Sophie watched silently as he cut his palm and let a single drop of blood fall onto the stone.
The moment it touched, the Labyrinth reacted.
A towering pillar of brown light erupted upward, formed from compressed mana and ancient will. The core pulsed violently. The Labyrinth howled, its consciousness recoiling as something far deeper was disturbed.
Then...
The sound rang through Bruce's mind with perfect clarity.
The Akashic Codex had responded.
[Your blood has been absorbed by the Labyrinth Rune Stone.]
[It has been detected that this Labyrinth has not been cleared and is already owned.]
[To proceed with claiming it, you must engage in a clash of will against both the Labyrinth itself and its current master.]
[Do you accept?]
[Y / N]
Bruce did not hesitate.
"Yes."
The moment the word left his will, the world vanished.
