The room was shrouded in dim light as if to reject the sunlight. In the center of the closed room, a man sat lightly on a leather chair, looking down at a woman crawling on the floor. The woman’s red hair was dull and damaged, but there were no noticeable external injuries on her body. Yet, her complexion was paler than that of a sick person, and she seemed about to collapse at any moment.

It was clear that the cause of her condition was the man in front of her. The woman was terrified of him, trembling like a child who had seen a nightmare. The man, on the other hand, enjoyed a cigar, seemingly oblivious to the woman’s presence. As he exhaled purple smoke, a fragrant scent spread through the room. Finally, the man shifted his gaze to the woman and slowly opened his mouth.

“I got information from a prostitute who was dealing with a sword merchant’s errand boy. A certain man came to sell a large number of weapons. His characteristics match your description. He’s the one who killed my brother.”

The man took another drag on his cigar and continued after a pause.

“Giusto wasn’t stupid, but he had a hot temper. On top of that, he didn’t have much power. Truly, a foolish brother. But in this shitty world, blood ties are unbreakable. You understand that, don’t you, Lucca?”

The man’s tone was as if he were lecturing a bad student. The woman, Lucca, who had fled from the Magic Silver Mines in disgrace, nodded repeatedly.

“Seems like he managed his subordinates well. I’m not a demon, so I’ll forgive you this once. You brought me the report of my enemy to repay the favor of being picked up from the brothel. That’s quite commendable. If it weren’t for that, you’d have been nothing more than entertainment for those with money, or food for the rats in the sewers.”

Lucca knew that the man before her, Gizel, wasn’t just making empty threats. To rise in the underworld, especially in the massive slum surrounding the Bergana Labyrinth City, the man had utilized every form of malice.

“The man you mentioned is quite something. He single-handedly took down Digor and has a skill that affects a wide area, enough to bring victory to Dalimarcus in a losing battle. But so what? He bleeds, breathes, and gets tired like any other human. My brother tried to kill him in a wrong way. Direct violence is a great solution—simple and effective. But it’s not without its risks.”

The man had eliminated his opponents using every method imaginable: assault, threats, murder. Lucca had even participated in some of these acts. Sending a relative’s severed finger, burning skin to extract information, skinning someone as a public display—these were considered mild. Otherwise, Gizel wouldn’t have stood at the pinnacle of malice in the darkness writhing under the light of the labyrinth.

“Inns, taverns, his hobbies, preferences, objectives—anything. Gather information. That’s the first step.”

Gizel excelled in violence but didn’t hold it as the ultimate tool. In the labyrinth city, the most important thing was information, not just violence. Thus, he skillfully used both rewards and punishments, and had many associates and collaborators. From former prostitutes like Lucca to current ones, servants of nobles, and guild employees, his information network was extensive. Nobles trying to get power in the labyrinth city, and even the underworld of other countries, found value in Gizel’s covert clan and formed alliances with him.

However, it wasn’t just Gizel that those infiltrating the underworld feared. Behind Gizel stood an old man cloaked in robes.

“Once your honor is tainted, it clings to you forever. Shake it off, Gizel.”

“Yeah, old man, you’ve taught me that countless times.”

The old man, resembling a withered tree with just skin and bones, had picked up Gizel and Giusto from scavenging in the slums and taught them schemes and violence until they became rulers of an underground clan. Even as a decrepit figure, the old man’s eyes were unusually sharp and did not seem devoid of vitality.

“Now, go. It’s time to work.”

At Gizel’s command, his subordinates left the room all at once. The malice nurtured in the filth of the labyrinth city was about to creep upon a particular man.

◆

Having recovered his strength, Walm fully immersed himself in the labyrinth. He passed through the lower layers that he had already inspected the day before quickly and moved on to the sixth layer. The previous layers were known as the surface layers, accessible even to commoners seeking meat, fur, and occasionally coins or equipment. Experienced adventurers considered these places a mere playground for children.

In the sixth layer, not only goblins but also multiple orcs appeared. Goblins would show up in groups of four. Such numbers were too much for commoners relying on numbers for resources, causing a drop in activity below the fifth layer. The monsters that had been thinned out regained their vigor fast, troubling Walm.

In both monster and human battles, reducing the number of enemies before close combat was crucial. If surrounded, even Walm’s equipment could get damaged, and he could be injured. To avoid exhaustion, it was essential to eliminate enemies with each strike, reducing their numbers effectively.

Turning monsters into fodder for the labyrinth, Walm continued to descend. The most notable change occurred on the ninth layer.

“They’ve got civilized weapons now.”

Until now, Walm had only seen primitive equipment, but here, orcs appeared armed with metal weapons. This was significant. Although the swords and spears were rusted and on the verge of decay, they were still iron.

If these weapons penetrated his armor, they could cause serious injuries. The layer before the transfer room was significantly tougher than the previous ones, Walm felt.

Three orcs rushed at him, two with spears leading the charge, and the last one wielding a mace. Walm also ran to meet them.

A spear was swung down, and another thrust at Walm. Having predicted their trajectories early, Walm leaned his body swiftly. The spear that failed to catch him hit the ground behind him, and he combined his halberd with the other spear approaching him.

“Huh!”

The second orc’s spear was deflected overhead, exposing its armpit. Walm thrust his halberd into the gap. The blade tore through flesh, slipping between the ribs and ravaging the heart. As he twisted and pulled out the handle, the orc vomited blood and fell dead.

“So persistent!”

The first orc swung its spear horizontally at him from the side, while the one with the mace struck from the front.

Walm dodged the mace, letting it graze past his face, and the spear swept over his head. Without giving them a chance to recompose, he thrust his halberd into the orc with the mace. The blade entered below the chin, severing the orc’s artery, and blood gushed out, staining the ground.

“Only you’re left.”

As if responding to the threat from behind, the last orc boldly charged at Walm with its spear. Using the momentum from his turn, Walm’s halberd sliced through the orc’s arm and the spear handle.

The orc tried to manipulate the now useless wooden shaft with its remaining arm, but its charge was its downfall. Led into the trajectory of Walm’s halberd, the hook-like blade decapitated it. The orc staggered a few steps but ultimately fell to the ground.

“They’ve got spears now, too, not just swords and maces.”

If he lost focus or stamina, instant death was possible. Despite conserving magic and skills, the struggle to clear the lower layers was a harsh reality blocking Walm’s path.

“…Don’t stop moving. Remember why you came to the labyrinth…”

Though different from the battlefield he knew as a soldier, the labyrinth was another kind of battleground. There was no shortcut. Walm had survived in this world by accumulating bodies one step at a time, shedding blood and draining his own spirit. Nothing had changed.

Walm pushed the blunt weapons from the orcs into his magic bag and quietly resumed his way down the labyrinth.

Translator – Lyxxna