Flare and I began our search, aiming to escape the Great Septem Labyrinth. First, we had to figure out where we were within the fifth layer.

We moved cautiously through the stone corridors, making sure not to make a sound. When we reached a crossroads, I instinctively held out my hand to stop Flare, who was walking behind me.

"Ike?"
"There’s a monster around the corner. This way."

I whispered instructions to Flare, and we hid ourselves behind a nearby boulder.

A few seconds later, several Orc Lords passed by, less than 10 meters away.

After confirming they were gone, I let out a sigh of relief.

"Alright, we managed to avoid them."
"Yeah, fighting that many at once would’ve been exhausting. But how did you know there were monsters nearby?"

Flare seemed surprised that I noticed the monsters before they came into view.

"I used my 'Search Detection' skill."
"Search Detection? Oh yeah, I think I’ve seen you use that skill before… or maybe I haven't?"

Hmm. I’ve used Search Detection many times while beside Flare. But it’s not one of my puppeteer-based skills; I acquired it later, and it’s activated by my own magic. It’s no surprise that Flare wouldn’t recognize it.

"I have several skills besides Search Detection. I’d like to explain them to you right now, but we’re short on time. I’ll tell you more later—is that okay?"
"Of course! I’m looking forward to it."

For now, I had to keep my skills organized in my head.

I gained multiple skills when I became a puppeteer. The skills "Mana Supply" and "Magic Thread Manipulation: Marionette" were among them.

However, those alone weren’t enough for me to function as an adventurer. As a puppeteer, a job class seen as unfavorable, I had to broaden my abilities to be allowed in a party.

So, I sought out people of other professions and trained hard to learn a variety of skills. Even though I wasn’t born into those professions, with enough effort, it’s possible to acquire skills.

Unfortunately, I had no talent.

From warriors, I learned "Body Enhancement." From thieves, I gained "Search Detection." Magicians taught me basic magic, "Low Magic." And from priests, I picked up "Low Heal."

Even though I learned all these skills, they were just the basic ones everyone in those professions already had. Having such low-level skills didn’t do me any good. The only skills that had some use were Body Enhancement, which increased my physical abilities, and Search Detection, a skill with few practitioners despite its demand.

By the time I mastered these low-level skills, others had already learned advanced ones and were making a name for themselves as adventurers.

Even so, those efforts were now helping me. And now, I had Flare by my side. I had no reason to feel inferior anymore.

As I pondered these thoughts, we came upon a large space in the corridor ahead. I hoped it was a resting spot, but it seemed we had company.

“… Twin-Tail Beasts.”

They were wolf-like creatures with brown bodies and two sharp tails. There were three of these B-rank monsters, which were said to use their tails like whips, cutting down their opponents with the sharp tips. They were troublesome creatures to fight if you weren’t used to them.

The right move was to retreat. However, something caught my eye. The walls of the area where the Twin-Tail Beasts stood were shimmering with rainbow colors.

… That glow—it might just turn the tide in our favor!

"Flare, are you up for this?"
"Of course. I’m ready whenever."

"Alright, then—"

I quickly laid out the plan to Flare. Just a few words of instruction, but she seemed to understand perfectly.

"Got it. I’m going in!"

With a whoosh, Flare rushed at the Twin-Tail Beasts with terrifying speed. The three monsters braced themselves for the sudden attack, but it was too late.

"One down!"

Before they could retaliate, she beheaded the first one. The ambush was successful. Now, only two remained, making things a lot easier.

But the Twin-Tail Beasts lived up to their B-rank classification—this was where things got tricky.

"Damn, their attacks are too fast! I can’t get close enough to strike!"

Their four tails whipped through the air, targeting Flare relentlessly. Though she blocked every attack with her sword, she was on the defensive.

Flare’s greatest strength was her speed. She had taken down the Orc Lords and Twin-Tail Beasts with quick, decisive strikes. Once her movement was restricted, it was clear she would struggle.

So—

"Fireball!"

I cast my basic "Low Magic" spell while the two Twin-Tail Beasts were focused on Flare. Two small fireballs shot toward the beasts.

"Yelp!"
"Howl!"

Both fireballs hit, though they only singed the creatures’ fur. The damage was minimal. Once again, my lack of talent showed.

Still, I had succeeded in drawing the Twin-Tail Beasts' attention. One of them shifted its focus from Flare to me, whipping its tail at me.

But—

"Body Enhancement!"

I dodged the attacks with ease. After watching Flare fight them, I had already figured out their patterns. Avoiding them wasn’t hard.

And once I had bought us a few seconds—

"Hyaaah!"

Flare's sword struck, cutting down both remaining Twin-Tail Beasts. As they dissolved into magical mist, the only thing left behind was their magic stones.

"We did it! We won, Ike!"
"Yeah!"

We high-fived, celebrating our victory. Then, I turned my attention to the rainbow-colored wall and walked over to it.

I took out a small pickaxe from my pouch and began chipping away at the glowing surface. Soon, I pulled out a magic stone.

Its feel, weight, and radiance left no doubt. This was a High-Rank Magic Stone.

"Ike, what’s that?"
"It’s a Mana Stone. It can store magic power. There are four ranks: Low, Mid, High, and Supreme. This one’s a high-rank stone. And since it’s naturally formed, it’s already filled to capacity with magic. It’ll come in handy."

"Wow! I don’t really get it, but it sounds amazing!"

As I explained, I continued mining the glowing wall, gathering 13 high-rank Mana Stones, filling my material pouch.

Mana Stones were a lifeline for adventurers, capable of preserving their magical power. Even a low-rank stone could fetch a good price. A high-rank one was worth as much as a high-quality weapon.

But for us, their value went beyond money. We no longer had to worry about running out of mana. Of course, stamina was a separate issue.

"Next, we need to find a path to the fourth layer—"

Just as I was about to confirm our plan, a massive rumbling sound shook the ground.

"What the!?"
"What was that!?"

The sound came from the opposite direction of where we had entered. A dull thudding noise echoed, growing louder with each passing second, like something enormous was approaching.

"No way…"

The worst-case scenario flashed through my mind. Fifth layer, gigantic creature. We both knew what that meant.

"Ike, look over there…"
"Yeah… no doubt about it. That was fast."

There was no need to use Search Detection. The creature finally appeared from the passageway.

Standing several times taller than a man, with the furious face of a bull atop its massive frame, was a monstrous figure wielding a huge metal axe effortlessly in one hand.

An A-rank monster: Minotaur.