Chapter 19: Amelia and Her Friends

“This is bad. I don’t have a weapon to take down this creature.” 

With the quaking blade extinguished, he couldn’t defeat the Armored Lizard. He discarded the staff and swiftly drew the Vajra staff from his back. Feeling its weight in his hands, he assumed a high stance.

Exhaustion from the consecutive battles weighed heavily on him, making the Vajra staff feel even heavier than it was. As the Armored Lizard lunged, attempting to swipe at him with its sharp claws, Dennis swung the Vajra staff down upon its arm.

He felt the sensation of the monster’s bones breaking as the Vajra staff struck the front limb. Not only that, but the Armored Lizard was also flipped over. The relentless power of the Vajra staff, weighing over three kilograms, was evident in each blow he delivered.

The fallen Armored Lizard tried to get up from the ground, but Dennis pounded it again with the Vajra staff. Again and again, he relentlessly pounded the fallen creature’s head, neck, and body with the Vajra staff. With every strike, he could feel the monster’s bones shattering until, finally, its breathing ceased. 

When the Armored Lizard disappeared, a true name actually popped up inside Dennis’ spirit. It was the True Name of “Armor”. There were records talking about this True Name in the study of the mansion as well.

The True Name of “Armor” transformed the skin into a tough armor-like material, resembling that of an Armored Lizard. Since it didn’t change the outward appearance to a dark green armored hide, many wielders of this True Name used it.

Right then, a noise caught his attention. Looking in that direction, he noticed a piece of green skin on the ground—the second drop item he encountered.

“If I sell this, I might get around two gold coins.”

When he reached down to pick up the drop item, a sharp pain surged through his right chest. It seemed he had been injured by the Armored Lizard’s previous charge.

The small dome-like space, where he had defeated all the monsters, now served as a safety zone until the monsters respawned. Despite the pain, Dennis began mining for iron, enduring through the discomfort. After digging out approximately twenty kilograms, he decided to stop.

He then returned to the surface, loaded the iron onto the cart, and took a moment to catch his breath. As his chest throbbed with pain, he removed his jacket to examine the wound. The area around his chest had turned into a bruise, displaying a deep shade of blue.

“It’s painful. My stamina didn’t last throughout the fight. Maybe I still need more training? No, the main cause might be the excessive and unnecessary movements.”

After reflecting on the previous battle, taking a break, and having lunch, Dennis headed to the first floor of the labyrinth in the afternoon. This time, he didn’t pass through but went directly to the small dome-like space.

Inside the space, around fourteen slimes roamed around. He struck the slimes with his Quaking Blade, taking them down one by one. The Quaking Blade proved effective against the slimes as well.

In the now monster-free small dome-like space, Dennis decided to try using the True Name of “Armor.” He focused his consciousness and unleashed the True Name. However, it required the prerequisite that the True Name of “Magic Essence” had already been released.

The released True Name of “Magic Essence” converted ambient magic essence in the atmosphere into True Power, supplying it to the True Name of “Armor”.

There was a change in Dennis’s skin. A thin membrane seemed to adhere to the surface of his skin. The records mentioned a transformation into resilient skin, but in reality, it appeared that the thin membrane was the armor.

Incidentally, this thin membrane had an official name: “Armored Membrane”. Dennis came to know this through research in the records at a later date.

Curious about its effects, Dennis tapped his left arm with his right hand. It made a loud click sound, but he didn’t feel any pain at all. It seemed to have an effect, but he wasn’t sure of its durability.

“It would be desirable to keep it activated constantly while exploring the labyrinth… but it can be mentally exhausting.” 

Dennis decided to train in Mana Art on the first floor. After all, he realized that he couldn’t efficiently train on the surface due to the thin concentration of magic essence.

From then on, Dennis spent two months going back and forth between the labyrinth and the town until he had completely depleted the iron deposits. He had mined around 1,600 kilograms of iron. In the small town, the annual consumption was sufficient at only 500 kilograms.

The remaining iron was entrusted to Kasper at the general store, who sold it in another town. Dennis received his share, which amounted to thirty-two gold coins. The unexpected windfall filled Dennis with joy.

With his newfound wealth, Dennis couldn’t understand why no one else was willing to delve into the labyrinth.

“Why wouldn’t they, when there’s such a fortune to be made?” 

He sought answers from Egmont.

Egmont replied with a wry smile.

“Well, you see…”

According to Egmont’s explanation, it seemed that Dennis had been able to amass such a large sum of money because he had exclusive access to the labyrinth.

Usually, groups of several people would venture into the labyrinth. Moreover, many parties would descend simultaneously, resulting in the rapid depletion of mineral deposits.

Consequently, it appeared that individual gains were not substantial. Additionally, one could not afford to be complacent about the labyrinth’s monsters. Not only the Armored Lizards, but even the Slimes had the potential to kill labyrinth explorers.

“Reconsider going into the labyrinth alone. It’s too dangerous. Isn’t there someone else?” Egmont advised.

“I’ll look for someone,” 

“I want to go into the labyrinth too.”

Amelia spoke up, causing Egmont to frown.

“No, it’s not allowed. The labyrinth is not a place for games.”

“If it’s just the first floor, it should be fine; I heard it’s only filled with Slimes.” Amelia argued.

“Even Slimes can be dangerous,” Egmont said.

 Amelia puffed out her cheeks. 

“It’s not fair that only Big Brother Dennis gets to go. I want to use Mana Art too.”

It seemed that Amelia had a desire to use Mana Art. After discussing it with Dennis and Egmont, they decided to let Amelia gain some experience on the first floor only.

They discussed that If Dennis went alongside her and the two only encountered slimes then it should be fine. However, Amelia didn’t have the appropriate clothing and backpack suitable for exploring the labyrinth, so they decided to ask Kasper at the general store to order them.

Kasper agreed to prepare the items in a few days.

A few days later, more people expressed their desire to venture into the labyrinth. They were Amelia’s friends, Finne and Jasmine. It seemed that ever since they saw Dennis using Mana Art for the first time, they became interested in exploring the labyrinth.

The parents of the two girls approached Dennis and asked if they could also be taught how to fight in the labyrinth, reasoning that if Amelia was being taught, they should also receive guidance. They wanted to become female explorers themselves, as there were plenty of women among the labyrinth explorers.

“Please, Big Brother Dennis. This is a once-in-a-lifetime request.”

“But you see, labyrinth exploration is dangerous,” Dennis hesitated.

The girls’ parents explained to Dennis that they had lost everything in that devastating fire nine years ago, making it difficult for them to support their daughters. If they couldn’t find a solution, they would have to leave Beneshof and search for jobs in a larger town.

Without any education, the only occupation available to girls like them would likely be in the entertainment industry. Both the girls and their parents expressed their dislike for such a prospect.

Upon hearing about Amelia’s “debut” in the labyrinth, they seemed to consider that they could become labyrinth explorers if they went together.

News of Dennis earning a large sum of money in the labyrinth had spread among the common folk, and many of them were eager to challenge the labyrinth themselves, hoping to achieve similar success.

However, they were aware that it would be difficult without knowing how to fight. While there were individuals who had thought of attempting the labyrinth, it seemed that they gave up after getting injured and returning.

Considering these circumstances, they approached Dennis for help. They didn’t want to put their children in shady jobs and thought it would be better if they could become labyrinth explorers themselves, which led Dennis to contemplate the situation.

However, upon learning more about their situation, it became apparent that it wasn’t easy. They had multiple children to support, and even a minor injury to the parents would lead to dire circumstances. Dennis decided not to pry any further. Perhaps it was all due to the poor state of the territory, which led to such a difficult life for its residents.

Dennis pondered over the situation and decided to take the two of them along. He realized that he might not have the luxury to delve into the labyrinth next year once he started diligently learning about managing his territory.

He believed it was necessary to cultivate individuals who would dive into the labyrinth on his behalf and bring back various resources.

With that in mind, he decided to start by preparing weapons. He asked Franz, the carpenter, to make two Nail Rods.

He handed over the Nail Rod he used to Amelia and gave the newly made ones to Finne and Jasmine. They also had backpacks and water flasks prepared.

The next day, with all the preparations in place, Dennis and the others headed towards the labyrinth. Dennis pulled a cart with a backpack on it, while Amelia and the rest followed, dressed in comfortable clothing and holding the Nail Rods.

“Sir Dennis, is it true that the first floor of the labyrinth only has slimes?” Jasmine asked.

Yes, that’s why I want you all to defeat the slimes and obtain the true name of ‘Magic Energy’.”

Jasmine and the two girls cheered with excitement. Then, Amelia asked.

“If we obtain the true name of ‘Magic Energy’, will we be able to do what you have shown us before?”

“No, for that you have to obtain the true name of ‘Magic Essence’. But it’s complicated, so you all should stick with ‘Magic Energy’.” 

“Eeeeh” 

Amelia and the others voiced their dissatisfaction.

“I want the true name of ‘Magic Essence’ too.”

Finne selfishly expressed herself in a boyish tone.

Dennis believed that they could afford to be selfish like that until they actually faced the slimes in battle. Once they experienced the lightning-fast attacks of the slimes, they would think either name was fine.