Update 2: Creepy Crawlies



Uuuuugh... What is that horrible noise...?
Oh, good morning, Raven.
...First of all, the sun's not even up yet. Second, where did you get that solid block of wood?
I fashioned it out of some of the trees on the first floor.
And why is it in our room?
Large, sturdy blocks of wood make for excellent boxing practice.
...Please just let me sleep.


So, what's this I hear about a bright young upstart looking for a guild?
Oh, right. This Lunarian girl--well, she said Lunarian--was directed to us after she asked if any guilds had open spots.
Uh, aren't there other guilds with a lot more open spots than ours? Why us?
Seems like she was directed to us because...other guilds desperately shooed her away. Oh, joy.
Now, now, boys, don't be rude. Let's at least meet this girl, shall we?


Um, hello.
Hello, dearie. I'm assuming you've already gotten a look at our roster.
Y-yeah.
Why the shyness? Come now, we're very welcom-- Urp!
Cecil?!
Oogh... W-what is that horrible stench coming from your bag?!
Some compounds I'm looking into.
You're an Herbalist, right? I'm sure that "stench" is fi-- Uuu...ugh...
Oh dear.
...I'm going to assume you're the "Innocent Poisoner" I've heard so much about back in the plains.
I take issue with that name!
What, the "innocent" part? Because "poisoner" isn't really up for debate.
Oh, quiet. Think about it: if our senses of smell react this badly, imagine how monsters feel!



As you walk under the overgrown vegetation, you find an open, room-like area with signs of an old campfire. Looking closely, you see that that there are still glowing embers within the ashes. You may reignite the fire if you like. You might be able to cook something over the campfire.
We just ate breakfast no less than 30 minutes ago.
Couldn't hurt to cook something for the journey, though.
Let me, gentlemen and lady.


Sasha moves their face close and begins blowing on the embers. The weak embers gradually regain their intensity... It seems you have successfully lit the fire.





Sneaky _bastards!


Oh my... Should've brought...some blankets...

Just gotta do this, and... Presto! Instant magic-resistant shield.


Hoho, thank you. I'm not quite ready for that just yet.






1F, F4 Take Point

• Brown Tuber: 53% base chance. Sells for 16 en.
• 1 needed to make Therica A (Cures all binds on one party member).
• 1 needed to make Therica B (Cures status ailments on one party member).
• Ripe Lotus Fruit: 22% base chance. Sells for 20 en.
• 1 needed to make Medica II (Restores 100 HP to one party member).
• Skunk Cabbage: 25% base chance. Sells for 50 en.
• 1 needed to make Nectar (Revives one dead party member at 20 HP).
• Ambush Chance: 3%

As you proceed along the overgrown path, you run into a lone girl resting in the shade of a tree.


Oh, well hello there! Hehe, are you new explorers?
It's almost uncanny how everyone's able to guess that.
The monsters up ahead are much stronger than the ones on the first floor, so you should really be careful.
Yep, we already ran into one of those Ice Bats. It did a number on Gram...
Continuing with a friendly smile, the girls steps out from the shade.
Oh, my name's Lily. I'm a Necromancer.
I guess showing off chests is just standard Necromancer fashion.
I'm surprised that Mr. Leather Thigh-Highs is talking about fashion.


I've been waiting here for a while, kind of wanted to see some new explorers, you know? So now that I have, I...should be going, hehe. I'll get weird looks if I don't. It was nice meeting you!
Nice meeting you too, dear.
The girl who calls herself Lily politely excuses herself and heads off into the forest. You remember her advice and steel yourselves to head deeper into the 2nd floor.



As you walk down the narrow animal trail, you find a guard in the thicket, moving restlessly. If you're interested in interpersonal contact, you could call out to him.
Hey! Something the matter?


BWAAAAAAHHH! ...Oh, ahahaha, it's just explorers. Here I thought I'd been found by a monster. Hey, so check this out; my friends, is this not the singular greatest thing you've ever laid eyes upon?
Near the boasting guard is a massive beast, caught in a pitfall. Based on the layout of the area, it can be assumed that the guard set up a trap.
That is quite the impressive trap. Nicely done--
As you congratulate him on his success, though, the beast leaps out of the trap and attacks!







...As you defeat the attacking monster, the guard turns to thank you.


Dagnabbit, sorry about that. I guess the damn thing was too big for my trap. Ooh, that said though, yours truly still gets his trophy!
With a chipper air to his movements, the guard brandishes a knife and begins butchering the monster right in front of you. ...Dumbfounded, you watch as he dresses the beast with the speed and skill of a professional. Eventually, he presents you with a lump of flesh.
Here, as thanks for saving me. If you like meat, you should eat it!













Shortly after you arrive on the new floor, you run into a group of smiling explorers.
Oh, hello.
Introducing themselves as TFKrew, they remind you that you need to stay vigilant, as this is just the beginning.
That is...quite the odd name.
They recommend learning the skill Woodland Searching Skills as they pull some wheat out of their bag to show you. Apparently, if you're good at searching, you'll be able to find even things like this.



And with that, the party from TFKrew wishes you luck and begins to leave. You say your thanks and return to exploring.





As you proceed through the expansive, waterside Labyrinth, you come across a solitary figure facing the water and dangling a line. Covered from head to toe in jet black armor even while holding a fishing rod, you recognize him as Edgar, the Guildmaster. When he notices your presence, Edgar turns to face you without letting go of his rod.


Oh, it's you lot. Well, good to see you putting effort into this. Keep on.
Seemingly satisfied with this one-sided declaration, he turns back to his fishing. You were surpised to see him suddenly show up during your exploration, but you can ask him some questions if you like.
Is there anything you need right now, Guildmaster?
Anything I want? Well, hm.
The Guildmaster stares at his fishing line in thought for a while before suddenly continuing.
Lately, I've been gettin' sick of having nothing for dinner but fish, day after day after day. I caught some birds already, but I don't have any ingredients to cook a bird properly. You got any Labyrinth Honey? I've been looking for it. ...Not for free, of course. You've got my word that you'll get something back for it.
Don't believe we've gotten any yet, nope.
You'd love to give the Guildmaster his Labyrinth Honey, but you don't have any.
This, uh, might be obvious, but what are you doing?
...What am I doing? What does it look like I'm doing? Fishing.
Yeah, um, _sorry.
Always been a fan. Doesn't just kill time, y'know, fishing feeds you, keeps you tense, teaches patience. Lots of virtues to fishing. Endless training.
How's the fishing today looking?
Could be worse.
As he says this, you notice a basket behind him filled with enough fish to be called a huge haul.
Well, we've got the rest of the floor to explore. Bye, Guildmaster.
Nice seeing you, Nameless. The Labyrinth may be cruel, but that's what forges you into something better.


A pleasant breeze blows through the Labyrinth as you find a Labyrinth Berry flower in a large clearing. Looking closely, it already has fruits, and if everyone works together you could gather quite a few berries.
Well, they don't look poisonous...


With more than a little excitement, you begin to harvest the berries. Absorbed in the task of picking them one-by-one, you nearly fail to notice that there are an awful lot of acorns in the area. While you get the feeling that there's something unnatural about this, you still manage to obtain a lot of berries. However, there are even more still on the bush. If you like, you can continue harvesting them.
They're just acorns. Even if they're Ghost Acorns, we can handle them.
You return to picking the ripest berries. Engrossed in this task, you once again fail to notice the acorns squirming unnaturally underfoot... By the time you realize this, you are being attacked by dreadful monsters!



After repelling the swarm of Ghost Acorns, you find that another group has already gathered!



Somehow managing to fend off the Ghost Acorns, you check the berries you've picked.


You feel like you already have plenty of berries, but if you like you're free to pick even more.
...Uh, does anyone else hear snarling nearby?
Let's quit while we're ahead, shall we?
Despite the abundant berries, you return to your exploration.







As you stop to admire the grand lake, you find a small pond surrounded by rocks. You assume it's an artificial pond created by your predecessors, because poking between the rocks is a pipe carrying clean spring water. You may drink the clear water collected at the pond.
I'm feeling a bit parched.
You scoop up the water and pour it down your parched throats. It has a gentle taste.


You consider the other explorers who must make use of this pond. It wouldn't be right to drink too much water, but there shouldn't be a problem if you limit it to once a day. You make a note of this location and return to your exploration with renewed energy.

1F, E5 Take Point

• Brown Tuber: 26% base chance. Sells for 16 en.
• 1 needed to make Therica A (Cures all binds on one party member).
• 1 needed to make Therica B (Cures status ailments on one party member).
• Ripe Lotus Fruit: 59% base chance. Sells for 20 en.
• 1 needed to make Medica II (Restores 100 HP to one party member).
• Skunk Cabbage: 15% base chance. Sells for 50 en.
• 1 needed to make Nectar (Revives one dead party member at 20 HP).
• Ambush Chance: 5%

That...thing in the back is freaking me out.

Uh... Can this be fixed with herbs?
What kind of amateur do you take me for?





Never mind, doesn't look like we needed it.
We might not have needed it, but please, fix that quickly next time.
All those nights, spent curled up, terrified, hiding from the bears... That was not all too dissimilar...



As you proceed through the 2nd floor, you come across a lone girl sitting on a convenient rock. She notices you and walks up to you with a smile.


Good work, everyone! This place isn't too dangerous in the grander scheme of things, but still. You can't let your guard down here.
You must be quite skilled to act this relaxed.
You're perplexed by how relaxed she seems in this harsh Labyrinth, when suddenly she reaches her hand into her bag... She takes something out and hands it to you.
I've got a present for you! The Labyrinth is pretty dangerous, so I'm sure it'll come in handy. I hope you like it!


We already have an Ariadne Thread, per Ceric's recommendation, but still, thank you.
Aw shucks, I just felt like doing it. Oh, but I'm still glad you liked it! And I'm also glad that you seem like good people.
Having said that, Lily picks up her things and begins to walk away. You watch the strange girl as she skips into the forest, waving her hand at you. If you wish to keep going, you can continue your exploration.



...Stop. There's something here.
As you pass through the door, you sense a fearsome presence from the path ahead. You look around.
Oh, come on, what could possibly be here that we haven't seeeeaaaaAAAAAAGH!



You quickly find the source of the presence, wriggling eerily.


It is a huge caterpillar, the likes of which you've never seen before. Luckily, it doesn't seem to recognize you as prey, and makes no effort to approach you. However, based on its intimidating presence, you doubt you could easily take it on. If you value your lives, you'll take careful note of its movement and finda path around it!
Oh, gods, it's giant and has horns and it's slithering and eeeeeeeeeewwww!
Caterpillars used to eat your crops too, huh?
That thing... It's precisely the size of the blood-stained BEARS...
C-Cecil, c'mon, please, don't fight that thing! My shield can only take so much!
D-don't let it get any closer! Those people at the bar said it emits a poison aura...!








You stop as you suddenly smell the stench of an animal and hear a cry like "ook!" A short ways ahead of you, you see a small monkey in front of the creek, engrossed in fishing. Despite its small frame, it is still a monster--you can take it by surprise, if you wish. You can choose to either observe it from here, or to attack before it notices you.
Let us observe before we fight.
After watching it for a while, you see that the monkey is having trouble. Its repeated attempts to catch a fish all end in failure, and you doubt it will succeed anytime soon. If you feel pity for it, you can give it one your own fish. But it bears repeating: this is a monster. No matter how much you may sympathize with it, it is likely to attack you anyway. With that in mind, you carefully consider your options.
Aha!
SUFFER NOT A MONSTER TO LIVE!
You silently ready your weapons and sneak up to the small monkey. Hoping to get it while it's distracted by the fish, you bring down your weapons!







Having defeated the young monkey, you continue exploring.








As you walk through the trees, you suddenly come across a manmade stone wall.


Upon inspection, it appears to be quite old. It is chipped in places, and moss covers ancient writing. If you're curious you can approach it to study it in detail, or you could ignore it and move on.
I...don't see any way forward, besides where that wall might be blocking.
Let's take a look at the writing, then!
You stand before the stone wall and once again take a look at it. It seems to be blocking your path. You are unable make sense of the unfamiliar characters carved into it.
...Hey, don't look at me. I know a lot about herbs and miscellaneous greenery, not about ancient languages!
Hmm... These symbols are unlike any language I've ever studied.
Well, now what? I doubt Mr. Punch there can break the wall down.

You stop your movement along the narrow path when you notice something in the thicket.


...What the hell is this thing?
It's...weirdly cute.
You must make a decision before this adorable statue.
What are we supposed to do with this stupid-- Waah!

You try gently touching the statue... It suddenly propels itself backward and falls over! At the same time, you hear a loud noise behind you, coming from the stone wall. Has the barrier been lifted? Perhaps you should go back to check.


Well, what do you know?
Excellent job, Dosen.
Y-yeah, sure. That was 100% on purpose.


What used to be a wall has lifted up to reveal a staircase! It seems the wall and the statue were both part of a mechanism to hide the way forward. You expect that if you find anything similar in the future then pushing the statue should have the same effect. You should take this to heart and advance to the next floor.














So, you want to report in for the request?
We have more acorns than we know what to do with. Please, just get these things out of our pack.
Well, the request this time's classified as a delivery. So, first of all, I need to confirm the goods... Yup, looks like you've got everything you need. Well, with that, you've completed the request. Even beginner explorers new to handling requests like your group should've found this simple, right? Requests are sorted by difficulty and offered to explorers depending on how far they've proceeded through the Labyrinth. The higher up you go, the more difficult the requests you'll be entrusted with. And of course, the rewards you'll get will scale to match. But once you reach the upper levels, most of the requests become truly dangerous. Try not to take on anything you can't handle. Now then, I'm sure you're waiting for your reward. Well done. I hope to see you again.







Hunter: Hello, nice to meet you...right? Based on your appearance, I'm guessing you're explorers? I make my living in the Labyrinth too, as a hunter. The name's Jamie. I'm renting a room from the proprieter here to sell the Animal Meat I've collected. If you're adventurers too, maybe you'd like some? Just let me know if you ever feel like buying any.
Jamie: Hello, Nameless. I'm selling Animal Meat now. It's 2 for 100 en, interested?
Never hurts to have more sustinence.
Jamie: Well, thank you! Here you go.


Jamie: That's all I've got on me for today. I'd better go resupply. Until we meet again.
Dragoon: *scoff* What's with you? You're telling me the third floor is a piece of cake?
Nobody said that.
Dragoon: Well, have you ever seen a Charging Boar eat a Ghost Acorn?! They get even stronger! If you ever seen 'em together, for the love of the gods, kill the Ghost Acorn first!
...Hold on! You said that wasn't true! You lied!
And what reason did you have to believe me saying "no?"
Man: Hey, you from that new guild, Nameless? I'm an information broker. Call me Hansuke. I specialize in info about conditional monster drops.
Hansuke: For example, did you know that Ice Bats drops something rare when killed with a stab attack, like a bow? I'll let you have that one for free: go test it out for yourself. Nothing's more important in this business than trust. And the more business I get, the more things I hear, so be sure to stop by now and then. I'll be waiting...
Shaman: So I took one of those requests to gather rare materials, but no matter how times I go back there I just can't find any... It's, like, impossible... So I'm thinking, maybe I could find them if I had someone with a gathering skill? *sigh* I'll bet...
Fencer: Oh, I believe you were from Nameless, correct? I wonder, have you encountered this curious beast? It was like a bear, but with the head of an owl... And it seemed quite insistent on chasing out anyone who enters its territory. We managed to get past it by paying close attention to the map...but I must admit, my heart skipped a beat while it was chasing us. It was like something out of a horror novel.


That request is from a pharmacist in town. Sounds like they're out of ingredients because of all the explorers in town these days. In particular, they'd like you to gather a single Skunk Cabbage. They grow on the 2nd Floor of the Labyrinth. Be careful, though; you won't be able to gather them without someone who knows the Taking skill. You don't need to fight at all for this one, so it should be relatively safe. If only they were all like that...
That request is from a fishmonger in town. Apparently the market's getting less fish these days due to the decline in fishermen. So the requester is hoping all the explorers in town can make up the difference. That being the case, they want you to fish up 1 Labyricanth from the Labyrinth. Be careful though: you'll need to have someone who knows the Fishing skill in your party.
That request is from a Lunarian man named Thaddeus. Sounds like he just wants a particular item. This isn't a combat request, but apparently it's something that can't be acquired through ordinary methods. Actually, why not just get the details from the man himself? He should be waiting for you around the bar somewhere.
...Oh, that one? Come to think of it, that was from the Council. Have any of you heard of rare breeds?
No, but anything that has "rare" in the name has my attention!
I suppose that's no surprise. As the name implies, they're quite rare. Rare breeds are something of a mutation that sometimes occurs among monsters. Unlike normal specimens, they sparkle, are stronger, and move incredibly fast. The request this time is to kill one of those rare breeds. This is also an effort by the Council to make sure that rookie explorers get the proper experience. It's true that rare breeds are stronger than ordinary ones, but by this point you should be more than capable of dealing with that. The rare breed you're hunting this time was apparently spotted on the 2nd Floor. Specifically...here.


Thaddeus: Would you be the guild who so kindly accepted my request?
Yep.
Thaddeus: My sincerest thanks. Regarding the request, I'd like you all to acquire two stones; a Sunstone and a Moonstone. My understanding is that both may be found on the 3rd floor of the Labyrinth, and that they both emit a strange energy; the Sunstone in daylight, and the Moonstone at night. You have my thanks, and I'll be counting on you.
My, you've already reached the 3rd floor?
Reached it, yes. Explored it, no. Hopefully we'll be done with this stratum in...a few days?
My, such gusto. But the Labyrinth is much more dangerous than it seems you think it is. Don't be bull-headed. That's recklessness, not courage.







So this is the fish you caught? Okay, I'll handle the delivery. So, how was it? Did this request awaken your latent appreciation for the joys of fishing?
...Not really?
You can eat the fish you catch, so it's pretty useful for explorers too. Might as well make you of all the fishing spots you run into along the way. ...Oh, right, I have to give you the reward too, don't I? Good work out there.







Remember what I told you about the Great Plains of Crusé? Every few months the merchant families have a big get-together in a huge city called Zepharia. Us Brownie merchants aren't considered adults until we come back with something, like, wow! "I've never seen that before!" Eye-popping newness. Once I get that special something, I'll get to join in the getting together too, so I've got high hopes for you guys!



Whoa, you're on the 3rd floor already? Then get on over to the southeast plaza. You can get some fresh-baked loaves of bread over there, courtesy of yours truly! It'd be super great if you tried it!
Um, you mean town plaza, right?
I'm confident she's smart enough not to venture into the Labyrinth alone.






3rd floor, huh? Seems you're a little better than I gave you credit for. But the 3rd floor has some real monsters on it. I wonder--what'll your reaction be, when those monsters are breathing down your neck? That'll be the moment that really decides your fate.
Oh, that's an easy answer: SMASH THEM RIGHT IN THE FACE.
Cecil, dear, maybe you shouldn't start to rage out when we're in town.



Say, did you know that, long ago, Yggdrasil was embroiled in the fires of war?
Vaguely? I remember hearing about that when I was little, but I never got any details.
Oh, well. It's just an old legend. Maybe most people don't know it? It's...a touch of a long story, but I'm willing to tell it if you don't mind.
Shoot.
Very well. This is a story passed down through the royal family, speaking of an era so long ago it could be called a myth. Long ago, there was a man, who came to be known as a Mad King, who had aims upon the legendary power of Yggdrasil, and used his mighty armies to invade other countries in the hopes of obtaining it. His hopes were that his military might would be sufficient to secure the power of Yggdrasil. But...his methods were truly abominable. Forests were burnt to the ground. Villages were raided and plundered into oblivion. Troops were stationed so thickly that no other nation or race could even dream to approach.
"Mad King" is right, dear lords.
Naturally, the rest of the world's leaders were incensed, and sought to forcibly evict the troops of the mad king with the force of their own militaries. This led to what is now known as the legendary Great War. A long period of seemingly endless battle ensued, at the end of which the mad king and his troops were routed, and forced to retreat to their homeland. It was after that, I believe, that the Lunarian Puppeteers installed their golems at the foothills of Yggdrasil. It was probably a measure to protect Yggdrasil from anyone else who had aims like the mad king's. And they did protect it...so much so that Yggdrasil became forbidden territory nobody could enter. But now, over the centuries, the Puppeteers died out, and the golems' power has waned. The leaders of the four races held a conference and decided that since the barrier was weakening, now was the time to reopen exploration of Yggdrasil. The one change was that it wouldn't be armies in the labyrinth, but talented private explorers.
Huh. Well, that's as good a reason as any to open up a holy site.
...So...keep up the good work.




At the end of a path encircled by trees, you find a spot where the grass grows thickly, along with a group of chickens. These must be the Labyrinth Chickens the guard mentioned. You're free to either reach out to grab them or leave them be.
Alright, carefully now...
Dosen sneaks up behind the chickens and swiftly grabs one before they notice!
Heh, gotcha!
You have now caught 1 of the chickens. You will have to search the rest of the floor for the other 2.

Now accustomed to walking through the Labyrinth, you come across the same guard taking care of chickens that you met earlier. When he sees you, his dour look changes into one of unbridled joy, and hurriedly jogs over.


Oh! Oh, you brought back my chickens! Oh, thank goodness!
Upon seeing his chickens, he repeatedly emotionally expresses his gratitude. After he takes the 3 chickens, he presents one back to you.


UM.
He tells you that "if it's too much trouble to raise it on your own, you can always just leave it at the inn."
I don't want any of these things anywhere near me!
I...don't think we have much of a choice by this point.
Though baffled by this chicken-for-chicken exchange you've been roped into, you nonetheless take the offered chicken and leave.



Whoa! Where'd you get that chicken?!
We found some lost chickens, and the owner...gave us one of the lost chickens as a reward.
It doesn't make any sense to us, either.
As long as you have a chicken, she'll lay eggs every so often! You can use 'em in all sorts of recipes! But you're explorers, huh? You can't exactly take the chicken with you into the Labyrinth, can you? I mean, she can't fight... Probably.
You'd be surprised...
Oh, I know! Why don't you leave her here with me?! I've already got all these cats anyway! Another chicken or two won't make any difference to me!
Ssssssssssure. I don't see any downsides, I guess.
It's a deal! If she lays any eggs while you're in the Labyrinth, I'll hand 'em over next time you spend the night here! And if you're not here, I'll just eat 'em myself! I love omelettes!
...
...C-C'mon, that was a joke! Obviously! I would never... Ha ha ha...
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