Denizens of the Labyrinth

Jazmel had been pulled out from the pyramid just as he and Circe had begun to fight a new contingent of Vindulan warriors, he had been struck and knocked down and just as the warrior was about to strike him dead, the pyramid had frozen and then begun to rumble as if it was breaking down, the next moment. Jazmel was outside in a field and alone.

His health was low, he drained a potion and winced but sighed as his body began to knit itself back together. He looked around and saw nothing or anybody and began to walk out of the field, as he reached the first hill; he wrote his first missive and sent it to Baek in hopes he would know where he was. He sent one to Sadé too and to his pleasure she responded and told him she was in a field too. Looking around he couldn’t perceive her but using his Mana eyes, over some more hills. He could just make out Mana that looked quite similar to hers.

DING!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

YOU AND OTHERS ARE THE FIRST TO ENTER THIS GATE WITHIN THE LABYRINTH

…

YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS WILL BE THE FIRST HERE!

…

THE BELLTOWER HAS BEEN OVERRAN BY DEMONIC BEINGS

DEFEAT THE TIER III DEMON

RING THE BELL AND ALERT THE OTHERS OF ITS POSITION

DEFEAT AS MANY DEMONS AS YOU CAN

THE REWARDS FOR THIS WILL BE GREATER THAN USUAL AS THIS IS A NEW GATE!

…

Jazmel nodded and making his way towards the hill he found Sadé, who had waited for him. he smiled and when he stepped down into her field he noticed her small companion.

“Oh yes, she woke up in the pyramid. This is Kazumi and we have a companion pact now.” She explained the small fox looked at him with curious eyes and he inclined his head; wanting to stroke the fox but not wanting to cause a fuss.

“Did you see the system notice?” he asked and Sadé nodded.

“Yes, a new gate is a great reward in the labyrinth. We can probably reach ranker in here if the rewards allow.” She explained, and he focused on that immediately.

“Let’s go and find this bell tower.” He offered and she nodded and fell in beside him as they made their way deeper into the gate.

The landscape was no different o other open spaces that Jazmel had been in. the fields were filled with lush grass, the trees were perfectly strong boughs and thick trunked. The air was rich and healthy. He didn’t feel out of place in here at all, even with all his stats; he was always in awe regarding the various places he saw inside the labyrinth. The gates opened into new worlds and unfamiliar places each and every time.

“How was inside the pyramid?” he asked her, and she fed back what had happened to her and how she had reached the peak with Tera Nema.

“It was you! You beat the trial?!” he exclaimed and shyly, hiding behind her hair as she always did.

“That is so cool! And you got to meet Tera Nema! How is she?” he asked, Sadé looked at him and then smiling, explained what had happened in the final room and how she had offered a place in the faction to Tera Nema who had declined.

“I figured she would, that is why I didn’t ask her myself when we had beat the Mer king. But good looking out, we are still looking for new retainers as well.” He offered and she smiled at him as they continued to walk through the fields.

He sent an origami letter to Katie, as she was a ranker; she had not been allowed into the pyramid of Argilles but now he was out he knew she had stayed at the faction house to support the others. Just as he had let the origami swan fly from his hands, he received one in return from Baek who told him he would not be able to enter the gate as it was a new one, but he had returned to the outpost and would await Jazmel and Sadé. He shared this with her and then sent an outpost quest to the retainers to continue bolstering the defences and collecting resources.

To save himself from headaches and continued migraines he had begun to switch his sight and look through Mana every few glances and then his normal keen senses; alternate between them. in doing this, he noticed a pin prick of Mana and as he tried to zero in on it, he realised what it was and averted his head as an arrow flashed past him.

“Whoa!” he said and Sadé pulled her short sword from the sheath, but he stopped her from throwing a skill back.

“We come in peace! We are seekers in the labyrinth.” He shouted into the tree from where the arrow had shot from.

“Are you human?” a voice in the tree asked back, he could tell it was a woman, but he couldn’t perceive her in the tree, but he was focusing on the voice.

“Yes, are you not?” he asked back.

“I am not, will you attack me?” the voice asked back.

“Only if you shoot more arrows at us.” He admonished and the voice laughed back.

From the tree a single person dropped down from within the branches, she was wearing a cloak that hid her face but now that Jazmel could see her up close he was surprised by how much Mana was running in her. The woman drew back her hood and it startled Jazmel , her hair was like Sadé darker purple but much alike. She was an elf, not elfin, but full elf.

“Oh, an elfin, that is why you didn’t attack.” the woman said, and Jazmel inclined his head and didn’t move forward just yet.

“Do we have a problem here?” he asked, and the elf woman shook her head.

“Some humans have a problem with elves, but now I see your friend is one of us. I can see that you are not a threat.” she explained, and Jazmel looked at Sadé who shrugged.

“Elves do not tend to like me when they see me.” Sadé pointed out and the elf woman simply nodded acknowledging her words.

“Elves are long lived and so conservative by nature, some of us do not agree with the traditions.” She explained for herself, and Jazmel wondered what she was trying to say.

“Did you gain the same notification from the system?” he asked, and she nodded.

“I did, I was heading towards the bell tower when I heard you coming. Better to be prepared than to be caught unaware.” She offered and he agreed, had it not been for his eyes, she would have caught them.

“Tier III?” he asked, and she inclined his head and then smiled.

“Anybody ever told you, your eyes are interesting?” she smirked and he simply nodded, trying to stay focused.

“Tier II but I get by.” She spoke really informally, and it threw Jazmel off, but for her to be tier II and inside this new gate, meant she had somehow made it into the pyramid too. She had some tricks up her sleeves, and she was skilled at using them.

They had taken to walking together, the elf ahead of them but close enough that he could keep an eye on her.

“What is your name?” Sadé asked and the woman looked at her before answering.

“Serafina but just call me Sera.” She told them and Sadé nodded.

“What clan are you from?” she asked, and the elf woman laughed.

“I do not come from a clan, sorry but I am not as pompous as my peers. I wasn’t raised by elves, which is probably why I am quite different to others you might have met.” She explained and Sadé just gaped at her, shocked.

“You were raised by humans?” she said, and Serafina nodded.

“Yes, they found me in the labyrinth wandering around alone and took me in.” She smiled at the fond memories she was reimagining, and Jazmel simply listened to her tale.

“I didn’t meet another elf until I was well into adulthood. But this is my first week alone in the labyrinth, so you know. A lot can happen in here.” She told them, and Jazmel gaped now, exclaiming.

“First week? How?” he asked, and she laughed before peering into the trees and drawing her bow slowly.

“Like I said, I get by.” She loosed one arrow and a screech gurgled ahead.

“Get ready, we got company.” She said and as she said it she sprang up into the trees and Sadé and Jazmel followed beneath her towards the fray.

Her arrow had struck a demon in the eye, and it was crying as it tried to pull it free. It wasn’t alone and those were hurrying towards them ready to kill them for attacking.

Cleave

Jazmel wasted no time, slashing through the air his sword riddled with grave iron cut through the demons that rushed him, and he watched as they cried out from their wounds, the sword seemed to be almost poisonous to most and amplified by his skills he was doing more damage to them then they could manage.

Thunderfire!

He watched as Sadé threw bolts of thunder wreathed in fire at the demons and they burned and wailed beneath her assault. They were not completely undone but they were hurt enough that they didn’t get back up.

Rainfall.

Was heard from above and though he only heard her bow thrum once, almost one hundred arrows fell atop the demons, killing those who had survived attacks from both Jazmel and Sadé.

DING!

TIER II DEMONIC FIENDS KILLED

…

EXP ACCRUED

He sighed; tier II creatures were not even getting him stats anymore unless he killed a larger amount of them. Ranker was going to be hard indeed.

“Can we move on?” he asked and the two nodded and after looting the corpses they moved forward. The trees grew taller, and Serafina sighed pointing out that she wouldn’t be able to use them to evade sight and being caught by attacks, Jazmel nodded in understanding. An archer needed cover to be truly effective, but he figured she would find another way, after all. She got by.

They passed through the small forest in under an hour, Jazmel had to admit; his tier III body felt almost inhuman the way it functioned. He moved faster and further, and he could run for almost a full hour at his top speed. Luckily, he hadn’t needed to, but the choice was there if he needed it.

Looming before him and the two girls. The bell tower erected above them, and Serafina whistled, it was larger than a bell tower, it was bigger than a tower; it was more like a fortress; a thick wooden fence of sharpened trees had been erected around it and demonic beings mulled around inside doing menial tasks. Jazmel could see them as their Mana was blood red unlike the blue light that Mana tended to be.

“There are hundreds of demons in there.” Jazmel shared and Sadé began to pull potions from her rings in preparation, stamina, and Mana. He didn’t do the same, he had only used one skill and his recovery had been working well since he left the pyramid. It was surprising to him how much he didn’t have to rely on potions until he had used his skills a few times, but he was sure that was down to the heart he had incorporated, it ran like an engine and even now he felt pumping in his chest as it ran extra and continued to push blood and Mana around his body as efficiently as possible.

Howls rang around them and the fox pup on Sadé’s shoulder yelped in response. The howls beckoned activity inside the fence and the demonic beings all began rushing around to begin preparing and Jazmel looked around to see what had caused this.

“Over there.” Serafina pointed and to the west of their position another group of seekers were rushing towards the bell tower and were causing the howling and the preparing.

“We need to ring the bell before they do. Otherwise, they complete the first quest of the new gate.” Serafina explained and Jazmel sighed realising she was right.

“Well let’s throw our hat in the ring too then.” He sprinted towards the fence and vaulted it, leaping over and landing inside the biggest group of demonic beings who were surprised that he was there.

Whirlwind

Blade of wrath

He carved a swathe through them, and they fell to pieces around him.

DING!

YOU HAVE KILLED MANY OF THE DEMONIC BEINGS!

THE TIER III DEMONIC BEAST IS AWARE OF YOU!

…

IT IS COMING!

He didn’t hear it as much as he felt it. its impressions in the ground reminded him of the troll ogre from Orevalor but it felt bigger than that; the aura was huge too. The Mana rippled out with every step and pressed down on him each time, he had to focus before it and fight back from his Mana. As the others made it to him he motioned for them to head into the tower.

“I got this here!” He shouted and while Serafina ran for the bell tower, Sadé stayed.

“She might need help.” He said but Sadé simply focused and called her thunder crown down and was energised by her.

“You might need it too.” Sadé said.

Just as she said that Jazmel felt the greatest pressure of Mana and intent he had felt in a creature, but this was even greater still.

DING!

TIER III DEMONIC HORROR HAS EMERGED

The demonic horror was humanoid in shape, two arms and two legs. Though its arms were longer than normal humans, they were almost stretched and hung well below its knees. Its skin was thick like leather, but it had feathers that sprouted around its shoulders and chest. Thankfully, this horror had no wings, but its immense pressure was still pressing down on Jazmel.

I am the sword, I have no ideals outside of the sword, from the hilt to the tip. Everything I know is here

He said to himself, and he whispered it like a spell, a mantra. The demonic horror screeched, and Jazmel had to fight to not drop his sword and cover his ears. But Sadé sprang into action.

Foxfire!

She threw flames at the demonic horror, and they fell like cherry blossom petals all around it, the ones that did land on it, burned immediately; as if the very skin of the demon was kindle. It was burned; not as badly as Jazmel had thought but bad enough that it swiped at Sadé who evaded nimbly.

Whirlwind!

he churned the flames and used them to box in the horror, it screeched again and buffed the whirlwind away dispersing the flames and Jazmel realised the screech was a skill, almost. He slashed with his sword, sending Mana at the demon, it nipped its shoulder and it snarled at Jazmel just as Sadé threw more blue fire into its face and it howled in pain; using this moment. Jazmel bounded forward and struck with his skills deftly and deadly.

Blade wrath

Cleave

Blade wrath!

The demonic horror took his attacks deep and thick blood fell from its wounds, the blood stunk and congealed as it hit the ground like a thickened gel of some make. It almost made him gag, but he was fighting for his life and wouldn’t be caught off guard. The demon swung down at him and missed him but to his surprise it crumpled the ground, and he slowed down to steady his footing but not before it struck him with its other hand. Knocking him off his feet and backwards into a tumbling roll.

DING!

WARNING!!

HEALTH BELOOW 70%

…

BRUISED RIBS (minor)

…

He groaned as he got up and peering to the side he saw the horror shuffling towards him. but not before it shrieked in pain, Sadé had hit it in the back of the head with thunder and it wailed in pain, it swiped at her and she deftly dodged it, he could see that her crown was floating above her head, and she also had all her tails exposed. She was fighting with everything she had, throwing bolt after bolt of thunder at the tier III horror. He cursed and sitting up, he drank a potion and felt his ribs lessen in pain. He didn’t need to look at his notifications. He leapt up and darting forward he pulled Nozarashi from his ring, he hadn’t used two swords in a long time but clutching them in either hand he swung both across his body and sent Mana flying in a crossed slash. It struck the demon and it howled again. swiping at him, he blocked with his left hand and fell to a knee. But with his right-hand sword he struck it across the knee, and it backed off.

He was angry now; he was going to show it all his progress.

Blade wrath!

He barked and the skill welled up from both blades and at close proximity he hit the demonic horror, it crashed down and laying on its back dazed, it mewled. It tried to claw itself back up, but Sadé reacted quicker. She called thunder up and using the tip of her blade she struck out and drove her short sword into the top of the head. it shrieked again but this time it was howling from the thunder that riddled through its body, it arched from the shock and the body sizzled as it burned from the outside, in.

DING!

TIER III DEMONIC HORROR HAS BEEN SLAIN

…

REWARDS WILL FOLLOW

…

…

TIER III DEMONIC HORROR HAS MUTATED!

BEWARE!!

DEFEAT THE TIER III DEMONIC HORROR MUTATION

REWARDS WILL BE REWARDED AT VALUE!

Jazmel skimmed the system just as the pressure around them began to grow gradually.

“Sadé!” he yelled, and she darted to be beside him.

“I saw it too.” She said and he watched as she drunk down two Mana potions and began preparing a spell. Her fox tails were out now, all five of them and the extra Mana was allowing her to keep her thunder crown above her head.

“Remind me to talk to you about your thunder skill.” He said to her, and she looked at him a little confused, but nodded.

The demonic horror rose up, smoke still sizzling off of it and roared. Spittle flew from its jaws and Jazmel could tell it was stronger, it was on all fours and as the pressure from its ‘mutation’ grew he watched to his own dread as bulbous forms on its back burst and revealed two bat like wings and as they flexed and began to fill with blood he rushed forward shouting at Sadé.

“Maim it! Do not let it learn to fly, no matter what you have to do!!” he rushed in and slashed and sliced the horror trying to stop it from learning its new power.

Cleave

Cleave!

He struck twice, left hand and then right hand. Making sure he did his part, it swung out a hand, but he had been expecting it, it was a little faster but not as fast as him. he dodged its left-handed grab for him and then danced out of the way as it swiped at him with its right hand. He dodged that too but missed the jutting jaw and it snapped at him with its widened mouth, he guarded his face with a cross guard of both swords and danced back as it tried to bite his face, its gross breath rushing at him.

Thunderfire!

Sadé struck it from above, but it was focused on him, deciding he was the more dangerous of the two. He tried to dart back in, but it was wary of him now, it rose up and hopped trying to flap with its wings, but Sadé was there again and threw another skill.

Foxfire!

This time the fox that seemed glued to her shoulder yipped and Jazmel ’s eyes caught the fox fire grow in density, the Mana grew purer and burned larger when it scorched the back of the demonic horror, sending it back to the ground. It threw its head back and screeched! But this time Jazmel watched as Mana pulsed in the screech and it flew into the sky and burst like a bubble.

The screech echoed around them, and Jazmel wondered why the sound had been amplified. Just as that sounded, the sound of the bell inside the bell tower rung out too. Rich and thick, as if it hadn’t been rung in many years. The sound broke the murky clouds above as if the bell brought the dawn and the demonic horror seemed to grow angry at the sound of the bell. It cried out and catching Jazmel , unaware it caught his left hand; the one he was holding your no Tsubasa in and broke his wrist and forearm in its grip. He yelped and cried out, so shocked by the pain. He screamed as it picked him up by his broken limb and almost fainted when it threw him from it.

He landed badly and knew his arm was broken, but from the force of his throw. He could tell his right leg was broken too. In his crumbled position he watched Sadé fighting with the demonic horror on her own. he heard other sounds and not being able to turn from where he was laying he watched a demonic beings rushed back into the bell tower grounds and hurried to the area where Sadé was fighting

DING!

YOUR HEALTH IS BELOW 30%

WARNING!

DANGER!!

HEAL NOW!

BROKEN FOREARM (major)

BROKEN WRIST (major)

BROKEN RIBS X3 (major)

RUPTURED LEFT LUNG (minor)

BROKEN RIGHT LEG (minor)

The system shared all his wounds and he sighed, painfully. He couldn’t even reach for his potions, nor could he help Sadé. She was throwing fire and thunder all around her now and her fox companion was spewing blue flames around it helping her with the demonic beings as best as it could while she fought the demonic horror on her own.

Rainfall!

He heard and watched as hundreds of arrows fell from the sky and pelted the demonic beings as well as the horror. Some died, but it wasn’t enough, they would be overrun and die and then they would find him, and he would die too.

He almost cried, was he actually going to die now. He looked at the sky to see it one last time, but something caught his eye in the sky; in the clouds above them. Something bright was descending, almost like a star hurtling to the ground. He watched as it grew brighter and fell from the sky, it flew faster as it dropped from the clouds, and he watched as it burned brighter too. He closed his eyes and fainted just as it hit the demonic horror and bright white Mana dispersed in an abrupt shockwave all around them.