Upon entering, I noticed that it was entirely different from the previous tunnels. It was about twenty feet high and twenty feet long, with a small but beautiful spring continuously flowing at its center.
“This is the Spring of Purity, huh? It’s bright here despite the absence of white light grass.”
I had initially planned to reach here by noon. However, the current time was way past that. The labyrinth’s layers were wider than I’d expected, so mapping had taken more time than anticipated.
I had intended to finish mapping the third floor today, but plans change. I decided to rest here a bit, then return to Balga.
“At this rate, I’ll need to carry camping gear if I want to finish mapping.”
Even with a body that doesn’t fatigue, operating without sleep would gradually affect my aim. That could lead to fatal mistakes.
The Wolf Fang Labyrinth’s lowest confirmed floor was the twenty-sixth. However, the gatekeeper beast on the twenty-fifth floor, considered a mid-boss, hadn’t been defeated, leaving lower floors unconfirmed for years. The twenty-sixth floor was known because when the labyrinth expanded, a distinctive large tremor would occur within and around it. No expansion tremors had occurred since exploration reached the twenty-fifth floor.
Gatekeepers were placed on two major floors. One roamed above the lowest floor, and the other on floors with teleportation magic circles. These circles were known as transfer devices and existed every ten floors.
A gatekeeper never reappeared once it was defeated. After vanquishing a gatekeeper, dripping blood onto the teleportation magic circle registered biometric information, allowing entry and exit throughout the labyrinth with minimal magic. However, activation required magic. As a dud, I probably couldn’t use it. So, if I intended to venture deeper into the labyrinth, I’d need to make the appropriate preparations and bring the proper equipment.
Of course, I didn’t have to force myself deeper, but I wanted to. Perhaps it was due to my love for FPS, but I desired to conquer the labyrinth. I felt a game-like urge to clear it.
No...it wasn’t just a recreational desire. It was my survival instinct, or my purpose for living. In this unknown world, I sought a clear goal and a reason to live.
VMB gave me the power to clear the labyrinth. It gave me this tireless body to survive it. It gave me the superhuman, regenerative ability to thrive here. All of this had to be for surviving in this world and for conquering the labyrinth. If that wasn’t my role and purpose, then the accumulating reality could drive me insane.
Sitting at the Spring of Purity, I spent an hour in silent contemplation. I stared at the ripples of continuously flowing water and set the labyrinth’s conquest as my goal. With that sorted, I headed back for the Fortress City of Balga.
I immediately went back to the White Flower Pavilion of the Labyrinth and collapsed onto my bed. I fell asleep, still in my exploration gear, too tired to change through avatar customization. I had dinner plans the next day with Ashley, but having my goal and purpose here center around labyrinth conquest didn’t completely lift my spirits. I hoped to feel better upon waking and fell asleep.
The next morning, Mirana, the innkeeper of the White Flower Pavilion of the Labyrinth, woke me up when she delivered the wash basin service. I ate breakfast, then I returned to my room to investigate something that had been worrying me a while. The question was: did the TSS, VMB’s core system, link with this other world only through crystals, or were there other connections?
I considered it a miracle that magic stones were recognized and converted into Crystal Points. I wondered if there could be more to it, though. Specifically, did it have the shared functionality of an item box where items acquired in-game were stored in an inventory?
Initially, the inventory capacity wasn’t large, but I had paid real money to expand it significantly using VMB’s paid features. With no slot limit and low costs, I had expanded the inventory to where it would never fill up. It stored all my VMB-obtained items, including firearms, avatar outfits, and recovery items. So, could it also store materials from this other world?
I picked up a small item in my room—a wooden cup—and dropped it onto the activated TSS screen monitor. However, it passed through the screen and fell to the floor.
“Figures.” If I could store materials from here in the inventory, it would save a lot of trouble...
I tried toggling the TSS screen from Top Menu to Inventory, Mail, and News, but the wooden cup never entered the inventory.
“It’s not possible. I have to convert exploration tools into magic-powered devices to reduce my load.”
My idea of directly storing materials from this world in the inventory was impractical. That solution would have been too easy. Setting it aside for now, I decided to consider what to wear for dinner with Ashley. I selected Shop from the TSS and began browsing avatar fashion items.
The Fortress City of Balga reportedly didn’t see snow in winter, but it got cold once the sun set. I needed some thick coats and jackets. I already had plenty of outerwear, but you can never have too much. I had a lot of choices since I hadn’t bought much when this was just a game. I felt compelled to complete my avatar clothing collection.
I selected several items, added them to the cart, and exchanged them for Crystal Points. Then I noticed another icon.
“Gift Box?”
This icon allowed purchased items to be placed in a special box for gifting to other players. The contents remained unknown until they were opened. It could be attached to emails and sent to players in distant areas or on different schedules. Interestingly, the gift box could appear in the virtual reality game world. This allowed for multiple players to place various items in one box.
After purchasing the clothes, I selected “Gift Box” from another TSS screen. Particles of light gathered before me in my room. They converged at a point and increased in brightness until a box appeared. Unlike the utilitarian black supply box, it was designed to appear gift wrapped in pink paper.
“I don’t love the design, but it does appear. And the lid...opens.”
The gift box was a rectangular case about 60 inches × 35 inches × 25 inches. When you pressed the side button, the lid automatically rose and opened the box. Inside was a pitch-black void, as if an alternate dimension lay within, but that was normal for VMB.
I placed the Five-seveN sidearm into it. The inventory screen on the lid’s underside displayed the name correctly. That was also to be expected in VMB. Next, I placed the wooden cup inside.
“Oh!”
The inventory screen read “Unknown.” It was listed after “FN Five-seveN.”
Of course, the gift box was just a container. I didn’t expect it to automatically analyze and display the identity of items that didn’t exist in VMB. However, I found on the inventory screen a feature that allowed for renaming and managing item names. I used the screen keyboard beside the inventory screen to rename “Unknown” to “Wooden Cup.” Then I retrieved it.
“Oh, it came out properly!”
When I placed it back inside the box, the inventory screen correctly displayed “Wooden Cup.” Even unknown materials could have their names saved once changed. I closed the lid, and it disintegrated into particles of light and disappeared. It was now stored in my inventory.
I made it reappear. I opened the lid and saw “FN Five-seveN” and “Wooden Cup” on the inventory display screen and retrieved them. I then put the wooden cup back and returned the Five-seveN to my waist.
“Well, it’s a bit cumbersome, but this will work.”
I felt relieved that my future labyrinth explorations and travel would now be easier.