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E-Rank Labyrinth: The Fire Ant Nest (2)
The Fire Ant Nest was a labyrinth in every sense of the word—
a modern art installation of tunnels, looping endlessly through the earth.
There was an entrance and there was an exit,
but finding the path that connected them was another matter entirely.
The place was a vast, three-dimensional maze, so complex and long that few even bothered to try.
And since the rewards were meager on top of that,
there was hardly anyone foolish enough to venture in.
“Still, Kar insisted we had to clear this labyrinth.”
“I wouldn’t say insisted.”
“We just escaped from one yesterday! Even the Maze Management Division isn’t this enthusiastic—!”
Marlene threw the object she was holding behind her with a sigh.
Thunk!
— Krrrk!
The long white spike she’d hurled pierced straight through the head of an oncoming fire ant.
It was a javelin I’d made for her from my skill, [Spider Thread of Binding All Things]—
a throwing weapon with its thickness and durability maximized.
While she’d been busy fending off the first swarm earlier,
I’d crafted a generous supply of them for her to use.
“Wow. Didn’t think I’d actually get it in one hit.”
The cat-woman’s tail swished proudly as she harvested fire glands and mana stones from the fallen creature.
“These Mysteries you gave me, Kar—they’re way better than I thought!”
[Basic Dagger Arts] and [Beginner Throwing Technique]—
bread and butter for any low-level rogue.
She wasn’t agile or deft enough to bring out their full potential,
but they’d serve her well for a while at least.
At the very least, she was already more reliable in combat than a cultist.
I patted her back, smirking.
“Glad you like them. You cried and screamed when I said they were ‘cheap Mysteries,’ remember?”
“Are you hallucinating again?”
“Let’s go.”
We descended a steep incline carefully,
Marlene’s tiger tail looping around my waist to steady me whenever I slipped—
a surprisingly thoughtful touch from my beastkin assistant.
At the bottom was a wide chamber.
“That way.”
Now came the uphill stretch.
Marlene pushed me lightly from behind as we climbed.
“Do you actually know the way? We could do without a map at this point.”
“Not quite.”
Even with all my time in this world,
I didn’t have every E-rank labyrinth memorized.
I had enough trouble cramming the gimmicks of S- and A-rank dungeons into my head—
no point wasting brain space on this.
Still, multiple playthroughs had given me a decent sense of direction.
With a map, I was practically a half-elf GPS.
“Yah!”
Whenever a stray ant appeared, Marlene skewered it neatly with another spike.
The journey grew almost pleasant.
“Labyrinths… aren’t that bad, huh?”
She’d been frozen with fear earlier,
and now she was already getting cocky.
How endearing.
“Exactly. A labyrinth isn’t something to fear—”
“It’s a paradise overflowing with joy and laughter.”
Honestly, I was enjoying myself.
If exploring an E-rank labyrinth felt this good,
how much dopamine would a Nightmare Dungeon clear give me?
“Kar, something’s nearby.”
Marlene’s ears twitched.
“Two… no, three of them. Not moving.”
“Then we’re close.”
I spread out the map.
The “dump site” lay in the far lower-right corner of the nest.
“We’re probably here right now.”
A sharp turn ahead led straight to the dump entrance—
but that corridor was lined with traps.
“Traps? The ants set traps?”
“Instinctive behavior. Not complicated—just steps that explode when you step on them.”
“That’s… very dangerous!”
Normally, a rogue would handle this,
but my little thief could barely handle herself, let alone disarm traps.
For now, I’d settle for keeping her upright.
“I’ll take care of it. Stay put.”
I conjured a ball of spider silk around my finger,
a makeshift trap-nullifier.
These primitive devices didn’t react to life signatures or mana,
so a simple trick like this would do.
I tossed the orb down the corridor.
Plop.
BOOM!
A deafening blast rocked the tunnel.
I shielded Marlene with a magic barrier until the heat wave passed.
Krrrk!
The guardians of the dump, enraged by the explosion, came rushing out.
Marlene darted forward and cut down all three ants in a clean triple slash.
“Well done.”
I wiped the blood off her face.
“Your sword work’s getting cleaner.”
“Guess I’ve got talent for this explorer thing.”
Smiling, I set a hand on her shoulder and turned the corner.
A straight passage ended in a rough wooden door.
Calling it a “door” was generous—it was barely a few planks nailed together.
Still, it had a primitive lock, which technically qualified it.
“Time for our resident burglar to shine.”
“Hmm.”
She studied it for a moment, then frowned.
“There’s no lock or handle. How do I even—?”
“Like this.”
I grabbed her arm, pulled it back, twisted her waist slightly.
“Now—just punch forward.”
CRACK!
“Lockpicking” achieved through brute force.
The door burst open cleanly.
Inside was a large cavern chamber.
[Fire Ant Nest Dump — a place where low-intelligence creatures discard what they deem ‘trash.’]
I stepped inside eagerly.
Old and broken objects were piled everywhere.
“Ugh, the smell…”
Marlene just pinched her nose, but I was elated.
I began examining every item I saw.
[Ancient Silver Bracelet — poor quality scrap.]
[Filthy and hideous doll — recommended immediate disposal.]
[Remains of a dead dog — genuine trash!]
I picked up a small bone fragment, breathing deeply.
Everything matched perfectly—
just as I remembered from my previous runs.
Was I dreaming?
“Kar, how is this a treasure vault? It’s all trash.”
“Trash? Watch your tongue.”
Such heresy demanded education.
I cleared my throat.
“Marlene, do you know how labyrinths are formed?”
“Uh… hammering and sawing?”
“No. Labyrinths form when mana oversaturates and condenses, creating isolated worlds—
reflections of places that once existed, drawn from the past, present, or even future.”
“So… labyrinths are fake worlds copied from reality.”
“Exactly.”
A sharp mind, this kid.
“And that’s why this dump is so precious.”
Every object here was a relic of lore—a treasure trove of worldbuilding.
I wanted to take it all,
but without dimensional storage gear, I could only carry a few.
First things first.
I took the mana stone Marlene had harvested and rubbed it gently against a dog’s leg bone.
After several passes, the stone’s blue glow dulled to gray,
its mana seeping into the bone.
When I brought the infused bone near my nose,
it vaporized and entered my lungs.
“What… what was that?”
“Good question. In the old Lümes Kingdom era,
some beasts could dissolve into vapor when infused with mana—
primitive camouflage to evade predators.
Properly harnessed, it improves recovery rates.”
Her eyes glazed over midway through,
so I skipped to the end.
“In short—it boosts healing.”
[Truly… your physical recovery has slightly increased…]
In game terms, HP +1.
Next, I picked up the doll and bracelet.
“Hold out your hands.”
“Why?”
She did, puzzled.
I placed the doll in her palms and looped the bracelet around its neck.
“Fits perfectly, huh?”
“Yeah, like a necklace.”
“Good. Now look it in the eyes.”
She did—then flinched hard and dropped it.
“It glared at me, Kar!”
“That’s normal.”
“Don’t say that like it’s supposed to be! What is this thing?”
“That’s the question I was waiting for!”
I explained, in great detail, the origin of the Blessed Doll—a legend omitted from history books.
Afterward, I asked,
“How do you feel?”
“My hands feel… lighter.”
“Perfect.”
[Your assistant Marlene’s dexterity has increased…!]
Dex +1.
A nice stat boost—for her.
“Did your evil god teach you all this?”
“Of course.”
[How does this fool know such things?! The Wise One is confused!]
Then I picked up the most valuable relic of all—
a small, black, metallic cube, dense and heavy.
“That one’s valuable too?”
“You bet.”
[That is the artifact of a vile god! Cast it away immediately! Throw it if you have any sense!]
The Eye of Truth panicked, begging me to discard it.
Sorry—no can do.
You couldn’t find this kind of treasure anywhere else.
I tucked it safely into Marlene’s pack and moved deeper in.
Unlike the front area filled with relics,
the back was a true garbage heap.
“Ugh…”
Marlene stopped suddenly, face twisting.
“Are those… goblin corpses? And humans too?”
“Good eye.”
To monsters, dead explorers were just refuse.
Until the labyrinth reset in half a year,
they’d rot here, forgotten.
“Do you pity them?”
“A little.”
“Then let’s honor them—as fellow explorers.”
We approached the pile.
“Assistant, prepare the offering ritual.”
“You call this honor?”
“Usually, companions or hired scavengers retrieve bodies from labyrinths.
So why are these still here?”
She thought, then nodded.
“Because cultists are scavengers.
They feed on the corpses of forgotten explorers.”
“Ritual caretakers, please. ‘Scavenger’ sounds harsh.”
Still, she wasn’t wrong.
Cultists used these corpses as offerings—
not random civilians, not screaming sacrifices.
That was old-school.
Modern cultists—like me—used ethical, legal sources.
“You saw me perform a ritual before, right? Set it up.”
“I’ll try.”
“And hand me your dagger.”
I wasn’t about to let her prepare the offering herself.
Too gruesome for a growing kid.
I searched among the corpses for a proper candidate.
[Deceased warrior Mirgon (Human, 27). Betrayed his party and lured them into an ant swarm, only to die himself.]
A classic: human sacrifice, bad personality.
Perfect flavor.
I beheaded him cleanly,
then poured volcanic troll blood over the body—spicy seasoning.
Next came fire glands—for that natural heat.
Still missing something.
Ah—dog beastman teeth.
The sausage of any good stew.
Satisfied, I clasped my hands reverently.
“Lord , your meal is served.”
Nothing happened.
Marlene stared at the silent altar, blinking.
“…Kar?”
“Actually, I haven’t started the ritual yet.”
“Ugh—rituals aren’t supposed to joke back!”
I smiled brightly.
“Okay, now I’ve really done it.”
“Then why’s it still quiet?”
It wasn’t hard to guess.
After years of cultist service, I knew my god’s habits.
“lord must be… picky today.”
“The evil god… is picky?”
I folded my arms solemnly.
“Lord .. don’t tell me you can’t handle spicy food?”
Is the evil god… a spice lightweight?
