Denizens of the Labyrinth

Jazmel woke up with a groan and looking around he found himself lying on a makeshift bed and his swords were beside him, sheathed and propped up against the wall. He looked around him and realised he was inside the belltower. He was alone; he couldn’t see Sadé or Serafina, but he imagined they were close. He tried to get up but groaned as his body told him he was not ready to do that. So instead, he checked his system screen.

DING!

CONGRATULATIONS ON CLEARING THE FIRST QUEST OF THIS NEW GATE!

…

LEVEL UP!

EXP ACCRUED!!

LEVEL UP!

YOU AND YOUR TEAM MANAGED TO RING THE BELL

DEFEAT THE DEMONIC BEINGS AND THE DEMONIC HORROR

EXP BONUS!

EXP ACCRUED!

…

LEVEL UP!

FOR COMPLETING ALL TASKS FOR THE NEW GATE

+10 STAT POINTS

He smiled at this, he had needed this and looking at his stats he distributed them immediately. Putting them into his lowest and stats and he breathed a little easier as he felt his body acclimatise to his new limits. He continued to read the screen.

REWARDS FOR COMPLETING THE QUEST!

RING OF THE URSA, a ring that bears the strength of a bear. +5 STR, +3 END

MERGE TOKEN, a token that will allow you to sunder two skills and merge them.

SKILL BOOK, a book that will share a skill with the reader.

…

He read over the rewards again and again, he looked at his stats and sighed his body was broken had been broken. He didn’t have enough potions to put a real dent into his healing, he needed to return to the outpost as soon as he could.

Name: Jazmel

Level: 59

Species: Human

Rank: Seeker tier III

Class: Sword Scion

Health: 650/2100

Stamina: 367/1540

Mana: 112/1480

STR:87(+5) PER:85

VIT:80 END:80(+3)

INT:92 WIL:81

AGL:83 DEX:83

Trait: HEART OF THE SWORD (BORN TRAIT)

Skills:

Cleave (tier I)

Fall of the black raven (tier I)

Whirlwind (tier II)

Blade Wrath (tier I)

Title(s):

FIEND BANE (ACTIVE)

GLARE OF THE DRAKE (ACTIVE)

SERPENT SLAYER

DEMON SLAYER

Unused Stat points: 0

45X PLATINUM COINS

82X WHITE GOLD COINS

27X GOLD COINS

Item(s):

TIER II 2X COLD IRON ORE

TIER I 1X GREATER GRAVE IRON ORE

2/3 PIECES OF THE PLAQUE

TIER II BRANCH OF A TREE

TIER II SEED OF MIRETE

DWARVEN COIN

8X TIER II HEALTH POTIONS

6X TIER II STAMINA POTIONS

10X TIER II MANA POTIONS

TIER II ARMOUR OF THE STEADFAST

TIER III SABRE OF THE DEADENING

TIER II SHORT SWORD

TIER II FROST SHARD x13

TIER II BRUXA CORE

TIER II GLACIAL HERB X3 SACK

TIER II GLACIAL FRUIT

TIER II ARCTIC SPICE

TIER II FREEZING FRUIT

TIER I FRIGID HERB

TIER III DEMONIC CLEAVER

TIER III BLOODY SABRE

SHADOW WRAITH

LEVEL 12

PARTY:

5/5

BAEK LVL 113

He stood up now, grinding his teeth at the pain his body was feeling, he slipped the ring onto his third finger on his right hand, and he felt his endurance rise a trickle. Using his swords as crutches he gingerly made his way out of the belltower.

He made it to the doorway and just as he had remembered it, there was a huge crater in the ground where the star had fallen and destroyed the demonic forces.

Looking around he realised he couldn’t see Sadé or Serafina and he wanted to look for them, but he couldn’t the steps were beyond him right now, his body was still sore and tender. The broken bones had healed but he hadn’t recovered the same vitality he always had, he needed stronger potions. Something he would have to purchase from colin when he next saw him.

“So, you are up now.” He heard and looking to the left of him, a woman in full body armour was looking at him. she wore full regalia, amour he had never seen the likes of before but the Mana emanating from it was so strong that he back pedalled but stopped and winced.

“No need to be afraid, I am a friend. well, I bear you no ill will anyway.” She said and he studied her and waited to see if she would approach him.

“I am a herald; we are petitioned by the system to enter new gates to make sure they are safe. I got here a little late and that is why I helped you and your friends. A mutated tier III is equal to a high ranker. You managed to fend it off for some time, I am quite surprised. Especially when none of you are rankers.” She was complimenting him, but his body told him another story, he would have died if she had not intervened.

“I am Valkyrie.” She introduced herself, she wore full armour but moved with ease; as if she were wearing a t-shirt and shorts. She had been sitting outside the tower on a low bench and he looked to see that propped up was a round shield and a lance. Both were yellow gold and ornate, she was strong, and her items were great. He felt a tickle of envy.

“What rank are you?” he asked, and she hid a smile.

“Master tier.” She responded and he nodded, knowingly. He had imagined she must be that strong.

“Did you see us fight?” he asked, and she nodded, watching him curiously.

“What am I lacking?” he asked, honest and he watched her shock and recover with a smile.

“Honestly? Nothing, you are stronger than I was as a seeker. You have good balance of stats, I can tell. Your eyes are probably better than you realise. You should use them more, but I would say you rely on skills a lot. You are strong enough to just use your swords and attack with them. Not every fight needs you to use all your skills, you become reliant on them and that creates unhealthy habits.”

“You probably haven’t been in the labyrinth that long, I can tell. But you need to always have a last ditch save or escape card. Something that will save you for a split second. Anything can happen in the labyrinth, just because you are in around your power mates. The labyrinth can throw anything at you, you need to prepare for the impossible, or to at least run away from it.” she shared, and he nodded, she was right and now he was breaking into ranker, he would be facing stronger gates, stronger enemies and greater risks offered greater rewards.”

He nodded and she fell quiet for a while before continuing.

“Also always be ready to be on your own, sometimes the labyrinth will send you into gates on your own. even if you have a party, sometimes it randomises where everyone goes. It just does it on a whim, but more importantly. Be prepared for betrayal, seekers, rankers, and masters are greedy. They will do anything to move forward, even sacrifice others; especially those to whom they don’t have any ties. That’s why the labyrinth created the herald. We are necessary to keep this from happening. But it still does, there are not enough of us to be everywhere.” She was right and he hadn’t had to suffer from that, but the deeper he went into the labyrinth the more it would be likely to happen.

“I will take these lessons to heart.” he said and bowing he thanked her as low as he could go before wincing. She smiled and donning her helmet, a gilded helmet with a mane of pure red hair much like her own hair, she grabbed her shield and lance before nodding once more to him, he nodded back and she quite literally leapt into the sky and shot off, like a star.

Sadé and Serafina came running at the sight of her and he smiled at them both, Serafina wasn’t shocked to see him, but Sadé almost cried. But he waved her away.

“Stop, stop crying.” He remembered the fountain water and taking out a vial, he drank deeply.

TIER II WATER OF &4456& FOUNTAIN DRANK

…

WOUNDS HEALED SUBSTANTIALLY

He wasn’t fully healed, but he didn’t have to use his swords as a crutch, he breathed a little easier too.

“We need to return to the outpost.” He said and Sadé nodded, running past him and into the bell tower, to get something. He turned to Serafina and studied her.

“Will you join our faction?” he asked, and she studied him.

“Why do you want me?” she asked.

“Because we are looking to go further and deeper into the labyrinth and the people we have met on the way are the best allies we could hope to make?” he responded.

“But why would I join the faction when I can just be your ally.” She asked him.

“Because if you are part of our faction you are one of us and we can support you with whatever it is you want to do while we simultaneously do what we are doing too.” He countered.

“So, you wouldn’t help me if I don’t join but I need you?” she asked him again.

“You are my friend now, of course we would. But I would like you to join our faction and help us move further.” He offered and at this she smiled.

“No need to beg Jazmel , I would have joined you if you had asked nicely.” She rolled her eyes but stepped past him to head into the belltower.

“Why are you heading back into the tower?” he asked, turning around to follow her back in.

“Because the gate is the bell!” she called back, and he sighed and realised he would have to climb all those steps.

As he turned to follow her, he sent her a retainer request for the black wing faction, and she accepted.

DING!

SEEKER TIER II SERAFINA HAS JOINED THE BLACK WING FACTION!

…

YOU NOW HAVE 10 NEW RETAINERS!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

…

ALL YOUR RETAINERS WILL RECEIVE +5 STATS!

THE DORMS OF YOUR RETAINERS WILL BE UPGRADED TO SUIT THEM BETTER!

Jazmel smiled at that and watched as Sadé and Serafina received their 5 stat points to use. He definitely needed to return, he had so many tasks he was going to release to all those who he were in the faction.

They climbed the stairs and what felt like an hour, which could have been close. They made it to the very top, Serafina rung the bell and once it rung they sound pulled them in and brough them to another space.