The transition was instantaneous. One moment, Jade was standing at the border between woodland and sea. The next, she found herself at the edge of a large, circular pavilion. The center of the space was occupied by an ornate, carefully manicured garden brimming with colorful flowers, its edges rimmed by a wooden walkway. A stone pedestal rose from the center of the garden, topped with a bowl filled with translucent, multicolored fruit.

What truly caught Jade's attention, however, was the vista beyond the pavilion's railing. The structure was floating amidst a sea of ethereal clouds, bathed in a source less light that seemed to come from everywhere at once. In the distance, just visible through the shifting mists, rose a massive tower of incomprehensible scale. Jade stepped up to the railing and craned her neck, trying to spot its top, but it vanished into the clouds high above. She did spot multiple offshoots from the central tower, stretching out in every direction. Twinkling lights sparkled along their length.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Siora asked, stepping up beside Jade.

"What is it?" Jade asked, trying to gauge the scale of the structure. Without anything to compare it to, it was hard to tell how large it truly was.

"The Astral Tree." The elf replied simply. "It has many names, like the 'World Tree', or 'Lesreiza'. Some say that the Labyrinth itself grew from its roots. Others claim the tree formed afterwards, birthed from the cosmic power embodied in this world."

"It's the former, according to our most accurate records." Aylin said. The mage had just stepped through the open stairway portal and was now gazing out at the spectacle along with everyone else. "References to a 'world tree', or similar concepts, appear in many cultures throughout the cosmos dating back millennia, long before the Labyrinth was discovered. Many forms of dimensional magic used it to traverse the multiverse, as it is said that each branch brushes a different world. Actually…" She turned to look at Jade. "That was the type of magic the demons used to propel their invasion, during the Cataclysm."

Jade noted that the mage's gaze still held a little wariness. She supposed it was too much to hope that all her suspicions would fade immediately.

"Wait…" That was a lot of information for Jade to process. Every time she felt like she was getting a handle on how her new reality worked, the scale of it all shifted. "You're saying that the Labyrinth wasn't always here?"

"No one knows." The half-elf shrugged. "It continues to grow with each passing century, reaching new worlds year after year. Early references are limited and scattered, likely because it was so much smaller in the beginning. It is believed that it uses the Astral Tree as a template to guide its growth, and help it find new lands. But where it truly came from is a mystery."

"It's like Yggdrasil." Naomi murmured, staring up at it in awe. "You know, from old Norse mythology?"

"Huh…" Jade said, realizing she was right. She wasn't an expert, but she was pretty sure that numerous Earth religions referenced a similar concept. Could that be a coincidence? Or had early civilizations somehow caught a glimpse of this cosmic realm?

"Where are we, exactly?"

"Between the floors." Aylin leaned over the railing, looking down into the churning mists. "The portal that will take us to the second floor will open soon. The clouds are too thick today but, sometimes, if you look closely, you can actually see part of the Labyrinth's dimensional footprint in the distance."

Jade followed her gaze, trying to spot any shapes other than the tree itself, but the fog was too thick. She was about to ask if that meant you could just climb your way up to the next level the long way when Luis spoke up.

"What are these?" Luis asked. He had stepped into the garden and was now holding a bright purple fruit that looked somewhat like a pear. Apparently, the ethereal fruit in the bowl gained substance when you touched them.

"The Labyrinth grants one fruit from the World Tree to each person who ascends its levels." Siora explained, stepping over to the bowl and taking one for herself. Jade watched the object materialize as her hand entered the bowl. "But only on your first time. I've never actually gone from the first floor to the second, I was born there, so it looks like it will let me take one as well." She finished with a smile, sniffing the glowing green fruit she now held.

"What does it do?" Jade asked, joining them and taking one for herself. Before she even finished speaking, she heard a crunching noise beside her. Luis had already bitten into his fruit, and he finished devouring it as she turned an exasperated gaze on him.

"'s good!" he said, closing his eyes and savoring it. "You should try it."

"Go ahead." Aylin gestured with a slight smile. "It's a special experience."

Curious, Jade inspected hers. The orange fruit was lighter than it looked and oddly warm to the touch. She took a bite, and an explosion of sweetness filled her mouth, accompanied by a rush of vibrant energy that spread throughout her body. A prompt appeared.

* System Note: You have consumed 'Astral Fruit of Balance'. All your characteristics have increased by 1.

The aches and pains of the day's trails ebbed away, leaving Jade feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

"Woah." She blinked, standing a little straighter. "Not bad."

"'Not bad'?" Naomi rolled her eyes, having just finished her own. "Jade, if the universe ever elects a queen of understatement, you'd be a prime candidate."

Jade gave her a flat look, not deigning to reply.

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"Every floor gives a different type of fruit from the tree, and they all have different effects." Aylin explained. "I don't remember all of it myself, but the Order has documented many of them."

She continued, explaining that she herself had already received the gifts from the first two floors, and was hoping to make her way to the third stairway at some point to obtain that one. Apparently, each floor beyond the second embodied a specific element of cosmic power, and that was reflected in the fruit the Labyrinth offered. On space between the first two floors all those elements were in equilibrium, so they were given the fruit of 'balance'. When it became clear that they had no idea what that meant, Aylin began listing them off, adopting the air of a professor lecturing to a class.

"There are twelve fundamental forces in the cosmos, each represented in different levels of the Labyrinth. Order, chaos, light, dark, growth, deca-." She was cut off by a loud humming sound. Another portal shimmered to life in front of them, identical to the one they entered through.

"Ah." Aylin said, gesturing towards the exit. "That's our cue to leave."

Jade wanted to learn more about these 'fundamental forces', but it looked like that would have to wait.

"Siora? Excited to get home?" she asked the elf, walking with her towards the portal.

"Of course!" The elf clasped her hands behind her back, practically bouncing with enthusiasm. "You're going to love Lysara, it's peaceful and beautiful. I can't wait to show you the wildflower fields. And there's the canopy district! Oh! And all the food!"

"We are on a mission." Jade reminded her gently. "Earth is in danger, we won't have much time for sightseeing."

"We can't fight all the time, Jade." Naomi said. "Taking a day to relax every once in a while will do more to keep us in fighting shape than constant battle. It's just like performing, you need some recovery time between shows. Besides, we don't have to do it all ourselves. There are other wayfarers and, once the gates open on Earth, I'm sure all the world powers will be sending in their armies to try and deal with this."

"Probably." Jade conceded, nodding. "But Damos said something about armies struggling in the Labyrinth, remember? Even setting aside the levelling challenges non-wayfarers have."

"Your sanctuary attendant told you that?" Aylin asked, pausing. "He was right. The Labyrinth always mounts a strong response to large armed groups moving through it. Any who try will quickly find themselves swarmed by monsters, especially on the higher floors. There are some exceptions, and it’s a sliding scale, but most who try to tackle the integration through sheer volume of arms end up regretting the decision."

Jade reflected that, even if the full military might of Earth couldn't be brought to bear on this challenge, their military industrial complex could and would. Would they soon be outfitted with the best technology and weapons that Earth could manufacture? How would those compare to the magic they could now wield? She was going to have a lot of questions for Aylin in the coming days.

Luis insisted on taking one last look at the majestic tree, so they paused by the exit portal. While she waited, Jade finally turned her attention to her pulsing notification icon. She had a surprising number of them pending, and Jade quickly skimmed through them. There was a 'quest complete' and a 'level up', but she pushed those aside for a far more interesting one that caught her eye.

* System Note: You have ascended to the second floor of the Labyrinth. Your 'Title Page' is now available.

* System Note: You have '2' pending titles.

No one had told her that new system functions would become available upon reaching higher floors. Intrigued, Jade was about to tab over to see what her new titles were when another prompt popped up.

* New Quest: Path to Power

* You have taken the first step on the long road to greatness. Do you have what it takes to claim the might of the cosmos for yourself, or will you fall short like so many others?

* Objective: Obtain four titles. Current progress: Two of Four.

* Reward: Large experience gain.

* Reward: Unlock the 'Advanced Class' quest line.

Advanced classes? Titles? It looked like she still had a lot to learn about how the Labyrinth worked. The prospect of getting powerful, truly powerful, was undeniably appealing, but Jade hadn't forgotten the true nature of the Labyrinth, nor the promise she'd made. This realm was a blight on the universe, consuming world after world, shattering civilizations, and throwing entire peoples into chaos. It couldn't be allowed to continue.

She had no idea how to stop it yet, but Jade felt like she had just learned an important clue. This 'Astral Tree' was somehow related to it, and perhaps held the key to its demise. She looked out at it one last time, tracing its branches as they disappeared into the clouds. How many of them had the Labyrinth followed to unsuspecting worlds, laying waste to them? Thousands? Tens of thousands? Did anyone even know?

Demonic rage stirred in her heart, and this time Jade didn't try to push it away. The Labyrinth had turned her into a monster, a creature of darkness and lust that was feared throughout the cosmos. It had wrenched her away from her life, her family, and her friends. Worst of all, it had taken her from Alan, in his time of need.

And yet it also granted her power and continued to open new avenues for her to gain strength. So, Jade would play its games, complete its trials, and destroy these 'Cores' to secure the safety of her home, accumulating power and mastery all the while. But she wouldn't stop there. Not until she found a way to bring ruin to whatever malevolent force controlled this world. No matter how long it took.

The question was, could she see this through without losing her humanity? And if becoming a monster was what it took to put an end to this misery, would it be worth it?

I will do what must be done. She resolved, the last to step through the portal. Whatever the cost to myself.

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The morning sun shone through the opening to Braston's tent, stinging his eyes. The man grunted in pain, turning away and rubbing at his pounding head as he rummaged through a small trunk at the foot of his bedroll. Outside, he could hear raised voices as that idiot lordling and the self-righteous captain argued about the previous evening's events and their current condition. Braston wasn't all that happy himself, but he had a job to do. Whatever drug had been used to knock them out the previous night had been potent, but it hadn't completely eliminated his awareness.

He dimly recalled hearing a commotion and dragging himself to the mouth of his tent to quietly observe. It was hard to remember details with his mind still sluggish, but the important parts stood out. One of those new wayfarers was a demon. An actual succubus, and apparently one that wasn't completely deranged like most demons were said to be. Braston had always hidden a shrewd mind beneath a veneer of thuggish ineptitude and knew that this presented an opportunity not only for the guild, but also for his own advancement. Finally, he found what he was looking for and pulled out the enchanted quill and parchment.

The Matron would want to be made aware of this development. This 'Jade' woman's unique nature and talents could be an incredible boon to the Ebon Eye. She might also be able to help them deal with one or two challenges, if she could be brought into the fold.

The guild lieutenant snorted as he began to write a message, the words magically transmitted back to the headquarters in Illysport. The Matron was excellent at convincing people to do what she liked. Braston would wager a year's worth of his ill-gotten gains that Jade would likely end up receiving an offer soon. The sort that she would find quite hard to turn down. If he was lucky, maybe he'd even be there to see it.

The End of Book 1

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