I took another bite as the human-like crimson blood flowed down my chin and stained my clothes.

'Not bad,' I noted inwardly. "Though it could just be that I'm hungry."

I wasn't worried about potential side effects of eating the minotaur's meat, since I was pretty sure my enhanced body could take it. It was also possible that the minotaurs were here, not just to pose a threat, but to provide nourishment for anyone who couldn't find the exit before going hungry.

After finishing the piece of meat, I cupped my hands and took some of the blood into my hands before brining my hands up and downing the whole thing, with some of it overflowing and staining my cheeks. The blood was really refreshing, which only made me more sure of my theory.

I wiped my mouth and exhaled, but the feast didn't stop there. The minotaur provided a massive amount of food, so I decided to continue consuming it for as long as I wanted to.

As I sat on the minotaurs leg with blood all over me and the surrounding area, I wondered what exactly I looked like right now.

'I must look like quite the monster. Maybe even worse than him,' I thought, giving a quiet laugh while nobody was watching.

I had been terrified of being alone at first, but to be honest, it wasn't that bad. I didn't get what I had been so afraid of, to be honest.

Everything I needed was in this place. Unlimited nourishment and something to pass my time with. What more could a man ask for?

'Maybe this place was meant for me.'

Such a thought passed through my mind, which prompted the ends of my lips to curl upward.

***

I scratched my facial hair that had some dried blood on it and thought, 'I'll need to do one of those hazardous shaving sessions with my kusarigama again after I get out of this place.'

My mind felt hazy, and almost every part of my body ached from cuts, bruises, and muscle strains. Severe sleep deprivation and constant life-or-death battles were nothing to scoff at.

It has been several days since I first came here. No, maybe it had already been weeks. Well, it didn't matter. Contrary to my expectations, I had gotten sick of the place pretty quickly, and fighting with the minotaurs had gotten immeasurably boring. It was time to leave this place.

My back itched a little as I walked down the passageway, so I put my arm behind my back and tried scratching it, but I fell short by just a little. I tried the other hand, but it had the same result.

"Argh."

I then summoned my kusarigama and proceeded to put it behind my back before shoving the blade into the part that was itchy. I could feel my clothes and skin being smoothly cut apart like paper, and I moved the blade back and forth a little before exhaling in a satisfied manner.

I cancelled the summoning of my kusarigama with a smile and continued on my journey like nothing had happened, ignoring the wound in my back that was now leaking blood on the ground behind me, leaving a trail.

I had high hopes for this passageway. It had to be the one.

Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks before shifting my gaze upwards and moving my head from side to side, my head filled with thoughts. I had been wrong about these things before, but never before had I felt so sure that a minotaur was close.

"You wanna come out and play?" I asked patiently with a soft tone of voice with my hand behind my back as I shifted my weight from side to side. "Hello? I'm talking to you. Stop hiding," I said and proceeded to wait for a while. Then the joints in my hands and wrists tensed as I abruptly shouted, "Face me!"

Finally, the minotaur showed itself with an aura of disgruntlement and shock. I had gotten so used to these things that I was now able to read their emotions as if they were human.

I stood in place without so much as summoning my weapon and waited for the minotaur to strike first.

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The minotaur saw his opportunity and raised his battleaxe, going for an overhead swing.

'How boring,' I thought, having seen the exact same move countless times before.

Then the swing came, but I still didn't move. It was only when the battleaxe was just about to split my head in half that I moved my right hand and slammed the blade of the battleaxe with my palm, creating a sound that resounded throughout the passageway and causing the battleaxe's trajectory to change just enough for it to hit the ground right beside my left arm.

I looked at the battleaxe that had sunken into the ground on my left before directing my eyes to the minotaur that was staring at me with its wide eyes that were filled with darkness.

I stared back for a few seconds before exploding forward and jumping up to meet the eyes of the minotaur before I shoved my hand elbow-deep into its throat.

Despite my obvious physical advantages, I couldn't be too careless and got myself into a safe position after taking my hand out of the minotaur's throat, preventing it from grabbing me in a desperate act of vengeance.

I briefly watched the minotaur collapse before continuing on my way down the passageway. As I walked, I licked some of the minotaur blood on my hand with a neutral expression. 'What a hassle.'

It took a while of walking and turning around corners, but eventually I arrived in front of a large door with engravings on it, I didn't bother to pay any kind of attention to.

I pushed the door open relatively easily and found an enormous white room on the other side.

I walked in, the door disappearing shortly after my entrance. Then my expression grew solemn as I gazed at the dinner table filled with all kinds of food that had just one seat in front of it.

The time I had been in The Ruins had undoubtably been the worst time of my life, but even then, I had always had people eating with me in front of that specific table.

The moments we enjoyed in this place were real. It hadn't all been bad before, but now there was nothing left. Everyone was dead. I was the only one left, and everybody knew I wasn't the one who made those moments great. I had just been lucky enough to have such great people with me.

"Aagh!" I groaned as I sat down on the ground, far from the table, and buried my face in my hands.

This place was cruel. Much more cruel than the outside world. The outside world wasn't very accommodating either. No matter where you went, there was always crime, disease, and suffering.

'I wish... I wish that there was a paradise,' I thought before realizing the full ridiculousness of my sentiment and laying down on the ground and spreading my arms before laughing as hard as I could.

The laugh sounded forced even to me, and I quickly stopped, the echoes dying down soon after.

Then I rose up and looked at my hands, which were covered in crimson blood; some of it had dried up already. 'Even if there was such a place... I wouldn't be welcome.'

I forgot such thoughts for the time being and decided to head to the bathroom to wash my hands and shave my facial hair.

After entering the bathroom, I walked up to the sink with my gaze low and washed my hands in a relaxed manner, enjoying the peaceful moment.

That was until I looked up at the mirror.

I gasped as my gaze met that of the man in the mirror, who had white hair and hazel eyes that had a glowing red dot in the middle of both his pupils.

I stared at the reflection for a few more moments as I breathed deeply, my mind completely silent for once. Then I put my hand on my face to make sure it was really myself that I was seeing. Once that became clear, a smile spread across my face, even though I felt more like throwing up than smiling. "I should've known... It's in my blood, after all."