Left, right, up, down, and moving around to avoid triggering the traps. This labyrinth is somehow fun. It does do it job to confuse and entrap those who enter, based on the skeletons caught in some traps we passed, which is picked clean of loot.

There are even loops and spiral that make you feel like a roller coaster, which you actually need to run through or some kind of trap will activate that puts spike all over the floor. I didn't see it activate but the holes in the ground gave me the picture as well as the dried blood pooled at the bottom of the slope where you can do a running start.

"Are we there yet?"
"...A couple more hours and we will reach the perimeter. Once we are there, we can exit above ground."
"Hmm, who built this place?"
"...No one is sure since this was built by those who want to reach the perimeter of the mountain. The bandits set up the traps so they can loot the bodies afterwards. It made the others who want to follow the path to branch out and somehow it got connected until it became like this."

That's neat. So this labyrinth is basically a collection of desperation and greed that evolve to support them. Actually, something has been bothering me for a while now.

"How can you see in this darkness?"
"...A lot of the ones that frequent the mountain develop a bit of night vision. I got it from my FathEr!! and he got it from his father, which continues up the family line."

I didn't know that this leads to his father! I made him talk through his teeth again.

"How much can you see?"
"...Around two metre in front of me. A bit blurry but I can make out shapes at least. This is enough to tell where we are and check what traps are installed."

So this means that you can inherit passives? He is human so they don't have that passive from the start. He acquired it from his predecessors.

From how he described the limitations, it should be a lesser version of night vision. He hasn't acquired the full skill yet but is close to it.

I don't know the exact ability of level 1 passive [Night vision] since I don't have a reference but seeing 2 metre in front of you underground is too week.

My night vision can give me vision underground like there is a dimmer lights giving light just above the lowest dim setting.

"Stop for a bit. How can you tell enemies in this labyrinth?"
"...When they attack you."

Easy enough but I want something more definitive. You became a stoic character after you accepted the death of your father.

"Haaah!!"

[Earth Arrow]

"What do you do with enemies you meet in the labyrinth?"
"...We loot them and leave them there. There should be some rats that would take care of the rest."
"How about the cleanliness of this place? This isn't exactly well ventilated."
"...I don't know."
"I see, hurry up and lead us out of here. Next time, we will just charge through the ambush above."

I don't want to go back under here again. This place must be a breeding ground for the plague. I need to give myself a good clean and healing session when I go back to the city.

"...We are here. It should be safe to go up now."
"Where is the exit?"
"...There is not exit near this place so we have to make our own. You don't want to stay here any longer right? We aren't exactly at the perimeter but this should be close enough for the kraken to care."

I really don't want to say here too much but I can endure. I almost forgot my past sufferings but its normal to be cautious. I don't have the exact same resistance to diseases in this body of mine. Maybe I could build it up again? The way to do it is to get sick and recover a couple of times again and again.

"So we make our contribution by making an exit here? I assume we don't need to camouflage the exit."
"...We can just block the exit so if a rain occurs, it won't flood the tunnels."

Left, alright, right, no enemy. We are clear.

"Are you finished making the cover? I don't sense any enemies close to us but its better to proceed quietly. You were in the middle of a delivery so its better for them to think that you were ambushed on the way, rather than be on the run like the truth."
"...We might go through here again so we need to take care of it."
"We won't go through there again. I don't have the time to go in circles. I have another mission in two days so I want to finish this one as soon as possible."
"...You are leaving me?"
"Don't go breaking all of a sudden. I am not supposed to be your moral support. I won't look after you till you grow up. If you do good on helping me then I can help you gain power. If you want to join our organization then you would need to prove yourself a little more than this meager tour guide."
"..I will do the negotiating if you want to buy something."

Now you sound lively. You want to be part of my organization? You want to belong to a group? Then I will give you the chance.

"What are the things they typically sell?"
"..They have anything from food, to weapons, to materials left behind by the monsters."
"I see, I want the monster materials or anything in that kind of nature. How about this? I will give you some coins and you find something that may satisfy me."
"..I only need 50 silver, I will give you a good result."
"Is only 50 silver alright? Isn't it too little? Monster materials from naval leviathans should cost more than that? Don't tell me they only sell shavings here?"
"..Coins are rare here. Most of the people here only barter but the ultimate goal of every resident out here is to earn enough to be a resident of the city. They would gladly give highly valued items for coins. If the shop near the gates doesn't undercharge too much then it would have all been sold to them."
"Since you said that this place is under island rule then I will leave you to your shopping. After you are done, meet me at the peak. I want to see the very top of this place."
"..I will get a good haul."

*Run*

He is eager to get some achievements. Understandable but I hope he won't get deceived because he is in a rush to prove himself.

The main reason I even went outside the city is curiosity and now that I reached the supposed tallest peak in the island then of course I need to climb it.

"Foodstuff!! Get all your long-lasting foodstuff here!!"
"Weapons!! I have sturdy weapons made from actual metal!! Arm yourself and be the next one to rise up!!"
"Maps!! I have maps for every bandit territory and their ambush locations. Know where to go and where to hide with my maps!!!"

Unlike the quiet and passive merchants in the city, the merchants here really yell their lungs out. Even though this is under island rule, it is only pseudo island rule. I wonder where the limits of what you can do are?

Anyway, these sellers can only stay here for a day per month so they want to sell out fast otherwise, they risk the chance of others getting their wares for free out there in the wild.

"You busy? Where is the way to the peak?"
"Everything is for sale, especially information."

Greedy, old man. Fine, I can find my way on my own. This place has a lot of dead ends even if I head straight to the obvious peak so I asked a question but if I would get this every time then I will just continue wandering around. It's almost night time but there are lamps everywhere, which actually make it harder to navigate since everywhere looks the same.

"Ah, wait a minute there young friend. This late at night wandering all over the place will get you nowhere. Trust me on this, I can sell you the information the cheapest. You don't want to waste your day running around here and there right?"
"I can find my own way."
"Don't be so quick to push me off. The place here is designed like a maze to trick newcomers into buying information. I'm one of the kind ones that can give you the real way for cheap. How about this, as a freebie, did you know that there are moving stalls that block intersections in different places to make it a dead end? I know their rotation. For a small fee I can tell you how to get to the peak. Otherwise, hehehe"

Otherwise, I will go around and around this newcomer bullying maze destined to never reach my destination.

You have guts to threaten me like that. From what you said, it sounds like you are part of those blockers.

"Are you sure you want to play this game?"
"I wonder, what you are talking about?"
"I came here after you."
"That is why you need to listen to a veteran like me."
"You have to leave this place before me."
"Eh?"
"As long as I stay with you then I can escort you way outside the perimeter and care area of the kraken."
"T-There should be no n-need for that. ahahaha."
"It should be easy to end you as you take that first step to the wilds."
"I-I-I have friends who are heavily invested in my business here. T-They are strong and many. Y-You are only one dwarf, you won't scare me!!!"
"My trip to the peak is merely curiosity. It's such a shame to die over mere curiosity."
"You can't blackmail me over free information. Even if this is outside the city. This is still under island rule!"

I got this idea from you when you threatened me in a very roundabout name. At that moment, I felt someone watching over our little conversation. A very strong someone.

However, the watcher is more uninterested at most. Even when I threatened death, it still hasn't changed. The rules are this lax outside the city. The fact that you can charge information because you make an ever-changing maze is already an offense inside the city.

However, I don't want to waste my time here following a greedy old man for petty revenge. I should give him more of a scare to break his pitiable confidence.

"Very well, I will wait for your friends to come. This place is a bit dirty so I will have to make it more comfortable."

[Clean] [Earth wall] [Earth wall] [Earth wall] [Earth wall] [Earth wall] [Water]

*Sit*

"A-a chair, a cup and water with magic? Y-y-you are a w-wizard!!!"

I imagine, magic users are super rare outside the city. You learn magic from books that are often expensive, so the fact that I can waste magic for something like this should give him a clue that I have a large amount of mana to chuck at them.

"T-The only way to the peak is right through my store. J-just give me a few minutes to m-move it."
"I will help you."

[Fire wall]

hmm, still no reaction. I guess the only thing the kraken is looking for here is no deaths. It doesn't want to dirty the place of its companion with blood. Squabbles like these are alright.

[Fire Wall]

*Glare*

I know, I know. I won't set this place on fire.

[Water]

"M-my store...."
"You sell information. You don't need this store other than to block people to trick."

*Walk* *Walk* *Walk*