The magic flames in the fireplace crackled softly, their orange-red glow warming the entire room.
Labrynth turned over comfortably on the soft velvet bed, her fair, delicate face buried deep into the lace pillow.
She slowly opened her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering gently like butterfly wings, carrying the laziness and satisfaction of just waking up.
A surging sense of power instantly swept through her body. She felt the once-thin and fragile magic circuits within her now brimming like roaring rivers.
The swollen sensation of magic nearly overflowing from her body made her let out a soft, tender murmur.
"What's going on… after sleeping, I feel so much stronger. Even my breathing carries magic."
Labrynth sat up in the bed, the velvet blanket sliding off her small shoulders, revealing the white Gothic dress.
She raised her two fair little hands and clenched them with force.
This sense of strength was worlds apart from the weak body she had yesterday, which couldn't even lift a ten-pound stone.
Without hesitation, she moved her thoughts and summoned the control panel of [Silver Castle Lord].
The semi-transparent pale blue screen unfolded, with streams of data cascading down like a waterfall.
"Am I seeing things?"
Labrynth cried out, her mouth wide enough to fit an egg, her face filled with utter disbelief.
[Talent: Powerful Physique (Initial Growth)]
The support skill that had always been at the core of her construction, [Mental Visualization], had advanced to LV2!
This experience of leveling up without any hard training, simply by lying on a velvet bed and sleeping, was unbelievably satisfying.
Labrynth immediately directed her mental power into this newly upgraded skill.
Buzz!
The holographic sandbox in her mind expanded, and the already clear three-dimensional map underwent a qualitative leap.
The whole labyrinth structure became even more refined, even gaining a terrifying microscopic perspective.
She could not only see the thick snow-white stone walls, but also directly perceive the subtle magic patterns and structural gaps within them.
It was as if she had been equipped with a super X-ray vision; every corner was laid bare before her without concealment.
"What exactly is going on? I only had a comfortable night's sleep…"
"Could it be that Silver Demons grow stronger in their dreams?"
Labrynth scratched the pair of Silver Demon horns on her head, her mind filled with confusion.
She turned her gaze to the log record section at the bottom right of the panel, wanting to find out what had happened overnight.
Dense notification messages filled her entire field of vision.
[Carrion Demon fell into water prison trap, drowned to death: Emotion Points +50]
[Carrion Demon triggered inverted spikes, pierced to death: Emotion Points +80]
[Shadow Goblin squad entered flipping wall zone by mistake, extreme panic: Emotion Points +200]
[Shadow Goblin triggered blinding dead end, mutual slaughter: Emotion Points +150]
…
Looking at this long list of dense kill and Emotion Point gain records, Labrynth suddenly understood.
So the pure white labyrinth hadn't been idle at all last night; it had been operating the entire time.
Not only had the two Carrion Demons trapped below been tortured to death by various traps, but a large group of unlucky low-level Shadow Goblins had also wandered in.
Labrynth closed her eyes and used the replay function of the holographic sandbox to witness the brutal scene from last night.
These low-intelligence monsters had played out a night-long, brutal "battle royale" within the labyrinth's complex, flipping walls and inverted spikes.
They fled frantically in the darkness, only to repeatedly crash into the deadly traps Labrynth had meticulously designed.
Some were smashed into pulp by unexpectedly emerging stone slabs, while others were pinned to the ground by spikes falling from above.
Panic and despair spread wildly within the sealed fortress, ultimately transforming into pure nourishment that provided massive experience gains for her skills and body level.
"So AFK farming in tower defense games is this profitable… what a huge gain!"
Labrynth rubbed her fair little hands excitedly, the corners of her lips rising wildly into a scheming smile. ヾ（≧▽≦*）o
She quickly glanced at the balance displayed in the top-right corner of the panel.
The number, which she had previously spent down to almost nothing, had now skyrocketed to an astonishing 9,350 points!
Only a single step remained before reaching the 10,000 threshold needed to exchange for the rare building [Thunder Thermal Furnace], which could squeeze the last bit of value out of monster corpses.
As long as a few more foolish monsters showed up, she would be able to fully kick off her dungeon capitalist extraction plan.
Through the upgraded microscopic-perspective sandbox in her mind, Labrynth leisurely overlooked the bottom layer of the entire labyrinth.
In an open corridor at the very bottom of the maze, over a dozen mangled monster corpses were already piled up.
Green bodily fluids mixed with black blood, staining the pure white stone floor in mottled patches and releasing a strongly foul stench.
Beside the pile of corpses, the Pure White Doll was working diligently.
Its mirror-smooth face showed no expression, as it mechanically and efficiently dragged one heavy monster corpse after another.
The magic ring on its ring finger flickered with a red glow, supplying it with magical power.
It neatly stacked the foul-smelling corpses into a designated area, waiting for future recycling.
"What a perfect employee. It doesn't even need rest… truly born to work."
Watching the Pure White Doll's skilled handling movements, Labrynth couldn't help but let out a satisfied praise.
With such an absolutely loyal and complaint-free worker, being a lord was simply too comfortable.
However, when Labrynth shifted her attention back to the newly upgraded [Mental Visualization LV2], her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
"Strange… aside from the sandbox becoming clearer and gaining that microscopic perspective, it doesn't seem to have any other special effects."
She sat on the bed and waved her finger in the air, trying to imagine an exquisite longsword.
Only a faint ripple of magic appeared in the air; nothing happened.
She then tried to imagine a lively little rabbit, but there was still no response.
After checking [Mental Visualization LV2], it seemed that even after upgrading, it still had no independent effect and could just be used in conjunction with creation skills.
"Oh well, it was basically a free upgrade anyway. Can't expect too much. Being able to see through things is already pretty good."
Labrynth comforted herself optimistically and got out of bed, preparing to patrol the labyrinth.
…
At the same time, at the end of the staircase connecting the fifth floor to the sixth floor of the dungeon.
A fully armed human adventurer party stepped out from the fifth floor with heavy footsteps.
Each of them wore a shining silver-rank badge on their chest, reflecting a cold gleam in the darkness and signifying strength far beyond that of ordinary scavengers.
The party consisted of a heavily armored knight, a swordsman, a ranger, a rogue, and an elemental mage; a classic and well-balanced high-end composition with no weaknesses.
Leading the group was a burly, heavily armored knight. His entire body was wrapped in thick steel armor, producing clanging metallic sounds with every step.
He carried a massive tower shield nearly half his height, its surface covered in ferocious claw marks from monsters, clearly marking him as a battle-hardened veteran.
"Stay alert. Something feels off about the sixth floor."
The heavily armored knight lowered his voice, cautiously scanning the endless darkness around them, his muffled tone echoing from beneath his helmet.
"Captain, aren't you being too tense? That old Skeleton Lord that used to rule this place has long been gone. We're here to make a fortune this time."
The rogue moving along the flank let out a disdainful sneer. He wore light black leather armor and casually played with two poison-coated daggers.
The daggers flipped deftly between his fingers, their blades glinting with a deadly green sheen.
"It's precisely because it's too quiet that it's abnormal. Don't let your guard down."
The ranger following closely behind frowned. He carried a large quiver on his back and held a longbow made from elven wood.
His sharp gaze constantly scanned the darkness, his ears twitching as he picked up every subtle sound in the air.
"He's right. You all know how things work in a dungeon.
"The quieter it is, the more likely something deadly is lurking."
The sharp-eyed swordsman tightened his grip on the hilt at his waist. Dressed in a neat set of light steel armor, he spoke with serious caution.
"We must maintain a tight defensive formation. Any mistake could wipe us out."
At the very center of the formation, heavily protected, stood an elemental mage clad in an ornate robe.
The elemental mage raised the staff in his hand high, its tip embedded with a massive ruby, and took a steady breath.
"Illuminate!"
With a brief incantation, the crystal at the tip of the staff erupted with a brilliant white light.
The intense glow dispelled the surrounding darkness, brightening the path ahead.
Holding the illuminating crystal aloft, they stepped down from the fifth floor and cautiously entered the edge of the sixth floor.
...
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