Socrates, Thomas, and Raj went inside the portal. There were giant rock statues they saw on their way through the entrance. At least around ten of them. They can sense the overflowing energy of Quanta all over the place. It was gigantic and bright. The walls were painted with symbols. The vast room was so humungous that you could even play football in it. Your vision would see an open space as if like you were not in the room.
"This is giving me goosebumps." Said Thomas while inspecting one of the giant statues. He was only 180 cm in height, and he looked like a midget beside the statue, which was around 20 – 30 feet based on estimate.
"The energy I feel inside is quite different. This sensation is something unusual and new."
"The flooding energy or Quanta is too overwhelming. With this number of Quanta, you should already feel the pressure pressing you through your bones. But this one…" Thomas spreads his arms as if embracing all the place.
"That is right Thomas. It's calming and pleasing." Murmured Socrates.
"But this should not be how we feel. The stone is said to be corrupted."
Socrates saw Raj on his was his chest shining briefly, in one way or another responding to the spot.
"Why did you bring that here Raj." Socrates' wonders.
"I forgot to leave it. I felt something, then it glowed for a while when I saw it. I had this with me since yesterday I guess, I was about to leave it to Grandma. But it never crossed my mind again."
Everyone outside felt the same presence. The flooding energy of Quanta.
"Remember what old man Marco said…"
"Labyrinth is a 4x4 compound with 16 rooms in total with the entrance here on the northwest corner and an exit at the southeast corner. We do not know how long the portal will remain open but let us just leave it with Strawberry."
After a few steps. There was a written scripture that only Thomas could read same as the one written in the scrolls. He knew how to read these because he taught himself and with the help of his cousin. Although Socrates can somehow understand the characters, he does not know what it means.
The scripture says:
"This is the Pandora's labyrinth where the fortune of the detestable watchman summoner Pandora was kept covered up. One should annihilate each room that associates with the other. You cannot exit without enacting the switch, and whenever you have done you will not return once more. This spot is brought into the world by a holy sorcerer that even innovation cannot see so if you end up lost in this spot out of nowhere. Go along with us attendants think to our demise, join us keepers meditate to our death."
"The labyrinth re-establishes itself after a few days when you destroy the rooms if you fail to obtain Pandora's box and leave with it through the exit."
Thomas noticed there was more on the covered with dust. He wipes it and continues to read.
"All rooms must be sealed and broken if not Pandora's wrath will conquer the world."
"The barrier will break itself and the diluted Quanta will merge itself, among others."
"We're gonna die!!! No!" Raj cries with tears of waterfall on his face. Thomas tried to keep his cool while already overthinking."
Everyone was worried. Socrates just stood by while Thomas and Raj were panicking.
"Each room is connected to the adjacent one by a rocking mechanism which functions like an airlock, I believe. Maybe this is like one of our labs."
"The remnants of the diluted Quanta are released in every room except here at the entrance. We might also encounter the monster giants in other rooms."
Raj and Thomas were screaming and crying.
"We are still young…huhuhu."
Hugs
"We know nothing about these rules."
They then saw a skull and bones of a man's body in an Indian sitting position seems like meditating. Both continue to scream more.
Socrates continues to think.
Raj saw a piece of rolled old paper in the skull just beneath it.
"What is that?" Raj points out the old paper. He quickly grabs it. It was so old that it was already almost torn out.
They continued to read it.
"Here are the additional rules. You cannot exist without destroying all the rooms that come your way. But it would still be pointless if you did not have with you the chest of Pandora.
If you managed to exit with the chest, please take good care of it and you will never wish to open it. If the labyrinth is destroyed with the chest still within it, it will just re-establish itself after two days. If you manage to bring with you the chest which is found in one of the rooms here, bring it to one of the clans of the Boholano people they will know how to take care of it.
If the chest happens to be opened inside the labyrinth and fails to be closed and sealed back, start to count the days before the monsters will break through the barrier it can't forever hold them inside this labyrinth."
If you think you will not accomplish the written task, please do not continue this journey. I have especially created this room to replenish the negative Quanta that exists in the other rooms.
I happened to open the box for a short amount of time, and the other rooms were already diluted. The negative Quanta is so strong that it acts like a virus and will start to kill you, disrupting the core of your body from the inside."
After reading it everyone feels robbed of their lives because of the unknown rules.
Socrates was patiently listening till he finished what he was reading.
"To annihilate it we should go into each debased room and pull its switch to self-destruct, or we destroy it completely. The security framework in this labyrinth is already on lockdown…"
Another trembling occurs.
"It has already started. They knew that we were here."
"Once we enter the contaminated room, we can't exit without activating the switch…"
"And once you've done so you won't be able to go back in that room."
"But we don't know what the switch looks like. Even old man does not know it." Raj debated.
"That's why we destroy it ourselves. But the energy that covers this room I doubt it. But one will not know unless we try."
At the near entrance, Thomas noticed a rock with the same mark as of the rune. They informed the others and examined it but there was nothing new about it or something special.
"Yet, nothing gets you to the exit without missing one room. So how might you annihilate each tainted room and live?"
"We do not even know where the chest can be found within the rooms."
"I thought we could freely move, separate, and exit with ease. With these rules, we stick together."
Socrates stood still while counting to understand the variables that they have.
"1) You should enter the structure through the passage and leave through the exit."
"2) Every room aside from the passageway is already corrupted."
"3) Once you go into a polluted room, you should pull the switch."
Socrates started to walk back and forth.
"4) After Pulling the switch, you should quickly leave the room."
"5) You can't get back to the room once the switch has been enacted."
Socrates stopped with his hands on his chin continuing to think.
The surroundings inside are separate from the outside. You cannot also exit through the entrance where you came from. When you try to pass through there, a barrier exists to prevent you from passing through.
Axel and his five troops arrived at the entrance of the portal facing Strawberry on her guard.
The scientists and researchers were also present, but they ran away panicked and confused about what was happening.
Strawberry draws her katana. Her very special sword.
"Looks like I need to get serious facing you guys."
"What is the commander doing here? And how did you open that portal?" Axel looks confused. He brought up his arm preparing it as if it had its sleeves. He rushed towards Strawberry.
"Lee, Ken, Chris. Come with me."
"Twins you know what to do." The four of them charged towards Strawberry.
Strawberry rushed back towards them defensively. She doubled her speed and was about to cut Axel but one of the twins, Peolo blocked the attack clashing their blades and vibrating an iron sound. Paulo appeared at the back of Strawberry teaming her.
"Looks like I miscounted." Strawberry took a step back defending the portal.
Axel did not falter and continued to rush towards the portal.
"Try to guard as. As you like."
Strawberry created afterimages of herself multiplying herself into five. She let out a consecutive attack towards them.
"I will. And I will never lose to the like of people like you."
Clashing sounds of swords were all over the place as one of her afterimages was fighting both the twins. The place generated a series of sonic booms at random parts of the room. They were all so fast that even the eyes could not follow them.
"Pretty fast huh?"
"Was able to come after me."
"I know that is not your maximum speed."
Strawberry was struggling a little. Three of her images were taken after Lee, Chris, and Ken. While her original self handles Axel.
"Hyah!". Yelling as they fought one another.
The ruins continue to rumble as their fight escalates. Axel cannot fight comfortably because he knows when goes all out all around him will be caught in total catastrophe.
"Do you think you can handle me?"
Axel's attacks were hitting Strawberry.
"Of course." She already took some damage.
Lee and Ken were pounding her after images.
"Is that all you got?"
Chris bashed one of her after images flinging it to the walls.
"Pretty weak."
Strawberry thinks in the back of her mind. "They know that the fight is unequal right? So, why are they even measuring it as it's equal."
Strawberry breathed heavily, her nostrils expelling warm air, catching her breath. Axel sat and marveled at his power. It was amazing that Strawberry's katana could not cut through Axel's metal-like arms, yet he was not immune to its damage.
Blast after the blast was exchanged. The clanging of metals was heard in rapid succession. The fragrance of the roasted rock scented the place.
Strawberry decided to take one down. She realized she could not take all of them at once.
"Pretty weak huh?"
She threw her arms towards Chris. He was reacting but Strawberry is faster and cannot block on time. He realizes how slow he is. In his mind, he is already blocking and dodging but his body cannot move. Strawberry landed a hit on his bust using the handle of his blade.
Chris tried to catch up with her movements. One of her afterimages appeared behind him as he was thrown aimlessly. Strawberry delivers a kick that sends him above the ceiling. He was not stuck there. After he hit the ceiling, he fell below yet he still chose to stand up.
"Does that hurt?"
He staggered forward, faltering from the hit, swinging aimlessly. "Come at me. That was nothing."
Her eyes then caught Ken. Her speed even multiplied more. She flew towards him, arms outstretched, prepared to hook out his throat. He reacted immediately but still took massive damage blowing him away.
"…down. After another one."
Appearing suddenly in front of Lee, he was stunned. Her fist slammed into his jaw and Lee tasted a surge of his blood. There was nothing he could do even if he read her movement. She was just too fast for her.
"Nice reaction."
Axel was having fun taking his time while she watched Strawberry. Ignoring his way to the portal. He claps slowly. He can help his teammates cross through the fight, but he chooses not to.
"HAHAHAHA. I can see you are having fun!" He continues to laugh. But the laugh was cut off.