Chapter 21: The Carbuncle Monster

Dennis had been waiting until he could master the use of “Armor” before descending to the fifth floor. Recently, he had become able to fight while keeping the true name of “Armor” released.

The preparations to descend to the fifth floor were complete. Since he had decided to take Amelia and the girls to the labyrinth every other day, he wouldn’t take them to the labyrinth tomorrow.

Dennis determined that Amelia and the girls, whose bodies were still growing, needed a day of rest. Instead, he made the decision to venture into the labyrinth alone and challenge the fifth floor.

The next morning, as Dennis finished his training and waited for the meal to be prepared in the dining room, Amelia woke up. She had a sleepy face.

“Are you tired from yesterday?”

“Mmm, I’m tired, but it was really fun. Are we going to the labyrinth today too?”

“I’ll go alone today. Amelia, please teach Finne and Jasmine how to read and write.”

Amelia had been taught to read and write by her mother, Elise. Dennis requested that she teach Finne and Jasmine the same.

“Sure. But aren’t they going to become labyrinth explorers?” 

Amelia seemed to question whether labyrinth explorers even needed to know how to read and write.

“Labyrinths like the Rock Mountain Labyrinth have been explored and documented. If they are going to become labyrinth explorers, it would be beneficial for them to be able to read those records.” Dennis explained.

“Oh, I see,”

Amelia agreed to teach Finne and Jasmine how to read and write. Dennis gave the girls another instruction—to practice using the true name of “Magic Energy”.

“By the way, Amelia can already use Mana Art. There’s no need for you to go to the labyrinth anymore,” Dennis said.

“No, just swirling the Magic Energy within the body doesn’t quite satisfy me,” Amelia responded.

Amelia wanted to use visible Mana Art, which made things more complicated. The true names that could be obtained in that labyrinth were “Magic Energy”, “Ultrasonic Wave”, “Sense of Smell”, “Armor”, “Crystallization”, and “Lightning Strike”.

Among those true names, Dennis did not quite understand “Crystallization”, so it was excluded. When it came to visible Mana Art, “Lightning Strike” was the closest option. It was possible that “Sense of Smell” could also be satisfying to her, but it might be good to learn the true name of “Lightning Strike” for self-defense purposes.

This country could not be called a safe place. Being able to use “Armor” and “Lightning Strike” would be helpful in cases of emergencies. However, the problem was that the true name of “Lightning Strike” could only be obtained from the monsters on the fifth floor.

Even though it was only a small labyrinth, he would have to let Amelia completely conquer it to get the abilities.

As Dennis pondered over these thoughts, he noticed that Amelia was glaring at him. He had been lost in thought, completely ignoring her.

“You know, there are monsters on the fifth floor that possess interesting true names. I’ll look into it.” Dennis said.

“That’s a promise. 

Dennis headed to the labyrinth to challenge the fifth floor. Upon arrival, he began to venture deeper into the labyrinth. He reached the fourth floor by taking the shortest route and then descended to the final floor, the fifth floor.

Dennis now wielded the Vajra Staff as his weapon. After defeating the Armored Lizards with the staff, he trained to become proficient in its use.

The labyrinth was similar to before, with its maze-like corridors. Holding the Vajra staff, Dennis proceeded cautiously. Suddenly, he noticed a presence approaching from ahead.

Dennis unleashed the true name of “Armor.” A thin membrane formed over his body as he moved forward. It was indeed a Carbuncle, a fox-like creature with crystal blue horns, who unleashed a lightning ball towards him in a sudden encounter.

From the blue crystal horn, a lightning ball resembling a spherical electric discharge with sparks was born, flying towards Dennis. Its speed was around 100 kilometers per hour.

Dennis couldn’t dodge it. The lightning ball, with a diameter of about 10 centimeters, hit his shoulder. In that instant of impact, sparks scattered and electricity cracked.

A snapping sound echoed, accompanied by a pungent smell.  Surprisingly, the attack didn’t inflict any pain. It became evident that his “Armor” had shielded him from harm. Taking advantage of the opening, Dennis swiftly swung his Vajra Staff downward, delivering a decisive blow to the charging Carbuncle.

The Carbuncle met its demise, turning into dust and disappearing.

“I see, with ‘Armor’, these monsters are not much of a threat.” 

Dennis ventured deeper into the labyrinth. Along the way, he encountered six Carbuncles and dispatched them effortlessly. He then discovered a small dome-like space and decided to investigate its contents.

Within the dome, seven Carbuncles roamed about. Suddenly, he heard a faint sound from behind. Dennis swiftly turned around, only to find a single Carbuncle in the midst of unleashing a lightning ball.

“Whoa!” 

Dennis instinctively threw himself into the small dome to dodge the incoming attack. In retrospect, he wondered why he had made such a move, but in that moment, his body acted on pure instinct.

Finding himself trapped amidst the enemies, Dennis faced a barrage of concentrated attacks from the Carbuncles. While evading the incoming lightning balls, he swung his Vajra Staff with agility.

He took several hits from the lightning balls. Thankfully, his protective membrane remained intact, otherwise, he would have died.

Amidst the chaotic battle, Dennis regained his composure. He focused on taking down the Carbuncles one by one with precision. He targeted the one on the far right, rushing towards it and bringing his Vajra Staff down upon it.

After defeating one Carbuncle, Dennis gained control of the battle. One by one, he struck down the Carbuncles and finished them off. Within a few minutes, the battle came to an end.

“Huff, I fought quite clumsily.”

However, there was a valuable harvest. Amidst the fight, he acquired the true name of “Crystallization”.

After he took a moment to catch his breath, Dennis decided to search for mineral deposits. On this particular floor of the labyrinth, the deposits consisted of coal. Although it was high-quality smokeless coal, its value wasn’t significant.

Coal mines for open-pit mining were located in the northern region, making it impractical to carry coal weighing around 20 kilograms back from this floor. As a result, the fifth floor was an unpopular area.

Nevertheless, coal was more abundant than iron and other minerals, and it could serve as fuel if there was a way to transport it in large quantities.

Dennis chose not to engage in mining and resumed his journey deeper into the labyrinth. He discovered two small dome-like spaces and eliminated the Carbuncles within. However, he was unable to obtain the second true name of “Lightning Strike”.

Finally, Dennis arrived at the ultimate dead end. There stood a stone wall measuring three meters in front of him.

“Sigh, I’ve reached the end.”

Frustration engulfed him as he couldn’t obtain the true name of “Lightning Strike” in the end. Since acquiring the true name of “Crystallization” had been relatively easy, he had expected the same for “Lightning Strike”. However, things don’t always go as planned in this world.

Subconsciously, Dennis lifted his Vajra Staff and struck the stone wall in front of him. It made a hollow thud, leaving something lingering in Dennis’s mind.

“What could it be? What is this feeling?”

Dennis raised his Vajra Staff once more and struck the stone wall again. Once again, it produced a light sound, triggering a sense of unease within him.

“Could there be a hollow space on the other side?”

Curiosity sparked in Dennis’s mind. He formed a Quaking Blade on his Vajra Staff and struck the stone wall with force. It resulted in a small crack appearing on the surface. Aiming for that crack, he struck it repeatedly with the Quaking Blade over and over again.

Suddenly, the stone wall crumbled with a loud rumble, revealing a dome like space beyond. It was twice as large as anything Dennis had encountered before—a vast expanse. And there, standing in the center, was a lone Carbuncle.

“Could this be a Carbuncle?” 

Dennis was taken aback by the creature’s large size. Normal Carbuncles were about the size of a medium-sized dog, but this one was a size larger, surpassing even a large breed. It seemed to be a subspecies of the Carbuncle.

The Crystal horn on the Carbuncle’s forehead shone not with a blue hue but with a radiant ruby red. It exuded an aura reminiscent of a king among Carbuncles while fixing its gaze upon Dennis. Its eyes emitted an eerie light, brimming with suspicion.

As if beckoned, Dennis stumbled forward and entered the chamber. His consciousness seemed numbed, devoid of any cognitive power. In Dennis’s mind, Masaya, who had been observing from within, began to surface, sensing the impending danger to their lives.

The Ruby Carbuncle approached slowly, its eyes gleaming with a satisfied glint of capturing its prey. There was something special about that gaze, something beyond ordinary.

The Ruby Carbuncle lunged forward, aiming to sink its fangs into Dennis’s neck. In that split second, the Vajra Staff lifted high and struck the Carbuncle’s forehead. The crystal horn snapped cleanly from its base and tumbled to the ground.

The Ruby Carbuncle let out a terrifying scream, writhing on the ground. With a newfound clarity of mind, Dennis saw an opportunity and formed a Quaking Blade. He believed it was necessary to dispatch this strange creature.

As Dennis’s consciousness sharpened, Masaya’s consciousness, which had delivered the attack to the Ruby Carbuncle’s forehead, began to sink back into the depths of their shared spirit.

Given that the crystal horn had been shattered, there was no need to worry about the Ruby Carbuncle’s lightning ball attack. The creature that had been rolling on the ground suddenly leaped away.

The growling Ruby Carbuncle glared at Dennis, clearly intending to do something. Then, out of nowhere, another Carbuncle appeared and launched an attack on Dennis.

“What’s going on?” 

Dennis exclaimed in surprise as yet another Carbuncle appeared before him.

“Could it be… it’s summoning Carbuncles?”