The Sila Labyrinth.
A level 10 dungeon with designed as a multi-floor labyrinth on Elden Online.
It had ten impressive floors, each with its own unique features and challenges, making it suitable only for the most experienced and skilled players to explore.
Newbie players always wondered why a dungeon with such a modest level would pose a significant threat to those with extensive experience.
It was because of the level 25 boss that awaited on the final floor.
Spectral Blade Veiled Equinox Demonic General, Xalgun!
One might think that a much higher-level player would easily win, but that wasn't the case.
Xalgun had a range of powerful abilities that made it one of the toughest opponents. Known as the 『Strongest Killer』, it had taken down many strong players in intense battles. Interestingly, the more enemies it faced, the stronger it became.
Shin and Aqua watched as Xalgun effortlessly killed Serix, a level 40 swordsman.
It was brutal and happened in an instant.
Shin slowly got up from the ground, his eyes locked on Xalgun, the massive floor boss standing just eight meters away. He rubbed his chin, looking deep in thought and surprisingly calm given the dangerous situation.
On the flip side, Aqua was anything but calm.
"This looks bad…"Shin murmured to her in a calm and collected voice.
"YOU THINK?!" Aqua retorted, already panicking.
Xalgun's dark energy seeped from its monstrous form as it turned its attention towards them.
Aqua gripped her staff tightly, her knuckles going white as she held on. A small squeak escaped her trembling lips as she whispered to no one in particular.
"W-, We're gonna die."
"Err, let's see."
Shin's blue eyes glowed.
He used his [Status Vision] to examine Xalgun's stats.
The overlay gave players a clear view of their character or monster's stats, skills, and gear. It appeared as a blue transparent screen, making it easy to access and keep track of everything during the game.
Key info included health points, mana points, stamina, and experience points, as well as the current level and how close they were to leveling up. It also showed equipped weapons, armor, and accessories, along with their stats and bonuses.
Plus, the overlay listed skills and abilities, showing how good you were at each one and when they would be ready to use again.
There wasn't enough time, so Shin only went through its special features.
What he saw made him certain they wouldn't win.
Slipping his hands casually into his pockets, Shin let out a defeated sigh.
"Yep, we're definitely dead…"
"THAT'S ALL YOU CAN SAY?!" Aqua sharply replied.
Shin shrugged. "I mean, what else am I supposed to say?"
Aqua was freaking out because she realized that if her avatar died in the game, she'd be permanently gone with no chance to respawn or restart.
Unlike Shin, who was asleep when she found this out, Aqua knew exactly what was at stake.
Shin, however, stayed calm, thinking they would just start over if they died. Even if he had known what Aqua did, he probably would have still kept his cool.
… GROOOOWWL!
The giant creature of darkness moved slowly towards Shin and Aqua, each step causing the floor to shake.
… KIIIIIIIIII~!!
Its huge sword, called the [Blade of Eternity], scraped along the ground, making an eerie noise.
The danger intensified.
Aqua's staff slipped from her trembling grasp, forgotten.
In a moment of raw fear, she instinctively wrapped her arms around Shin, looking for comfort. With her eyes tightly shut and her chest pressing against his arm, she buried her face in his neck as her voice got muffled by his collar.
"We're going to die!"
Aqua cried louder with a quickened breath.
Shin looked back to scan their surroundings.
"Hmmm…"
He looked at the colossal door of the boss room, which was decorated with skulls.
It was closed shut.
In Elden Online, boss rooms could be categorized into two major types:
Open Boss Rooms and Barrier Boss Rooms.
Open Boss Rooms (OBRs) provided an escape route through the entrance or teleportation crystal, while Barrier Boss Rooms offered no means of exit except by defeating the boss.
Barrier Boss Rooms (BBRs) often boasted higher drop rates as a reward for the challenge.
"Well, this is bad…" said Shin, aloof.
Xalgun tightened its grip on its sword.
The creature was getting ready to attack Shin and Aqua, who looked tiny in front of it.
This eldritch horror towered at nine meters tall, and to it, the two players were nothing more than ants!
Then, an attack…
The blade came down, and for a moment, it felt like time stopped, making everything seem completely still.
However, this perception was unique to Shin.
It made him raise an eyebrow, he was genuinely confused.
'Hm? It can't be a game lag…'
He knew how much video game enhancements he had, so he didn't believe that the game was lagging. However, what he didn't know was that this was no longer a game…
It was pure survival.
Suddenly, a woman's voice sounded in his mind, sounding both feminine and slightly robotic.
[Notice. Requirements for class upgrade have been met.]
Shin didn't understand one bit of what he'd just heard.
'A woman's voice...? Is it Aqua?'
It wasn't of course, he too knew this, but he simply made the easiest guess that he could.
Shin wasn't the sort of individual that would put effort into anything, he'd rather prefer if everything was handed down to him, in the easiest manner possible.
To him, hardwork was a tad forlorn.
[Congratulations! You've successfully acquired the ultimate class, Dominator. The host has been gifted with a unique godly talent: Universal Dungeon System!]
Surprisingly, what caught Shin's attention the most was how slowly time seemed to move around him, not the woman's voice in his head. To him, listening to the voice would only prove that he had lost his mind. If anything, it would be a madness brought on by fear, but why would he be so afraid of the creature in front of him that it would drive him insane?
Impossible.
Nevertheless, the voice kept on speaking.
[In order to counter imminent threat would you like to use «Dominate» to subdue your target?]
At the time, Shin barely knew what was going on.
'Sure?' he thought.
[Command received. Hi-jacking level 10 dungeon…]
As soon as Shin gave the command and the voice responded, a wave of energy rushed through the entire Sila Labyrinth.
… ZUUUUUUUUU~!!
The walls shook, and the air buzzed with power.
Standing at the center of it all, Aqua and Shin watched as their surroundings changed right before them.
Bright blue tron lines shot up from the ground, spreading out like complex webs, reaching into every corner of the labyrinth.
[Hi-jacking dungeon…]
[50% complete…]
[70% complete…]
[90% complete…]
The glowing tron lines pulsed, creating intricate geometric patterns that wove into the very structure of the labyrinth.
Gradually, the patterns spread toward Xalgun, and its massive form started shaking as the tron lines wrapped around and trapped its body.
The fearsome floor boss was now trapped, unable to move or break free.
ROAR! ROAR!!
The monster's deafening roars echoed through the labyrinth as it tried desperately to break free from its new prison.
But no matter how hard it struggled, it was all useless.
[100% complete…]
[Notice. You have acquired the Level 10 Dungeon - Sila Labyrinth. Shall I begin processing?]
'Whatever…'
[Processing has begun…]
'Aight, cool.'
The mysterious system hijacked the Sila Labyrinth and bent its laws to Shin's will.
Having done their job, the tron lines disappeared just as quickly as they showed up, leaving Xalgun motionless and its once scary presence now calm.
It was inactive.
Perhaps in sleep mode.
"Oh."
Shin looked around quietly.
"Hm, looks like we're safe now."
It was a very casual remark.
Still shocked, Aqua struggled to believe it.
"W-, Wait… really?"
Her body was still trembling.
Shin walked over to a nearby wall and sat down.
"We are…"
He replied, but sounded very tired as he let out a tired yawn while stretching his arms out.
Slowly, Aqua nodded.
But then, she turned and she let out a startled shriek as she gazed at the dormant Xalgun. "W-, What's going on…?" she stammered, confused once again.
"Oh, I… uh… took control of the dungeon. I guess?"
The young man explained, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Aqua's expression changed from confusion to relief, and a small smile appeared on her lips. "Oh, I get it now…" she said, letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. But as the realization hit her, her eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "YOU TOOK OVER WHAT?!"
From staring at the ceiling, Shin turned to Aqua.
"Calm down, that's not really important now."
He looked around the large room they were in.
"How did we end up here? If I remember correctly, we were just in Eses. That's a starter town, I think?"
Troubled, Aqua replied, "Yeah, about that…"
As Shin scanned the area, his sharp eyes quickly noticed something odd.
"Hm?" he murmured, puzzled.
That's when he realized something disturbing: the players who had been defeated by the floor boss weren't disappearing into pixels like they should have. Instead, their bodies were left behind, twisted and lifeless in the game.
"Hmm, that's strange… new update?" Shin said casually.
Confused, Aqua questioned him, "Huh? What's strange?"
"Well…" Pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts, Shin chose his words carefully.
While Shin was in contemplative silence, Aqua quietly tiptoed over to her golden staff, keeping a close watch on the fearsome floor boss that was in sleep mode.
She was afraid that if she bent down, it might attack her.
So, she quickly grabbed her staff and rushed back like a scared rodent to where Shin was sitting.
"I did it!"
She said triumphantly, with arms stretched wide.
She gently wiped her staff with her slightly tattered and bloodstained white mage robe and nudged Shin.
"So, you were going to say something, right? Or do I really have to ask again?"
"Oh yeah…"Shin replied.
He then addressed Aqua.
"Isn't it strange that these corpses haven't vanished into pixels? They should have disappeared by now."
Shin's voice didn't have the unease that should have made the information concerning.
Aqua's eyes widened as she realized this was exactly what she wanted to discuss with him. "Th-, That's what I was going to talk to you about…" she finally said.
"Huh?" Shin uttered.
Aqua took a deep breath before revealing her thoughts.
"I'm not entirely sure, but I believe these corpses are deeply connected to the game world. It's as if…"
With his interest already invested, Shin urged her to continue. "Alright, go on," he encouraged, genuinely curious.
"Well, if we were to die here, we'd die for real."
"Oh, okay."