Episode 10: Memories of the Labyrinth of Power
I had ventured to the S-rank clan, the Old Capital (Bienetta), to enlist their aid in the upcoming battle by healing the Clan Master’s brother.
Of course, the healer was none other than Sensei. She was a superb healer, and I had benefited from her incredible skills countless times before.
The rigorous training that both Sena and Sensei had undergone, which involved performing without infusing any mana into their bodies, could only be described as an extreme ordeal. After enduring harsh and grueling training, I had been left battered and bruised on multiple occasions, but each time, Sensei’s healing arts had mended my wounds.
Sensei’s healing magic far surpassed the effects of the amazing potions I had come to rely on, not only fully restoring my injuries but also alleviating fatigue and illness.
Based on those experiences, I believed that Sensei could fully heal the Clan Master’s brother.
And if Sensei couldn’t do it?
No worries. Even if Sensei failed, I had a plan.
With that in mind, I wanted to share a bit of my past.
Thinking back to those times made my heart ache, which is why I had struggled to talk about it until now. Yet, perhaps this situation was the perfect opportunity to reflect on those memories.
For me, the dungeon attack on the Labyrinth of Power was an incredibly painful and arduous experience.
This isn’t to say that the Labyrinth of Power was particularly harsher than the other newly constructed ultimate labyrinths. However, it was undeniably a super high-difficulty labyrinth compared to regular dungeons.
So, what made it so difficult for me?
Before answering that, let me explain a bit about what the Labyrinth of Power was like.
As the name suggests, the Labyrinth of Power was a dungeon that specialized in physical strength and speed. The enemies were exceptionally tough, their attacks were heavy, and they moved at incredible speeds.
Even I, who could slice through adamantite with ease, found myself exclaiming, “So tough!” when facing armored knights that were nearly impenetrable, or the surprisingly sophisticated and heavy jabs from bipedal dog-like monsters, and even the extraordinarily accelerated clockwork dolls. Each of these formidable foes was a challenge, and I believed that even an A-rank party composed of multiple members would struggle against just one of them.
However, as someone who excelled in brute force and was primarily a solo seeker, the characteristics of the enemies in the Labyrinth of Power suited me relatively well. Among the newly constructed ultimate labyrinths, it was one of the more manageable ones for me.
So, what was it that made it so painful for me?
Let’s return to that topic.
To put it bluntly, it was the relationships I found myself in that caused me the most pain.
Bitter memories that I had sealed away and wished to forget resurfaced.
While I was dodging around, waiting for my numbed hands to recover after slashing at the tough enemies, Ryuguin, Mika, and Ange were flirting behind me.
While I was engaged in a real fight with the bipedal dog monster, Ryuguin, Mika, and Ange were flirting behind me.
While I was surrounded and getting pummeled by multiple clockwork dolls, Ryuguin, Mika, and Ange were flirting behind me.
No matter which scene I recalled, Ryuguin, Mika, and Ange were always flirting.
Three out of four party members were throwing themselves into an intense battle while the one person was left to fend for himself, and they were just having fun in the back.
Of course, no one came to help me, even when I was in danger.
At that time, I felt a strong sense of loneliness, even while being part of a party.
People tend to feel a deeper loneliness when they are aware of others in a group enjoying themselves, even more so than when they are alone.
I explored the Labyrinth of Power alone.
Though I was part of a party, I was still alone.
There was no bond, no camaraderie, no compassion.
That situation was, above all, the most painful and distressing for me.
And so—
Surrounded by the eight clockwork dolls that served as the boss of the Labyrinth of Power, while being mercilessly beaten, I made a firm resolution.
I would tackle the next dungeon alone.
The next newly constructed ultimate labyrinth, the Labyrinth of Immortality, would be an entirely solo attack without bringing them along.
Although my light attribute magic as a Holy Knight worked to my advantage in the Labyrinth of Immortality, the fact that I was tackling the dungeon solo, combined with the various traps and the tenacity of the weaker monsters, made the exploration incredibly fierce.
This Labyrinth of Immortality was undoubtedly one of the top-tier challenges among the newly constructed ultimate labyrinths I had traversed so far.
Despite the difficulties, my rewards were substantial. Among the treasures I found, the most notable was a certain (… ) orb I discovered in a hidden room beyond a wall I accidentally destroyed during battle.
In the boss room of the newly constructed ultimate labyrinths, there are typically two patterns.
One allows for retreat, while the other prevents retreat until the boss is defeated unless a special item is used.
In regular dungeons, the former is common, but the particularly nasty Labyrinth of Immortality fell into the latter category.
The treachery of the Labyrinth of Immortality was unparalleled among the newly constructed ultimate labyrinths I had experienced. It was easy to predict that retreating from the boss room would be impossible.
Yet, when I reached the innermost chamber, I opened the door to the boss room without hesitation—no, I had opened it.
At that time, my confidence from having conquered multiple unexplored labyrinths led me to forget just how dangerous it was to challenge a boss that wouldn’t allow for retreat.
Overwhelmed by unnecessary emotions like carelessness, loneliness, and impatience, I was about to pay a fatal price here—in the depths of the Labyrinth of Immortality.