Sorry about the delay with this chapter's release. I'm working full time now and don't have much time to write. If you see any mistakes please point them out in the comments and thanks for reading~!
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I carved runes into small wooden wards. The ash-colored exteriors were stripped away in sweeping intricate patterns by my carving blade, revealing white-gold flesh underneath. Benson lead me towards the exit so I could focus while I moved. The caverns sloped upwards, almost in a spiral, and The Guardian of Eternity vanished from my peripherals. Cerberus’s mad, booming voice echoed throughout the dungeon.
At the top of the semi-spiral incline was a gateway as large as the entrance to the Labyrinth itself. Bursts of blue lightning traveled along it, showing the sheer might of the enchantments it bore. I identified three of them as tier 7 mana suppressing runes, but two of those enchantments were breaking down. The runes buzzed with more energy than a dwarf star, and I felt noticeably sick as we neared them.
The gateway itself seemed far too daunting to open, but I was pleasantly surprised when Benson lead me to the side where a much smaller passageway was hidden. We walked around the gateway and out a sliding hidden doorway. The rocks closed behind us immediately.
“You need to press this stone here to open the hidden passage around the huge gate,” said Benson as he pointed out a lever-shaped rock sticking out of the cavern wall.
“Then that will be the first thing we hide,” I said, confidence returning to me now that I was beyond the enchanted gate. I could feel Cerberus’s magic weaken thousands of times over on this side… But the fact I could feel it at all was the bigger problem. Tier 7 enchantments weren’t enough to hold back a being that powerful. He was overqualified as a raid-boss-level monster from Xternity.
I looked down at the half-shapen runes in my hand and started planning my next cut. The potion for reflect magic would wear off soon, but with Ether’s Bane equipped Cerberus wouldn’t be able to do anything to me beyond the Gateway.
It took me an hour to carve seals strong enough. Thankfully I had enough activation fluids in my Inventory to complete the project. I wouldn’t have wanted to climb down to this floor again to set up runes later. The mere thought of leaving Cerberus unrestrained terrified me.
I crafted a series of three runes. The first would effectively cut off Cerberus’s influence on the world at large. The second rune reinforced the first, making sure it wouldn’t decay like the old enchantments on the gateway. The final rune, unlike the first two, wasn’t to stop Cerberus from getting out. The final rune was to stop anyone else from accidentally stumbling upon this place.
According to Benson, we were currently on the 100th level of the Labyrinth. From what I heard back in Golden Thrush, no one had made it past the 30th floor of this labyrinth… But I didn’t want to take any chances. There might be others like Benson or me in this world, after all. I was certain that there existed others who could reach this floor as well.
I designed the final rune to be subtle but powerful. Much like my repellent wards it was designed to keep people away, but it did so through very subtle manipulations. This rune tapped into the mental state people have when they forget why they walked into a room. By manipulating the short-term memories of anyone who enters this floor, I could cause them to forget a pathway ever existed here.
As I placed the runes down, Cerberus’s voice grew distant and finally disappeared. His final words rumbled through the chamber, “You will regret this.” As his voice faded, Benson and I found ourselves surrounded by a profound silence.
“Benson, collapse part of the ceiling. Make this look like a dead end,” I said, my voice careful but measured, cutting the quiet like a knife. He complied without a word. Benson leaped to the ceiling and smashed it with his blade, creating a rain of rock and earth. I backed away as the rockslide roared, shaking everything about.
“Does this Labyrinth have treasure chests, Benson?” I asked him as he landed next to me.
“Yes, this Labyrinth is similar to the dungeons of Xternity,” Benson replied.
“Good. Can you go get one of the chests and bring it here? I’ll put a tier 5 or 6 sword in it. If people think this is the end of the Labyrinth due to my runes and the chest, they’ll never investigate the collapsed area.”
Benson nodded and then vanished. I sat down and sorted through my inventory, looking for a weapon that I wouldn’t mind parting with. There were several options to choose from, but I ended up deciding on the Tier 6 sword Caperknott. It’s ability wouldn’t be too devastating for a single person to wield considering it’s only useful in one on one combat.
I didn’t want to leave aside one of my higher tiered weapons that could turn the tide in a war. I didn’t know much about the political scene of this world, but I’ve read enough light novels to know something like that would come back to bite me. Caperknott would cause a stir in a small country, for sure, but it wouldn’t upset the balance in a major conflict.
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Benson arrived quickly with one of the wooden chests, and we stuffed it with High Marks and the sword. If anyone ever did complete this dungeon, they would surely mistake this chest for the final reward.
“Now we begin our ascent,” I said, my voice quiet. My head ached and I desperately wanted to sleep. My own charms were bending the mana in the air, and I didn’t feel like staying there much longer. “We’ll return here one day, Benson. Once I’ve acquired more resources.”
“Yes, Mistress,” he replied with a nod. “I’ll guide you out. I’ll spread out my aura and keep most monsters away. A few might still attack us, though.”
“Alright. Lead the way,” I said, my a small grin growing. Today had been a very long day. I slipped off Ether’s Bane, thankful it wasn’t needed for the next leg of our journey. Anyone with half a sense could see the raw ambient power Ether’s Bane exuded. Even Cerberus took pause when I pulled it from my inventory.
Leaving the labyrinth took hours. I hadn’t realized just how deep underground 100 floors really was until I had to climb up that distance. My feet ached through the enchantments on my boots, and I grew tired of monster attacks. Thankfully, Benson didn’t seem as weathered as I was. The random caverns, environments, and wonders would normally have kept me distracted, but my own exhaustion made them all pass by in a haze.
When we finally reached the top floor, we could see a large group of people standing outside the exit; early dawn sunbeams glittered past them, casting long shadows on the cavern floors ahead.
“They are talking about a rescue mission, Mistress,” said Benson to my left. I didn’t know he had an eavesdropping spell or skill…
As we neared them I could make out their voices. They made mention of a ‘C’ rank adventurer who entered the Labyrinth under-equipped in the middle of the night. They were here to rescue -me-.
As we approached one of the men called out and pointed to us. I waved at them without much vigour. I just couldn’t drum up the energy.
“Miss,” a tall man wearing chainmail armor spoke. He had a glorious mustache; it was wider than his ears and bushier than the hair on his head. It muffled his words a bit. “My name is Martin Barngrave, Captain of the New Hidet Guard. Are you perhaps the ‘C’ ranked adventurer who entered the labyrinth last night?”
“Yes,” I replied, my voice hoarse. “I lost myself in my excitement, having arrived in the city only yesterday evening and underestimated the dangers. It took me far longer to climb out.”
“I see. Who is this with you, if I might ask? The reports said you were alone,” Captain Martin asked.
“I am but a humble servant and guard to my mistress,” said Benson in a delicate voice. “I followed in my mistresses shadow to ensure no harm befell her. I apologize for sneaking past the guard.”
“Well now,” said the Captain, blowing out the sides of his mustache. “You two need to come with me back to the guild. We’ll check your cards then you’ll have to pay a fine for rescue services.”
“We didn’t use the rescue servic…”
I held up my hand to stop Benson. I asked, “How much is the fine?”
“It’ll be five High Marks. You’re lucky I’m not charging you for unlawful entry as well,” replied the Captain as he stared down Benson’s nose.
I pulled out the five coins and handed them to Benson as well as my card. “I really need some sleep. Benson, could you please be courteous and pay this fine man for his services.” I jerked my eyes towards the Captain, nonverbally telling Benson not to argue with the man. He seemed to get my message. “I would also appreciate it if you could take care of reporting everything that happened last night to the guild for me. I desperately need to climb in a bed.”
“Very well, Mistress,” said Benson, his voice a bit hollow.
“Follow me then, Mr Benson,” said the Captain as he turned to walk away. The crowd around us started to disperse as well. I turned around and looked at the massive gateway to the Labyrinth, pausing for a moment to really take in its grandeur.
The walk to the inn was treacherous, filled with terrible traps such as pebbles on the street that I tripped over and horrid morning sunlight that burned my eyes as it rose over Mire’s Lake.
When I reached the inn I gave the keeper a nod, who looked at me with a bewildered expression, probably wondering just when I had left in the first place. I didn’t stick around for breakfast or small talk. Instead I made my way upstairs, closed the door behind me, and collapsed face first into the scratchy bedding. It felt like heaven.