NOVEL NEXT Chapter 147
The Hell of the Ancient Labyrinth.
We continued onward while receiving voice guidance.
During that process, we encountered several demon monsters, but not once did trouble arise.
It was thanks to the tamed Infernos as soon as we crossed into hell.
[Infernos, it’s been a while.]
[Good to see you.]
[Infernos. Who are those strong-looking ones?]
[Can’t you tell just by looking? They’re explorers.]
[You idiot, where are you going?]
[I’m out for a walk with some new friends.]
Infernos greeted every monster we met.
Thanks to that, the monsters had shown no hostility toward us who were with Infernos.
【Yumi】─Looks like Infernos is quite the sociable monster.
【Pururu】─A networking expert, it seems.
【Mysticism】─Social butterfly! 
【Boglebogle】─I thought he wouldn’t have many friends since he’s an idiot, but I was wrong.
【Luna-chan】─But most hell monsters seem nice. They don’t chase us away just for being outsiders. +_+
【Rize Nova】─Quite different from the Celestial Realm. The Celestial monsters attacked on a whim, showing hostility right away.
【Mirstin】─Isn’t it supposed to be the opposite? This is strange. Why are hell monsters nicer?
I heard that.
Hell is thoroughly managed by a single monster.
Not just the existing monsters, but even those newly born.
And those disturbing the order are said to face execution or expulsion from hell.
The stone makers we encountered previously were said to be expellees.
A monster with that level of influence is likely to possess an SSS-Class Danger Level.
I wondered what kind of monster managed hell.
Just as I was about to ask more specifically…
“Destination reached. Ending guidance.”
After the voice guidance ended.
A square object entered my sight.
It was a vending machine, familiar in appearance no matter how many times I saw it.
【Mirstin】─Oh! A vending machine has been found!
【Pururu】─We finally arrived.
【Yumi】─It wasn’t that far away, after all.
I decided to ask about the monster managing hell later and quickened my steps toward the vending machine.
About twenty minutes left until annihilation.
It would have been a big deal if I had dawdled.
★━━━ 【Vending Machine for Supported Ones Only】 ━━━★
✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: 『Ticket Purchase』 :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧
➤ Low-Level Invitation Ticket ▼
◇ 1 Ticket: 100 Coins
◇ Purchaseable Tickets: 10
※ An invitation ticket that allows you to request support in a random manner from a random assistant candidate. The request message cannot be modified.
➤ Evolution Ticket ▼
◇ 1 Ticket: 19,800 Coins
◇ Purchaseable Tickets: 1
※ Evolves a tamed monster into a higher entity.
➤ Lustrous Evolution Ticket ▼
◇ 1 Ticket: 9,594,500 Coins
◇ Purchaseable Tickets: 1
※ Evolves a tamed monster into a higher entity.
➤ Designated Dispatch Ticket ▼
◇ 1 Ticket: 410 Coins
◇ Purchaseable Tickets: 25
※ Dispatches one tamed monster to another dimension for 24 hours. Can specify a dimension connected to the explorer.
➤ Transferable Return Ticket ▼
◇ 1 Ticket: 130 Coins
◇ Purchaseable Tickets: 40
※ A return ticket that can be transferred to a drifter.
➤ Reverse Support Ticket ▼
◇ 1 Ticket: 150 Coins
◇ Purchaseable Tickets: 90
※ Allows sending an explorer’s item to an assistant. Can only be sent to assistants of GOLD rank or higher.
➤ Beauty Ticket ▼
◇ 1 Ticket: 9,990 Coins
◇ Purchaseable Tickets: 1
※ Permanently slightly increases the explorer’s charm.
║ 
Please check your coins before purchasing ║
Time until vending machine annihilation: 00:20:25
······
I finished checking the list of tickets on sale.
There was one ticket that I hadn’t seen before.
One additional ticket called the Beauty Ticket.
I explained the ticket sales to the assistants without missing anything.
The list of tickets for sale is visible only to me.
After confirming the items, I slowly began to look at the prices of the tickets.
“…Huh?”
The price of the evolution ticket seemed off.
“Why is the evolution ticket price like this in this vending machine?”
【Pururu】─How much is it?
【Mirstin】─How much is it?
“Regular evolution tickets are around 20,000 Coins, and lustrous evolution tickets are roughly 10 million Coins.”
【Mirstin】─Whaaat?!
【Pururu】─Huh???
【Luna-chan】─Whoa?!
【Mysticism】─
【Yumi】─It’s 10 million Coins? That’s about 10 billion in won?!
【Pururu】─Ticket prices keep getting higher. How are we supposed to buy them?
【Rize Nova】─Just find a vending machine with cheaper tickets.
【Boglebogle】─But isn’t that still on the cheaper side?
【Luna-chan】─That’s true. The previous tickets were too cheap. We should be grateful we can even buy evolution tickets with money. o_O
Naturally, there was no way I could buy the lustrous evolution ticket.
One, I could easily purchase the regular evolution ticket with the coins I had.
Although the price was more vicious compared to the evolution tickets I bought before…
‘…it’s a ticket that allows evolution to SS-Class, so this price is still cheap.’
It was just expensive compared to before.
Thinking rationally, as Alice and Sage said, it was still reasonably priced.
After all, it was a ticket that evolved an S-Class into an SS-Class.
Honestly, even if the regular evolution ticket were 1 million Coins, or the lustrous evolution ticket were 100 million Coins, I could understand and accept that.
The very fact that such tickets could be purchased with money felt absurd.
“For now, I’ll buy everything except the lustrous evolution ticket. If I dawdle, the vending machine will disappear.”
【Pururu】─Are you going to buy the beauty ticket too?
【Mysticism】─
“I guess so. They say it increases my charm.”
【Yumi】─But you’re already charming enough, aren’t you? Is it really necessary to buy the beauty ticket?
【Boglebogle】─True. If you get even more charming, it might get dangerous.
【Mirstin】─What’s dangerous about that?
【Luna-chan】─I think it’s right to get it. There’s no harm in boosting charm. o_O
【Rize Nova】─I also agree with Luna.
【Pururu】─How much is the beauty ticket?
“It’s quite pricey. 10,000 Coins.”
【Pururu】─???
【Mysticism】─
【Pururu】─10,000 Coins is too much.
【Mysticism】─That’s outrageous! 
【Yumi】─Didn’t it say the ticket gives only a slight charm increase? Spending billions on that ticket feels a bit…
【Boglebogle】─Let’s just skip the beauty ticket. It’s a waste of coins.
Some of the assistants tried to dissuade me.
But I stood my ground and bought even the beauty ticket.
It wasn’t greed about my appearance.
I determined that the beauty ticket wasn’t just a simple upgrade for looks.
Charm is the power to captivate the heart.
If my charm increases through the beauty ticket.
I thought monsters in the labyrinth would find it easier to like me.
Perhaps even the SSS-Class monsters.
If it truly offered the ability to eliminate the hostility of wild monsters and increase favorability, it would be a huge help in my future life in the labyrinth.
Of course.
One ticket alone wouldn’t yield great results.
The description mentioned only a slight increase in charm.
I was certain it wouldn’t have much effect right away.
In other words, it was merely an investment for the future.
This level of investment was definitely worth it.
Apart from the coins supported by assistants, I could now also gain coins through the Dimension Altar.
Having completed the ticket purchases.
I used the beauty ticket right away.
And then, with a hopeful heart, I asked the assistants.
“Hey guys. Do I look any different?”
【Mysticism】─
【Pururu】─Nope, not at all.
【Rize Nova】─Looks the same to me.
【Yumi】─You used the beauty ticket, right? I can’t really see what’s different from before, probably because of the screen.
【Mirstin】─No matter how much I wash my eyes and look again, nothing’s changed.
【Mirstin】─I think it was truly a waste of coins. ㅠ
【Boglebogle】─Hmm. It’s hard to tell right now. Why not take off your pants? Then it might be noticeable?
【Mysticism】─ Oh, that sounds great.
【Luna-chan】─Alice, please stop it.
【Pururu】─Are you a pervert?
【Yumi】─Bogle, please refrain from sexual harassment. ㅡㅡ
【Mysticism】─
【Mysticism】─Alice is filthy.
“Looks like there’s still no effect.”
Just as expected.
Thinking that, I turned around to look at the monsters.
But the monsters seemed to be reacting strangely.
Their gazes seemed to have become a bit more special.
[Father. You suddenly look more handsome. Although you were already handsome, of course.]
[You look cooler today, son.]
[Dad. You look tastier than a moment ago… no, cooler!]
Kinogine Aracne, Niarah Nepensys, Blood Jellyfish Princess.
[Beep beep… .]
[Charm increase confirmed.]
Medical Mushroom and Iris.
And all the other monsters also stated that they felt an increase in the charm radiating from me.
【Pururu】─What’s going on?
【Mysticism】─
【Rize Nova】─I’m still not sure what’s changed… but judging by the monsters’ reactions, it’s certain that the charm of the gauntlet has increased.
【Luna-chan】─It seems the charm has increased, at least for the monsters!
It seemed that my increased charm only applied to the beings in the labyrinth.
Including summons and puppets as well.
‘Since the affection of tamed monsters was already close to maximum, it wouldn’t have grown, so it seems that it’s just the charm as a creature that has increased—specifically among labyrinth monsters.’
That alone was more than enough.
Having the ability to garner favor from labyrinth monsters by increasing my charm—that was exactly the ability I had hoped for all along.
‘I’m glad I bought the beauty ticket.’
I resolved to consistently purchase beauty tickets in the future.
*
After moving to the place where Infernos resides, I installed the Warp Device obtained from Omega.
Then I returned to the hideout.
[Beep… .]
Without hesitation, I used the evolution ticket on the Medical Mushroom.
A pink light aura gently enveloped the Medical Mushroom, and in no time, it transformed into a softly glowing pink egg.
『Time Until Evolution: 24:00:00』