I Was Reborn as a Daddy in Another World

The Wall - Part 3

The next day, Val and Katya approached the plaza that held the entrance to the labyrinth with a slightly distracted energy. They were as well equipped and ready for combat as always, in their complementary shining silver and matte black armour, but their minds were elsewhere.

Val adjusted the large backpack on his shoulders, tightening the left strap. They'd packed reasonably light for what was to be a four or five-day return trip, but they were confident in their ability to procure necessary supplies on site and speed was of the essence.

Over their second dinner, Val and Katya had gotten to discussing the possible location of what seemed to be the legendary warrior Ebid's resting place, if the cryptic runes on the wall were anything to go by. Ruined forts, like the one roughly engraved in the Patricians' guild basement, were shockingly common below floor fifty, remnants of the second platinum age when progress into the labyrinth was relatively swift and new depths were being plumbed on an almost monthly basis.

The fort was unremarkable, design wise, compared to the other forward structures of the time. Each was funded by the coffers of the royal family, like the gates that allowed for level-jumping, and, like the gates, were manned by a rotating roster of guilds. At one time or another, the Patricians' would have likely staffed and defended every fort between level fifty and seven-hundred. For now, they had a rough sketch that Katya had made of the carving on the wall, two of its six parapets still standing, its gates ruined and walls encroached upon by vegetation. The fact that the fort had already fallen into ruin while Ebid still lived was a helpful clue, but nowhere near enough for them to narrow it down to a singular location, let alone give them a shortlist.

However, the meal was not spent wallowing in helplessness. Pooling their knowledge of the early floors, a few options revealed themselves that might put them on the right track. If they could somehow time their arrival to get a whack at the level five floor boss, the rock golem, one if its rarer drops was a crystal talisman that could be used to locate lost items. Additionally, but less concrete, there were rumours of a hermit dwelling on the fringes of the seventh floor who could see into the future, and a pool on the ninth floor that was said to be home to a capricious water nymph who would trade in secrets of the labyrinth but, if the warnings were to be believed, had about a fifty-fifty chance of pulling out the liver of any adventurer foolish enough to approach her.

So, they had options. Not great ones, but worth making an extended trip long enough to at least check in on them.

They reached the plaza to find it humming with activity. At least two guilds looked to have reasonably large expedition groups thronging the entrance while they cross-checked their gear and handed over their guildmarks to the sentries posted at the wide gate. Katya and Val exchanged a frustrated look and joined the long queue that snaked around the cobblestone plaza.

"Busy day," Val remarked.

Katya nodded in return as a few other small groups of adventurers fell in behind them, joining the ever-growing line.

Looking around, Katya recognised members of both the Forgelight and Cannoneers guilds bunched together throughout the milling crowd.

"I spoke to the foreman this morning," Val went on, "Work should continue for the entire time we're away, and they've agreed to hold any invoices until we return."

Again, Katya nodded, but gave no verbal reply.

"Hey, Kat," Val said, trying to catch her eye.

She met his gaze briefly, glancing away from the other adventurers only for a moment.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied, her distraction present in her tone, "Just looking for..."