Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 46

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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46. Dud (3)

Why spin a roulette where the probability of getting a dud is half? Because there are duds in the gacha too.

If you think about it carefully, the probability of getting a dud was higher than the roulette. I just didn’t think of it as a dud because someone would definitely be drawn.

Among the 100,000 citizens and unfortunate foreigners consumed by the Labyrinth, what percentage would actually be helpful for Serena’s Labyrinth conquest?

The first draw produced Lucas, a 3-star Royal Knight, and the next two draws produced guaranteed 5-stars Olive and Ying. Looking at this alone, it seemed to guarantee at least 3-stars.

But let’s recall Serena’s starting companions. Her first companions were 1-star Philia, 1-star Lavenda, 2-star Krom, and Ralph who had 3-star potential but was effectively 1-star due to wielding the wrong weapon.

Looking at it this way, 3-star seems incredibly good.

Thinking coldly, there are more 1-stars than 5-stars in the world. Being 0-star like Grey would be fortunate, and newborns or critically ill patients might even be negative.

What if a high-star criminal came out and caused chaos? That would be complete bankruptcy. Just because someone was guaranteed to be drawn didn’t mean it was profitable.

‘And Count Randy would definitely be 5-star…’

Wouldn’t trying to draw the definitely 5-star Count Randy with a regular gacha be an impudent desire from the gacha system’s perspective?

‘How impudent to ask for a 5-star with a regular gacha. Instead, I’ll give you a 0-star child with an antidote. Something like that.’

Considering Count Randy’s rarity and usefulness, even drawing him with a guaranteed 5-star ticket would be incredibly fortunate.

‘I wonder if another guaranteed 5-star ticket will come up.’

Serena looked at the proportion the guaranteed 5-star ticket occupied on the roulette. It was quite low, but at a level worth trying.

‘Let’s think positively. If half are duds, then half are wins.’

This was similar to a gambling addict’s psychology. Serena’s younger sibling always said things like this when gambling.

‘What can I do. There’s no other way. I have to use what I have.’

While finding herself pathetic, Serena wanted to argue this point.

Right now an archer has no arrows and a treasure hunter has no lockpicking tools – is this the time to be picky?

‘Please, equipment! Weapons!’

Serena spun the roulette with all her might. Without addictive music or dazzling effects to mesmerize people, the roulette spun plainly.

The roulette’s spinning speed gradually slowed. Serena swallowed nervously and waited for the result. The arrow stopped at the section occupying the largest area on the roulette.

It was a dud.

‘Damn it.’

The probability of getting a dud was half. Since it was expected, she wasn’t greatly disappointed.

As Serena was about to switch to the gacha window with regret, the stopped roulette started spinning on its own.

‘I only had 1 limited coin though?’

Wondering if she had miscounted the coins, she tensed up. She had 0 limited coins remaining.

‘Did I have one more and used it again?’

If she did something that stupid, she deserved to die. Serena was examining the roulette when she found a notification window. The Princess was shocked by the content written in the notification window.

[You got a dud. The penalty roulette is spinning.]

‘Dud penalty? There was a penalty?’

“There was no mention of that!”

The Princess couldn’t hold back and let out a lion’s roar.

“If it’s a dud, it should just be a dud, not a penalty! Where does that exist! You should have told me in advance!”

Serena’s protests were useless. The dice, no wait. The roulette was already spinning.

Serena reached out her hand to stop the leisurely spinning roulette, but all she grasped was empty air.

‘I’m sorry, I was wrong. Couldn’t you make it void just once?’

The penalty roulette was still a roulette, so half of it was penalty nullification. Fortunately, there was a 50% chance of not receiving a penalty, but so what? Each penalty written there was brutal.

‘Labyrinth difficulty increases. Crazy, what more can you raise here. Labyrinth floors increase. Are you insane. Random death of someone drawn from gacha? This absolutely cannot happen.’

Serena clasped her hands together and prayed earnestly. Couldn’t the roulette reflect desires too? Couldn’t penalty nullification come up like this?

As she prayed earnestly, a notification window appeared before her eyes.

[Tip. If you collect 10 limited coins and spin them all at once, the dud probability is reduced by half.]

Half of half would be one-fourth. 25 percent. It was a generous probability that was embarrassing to compare with 50 percent. Serena struck the ground with the hands she had clasped for prayer.

“Tell me in advance! I already spun it!”

***

She kept her eyes closed and occasionally flinched, then suddenly let out a lion’s roar. Grey was startled by the Princess’s strange behavior.

“Why is Princess acting like that?”

Grey had never once in his life seen a noble lady behave as strangely as Serena. An investigation report about Crown Princess Melang flashed through Grey’s small mind.

‘It would be troublesome if it’s hereditary.’

Princess Serena was a strong candidate to be the 5th Prince’s wife. If mental illness was hereditary, it would be difficult to proceed with the marriage proposal.

The people around weren’t surprised by Serena’s strange behavior. It was clear evidence that such behavior had been repeated several times.

“Aunt?”

“She does that sometimes, but it’s okay. Nothing to worry about.”

“Pardon?”

“She didn’t used to do that, but she sometimes does since entering the Labyrinth. It’s not bad, so it’s okay.”

After shouting at empty air, now she was trying to grab at empty air. Then she knelt and prayed.

“Aaaaah!”

She let out a scream while striking the ground.

‘This is okay?’

The Princess’s face was revealed through her disheveled purple hair. At first he couldn’t recognize she was a Princess due to her outfit, but she was beautiful, and when she opened her eyes, her gaze was unique, making her even more beautiful. It was regrettable that part of her face was covered by an eyepatch.

‘Come to think of it, she’s one-eyed. Why did they actively pursue the marriage proposal?’

Whether prince or princess, facial scars were serious disqualifying factors in political marriages. Though her conditions were good, how did a one-eyed Princess become a strong candidate for the 5th Prince’s wife?

‘Strange. They must have reported it, but did I overlook it then?’

As Grey was removing Serena’s name from the 5th Prince’s wife candidates, Philia said something even more shocking.

“She must be having a hard time communicating with the gods.”

“Gods?”

Grey desperately tried to maintain as innocent and naive an expression as possible.

‘Don’t tell me Count Randy’s wife also has problems like her master? Should I overturn the 5th Prince’s marriage proposal and also pursue Count Randy’s divorce?’

Grey looked at Philia’s face to hide his troubled mind. He had heard about her, but thought it was the rose-colored glasses of a man in love, but rather Count Randy’s description was insufficient for her level of beauty.

‘At this level, she wouldn’t just be Heuji’s greatest beauty but arguably the continent’s greatest beauty.’

Even though Heuji was a closed country, with such beauty, rumors would have spread to the Empire – how could this beauty live such a quiet life unworthy of her appearance?

“Good things happen after Serena acts like that. I wonder what will happen this time?”

‘Maybe they kept quiet because of mental problems.’

“Hehehehe.”

The sound of a truly insane person’s laughter was heard, startling Grey. Serena, who had been screaming, slowly stood up with a vacant expression and approached Grey and Philia.

“Hehehehe. Connections? Desires? I’ll fulfill them all.”

“Princess?”

Grey, sensing an ominous aura, tried to escape but it was too late. Seeing Grey trying to flee, Serena commanded Philia.

“Catch him.”

“Yes.”

“Aunt, wait! Her Highness is acting strange!”

“Serena must have her reasons for everything.”

“What reasons!”

Despite her slender build, Philia had surprisingly strong restraining power. While Grey tried to break free, Serena approached. Serena grabbed Philia’s and Grey’s hands, one in each of hers.

“Philia, don’t you want to see your husband?”

“I want to see him.”

Philia lowered her head and half-closed her eyes. Everyone lost themselves gazing at Countess Randy’s graceful beauty.

“Grey, you want to see your uncle too, right?”

“Yes? Yes. But.”

“Then desire it strongly. The Labyrinth reflects desires, so you might be able to meet them!”

“What? That’s not how it works.”

Serena ignored Grey’s words and raised Philia’s hand high.

“Marital connection!”

She also raised Grey’s hand.

“Regional and school connections!”

Madness filled the princess’s single orange eye. Grey trembled in fear as he watched the princess’s eccentric behavior from his special seat.

“I don’t have a wife and children, but my wife and nephew are here! So come out, Mark Landriole! The genius alchemist that the Empire takes pride in and the continent envies!”

“Your Highness, snap out of it! There’s no way Uncle would come out just because you do that!”

Making Grey’s protest meaningless, a welcome voice was heard from the other side of the passage. The figure who revealed himself beyond the cart was exactly the person Serena had summoned.

“My lady! Princess! Are you safe!”

When Serena performed her eccentric act, Count Randy actually appeared.

‘How did this happen?’

No matter how much he racked his brain, Grey couldn’t deduce the cause and effect relationship at all, so he gaped his mouth open.

“My goodness! Is it really you? What wonderful news!”

When the master performs eccentric acts, good things happen. This rule that emerged after being consumed by the Labyrinth was truly pleasing this time.

Philia pulled the cart to bring her longed-for husband into the lobby.

“Who is that person? Is he really the Countess’s husband? How did this happen? Did the Princess really summon him?”

Fortunately, Grey wasn’t alone. One of the Labyrinth Explorers who had been lying down watching the situation was bewildered and tried to understand the strange circumstances.

“I know nothing about this.”

“The Princess just shouted for the kid and the Countess to come out holding hands, didn’t she?”

“I had a feeling that somehow the Labyrinth would overlap with other people, so I just wished for it strongly. I know nothing.”

As if asking when she had performed eccentrically or been consumed by madness, the princess’s voice was calm, her gaze cold and rational.

‘There’s much to investigate.’

The princess is suspicious. Grey sighed at the tasks and dangers accumulating like a rolling snowball and did what he needed to do right now for survival.

“Uncle! I missed you!”

Grey ran with all his might and hugged Count Randy.

***

[The difficulty of the next floor will increase.]

‘Are you really doing this?’

The penalty roulette stopped at the part saying the next floor’s difficulty would increase.

Serena gritted her teeth.

The Labyrinth Explorers were already worried that the Labyrinth’s grade was unusual, with undead appearing on the 1st floor, Minotaur on the 2nd floor, and mimics on the 5th floor.

‘And it’s going to increase even more from there?’

The difficulty increase only applies to the next floor, and they’re still at the entrance of the Labyrinth, so it should be fine, but…

‘It seems like someone dies at least once per floor.’

As if conquering the Labyrinth wasn’t difficult for nothing, life-threatening situations occurred at least once per floor.

‘Ah, seriously, roulette. I’m never spinning it again.’

Not telling her in advance that there were penalties for duds. This was clearly an attempt to toy with Serena.

The next floor had increased difficulty and their equipment was still poor. In the end, all Serena could rely on was the gacha equipped with a greed sensor.

‘If I lack connections and desires, I can fill them with other people’s.’

Fortunately, here were a spouse married to the gacha product Serena wanted, and a nephew-in-law connected to her master. Since they’re from the same hometown, that’s regional ties, and since he’s the master’s grandson, let’s add academic connections. Since he was called a distant relative, blood ties are included too, though originally nobles are usually distant relatives anyway, so adding blood ties was forced.

Serena felt Philia’s soft hands and warmth while thinking of someone who would strongly desire to hold these hands.

‘Come.’

The perfect man who would eliminate worries about antidotes and potions, would never antagonize Serena and Philia, and would be fine even as a man!

‘Come, Philia’s husband that I chose!’

The final candidate that Serena carefully selected considering personality, wealth, power, appearance, and family background for a maid who seemed likely to be stabbed by a sword due to her beauty or other reasons!

Among them, the lucky one who ultimately succeeded in winning the heart of Huji’s greatest beauty!

The unprecedented genius alchemist that the Empire’s emperor takes pride in! Count Mark Landriole!

Serena pressed the gacha button so forcefully that if this were reality, the button would have broken.

Fortunately, the genius alchemist responded to his wife’s wish. Sounds of presence were felt from the other side of the passage, then a familiar face appeared.

Dark bronze hair and gentle brown eyes. An intellectual young man who seemed weak at first glance but actually had considerable tenacity. A young man with a gentle impression.

Count Mark Landriole, or Count Randy for short, saw Serena and Philia and came running with both arms spread wide. If not for the cart, he would have immediately embraced his wife.

“Darling! Lady Serena! You’re safe!”

“Uncle!”

A full-body tackle with all his strength was delivered to Count Randy who had discovered his beloved wife. Grey’s head struck Count Randy’s solar plexus as if he had aimed for it.

“Gueek!”

“I really missed you, Uncle!”

Having suddenly fallen into a Labyrinth in a foreign country and being scared, how delighted he must be to meet his uncle. Grey climbed up Count Randy like a monkey and hugged his neck.

Philia lowered her arms that she had spread to embrace her husband. Now was the time to yield to the child. Philia knew that much.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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