Chereads / The EraQuest / Chapter 33 - First Bend of the Labyrinth

Chapter 33 - First Bend of the Labyrinth

"…Like I previously thought, it is a one-time thing.

Which means…quitting under any circumstances is out of the window if my goal was to reach the ultimate objective.

As for the 2nd rule, it clearly suggests that this is a fighting game. This gun on my hip is for that use, and so is this costume I am wearing, for defense. But I'll have to check my abilities after this…

And most importantly, each player has two lives! That is a nice advantage I haven't thought about before, though it can prolong the duration of our stint in here.

Eitherways, I'd rather act as if I only have one, that way I can't be careless… Let's see what the other rules say." For the next 15minutes, Levon read and analyzed them all, the ones that appeared to him on the screen atleast. Which were 10 in total!

However, when he finished doing so his expression looked a bit confused. '… Truth?

We're all here to find Truth? Just what the hell is this Truth… This word again keeps on popping up. The way it is explained in here, it leads me to think that it's a tangible thing.

But this is only the start, I'll surely figure it out as I progress.

Now, I have a primitive idea about how this world operates. I have to get going and discover the realm.'

Levon takes his first steps in Aedificium. Simultaneously, his mind is working.

'Labyrinth walls… Labyrinth. This could be a key word! Though I do not know what it stands for…

Will the watch answer my question if I asked? I lose nothing if I try.'

He loudly asked the questions. "What does Labyrinth means?"

But it did not respond!

'…I'll have to find out on my own then, this seems like a total straight line with no turns!

Where would the rest of the cultivators be right now? For sure, we're bound to meet one another at some point… or else duels can't take place. I..'

Suddenly!! His watch got activated on its own!

Levon quickly reacts and holds his arm closer to his eyes, another message appears in front of him! Titled: Objective

The message was only two lines this time. It said:

OBJECTIVE N°1:

First Mission: Realize the nature of the place.

Reward: 1% Truth

' 1% truth…' Levon connects the dots between what he read moments ago and now.

'…One of the rules say that with each accomplished objective, The player gains a percentage of truth that leads to the main one.

Basically, I should reach 100%! Then, I'll be able to reach the ultimate goal, which is called Truth…

Now does this mean by realizing the nature of the place I'll gain 1%?

Yeah, most likely.'

Levon carefully looks around in all directions. "…When I woke up, I was laying back on a wall! That was the end of this line for sure, which means this isn't a straight infinite line…

Obviously the answer is not Aedificium, it isn't asking about a name. The nature of this place… As in defining what it is! It can't be a room… I see no doors."

He looks up high to the roof, but there wasn't any!

"…is this how the sky looks in this realm? It's kind of close to the one in the duat…Just darker! Anyways, I should focus on the place itself.

The only option now is to navigate until I find more information."

Graham resumes walking, and with each step his eyes lit up brighter! With each eye being colored differently, it was a beautiful sight…Besides that, they actually helped him see better!

One minute of steady walking and nothing new appeared, but before he'd start to re-think his strategy… He found something!

"..A turn!!". He touches the wall's edge with his hand. "Yeah definitely…But wait!

There are two turns actually! Each on a separate direction…this one continues ahead and the other on the right."

Levon takes a moment to think of which turn he'll take and what could this mean In regards to the nature of this place…At the end he chose the one on the right! And started walking again.

"…Very similar to the previous road, if not identical!"

Another minute passed, and he got faced with another turn!

"…This time it's one on the left and another on the right! But the walls are all the same…

I'll stick to the right side for now, just like the last time."

He turns and keeps on walking again, for another whole minute. Until he reached another turn. One ahead and one on the right! But he stopped for a moment before taking his decision.

"…all roads took one minute before a turn appeared.

And for the second time, the same similar directions. I can see a pattern repeating itself…" Levon decides to go right again, to cut his suspicion with certainty. Making sure to keep the same walking rate and spotting the existence of anything new. With each step he was sure he was going to reach a conclusion this time around.

However, he got surprised!

"…There is..only one turn!?". Indeed, there was only one, from where he was coming it was on his right. But that's not the complete story…

Levon thinks deeply. "…I was thinking two turns on the opposite sides were going to be here. But this looks significantly different than the previous turns!

The roads in them were a bit narrow, this one is significantly large. It's as if…I reached a corner!!". Levon starts walking slowly while examining the wall.

Suddenly! He recalls something.

"Hey! This is…The same wall I was leaning on before I woke up!!

Yes, I am sure about it… Shit! I almost forgot that the first road was longer and much larger! I was too busy thinking of the rules.

So, this means I ended up coming back to the same original place!!".

As he was surprised, Levon for the first time looks under his feet. "…What's this?!" He spots a very interesting thing!

"…This is a mark!" He bends his knees and leans on towards it, to get a better look. "An "X" sign! Red color…

What can it be signifying?

Right! The watch can surely identify it for me. Tell me what this sign means?" He asks, while touching the sign.

The watch replies to his request immediately by showing a digital message again.

" The X sign of the player: Levon Graham

Mode: Cultivator.

Meaning: The beginning point of the quest."

After quickly reading it, Levons stands up tall and thinks to himself. '…Beginning point of the quest. This only confirmed that this is truly the place I was teleported in initially.

No! It also confirms that…all the roads I took, were related!

I was only walking on a circle…

That still doesn't answer the question fully! What is the nature of this place…

Up so far the information I gathered is It's closed from the sides, dark and all the walls and roads are most likely connected to each other…

The walls…

The walls of the labyrinth…

The labyrinth…'

Abruptly! The watch gets activated.