Sometime earlier, deep within the caves...
Haruto ran without stopping, his footsteps echoing wildly through the tunnels, until he burst into a massive chamber filled with monsters of all kinds.
He came to a sudden halt.
Then, he snickered.
"Well, this is convenient, isn't it?" he muttered.
At once, every monster in the room turned toward him.
The numbers were overwhelming-but Haruto didn't look worried in the slightest.
He had a trick up his sleeve.
Activating Bio-Fluctuation Manipulation, he opened a slit in his palm and let his blood flow freely. With his super-enhanced regeneration, blood loss wasn't even a concern.
Guiding the stream with his will, he shaped the blood into a massive serpent. More and more blood poured out, fueling its growth, until the crimson snake's head rose to his height.
The monsters stood frozen in shock as the giant blood-red serpent coiled protectively around Haruto.
He closed his eyes, focusing entirely on control.
The snake lunged forward, leaving gluttonous trails of blood in its wake.
One by one, it ruthlessly devoured the fierce beasts, showing no mercy.
Haruto himself didn't move an inch. While controlling the serpent, he was completely stationary-but he wasn't worried. There was nothing in this area capable of killing him in a single hit.
In just a few minutes, the chamber was completely cleared.
Finally, Haruto released his control.
"Well... that was pretty exhausting," he muttered, stretching slightly. "At least it refilled all the energy I spent using it."
Satisfied, he turned and began heading deeper into the labyrinth.
But then-
"Wait... you-"
He glanced back.
The massive blood serpent hadn't dissolved.
Instead, it slithered after him.
"...I'm not controlling it," he said slowly. "Did it become sentient?"
As if answering him, the snake coiled around his body like an eager pet.
Haruto cautiously extended his hand.
The serpent lowered its head, allowing him to gently pat it.
"...That's unexpected."
The gears in his mind immediately began spinning.
"...If I can create more like this... couldn't I just let them roam freely and clear out the entire labyrinth?" he murmured. "They eat the monsters, and I get the energy they consume. That's a win-win."
He got to work.
First, he ordered the snake to hunt down every monster it could find, guiding it toward unexplored sections of the labyrinth.
As it slithered away, Haruto continued theorizing. Whenever a practical idea formed, he tested it immediately.
Using even more blood, he created additional vessels-constructs he dubbed Blood Soldiers.
With the original serpent constantly killing and feeding, energy wasn't an issue. The only thing he needed to focus on was understanding how this new mechanic functioned.
It didn't take long before he successfully formed another construct-this one humanoid in shape.
It followed his commands perfectly.
It maintained its form and consciousness on its own.
And strangely...
The first thing it did was kneel before him.
"...Interesting," Haruto muttered.
That alone convinced him this prototype possessed a higher level of intelligence than the others.
Recognizing its potential, he decided to take advantage of the moment.
A grin spread across his face.
"Let's have a little sparring match," he said. "What do you say?"
"And that's how it happened..." Haruto finished explaining.
"You know," Hana said with a teasing smile, "your luck stat has to be at max level."
"Luck, plot armor-whatever it is, we'll take anything we can get," he replied, his tone turning serious. "...We have to be ready for whatever's out there."
Hana fell silent for a moment before quietly adding, "You mean the monsters that attacked Haruna's village... right?"
The words felt heavy.
Haruto took a slow breath, lifting his gaze toward the clusters of glowing crystals embedded in the cavern ceiling. When he spoke again, his voice was unusually cold and calm.
"I'll do whatever it takes... to not make the same mistakes I made in our past life," he said. "Even if it means crossing that line."
Hana understood immediately.
She didn't argue-because she knew he was right.
They hadn't encountered a single humanoid monster in the cave. And even when Haruto first met Haruna... he had been ready to kill her.
The truth was-
He still carried regrets.
Hana knew that better than anyone.
Haruto overthought things. A lot.
Most of the time, it was a strength.
But when tragedy struck, it became a curse.
That was what happened with their mother.
Somewhere along the way, he had blamed her death on himself.
Hana had tried to comfort him, again and again-but his mind had already made its decision.
From that turning point onward, he matured unnaturally.
Always serious.
Always distant.
The only things that mattered to him were Hana, Haruki... and writing novels.
He became obsessed-so much so that he wouldn't leave his apartment for months at a time.
And when he finally did step outside that protective bubble...
It was the last day they lived in that world.
He saw himself as a failure.
He believed that if he had been stronger, he could've saved them.
It wasn't something sudden.
That guilt had been festering ever since their mother died.
And now-
He saw this new life as a chance at redemption.
A chance to avoid repeating the same mistake.
His mother had died right in front of him, killed by a robber.
He regretted freezing up-doing nothing-even though she had begged him not to interfere.
He wanted to kill the man.
If that hatred had manifested back then... he would've jumped in without hesitation. But he was scared.
Like any other child.
Now, though-
He had changed.
Now, he wouldn't hesitate to kill-even people-if it meant protecting what mattered to him.
It was selfish.
He knew that.
But he accepted it as part of his human nature.
He had been shaped by pain, hatred, and despair.
And in that world of suffering...
The only warmth he had ever known were them.
He refused to let go of that warmth.
Never.
Human, monster, demi-human, demon, angel-
Not even a god would make him release that final thread of warmth in his void of despair.
Haruto's thoughts finished cycling through everything that had happened so far.
He realized it was time to let go of the past... and truly begin his new life in this world.
A smile tugged at his lips as he closed his eyes.
"Y'know," he said casually, "I've got some banger ideas for a house. Wanna hear 'em?"
Hana chuckled. "You already planned a house? Dude, we've got way bigger problems right now."
She raised three slime fingers.
"First, we get out of here. Then we rescue Haruna's teacher. And after that, we find a way out of this forest."
"You wanna leave the forest?" he asked, puzzled.
"You don't? We need to find a human city or something, no?"
"Hell nah," he replied, poking her lightly. "...You're a slime, remember? Haruna's a goblin. Haru is... I don't even know what she is."
"Oh... yeah. Right," Hana sighed. "So we're living in the forest? It is called the Monster Forest for a reason, y'know?"
Haruto thought for a moment before answering.
"Who cares? We're strong enough as we are. Haru too. The three of us can take care of ourselves. But yeah-if things get too dangerous, we'll leave."
He paused, then added, "Still, I don't trust human settlements. They're... pretty racist, from everything I've read or seen."
"Yeah," Hana agreed. "Fair."
Right on cue-
"HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING?!"
Haruki swooped in with her bird form and bonked straight into Haruto's head.
"WA-WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" he yelped.
"IT'S NOT FAIR!" she complained. "YOU TWO ALWAYS GET TO FLIRT WHEN I'M NOT AROUND!"
Haruto grabbed her by the hand. "We weren't flirting, you little-"
Before he could finish, Hana plopped down into her humanoid form and shot Haruki a sharp glare.
"Haru," she said sternly, "you don't interrupt when adults are talking."
Haruki immediately stiffened, childhood instincts kicking in from memories of their mom scolding her.
"Ah-I-okay! Sorry!"
Haruto blinked, impressed.
"...Yeah," he thought, grinning unconsciously. "I should leave the gremlin to her from now on."
Haruki noticed his smug expression instantly.
"WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT, HUH?!"
He looked away without answering, which only annoyed her more.
As he turned, Haruto noticed Haruna nearby, curiously poking at the Blood Soldier.
A new idea sparked.
"Could I... make armor for Hana and Haruna the same way I make Blood Soldiers?" he wondered aloud. "Probably shouldn't test that without knowing how my blood would react to them... but still. Cool idea."
Shrugging, he turned toward the open tunnel, intentionally leaving the blood soldier behind.
"If you're ready, we can finally move on," he said. "The exit should be close. I think it's the floor after the next one."
Without hesitation, the three girls followed him.
---
After some time...
They walked through the next floor with no problem, thanks to the blood snake Haruto sent there to clear the area.
It was all peaceful.
Almost alarming.
Suddenly, Haruto sensed something and stopped.
"Is there something up ahead, my lord?" Haruna asked, immediately ready to draw her sword.
But Hana calmed her down, "Nah. Don't worry. It's nothing hostile."
Then with a half smile, Haruto put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly.
The sharp sound echoed through the cavern walls as a loud slither was heard moments after.
Almost immediately, the giant snake reappeared out of the only tunnel that existed in this huge open room.
As its massive figure came into view, the three girls were immediately startled. Even Hana didn't expect it to be so big. She thought it was probably as big as a Titanaboa or something. Even that's crazy long!
Haruto though, remained unfazed as the snake came closer and offered it's head for another petting session.
He smiled awkwardly as he realized that this thing actually learned it. So, they can learn. This means they're entirely different from his own self. But everything they eat comes to him. It's a strange puzzle.
Shrugging that off for now, Haruto put his hand on its head and started petting it like a playful puppy.
"You did a great job! There's not even a rat in sight..." He complicated, making the snake more excited.
"So... uh... That thing is supposed to be your kid or something?" Hana asked bluntly.
Both Haruto and the Snake were stunned. "Wa-what'd you mean?" Haruto asked as he tried to explain. "... No... It's-it's not like that-"
"It's literally your blood. What are you trying to explain?" She countered even before he could say anything. Then went on with the critical blow, "... You just birthed a child and the first thing you do is dumping your punishment on to the poor thing?" She approached the snake and hugged it affectionately.
"H-HEY! ARE YOU TRYING TO INSTIGATE SOMETHING?"
Hana just gave a teasing smirk as she started to cuddle with the giant snake, just to annoy him. "Ohh... you poor thing..."
Haruto, defeated, just accepted his reality and backed out already. Knowing very well he's not gonna be able to argue with her.
Then gladly taking the opportunity, Haruki didn't forget to add her next level tease skills.
"So, if he's the father, I'm the aunt, right? Well, damn. Isn't that cool..." She pretended to think for a moment before adding the finishing blow, "... So, who's the mother then? Big sis, you gonna take responsibility or what?"
This left Hana speechless.
"H-Haru..."
Haruki didn't budge. Instead, she doubled down. "I mean... It's only fitting, right? Didn't you tell me that one time-"
"Okay... that's enough!" Haruto stopped them as he walked over to the snake. Placing a had on it gently he told the others, "Can't you focus on the important stuff for a moment?"
They all stopped, puffing at each other.
Haruto payed them no mind as he asked the blood snake, "Did you find it?" He asked.
The snake nodded slightly before turning to the tunnel entrance.
Haruto gestured towards them to follow as they went into the last tunnel.
After walking beside the slithering snake for few minutes... they made it...
To the final...
50th floor.
---
Just as they stepped into the lush area filled with countless varieties of plants and glowing crystals, they noticed something strange. Scattered across the ground were worn, broken weapons—swords, spears, and axes—half-buried into the soil like trophies left behind by time.
They entered the open space, smaller than the one before.
Haruna stepped forward, her voice filled with awe.
"This is… the Cemetery of Bravery. The place where every challenger who dared enter the Chaos Maw was laid to rest…"
She turned around and spread her arms wide.
"…This place was created by Lord Charybdis himself, to honor warriors brave enough to challenge him."
"Well, that's… kinda dramatic," Haruto muttered as he looked around.
"But…" his voice lowered, "…this place feels oddly full of life. And these broken weapons—"
Suddenly—
His heart began pounding in an unnatural rhythm.
Haruto clenched his chest as a sharp, barely bearable pain tore through him. He gasped.
He felt it.
A pull.
Something was drawing him in.
It felt as if his heart itself was responding to this place.
Without realizing it, his body started moving.
While Haruna continued examining what she had once believed to be nothing more than a myth, Haruto walked past her—completely ignoring her presence.
Hana noticed instantly.
She hopped after him and landed on top of his head.
"Haruto? You okay?"
He heard her voice… but his lips didn't even twitch.
No response.
Hana watched as Haruto continued walking deeper into the lush field, his steps steady and unhesitating.
Before losing sight of them, she called back to Haruna and Haruki, her tone sharp with warning.
"We're going ahead to check something out. If anything happens, just follow the path."
She gestured, and the blood snake slithered forward, ready to assist them if needed.
Soon, only Haruto and Hana remained.
This time, Haruto wasn't in control of his own body.
There was nothing Hana could do but watch as he walked into a wider, circular chamber.
At its center stood a staff-like object, completely wrapped in bandages and embedded into the ground like a monument.
Without hesitation, Haruto stepped onto the altar.
His right hand moved on its own—and tightly gripped the staff.
Instantly, the bandages unraveled.
A pure black blade revealed itself.
Both Haruto and Hana froze.
Before either of them could react, the loose bandages lashed out, wrapping around Haruto's arm from wrist to elbow. The blade vanished—and so did the entire katana-like weapon.
In the next moment, Haruto regained control.
He immediately looked down at his right arm. Bandages were tightly wrapped around it, yet he could still feel something… the same presence as the blade—now condensed within the cloth itself.
He looked up at Hana.
"I… kinda lost myself there. Sorry."
She stared at him, worry clear in her eyes.
"What just happened? You lost control."
"Don't worry," Haruto replied calmly. "That won't happen again. I promise."
Even as he said it, he wasn't entirely sure himself.
It hadn't felt forceful.
It felt… natural.
Just then, the blood snake tore through the field, devouring magical herbs as it slithered forward. Following close behind were Haruki and Haruna.
"What happened?" Haruki asked.
Haruto was still staring at the bandages wrapped around his arm.
Hana tilted her head slightly, still puzzled—but calm.
"Well… looks like we picked up something interesting."
"The reward for clearing the labyrinth, maybe?" Haruto added.
Haruki's eyes lit up immediately. She zipped forward, hovering excitedly.
"Oooh! What did you get?!"
Haruto hesitated, then shrugged.
"I don't know. Probably nothing. Don't worry about it."
She puffed out her cheeks and floated back to Hana's side.
"Hmph."
"So annoying…" Haruto muttered under his breath.
Then—
Hana spotted something ahead.
She jumped down into her humanoid form.
"Look!"
She rushed toward a massive door standing further ahead, making Haruto tense instantly.
"Hey—be careful!" he called as he followed.
Haruki and Haruna followed behind them.
Standing before the door, Haruna's eyes widened.
"This was… the ancient doorway of the Chaos Maw. The patterns—they're exactly the same."
Haruto turned toward her sharply.
"Wait. Was?"
She froze.
"Oh—y-yes. The Chaos Maw collapsed about a week ago. Right after the Crimson Battalion attacked us."
She swallowed before continuing.
"No one knows why. But like I said before… my teacher's theory still stands. Lord Charybdis must've been reborn somewhere else. The labyrinth fulfilled its purpose… so it collapsed. The entrance was sealed by debris."
"Then how did you get in?" Haruto asked.
"She mentioned she was looking for help," Hana answered for her, "and somehow got transferred near the floor where we found her."
"So this door leads nowhere?" Haruto muttered, eyeing it carefully.
"…Or can we just break through all the rocks?"
"It won't be that simple," Haruna warned.
"The cave outside is much larger than this doorway. If we break it bit by bit, the debris above will just replace what we remove—and might even flood into this room."
"That'd be bad," Haruto nodded. "Really bad."
"I could destroy it with my skill," he said thoughtfully, resting a hand on the door.
"But if what's outside is larger than this space… it'll take time. And that's enough for the rocks to collapse inward."
He glanced at the blood snake—then immediately dismissed the idea.
"…Yeah. Still not enough."
"Just do it already," Hana sighed. "We'll handle the excess rubble ourselves."
Haruto turned to her with a blank stare.
"…Then how am I supposed to look cool?"
Hana facepalmed. Hard. "This is so stupid…"
"C'mon," he said quickly. "Give me a second. I wanna try something. If it fails, I'll do it your way—promise."
He leaned closer, grinning.
"…Pwitty pweese?"
Then, suddenly dropping his voice into a deep teasing whisper—
"Come on. Daddy knows what's best."
"EW!" Hana snapped.
"I don't care anymore!" she yelled. "Do whatever you want! Just never—ever—do that again!"
Haruto grinned. Approval accepted.
"You three might wanna take cover," he warned casually.
"It's about to get… a little spicy."
The blood snake immediately slithered behind a massive rock, practically radiating admiration.
Hana and Haruki clicked their tongues but stepped back.
Haruto stood before the colossal door, stretching slightly as he raised his palm.
A confident smirk formed on his face.
"Now…"
"…let's get started."
...