Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Medusa was stunned by Gao Peng’s offer. Looking apologetically at Gao Peng, it said, “Thank you for the offer, but unlike other monsters, I don’t fancy the idea of being someone else’s familiar. I’m really sorry.”
Despite Gao Peng’s attempts to convince it to leave the place, Medusa ultimately decided to remain in the labyrinth.
“What about your stone statues…?” asked Gao Peng uncertainly.
“There’s nothing I can do about them at this point,” said Medusa, smiling weakly. The dark green snakes on its head had calmed down considerably.
Gao Peng nodded, sighing. “I respect your decision.”
Suddenly, Fatty Big Sea flopped out from between the stone statues before landing in front of Gao Peng, leaving a huge crater on the ground.
While laughing, it said, “Hahaha, I found it! Quick, Gao Peng, come with me.”
Fatty Big Sea was able to easily chew its way through the labyrinth, which most monsters had deemed nigh impregnable. Its Sea Emperor Devouring Teeth were, after all, a divine artifact. Even without reinforcing its body’s overall density, it was able to penetrate the labyrinth’s walls with the power of its teeth.
Fatty Big Sea was now shoveling huge chunks of soil out of the ground with its mouth. The hole beneath it grew steadily deeper with each bite it took. It was working at a quick pace, and in a matter of minutes, it had dug out a massive hole in the ground.
Medusa clapped its hand over its mouth. It couldn’t believe what it was seeing just then. It was common knowledge among monsters like themselves that labyrinths such as this one were all but indestructible. The fact that it was being violated so easily in front of it went against everything it knew.
‘Sorry for messing up your place,” apologized Fatty Big Sea.
“It’s all right. I’m going to move out soon anyway,” Medusa replied.
Suddenly, a loud crunching sound came from Fatty Big Sea’s mouth when it bit into the ground again. The sound was loud and clear, as if it had hit something hard in the ground. Then there was the sound of Fatty Big Sea crushing whatever it had in its mouth between its teeth before swallowing it down.
“What are you eating?” asked Gao Peng. As Fatty Big Sea had its back to him, he couldn’t clearly see what it had in its mouth.
Fatty Big Sea’s body trembled. Then, it replied with its mouth still full, “I’m eating dirt.”
Gao Peng jumped into the hole and kicked Fatty Big Sea aside. In the middle of the hole lay what appeared to be a gray, half-eaten brick.
[Item]: Divine Brick (Leftover)
[Item Description]: A brick that fell off of the Endless Reincarnation Labyrinth.
Gao Peng stared at it, speechless.
“It’s just an ordinary brick. I may have chipped a tooth just now,” muttered Fatty Big Sea.
Gao Peng simply chuckled. He didn’t reprimand it, or at least, not in front of Medusa.
“I guess we had better get going,” said Gao Peng. After bidding Medusa farewell, he left the labyrinth alongside Fatty Big Sea. All the warmth on his face disappeared. Holding Fatty Big Sea by the tail, he climbed onto Fourth Baby’s back and ordered it to fly in any direction it wanted until they reached the next labyrinth in the area.
“What are you doing, Gao Peng? I was just eating some dirt and bricks. I don’t deserve to be held upside down like a common fish. Oh, the inhumanity!” said Fatty Big Sea, tears filling up its eyes.
Gao Peng had to hand it to Fatty Big Sea. As a Water-type familiar, it was able to make its eyes look as watery as possible with just a blink of its eyes. Anyone else looking at this absurd scene might have thought that Gao Peng was really abusing the fish.
“I’m keeping all the divine bricks that you find from now on.” Gao Peng weighed the half-eaten divine brick in his hand. There was a chunk missing from one of its corners.
Fatty Big Sea stared at it, wide-eyed. How did he know what I was up to?!
“Make sure this doesn’t happen again.” Since Fatty Big Sea was the one who had discovered the divine brick back in the labyrinth, Gao Peng decided to give what was left of it back to the familiar. Fatty Big Sea caught the brick in its mouth, then proceeded to chew on it noisily.
“Truth be told, I’m not keeping it for myself. I can’t even digest it properly in my stomach,” said Fatty Big Sea, smiling abashedly at Gao Peng.
“This divine brick must have fallen off of the Endless Reincarnation Labyrinth. It has a bit of divine artifact power in it. It can also be used for buffing and sharpening the Sea Emperor Devouring Teeth.
“Don’t worry, this brick is only an extension of the labyrinth itself. It could grow indefinitely from the labyrinth. As long as the labyrinth remains unharmed, it should be quite safe to consume one or two of its bricks,” said Fatty Big Sea. “Besides, this isn’t my first time eating these things. I used to indulge myself with the old fogey’s divine artifacts all the time.”
A week later, Gao Peng stumbled upon another labyrinth whose occupant, a Desert Fish monster, was instantly devoured by Fatty Big Sea and Fourth Baby for lunch. Fatty Big Sea had also discovered another divine brick buried deep within the labyrinth. It gave the divine brick to Gao Peng, who played with it in his hands for a moment.
In all respects, it looked like a simple brick. Gao Peng wouldn’t have given it much thought if the data frame hadn’t pointed out the brick’s unique nature to him. When the brick was removed from the labyrinth’s grounds, the mysterious power protecting the labyrinth disappeared along with it.
Gao Peng traced out a deep gash across one of the labyrinth’s walls with a finger and frowned. It’s just an ordinary wall.
Fourth Baby, who had picked up on the sudden change that had come over the labyrinth, easily smashed its head through another part of the wall. It shook its head, amazed at how easily it had been able to destroy the wall. It still remembered how much it had hurt the last time it crashed headfirst into one of the labyrinth’s walls.
Without the divine brick’s protection, the whole structure was now nothing more than an ordinary stone labyrinth. Even a Lord-tier monster could bring down its walls easily. It was then that Gao Peng frowned at the thought of the divine brick that Fatty Big Sea had swallowed back in Medusa’s labyrinth.
Gao Peng and the others spent the next few days exploring other labyrinths. To him, these labyrinths were like coffins filled with mysterious treasures. He was popping open each of these treasure-filled coffins along with his familiars like they were a bunch of graverobbers.
“That old geezer’s corpse couldn’t be buried in one of these ordinary labyrinths. Knowing it, it must have been buried in an extravagant place,” said Fatty Big Sea, shaking its head. “There’s just too many of these ordinary labyrinths. It would probably take more than ten years to search every single one of them.”
It paused. Then, it narrowed its eyes and said, “I think there’s something wrong with this picture. Every labyrinth has a divine brick in it. The divine aura it gives off is conducive to the growth and evolution of any monster that finds itself inside a labyrinth. Also, I found out that these labyrinths are situated in places that are rich in spiritual energy. Such places are known for their abundance of divine treasures.”
“Maybe it’s not… dead?” asked Gao Peng hesitantly.
“Impossible!” Fatty Big Sea shook its head resolutely. “It’s the god of the labyrinths. Its fall from grace and the destruction of its divine body released its power into the world, which as a result, triggered an explosion of labyrinths everywhere.”
“Uh huh.” Gao Peng simply nodded. “Let’s continue moving south then.”
“It must be in this direction.” After consuming so many divine bricks throughout their journey, Fatty Big Sea could now sense, if only vaguely, where their prize was. These divine bricks had once been part of the fallen god’s body, after all. They literally reeked of its divine aura.
Fatty Big Sea’s lips curved upward in a smile, revealing a glimmer of gold in its mouth.
