woo’s eyes shone with unprecedented interest.

“The current labyrinth is expanding indiscriminately, lacking any structural advantage. If it continues like this, there will be as many entrances and exits as the labyrinth’s size, making it impossible to track who is coming and going.”

Daedalus continued to criticize the current state of the Great Labyrinth at length. Like the Naga Mages, this labyrinth-obsessed designer was lost in his own world, spouting incomprehensible jargon.

The only thing Kim Jin-woo understood was that the current labyrinth had lost the benefits of its complex structure due to its uncontrolled expansion.

“So what should we do?”

Kim Jin-woo, cutting off Daedalus before he could talk all night, asked for a solution.

Fortunately, Daedalus feared him and didn’t dare ignore his words.

“We need to shrink the labyrinth to one-tenth of its current size and then expand it again step by step.”

“Hmm.”

But the situation didn’t improve simply because Daedalus was listening.

“If we expand it in its current state, even the residents will get lost, and intruders will easily reach the center, creating chaos.”

Daedalus continued to complain about how crude the Great Labyrinth was.

“Presumptuous…….”

Heimdal, who had followed him in case of an emergency, growled at Daedalus.

To the ancient hero-class summon, the Great Labyrinth was more than just a trivial structure.

It was a symbol of the High Lord, their homeland that they had lost and barely regained after many hardships, so their reaction was fierce.

“Leave it alone.”

Kim Jin-woo pushed Heimdal away and urged Daedalus again.

“Stop trying to earn resentment with useless words and come up with a proper solution. If you suggest reducing the labyrinth to one-tenth again, I’ll hand you over to the morning rooster right now.”

Daedalus paled at the sight of Heimdal, who snapped his sharp beak menacingly.

“If that’s impossible, I think we can get back on track by reducing it to about half of its current size.”

Kim Jin-woo wasn’t pleased that his request had been granted.

When Daedalus suggested reducing the labyrinth to one-tenth, his eyes were similar to those of the Naga Mage, prompting the threat. In the end, his prediction was correct.

This labyrinth-crazed designer had exaggerated the problem to satisfy his own desires.

Perhaps Daedalus’ original plan was to reduce the labyrinth’s size significantly and then manipulate it to his liking.

But Kim Jin-woo had experience dealing with the eccentric Naga Mages and couldn’t be easily deceived.

“If it’s about half, I can manage that.”

The alien races that had initially settled in the outer areas had become quite central as the Great Labyrinth expanded.

Cutting out about half the area seemed possible to reduce the labyrinth to the size Daedalus requested.

“Okay, I’ll cut the labyrinth in half. But if you try anything for your own personal gain again, I’ll tear you to pieces. Remember, there are many who can replace you anyway.”

Daedalus’ gaze shifted slightly to the other Big-Headed Dwarves. They were still immature, having not been born for long, but they had clearly inherited the blood of the labyrinth designer.

Moreover, they, having acquired the title of ‘Frost’, were loyal to the ruler of the Great Labyrinth, creating a genuine sense of crisis for Daedalus.

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Okay, I’m glad we can still talk.”

Perhaps the Naga Mages would have caused another incident here, but fortunately, the labyrinth designer didn’t seem that crazy.

Kim Jin-woo, entrusting the Great Labyrinth reconstruction plan to Daedalus, headed back to the owner’s room. The Great Labyrinth reconstruction plan had to be initiated by him, the rightful ruler.