Chapter 1: Consciousness
In the Sealed Labyrinth, Yamada and his companions had been systematically eliminating monsters deemed nearly impossible for humanity to defeat. The boss monsters they faced on each floor were the very guardians of the deepest levels of the Newly Constructed Ultimate Labyrinth, the source of Yamada’s summoning to this world. In truth, these were even stronger versions of those bosses. The emergence of four such formidable foes illustrated just how perilous the Sealed Labyrinth truly was.
Despite being labeled humanity’s greatest enemy and the epitome of evil, the Sealed Labyrinth consumed an enormous amount of energy to produce these vicious boss monsters, as well as countless Bone Warriors and Corpse Persons (Ghouls) that had been mercilessly eradicated by the Saintesses in a game akin to mowing grass.
The energy of the Sealed Labyrinth was suppressed daily by the magic seals cast by three Holy Knights, yet it had been accumulated over a long period through various means, such as drawing from the land and feeding off the fears of the people.
Ichiro and Angelica’s deductions were correct: the Sealed Labyrinth read the fears of humanity and utilized the energy it had gathered to create monsters that embodied terror. The Bone Warriors and Corpse Persons (Ghouls) were born from the fears surrounding death due to famine, disease, or the graves of the deceased.
Moreover, the new monsters spawned by the Sealed Labyrinth were Liquid Lifeforms (Fog Slimes). These creatures were birthed from the fear of the relentless rains and the flooding they caused, which had plagued the people for far too long.
Additionally, Ichiro’s ability to liquefy the Crystal Humanoid Kai was a byproduct of this phenomenon.
As previously mentioned, the Sealed Labyrinth was capable of reading the fears of humanity—implying that it possessed a form of consciousness or something akin to it.
However, this consciousness was currently overwhelmed by an unprecedented sense of urgency. Each time it produced Fog, astute humans would arrive and annihilate them before they could multiply. What initially seemed like mere coincidence became a pattern, and it soon realized that this was intentional. In an attempt to counteract this, it tried to increase the speed of its creations, pouring more energy into generating Fog, only to have them systematically dealt with.
As it sought to increase the number of its manifestations, aiming to create more Tokens and Generators as Ichiro had suggested, it was met with the same fate each time—each generation of Fog was swiftly eradicated by clever humans. The Sealed Labyrinth felt as though its plans were being thwarted—no, it was far worse than that.
It analyzed the situation, suspecting that the weakness of the Fog was to blame. In response, it hastened its own manifestation, attempting to create an unprecedented number of monsters within its depths.
The bosses prepared by its consciousness were the Crystal Humanoid Kai, Angel Alter, Dragonbone Swordsman, and Claiomh Solais Kai. Each of these monsters had the potential to devastate a nation single-handedly.
These monsters, born from the fears of the unfortunate sacrifices who had entered the Sealed Labyrinth, were crafted with the majority of the Labyrinth’s power. The fact that they were obliterated within just a few days was a bitter pill for the Sealed Labyrinth to swallow.
In truth, the consciousness of the Sealed Labyrinth felt a genuine fear of being conquered and destroyed by Ichiro and his companions.
What was particularly alarming was the main force comprised of the Holy Knights and their female mentor. The two of them had navigated through some of the strongest monsters in history with barely a scratch.
It was no wonder that the consciousness felt fear.
Yet, the consciousness of the Sealed Labyrinth was not idle, waiting passively for its demise.
Escape routes had been prepared within the Sealed Labyrinth. The consciousness was quietly and steadily digging through the ley lines, seeking out fertile lands rich in power to facilitate its growth, and above all, to ensure a swift retreat should any threats arise.
Thus, the ley lines excavated by the Sealed Labyrinth connected the Virtuous to the Arrogance, and from Arrogance back to Virtuous.
As Yamada and his companions defeated the bosses, the Sealed Labyrinth continued to transfer its power through the ley lines, all in a bid to ensure its survival. However, this decision was fraught with concern. If it were to split its remaining power between Virtuous and Arrogance, it risked becoming a jack of all trades, unable to fully manifest its strength in either location, leading to complete extermination.
With this thought in mind, the consciousness of the Sealed Labyrinth chose one of the two options—Virtuous or Arrogance—as its refuge, deciding to channel all remaining power into that location to regroup.
And this would have a clear impact on Virtuous.
The scene shifts back in time to the Guild in the town of Skruld, where Pulmy En Dynast had just concluded a meeting regarding the upcoming battles, standing before a multitude of fierce warriors.