As dawn broke, I roughly tidied up the lodging and slipped out of the shantytown.
The guards at the entrance warned me not to leave my belongings lying around, but since I didn't really have anything, I just gave them a vague reply.
"Well then... shall we head to the dungeon first."
The items from the gacha are all soulbound.
So, if I want to survive here, I need to make money, which means heading into the dungeon.
I hadn't eaten anything all day, so my stomach was starting to growl a bit... but I didn't have money to buy food.
They said the city hall hands out free porridge, but I wasn't at that point yet.
That said, first things first.
I left the shantytown and headed toward the bustling heart of the city.
Taverns had revelers passed out right there in the shops after drinking till dawn.
Given the medieval setting, it might seem dangerous at first glance.
But in Labyrinth City, knights from both nations, along with the city's own guards, patrolled constantly.
So, law and order were solid.
I passed the drunks and arrived at the pond in the center of the busy district.
I reached deep into the pond.
Item Acquired『Frayed Bag』
— 2 slots
『A worn-out bag that's lost all function. It feels like it'll fall apart any minute now.』
I managed to fish out a small sub-space pouch from inside.
The frayed bag could be used for about a day from the moment I picked it up, which was better than nothing.
Plus, it was a good chance to check if anything differed from my memories.
The hidden mechanics seemed unchanged as well.
Once I stowed it in my inventory.
Inventory[Inventory] 4 / 7
『Frayed Bag (2 slots)』
『Emergency Escape Scroll』
『1st Circle: Fireball Magic Scroll ★★★』
『1st Circle: Heal Magic Scroll ★★★』
『Empty』
With the frayed bag claiming the first slot, my inventory felt a little roomier.
The city had a few such beginner-friendly items scattered around like this.
After that, I headed for the dungeon.
I navigated the alleys until the streets widened, and soon the dungeon entrance came into view.
Guards bearing the neutral zone insignia stood watch before it.
Flanking the dungeon on either side, as if splitting it down the middle, were ranks of kingdom and empire knights.
"This is the access gate to the Underground Labyrinth Dungeon. Have you completed basic training? Even if you haven't, we'll give you a week's grace period."
"Yes. I did it yesterday."
"First, let me confirm. Your name is Rain, correct?"
"Yes."
The guard watching the entrance checked the stack of papers behind him.
He seemed to find my name, nodding lightly.
"Confirmed. Since it's your first time at the dungeon, I'll give you a quick rundown before granting entry."
The guard handed me something.
It looked like a guidebook outlining the dungeon's features and precautions.
"First off, when you enter the dungeon, you'll drop into one of ten random points. To exit, head to any one of those ten points, and you'll see an escape gate."
He pointed to the identical guidebook in his hand and continued his explanation.
"If you engage monsters in combat, always secure your retreat path. If you need help from others, you must express it verbally."
If you want assistance, you have to say it out loud.
It was a bit odd, but his next explanation made it click.
"Interfering with adventurers fighting other monsters, stealing finishing blows, or snatching items are all strictly forbidden."
It was to prevent last hits and item steals.
On the surface, it might seem like a lawless zone, but it felt more structured than the online days.
Back when updates stopped and end-times vibes took over, bad manners ran rampant.
"You must never fight others inside the dungeon. Looting is also strictly prohibited. If you witness or fall victim to such acts, seek out knights from either nation or neutral zone guards."
In short, don't fight each other.
With actual lives on the line, it was only natural.
"The same goes inside the city. Knights and guards patrol everywhere, so no matter your backstory or what happened before arriving, combat with others is strictly forbidden."
"Got it."
I replied offhandedly.
Even if someone caused trouble outside with the kingdom, empire, or beyond, the neutral zone turned a blind eye.
But cause issues inside, and they'd crack down hard.
I asked if there were any differences from my memories, but nothing stood out.
"Do you know about the Labyrinth Lords, adventurer?"
"No clue."
I knew, of course.
Their names, appearances, abilities—all crystal clear in my mind.
But pretending not to know was safer than acting like I did.
In this neutral zone, the Labyrinth Lords held the most power.
Who knows what they'd do if word got around that I knew about them.
They might brush it off, but better safe.
"The reason this place is called the land of opportunity is thanks to them. Unravel the dungeon's mysteries, and wealth, honor, and power will follow you, adventurer."
The guard went on at length, citing special items and artifacts inside the dungeon as proof of its overflowing chances.
That's why people with stories to tell naturally flocked to the labyrinth dungeon.
Indeed, fallen nobles and the desperate gathered in Labyrinth City for that reason.
Of course, the lore included criminals from various nations washing up here too.
"Oh, have you joined a guild yet? If not..."
"Not thinking about guilds yet."
"I see. Still, give it some thought. Knights patrol down to the dungeon's third underground floor, but no further. The deeper you go, the tougher it'll be solo."
Knights searching the dungeon only went as far as the third underground floor.
Obviously due to the risk.
Enemies up to the third floor weren't much threat to knights, and above all, return scrolls worked reliably.
In the Underground Labyrinth Dungeon, long-range teleportation magic or scrolls always sent you straight to the first-floor exit.
The dungeon's gates were top-tier spatial magic, interfering with all other long-range teleports.
But from the fourth floor on, all teleportation magic and return scrolls became unusable.
No matter how much mana you poured in, it'd just dissipate—making it far riskier.
With no telling what could happen deep inside, they couldn't afford to lose valuable knights.
So, the official story went, they fully opened the dungeon to adventurers...
"If guilds are off the table, at least form a party. Now, finally... this way, please."
I followed the guard back to the dungeon entrance.
He rummaged behind the guard post and handed me a small necklace-like item.
"This is a rescue signal artifact. Pour mana into the back of the gem here, and it'll vibrate, sending a signal to those nearby."
Woooong.
It began to hum faintly, resonating with the guard's mana.
"Place it against a dungeon wall, and nearby adventurers will sense the signal and come to your aid. It also repels monsters to some degree."
"...Can that level of vibration really do all that?"
The vibration was about as strong as a phone on silent.
"It'll vibrate stronger inside the dungeon. And... the monster-repelling effect is pretty weak, honestly. Tests show it annoys them, but results vary. The signal's also tough to notice amid all the combat noise. That said."
The guard showed me a document.
A list crammed with names.
Dungeon fatalities.
"When you channel mana, it imprints the caster's mana signature on the necklace. We can trace that to your identity. Even if you die in the dungeon, we need to know who you were."
He handed me a fresh necklace.
"If you sense a rescue signal inside or find a body, hand it over to the nearest knight. Trust is everything here."
"Understood."
I stashed the necklace in my inventory for now.
Looked useless, so I'd ditch it first thing inside.
With only seven inventory slots, no choice.
I'd already tossed the ointment and bandages from yesterday.
"Oh, and... if you make it to the second floor unscathed, the knights here will tell you how they capture criminals."
"...Some kind of loophole?"
"If you're curious, come back alive."
With that, the guard stepped aside from the entrance.
"Well then... safe adventuring."