Six of them were gathered around the fire, and among the group, three of the girls were glaring at Ryo and Logan. Tadashi, wearing a puzzled expression, could only wonder what had transpired while he was asleep.
Logan faced severe consequences once Ryo revealed the truth about what had happened with Olivia and the other girls. By "severe punishment," I mean that Olivia was purposefully ignoring him, sticking close to Mei and the other girls. She wouldn't even spare him a glance. It was strange to see them acting like this; just a day before, they hadn't been this close. Had something happened during their time alone? In any case, the punishment for Logan's earlier misdeeds was straightforward: he was now firmly in the doghouse.
Unsurprisingly, Logan didn't look happy about it. In fact, his earlier motivation had vanished; what remained was a lifeless, baffled shell of the guy he used to be. His depressed expression seemed to please Olivia whenever she stole glances at him. Perhaps his sorrow, stemming from her cold shoulder, brought her some satisfaction, as it indicated that he couldn't be without her in any way, shape, or form. That thought kept her smiling, though she wondered how long she could keep up the act.
"Kobayashi, you've gone and doomed me, haven't you?" Logan lamented, sitting dazed on the floor beside Ryo, who remained on his knees like a child being scolded, even though the situation had somewhat resolved itself.
"No, I'm pretty sure you brought this on yourself the moment you were willing to let me see your girlfriend naked..." Ryo replied, not without some irritation.
Ryo wasn't entirely blameless in this. Olivia snorted at him from time to time, and while Mei was upset with him, they hadn't even discussed it until now. Her face bore a stern, clearly annoyed expression, but if you looked closely, you might catch a hint of blush creeping onto her cheeks.
Yeah, I really need to sort things out with her, and fast,
The only one unbothered by the whole situation was a silver-haired girl, who was grinning triumphantly at Ryo. It was a creepy look, he thought; he'd much rather avoid discussing any of this with her. Still, he knew he had to at least apologize. However, something told Ryo that even bringing up the topic would unleash a barrage of teasing that he'd rather not endure..
†
▪︎Petal of salvation "22th Ventus "2:00pm (The Labyrinth Of Lethe Day 9)
It had now been nine days since Ryo and his party began their descent. They were currently on the ninth floor of the labyrinth, just about to reach the tenth layer. Along the way, they had encountered many more Kardia-beasts than in the previous layers: Orclaws, Screaming Redbats, packs of Bulgae, and a host of other creatures. Yet, remarkably, they had not once faced a specter-level threat. Most of their encounters had been with Crawlers or lesser beasts.
They fought in a simple formation. Logan and Olivia took the front as their main offense, both hailing from the Sword Isle and specializing in swordsmanship. They were formidable fighters—Logan was at least as strong as Tsukiko, from Ryo's memories, although she had gotten significantly stronger since then. Olivia, in many respects, was even more impressive. What was it about women in the sword-wielding scenario that made them seem so much more powerful? Logan could dispatch lesser beasts in two clean strikes or more, depending on the Kardia-beast's strength. But whenever Olivia had a clear shot, she would end every encounter in a single strike, her grace and precision with the sword commanding attention.
Mei and Tadashi were assigned to cover the blind spots of Olivia and Logan, as well as to manage any enemies that broke past them. Ryo provided support by obscuring the creatures' perception of their party, only drawing his sword when specifically targeted by a monster that slipped past the two swordsmen in front. Meanwhile, Emma offered support from the rear, skillfully thinning out the ranks of opponents from a distance with her Wind Magic. It was notoriously fast, making it difficult for creatures, other than those capable of flight, to evade.
Whenever they needed to set up camp or take a break, one of them would scout the surrounding area to determine whether it was safe to stay. This became a well-practiced routine.
For the past two days, things had progressed smoothly. They were steadily making their way south through the labyrinth with no major hiccups. Occasionally, they encountered others, but taking the advice they had received, they engaged with unknown parties as little as possible.
The party known as Overhaul, which no longer existed, had warned them to be cautious between the sixth and tenth layers. A strange type of Kardia-beast occupied the area, a specter-level beast or perhaps several. These creatures could mimic nearly anything, making it difficult to distinguish friend from foe. Anyone they passed could potentially be one of them. They could even assume a person's personality, lying in wait for the perfect moment to strike. They were aptly named "mimics."
"You think we'll run into any of those mimic things in the tenth layer?" Logan asked.
Over the past three days, both Logan and Olivia had become more talkative. It seemed they were still hesitant to fully trust the rest of the party, which explained their reluctance to engage with them. However, after getting to know Ryo and the others a bit better, they had warmed up slightly. It was no surprise when Logan initiated a conversation, something he wouldn't have done just four days ago.
"Who can say if we haven't encountered one or two mimics in the past? There's no real way to know if a person is one," Mei said firmly. Her expression suggested it wasn't worth dwelling on the uncertainty. Without a way to discern the truth, they'd just have to proceed with caution as they had been.
"Yeah, you're probably right. We can't go around stabbing people like we do with trees and other things just to be sure," Logan replied, affirming her point.
"Well, even if there were a way to identify people apart from the mimics, they haven't really gone out of their way to attack us. Initiating conflict just because we might know how to tell them apart would be unwise. We wouldn't know how many there were, and we could easily be overwhelmed—and probably killed," Mei added.
"That makes sense. We wouldn't want to waste energy fighting Kardia beasts all the time or risk getting into another losing battle, like the one with the centipede," Logan said.
Then Ryo had a troubling thought: mimics could take on any form within the 6th to 10th layers, which meant one of them could be a mimic without the others having any way of knowing.
He quickly dismissed that line of thinking; dwelling on such possibilities could be dangerous.
As they approached the 10th layer, the entrances to the subsequent layers in the dark, cold forest felt akin to descending a mountain. They secured their grappling hooks firmly at the top and slowly lowered themselves until they reached solid ground. There were several of these down the green mountains, resembling huge chasms, and they repeated this process until they arrived at the next layer. The descent was just over 500 meters, and fortunately, no one made a careless mistake that led to a fatal fall, although Mei and Emma were shaken each time they had to perform the maneuver.
Just about 60 strides from the entrance to the tenth layer, Ryo's threat perception kicked in. As long as the numbers weren't overwhelming, he might be able to handle it, but he couldn't gauge their quantities.
"Something's out there, in the trees ahead," Ryo said, keeping his voice low so the others would lower theirs as well.
"How many?" Olivia asked, her brow furrowing.
"One… two… there are three. One of them is particularly strong," Ryo replied, his expression conveying absolute certainty.
They lifted their gazes to the trees just a few steps ahead. Something was blocking the path to the chasm leading to the tenth layer.
Soon, the rustling of the trees grew louder, as if the forest itself was aware of the danger approaching. From the branches above, two figures leaped down, their eyes glowing red, skin reptilian and sleek, claws curved and stony. They stood upright like humans, with only two sharp fangs that resembled a snake's.
"Saurian-Gorgons? Two of them?" Ryo murmured to himself.
But Ryo could clearly sense the presence of a third enemy lurking nearby—one that was definitely stronger than the two lesser beasts in front of him. He darted his eyes around the trees, questioning whether his instincts were off or if it was simply his imagination. Something didn't feel right.
"Hisss."
The Saurians hissed, their sound sending a shiver down Ryo's spine. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing thoughts. He sensed three enemies. The Kardia-beasts possessed a certain level of intelligence, making it very likely that these two were a distraction for the real threat hidden in the shadows. He sized them up, recalling the peculiar ability that fascinated him. However, Kardia-beasts were not known for working as a group; they were usually solitary predators. Yet here they were, targeting him and his companions together.
"Aren't they Saurian-Gorgons? If I remember correctly, their bite has a petrification effect, and so do their claws," Mei warned in a firm tone.
One's definitely trying to get the jump on us. I swear, these beasts think they're soooo smart. Ryo scowled.
He had a simple plan in mind, one he believed suited their current predicament. With two lesser beasts blocking their path, he was confident he could take them down alone. He decided to leave the third Kardia-beast for his friends to handle. Something told him this one would be particularly strong, perhaps even much more powerful. Maybe it wasn't even the same species as the others. But that thought felt far-fetched. What were the chances that Kardia-beasts of different types would work together like this? The only time he'd witnessed something similar was when Sir Briar was controlling them, but that seemed impossible to fathom. He considered whether Briar had some kind of beast-taming Scenario, but based on how he'd fought, that didn't seem likely. His portals and lack of distinct features were not traits one would associate with a beast tamer. Then again, Ryo couldn't say for sure.
No… Stay on topic! Don't let your thoughts trail off; shit!
As if sensing Ryo's momentary lapse in focus, the monsters hissed menacingly, clearly poised to attack.
"You guys stay back!" Ryo commanded in a tone that was more authoritative than usual. "I've got this. There's something I've been meaning to test out."
"Test out? Don't be absurd! This isn't the time or place for you to be learning a new trick," Mei replied, doubt seeping into her voice. "I find it hard to believe you can take on two lesser beasts alone."
Her concerns weren't unfounded. If they were dealing with crawlers, Ryo could handle them, but the gap in strength between a crawler and a lesser beast was significant. One lesser beast was plausible for Ryo to manage, but two? Even if he succeeded, making a mistake against a creature like a saurian gorgon could very well result in him being petrified—literally.
"Calm down," he said, trying to reassure Mei. "It's not like I don't have a plan. There's a really strong Kardia-beast hiding somewhere. You all need to focus on locating it or getting ready in case it decides to strike while I'm occupied with those two."
"So your plan is to use yourself as bait, then?" Mei asked, still skeptical.
"Yes, that's pretty much it," he confirmed, maintaining his composure.
Mei sighed and placed a hand on her forehead, clearly exasperated by the calmness with which he presented his reckless idea. "I have to say, I never would have thought you'd put yourself on the line like this."
"Put myself on the line? I'm not Masashige Kusunoki. The moment it looks like I'm outmatched, I'm getting out of there," he replied, a hint of confidence in his voice.
It wasn't as if he couldn't back out if things turned dangerous. The only reason he suggested this plan was that he was confident he could deal with the two beasts. But if, for some unexpected reason, things went south, he wasn't obligated to meet his death head-on; he would retreat, regroup, and they could reassess their next steps. It seemed like a solid plan to him.
"I'd be happy to join you if it'll better your chances of victory," said Tadashi, concern etched on his face.
At that, Ryo shook his head. "Look, I'm not sure just how strong the third beast is, but you guys will need your usual formation to defeat it. I was always just an extra, anyway. Without me, you should be able to handle it, but if you join me, we risk the entire plan falling apart."
"I see. I'll place my trust in your abilities, then. If you say you can handle both Kardia-beasts, I choose to believe you," Tadashi said, his expression softening into a warm smile.
After that exchange, Ryo psyched himself up and focused on the progression of his scenario.
『Scenerio of the Demilich』
Title:- undead imperator
Traits:-
Dark magic - stage 35
Necromancy - stage 28
Resurrection - stage 21
Threat preception - stage 36
Apexs:-
Mortal requiem (requires higher succession)
Soul bind
I've been meaning to try this out. Let's hope it goes well...
Ryo quickly analyzed his Traits. The trick he'd been trying to master ever since the weeks leading up to the Labyrinth Page was something that had randomly popped into his head. It seemed like a cool idea at the time, but in practice, it wasn't as he had imagined. In fact, it was incredibly difficult to maintain. His trait, Dark Magic, allowed him to use a cloud of pitch-black smoke to block the perception of Kardia beasts. However, it rarely affected humans, and he couldn't quite understand why. The idea was to take Dark Magic and cloak his weapon in it, making it imperceptible to the Kardia beasts.
It took a lot of trial and error, and it still required a focused amount of Kardia Magia to control, but he had more or less grasped how he would use it in battle. The problem was, he hadn't had a chance to use it even once since the Labyrinth Page began.
First, he looked into the Necromancy trait he possessed.
『NECROMANCY』
SOULS REFLECTED - 29/100
MASTERY - 20
SOURCE - Kardia-Gram
My Kardia-Gram, huh? To think that's where the souls of the Kardia beasts are being kept. Is this kind of thing even possible?
He wondered how exactly 29 souls could be cramped into his Kardia-Gram. He didn't feel particularly different, at least not physically. The workings of his Scenario remained a mystery to him, and he decided not to dwell on it for too long; he didn't have time to get lost in thought, not right now.
He quickly summoned two undead Kardia beasts, one on each side of him. To his left stood an Orclaw, a beast the size of a bear, balanced on powerful, muscled legs. Its huge, claw-like hands could easily cleave a regular human in two. On his right was a beast comparable in size to the Orclaw. Its red skin resembled that of a wildebeest, but instead of hands, it had a single, spear-like protrusion that merged with its skin, resembling a fencing sword. This creature was a Red Gnu, also known as a Lesser Red Minotaur. Ordinarily, after consuming enough Kardia Magia, it would evolve into a Red Minotaur. But since it had been killed by Ryo and his group during their adventures in the seventh layer, it hadn't lived long enough to evolve. Now, it had become one of Ryo's undead Kardia beasts, controlled by his Necromancy trait.
At this moment, Ryo could control at most two lesser beasts like the ones beside him at the same time; any more would deplete his Kardia Magia much faster.
"HISSSSS!"
The Saurian Gorgons, seemingly impatient, charged at Ryo, stretching out their clawed hands as they raced toward him. Their red eyes glowed with furious malice, and their maws gaped open, revealing two sharp fangs poised to bite. As they closed the distance, they would pounce on him, sink their teeth into his flesh, petrify him, and forcibly extract the Kardia-magia from his very being, killing him instantly. But just before they could strike, Ryo's own Kardia-beasts surged forward, each one attempting to contain the chaos.
"Don't let them break free! Kill them if you can, and if you can't, try to hold them in place for me!"
Ryo commanded, urging the beasts to assault their enemies. Though all the Kardia-beasts present were lesser in rank, the Saurians were one of the strongest kinds of Lesser-beasts. He couldn't imagine his Kardia-beasts overpowering them outright, but he had chosen these two with careful consideration. After all, no matter how strong a creature was, the compatibility with one's opponent could tip the scales in battle. At first glance, the Saurian Gorgons didn't appear capable of easily deflecting the large claws of an Orcal or the spears wielded by a Red-Gnu. But he would have to see how well they fared.
"Wha... damn it! I knew it wouldn't be that easy, but this is just ridiculous," he muttered, frustration boiling in his chest.
Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, Ryo was confronted with something utterly unexpected. The Saurians had seized both arms of the Kardia-beasts he sent their way, intertwining them in a display of raw, physical dominance. They held the beasts firmly in place while the creatures struggled to break free from the Saurians' grip. Although the Saurian Gorgons were not much larger than the Orclaw or the Red-Gnu and shared a similar height, their build was much more slender, defying the laws of strength. The ease with which they exerted their force over his beasts was remarkable. But even more captivating was the speed with which the Saurians had initiated their attack, capturing the Orclaw and Red-Gnu before the two could even bear their fangs.
Okay... so what now? Are they just going to face off like this? They've been locked in this deadlock for quite a while now..
Neither the Saurians nor his own kardia-beasts had made any moves since the deadlock began, and it started to drag on for a while. In the case of his kardia-beasts, they were being held still, unable to make any sudden movements in retaliation. All they could do was struggle against the Saurians' grip. But why? Why hadn't the Saurians just bitten his beasts and been done with it? Surely, they could have easily petrified and killed his kardia-beasts.
Wait, could it be that...?
He wondered whether the Saurians realized that his kardia-beasts were merely corpses being controlled by him. Suddenly, a crucial thought struck him: the Saurians could only petrify a target while they drained the Kardia-magia from them, thereby killing them instantly. His kardia-beasts didn't possess any Kardia-magia of their own; they were mere reflections that relied entirely on his own Kardia-magia to exist. If the Saurians wanted to petrify and kill them, they would have to target the source—namely, him. But they weren't clever enough to understand what the source was, or if there even was one. To the Saurians, the situation must have seemed bizarre; he could hardly imagine they were accustomed to fighting corpses.
He felt a pang of amusement at how they seemed oblivious to something so simple, yet he quickly dismissed the thought. After all, they were essentially wild animals, much like those back in his own world. The fact that they could even discern which foes were threatening and which were not showed a certain level of intelligence in its own right. Regardless, this presented a prime opportunity for Ryo.
"Alright, let's do this. Come on, you've been practicing for a moment like this; don't get cold feet now." He whispered to himself, then took a long, calming deep breath.
He closed his eyes, feeling the kardia-magia in his wrist begin to pulse. That faint dark light, which he couldn't see at the moment, spread further across his arm. He summoned a whirlwind of thoughts, good and bad, memories he wanted to cherish and those he wished to forget. He stirred his emotions as much as he could, channeling his willpower through his body to his wrist and back again. The person known as Kobayashi Ryo couldn't fully grasp the essence of himself. Attempting to find his identity in this fleeting moment seemed impossible. But for this moment, if Ryo Kobayashi could come to terms with the fact that these emotions, these painful thoughts intertwined with smaller comforts that surged within him, made Kobayashi Ryo who he was, then he would be able to truly grasp the foreign energy that was fueled by them to this extent.
His entire body was enveloped in dark energy, which gradually lightened in color—a hue he couldn't see himself, but anyone other than Kobayashi Ryo would recognize as Kardia-magia coursing through his very being.
"And now, without wasting a single moment..."
At those words, he summoned a dark trait to his right side, where he had initially drawn his great katana. The steel of the sword became shrouded in a dark mist, oozing like miasma. This trait, "Dark Magic," was one Ryo used frequently in battle; it dulled his opponents' senses and obscured their perception, making his or his companions' attacks nearly impossible to discern. As he channeled that energy into his blade, he realized he hadn't mastered the technique yet, so the miasma swayed erratically. But for now, that was enough.
"No way, that's—" Mei gasped, bewildered by the spectacle before her. In this moment, Ryo had not only perfectly resonated Kardia-magia throughout his entire being, but he had also discovered a new application of his well-known trait.
"I didn't know you could even use a trait like that. Quite an interesting development. I swear, he can be a real handful sometimes," Tadashi remarked, his stern gaze softened by warmth and curiosity.
"Guess Ryo's a lot more capable than I initially thought. But I dunno—who would've imagined he'd try to look this... cool? I guess even he has his fantasies. Well, depressing ghost-boy or not, boys will be boys," Emma said playfully, masking her own astonishment with light-hearted banter, words she could say only when he couldn't hear them.
"Look sharp! We've still got our own fight to focus on. Don't forget that. Kobayashi went through the trouble of revealing our enemy's hand, so let's not waste it by getting distracted," Logan said, pulling them back to their task. They could never know when the third of the Kardia-beasts would see its chance to strike, likely when they let their guard down. He stared intently at the trees, hoping for a sign before the monster could blindside them.
Ryo's blade pulsed with a gas clouded, flowing miasma coating it. This entire technique would drain his kardia-magia quickly; he knew he wouldn't be able to maintain it for more than three minutes on his own. Furthermore, considering he had summoned two lesser beasts, he estimated he would have only about a minute before he ran out of steam. After that, he would be utterly defenseless, and without a cleric to replenish his stamina, he couldn't afford to let that situation develop. He had to finish off the two immobile opponents in front of him as quickly as possible.
"I probably should name this skill later," he muttered distastefully to himself. "I don't really care for names, but I guess it would be appropriate."
Without wasting any more time, he charged in for the attack. The Saurians noticed him and let out a menacing "K-HISSSSS!" They abandoned the two kardia-beasts and turned their attention to Ryo instead. However, the two lesser beasts on Ryo's side didn't relent; in perfect sync, they held onto the Saurians' lower bodies with all their might. Though it was a futile attempt to completely stop them, it slowed them down just enough.
"GHK...YAAH!" Ryo let out a fierce battle cry as he swung his blade with all his strength at the Saurian on the left, aiming to cut it down diagonally.
Due to Ryo's trait, the Saurian couldn't clearly make out Ryo's blade, but sensing the imminent danger, it reflexively held out an arm to block the strike. The blade made contact, but not fully; it stopped just short of severing the arm completely.
"EEEHHIIISSSSS!" The monster screamed in agony, its shriek echoing through the air. Meanwhile, the other Saurian lunged at Ryo with its lightning-fast right claw. Although the creature was incredibly fast and had remarkable reflexes, Ryo just barely managed to avoid a grievous wound on his left side. After inflicting that first blow, he had already begun to retreat, leaping backward to create some distance.
Without pausing to catch his breath, he charged at them again. The Saurian with the injured arm revealed its gory insides, red and bloody, while the almost severed part of the arm clung on by mere tendrils of tissue and muscle, struggling to remain intact. The Kardia-beast suddenly spat a white liquid at Ryo. Anticipating such a tactic, he quickly leaped aside. The acidic puddle of white goo splattered on the ground, emitting an odor reminiscent of boiling urine. It released a puff of smoke, highlighting just how hot it was. The sight of it made him shudder; he absolutely couldn't let it come into contact with his skin.
This is going to be incredibly difficult...
He resumed his assault, while the Saurian-Gorgons struggled to match his speed, hindered by the Beasts beneath them. One of the orclaw's powerful limbs tore into the white, scaly skin of a Saurian-Gorgon, ripping through to its red, murky flesh. The previously wounded creature howled in agony as blood and guts erupted from its insides.
Screeching, the injured Saurian unleashed a spray of its corrosive Acid Goo, melting large patches of the orclaw beneath it, causing it to dissipate into nothingness. Strangely, the liquid did not even scratch the Saurian itself, despite splashing onto its own body.
"Shit, you just had to go and spit that stuff everywhere, didn't you? A little longer and I could've taken you out."
With that, he begrudgingly acknowledged the assistance provided by his summoned ally before being brutally re-murdered. Seizing the moment, he aimed his sword at the wounded Saurian. It retaliated, hurling acid in his direction, but he deftly dodged the attack. As he prepared to strike down the Saurian in front of him, the other one seized the opportunity to blindside him with its own assault. A concentrated pool of acid was aimed at Ryo, but this was all part of his strategy. He had kept his distance from the Kardia-beasts for a reason: the technique he employed concealed the true length of his blade from them. His katana, already longer than a typical sword, was enhanced by his dark magic to appear even more elongated. He hadn't intended to cut down the wounded Saurian; he made it seem that way while truly focusing on its companion.
In a single-legged front flip, Ryo narrowly evaded a lethal strike, soaring over the Saurians and landing poised behind them. He swung at the Saurian to his left, diagonally slicing through its tough skin. The other Saurian, sensing an opening to finish him off, prepared to attack, but Ryo was already one step ahead.
"Now! Make sure you get a solid hit!"
The red Gnu, which had previously restrained the Saurian he had just slain, thrust its sharp spears upward through the throat of the other Saurian in a brutal double uppercut. The creature grunted and moaned as it was impaled, and in one swift movement, Ryo cleanly severed its head. As he did, his technique dissipated entirely.
"It's... over. No, wait, not quite yet."
Ryo lowered his weapon, his body reaching its breaking point. He had no strength left to muster and gasped for breath, completely exhausted. His remaining Summoned kardia-beast dissipated, having finally lost its supply of Kardia-magia. The remnants of the battle lay scattered around him: the large and small intestines of the Saurians, a decapitated head of one of the beasts, its headless body nearby, and a pool of blood mixed with a disturbing acidic liquid that boiled some of it, releasing a putrid stench of excrement, urine, and blood, a foul concoction of horror.
"I can't believe he actually did—"
Before Mei could finish her sentence, a looming presence approached Ryo. It was unseen at first, as though it had cloaked itself in invisibility, but when it reached him, it revealed itself.
A massive white snake with piercing red eyes slithered towards Ryo, its head large enough to swallow a human whole. It opened its maw, revealing small fangs that glistened ominously, its red eyes glowing with an otherworldly intensity.
As the creature opened its mouth, it didn't strike immediately. Instead, it remained still, mouth agape. Ryo, caught in a trance, forgot how to breathe; he was completely intoxicated by the sight of it. Deep within him, a raging passion stirred—one he had never encountered before. It felt as if his beating heart had been ripped away by the creature before him, turning his world completely upside down. It was love, deep love, pure and all-consuming love, it was.
Without a hint of doubt, Kobayashi Ryo recognized this feeling as true love. Compelled to approach this newfound affection, he slowly rose to his feet. With each tentative step, he moved closer to the object of his adoration. It was an overwhelming sensation, and he couldn't help but laugh in wonder; everything that completed him was right there, just in front of him, welcoming him with open arms. He yearned to embrace that love before it could slip away, and so he drew even closer.