Chapter 11: Maid’s Death… Labyrinth Management (1)

The tentacle monster was just an ordinary stone with a few characters carved into it after being caught.

Although it was extremely unpleasant to touch due to the fluid smeared on it, this was definitely no ordinary stone.

‘This is incredibly precious.’

The stone she gave me is called a Skill Stone, and it lives up to its name.

With this stone, one can obtain a passive skill.

Given how valuable skills are in this world, this is an item that absolutely cannot be considered cheap.

‘It allows you to randomly learn one skill from those available.’

Of course, just because it’s called a Skill Stone doesn’t mean you can learn any skill you want.

The skill you can obtain from the stone is entirely random and limited to what the person can acquire.

If I use the Skill Stone, I can’t expect to gain a skill like the protagonist’s “Death Regression.”

‘Since it’s from the lower floors, I probably won’t get anything too extraordinary.’

Moreover, Skill Stones also have grades.

The higher the floor where the Skill Stone is obtained, the higher the grade of the skill you can acquire.

The Skill Stone I obtained is clearly from the lower floors, so I can’t expect to get a high-rank skill.

‘Still, it’s incredibly valuable.’

But it’s definitely a precious item.

It’s not something you can easily buy with money, and considering it grants a skill to someone who has none, its value is undeniably high.

Additionally, its drop rate in the game is notoriously low, making it a rare sight.

And yet, the protagonist gave such an item to me.

‘Does she not know its value?’

I wondered if the protagonist was unaware of the worth of this Skill Stone.

Of course, if she knew, she wouldn’t have given it to me, given how much she dislikes me.

Still, I hesitated for a moment.

Should I tell the protagonist the truth and return it?

‘No. She doesn’t need it anyway.’

Though it was just a brief moment of hesitation.

While it’s a valuable item for the protagonist, it’s not exactly crucial.

Generally, the maximum number of passive skills one can have is six.

The protagonist already has three powerful passive skills and the potential to acquire even better ones later, so a Skill Stone from the lower floors isn’t that important.

It would be nice to have before filling all six slots, but it’s not something to obsess over.

‘But I really need it…’

In contrast, this Skill Stone is incredibly useful for me.

Currently, I only have one passive skill, and even that is practically useless.

For someone like me, gaining even one skill is a huge deal.

In a world where even a single skill can determine the outcome of a game, I can’t afford to pass this up.

‘So, I’ll just keep it.’

Therefore, I decided not to return it to the protagonist.

As her childhood friend who has helped her a lot, I have every right to receive this, and taking it for myself isn’t so bad.

I couldn’t help but smile at this unexpected windfall.

“What’s that? Is it something important?”

“Huh? I’m not sure.”

“Really? Anyway, the exit is just ahead. Take care.”

“Aren’t you coming?”

“I’m thinking of taking on the boss.”

“I see.”

It was time for us to part ways. 

As promised, Ribel escorted me to the dungeon entrance.

I thought Ribel might leave with me, but it seemed she had no intention of leaving the labyrinth yet.

So, we decided to part ways here.

“See you later.”

“Hmph.”

I waved goodbye to Ribel and left the labyrinth.

Ribel, who didn’t even bother to reply, seemed annoyed.

Our temporary party had come to an end.

# # #

‘I can’t believe I gave the Skill Stone to Rovan.’

As she watched Rovan leave, Ribel fell into deep thought.

The Skill Stone, a stone engraved with runes that grants a random skill, is not widely known, but those in the know are well aware of its value.

Ribel herself knew it was a Skill Stone.

She knew, yet she pretended not to and gave it to him.

‘I was planning to use it myself.’

It wasn’t part of the original plan.

Originally, Ribel would have used the Skill Stone herself.

Exploring the labyrinth, the value of skills is immense.

Even if it’s a skill she might replace later, it would have been quite useful.

‘Ugh… Why did I give it away?’

But the reason she didn’t was something she couldn’t quite put into words.

It was more like she just ended up giving it to him.

It was disappointing, but that was the truth, and it was Ribel’s true intention.

While she felt some regret about the decision, there was nothing she could do now.

‘Whatever. I already gave it away.’

She decided to let it go.

After all, it wasn’t an incredibly important item for her.

If she really needed it, she could just farm for another one.

Though it would require a lot of effort, it wasn’t impossible.

‘Consider it a debt.’

She decided to think of it as paying off a debt.

After all, it was undeniable that Rovan had helped her a lot in the past.

Without any lingering regrets, she turned her steps back into the labyrinth.

[It’s nothing. I just thought for a moment that I wanted to stay with you forever.]

As she walked, Rovan’s words briefly crossed her mind, but Ribel shook her head and pushed the thought away.

# # #

‘Today’s haul is really something.’

On my way out of the dungeon, I looked at the Skill Stone and thought.

No matter how I looked at it, today’s gain was enormous.

This was only my first visit to the labyrinth.

And yet, on my first visit, I obtained a Skill Stone?

That’s not something that happens under normal circumstances.

‘Is my luck just ridiculously good?’

Finding a monster from the 3rd floor on the 1st floor by chance, defeating it, and obtaining a Skill Stone with such a low drop rate—what are the odds?

Once again, I marveled at my luck.

No wonder I survived 20 years in a dark fantasy world.

Regardless of the source of my luck, I was genuinely grateful for it.

This Skill Stone would make my life in this dark fantasy world a bit more comfortable.

‘Hmm… But it’s really scary.’

However, I didn’t forget the immense danger that loomed over me.

The reason I entered the labyrinth this time was to confirm whether this world was indeed a dark fantasy.

After checking, it seemed this world was indeed a dark fantasy.

That made the situation even more serious.

If this world were a romantic comedy, the actions of my sister Laura and the maid Eliza would make sense, but since it’s not…

Then why are they acting this way?

It’s utterly baffling.

In fact, thinking about it now sends chills down my spine.

‘It’s a dark fantasy… I can’t let my guard down.’

Why are they really doing this?

What kind of terrible pain and despair are they planning to inflict on me?

I can’t even begin to guess.

It’s not like this dark fantasy world is a romantic comedy just for me.

Since such a skill doesn’t even exist, that possibility is out of the question.

‘Should I just not go back?’

Honestly, I’m scared.

Should I run away instead of returning to the mansion?

Of course, I don’t have any money right now, so if I leave the mansion, I’d have to sleep rough in the slums, which is quite dangerous. 

But perhaps that would give me a better chance of survival.

What should I do?

As I was weighing my options…

“Master.”

A familiar and chilling voice reached my ears.

Startled, I looked ahead to see the head maid, Eliza, standing before me.

“Eek… Eliza? Why are you out here?”

“It’s part of my duties as a maid.”

While I was startled, Eliza responded with an expressionless face.

She was the hidden boss of a chapter, and every time I saw her, I felt a deep sense of fear.

Especially because I had no idea what was going on behind that expressionless facade.

“By the way, it seems you’ve been to the labyrinth, Master?”

“How did you…?”

“It’s part of my duties as a maid.”

How does she know about my activities?

I was quite surprised that she knew I had been to the labyrinth.

“And it seems you went there with that girl?”

“That girl?”

“I’m referring to your childhood friend, Ribel.”

“… How did you know?”

“It’s part of my duties as a maid.”

She even knew I went with the protagonist?

Her information was too fast and accurate, and I felt a deep sense of dread.

Had she been watching me all this time?

The chills running down my spine only grew worse.

But the true horror didn’t end there.

“Master, I’m deeply disappointed in you this time. Venturing into a dangerous place like the labyrinth on a whim… While I wish to respect your freedom, I can’t allow it. For your safety.”

Eliza, the head maid, spoke with a hint of anger.

She then made a shocking declaration.

“Master, from now on, your activities… no, your labyrinth management will be handled by me, your personal maid.”

It seems something has gone terribly wrong.