Labyrinth Patrol Mission

Adventurer Guild (Lamir Regional Headquarters)

The lobby was spacious and bright, far more imposing than the small-town branches Shane had seen before.

The layout, however, was no different. The potion and equipment sections were packed with a dazzling array of goods, more exquisite in design and greater in variety—and, of course, much more expensive.

Wait, why is there a "GG" advertisement here?

Directly behind the service counter, hanging on the wall, was something resembling a banner:

[A very powerful mage seeks teammates with high rewards to conquer the "Inverted Land" dungeon. Those interested in forming a party, please contact...]

With such flamboyant phrasing, one didn't need to guess to know it was definitely that golden-haired young master who loved to puff up his hair.

Still not giving up, huh? Tsk, tsk, youth is truly full of vigor.

Shane walked up to the service counter.

An adventurer party happened to be there selling their loot.

Their party had completed a patrol mission in a labyrinth outside the city and had also gathered some ores and herbs along the way; each of them was carrying a full burlap sack, a bountiful harvest indeed.

Shane looked at the loot with a hint of envy, feeling quite greedy.

"Three portions of iron ore, plus two portions of styptic grass, totaling 85 copper coins."

Alright, perhaps he wasn't that envious after all.

Shane sighed; even scavenging had its hierarchy. Those who picked up everything they saw and hauled it all back were at the very bottom.

He was different; he always advocated for "recycling and reuse," and selling enchantments was the proper path.

[Labyrinth Patrol Mission] was a daily quest regularly issued by the Adventurer Guild.

It primarily tasked adventurer parties with patrolling nearby cleared labyrinths to prevent monsters from breeding or beasts from nesting inside, while also checking if anyone had gotten into trouble within.

The rewards were average, but the benefit was its consistency.

It would be reissued every so often.

In the past, Shane would always find parties taking these missions and, using the excuse of wanting to see the world without needing pay, tag along to scavenge.

Now that he had Frieren, he didn't need to mooch off other teams; he could actually take one on himself.

He spent 1 copper coin to purchase a map specifically for adventurers in Gostan City.

Shane began to pick his target.

The map information was very detailed; it not only marked the locations of labyrinths, special ores, and rare magical materials, but also thoughtfully included danger level indicators and eye-catching warnings for the habitats of certain monsters.

There were three labyrinths near Gostan City marked as "Low Danger": the Wailing Cave, the Mist Swamp, and the Ancient Dragon Temple. All three had already been successfully cleared.

It was a pity that no rare magical materials or special ores had ever been discovered in these three labyrinths or their surrounding areas.

In such labyrinths, one could basically only pick up scraps or find common ores and herbs, just like that party from earlier, earning some hard-earned pocket change.

But for Shane right now, that was just right.

The more trash there was in the labyrinth, the greater his harvest would be.

Beyond those, another name caught Shane's attention: [Inverted Land].

A bright red skull symbol indicated its danger level.

High Danger!

It had not yet been cleared!

Furthermore, there was a special note: Because the advance investigation team failed to return safely, available information for this dungeon was zero.

What a terrifying note!

The fact that even the advance investigation team sent by the City Hall had gone and never returned meant that everything inside the labyrinth was unknown.

"Is this the 'fame' that golden-haired young master was talking about?"

Recalling the warning from the beautiful receptionist at the City Hall, Shane shook his head.

Whether for fame or money, such a dangerous place—already listed as a forbidden zone and sealed off—was best left alone.

After all, nothing was more important than one's life.

Only by staying alive could one possess everything.

"Hello, I would like to accept the patrol mission for the [Ancient Dragon Temple]."

"The reward for the patrol mission is 1 silver coin, with a 3-day time limit. Would you like a map of the labyrinth?"

"I'll take one."

By the time Shane returned to the inn, it was already noon.

Frieren had just started eating her breakfast.

Watching Frieren drink her porridge in a daze, Shane inexplicably thought of something.

The elf has a petite figure; could it be that she eats so little every day because of that?

If she sleeps until noon, she eats two meals a day; if she sleeps until the afternoon, she might only eat one.

Hmm...

Thinking about it this way, she's in a low-power state year-round. No wonder her standby time is so long—it explains how she can live for so long.

"What are you smiling at?"

"Nothing."

"Really..."

"Oh, wait, actually there is something. Here, take a look at this. We have a commission to do tomorrow."

Shane handed over the commission list for the Labyrinth Patrol Mission.

Work?

Frieren unfolded the list in her hands—

1- Inspect the vegetation recovery around the labyrinth.

2- Explore the labyrinth for mineral resources and record their locations.

3- Check for any beasts dwelling within the labyrinth.

4- Check for the breeding of low-level monsters.

The long list seemed endless at a glance, consisting mostly of inspection and recording tasks.

"So much work; it's going to take a long time." Her tone carried a hint of resistance.

"It's said that this Ancient Dragon Temple is where the Dwarf Race worshipped the Golden Great Dragon in ancient times. Legend has it that the Golden Great Dragon had a trait: it loved collecting treasures, especially Magic Tools." Shane tempted her step by step.

The words "Magic Tools" ignited Frieren's interest. She immediately changed her tune: "Since it is work, one must treat it properly."

Shane nodded.

Very good.

When it came to handling an elf, if he claimed to be second, no one would dare claim to be first.

The two spent the afternoon shopping for the mission.

Although the three-day trip was short, they would be spending nights outdoors, so they had to prepare the necessary supplies.

Of course.

"There's no need to prepare this, is there!"

Shane followed behind Frieren, panting as he clutched a large bundle of items in his arms.

Right now, Frieren was lingering at a shop selling pottery, looking hesitantly at a round ceramic jar on the shelf used for storing wine.

The jar was painted with pastel colors and gold, with gorgeous patterns; it was indeed a nice household item.

But clearly, it was not suitable for use in a labyrinth.

"It's common sense to bring a gift when visiting a dragon's home," Frieren said firmly.

"Visiting? A gift? Do you even hear yourself right now..." Shane frowned.

"Or would you rather give them gold coins?"

"..."

"So, a jar it is."

He didn't understand her logic, but whatever; it was just a jar.

Shane resignedly pulled out his coin purse.

The next morning.

It took every ounce of Shane's strength to drag Frieren out of the inn.

The white-haired elf kept her eyes closed, leaning on her staff, swaying as she walked through the morning light at a pace of barely one step at a time.

The two walked one after the other toward the Ancient Dragon Temple nestled in the mountains to the east of Gostan City.