Labyrinth of the Abyss – Ground Floor – D-1 – 00:00…
Khaevar suddenly opened his eyes, looking at his pocket watch in the heavy darkness.
[First gate crossed: +12 XP]
[First foray into a maze: +34 XP]
"Let's take advantage of these moments of free XP," he murmured, his voice hoarse in the silence.
He peered into the darkness before him, but the abyssal blackness gave him nothing in return.
Why did I end up in this dark area? Luckily, this watch is bioluminescent… It cost me an arm and a leg, but I can look at it even in the dark.
[Initial scholarship: 1 PA = 10,000 PC]
Bioluminescent pocket watch: -1,100 PC
[Remaining scholarship: 8,900 PC]
*Note on currencies: PC = copper coin (lowest value),
PB = bronze coin, PA = silver coin, PO = gold coin
* Equivalence: 1 PO = 100 PA = 10,000 PB = 1,000,000 PC
*The ground floor, this subterranean labyrinth, is composed of dark zones where total darkness reigns, and sectors illuminated by bluish crystals with a faint glow. Their value (0.5 CP) is so low that adventurers avoid wasting time collecting them.
I need to find a lit area… I hadn't planned on spawning in complete darkness, so I didn't buy a torch to save money. Normally, the spawn was supposed to be random, but always in lit areas. A bug, no doubt, because I joined at the last minute… which must have caused a bug or something like that.
Khaevar advances cautiously, enveloped in darkness, when suddenly…
CLACK.
A trap had just closed beneath his foot.
"Argh…," the cry died in his throat. The pain was searing, burning, concentrated in his right leg. He lowered his eyes.
"A trap with jaws…"
The metal had bitten him to the bone. He clenched his teeth, his breath coming in short gasps.
Those vicious goblins must be lurking nearby, and they surely heard my cry. Damn sandals, they hurt like hell, but I have to keep going.
Blood trickled slowly between the rusted teeth of the trap. Khaevar removed the jaw trap from his leg with a groan of pain, then took off his damaged sandals.
"Damn… These damn sandals hurt!"
They're useless to me now, given the state of the other one…he said, throwing them further away.
My whole body is trembling… But I must keep moving forward.
He placed his left foot forward. Each step was agony. But Khaevar moved forward. Slowly. Like a wounded animal refusing to die. Despite the pain, he continued onward. Behind him, footsteps echoed, ceasing when he stopped moving.
They're following me, waiting for me to lose consciousness and bleed out… Argh, the sneaky devils!! I'm going to pretend to collapse.
Khaevar then put his plan into action. He walked a few steps and collapsed on the cold ground.
BOOM.
Shhh shhh shhh…
The two goblins burst into laughter, relishing their apparent prey. They drew closer, their blunt knives glinting faintly in the gloom. One could hear their predatory laughter, their sharp teeth, their pointed ears, and the backward curve of their backs that betrayed their cunning nature. Small and bald, they inspired as much fear as disgust.
[Goblin | rank: 1 | level: 6] ×2
One of the goblins raised his weapon to deliver the killing blow, but with a swift movement, Khaevar seized his weapon and cleanly severed his assailant's head. Blood spurted everywhere, staining the cold stone. The second goblin, stunned, tried to flee, but it was too late. Khaevar's blood-red eyes glowed. With a determined step, he reached him without hesitation, smashing his skull with relentless brutality until his eyes bulged from their sockets. His face was smeared with the blood of his enemies, like a warrior's mask.
[Goblin eliminated ×2: +108 XP]
Gradually, the goblins' bodies dissipated into a dark gray smoke with red highlights. Where they lay, each left behind small red stones.
These precious stones are the relics left behind by monsters upon their death. The stronger the monster, the purer and more precious the stone. They also vary in size and can be traded in merchant guilds or elsewhere for coins; they can sometimes be used to craft food, fabrics, and other rare goods.
Khaevar picked up the stones, then collapsed in a corner, singing to his wound.
Luckily I bought some medicine, but it cost me a fortune, again…
[ Expenses: ]
Healing Potion (lower rank) ×5: -1,250 PC
Healing Potion (low rank) ×1: -500 PC
Bandage and healing sheet ×10: -1000 PC
[Remaining scholarship: 6,150 PC]
Labyrinth of the Abyss – Ground Floor – Day -1 – 3:45 am…
You can't see much here… I need to treat my injury so I can get out of this dark area.
He collapsed in a corner, his face drawn with fatigue. Blood flowed down his right leg, reddening the floor above him.
He took out a low-rank healing potion, along with some bandages and healing leaves. He poured the potion directly onto the wound. The pain tore a hoarse howl from him.
"ARGH…! Damn it… It burns like hell! How can a healing potion hurt as much as a damn wound?"
With gritted teeth, he grabs the leaves, applies them to his leg, then wraps the surrounding bandages.
[Consumable used:]
Healing Potion (lower rank): 5→4
After two seconds of silence, he wondered if he should take the jaw trap. Perhaps it could be useful in the near future… He stood up and began to look for a well-lit area.
Labyrinth of the Abyss – Ground Floor – Day -1 – 03:51…
All this time, Khaevar had wandered aimlessly, not knowing where to go. Luck finally seemed to be on his side. Before him, the darkness was beginning to lift.
"Light… finally," he sighed, exhausted.
Now that I'm here, I'm feeling a bit peckish; before heading back out hunting, I need to regain my strength. He then took out the food he had bought earlier at a market.
[ Expenses: ]
Provisions: dry bread ×7 + sausage ×10 + dried meat ×4 (1-week supply): -3,000 PC
Gourd 3L: -900 PC
[Remaining scholarship: 2,250 PC]
He then went to a corner and began to eat as if he hadn't eaten for days. Sitting calmly, although he ate like a barbarian, he savored each bite as if it were his last.
The bread is dry and rock hard, but… when you let it melt in your mouth, it tastes sweet. As for the dried meat, it's incredibly nutritious. It's almost unbelievable. No wonder there's so little of it in a ration compared to sausages.
After he had eaten his fill, Khaevar then looked at his watch…
4:13 AM…? I've wasted way too much time… I've only managed to collect two arkan stones. If this keeps up, I won't be able to make enough money.
He gets up with a brisk movement…
"Come on… it's time to get to work."
Khaevar walked off into the distance, his weapon in hand, ready to crush some monster.
Labyrinth of the Abyss – DRC – D-1 – 4:16 AM… Somewhere in a dark zone…
In the gloom of a secluded corner, the heart-rending howls of a tormented soul echoed.
"AAAACG…! I BEG YOU, PLEASE…"HELP-ME…!" he cried, his voice trembling, his face ravaged by fear, his body lacerated with deep wounds. The blood scattered all around, painting the walls like a macabre fresco. His severed arms lay nearby.
Kneeling in a pool of blood, the therianthrope gasped for breath.
"There's no point in calling for help… Ha ha ha…," replied his tormentor in an icy voice, "no one but me will hear you scream."
[You used "Wall of Sound"]
*Prevents all wave propagation
sound levels beyond a radius of 5 meters.*
The victim, on her knees, then begged.
"WH…WHAT DO YOU WANT? D… TELL ME EVERYTHING. NO, WAIT… TAKE ANYTHING YOU WANT. BUT… BUT PLEASE…SAVE ME!!"
The torturer's face remained partially hidden in shadow, but the glint of blood on his skin betrayed the horror of the scene. His wide, demented smile and eyes shining with ecstasy… Everything about him oozed pure madness. Droplets of blood still trickled from his clenched fists, his daggers glistening with his prey's fluid.
"YES…! THAT'S IT… KEEP BEGGING ME…IMPLORING MY CLEMENCE… I WANT, I LOVE SEEING YOUR FACE TURN IN DESPAIR!!"
He savored every second, every strangled cry, every shiver of fear. The pleasure he derived from torture went beyond mere sadism: it was devotion.
Following his words, the victim understood that there was no longer any hope of his survival. But in a final surge of courage, the gasping victim looked up at his tormentor and spat out in rage:
"SPECIES OF FEAR…"
SCHLING.
He didn't have time to finish before the blade came crashing down on his face.
End of chapter
[INFO / OUT OF CONTEXT]
In the world of Ætherion, three types of places hold the most precious resources and the most feared secrets: the fixed dungeons and the unstable faults. But among all of this… The Labyrinth of the Abysses, by far the most coveted and the most dangerous.
THE dungeons These are forgotten territories, abandoned by major races, where nature has given way to creatures and raw energies. Ranked F At S depending on its size and the threat it poses. These permanent locations contain treasures, rare materials, and above all, a boss unique to each shrine, but 72 hours later, monsters respawn as if nothing had happened. Coveted by their numbers, guilds, and great powers clash with one another to secure a monopoly over them, since they are the most predictable and serve as the foundational training for all adventurers.
Respawn: Term used to describe the act of "resurrecting" in a game.
The flaws however, these are anomalies. Portals appear without warning, granting access to dangerous areas that disappear after their boss is defeated. If the boss is not killed in time, the rift… cracks, unleashing its monsters into the real world and increasing the risk that residents are not safe. Uncontrollable, they force countries into a state of constant vigilance.
But at the pinnacle of all desires stands the enigmatic Labyrinth of the Abyss also known as The Infinite Labyrinth. Accessible only through sacred portals that only open every two months for five hours, This endless maze begins at RDC and extends infinitely, floor by floor, also accessible through several interior portals. The higher you climb, the more the monsters and creatures mutate, the more the laws twist, and the scarcer the resources become. Empires and kingdoms built their cities and established their capitals around these fixed portals, making the labyrinth the beating heart of their economy and warfare. The greatest empires became the nerve centers of power and lust Because in Ætherion, whoever controls the resources… controls the world.
Thus, whether one seeks fortune, power, or redemption… it all inevitably leads to the silent call of the Labyrinth.