Dungeon, sixth floor, core bedroom.
Labrynth lay sprawled on the soft velvet round bed, her posture as lazy as a cat basking in the sun. Her slender, snow-white legs were crossed, and her small feet dangled in the air, swaying back and forth. (≧∇≦)
A holographic projection screen floated before her, displaying a clear image.
On the streets of Blackedge Town, Allen was sweating profusely as he carried a signboard larger than his own head.
Two Pure White Dolls mechanically hauled wooden beams behind him, their movements stiff yet incredibly strong.
Curious townsfolk gathered around the shop entrance, pointing and whispering about the two Alchemical Golems.
"Move it to the left, left! Can you two even understand human speech?!"
Allen stomped his feet in frustration, veins bulging on his forehead.
The Pure White Dolls expressionlessly shifted the signboard half an inch to the right, perfectly embodying the phrase "feigned compliance."
Allen nearly fainted on the spot, leaning against the doorframe and panting for a long while before catching his breath.
Watching the chaotic, bustling scene on the screen, Labrynth doubled over with laughter. (o^^o)
This foolish mouse mage can't even command two Dolls properly, truly the most useless of the useless.
She popped a purple berry into her mouth, its sweet juice bursting on her tongue.
But even the useless have their uses. Once the dessert shop opens, I'll have all the human gold and information I need.
Satisfied, she nodded and gently swiped her delicate, pale hand across the screen.
The image instantly switched from the sunlit surface streets to the cold, dark depths underground.
Inside the Mithril Dungeon, the icy metal walls reflected a faint blue glow, exuding a bone-chilling cold.
Ryan huddled in the corner, arms tightly wrapped around his knees, his entire body curled into a ball. His lips were dry, cracked, and pale, his eyes bloodshot, long since drained of tears.
"Big Brother Allen, are you still alive? Please, say something..."
No one answered him. In the empty dungeon, only his own hoarse echoes bounced back and forth.
Ever since that terrifying Demon Maid dragged Allen away, there had been no news at all. Ryan didn't know whether Allen was alive or dead, and this uncertainty tormented him more than death itself.
He bit down hard on his own finger, his teeth leaving deep marks on his flesh.
Has he already been killed? Am I next?
I don't want to die. I just became an adventurer. I haven't even completed an Iron Rank mission yet.
Ryan's shoulders trembled, fear coiling around every nerve like a venomous snake.
On the interface panel, the Emotion Points gain notifications persistently flickered.
[Absorbed 15 Fear Emotion Points from Ryan]
[Absorbed 13 Despair Emotion Points from Ryan]
Labrynth glanced at the pitiful numbers and curled her lip.
(￣△￣)
Fifteen points, thirteen points, fifteen points, thirteen points–like squeezing toothpaste.
She rolled over, lying on her back as she stared at the blue Mana stones embedded in the bedroom's dome ceiling.
Ryan, this human generator, was indeed running steadily, but its output was pathetically low.
Even a mosquito's leg is still meat, but trying to feed a dragon with just mosquito legs is pure fantasy.
Territory expansion required a massive amount of Emotion Points, and upgrading defense facilities demanded tons of Refined Iron and Mithril.
Waiting for prey to come to me won't work anymore. I need to go out and take it myself.
Labrynth sat up from the bed, patted the wrinkles on her gothic skirt, and fixed her gaze on the bedroom door, extending her psychic power outward along the Labyrinth's passages.
Arianna stood in the corridor outside the door, her posture as proper as a statue.
(≧∇≦)
"Greeny, come in. There's a big job."
The heavy Mithril door was gently pushed open as Arianna stepped into the bedroom with graceful strides, the hem of her maid's dress tracing a beautiful arc on the floor.
She lifted the edge of her skirt and performed a standard curtsy, her movements fluid and pleasing to the eye.
"My Lord, your orders."
Labrynth hopped off the bed, stood on tiptoe, and stretched out her small hand, giving Arianna's soft cheek a firm pinch.
"There are still quite a few Monsters hiding in the Silver Ruined City on the outskirts of the sixth floor."
She released her hand, took two steps back, and her eyes burned with a greedy light. (^ω^)
"Take all the mass-produced Pure White Dolls and give the place a thorough cleaning."
She raised a pale, delicate index finger, her tone light yet icy.
"Whether it's skeletons, demons, spiders, or whatever else."
"As long as it's still breathing, drain all their Emotion Points and bring them to Silver Castle."
Arianna lowered her head, a dangerous glint lighting up in her emerald green eyes.
"As you command, My Lord." Her voice was calm, but the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
"Greeny is so good~" Labrynth patted the back of her hand contentedly. (o^^o)
Arianna turned and left the bedroom, her footsteps gradually fading down the corridor as she passed straight through the intricate Labyrinth passages, arriving at the spacious central hall.
In the hall, several freshly constructed Pure White Dolls stood neatly arranged.
They were tall, entirely pure white, with smooth faces devoid of any features. Each Doll's right arm could transform into a sharp silver blade in an instant.
Arianna stood at the front of the formation, sweeping her gaze over these silent weapons of slaughter.
"Move out."
With the brief command, the Pure White Dolls simultaneously stepped forward, their heavy and uniform footsteps echoing thunderously through the Labyrinth's corridors.
This white army, devoid of heartbeat, breath, or fear, stepped out of the safe zone.
In the cold, damp Corpse Corridor, the air was thick with the pungent smell of decay; Scattered along the sides of the cave passage were large amounts of yellowed bones and rusted, broken weapons.
Remnants of skeleton soldiers wandered in the darkness in twos and threes, their bones clattering as they moved.
Around them gathered hundreds of Carrion Demons, drawn by the scent of rotting flesh.
These ugly, gray-brown creatures crouched on piles of corpses, gnawing on bone marrow and making disgusting smacking sounds.
When the orderly footsteps sounded from the end of the corridor, all the Monsters looked up at once.
Hundreds of turbid eyes fixed intently on the white figures gradually approaching in the darkness.
A massive Mutated Carrion Demon was the first to let out a deafening roar.
Its body was covered in pustules, each oozing yellow-green pus.
The demon opened its foul-smelling, gaping maw, its four thick hind legs kicking off the ground as it arrogantly lunged at the Pure White Doll at the front of the line, its fangs aimed straight for the throat.
Arianna hovered above the formation, coldly looking down at these fools rushing to their deaths.
"Crush them."
The moment the command fell, the leading Pure White Doll's right arm abruptly transformed.
The smooth surface of the stone cracked open, and a heavy silver blade shot out.
The blade whistled through the air as it descended from above, cleaving downward.
The massive body of the mutated monster was cleanly sliced in two mid-air.
Entrails and black blood poured from the severed sections, splattering across the ground.
It didn't even have a chance to scream before its two halves crashed to the floor, twitching a few times.
The remaining Pure White Dolls activated simultaneously as if receiving a signal, charging brutally into the horde of monsters.
Silver blades flashed through the dimly lit corridor, each swing clean and decisive.
One doll swept its long blade horizontally, slicing three skeleton soldiers–armor and all–into fragments. Shards of bone and rusted iron scattered in all directions, clattering against the walls.
Another doll drove its fist into the head of a Carrion Demon.
Thump!
The ugly skull exploded like a rotten watermelon struck by a hammer, bursting into pieces.
Several Carrion Demons attempted a sneak attack from the side, their sharp claws raking viciously against the doll's back.
A harsh scraping sound echoed as the claw tips slid across the pure white stone, leaving only faint scratches.
The Pure White Doll slowly turned, its smooth, featureless face aligning with the ambushers.
A silver blade swept horizontally, sending the upper and lower halves of two demons flying in opposite directions.
The corridor was littered with severed limbs and shattered bones, black blood flowing like small streams through the cracks in the stone floor.
The surviving monsters finally realized that the white creatures before them were not something they could handle.
Fear overwhelmed their innate ferocity. They let out panicked wails, desperately retreating–some turning to flee, others trampled underfoot by their companions–the scene descending into chaos.
Just then, a dense rustling sound came from the darkness overhead.
Thick, sticky webs cascaded down from the ceiling, blanketing the corridor ahead.
Over a dozen Shadow Webweaver Spiders hung inverted from the rocky ceiling, their eight eyes gleaming with a cold green light. Simultaneously, they opened their mandibles, spewing streams of corrosive green venom.
The venom sizzled as it struck the ground, eating smoking pits into the hard stone slabs.
The webs and venom formed a deadly blockade, completely sealing off the path forward.
The Shadow Webweaver Spiders emitted triumphant hisses, as if they had already secured their prey.
Arianna hovered in mid-air, tilting her head slightly as she observed the self-satisfied fools above.
"Is this all you have to stop me?" she sneered contemptuously.
The emerald-green demon wings on her back suddenly unfurled. The Jade Loop emitted a sharp metallic hum as six poisoned Mithril Blades shot out simultaneously.
Streaks of green light pierced the darkness, like six deadly vipers plunging into the spider swarm.
The first blade cleanly sliced through the abdominal carapace of a Shadow Webweaver Spider. The Hardness of its outer shell proved as fragile as thin paper before the Mithril edge.
The potent poison coating the blade instantly flooded the wound. The clash between spider venom and the applied toxin triggered a violent reaction.
The giant spider let out a piercing shriek, its eight legs flailing wildly as it plummeted from the ceiling.
The second and third blades struck their targets almost simultaneously.
Two spiders hanging side by side were pierced through the head by the green streaks. Their bodies convulsed violently several times before thick bodily fluids gushed from the wounds.
The heavy corpse crashed to the ground, splattering a cloud of black blood mist.
Arianna maneuvered the Jade Loop through the spider swarm with graceful ease.
Each flash of green light was accompanied by a shriek as a Shadow Webweaver Spider plummeted from the ceiling.
The remaining giant spiders finally panicked, frantically spewing silk in an attempt to escape.
But the speed of the six blades far surpassed their clumsy crawling–there was simply nowhere to flee.
The last Shadow Webweaver Spider was simultaneously impaled by two blades, pinned against the rock wall, its eight legs hanging limply as green venom slowly dripped from its maw.
From start to finish, Arianna hadn't even taken a single step.
She simply hovered in place, using her will to control the Jade Loop and complete the slaughter.
The Low-Level Monsters hiding in the dark corners deep within the corridor witnessed it all–how those Shadow Webweaver Spiders were effortlessly massacred.
Several Carrion Demons let out sharp, terrified shrieks before turning and desperately fleeing into the darkness deeper within the sixth floor.
The remaining skeleton soldiers scattered in all directions, driven by instinct, the clattering of their bones echoing chaotically.
Arianna did not pursue them. She merely watched coldly as their figures vanished into the darkness.
"Run. It's not like you can escape the sixth floor anyway."
She turned and issued a new command to the Pure White Dolls.
"Clean up the corpses. Send them all back to the furnace."
The Pure White Dolls silently carried out the order, beginning to gather the scattered Monster remains.
Far away in the core bedroom of the Labyrinth, Labrynth stared wide-eyed at the system panel. (≧∇≦)
Numbers on the holographic screen were jumping wildly, notifications of Emotion Points gains flooding the entire interface.
[Absorbed Fear from Shadow Webweaver Spider: +80]
[Aborbed Despair Emotion Points from Carrion Demon: +70]
[Absorbed Fear Emotion Points from skeleton soldier: +90]
The notification chimes rang incessantly, as dense as hailstones.
So many, so many! This speed is hundreds of times better than Ryan's measly basic income!
Labrynth was so excited she bounced up from the bed, hugging a lace pillow and spinning in place. (^ω^)
Meanwhile, deep in the Dungeon, the Thunder Thermal Furnace was operating at full capacity. The Pure White Dolls continuously tossed piles of Monster corpses into the massive feed port.
The high-temperature flames inside the furnace devoured all organic and inorganic matter.
From the discharge port conveyor belt, Refined Iron Ingots and Magic Crystals poured out like flowing water.
One piece, two pieces, ten pieces, fifty pieces–the count kept climbing.
We're rich, super rich!
Labrynth rubbed her pale, delicate hands together, her eyes gleaming with the fervent light of a capitalist striking it rich.
She eagerly opened the Dungeon Lord's Shop interface, where a dazzling array of blueprints unfolded one by one on the screen.
Basic traps, intermediate traps, advanced fortifications, special structures.
Her fingers flew across the screen as she exchanged several defense blueprints in one go. (≧∇≦)
"Upgraded Pitfall Trap, take it. Consecutive Spike Wall, take it. Acid Spray Device, take that too. Sensory Deprivation Tentacle Trap? Hmm, this… buy it as well…"
The more she bought, the more excited she became. Her Emotion Points balance was rapidly decreasing, but the rate of incoming points was even faster.
When she flipped to the last page of the special structures category, Labrynth's finger suddenly froze.
A staggeringly expensive blueprint lay quietly at the very bottom of the page.
"Archfiend Statue¹, advanced defensive facility."
She opened the detailed attribute interface panel, her pure white eyes widening further and further. (O_O)
⌜True Name: Archfiend Statue⌟
[Level: 35]
[Race: Silver Doll]
[Talent: Demon's Pressure, Frost Domain]
[Skills: Power LV8, Hardness LV8, Agility LV4, Greatsword Technique LV1, Frost Manipulation LV5, Heavy Defense LV8, Gravity Slash LV3, Physical Resistance LV5, Intimidation LV5]
!!
Labrynth drew in a sharp breath, then grinned.
It's expensive, sure, but with this thing placed at the Labyrinth entrance, who would dare to charge in?
Even if someone did get in, they'd first get hit with Intimidation and then a slow effect. They wouldn't take two steps before kneeling.
She decisively selected the Archfiend Statue blueprint, took a deep breath, and firmly clicked to confirm construction.
The Emotion Points balance on the interface panel instantly evaporated by a large chunk, making her heart ache with a sharp pang.
However, soon, an even more intense tremor made her forget the heartache. On the main outer passageway of the entire Labyrinth, the air began to distort.
Dazzling blue-silver light erupted from cracks in the ground, illuminating the surrounding area for dozens of meters.
A powerful physical tremor spread outward in all directions from the construction point. The Labyrinth walls trembled slightly, and rubble fell rustling from the ceiling.
Through the holographic projection, Labrynth clearly witnessed the entire materialization process.
The blue-silver light gathered, compressed, and took shape, as if an invisible giant hand were sculpting a work of art.
The first to form was a pair of enormous iron boots, each over half a person's height, followed by legs covered in heavy silver-white armor engraved with intricate patterns.
The waist, breastplate, and shoulder armor solidified in turn, with bright blue and streamlined decorative stripes lighting up on the surface.
Finally, the head took shape, with two curved, massive horn-like protrusions extending from either side of the forehead.
A heavy thud shook the entire Labyrinth as the Archfiend Statue stood towering several meters tall in the very center of the main outer passageway.
The silver-white armor gleamed with a cold metallic luster under the blue light, its lines sharp and aggressive, with every joint meticulously designed.
Its face was concealed by a mysterious, solemn metal mask, revealing no expression. A sharp yellow glow ignited in the position of its eyes.
That yellow light slowly swept across the dark passage ahead, and wherever it passed, the temperature plummeted.
A dull mechanical clanking sound came from the Archfiend Statue's back, the noise of gears turning echoing through the corridor. Two massive, fan-shaped demonic shield-wings suddenly unfurled from its back.
The edges of the wings were sharpened like blades, glinting with a cold gleam in the dim light. Embedded on their surface were dark blue ice crystal ornaments, from which wisps of chilling air seeped out.
Moisture in the air condensed into fine ice crystal particles around the wings, drifting down slowly.
The Archfiend Statue slowly raised its hands, fingers closing together to grasp an exaggeratedly large greatsword.
The blade was nearly as tall as its massive frame, with complex ice crystal patterns spreading across its broad surface.
A terrifying chill, capable of freezing souls, continuously emanated from the sword. Within several meters around it, the ground rapidly coated with a thin layer of white frost.
This silver-white colossus stood upon the main thoroughfare, like an unshakable demon god descending upon the world.
The oppressive aura it radiated was so heavy it thickened the air, suffocating all who drew near.
…
¹ The cn and original name of 'Labrynth Archfiend' has "Demon Statue" in it, so it's derived from that.
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going! [Patreon.com/RedZTL]