Only when their feet touched solid ground did their taut nerves begin to ease.
Behind them, the labyrinth's vast, misshapen mouth loomed darker and more inscrutable in the night—and under the dread of the coming repulsion phase—like the gaping maw of some great beast crouched in wait.
From deep within, a dull thudding—like the earth's own pulse—seemed to roll outward, and the three of them felt the faint tremors through the soles of their boots.
"Whew… finally out!"
Alia blew out a long breath, brushing moss and dust from her clothes, and cast a nervous look back at the entrance.
Even Ulfen, Echo, and the chocobos gave uneasy cries. Wild creatures are more sensitive to changes in the natural world—like dogs barking before an earthquake, bees leaving the hive, fish leaping from the pond.
Gauss studied the opening; even the feel of space inside the labyrinth seemed… different. And this wasn't even the repulsion phase proper yet. Once it truly started, the danger would spike hard. No wonder the Labyrinth Guide warned that entering during that time was forbidden—anyone lingering inside then, strong or weak, was almost certainly dead.
"How long will it last?" Alia sighed.
"A few weeks if it's short. If it's long… possibly years," Gauss said, checking the Guide in his hand.
"Years?" Serandur looked genuinely surprised.
"For humans, years are a long time. For a labyrinth—especially one with a long lifespan—it's barely a blink," Gauss shook his head. "And it doesn't have to be years. It could be a few weeks, or a few months."
"Let's find a place to rest?" he added, glancing at the surface town above the labyrinth, which was already buzzing.
After a brief search they located the Golden Beak Trading Company's local office—a three-story building. The staff stationed in the labyrinth all knew the three of them by sight. Even though it was late, the duty clerk greeted them with respect and showed them in.
Robert, a senior officer of the Golden Beak storefront, hurried downstairs. Whatever irritation he'd felt at being called on after hours vanished the instant he heard Gauss's name. He even paused to straighten his attire before stepping into the lounge with a warm smile.
He had the kitchen whip up an extra table of hot food and ordered baths drawn. Gauss kept insisting there was no need to fuss, that a few empty rooms would do, but Robert didn't dare be the least bit careless.
He understood perfectly how important these three were to the company—they were not something you dismissed as a mere pseudo–Level 3 party. Even aside from their ties to the young mistress, their youth alone said the team's future was nothing to scoff at.
If not for that connection—and for the fact Gauss had only recently set out as an adventurer—small firms like his wouldn't even get the chance to build a relationship with a team like this.
Under Robert's attentive hospitality, the three enjoyed a decent midnight supper.
…
The next morning, Hailier arrived at the Golden Beak offices in a rush.
Fresh from the labyrinth, Gauss slept a bit later than usual. Washed and dressed in casual clothes, he stepped out—and spotted a familiar head of chestnut hair.
"Hailier, you're here."
"Just got in," she nodded, looking a touch regretful. "I came to assess the labyrinth's business climate, but on day one… this happens."
Adventurers and shopkeepers were streaming out with their goods; it was no time to go inside and scout.
"On the bright side, our company's small and we push our business cautiously. If we'd overextended, this repulsion phase would've been disastrous."
Gauss was about to say something comforting, but she'd already steadied herself. Even so, the prospect of losses made her shiver a little.
Surface storefronts could be reworked; it was the base build-out and capital sunk into labyrinth operations that would likely go down the drain. A mid-to-large company could swallow that; for a small one, it was close to a crippling blow.
"Yeah. Better to travel far than just fast."
"Oh—Gauss, do you want to buy a place in Whorlmark Town? Prices aren't high yet."
Whorlmark Town was the surface settlement above the labyrinth, named for the vortex-shaped entrance.
"Buy a house?"
Gauss thought for a moment, then nodded. Even with the repulsion phase starting—and no idea how long it would last—buying a place nearby wouldn't hurt. Even if there were no appreciation later, the team would at least have a foothold around the labyrinth. They wouldn't have nights like last night again, struggling to find an inn and ending up begging a bed from Golden Beak. And surface property was cheaper than anything underground.
"I'll keep an eye out. If I find a good price, I'll grab it for you. I'm thinking of buying one myself."
"I'll owe you."
"It's nothing."
…
Once Alia and Serandur were up, Gauss told them about buying a house in town as a team base, and both raised their hands in favor.
By late morning the town was fully awake. They strolled the streets and asked around for details on the labyrinth. There were plenty of adventurers on the move today, and people were still streaming out. Not everyone had a map like Gauss; even though getting out is faster than going in, you can't always break free right away.
When they drifted back near the entrance, the huge whirl-like maw felt even more ominous—almost as if the labyrinth itself was warning outsiders away.
From overheard chatter—and an official guild notice—they confirmed it was indeed the repulsion phase. Guards stood at the gate; without a guild pass you could only exit, not enter. Even if the three of them wanted to risk it, they couldn't.
Crowds milled around the entrance: cursing merchants, adventurers stumbling out in tatters, and plenty of rubberneckers enjoying the spectacle.
"What now?" Alia asked Gauss.
With the labyrinth shut, the three of them couldn't just sit in Whorlmark Town indefinitely. They needed something to do.
"Keep taking commissions," Gauss said with a shrug. What else? Back to the day job.
Repulsion phase or not, he had a lot to handle: practice [Shaping Magic: Clay], collect spirit, and prepare to break through to Level 3.
It had also been a while since they'd been back to Grayrock Town. And this pause was the perfect chance to pick up a plan he'd made last winter and never had time to execute: return to the home of this body—Stone Creek Village. See with his own eyes how the family was doing; help if he could.
Thinking of that run-down little village, his feelings tangled with a trace of fear. Memory made him oddly reluctant to go home, even though what he'd achieved already likely eclipsed anything in the village going back generations. Fear or no fear, he had to go. How to face kin who were both familiar and strange—that would be another problem.
He laid out the plan.
"Going home?" Alia blinked. Catching the complicated look on his face, curiosity flickered in her eyes. She was, honestly, very curious about Gauss's past. He'd told her more than once that his hometown was as ordinary as they come—reeking muck heaps by the road, dirt lanes turning to impassable mud when it rained—but she still wanted to see it.
"Can I come with you?" she tilted her head.
"…"
"Sure, if you want," Gauss said, half amused. Having a friend along would at least steady him.
"Captain, count me in," the serpentfolk Serandur added quietly.
"All right, let's all go," Gauss said, something clicking into place as he laughed. "But—fair warning—we're poor. Don't expect much in the way of hospitality."
He realized that even if they split for a bit, Alia and Serandur probably didn't have plans of their own. Both of their homelands were far off; going back would be a trek. Better to keep moving together.
They stayed in Whorlmark one more day. Once they'd confirmed the entrance would be closed for the foreseeable future, and turned in their spoils, bounty items, and a few collection quests, Gauss and Alia mounted their Chocobos, with Serandur keeping pace at their side, and set off for Grayrock Town again.
Riding beat wagons for speed by a wide margin. In no time the outline of Whorlmark—and the far-off Forest Capital—were receding behind them.
All the way, the four clay spiders loped along at Gauss's side. Prolonged use would help raise his proficiency with [Shaping Magic: Clay], and while they kept pace they also hunted roadside insects, absorbing spirit and refining themselves.
They even nabbed two plump pheasants for lunch. Sensing their kill reports through his talent, Gauss used [Proto–Hive Mind] to have the free-roaming spiders bring the game back.
Clay constructs really are must-have travel companions. The only downside is the ongoing mana drain. If he didn't have an unusually deep mana pool, keeping four of them active would be rough. On the other hand, that downside is a perk: burning mana also feeds some of the XP needed for class advancement.
Level 2 Spell Shaping Magic: Clay Lv2 (19/20)
With four constructs out continuously, proficiency soared; in the blink of an eye it was about to tick up to Lv3. And at Lv3, the spell would finally start to show its true potential.
~~~
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