Mad Black Mage’s Tower Strategy
Chapter 46
Skeletons rising at the call of the Lich King.
They quickly climbed up the trap walls and bowed their heads before Seo-jin.
“Hmm.”
Seo-jin looked down at the skeletons and checked his skill level.
[Summon Dead LV.3]
Number of subordinates that can be controlled without mana consumption: (2/3)
Communication with the dead
Subordinate promotion (automatic)
Just a moment ago he commanded thousands of skeletons, so commanding only five or six felt inadequate, but.
‘Quality over quantity.’
Currently, the undead that Seo-jin directly commands are [Baduki] and [Lich King], totaling two entities.
After obtaining Achievement Points from the 4th floor conquest battle and beginning his full-fledged transition to necromancer, he became able to command Baduki and the Lich King without mana consumption.
The skeletons that just climbed up from the trap are judged as the Lich King’s subordinates, so the Lich King consumes mana for them.
Thanks to that, he can also command the skeletons under the Lich King’s command without mana consumption.
This would be impossible for an ordinary necromancer to even attempt due to the complex subordinate structure, but for Seo-jin it was nothing.
While others would at best command Skeleton Knights or Warlocks, Seo-jin has a Lich King under his command and obtained control rights over ordinary skeletons for free.
Thanks to this, he has one remaining subordinate slot that can be controlled without mana consumption.
‘Let’s make the last one by clearing the labyrinth and killing the Minotaur.’
Since he has to deal with the boss monster Minotaur to pass through this Labyrinth anyway.
He needs at least one reliable entity to serve as a tank.
If Baduki handles exploration and hunting and the Lich King is dedicated to large-scale battles, then the Minotaur would fill the lacking defensive power.
Of course, that’s not the reason he challenged this Labyrinth of Minos.
‘Every month, seven boys and girls from the natives are offered as sacrifices to this labyrinth.’
If he deals with the Minotaur and completely conquers the labyrinth, such evil acts won’t happen anymore.
At this, Hyeon-wol asked Seo-jin.
[But why hasn’t this labyrinth been conquered until now? If such evil acts were happening, shouldn’t it have been conquered first?]
“Everyone tried. They just failed.”
Even now with the 30th floor opened, the Labyrinth remains an unsolved maze.
No matter how high one’s level, there’s no guarantee of safety in a labyrinth.
Even the most skilled climbers die if they become thirsty and hungry.
What’s needed to break through this labyrinth isn’t stats and skills, but the ability to solve the maze.
However, this labyrinth remains an unknown territory that hasn’t been cleared until now.
Countless climbers challenged this labyrinth and disappeared without a trace.
Even now, many who challenge this place have their news cut off.
It’s similar to divers challenging blue holes.
[Then what are you relying on to come in here?]
“Well, I know the solution method.”
[Tsk.]
At Seo-jin’s confident answer, Hyeon-wol clicked her tongue as if disgusted and asked again.
[…Then what was that fool relying on to recklessly follow you in here?]
When Hyeon-wol mentioned Nam-gung Cheon, Seo-jin chuckled.
“He’s originally that kind of guy.”
Birds of a feather flock together – the guy who became sworn brothers with Seo-jin couldn’t be normal.
Nam-gung Cheon with his free spirit and severe wanderlust.
Without his miraculous lightness skills, he would have died away from home several times over.
Seo-jin first released the five summoned skeletons into the maze.
“Explore the vicinity. Report if there are any anomalies.”
The skulls bowed to Seo-jin and then scattered in all directions to explore the surroundings.
[May I also look around this place? Using that, the spare body I mean.]
“Sure. There aren’t enough eyes anyway, give it a try.”
Seo-jin took out Hyeon-wol’s spare vessel that Circe had given him from his inventory.
A palm-sized doll.
With a delicately carved face and even a fluttering white skirt, it perfectly resembled Hyeon-wol.
Hyeon-wol, who had been floating around Seo-jin, immediately possessed the inside of the doll.
SWOOSH-.
The doll slowly opened its eyes.
Perhaps due to Hyeon-wol’s characteristics, the doll began floating in the air by itself.
“Aha! It really moves, it moves!”
Hyeon-wol couldn’t hide her joy at getting a new body.
Excited, she moved her arms and legs around and flew about buzzing here and there.
Seo-jin smiled slightly and said.
“Be careful not to break it by falling into traps. I don’t have the ability to fix it.”
Although he has some knowledge of puppetry, it’s difficult to touch a doll made by Circe, who is at the master level of puppetry.
Only she can repair what Circe made.
“Of course! Well then, I’ll be back!”
Hyeon-wol flew through the air and disappeared beyond a corner.
Seo-jin fell into thought, thinking of the skeletons, Hyeon-wol, and Baduki each scattered to explore the labyrinth.
‘What’s needed to clear this labyrinth is ‘Ariadne’s Thread’ and ‘Daedalus’s Mark’.’
Ariadne’s Thread can be substituted by weaving thread with mana. But Daedalus’s Mark can only be found directly.
Still, if he keeps summoning skeletons from the corpses of climbers encountered while wandering the labyrinth and spreads them around, he should find it quickly.
‘Should I rest a bit?’
It’s already been half a day since entering the labyrinth.
Since he left the labyrinth exploration to his minions, Seo-jin, who had nothing to do, was about to lay out his sleeping bag and take a good nap when.
“KYAAAK!”
Hyeon-wol’s scream was heard from far away.
‘What now, again.’
Making a fuss over nothing.
Seo-jin grumbled but immediately got up and headed toward where the sound came from.
***
“Damn it. This fucking thing.”
Nam-gung Cheon plopped down on the floor and spat out curses.
He has no sense of how much time has passed since entering the labyrinth. A day? Or two days?
Since it’s judged as inside a dungeon, terminal communication with the outside is also cut off, so there’s no way to know the time.
GRUMBLE-.
‘I’m hungry.’
The Labyrinth of Minos, Daedalus’s Labyrinth.
It’s called an unconquered labyrinth, but it’s just a dungeon located on the 9th floor – who knew it would be this much.
Actually, Nam-gung Cheon has the aptitude of a Pathfinder. His wanderlust also stems from this.
He can intuitively know which way to go and avoid invisible dangers.
With this aptitude, he thought he could easily break through a low-floor maze, but this was clearly a miscalculation.
He’s eaten most of the dried provisions and jerky he always carries around.
Only a few sips of water remain in his gourd.
Normally, he would stuff his S-grade inventory full of food so this wouldn’t happen, but unfortunately his inventory was taken by his younger sister, leading to this disaster.
“Ha, shit.”
There’s nothing more embarrassing than news of a ranker dying trapped in a 9th floor labyrinth.
‘It’s all because of that bastard.’
Nam-gung Cheon was sitting there blankly, cursing inwardly, when.
RUSTLE-.
A presence felt nearby.
‘Is it that guy?’
Nam-gung Cheon perked up his ears, got up from his spot, and headed toward where the sound came from.
But what greeted him wasn’t that annoying bastard, but a girl.
A thin girl wearing the Greek-style clothing characteristic of 9th floor natives.
“Ah, ah.”
The girl saw Nam-gung Cheon and collapsed weakly.
“Hey, hey. Get it together.”
He supported the girl and checked her condition.
She was skin and bones from starving for who knows how long, and her lips were dried and hardened. She was practically a living corpse.
Nam-gung Cheon bit his lips looking at the girl.
‘Is she a sacrifice offered to the labyrinth by the natives?’
The natives of the 9th floor are said to offer boys and girls as living sacrifices every month to prevent the Labyrinth of Minos from growing larger.
If she entered early this month, it means she’s been wandering the labyrinth for a week already. It’s impressive she’s still alive.
The girl squeezed out her voice even in her unclear state of consciousness.
“Wa, water…”
“Ugh…”
Nam-gung Cheon looked at the gourd hanging on his side.
Even if he gave this water now, the probability of the girl surviving was extremely low.
Thinking coldly, it would be right for him to drink this water and conquer the labyrinth even a little more.
But.
‘…If one claims to be a chivalrous hero.’
Sometimes one must do things that result in loss.
Nam-gung Cheon opened the gourd and brought it to the girl’s lips.
GULP- GULP-.
As soon as moisture touched her lips, the girl came to her senses and hastily drank the water.
The water in the gourd was quickly emptied.
Nam-gung Cheon even took out the little remaining jerky from his pocket and handed it to the girl.
After chewing and swallowing the jerky several times, the girl slowly opened her mouth.
“Thank, you.”
The girl’s empty eyes.
She was expressing gratitude in words, but she had already lost the will to live.
Since she became a living sacrifice offered to the Minotaur and is wandering the labyrinth, this might be a natural reaction.
Nam-gung Cheon clenched his fists and said to the girl.
“Hey, do you want to get out of here?”
“…Are you perhaps a hero who will defeat the Minotaur?”
At the girl’s question, Nam-gung Cheon shook his head.
“A hero? I’m not such a grand person.”
He’s just an irresponsible vagrant who ran away throwing everything aside because he didn’t want to manage a guild.
“Still, if you want to get out of here, follow me.”
***
“Hmm.”
A dead-end alley where he arrived after hearing Hyeon-wol’s scream.
In the alley stood a large tree that didn’t suit the labyrinth.
But looking closely, he could see a person buried in the tree.
Around it spread a lush green meadow, and several boys and girls were sleeping like dead on it.
This was a ‘Sacred Barrier’ that repels the labyrinth’s monsters while supplying the minimum necessary life force to people within range.
That barrier is created by offering one’s entire life, requiring considerable skill to generate and maintain.
Then the person buried in the tree must be a climber, and a considerably skilled Druid at that.
Seo-jin looked at the barrier and quietly muttered.
“How foolish.”
It was the noble sacrifice of a Druid who judged it difficult to break through the labyrinth with his own power and tried to save at least the children while waiting for a possible helping hand.
However, this was only a stopgap measure.
When all the mana remaining in his body is consumed, the Sacred Barrier will disappear, and the children who are sustaining their lives through the barrier will also die on the spot.
It’s a foolish act that’s merely buying time.
But.
‘These children offered as sacrifices saved their lives thanks to that meddling.’
Seo-jin comfortably laid down the corpse of the Druid who was sitting cross-legged like he was sleeping.
He’d like to use Communication with the Dead to ask a few things, but that wouldn’t be proper.
When the Sacred Barrier was lifted, the children who were sleeping like dead on the meadow woke up one by one.
Opening their eyes, they were terrified seeing Seo-jin commanding skeletons, the Lich King, and Baduki.
“It’s, it’s a demon.”
“Wh, what do we do.”
“……”
A mysterious being in black robes commanding undead woven from bizarre corpses and skeletons.
Just from appearance, he was unmistakably a demon, so being afraid was natural.
Seo-jin was at a loss for words at the sight of the children trembling in fear.
“Try explaining something.”
He asked Hyeon-wol for help, but she just giggled as if it was amusing.
“Kekeke, it’s a natural reaction, why act surprised. In this lady’s view, you’re definitely a demon.”
“Where can you find a kind demon like me?”
If it’s going to be like this, there are ways.
“Stand back.”
Seo-jin reverse-summoned the Lich King and skeletons to reduce their aversion.
Then he took out food from his inventory and showed it to the children.
Seeing the soft bread and fresh milk, the children’s stomachs growled.
GRUMBLE-.
“Want to eat?”
“……”
The children gulped and swallowed saliva as he waved the bread and milk.
Their gazes fixed on the food, they looked cute like puppies.
Seo-jin smiled wickedly at such children.
“If you want to eat, you know what you have to do, right?”
