Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 212

Dungeon Journal – 213

The replica of the Great Labyrinth, restored by Daedalus and the Big-Headed Dwarves, felt significantly easier to manage than the Labyrinth of Greed.

While it mirrored the real Great Labyrinth in its constant expansion, as if alive, it lacked the unique malice he sensed within the original. It felt as though he could bring this replica to its knees whenever he chose.

However, Kim Jin-woo refrained from immediately entering the fake Great Labyrinth.

Although these current replicas seemed tempting, he wouldn’t be swayed by immediate, small gains.

The true feast would begin when these replicas had consumed all the territories of the Counts.

Before departing the 11th floor, Kim Jin-woo glanced back.

The day wasn’t far off when he would punish the Counts of the Depths, who concealed their schemes and attempted to manipulate him through false camaraderie. When that time arrived, he would show no hesitation or mercy.

Returning directly to the 9th floor, Kim Jin-woo was astonished by the Great Labyrinth’s transformation in his absence.

The passage, once covered in frost and disarray, now gleamed neatly and transparently, resembling an ice sculpture.

“Your Majesty!”

“Hmm…”

Kim Jin-woo, admiring the transformed Great Labyrinth, was surprised by the sudden appearance of Quantus and the Nagas.

He was more surprised than amazed by the Nagas emerging from a passage that seemingly offered no concealment.

Approaching, he examined the space where Quantus and the Nagas had been hiding, and once again, he exclaimed in admiration.

Surprisingly, the passage, which appeared straight, was winding and twisting. The frozen walls distorted space like a mirror, deceiving the eye.

This explained how the Nagas could appear as if they materialized from the floor.

“That Daedalus is truly amazing.”

Quantus confirmed that all of this was Daedalus’s handiwork.

The surprises didn’t end there.

The residential area of the Great Labyrinth, previously a chaotic jumble of interconnected labyrinths, was now neatly organized. Strangely, the connected spaces had varying heights, as if a single labyrinth possessed multiple floors.

Thanks to this, even though the Great Labyrinth was physically smaller, the space felt larger than before.

“Hmm?”

As Kim Jin-woo surveyed the residential area of the various races, he paused at the Frost Dwarves’ workshop.

The frozen furnace now roared with blue flames under the care of the newly born Frost Dwarves, and the dwarves moving about seemed particularly busy.

However, one dwarf remained motionless, glued to the furnace: Uther.

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh! You’ve returned!”

Ignoring Uther’s enthusiastic greeting, Kim Jin-woo simply nodded, urging him to answer.

“Well, the labyrinth is too cold. As you know, my body is vulnerable to the cold, so it’s not easy.”

Kim Jin-woo belatedly recalled this fact, having forgotten that Uther remained by the furnace at all times.

Uther’s body was a mass of slime, lacking a fixed form. Exposure to cold would solidify him, negating his ability to absorb enemy attacks.

“So I’m taking advantage of the dwarves’ kindness during my free time.”

It seemed he had devised his own solution, lacking the fur or other natural defenses against the cold possessed by other races.

“Hmm.”

Uther was often annoying, but he was a significant asset to the Great Labyrinth. Leaving him unchecked would only encourage his laziness, so he frowned.

“What should I do with this…”

While he pondered, the king of the dwarves, engrossed in his work, approached and complained that Uther was hindering their progress.

“Return to your residence for now.”

“Kkeueung.”

Uther, drooping with slime, reluctantly wriggled away from the workshop.

“That guy was a thorn in my side, but I feel so relieved.”

Malaksu, grinning with a face that suggested he’d been relieved of ten years of indigestion, suddenly asked with a serious expression.

“Does Your Majesty have a favorite weapon?”

“I’ve mainly used swords, but I’m not particularly attached to any specific weapon.”

Malaksu was eager to forge a weapon for the king, now that the troublemaker was gone, the furnace was lit, and there was no risk of it going out.

However, Kim Jin-woo already possessed the Mana Spear and felt no need for another weapon, so he declined. Malaksu, disappointed, pressed further.

“Then how about armor?”

No matter how strong a human body is, it would be easily minced by a single attack from a creature, even with strong armor.

So, until now, he had only covered his vitals enough to avoid hindering his movements.

He would have previously dismissed the need for armor.

However, his recent awakening as a High Lord and the subsequent reconstitutions of his body had changed things.

Furthermore, he had completely abandoned the battle tactics limited by his former Dungeon Baby status after experiencing the memories of the Mana Spear, so he needed new equipment.

Therefore, he accepted Malaksu’s offer, which he would have previously refused.

“Just leave it to me. I’ll make real armor that even the fangs of a beast from the depths won’t be able to penetrate.”

Kim Jin-woo said he looked forward to Malaksu’s boast and left the dwarves’ residence.

“Master!”

Dominique appeared as he finished surveying all the residential areas of the different races.

“I was waiting for your return anyway.”

“Me?”

He asked, puzzled, as Dominique had accumulated enough experience to handle most matters independently.

“Daedalus has completed the first phase of the work, and now you need to start activating the Great Labyrinth in earnest.”

“Doesn’t the Great Labyrinth seem to be working fine now?”

At his words, Dominique shook her head and explained.

“It may appear that all the work is done on the outside, but Daedalus has done more than just twist the passages and organize the areas.”

She explained that the countless devices prepared by Daedalus could only be activated by the labyrinth’s owner, and she hurriedly led him to the owner’s room.

Daedalus was circling the two shining cores with a dissatisfied expression, while the Frost Nagas, previously unseen, were dividing the owner’s room in half, preventing the Big-Headed Dwarves from approaching the cores.

“You were absent, Master, so I was reluctant to let him approach the core…”

Dominique whispered in his ear as he wondered about the unusually strict defense of the owner’s room.

She still didn’t trust Mimir, and she seemed to extend that distrust to Daedalus, whom Mimir had left behind.

“I was the one who created the Big-Headed Dwarf race, but I don’t know much about them. Although I’ve entrusted them with work out of necessity, there’s no harm in being careful.”

Daedalus and the Big-Headed Dwarves, having completed their residence registration, would share their fate with the Great Labyrinth, but he remained wary of Mimir.

If Mimir harbored any ulterior motives, Daedalus, who only understood labyrinths, would be the perfect pawn.

“Oh!”

Daedalus, belatedly noticing Kim Jin-woo, rushed up to him with an expectant expression.

“How is it? Was it worth the effort?”

“The distortion of the field of vision and the manipulation of space using the ice surface seem quite useful. I also appreciate the three-dimensional structure that divides the floors.”

He suppressed his complicated feelings and honestly shared his impressions of the transformed labyrinth, causing Daedalus to puff out his chest and swagger.

“That’s not all. The really great things are all hidden inside, so you’ll have to start it up to check them out.”

Daedalus seemed eager to see his new Great Labyrinth come to life and be active immediately.

Kim Jin-woo had no intention of delaying, so he sat on the throne without a word.

[The Great Labyrinth, newly transformed by the hand of the labyrinth designer, awaits the touch of its owner.]

[Would you like to check the changes in the Great Labyrinth and activate the unactivated facilities?]

“I will do so.”

He nodded at the question, which required no deliberation, and the Great Labyrinth suddenly began to vibrate.

Gooooooo.

The Great Labyrinth roared as if cheering, and the core began to shine. When all the changes were complete, a message appeared before his eyes.

[The Great Construction of the Labyrinth, approved by the High Lord, has finally come to an end.]

[The facilities of the Great Labyrinth have been further upgraded.]

[The field of vision distortion effect has been enhanced. The field of vision distortion effect, which was only an illusion, has now become so subtle that it can even hide traces. Enemies who invade the Great Labyrinth will not be able to find even the guardians right in front of them and will die in vain.]

[The Great Labyrinth has acquired the characteristics of a maze. Invaders will completely lose their sense of direction the moment they enter the Great Labyrinth. The invaders’ five senses will be extremely dulled, and they will not be able to trust even their own eyes. Enemies will become vulnerable to attacks.]

[The structure of the Great Labyrinth has become more ‘three-dimensional’. The utilization of the area has been maximized. The distinction between floors, which was only a imitation, has become more perfect. Now the Great Labyrinth can divide the floors and utilize the space as needed.]

[The maze has become even more complex. Now invaders have to pay attention not only to the cardinal directions.]

[All the traps installed inside the Great Labyrinth have been activated. The traps will greatly slow down the enemy’s advance. As long as they are inside the Great Labyrinth, invaders will not be able to take a single step with peace of mind.]

Kim Jin-woo patiently reviewed the numerous enhancement effects and changes. Some seemed useful, others less so.

Given that the Labyrinth of Greed primarily devoured enemies, the effectiveness of the maze-like structure and traps was questionable, but one could never predict what might happen in the underground.

If the Great Labyrinth ever malfunctioned, the maze and traps would serve as valuable defensive measures.

“Amazing.”

Kim Jin-woo, overwhelmed by the flood of messages and having rolled his eyes at the air for some time, finally exclaimed in admiration.

The Great Labyrinth’s class had improved simply by Daedalus’s intervention, reinforcing his appreciation for the skill of a labyrinth designer.

[The grade of the Labyrinth of Greed has increased. The grade of the Great Labyrinth has changed from ‘Common’ to ‘Rare’.]

Who would consider the Labyrinth of Greed a common labyrinth? It seemed that even among the Great Labyrinths, there were grades and distinctions.

[Studying the real Great Labyrinth, not a replica, and transforming it anew was an invaluable experience for the Big-Headed Dwarves.]

[Daedalus coordinated the overall work and created the plans, but the other Big-Headed Dwarves were not merely idle. They each gained more specialized insights into the fields they participated in. The Big-Headed Dwarves’ specialties have been subdivided.]

[The subdivided specialties are ‘Maze Design’, ‘Trap Design’, ‘Complex Structure Design’, ‘Residential Area Design’, ‘Energy Efficiency Design’, etc.]

[The fame of the labyrinth designer, Daedalus, who directed all of this work, has begun to spread to nearby floors. The name Daedalus will not be immediately recognized in the underground, but the residents will admire the existence of this sophisticated and dangerous Great Labyrinth.]

Kim Jin-woo, having confirmed that the Big-Headed Dwarves who participated in the work had grown and become hero-level summons, was about to rise from the throne when he paused and sat back down.

The message window, which he thought was finished, reappeared.

[The Mystery of the Underground has intervened!]