"You! Over there!!!" Axel was referring to Thomas.
"Why did you pretend to die? I thought you were already dead. And…" Confusion arose among the individuals in the room.
"Why!? Do you mean to ask that?"
Axel tries to close the distance but refrains from doing so because as he approaches, they also take a step backward.
"You have murdered a huge number of individuals to a great extent from devastated metropolitan territories. Extrajudicial killings by police and their representatives have proceeded consistently, spreading from the capital district to the cities and provinces.
The mayor said that:
…Advances in science when put to commonsense utilization mean more positions, higher wages, more limited hours, more plentiful yields…
But is that the case?
I have been not long in the organization. But I have already found out enough."
Axel stays calm and Socrates butts in.
"The impact for this thing you call… "Advances" incorporates death toll as well as harm to the jobs, education, and the emotional wellness of enduring relatives of the people you've killed."
Socrates signaled the three of them. It was time to carry out the plan. Thirty-six hours remained before the labyrinth re-established itself since it already had made its partial destruction. The countdown continues.
They have found the rune mark. They lunged forward and ran with their extreme speed. Axel still adapting to the pressure inside the labyrinth halted himself as his stamina burned out. He threw a charge of blast towards them, but it missed flinging away to the deeper parts of the room.
When they were about to cross the giants moved almost crashing Raj if not for Socrates who pulled him.
"Be careful and always sense your movements around you."
Raj was trembling with fear as he held on to his life.
"Woah. I thought that was the end of me."
The doors were freely open, but the giants started to fight back and move probably because of the blast that Axel threw.
"Charge in the door first, just wait for us on the other side!" Raj exclaims as Thomas is already near the passage.
"CLOSE IT!"
Socrates immediately activated the rune.
Axel, Lee, and Ken were dodging, at the same time trying to approach the door. The same happens with Axel and his team. Comparing the speed of Axel with his members they were a burden to him because they could not match his speed. But even though he grabs them by the back while he propels and accelerates himself with his men in his hands.
"Stop it. Don't mess with us."
"No! You do not mess with us. You don't have any key or anything to proceed to other rooms or destroy an existing one."
"I don't know if you have read the scriptures written at the entrance of this labyrinth. But I know you do so you don't have any choice."
Axel was mad about his decision. He was so caught up and excited did not think about anything upon entering the labyrinth.
"So, this is your plan? You'll just let us chase you?"
"Until when? Everything has a dead end."
"Of course. What do you expect of us? To battle you head-on. We do not… I do not rather… personally don't want to waste my time and energy to the likes of you."
"But if you all wanted to keep living you might want to keep up the pace. Or you decide to rest in one room, and we can leave you three there…"
"You know? Rest forever." Socrates sighs
In an instant every time Raj, Socrates, and Thomas enter a new room. As planned, they immediately activate the rune. Walls and ceilings started to crumble, debris after debris, trembling after trembling, room after room. They followed their designated planned path.
"You don't have time to rest Lee, Ken!!! Keep up the pace if you do not want me to leave you here behind. I would never care if the two of you will be left here."
"But Axel, neither we. But we do not know what is with these rooms. The energy just keeps pressing me in."
"I am still nauseous dwelling in these rooms."
Axel follows them consciously without a choice while from time to time, Lee and Ken try to match up his speed. But if needed Ken and Lee ask Axel for aid to help him propel themselves faster.
"Need a hand here." Ken charges toward Axel.
"Here you go!"
Series of rooms have they passed and encountered. One room contains gold treasures. But they are not blinded by it nor greedy enough for them to have it. But in that room, Ken and Lee somehow managed to keep small ingots of gold in their pockets.
"Finally something I can use" Raj grabbed the bow with some arrows inside a quiver.
Some rooms were huge, others were small, and others were filled with an illusion of scenery with streams and trees, but the negative energy was still prominent and the moment they activated the rune, it was dry, empty streams and wilted life forms prevailed.
There were various skulls of unknown creatures and skeletal remains of humans found in random rooms. The intensity of the dark Quanta energy also intensified somehow pressing them with gravity.
Outside the labyrinth beyond the portal, Regulus troops were already rallied around the place together with the team of researchers and scientists.
Mayor Sergz was supervising the Project for the Kampiig desert as it was under his custody and division while he attended parties and events to entertain himself.
The president was sitting tight in his comfortable room while his silhouette obscured him.
The phone rings. Mayor Sergz saw it was the president who was calling.
"Hello, Mr. President? What made you call.".
He was a bit anxious while he tried to distance himself away from the crowd at the party he attended.
"What is this Mr. Jeriel called? Your project has been compromised by some outsiders?"
"Uh oh! No Mr. President it was doing well.". The mayor did not know anything about the progress of the project.
Jeriel is one of the Board members under the Regulus group. He was once a celestial and chose to be part of the board of trustees. Nobody from the organization knew who this man was.
"Just be sure Mr. Mayor I don't want to be disappointed by you."
"Of course, Mr. President I don't also want to disappoint you. You know how my city has contributed to the wealth of this country."
The mayor is in a bit of trouble. He asked his team of researchers who leaked the information about the progress of the search to the higher-ups.
He immediately called his expedition team who was in the ruins.
"Hello Dr. Sprangler?"
"What is this information this president asked me? About some outsider who stepped inside the project.
I have already told you that inform me first of the progress before relaying it.
How many times do I have to remind you?"
Dr. Sprangler was one of the head scientists who studied the ruins for almost a year. He was also the one who designed the armament for Axel.
"Hello Mr. Mayors with all due respect, we did what you did demand. We sent you the mail ahead of time."
They did inform the mayor first but after sending the mail, they also relayed the information to Regulus. The only reason that they had an affiliation was to make everything accessible to the law so that it would be easier for them to conduct these expeditions. As a private organization that can support itself, they only need insignificant help from the government.
He was infuriated dropping the call.
The pissed mayor updated himself on the recent happenings of the expedition. He left the party and did his due diligence.
Room 3C has five next rooms till they meet in the last room. It was almost twilight, but the sun was still up outside. They do not have any way to measure the time inside.
"I don't know how many hours were already been inside this other world's labyrinth. But trust me boys I will bring you back.". Socrates was worried with guilt on his face. He does not know what happens next on their fate inside.
The fragrance was of a haybale flash inside this room. It was the first room where they noticed that there were small skeletal remains. A stockpile of rocks and gravel was also on the corners like there was unfinished construction on site. A pile of wood was left unused. They did not immediately see the rune this time.
Out of nowhere, Axel threw out a cannon blast. He was tired during the chase. There were the ones who were always behind dodging and catching the ceilings and debris. He decided that if he somehow managed to close to them then there would not be anything wasting Quanta or Zodiac for Ken and Lee for the unnecessary debris.
Socrates did not like to see it coming.
They were all careless and reckless. A mutated being of unknown creatures popped out of nowhere. All their limbs were deformed, and they did not know exactly what they were seeing.
Raj can already feel the fatigue in his body, the same as Thomas. Socrates has still some energy left.
They still have not gotten used to the pressure of the environment. It left them no choice but to fight and annihilate these creatures while searching for the rune mark. The same cycle continues for the series of rooms but the monsters and creatures they were facing were stronger, bolder, and better.
In the second to the last room, they were facing giants. They were already in a rush to reach the final room.
Axel and his subordinates were almost already dried up. Socrates already felt the shaking of his knees. The strike of fatigue had gotten into him.
Outside the ruins was already nighttime. Regulus guards were kept in post while Strawberry and her troops were also cunning as they guarded from behind.
Midnight came and they had finally reached the peak of their journey inside the labyrinth. A mysterious laugh out of nowhere was echoing inside the room. All of them were dreadful because they hadn't found any chest or any clues from the past rooms that they had been through.
Raj's chest levitated itself in the air with his father's keepsake bracelet dragging him onto it. He removed himself immediately as they all witnessed it floating in the air.
Axel and his subordinates just managed to keep up with the usual pace. They stopped for a while and paused while catching their breath.
You all did well. You all did well. The voice was speaking. It echoes in the dark room. A rhythmic pattern of grinding sound was howling.
Sorry for the interruption but I see that you have a piece of me. It was pure and not the state I am now. I do not know how you have it, but I must confiscate it from you. I see that you are all seeking power and some of you are seeking peace. I need to remind you that there is no true peace that the world will understand nor true power that will not enforce fear.
Before I reveal myself, you must take a step backward.
Raj tries to pull off his chest and his bracelet, but he cannot already reach it and it will not.
It seems like you do know how to open your chest, young man. Let me do it for you.
"No! Who are you? Do not open it!"
"Why? Do you not want to see what is inside?"
Even though Raj is thrilled to know and see what is inside the chest he cannot just let an unknown being or creature do it for him.
"Raj."
"Yes, Mr. Socrates? Do you now know what is inside of that box, or any idea?"
"I do not know I haven't opened it."
The voice suddenly replied.
"Oh? So, you have not opened it? I can open it for you…or you can open it for us.". Followed by a sonorous laugh.
"Why? What are? Why can't you show yourself?"
I can show myself but when I do you guys might be greedy for acquiring me. But you. I do not know what is it that you need when you already have some parts of me. It might now be that powerful, but it can already par with me.
Suddenly torches lit up the room. Below the levitating chest and bracelet of Raj appears the chest.
"Is this the!". Everyone in the room was surprised. Axel immediately rushed towards it.
Hey, you human creature. What do you think you plan to do? Of course, you could open it if you wanted to. Everyone in the room was in doubt. All of them slowly took a step towards the appeared chest.
I think you should open your own chest young man, or should I? The voice kept persuading Raj to open his chest.
"Why are you telling me to do this?"
Of course, you must have a taste of the power you once held before I acquired it.
Raj was about to open his chest when it suddenly merged with the key and opened itself with an unknown force that pushed them together.