Choosing to make ourselves as... “Comfortable” as possible in our new, unfortunate predicament, Inari and I were currently sitting around a fire we had built with some of the emergency camping supplies kept within our spatial storage spells. Coileene had also joined us around the fire, where she decided to lay Raya’s head across her lap, using it as a pillow of sorts. She was still unconscious, but at least resting comfortably. During all of this, I had done my best to explain to Inari the circumstances surrounding Coileene’s merger with my body, along with how this whole scenario was very much akin to a typical isekai story plot. To go along with my long-winded explanation, we had decided to enjoy a fried tofu dish together, which we had also aptly placed within our spatial storage, in case of such emergencies. While it was comforting eating some of Yarn’s delicious cooking together, we both knew it was only a temporary respite from the challenges we were about to face.
Since there had been an ample amount of “downtime” waiting for Raya to recover, Inari and I eventually investigated the stone doors from earlier as best we could. Unfortunately, our appraisal scan didn’t return any useful information, and any attempts at opening the slabs failed as well. We were initially hopeful that heading towards the surface would be easier than descending deeper into the labyrinth, but it seemed luck was tragically not on our side in this endeavour. Thus, I was presently doing my best to respond to Inari’s endless questions about my knowledge of such isekai scenarios, to help keep my mind off the daunting realization that we were currently trapped, thousands of feet below Solara’s surface.
“And... There are hundreds of stories from Earth about this exact same scenario? Wouldn’t that become... I don’t know... Boring?”
“Yes and no. While the concept of “Summoned hero is brought to another world, then banished to a forbidden, dangerous dungeon to die, usually sent there by a god or powerful entity” is a common trope, there are usually many nuances between the stories in an effort to make them unique. Sometimes the different narrative hooks work, but a large portion of them still end up being typical cliché crap.”
“But still, it really is fortunate you are so well versed in all these isekai stories Ko! That knowledge may come in handy if what you’re saying is true.”
“I mean… Maybe… But it’s still potentially dangerous to make assumptions with this knowledge, even if our current situation seems similar to clichés I’m familiar with. Truthfully, this whole “summoned to another world thing” is something I’ve wished for during my life on Earth. But to actually experience it... It’s just unfortunate that the entity chose the “suffer, survival, progression” narrative...”
Briefly concluding my thoughts on being stuck in such a typical isekai scenario, each of us took another bite from the gradually cooling plate of fried tofu, as we continued looking through our spatial storage lists to reconfirm our supplies. Inari had already agreed with my plan to tell Raya about my summoned hero status, along with her own status screen indicating a god’s blessing, but she was still currently resting across Coileene’s lap, sleeping. Reviewing all of the items available between the two of us, Inari and I had enough food supplies for approximately 15 days, water for 30, and basic sleeping cots or mats to rest comfortably at night. For medical supplies, we still had 40 bandages between the two of us, along with some health and mana potions. I had unfortunately failed to consider basic utility tools in my contingency planning, such as ropes and knives, but we could probably compensate with an appropriate adaptation of magic... I hoped...
As we were continuing to review our upcoming survival plans, I noticed that Raya had finally started to stir, producing some mumbling noises as she gradually began to wake up from her injuries. Coileene was also running her fingers through Raya’s hair, as the commander continued to grumble and shift around on her lap. Eventually, Raya let out a quite gasp, seeing an unfamiliar woman stroking her head.
“Emi...lia...?”
“Nope, guess again, impudent mortal!”
“WAH!! Who... What are... A demi-human!?!?”
With a burst of energy, Raya leapt from Coileene’s lap in a panic, desperately looking around the sparsely illuminated floor for some familiar landmark, while frantically feeling her abdominal area. Eventually, her eyes locked with mine, where I motioned for her to settle down. While she was still very visibly confused and distressed, Raya eventually sat down near the campfire, making sure to keep a healthy distance away from the world serpent. Then, she spoke to Inari and myself to confirm what had happened to her.
“Champions... Where are... The palace!!! We have to save Emilia! That... That creature has her an—”
Before I knew it, Raya had already begun an incoherent ramble about the rash actions we needed to take in order to save the kingdom, along with slaying whatever monster currently held Emilia captive. Eventually, I managed to find an appropriate time to intervene and explain the situation as best I could.
“Raya, I know what happen to Emilia is urgent bu—”
“NO! Listen to me!! WE HAVE TO—”
“I know we have to Raya! But please! We need to stop and think rationally. Collect our thoughts an—.”
“HOW CAN I?!?! That creature!! It... IT HAS—”
“RAYA!!”
I raised my voice in frustration towards her. I knew this was an incredibly stressful situation, but panicking wouldn’t help us. Fortunately, Raya’s hesitant actions came to a brief pause, as I saw her glancing around the campfire more steadily, taking in Inari and Coileene’s presence. Then, I tried again to explain our current situation to the still flustered commander.
“Raya, we are currently trapped inside the Solara Labyrinth on the 50th floor. That creature pretending to be Daemonium, was a demon, and teleported us here after you attempted to slay him while rescuing Emilia. Inari and I were able to save you after applying some powerful magic to your body. The object is still located on your forehead as proof of my words. Before I continue, I need you to confirm to me you understand what I’ve said so far. It will be paramount for all of our survival.”
Nodding towards me, while feeling her forehead for the mysterious object I had mentioned, Raya found the bandage in question, then carefully peeled it from her skin, while examining her now exposed navel area through her crudely parted plate mail breastplate. Finally, breathing a heavy sigh in an effort to relax, the frazzled commander nodded, then spoke to me in a wavering voice.
“How— Can you remain so calm in this situation!?!? This is... There’s no...”
Honestly, I wasn’t entirely sure myself. Truthfully, I should be having multiple panic attacks while struggling to stay sane, understanding the gravity of the situation we were in. Admittedly, it was a common trope for banished heroes to magically survive these predicaments, but that’s because those characters had the most powerful armor known to exist in the universe; plot armor. This... This was my reality now, and it would be foolish for me to think that just because the setting appeared to be from a typical isekai story, that we would somehow survive. But, before I could give my response to Raya, Inari happened to speak up instead, probably after noticing I hadn’t responded quick enough.
“Raya, I believe we’re all scared right now. In fact, scared is probably the simplest word to describe our feelings at the moment. But, as frightened and useless as I feel right now, I don’t want to lose hope. If I give up, without even trying to survive, then the only one that wins, is that demon who sent us here.”
“My thoughts are much the same Raya. If we were to give up without even trying—"
“No!! You— You don’t understand!!!! My soldiers... The elite men and women I’ve worked with. They were all wiped out so effortlessly!! Th— The 15th floor was a nightmare, and now we’re on the 50th!?!? There is no way we can possibly survive the untold horrors that await us! That’s not even considering your already abysmal status values!!! And my own?!? It’s... It’s impossible!! Your platitudes about “not giving up” are just that. Vain attempts to console yourselves of our pending deaths.”
Raya’s response, was honestly how I expected a normal person to react in this situation, even if she was the military commander for Solara. No sane individual could possibly believe in their survival after experiencing the horrors of the 15th labyrinth floor. However, she was missing vital information I hadn’t explained to her yet about our capabilities. Thus, I did my best to provide her with some hope in our situation.
“Raya, would you believe me, if I said I was a summoned hero?”
Staring back at me with a face bordering on the lines of disgust for even attempting some dim-witted humor, I continued my explanation anyways.
“About a month ago, I was summoned to Terra. However, the summoning attempt that resulted in me being transported here, was deemed a “failure” since I didn’t materialize in the palace. Shortly after, the four other heroes were successfully sum—"
“Please... Just stop... I thought more of you champion than to try an—”
“Isn’t it weird how much stronger I am compared to other adventurers for my level? How Inari and I so effortlessly defeated the nation’s heroes?”
As I quickly interrupted Raya, I also took the opportunity to reveal my status screen as well, with all of its details made visible for her to see.
---
Name: Kotato Yamata Level: 6 Rank: F(+)
Race: Human HP: 150/150 MP: 180/180
Age: 25
Profession: Spell Blade
Status: Strength: 70 Defense: 70
Magic: 70 Dexterity: 70
Skill Proficiencies: [Growth] [Summoned Hero] [World Serpent’s Blessing] [] [] [] [] []
Titles: None
---
Raya’s face was clearly shocked upon seeing the absurd status values I possessed, so I calmly continued with my explanation.
“This is my true status screen. Well, as best as I can produce it really. The one you’ve seen was actually masked by an illusion, concealing my true status so I wouldn’t be disc—”
“And you expect me to believe this?!? After you just admitted yourself that you were hiding your values with an illusion?!? How am I to know this isn’t just another attempt to fool me?!”
“The impudent mortal has a point, Ko. How could she possibly believe someone who just admitted they had been lying to them moments before?”
An entirely realistic rebuttal from the demi-human serpent in her usual, condescending tone, which prompted all of us to look towards her direction. Coileene was devilishly flicking her tongue towards us while staring at me with her piercing eyes. Eventually, I continued trying to explain my thought process to Raya.
“If you don’t want to believe me, that’s fine. However, if we are to survive, I don’t want there to be any secrets between us. Any lack of trust we may harbour would only worsen our anxieties, and I want to eliminate such possibilities.
That woman over there, is Coileene. Technically, she’s a goddess, and the explanation for how we managed to defeat the minotaur. She is the world serpent, and the divine being currently living inside of me. My powers are a result of her interference during my summoning to Terra. Inari also has a somewhat similar situation, possessing a god’s blessing as well, with hers being from Vixen, the deity of knowledge and curiosity.
During our fight with the minotaur, I actually ended up dying, and am only alive due to a deal I made with Coileene. While she is a god, her powers, along with her memories, have been apparently sealed beneath the Solara labyrinth. Her condition for saving my life, is I have to help her recover her powers. As such, there is the realistic possibility with her help, we can actually make it out of this situation alive if we restore them.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Additionally, Inari and I also have enough food rations to survive an extended duration currently stored within our spatial storage. We have enough food for 15 days, and water for 30, along with basic medical supplies.”
As I said this, I continued to watch Raya’s facial expression while removing a warm plate of fried tofu for the very confused commander. Inari had also kindly revealed her status screen to Raya showing her blessing from Vixen, while Coileene angrily rolled her eyes at me for my... Less than appropriate explanation of her goals. Then, handing the sizzling, crispy delicacy to Raya, tried to end my exposition with some light humor.
“With that said, I don’t expect you to believe me right away, but I hope my actions will show you my commitment to surviving, despite our impossible situation.
...
Besides, we still need to check that your stomach is working again after being repaired by my bandages. Here. Something small to eat while you think about what I’ve said.”
With a shaking hand, Raya somehow managed to grab the plate from me. Carefully, she began eating some of the fried tofu pieces while continuing to stare at us.
...
Several minutes passed in silence as Raya continued to absorb all of the information I had shared with her. Eventually, I decided to ask her a question regarding Daemonium, sensing that now seemed like an appropriate time with our emotions finally having calmed down a bit.
“Raya... Can you tell me anything about Daemonium? Did... Did you notice anything strange about his behaviour... Before...?”
Then, with a heavy, emotionless expression, while staring at her lightly picked at plate of tofu, Raya softly replied to my comments regarding the advisor.
“Daemonium... He... He had never shown any interest in Emilia before... Roughly 2 months ago, I would say he suddenly became obsessed with the palace’s library, reviewing all kinds of classified documents in excessive detail. But he assured us that was for his research into summoning magic. His majesty... He had always pushed his advisors ruthlessly to rediscover the lost art of summoning magic. But military documents? Espionage reports? He should have already been well aware of—
...
I really am a failure as the princess’ retainer. Thinking back, it was obvious something was amiss based on his questions, and yet I—”
Some tears, gently rolled down the commander’s face as she continued to berate herself for not noticing Daemonium’s strange behaviour earlier. Eventually, she ended her sorrowful retelling with a simple question towards me.
“How... How are you planning to survive this hell, champion?”
Pausing, I made sure to exhibit as much confidence as I possibly could from my voice.
“From my world, this type of scenario is actually fairly common. A hobby of mine, was actually reading and watching these types of stories in the isekai genre, where generally, everyday people get suddenly transported to another world.
In these settings, the summoned hero would... Sometimes be banished to the depths of a dungeon to be disposed of. However, they always managed to survive. The plan, while crude and basic, is fairly straight forward, and in my opinion, cliché.
We will fight the labyrinth’s monsters, level up, and eventually, reach the surface.”
Clearly disappointed at my “inspiring” solution, I heard Raya softly utter the words “We’re doomed” while continuing to stare into the flicker flames of the campfire. She had also started crying into her knees, desperately hugging them for some kind of comfort, having lost any hope she might have held. Nodding towards Inari, we both stood up, then started walking towards the staircase leading to the 51st floor to finally investigate what we had to contend with. Coileene had also decided to return herself to her home within the shield, but was choosing to remain silent during our descent.
Eventually, once we reached the bottom of the stairs, we carefully peered into the room. A resounding wave of despair washed over us as we both scanned the first nearby creature we observed.
---
Creature: Goblin Level: 51
Race: Monster HP: 1,860/1,860 MP: 50/50
Age: 5
Profession: Warrior
Status: Strength: 212 Defense: 180
Magic: 20 Dexterity: 50
Skill Proficiencies: [Improvised Weapons – Average] [Clubs – Average+]
Titles: None
---
This goblin, was essentially just as strong as the minotaur we had encountered, which was completely absurd. Furthermore, the room was filled with countless variants of the species, such as hobgoblins, goblin shamans, goblin knights, and even several goblin kings! Each of these creatures had even more daunting status than the basic “goblin foot soldier”. To my left, Inari had already begun flipping through her journal while taking notes about the creatures we were observing. Clearly, if we had to engage them in this room, the only outcome I could currently envision was nothing but complete and utter annihilation for our party.
Thankfully, the labyrinth still appeared to be keeping with our observed pattern of stronger variants on known floor spawns. Since floor 51 had goblins with several new stronger variants, that meant floor 52 would potentially be filled with powerful variants of skeletons and zombies. So, wanting to get started on my planning, I decided to ask my new and improved internal assistant for their opinion.
“Coileene, do you think we could use that disk amplification attack here? That should generate enough damage to eliminate the basic goblins... Right?”
Unfortunately, her response was rather lackluster regarding my thoughts.
“No. The amount of time it would take to launch such a strike would result in the disks being eliminated by the repulsive creatures first.”
“I see. Well, how about we try a different approach then. Inari, are you interested in testing some information regarding how the labyrinth functions?”
With her ears curiously twitching, Inari responded to my statement while continuing to absorb herself in her adventurer’s journal.
“How so Ko? What were you thinking?”
“Well, I have some doubts regarding monsters being constrained to a single floor. The return behaviour they apparently possess seems off to me, and I want to test if we can lure a single goblin up to the 50th floor. If I’m correct, this would allow us to safely focus on eliminating 1 individual in a controlled manner. But first... We should probably report this to Raya and fill her in on my plans. She also might be able to provide some more details from her labyrinth experience.”
After returning up the stairs again, I was able to see that Raya was still continuing to sob into her knees while remaining close to the dwindling fire. She was still faintly crying over having failed to protect Emilia, and appeared to be an empty void of emotion. Sitting down across from her, I began asking my questions regarding what the Kingdom of Solara knew about how the labyrinth functioned.
“Hey... Raya... Mind if I ask you some questions about the labyrinth? I want to know... How well the kingdom had tested the rules you’d explained to me back at the palace.”
...
No response from the depressed commander, as they continued staring into the crackling fire, with the sound of wood popping occasionally breaking the silence between us. Raya clearly didn’t seem interested in responding to my questions right now.
“Raya... I’m going to attempt bringing a goblin to the 50th floor...”
...
...
“It... It’s pointless champion. Please just... Just leave me alone.”
Her words filled my ears with a tone I was all too familiar with. One filled with a complete loss of oneself, quietly accepting their fate, with any hint of hope non-existent. The sounds of someone who had given up on life, and was merely waiting for death to grace their person. Angrily clenching my fists, I turned to walk away while offering my last thoughts to the commander.
“Is this the commander, that Emilia trusted to keep her safe? The commander she trusted for advice, and to always be there for her? A pathetic soldier that gives up, just because the situation seems hopeless?
...
This… This isn’t the Raya that led the royal army, the commander that survived the minotaur, or the knight who fought to save her from a demon. What would Emilia think... Seeing you like this now.”
“You... You know NOTHING about me!! How dare you—!”
“You’re right. I do know nothing about you, but I know this isn’t the Raya the princess believed in.
...
Even the greatest darkness, cannot defeat the tiniest light.
---
Your heart... It still hasn’t given up Raya. Our words may lie, but our hearts always speak the truth. Call it a cliché, a trope, or a platitude, but I refuse to give up. I’ll prove the reality you’ve chosen to accept is wrong. Yes, I’m scared. Yes, I feel like a failure right now. But until I’m actually dead, I refuse to accept my fate, as that monster proclaimed.”
Finally walking away, the only sounds filling the empty room, were my footsteps echoing against the ancient stone flooring, as I continued towards the staircase. I could see Inari’s ears were pinned back once I got closer to her. She had probably been listening to our conversation, but wasn’t saying anything, just silently looking at me as I started my descent. Eventually, I heard her footsteps behind me, as we made it to the entrance for the 51st floor.
Looking into the room, the various goblin variants were still in their typical spots, huddled around a makeshift camp, filled to the brim with wooden boxes, and a “dance party” currently enjoying the flickering flames from a nearby fire. Off to the side, I could see a single goblin, slightly separated from the main group. The perfect target for my experiment. However, while I was gathering mana around my hand to launch a small firebolt, Inari softly tugged on my arm, whispering her concerns.
“Ko... Do you really think, we can force a goblin to move between floors? All of my notes on the labyrinth were very adamant that monsters couldn’t freely move between levels.”
“Yes, I believe we can Inari. If the humans of Solara had never even attempted to discover incantationless casting, I seriously doubt they’ve thoroughly investigated the labyrinth’s inner workings. I’m going to aggro that goblin off to the side. Let’s observe its behaviour and go from there.
Nodding towards me, Inari backed up slightly to give me some space on the floor’s landing, as I launched a small firebolt towards the bewildered goblin. After a few seconds, the flames impacted with the creature, causing it to turn towards my direction while madly dashing across the dirt floor. I positioned myself a few feet back from the official floor entrance, just to be safe. Then, just as described in literature, once the goblin was about to “cross” through the doorway into the staircase, all emotion left it’s enraged face, as it abruptly turned, frantically running back to it’s position just before I launched the firebolt. I repeated this process a few times with similar results, and was able to learn some additional information.
While my attacks did very little damage, the goblin’s health appeared to “regenerate” once it reached the invisible wall between floors, meaning I couldn’t just stand in my safe zone, launching firebolts until it died from chip damage. Furthermore, the divide between floors apparently had enough power to defy the known laws of physics. Well, whatever resemblance of physics I could apply to a fantasy world filled with magic...
On a few of the attempts, Inari and I had managed to get the goblin to perform a “jumping attack” near the entranceway. From her experience, if your back was turned to a goblin, it would always attempt a jumping attack against it’s target. While this behaviour reminded me of how video games typically functioned, it was also my only explanation to rationalize the collision with the invisible door. With careful timing, we were able to direct the goblin’s trajectory to coincide with the divide. However, when it’s body was just about to pass through, it magically lost all momentum, fell to the floor, than ran back to it’s location on the floor again.
*Sigh*
Disappointed with our early experiment results, I brought my hand to rest underneath my chin, as Inari and I continued pondering over how we could achieve our impossible goal. I had also taken the time to ask Coileene for her advice, but she was choosing to remain silent for some reason.
After a few minutes, Inari suggested an idea of her own for moving the goblin to the 50th floor. Essentially, it appeared the creatures couldn’t cross this invisible barrier on their own free will, which potentially meant an outside force could push them past the divide. Inari planned to modify her earthen pillar spell to “launch” the goblin through the door once it got close enough. Then, it would hopefully not reset, and remain in combat with us. Excited, I let her know I was prepared for our next attempt.
Once we were both ready, I launched another firebolt, while Inari primed the earth around the entrance according to her plan. My gut felt heavy, as an uncomfortable wave of nervousness washed over me. While I wanted the plan to work, our success meant we now had to essentially deal with another “boss” by ourselves in a confined space. After the agonizing seconds it took for the creature to reach the door, Inari finally released her spell.
*Smash*
“Ra! GAH!”
“SHIT!”
The earthen pillar spell was such a success, I just narrowly managed to avoid a crude slash from the goblin as it’s body came hurling through the doorway! However, once it’s feet had touched the ground, it started running towards the entrance to return to the 51st floor!
As if!
I’m not going to let you leave after finally getting your stupid green hide through the doorway!! Quickly, and with a bit of frustration guiding my sword, I roughly dug the blade into the creature’s abhorrent flesh. The assault wasn’t deep, but it was thankfully enough to grab the goblin’s attention. Next, it turned around to begin chase.
“Inari, RUN!!”
Both of us, quickly began bounding up the steps to the 50th floor, with an angry and confused goblin in tow. Dodging it’s haphazard slashes while retreating up a flight of stairs was not an easy feat, but I was somehow managing. Inari was several paces ahead, supporting my ascent with barriers and hex spells to reduce the goblin’s speed and reflexes. Eventually, after what felt like the longest spiral of stairs in my life, we had managed to reach the 50th floor. Not wanting the creature to lose interest at this moment, I made sure to deliver another slash, while Inari quickly unleashed another earthen pillar to decisively launch the goblin into the chambers.
*SMASH*
Keeping with the tempo, I flicked the shield along my wrist, much to the pleased hissing noises from Coileene, as the spinning disks hummed and came to life, orbiting around me within the cramped room.
[Haha! How absolutely wonderful Ko! I knew you two could figure this out! Now it’s time to feast upon our quarries’ core! Unleash my power upon this creature’s frail form!]
Charging at the goblin, I quickly delivered a rapid series of blows to it’s limbs. Despite the creature having roughly the same defense as the minotaur, the goblin’s flesh was much easier to maim with my upgraded weapons. Next, I glanced over to my left to see Inari’s kitsunebi spell impact with one of the rotating disks near the ceiling, rapidly absorbing the spell to empower its attack. The goblin, noticing the surge of energy gathering above it, managed to swiftly throw it’s blade towards the disk, altering the trajectory just before the beam could obliterate it.
*BOOSH**BOOM!*
The unleashed light beam crudely impacted with the nearby wall, causing a mini explosion that launched stray rocks and rubble towards our direction. Leaping out of the way, I commanded several black chains to burst forth from the ground, restraining the goblin’s movements. Then, I quickly launched my flaming spear attack towards one of the remaining floating disks. The goblin, struggling to free it’s limbs, could only look in horror at the disk calmly humming away, as it levitated into position above the creature’s body. Then, satisfied it had finished absorbing my spell, the disk released it’s payload in a powerful burst of mana, completely annihilating the goblin’s body. Finally, breathing a sign of relief, I shot Inari a smile, then turned my attention towards the confused and startled commander, before offering a cheesy one liner to summarize my resolve.
“Raya, we will survive this labyrinth.”