The Great Wall Labyrinth. A labyrinth in name only—a single, straight path. But its length is enough to cross the "Blood Tears of the Demon Lord," making it a time-consuming journey.
Gates block the path at intervals. Some require two mechanisms to be activated simultaneously. Others won't open without the combined weight of three people. In other words, this labyrinth is cruel to a loner.
Danger Level: 2.
The Labyrinth of Trust—a massive maze connected to the exit of the Great Wall Labyrinth. Its entrance remains open for only three minutes, then closes for three hours. Even worse, only five people may enter at a time—a deliberate measure to break armies and large parties into smaller, vulnerable groups.
The first labyrinth I built that actually deserves the name.
By the way, the first floor upon entry is a corridor. When the doors close, water floods in. Dawdle, and you drown.
Danger Level: 4.
The corridor has ten exits—but once an exit is opened, it locks for twelve hours.
The labyrinth itself has no particular traps. Its danger level is also 2.
Just endlessly vast—crossing it takes a long time as well.
On top of that, there are also mechanisms and traps here that absolutely require cooperation with someone to proceed.
For a loner, this is a labyrinth like hell.
After dealing with the Redcaps in the Oxygenless Corridor, I split the continent while I was at it.
I'd been thinking about it for a while. I built the Great Wall, and while I was at it, I also made a proper maze.
Conceptually, I want to release flying monsters into the Great Wall Labyrinth. I can summon them with "Summon," but for now, I'll keep it as is.
As for the Labyrinth of Trust—I built it purely as a stall tactic. I'd also like to release monsters there eventually. I've been thinking about some ideas based on what I heard from Paimon.
'Master, these two dungeons have low danger levels, do they not? The corridor is somewhat higher, but still—could it be that, once again, there are dangers not reflected in the numbers?'
"Well, yeah. But more importantly—can I build the boiler now?"
'Haa... It is ever about the boiler, is it not...'
"What's wrong with a boiler!? I know you're a smartphone, Andre, so you can't enjoy a bath—but baths are, in a sense, heaven on earth! I'm sure Paimon would be overjoyed to hear there's a bath. Absolutely!!"
'Very well. You have disposed of the Redcaps, and measures against invaders are in place, after all.'
"Yesssss!!"
Now that I think about it, I don't really know why I'm asking Andre for permission to build a bath. But who cares about that now! I can take a bath today. That's enough. That alone is enough.
I immediately get to work on the boiler. I construct a room adjacent to the bathhouse, about two meters above the floor. It's small—making it bigger would only waste heat. I create a space roughly one meter tall, eight meters wide, and eight meters deep, then connect water pipes to it. From the floor of the boiler room, I run pipes to the bath, faucets, and shower. Of course, both hot and cold water will come out.
Now comes the real problem: attribute enchantment.
The first thing to consider when enchanting the boiler room with a Fire attribute is the heat intensity. If the fire is too strong and the water inside evaporates, it would be a disaster in an instant. The boiler room itself—being a dungeon—would probably survive, but the bath connected by pipes would be in ruins.
So before I enchant the boiler room itself, I'll test it by applying the Fire attribute to the bathtub first. Ideally, I want to keep it from rising above 50°C.
First, I create water and fill the tub. Pure H2O, without a trace of impurities.
Then, nervous, I operate the smartphone.
If I fail here, my comfort is gone in a second. I must succeed at all costs.
Summary:
The protagonist has just completed construction of two dungeons—the Great Wall Labyrinth and the Labyrinth of Trust—designed to stall and split up invading forces, yet both feature cruel mechanics that specifically punish loners like himself. After Andre questions whether hidden dangers lurk beneath the low danger ratings, the protagonist deflects by obsessively seeking permission to build a boiler for a bath, which Andre reluctantly grants. Now, the protagonist begins the delicate process of enchanting the boiler room with a Fire attribute, fully aware that failure could destroy the bath he so desperately desires.
Trivia:
The Great Wall Labyrinth is a straight path in name only, requiring gates that demand two-person coordination or three-person weight to open.
The Labyrinth of Trust has an entrance that opens for only three minutes every three hours, with a maximum of five entrants—designed to split up armies.
The first floor of the Labyrinth of Trust is a water-flooding corridor with ten exits that each lock for twelve hours after use.
The protagonist split an entire continent while disposing of Redcaps in the Oxygenless Corridor, treating continental restructuring as an afterthought.
Andre is a smartphone who cannot physically enjoy a bath but still serves as the protagonist's conscience and permission-granting authority.
The bath is described as "heaven on earth" (地上に顕現する天国), reflecting deep cultural significance beyond mere hygiene.
The boiler room dimensions are one meter tall, eight meters wide, and eight meters deep, with pipes running to the bath, faucets, and shower.
The Fire attribute enchantment must be carefully calibrated to avoid boiling the water and destroying the connected bath.
The protagonist tests the Fire attribute on the bathtub first before applying it to the boiler room, aiming for a temperature below 50°C.
The protagonist's tension during the enchantment reveals that the bath represents not just comfort but a desperate need for normalcy and self-care.
Notes:
• Paimon - An orphaned, shy ogre companion serving Amduskias with deep deference. Appearing as a 190cm tall, handsome female with an ash-gray body, a single jet-black horn, golden eyes, and a voluptuous yet muscular build, she mimics the protagonist's posture. Knowledgeable and polite, she acts as a guide on local threats and monsters, often stammering nervously while providing essential supplies and information.
• Master - The dungeon master and protagonist of the story. A self-aware individual who acknowledges his own laziness and tendency to prioritize comfort over dungeon management. Possesses absurdly high stats and a vast array of skills despite being Level 1. Maintains a casual, modern internal monologue with self-deprecating humor.
• Andre - A demon of the sixty-fifth rank in Solomon's seventy-two demons, appearing in the form of a peacock. Acts as a conductor of sophistry and a support interface for the dungeon master. Bestows knowledge of surveying, astronomy, and geometry. Displays a formal, refined demeanor with hidden warmth and genuine concern for her master's safety, though she expresses frustration through sharp lecturing. Colleague of the narrator. Speaks to the Demon Lord without fear. Blunt and sarcastic. Uses insults casually but reveals underlying care through actions. Functions as the straight-man tsukkomi character. The protagonist's smartphone companion who serves as both advisor and voice of reason. Speaks with polite, respectful deference while occasionally expressing exasperation at the master's priorities. Questions the safety of dungeon designs and serves as a grounding presence to the protagonist's whims.