As soon as I entered the labyrinth, I took a moment to survey my surroundings. It was vast, unfathomable to my untrained eye.
The faint echoes of my own footsteps reverberated through the corridors as I walked, a constant reminder of the maze's endless expanse.
Small illuminating stones were carved into the walls, providing some visibility but not enough to feel safe.
"I already hate this place," I muttered aloud, knowing there was no one around to hear.
"Hey, El," I called out, gripping the sword in my hand as I continued forward.
[What?] came his response.
"Talk to me, fucker, I'm feeling bored," I replied, my voice echoing slightly in the empty labyrinth.
[....Can't you talk properly?] El retorted.
"I don't want to," I shot back, unfazed. "You know I lost a third of my soul to get you, and to be honest, you're pretty much useless."
[...I can give you my blessings anytime, but you might die from its burden... Do you still want it?]
"You know I was born with Amun-Ra's blessing. Are you saying your blessing is more powerful than his?" I asked, my footsteps echoing softly as I continued through the labyrinth.
[That's a different thing... and you know it. Being born with a blessing and being given the blessing later on are two different things,] El responded.
"Yeah, I know that, but it doesn't mean it's not frustrating," I grumbled, my hand trailing along the rough surface of the wall as I walked.
[What are you even doing, touching and counting the walls?] El asked, his voice filled with doubts.
"....I played the game, and games are bound to have bugs," I replied, moving deeper into the labyrinth. "And right now, I am finding that bug."
[This is not a game, it's real life,] El reminded me.
"I know that, and that's why I came here first to check if it's here or not instead of following your plan," I replied, as I arrived beside a staircase leading to the second floor of the labyrinth.
[So, you thought about what you are going to do next?] As I walked down the stairs he asked.
"Hmmm, first, I want to fucking live and run away from my mother, then...maybe find a beautiful woman who isn't after my life to marry."
[....Who isn't after your life?]
"Yeah, most of the heroines from the entire series will at least try to kill me later on after I become a puppet, well, in self-defense."
Walking inside the new floor, I replied.
This floor had a different ecosystem, with plants and trees growing around the place, making it look like a small forest.
But the bizarre thing was that there wasn't any sound—no birds singing, nor any bugs moving, just eerie silence.
[....So only one wife then.]
"....What do you think I am?" I asked after a light pause, "Of course, one wife. I don't want a fucking harem in my already fucked up life."
[....Hmm.] he just hummed in reply without commenting further.
"El," I said as I walked out of the forest, "just to be sure, I don't have a third of my soul, right?"
[Why are you asking?]
"Just answer me."
[Yes, you don't have it.]
"Goo—No, I mean, that's not good."
[What are you up to—]
His words abruptly stopped as I halted my movements.
[Azariah.]
"I know," I mumbled as I tightened my grip on the sword.
A single monster sat in front of me, eating some raw meat. Its ears twitched as it slowly looked at me with its hollow eyes.
My eyes met its as the monster stood up on all fours, nearly reaching a height of two meters. It silently glared at me, its hollow eyes piercing.
[...Be careful, it's strong.]
"Just my shitty luck—"
Before I could even whine about my luck, the monster jumped at me, extending its claws attempting to tear my head.
I quickly stepped aside, narrowly avoiding the monster's next attack, and blocked its claws with my sword.
"Argh..." Even with just the first exchange, I realized I couldn't defeat it head-on; my hand already felt numb from the impact.
Gritting my teeth, I blocked its claws again, feeling myself being pushed back slowly.
Bang!!
I managed to place the sword against its jaw as the monster attempted to bite my head off, but its weight made it harder for me to stand properly.
Pushing it backward with all the strength I could muster, my fragile body strained against the weight of the monster. I attempted to attack its stomach, but the creature dodged my strike.
Its mouth gaped open again as it pounced at me. I took a step back.
One step, two step and then I fell onto my back andd let the monster loom above me.
Prich.
Just as it was about to break my neck with its jaws, I pierced its stomach with my sword with all my strength, causing it to let out a whimper of pain.
"Argh..." I twisted my sword until a large amount of blood started to gush out, soaking my body. Eventually, the lifeless body of the monster fell over my body.
"Huff...Huff...Fuck." Groaning in pain, I pushed the body of the monster aside, taking deep breaths to calm my pounding heart.
[Even though it was amateurish, you did well in killing the monster.]
"...Shut up, bastard," I grumbled as I stood up, my lower body drenched in the monster's blood.
"I will never walk into this type of place without proper training." Grumbling, I retrieved my sword from the creature's body and started to walk again.
"Argh." I groaned again as I lightly touched my ribs, feeling pain shooting through them once more.
[You trained with swords?] El asked as I tried to find the staircase for the third floor.
"I had to, or else I would have died with all the training I had to go through with Adaliah," I replied as I stood in front of the staircase of the next floor.
[She beat you up since childhood?]
"Pretty much, and you know the reason?" I asked as I walked downstairs, and before he replied, I continued, "Because beating me up makes my body forcefully absorb mana."
[...And she knows about it.]
".....She told my mother as well," I replied with bitterness filling within me, "and that's how my daily training started."
[That's... harsh.]
"It wasn't," I replied as I arrived on the third floor of the labyrinth, "it was just some physical pain... I have gone through worse."
Once again, the ecosystem changed as I found myself in a rocky place, but I didn't look around much as I arrived at the place I was looking for.
Touching the wall on the side, I started counting until I reached an empty well.
"Hello."
My voice echoed into the well as I looked inside it.
The well was completely dark as night, and I couldn't see a thing inside.
I picked up a pebble from the side and threw it into the well, then waited...
But...
No sound came back.
[...What are you doing?] As I leaned on the well with my back facing its mouth, El asked.
"Ever wondered how this labyrinth was made?" I asked him as I placed my backpack on my front.
[...No.]
"Then have you ever heard of Niflh and Muspelh?" I asked again as I took a deep breath.
[...Why are you asking this?]
"You will know soon enough."
With that, I leaned more...
And...
Let my body fall into the empty well...