Denizens of the Labyrinth

Jazmel, Sadé and Bannerman had been travelling for several days now. They were looking for the gate and Bannerman had told them that it laid towards the west of the floor not far from the cave entrance they had first came out from.

They were on the second floor; the tunnels had functioned as a gateway from the first floor to the second and so Jazmel and Sadé had already been on the second floor for around a week. This was something Jazmel also took note of. The gates were not the only way to move through floors. It also told him that the labyrinth would move them to any part within its recesses as it saw fit. They had no say and that was part of the mystery.

They found the gate on the ninth day, a small doorway that looked derelict from one side but on another it showed the cerulean colours of a gate again. Just like when Jazmel had entered after the Seeker trials.

Sadé went first. Then Bannerman and Jazmel finally went through last.

The system opened in his mind’s eye, and he studied his stats to see how he fared.

Name: Jazmel

Level: 9

Species: Human

Rank: Seeker

Health: 150/150

Stamina: 125/125

Mana: 89/135

STR:16 PER:17

VIT:18 END:18

INT:16 WIL:19

AGL:15 DEX:16

Skills:

Sword sense (tier I)

Slash (tier I)

EMPTY SLOT

Title(s):

FIEND SLAYER

EMPTY SLOT

Unused Stat points: 5

He had only gone up by one level this time and now he had five unused stat points. He invested them all into endurance. It still had not grown, and he did not want to destroy the balance he was trying to create. He wondered about that but now he knew that whatever the shadow consumed, the unused contents would appear in his storage space. Something he imagined he could sell. This was good news and something he could generate money with as soon as he found somewhere where he could sell these items too.

He exited the gate and appeared just outside the limits of a bustling town. He was looking around and noticed Sadé and Bannerman standing to the side looking at him. He made his way over to them and Sadé spoke with them both.

“Towns and cities are different to the open floors of the labyrinth. They are usually heavily invested in and so protected by either a clan or a guild. We should keep reserved and make sure we know who is before we do anything inside. We could end up imprisoned or worse, killed for simple offences inside.” She warned them and not for the first time, Jazmel was so surprised at how much she knew about the labyrinth.

“I think we should all look for supplies, we don’t know how long it will take us to find another town like this and I for one, need something to allow me to carry items like your pouch.” She beckoned at Jazmel’s pack, and he patted it affectionately.

“Get your supplies and then meet in the middle of the town at around midday?” she offered, and Bannerman grunted while Jazmel nodded.

She smiled and then led them towards the town gates.

FIRST TIME IN TOWN

EXP REWARD

The system gifted him a reward for his first time being in a town. He smiled to himself.

“NO ENTRY UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN SCANNED BY THE TOWN GOD!” Was being shouted and fed down the line as other Seekers were beginning to appear. groups banded together through trials and quests given out by the labyrinth and others who were fine to solo it. His eyes showed him many different shades and auras of Mana. He merely studied them and kept this ability to himself.

Before long it was, he and his party’s turn and when they reached the town gates, he was surprised to see a small golden statue at the front of the gates. Two soldiers stood either side of the statue with enough room to allow the different Seekers to move between them and the statue.

The stature was little and round and in an odd way it reminded Jazmel of a buddha. But that is when the similarities died. The eyes were open and red with rubies, small gems had been crafted to fit the lidless eyes of the statue of the town god. Its left hand held a sword, and its right held a trident.

It was his turn, and the eyes did not move but he felt them on him. The intrusion of Mana was mind numbing and he almost buckled if not for Bannerman holding him up. But just as it had come it was off him and the pressure was gone in an instant. He walked in and the guards did not pay him any attention. Entering the town, he gasped. High walls hid away a true gem of bustling freedom and innovation. Market stalls riddled with trinkets and items that Jazmel could not even guess at what they might be. He had not seen anything of the sort outside of the labyrinth and as he perused his eyes shared everything with him.

TOADSTALL VIALS, poison

HEALTH POTIONS, common

RING OF COMMUNION, Dark magic

MANA RING, Mana attachment

The system was feeding him information nonstop as his eyes drank in all the information. But in truth, he would buy supplies as soon as he could. What he really wanted was to check the bladesmiths. He needed to see the swords.

Jazmel had been gifted with a sword by Circe in the Seeker trial and though she did not take it back. He kept it as a sign of acceptance but also that he had nothing else to defend himself with. But whilst he used the sword, he could tell it did not fit him as so much it felt unnatural in his grip. The sword had been made in the style of a long sword. Straight and cross hilted, balanced but common. Jazmel could tell it was decently crafted, but something told him, this sword was not for him. Even now, broken and half its length. It was incredibly well balanced, and he commended the smiths of the daughters of Artemis, they clearly knew their way around the black smithing.

He walked through the markets and the many stall owners who tried to gain his attention he waived away. Then he heard them. The rhythmic pang of hammer atop anvil. The quenching of hot metal in water and then the pang of the hammer again. He was nearing the workshops and followed the sound. To his surprise the workshops were walled off, away from the prying eyes of Seekers and instead he came upon the opened doors of a sword store. He walked in and others were already inside, mulling around. An attendant stood off to the side, but once she noticed him. She smiled and headed over to him.

She was dressed in robes and her hair was tied back away from her face. Her hands were within her sleeves, but she seemed happy to serve.

“Greetings Master.” She smiled and bowed.

“How may I assist you?” she asked.

“I am looking for a sword.” He mused and she nodded in understanding.

“Look around and tell me what you think suits you. We can decide from there.” She offered showing her wares with a wave of her hand.

He walked around and seeing the swords he could tell which were well made and strong. Jazmel looked around, holding swords, and feeling the balance in his hand. But they did not feel right, they just were not a fit for him for some reason which was unknown to him.

“I think I can see your problem, come with me.” The attendant offered, showing her hand to a staircase to another floor.

He was a little surprised that she could see something that he could not see but he listened to her, an attendant would not attack him.

They climbed the stairs and when they reached the second floor. The pressure he felt was not too different from the town god.

“You need a named sword. Something that only those who are fated to change their destiny. Can ever wield.” She offered and he looked at her, wondering what made her say that about him.

The Mana was coming from the swords, and he looked over them. These swords were katanas. Curved swords in the style of the samurai, a culture of discipline and war. He stopped on the third rack and his spirit stirred.

NAMED SWORD

…

NOZARASHI THE KATANA OF THE PALE MOON

TIER I

Jazmel picked it up and though it was sheathed, the balance and weight fit his hand like a glove. He unsheathed it and the waved layered metal caught him in a trance. This katana was amazing. It was perfect and Jazmel could tell this was the sword for him.

“Can I buy this one?” he asked.

“Of course.” She said and a notification pinged on the system.

NAMED KATANA NOZARASHI

400X GOLD COINS

WILL YOU BUY?

He accepted and the coins left his storage and the sword entered.

NOZARASHI OF THE PALE MOON

TIER I KATANA

PALE MOON STYLE

WILL YOU LET THE SHADOW WRAITH CONSUME?

He covered his mouth; the shadow could consume the style of the sword?

He accepted and the system immediately did his bidding.

SHADOW WRAITH

LEVEL UP

He could feel it strengthening and he smiled at the thought again.

“Are you satisfied?” she asked, her smile offering more of her services.

“I will look some more.” He answered and she bowed to give him some space.

Another search through the racks and he saw another sword that soothed his Mana.

NAMED SWORD

…

MAJIME

TIER I KATANA

The sword was sheathed in a deep blue sheath with a yellow end. The hilt and grip the same colour, a sea blue with an almost gold yellow finish, Jazmel thought. A singular tassel hung from the handle, one blue and one yellow.

This sword felt good in his hand too.

“How much?” he asked.

“Four hundred gold coins.” She answered without hesitation.

He winced if he bought it. He would have no coins left. She seemed to notice his hesitation and offered an alternative.

“You can trade items to lower the price if you need to.” She offered and smiled again.

All he had was the broken sword from Circe and he felt bad to part with it. But he needed new weapons.

“I have this.” He pulled the broken sword from the satchel and without a flinch. She looked at the sword, as if she were looking into it.

“Three hundred and fifty gold coins.” She told him. That was a big amount for a nameless sword. But he accepted it. Still a little hurt, he felt bad. He was surprised as the price was still high, even though it was broken. He wondered how much it would have been if it had survived the first gate. He paid the fifty gold coins, and she smiled before taking the sword from him and disappearing it from sight.

MAJIME

NAMED SWORD

…

SKILL PLUS OPTION

He was confused what did this mean?

He opened the option on his skill list and saw a pleasing sight.

Skills:

Sword sense (tier I)

Slash (tier I)

Flight of the Blue kite (tier I)

EMPTY SLOT

The sword had another option which allowed him to have two active skills and two passive skills. It was known that Seekers were only allowed three skills. But this helped balance out his skills even further.

He was happy and not extremely poor either. He decided to do some more searching, after all he had not bought any health supplies for himself. He thanked the attendant, and she bowed before leading him back down the stairs and towards the door of the store. He stepped out into the sun and back into the din of the markets.

He found a market buying furs and sold all the wolf hides for two hundred gold coins. This was something Jazmel was happy about. Nobody wanted the fangs though, so kept them still. He saw Sadé in the jewellery stalls and jogged to catch up. She noticed him and waved him over smiling.

“Come see what I found.” She showed him her hand and on her middle finger and ring finger she wore two rings. Both simple gold bands but his eyes told him they were not simple rings.

“They are storage rings; they hold fifty slots each.” So now I can carry just under two hundred different things. She smiled and that made him smile in turn. Jazmel did not bother looking, he did not want to spend any more money especially now he knew how costly things could be.

She finished paying and they walked towards the apothecary together, buying a handful of potions for both stamina and health. Fifty coins for two of each. Still pricy and Jazmel decided he was going to aim for more coins too.