A heavy silence settled over the champions as they absorbed the mage's words. The women from Claw found themselves inadvertently fixating on the path ahead, while Scott and his companions quietly contemplated the possible exits that awaited them.
The silence stretched on for another moment before Scott broke it. “It didn't give any indication of which exit to take, did it?”
Orion shook his head ruefully. “It's still playing games, unfortunately. I don't believe I can extract that information from it,” he said, pausing briefly as he glanced upwards.
Scott frowned behind his mask, and Slim's voice suddenly cut through the stillness. “Do you think it's wise to experiment?” he suggested.
“Oh?” Orion turned his head towards the necromancer. “What kind of experiment do you propose?” the mage asked, his excitement evident.
Slim briefly outlined the experimental process they had conducted in the forest, eliciting an even more amiable smile from Orion.
“Unfortunately, that won't work here,” Orion remarked.
“How do you know?” Zara interjected before Slim could.
“Because the skull was laughing,” Scott interposed, his gaze fixed on the ethereal skull, which rolled from side to side, silently mocking Slim's suggestion.
“Exactly,” Orion confirmed. “I suggest we simply take the first exit that presents itself.”
“Isn't that a bit reckless?” Uvophine chimed in. “What if the exit is filled with dangers beyond our capabilities?” she asked, her arms folded across her chest.
“An intriguing question, but ultimately futile,” Orion commented, chuckling as he adjusted his glasses. “What guarantee do we have that another exit wouldn't be even worse?” he countered.
“That's why we should exercise patience and refrain from hastily making decisions we may regret,” Uvoinne suggested softly. “As he said, why not explore several zones before deciding? It would significantly improve our chances of surviving whatever this place holds.”
Simultaneously, Scott and Orion lifted their heads, the mage wearing a wry smile. He lowered his gaze, clearing his throat. “It laughed again.”
The harpies frowned; their limpid eyes focused on the empty space above Orion’s head.
“How do you know that thing isn’t trying to deceive us?” Daphine joined the discussion. “It’s already strange that it’s supposedly willing to give you information. But aren’t you a little too trusting? For all we know, everything it said could be absolute horseshit.”
Orion raised his head again. No one needed to tell them what it signified.
Unwilling to back down, Daphine continued, “Well, I don’t know how you guys handle things, but I refuse to put my safety on the line because of the words of something that can’t even be seen. If we’re going to move, then there must be undeniable proof that whatever action we take is safe.”
A chortle echoed, and the champions turned toward an unsuspecting speaker. Fi-Fi, in an ambiguous humanoid form, shook its head as if trying its best to stifle its laughter.
Naturally, Daphine couldn’t help but frown. From her perspective, the elemental slime simply mocked her suggestion.
“Is something funny?” Daphine asked, unable to hide her anger.
“Yes,” Fi-Fi said. “Fi-Fi finds your suggestion quixotic, and Fi-Fi can’t understand how you’ve survived this long.”
Slim and Zara's jaws dropped for a moment, and Llorva couldn’t stop herself from laughing. Orion and Scott, like Slim and Zara, had their mouths open, staring at the elemental slime in a new light. However, rage distorted the faces of the ladies from Claw, especially Daphine and the harpies.
Daphine stepped forward. “Are you insulting me?” she asked, her eyes laced with fury.
Llorva stood in front of Fi-Fi, silently warning the artist not to approach any further. At that same moment, Fi-Fi’s voice came from behind, saying, “Why would Fi-Fi insult you?”
The slime tilted its head to the side, confused by the human’s question. “Fi-Fi only pointed out its confusion. Because Fi-Fi doesn’t understand how you expect to find the safest route when time constraints might also play a factor in this trial,” the slime explained. “Fi-Fi also wants to mention that if the mage’s words are indeed factual, we would waste so many elemental shards and exits because of the fear of the unknown.”
“Are you saying we should just charge into whatever exit that presents itself without considering our options?” Daphine retorted. “If that’s how you do things, then I should be the one asking how you’ve managed to survive until now.”
“This conversation isn’t going anywhere; let’s all take a breather,” Zara interjected, trying to calm the rising tensions.
“Don’t tell me what to do. I’m perfectly calm,” Daphine retorted. “In case you’ve forgotten, this is just temporary—”
“That’s enough!” Lysa suddenly interjected, thick veins protruding from the corners of her eyes. She took a step forward, locking gaze with Zara, who looked perfectly calm, but one could see the displeasure in her eyes.
Lysa offered an apologetic smile. “I apologize on her behalf,” she said. “We've all been under a lot of stress lately, so it's best not to take what's said to heart.”
Zara exhaled deeply, her gaze softening. “It's alright, I understand. Instead of resorting to confrontation, it might be best to consider our options,” she suggested.
“You're right,” Lysa agreed with a nod. “But to be completely honest, I'm not sure what the best course of action is. Both arguments seem to hold some credibility.”
Zara opened her mouth to respond, but her words were interrupted by a sudden system notification.
What a dilemma! A friction has been noticed amongst teammates. To ensure fraction doesn’t ensue, it’s important each voice is heard! Why not put it to a vote?
The area echoed with strange, impish laughter the instant the system notifications blinked into existence. Simultaneously, a peculiar paralysis gripped the champions, rendering them immobile. Above their heads, skulls began to materialize, emanating an eerie aura as if crafted from ethereal essence. The ominous laughter emanated from these ethereal beings, their presence casting a foreboding shadow over the group.
All Party Channels have been temporarily closed! The lesser god of Doom, Thisos, offers you the opportunity to experiment with the first twenty exits. However, you won’t be able to utilize or enter them! Do you wish to accept Thisos’ offer? Yes! No! You have thirty seconds to make your decision! Note: Thisos’ Offer will automatically take effect if a 40% vote point is reached!
Scott diverted his gaze from the notification, his attention shifting to Orion, who coincidentally met his eyes with the brightest of smiles. Though they couldn't communicate verbally, a shared understanding passed between them, evident in their expressions.
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What a sly bastard, Scott cursed inwardly as he glared at the system's notification. The eldritch knight closed his eyes silently, feeling the tendrils around his arms squirm incessantly. In that same moment, the imprint of madness among the hound extermination crew activated, pulling the champions' consciousness into a misty illusionary space.
“We have less than twenty-five seconds, so I'll be brief. Whatever you do, don't accept that bullshit offer,” Scott warned.
Orion burst into laughter. “Indeed. It's clearly a trap, and we'd regret it if we fell for it. I despise it, but our hands are tied,” he said, adjusting his glasses. “We can only hope those ladies don't…” The mage trailed off, sighing as he shook his head ruefully.
Without warning, Scott dispelled the illusionary space, and the champions snapped back to reality in their respective positions. They wasted no time in selecting their preferred option, watching as the timer slowly ticked down to zero.
The illusionary skulls dissipated, and the champions regained their mobility and voices. Yet, an eerie silence settled as members from both parties silently locked eyes.
A minute crawled by before a new system notification materialized before them.
Results Are In!
Voting Results: Yes ~ 3 votes. No ~ 6 votes. Abstained ~ 1 vote.
You Have Chosen Not to Accept Thisos’ Offer! The Lesser God of Doom, Thisos, Is Displeased! The Lesser God of Doom, Thisos, Is Considering Banning Your Party from His Sanctuary!
Orion let out a deep sigh of relief, flashing a nervous smile. “Whew... that was close.”
As the sense of relief washed over the hound extermination crew, the ladies from Claw exchanged deep frowns.
“Lysa, it was you, wasn’t it?” Uvophine said, glaring at the vampire.
With one hand on her hip, Lysa met the harpy’s glare with a dispassionate gaze. “Yeah, and so?”
Daphine interjected, pointing at the vampire. “What do you mean, ‘and so’? This was an opportunity to—”
“Let me stop you right there,” Lysa said, folding her arms across her chest. “Can you say with absolute certainty that you know what would have happened if we had met the 40% threshold?” She quizzed before glancing at Scott and his companions. “I don’t support their view on rush into things foolhardily. However, I’m not afraid to admit my ignorance in situations like these,” she said before turning back to her companions. “Also, unless any of you have the gift of prophecy or an ability to see the future that I’m not aware of, then please don’t talk to me about missed opportunities.”
Lysa lazily retrieved a cigarette from her inventory, before igniting it. She drew in a deep puff before exhaling the acrid smoke. “Anything else?” she asked.
Uvophine and Daphine could only glare at the vampire, but they couldn’t refute her words. With the duo falling silent, Lysa turned her attention towards the hound extermination crew.
“So, what’s the plan?” she asked, taking another puff from her cigarette.
“The second zone beckons,” Orion said with a smile. “We shouldn’t prolong our stay here any longer.”
“I feel the same,” Lysa said, tossing the lit cigarette towards the corner. “I feel much better now,” she added softly, cracking her knuckles. “So, does anyone know how much longer we have to wait?”
“Thirteen minutes, give or take,” Orion answered with a smile. “We still have plenty of time to prepare ourselves. Unfortunately, I won’t be indulging in any new conversations until then. Skully over here wants to tell me about its childhood. Fascinating, isn’t it?” the mage chuckled softly as he walked to a corner while muttering inaudible words.
“Great. We just had to pick the looneys to pair up with,” Daphine sighed softly, shaking her head. “Whatever happens from now on, this is on you, Lysa,” she added before turning away.
Uvophine glared at the vampire before retreating to her corner with her sister, leaving Lysa, who remained dispassionate, in her original position.
Approaching the vampire with gentle steps, Zara whispered, “And I thought I had it rough with those guys. Are they usually like this?”
Lysa shook her head softly, a sigh escaping her lips. “It's just one of those days. Thanks for your concern, though. It's nothing to worry about,” she replied with a smile.
“Alright, I'll take your word for it,” Zara nodded, preparing to leave. However, Lysa's hand reached for the brawler's wrist, and she whispered faintly, “Why aren't you traveling with any of the others?”
Confused and somewhat intrigued, Zara frowned. “What are you talking about?” she whispered back.
Realizing her mistake, Lysa wore an apologetic smile as she said, “Forgive me, I failed to properly introduce myself.” With her free hand, she discreetly took out a crystal from her inventory, causing Zara's expression to instantly sober.
“You're part of the cult, right?” Lysa whispered. “I can tell you've already undergone the blood purity tests.”
“I'd rather not talk about cult matters right now,” Zara said, taking a deep breath. “Since you're not dressed in our regalia, I assume your companions aren't aware of you being a cultist, right?”
Lysa nodded, a smile appearing on her lips. “They don't know yet, but I'm taking them to the towers for the sacrifice,” she revealed.
Surprised, Zara's eyes widened. “What a coincidence,” she remarked. “We're headed toward the same location.”
Lysa's smile brightened as she slowly loosened her grip around Zara's wrist. “Life is vain. Death is the beginning. Blood is our pact, and our desire is ephemeral,” she declared with a whisper.
“But only the Blood Cult is eternal!” both champions murmured simultaneously.
“I’m relieved to meet a kindred spirit in this forsaken place,” Lysa said, her smile as sweet as honey. She subtly shifted her attention towards the other members of the hound extermination crew. “Do they know?” she inquired.
Zara nodded silently. Lysa's expression shifted abruptly as she posed another question, “Are you heading to the Blood Towers for the ritual?”
Once again, Zara nodded. This time, Lysa wore a contemplative look, falling into a thoughtful silence. After a moment, the vampire raised her head and spoke, “I hope you understand the gravity of your decision. Personally, I wouldn't…” Lysa paused, sighing softly as she shook her head. “Forget I mentioned anything. It's not my place to intervene.”
With a reassuring pat on Zara's shoulder, the vampire departed. Meanwhile, Zara remained in her spot, a mixture of confusion and curiosity swirling within her.
“That's all she said,” Zara relayed through the party channel. “I was hoping she’d say more, though.”
“We'll find out what she’s talking about soon enough,” Slim remarked. “Honestly, I'm more intrigued by what awaits us once we find the exit. But now that I think about it, it's glaringly obvious that a vampire would align with the blood cult. How did I miss that?” the necromancer mused.
The group continued their discussion over the party channel as time ticked away. At the appointed moment, another system notification materialized before the champions.
Your second attempt will now begin! Good luck!
The champions paid little heed to the notification as they assembled, Zara and Lysa leading their respective groups. With a nod exchanged between the leaders, their members burst into a sprint. Moments later, they reached the next zone, engulfed in searing heat.
“How do we tackle this?” Uvoinne inquired, glancing at Orion.
“Two or more ice elemental shards should suffice,” he replied, without sparing a glance at the harpy.
Wordlessly, Zara and Slim produced an elemental shard each, and the ice crystals levitated as soon as they emerged. Within seconds, cracks formed, and whitish gases filled the air, seeping into the crystals. Moments later, they exploded, releasing chilling waves that neutralized the heat. Anxiously, the champions scanned their surroundings, searching for the exit.
“There's something over there,” Daphine exclaimed, pointing at a section of the walls.
All eyes followed her hand, and a massive stone doorway slowly materialized in the indicated area.
You have found an exit! Do you wish to use this exit? Yes! No! Warning! Your party will be barred from using this exit should you reject it, and upon accepting, you won’t be allowed to return to the first layer via this exit!
“So, that’s what it says,” Zara announced, glancing at her companions. The notification window appeared solely in front of the brawler, indicating she had been acknowledged as the party leader by the labyrinth’s overseers.
“Accept it,” Slim urged. “We don’t know how long the exit will remain visible. The heat might return at any moment.”
Zara turned to the Claw group, meeting Lysa's nod. With a deep breath, she clicked on the system window.
Congratulations! You have completed the first layer of Thisos’ Labyrinth!
As the stone door rumbled violently, slowly sliding upwards, hellish screams and explosions echoed from the opened pathway. The champions stood, mouths agape, witnessing the incredulous scene before them.
“We're in serious trouble,” Slim muttered, as radiant flames reflected off his pale bones.