*Chapter 13: The Labyrinth*

"The Fu##?!" both Kagami and Charlotte exclaimed in unison, their surprise palpable.

Astaria began to explain, her tone tinged with concern, "It seems like this is a domain that is highly secured and protected in nature, with many entrances but only one exit. To reach that exit, we must navigate through numerous rooms infested with all manner of monsters, pass through the central room, and more than likely face a formidable and terrifying creature that was sealed here long ago. The person we've been communicating with told me that dying of thirst and hunger would be better than encountering that creature, and then he vanished."

"Are you absolutely sure this isn't some kind of twisted joke? You know dark comedy is pretty popular nowadays." Kagami nervously inquired.

"I'm certain it's not," Astaria replied quickly.

Charlotte, displaying her typical nonchalance(Although she was nervous), asserted, "Hand him over to me; I want to have a chat with this 'Him.'"

Astaria regretfully shook her head. "I can't. He's gone for good this time."

"What do you mean by 'gone for good'?" Kagami probed trying to get more informations.

"Before, I couldn't talk to him, but I could feel his faint presence. Not anymore," Astaria explained. "Perhaps he's taken a toilet break or something."

Charlotte and Kagami chose to ignore the last comment. Instead, Kagami mused, "A monster so terrifying that dying of thirst and hunger is the preferable option? This is a level of seriousness beyond serious. This is turning into a shitty horror show pretty quick."

"Monster or not, I'd rather take my chances than succumb to thirst and hunger," Charlotte confidently declared. Her nervousness vanished and was replaced with arrogance.

Kagami interrupted his thoughts before they delved too deeply, asking Astaria, "So how do we escape from here? He told you the magic words?"

Astaria appeared worried, hesitating for a moment before understanding the obvious choice: They will take their chances no matter what. "He told me how to access the domain and what to do to open the hidden door."

Charlotte's eyes sparkled with anticipation as she urged Astaria to proceed. Her blood pumped, she forgot about the terrifying creature and only focused on the small fries she may encounter.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Astaria worried about multiple things including Charlotte posing in anticipation, her eyes going into the predatory mode, and her breaths becoming deeper. Astaria looked to Kagami for confirmation, while Kagami offered a reassuring smile, attempting to lighten the tense atmosphere. "What's with that worried look? We have a commission to fulfill, don't we? We can't do that if we die here. Besides, we're going to defeat the Demon King one day; there's no doubt we'll survive."

With Astaria's guidance, they opened the concealed door and entered into the vast, labyrinthine and scary domain. Once they had safely passed through, the door suddenly vanished, leaving no trace behind.

While much of Kagami's earlier speech was nothing more than overoptimistic nonsense intended to soothe the atmosphere, it appeared to have worked. Kagami laid down some ground rules for the group. They were to follow his lead, exercise caution, avoid unnecessary conflicts, never let their guard down, and prioritize protecting each other. Furthermore, he decided that if they did find the lady, they would leave her with him and focus on safeguarding each other. Kagami didn't express it aloud, but his actions made it clear that he prioritized the lives of his party over any other considerations. If the lady proved to be more of a liability he was going to simply leave her behind.

Kagami took a deep breath, his anxiety evident. "Is it too late to turn back and die in that ditch? Looking back at it, it had that comfy feeling, you know?"

The two exchanged perplexed glances, unsure of how to respond to Kagami's question. Nevertheless, they pressed on, venturing through an array of bizarre and bewildering rooms, and navigating through countless chambers filled with a variety of monstrous creatures from the small fries, Charlotte decimated to the big ones Kagami instructed to stealthy avoid. They also passed by the heart of the labyrinth, a massive pulsating monster's heart, straight out of a horror story. Unwilling to dwell on the gruesome sight, they made a silent agreement not to acknowledge it, completely ignore it, and pretending the room was empty. For they feared if they acknowledge the monstrosity they saw, the domain itself may wake up, and swallow them whole (It was Astaria “optimistic” thoughts).

At last, they arrived at what Kagami referred to as the "boss" room. They stared at the massive, imposing door.

Charlotte broke the silence, her tone uncharacteristically uncertain. "So, is this where we meet our doom? Better go while we still want to escape."

Kagami, ever the optimist, quipped, "Let's put a positive spin on it. How about you phrase it as, 'This is our way out?'" He completely ignored Charlotte's advice, and started talking nonsense.

The two continued to banter, with even Astaria joining in the end. The three kept at it for a while avoiding to face the impending doom. The longer they stood in front of the scary door the more they felt; 'Maybe if you ignore it enough it will disappear', That was their unconscious and unspoken philosophy As they exchanged jests and insults, they stood on the precipice of their next great and probably last trial. Picking on each other like true party members should.

------------------------

Thank you so much for reading!