The spider-woman was still there. Rae had assumed she would have left a long time ago. Perhaps she had resumed her work as the labyrinth's overseer? But then, why wasn't she moving? If the spider-woman had resumed her duties, Rae would likely have been attacked by now. For now, Rae decided to leave her be.
"Liza, how important is the level gap in determining the outcome of a fight?" Rae asked, her voice apprehensive.
[It is very important. The one with the higher level holds a significant advantage in combat. If the gap is too wide, the higher-level opponent is almost always assured victory,] Liza, the AI system embedded in her head, responded matter-of-factly.
"So, basically, I'm going to die facing these monsters."
[That is the most probable outcome, unless you level up quickly.]
"And how exactly do I do that? Let me guess—I have to kill the monsters."
[You're partially correct, but that's an oversimplification of the process. Let me explain leveling in detail.]
Liza's voice took on an informative tone. [Leveling occurs when one surpasses the experience threshold set for them. These thresholds vary depending on several factors, including an individual's status and abilities. To level up, you need to gain experience points. These can be acquired either by naturally accumulating experience over time or by stealing it from others.]
"And by stealing, you mean killing," Rae interjected, her tone sarcastic.
[Correct. Currently, the only known fast method of gaining experience points is through eliminating other beings.]
"So, the only way for me to defeat the monsters is… to defeat the monsters." Rae's frustration was evident.
[It doesn't have to be that way,] Liza offered.
"Wait. What are you suggesting? Surely you don't think I'd stoop to some underhanded method just to level up?"
[That's not what I meant,] Liza clarified. [You should wake her up. The spider-woman. Besides, if you kill her, you'll likely be stuck on this floor forever. Her dimensional web is what binds the labyrinth together.]
"I didn't know that," Rae admitted, her curiosity piqued. "But won't she try to kill me if I wake her?"
[Highly unlikely, due to your celestial heritage.]
"What about alerting the Celestials? Won't she do that?"
[For now, that's impossible. Her control is confined to the labyrinth. She doesn't have access to external systems.]
Rae exhaled slowly. "Alright. How do I wake her up?"
[A shred of your DNA should suffice.]
Reluctantly, Rae complied. She bit her finger, letting a droplet of blood fall near the spider-woman. Suddenly, the dormant figure stirred.
"Celestial DNA detected. System starting up. WARNING: Magicule capacity at lower levels. Unit 101DM requesting permission to switch on ego for preservation of magicule reserves," the system's voice droned.
"Permission… granted?" Rae ventured uncertainly.
"Switching on ego. Where am I? Where is my king? And who are you?" The spider-woman's voice was sharp and demanding. Her eyes reflecting confusion.
"Slow down," Rae said, raising her hands in a calming gesture. "Relax."
The spider-woman hesitated, then took a deep breath. "Okay… I think I'm calm now."
"Good," Rae said. "To answer your questions: we're on the last floor of the labyrinth. I don't know where your king is. My name is Raphael, and you just woke up. That's all I know."
The spider-woman frowned. "You said we're on the last floor of the labyrinth. How do we get out?"
"By defeating the monsters on each level and opening the gates to the previous floors," Rae explained.
"I see…" The spider-woman's voice trailed off. "Wait, my king? Or… my queen? I can't even remember anymore. The last thing I recall is a fragmented sentence before I blacked out. I need to return and help her… or him… win the war."
"Well, the gate is open. Let's go through it," Rae suggested.
The two stepped through the huge gate emerging into a dense forest. The air felt heavy, and Rae immediately tensed.
"Do you feel that?" she asked.
"Feel what?" the spider-woman replied, looking around.
"The eerie presence. The stench of death lingers here," Rae murmured, scanning the area.
"I don't feel anything. It's just trees and vegetation. Are we outside, or is this still part of the labyrinth?"
"It's still a floor in the labyrinth," Rae confirmed.
The spider-woman gestured to the ground ahead. "Look. That's one giant footprint. What kind of creature could have made that?"
"I don't know," Rae admitted, her unease growing. "But we're about to find out."
The ground began to tremble. Rae guarded herself, her eyes narrowing. "The stench of blood is getting stronger."
"You're overly paranoid," the spider-woman said, but her words were cut short as a deafening roar echoed through the forest.
Emerging from the shadows was a hulking monstrosity—a grotesque hybrid of dinosaur and dragon. Its scales reflected the dim light, and its fangs bathed in crimson. Rae's breath caught in her throat.
"How are we supposed to defeat that?" the spider-woman whispered, her voice trembling.
Rae didn't answer. Her mind raced, desperately searching for a plan. Liza's voice chimed in her head.
[Alert! Necessary requirements met. The creator has gained the skills Perceptivity Level 1 and Tracking Level 1.]
"Great timing, Liza," Rae muttered under her breath. "Now, how am I supposed to fight that thing? It literally looks like something a mad scientist would concoct. A hybrid of a dinosaur and a dragon? Seriously just how am I suppose to battle this thing." She clenched her fists, her heart pounding. The monstrous hybrid let out another earth-shaking roar.