Zara was transported to some unknown location.
A level-up occurred immediately, and his body was restored. His injuries were healed, and his exhaustion dissipated.
The place was dark, lacked any wind, and there were no signs of life. There were flat, circular stones in the center of the room, shining with blue light.
It felt like he was inside a labyrinth. But he didn’t know of any labyrinths with rooms that looked like this. It was shaped like the top half of the inside of a round fruit.
He checked his equipment. He had Bora’s Sword, Alestra’s Bracelet, Raika’s Ring, and Bolton’s Charm all equipped. Ende’s Shield and Kaldan’s Dagger were stored in his Treasury.
Zara waited for his body to become accustomed to the room. He had moved suddenly from the desert, where the sun was beating down, into a dark room made of stone, so adjusting would take some time.
He checked his adventurer medal and found that he had become level 80.
Wait. Is my Night Vision skill not working?
That was a skill he had obtained from defeating a monster in the Sazardon Labyrinth, and it automatically activated within labyrinths. If that hadn’t activated, that meant this was not a labyrinth.
It feels like a labyrinth, though.
He could not see an exit. The only thing he could see was the stones shining with blue light in the center of the room.
Zara made to move toward the blue stones. At that moment, he heard a voice.
“Zara?”
Before he could figure out where the voice came from or muster a response, he heard it again.
“It really is Zara. Don’t move. I’ll head toward you now.”
Before he had time to remember whose voice it was, a spectral figure emerged in the dark room.
It was the beautiful man he had met in the Elstoran Labyrinth one year ago. He was a rare sorcerer and a dungeon maker. He was also the husband of the dragon god Kaldan.
“Mr. Ghost. It’s been a while. How have you been?”
“It does indeed feel like some time has passed. I don’t seem to be doing well. My real body is dead. I have become a ghost in the truest sense. I only have a very short amount of time left in this world.”
“What?”
“There’s no time to explain. Do you know what kind of place this is?”
“No. I just heard a voice in my head saying that the time has come for me to fulfill an agreement and become a blade, and suddenly I was here.”
“It sounds like you really are here by the will of the gods. It was probably the same for the other person. Either that or they came here from a labyrinth after fulfilling the requirements. Anyway, I can’t believe they would use a human. Zara. This is a very unique place. It is a place where warped blessings are gathered.”
“Oh, is this the deva labyrinth? If it is, then I know that skills that should work in labyrinths won’t work here.”
“How did you come by that knowledge?”
“I heard it from a monk at Jan’Majar Temple.”
“Jan’Majar? Ah, that strangely amorous monk. If you already know that, then this will be quick. The reason you were summoned here is undoubtedly because the warped spirits have grown to the point where they can’t be ignored any longer. The gods have given you the role of killing them. Now that you’re here, you can’t leave until you have killed them all.”
“Did you build this place?”
“I did. But as I said to you before, I am not much of a fighter, and I can’t take on the warped spirits myself. For that reason, I made it so that they can’t reach me from within the labyrinth, and I can’t interfere with them from the outside. Do you know the structure of this place?”
“No. I heard that you can’t use items and skills specific to labyrinths; I know that it’s swirling with miasma and poison, and if you defeat the devas, the warped blessings will disappear. I don’t know anything about the structure.”
“This room is the entrance, and there are five lower floors. The warped spirits are born on each floor, but the number of them, the form they take, and their abilities differ each time. You do not gain experience for killing them, but after you defeat every enemy on the floor, you receive a level-up as a kind of bonus. At that point, the blue teleport stones will light up, and you will be able to move on. There is no other way to leave a room. The deeper the floor, the stronger the monsters. The one on the bottom floor is extremely powerful.”
“What are teleport stones?”
“They’re those stones over there that are shining with blue light. When you step onto them, you are teleported to the corresponding stones. In the case of this labyrinth, you can use them to advance to the lower floor. The way forward shines blue, and the way back shines red. All right, this next part is important. You have the five blessed items that Kaldan left behind with you, right? Equip all of them. Kaldan’s Dagger is especially important. Do not let it leave your body. If you drop it, you will likely die instantly.”
Zara withdrew Ende’s Shield and Kaldan’s Dagger from his Treasury. He inserted Kaldan’s Dagger into his belt and wrapped a leather strap around it tightly to ensure it wouldn’t fall.
The ghost continued to speak as Zara equipped the treasures.
“Someone entered the labyrinth before you. That person is probably fighting alone and ran into trouble with their advance through the labyrinth. I imagine that is the reason you were summoned.”
“So someone is fighting right now?”
“Yes. If anyone enters this room, it is treated as the highest emergency, and I am summoned. I somehow managed to appear in this ghostly form. This is the second time I have been summoned on this occasion. The first time ended abruptly. I had started to fade, but I was able to appear here again because I was summoned this second time. Truthfully, there is a hidden door in the tenth floor of the Sazardon Labyrinth that leads to the room where I sleep.”
“In the place that the minotaur came from?”
“That’s right. But I would like for you to keep this a secret. When Kaldan died, I went into an eternal slumber next to her casket. However, it seems that just recently, the container preserving my body broke down. I then died. The version of me here is essentially a mirage. I will soon disappear. Ah, don’t make that face. It doesn’t bother me. I had planned from the beginning to sleep for all eternity anyhow. I did promise I would give you a reward to repay my debt to you, though. I’m sorry I couldn’t fulfill that.”
“I appreciate your guidance more than anything.”
“I see. Thank you—you’re a nice person. Ah, shoot. I forgot about the most important thing. Once you defeat the enemies on the bottom floor, you will be automatically transported outside. Someone went in before you, but they have not come out yet. I am hearing quite a commotion from inside the labyrinth at the moment. That means they are still fighting.”
“Is that person alone?”
“Huh? Ah, that’s right. It’s not impossible it could be more than one person. Hmm. I don’t know how many people there are. If there are two or more people, they would have all entered here at the same time. Anyway, moving on. In this labyrinth, you can’t properly see anything other than yourself and the things you brought with you.”
“I won’t be able to see anything?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. You see warped versions of things. What is solid may appear soft. What is white may appear black. A strong and beautiful person may appear ugly and frail. You will meet whoever arrived here before you, but they might appear to you as a terrifying monster, so you should keep that in mind.”
“Understood. That’s very valuable information. Thank you very much.”
“Don’t mention it. Lastly, I’ll adjust your body for you.”
The ghost approached Zara, opened his right hand toward him, and closed his eyes. Zara felt his body being enveloped by a warm sensation.
“Truthfully, your level of strength is insufficient to enter this place. Your level is not high enough, and what’s more, your capabilities are not keeping up with your level. This place was not made for humans to enter, after all. Even so, you have the five blessed items and Bora’s Sword, so you should be able to fight a little. What’s more, the warped spirits can only use a small fraction of their power in this place. I just blended your body and spirit with Bora’s Sword. I also filled Raika’s Ring full of magical power. Do your best.”
“I will. Thank you very much.”
“I also have one thing I’d like to ask of you. If you ever happen across my daughter, please tell her I love her.”
The fact that he couldn’t go say that to her himself showed how weak the ghost was. He had saved the last of his remaining strength for Zara.
“I promise I’ll tell her.”
“I’m glad. That is another reason for you to live and get out of here. Mm-hmm. The era of humans needing to rely on labyrinths may already be coming to an end, Zara. I despaired for humanity and turned my back on the surface. But meeting you at the very end of my existence has reignited my faith in humans, and I can now rest in peace. The journey you showed me before was truly incredible. Thank you.”
Zara wanted to say something but couldn’t figure out what would be appropriate, and then the ghost started to disappear.
Zara suddenly remembered something that he wanted to ask.
“What is your name?”
The ghost looked a little surprised, then grinned widely and gave his name.
“Alestra.”
He then disappeared.
Zara felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
He stared at Alestra’s Bracelet on his left hand and thought about all the people it had saved.
Himself.
His father.
Percival.
The people of House Mercurius.
Zara performed a knight’s bow in the direction of the disappeared Alestra.
“Lord Alestra. I had already received from you the best gift you could have bestowed upon me.”
He gave his thanks with a small yet clear voice and then stepped onto the blue teleport stones.