As we entered the first floor, the others quickly briefed me: a horde of twenty-five undead, levels twenty to twenty-four. Their voices were steady, but I could hear the nerves behind them. Even for large teams at their level, this wasn't easy.
The labyrinth was darker than I expected. Dim violet light pooled between jagged stones, black mist coiling along the floor like it was alive. A faint crimson hue pulsed from the walls, like veins in a sleeping beast.
The tank, a heavy-set guy with a shaved head, explained his skill: Empowered Taunt.
"It draws aggro and boosts my defence by ten percent," he said. "Not great yet, but it scales."
I nodded. "Use it."
He blinked. "All of them? You want me to pull the whole group?"
The speedster shifted nervously. "Are you sure about this?"
I smirked. "This isn't about your skills. I just want to show you something."
Moments later, the undead emerged, twenty-three skeletons, eyes glowing faintly, weapons raised. They came as one, bones clattering, jaws unhinged.
I stepped forward.
Dragon Fang pulsed with heat as I summoned mana. Flames wrapped around the blade, spiralling into a vortex of fire and wind. Even the air seemed to retreat, crackling under the pressure.
I waited until they were five meters away, then I swung.
The ground ruptured, a crater forming beneath my feet as fire exploded outward. The blast consumed them instantly; skeletons reduced to ash before they could swing.
The system flickered at the edge of my vision.
[You have defeated 23 enemies.]
+23 EXP.
I barely glanced at it. The level gap gutted the rewards. But that wasn't the point.
The point was the silence behind me. The stunned breath. The realization. This was why I was ranked number one. Not because of luck. Because no one else could do what I just did.
I turned, catching their expressions: wide eyes, dropped jaws, awe tangled with disbelief. No one said anything.
We pushed forward.
The next chamber was colder, deeper. A skeletal knight stood waiting, towering over two meters tall, jagged armour fused to bone. Its eyes burned with cold blue flame. Level twenty-five, and it raised its sword.
I didn't give it the chance.
In one breath, I closed the distance. Dragon Fang tore through armour, ribcage, and core in a single stroke.
[Boss defeated.]
I received three EXP, but I hardly cared. A dark energy core dropped from its remains. I didn't bother analysing it. Sold it to the system for nine gold.
Just before the gate, a chest waited. Inside were five HP and MP potions, one hundred points each, and twenty gold. I handed them out without ceremony.
The healer clutched hers like she feared they'd vanish. The speedster gave a curt nod. The tank kept turning his vials over like he couldn't decide which to drink first.
I downed one MP potion and let the warmth spread through my veins. It wasn't much, but it helped.
Each of them received 5,700 EXP. The healer levelled to twenty. The others came close. Small steps, but progress, nonetheless.
As we reached the portal to the second floor, a system notification pulsed to life:
[SYSTEM: YOU HAVE DEFEATED THE FIRST LEVEL OF THE ICE KING'S LABYRINTH. PARTY SYSTEM UNLOCKED WITHIN THE LABYRINTH.]
From that point on, we were bound as a party.
The mechanics spilled across my vision:
• Ten percent EXP from every kill went to the whole party.
• The killing blow still earned the full reward.
• Damage share equalled EXP share, with a ten percent bonus to all remaining members.
It was fair. Efficient. Too efficient. The kind of thing that makes sense in games, until you remember this wasn't one. Then another detail slid into view. For the first time, my party could see my HP and MP when looking in the interface.
The healer gasped. "Two hundred fifty-three HP?"
The tank froze, eyes darting as he tried to calculate. "That's… impossible."
The speedster just stared.
Their numbers couldn't compare. Not even close. I smiled faintly. "Keep moving." We stepped through the archway portal. The stone gave way to sand. A dry wind cut across an endless desert, dunes rolling under a shimmering sky.
"It's a desert now?" the tank muttered. "What kind of place is this…"
I didn't answer. My eyes were already scanning the dunes. I worked under the assumption that each floor would mimic a blue portal somewhere in the world, and I have experience from beating more portals than anyone else.
The sand shifted with the wind. Lizardmen emerged, two meters tall, scales like armour. Levels twenty-six to twenty-seven.
I cut through them like wind whistling through reeds. Each strike clean. Each corpse vanishing in ash.
Around thirty kills later, the party earned barely two hundred fifty EXP. Worthless for me, but everything for them.
Then we reached an oasis, too green, too vivid. Three lizardmen stood guard, level twenty-nines. One bore red scales banded with mud, the other two shimmering green and blue.
My dexterity surged, my body blurring forward in less than a second. Dragon Fang swept once. The red-scaled head hit the sand with a wet thud.
[258 EXP Gained.]
The others followed, ash before they could react.
"He's not even sweating…" the speedster whispered.
The healer didn't speak. Her eyes just lingered, measuring me, weighing me up.
After the fight, everyone but her levelled. I gave her a small nod, subtle but sincere. The boss chamber loomed next. The first floor didn't have a distinct separate chamber, but now they did.
A lizardman giant, broad and armoured, level thirty raised its jagged blade.
One step. One slash.
Its head toppled with ease, and the fight, it was over.
The blade it carried was thick and rusted. I sold it instantly: thirty-one gold. The chest offered forty more, plus a zigzagged dagger with +21 Strength and +15 Dexterity.
I handed it to the speedster. It seamed best suited for him, and it was of no consequence to me.
His eyes went wide. "Seriously? …Thanks."
I nodded once. Then kept walking. "enjoy"
Upon reaching the third floor, another system notification appeared, confirming our victory, we had stepped into a sprawling underground cave system. The labyrinth stretched in multiple directions, twisting into deep tunnels that made navigation difficult.
The moment we set foot inside, the ground trembled. From the darkness a rush of movement stirred the air. A swarm of giant cockroaches and other grotesque insects, ranging from levels 31 to 34, charged at us.
Mana surged through my sword as I slashed in a wide arc. Fire erupted, consuming the creatures in a swirling inferno, the millipedes hissed as their exoskeletons cracked under the heat. A massive specimen lunged toward me, but I moved forward with a heavy step, crushing its armoured body beneath the weight of my powerful strikes.
The cave split into three tunnels, each leading deeper into the labyrinth. The first tunnel was infested with oversized insects, their chitinous bodies glistening under the dim cavern light. I tore through them with ease, slaying twelve in total and earning 61,000 EXP enough to push me to level thirty-five. The rest of the party levelled up as well.
In the second tunnel, I encountered eighteen monstrous ants. Their mandibles clacked menacingly as they charged. The party was beginning to settle into a rhythm, and our healer provided support whenever I struck an enemy.
The Dragonfang blade ignited, cleaving through their black armour. Some of the more agile ants dodged my attacks, forcing me to resort to brute force. I sent heavy punches into their skulls, shattering their bodies and reducing them to twitching husks.
Each ant granted me 575 EXP, netting a total of 10,350 EXP.
At the end of the tunnel, we reached the boss room. The swirling grey boss chamber loomed before us, daring us to enter.
The chamber was vast, stretching at least twenty meters in every direction. The uneven stone ceiling curved into a rough dome, with jagged rocks protruding like ancient fangs. At the far end of the room, a massive black archway stood ominously.
From the darkness, movement stirred.
A pair of scythe-like blades emerged, gleaming with a greenish-brown hue. A moment later, another set of scythes followed. Long, spring-loaded arms flexed, revealing a monstrous form. Two half meter-long antennae twitched as the beast stepped forward.
A six-meter-tall mantis, the level thirty-five boss, stood before us.
The moment it emerged; it scanned the room. Then, movement.
The sudden burst of speed sent a shiver through the party. They froze in place, unwilling to move a muscle. I, however, was unfazed.
A boss of this level wasn't beyond me.
My grip tightened around my sword and dagger, my knuckles whitening. I funnelled mana into my weapons, preparing for a high-speed clash, and I moved first.
Pushing my body to its limits and closing the distance, my sword striking faster than the eye could follow. The mantis reacted in kind, its scythe-blades intercepting my attack. The impact sent a hollow echo through the chamber, vibrating through my arms.
I backed up momentarily, using my full weight to spin. My dagger lashed out, burying itself deep into the creature's foreleg.
The mantis screeched. Its limb spasmed before the serrated edge of my dagger tore through it completely, severing its blade-like appendage.
But it retaliated immediately.
Its remaining scythe slammed into my side, launching me into the cave wall. Pain pulsed through my ribs, but I pushed past it.
I landed on my feet just in time to see the mantis zigzagging toward the party.
Luckily I was faster.
I intercepted it, pushing my sword deep into its side. The mantis thrashed wildly, throwing me into the ceiling. As I plummeted back down, I twisted midair and hurled my dagger with all my might. The blade spun, striking the mantis' back with a thunderous crack.
The monster recoiled, stumbling.
I hit the ground with a heavy thud, rolling back to my feet. Blood dripped from fresh wounds, but I had no time to care. The mantis moved again.
I met its attack head-on, severing two of its legs in a precise counterstrike. The monster staggered, its body trembling with exhaustion. It was close to death.
With one final burst of strength, I drove forward, my sword wreathed in flame. The blade slammed into its skull, fire erupting on impact as I twisted deep, forcing steel through chitin and bone.
The mantis twitched violently, then fell still.
The notification rang out.
Boss defeated.
My reward was the Blade of Bloodshed, a weapon component, not the full weapon itself. Valuable, sure, but useless without a handle or a blacksmith to assemble it.
I didn't bother holding on. No hesitation. I sold it instantly for fifty-one gold, better spent on gear I could actually use.
The chest contained 16 potions:
2 potions that restored 250 MP and HP.12 potions that restored 100 MP.2 potions that granted a 5% EXP boost.
The healer gathered the items, and we prepared to move forward. I downed an MP potion, feeling my energy replenish, looking over the party, I felt like they would have good chemistry if they worked together to complete the labyrinths lowest floor, it made me think how things will go once I can do this with my own party.
We pressed on to the next floor, my ambition swelling the further we get.
As we stepped onto the fourth floor, we found ourselves in a vast jungle clearing. The thick canopy above filtered golden streaks of sunlight onto the mossy terrain, and the air was dense with the scent of damp earth and foliage. I inhaled deeply, feeling the refreshing air fill my lungs, a stark contrast to the previous battles.
The party followed behind me, their movements cautious. I could feel their unease — the weight of uncertainty pressing on them. None of them had ever seen someone tear through a labyrinth like that. In truth, no one was even known to have made it past the first floor.
I offered them a reprieve — a short break before we pressed deeper into the unknown. They accepted without hesitation, collapsing onto nearby stones, letting their gear slide off as they reached for food and water with quiet urgency.
The healer settled closest to me as I leaned against a slab of worn rock. Her voice was barely a whisper when she spoke, hesitant but laced with curiosity.
"What level are you? I've never seen anyone fight like that before."
I turned slightly and offered a small grin. "Don't worry about that. I'm strong enough to get us through a few more floors."
She nodded, but her eyes didn't settle. Her question had been casual, but what lingered behind it wasn't curiosity — it was something closer to unease. But they continued with chatter amongst themselves, "I bet they have a lot to talk about after what they have witnessed."
After ten minutes we pushed forward, winding through the jungle terrain. The distant rustling of leaves and occasional roars echoed through the dense forestry. Sunlight filtered in streaks through the canopy above, but the shadows stretched long, thick with tension.
Soon, we emerged onto a rising mountainous path, and that's when we encountered our first foe.
A towering, three-meter-tall minotaur.
It stood like a monument to brutality, muscles rippling beneath thick, dark-grey fleece. Its bull-like face bore two enormous, curved horns, and its ember-red eyes locked onto me with unwavering focus.
Gripping a two-meter-long axe in one hand, the beast let out a guttural snort, steam jetting from its nostrils.
A number flickered beside its name: Level thirty-seven.
"Now this is what I've been waiting for."
I launched forward without hesitation. Strength surged through my body as I clashed against the minotaur's axe. The force of impact sent tremors through the ground. My boots dug into the earth; legs braced against the sheer weight of the blow.
The moment my feet found purchase I retaliated. I burst forward, coiling every muscle, and drove my knife into the creature's abdomen piercing its thick hide with a wet crunch. It roared, thrashing violently. A massive hand swung toward me, ready to crush. Instinct kicked in. I flipped my sword into a reverse grip and drove it through the centre of its palm as it closed around me.
The minotaur bellowed in agony, the sound shaking trees and soil alike. Blood sprayed as I yanked my blade free and ripped it through its chest in one clean arc.
But it wasn't finished.
Snarling, it reeled back, axe raised high, its strength coiling for a final strike. I was already moving. With a sharp lunge, I grabbed one of its horns, planted a foot against its chest, and pulled with all my force. My other hand slammed into its skull.
A single, earth-shattering punch cracked through bone and brain alike. The minotaur's body went rigid. Then, like a toppled statue, it crashed into the dirt.
[9,550 EXP Gained.]
The party members each received 955 EXP.
No one spoke.
We continued deeper into the jungle, encountering five more minotaurs scattered across the winding trail. With each battle, my swordsmanship and dagger techniques refined themselves further, strikes smoother, faster, more precise. Both weapon skills reached level five, with proficiency climbing to 32 out of 500.
After clearing them all, I had gained 73,000 EXP and was on the verge of hitting level thirty-six.
The others were visibly pushing their limits. But they were improving too. The lowest among them, the healer was now level twenty-two and rapidly approaching twenty-three. Once a creature was injured enough I would let the party take one of these minotaurs, but it proved vast difficulty.
As we neared the final clearing, we encountered two more minotaurs larger than any before. Both stood nearly five meters tall.
One wielded twin axes, massive and serrated. The other carried a jagged, three-meter-long greatsword stained dark from past kills. Their sheer presence radiated raw killing intent.
Level 39.
I signalled the tank with a nod, directing him to draw aggro from the greatsword-wielding brute. The beast charged instantly, hooves pounding into the earth, glowing eyes locked on target.
The party hesitated. The ground shook beneath their feet, and I could feel their fear rising. But I didn't wait.
Using the trunk of the thickest tree nearby, I launched myself upward. The bark cracked under the pressure of my kick as I snapped it mid-climb. In the air, I met the charging minotaur head-on. My sword pierced through its skull in a single, mid-air strike.
As my feet landed, I twisted my dagger and ripped it through the beast's neck. The body slumped forward, collapsing with a heavy thud before it even realised it was dead.
[16,000 EXP Gained.]
Level 36.
The remaining minotaur let out a thunderous roar as the Aggro couldn't hold this powerful monster towards the party. The minotaur stormed toward me, twin axes raised high.
It struck.
The axes came down with brutal force. I raised my sword to block, but the impact rattled me to the core. My arms shook. The blade slipped from my grasp. No time to retrieve it.
The second swing came fast. I darted in, catching the axe handle before it could fall again. Muscles screamed as I wrenched it from the minotaur's grip. It staggered, off-balance.
I brought my heel down hard, the handle cracked beneath my boot, splintering like dry bone.
Before it could recover, I twisted and drove the broken axe into its shoulder, embedding it deep into flesh and muscle. Blood erupted like a geyser.
It let out a screamed grunt, maw wide. I didn't hesitate. I drove my dagger straight through its jaw. The serrated edge tore upward, splitting flesh and bone, severing its face in two.
Still not enough.
Reversing my grip, I plunged the dagger between its eyes. I twisted. Felt the resistance break.
The minotaur finally collapsed.
[28,300 EXP Gained.]
Ahead, an archway pulsed with the swirling light of the boss room. The party braced, tension radiating from every step — but in me, there was a flicker of excitement. I slowed, turning to check on each of them.
They trusted me with their lives now.
And I intended to keep every one of them alive.
The air shifted the moment we crossed the arch. Silence pressed in thick as stone, broken only by the steady drip of water and the distant groan of shifting rock. The chamber was vast, the walls jagged and uneven, shadows stretching long like grasping fingers. My heartbeat steadied, each thud echoing like a drum in the cavern.
Behind me, I heard the healer's breath hitch. The tank muttered something under his breath that I didn't catch. The speedster's feet shuffled once on the stone, nervous energy radiating. Their fear hung heavy in the air, sharp and real.
Then the fog stirred.
A shape stepped out from the darkness, towering, monstrous. Six meters tall, black hide gleaming wet under the faint light. Muscles stacked like armour, scars etched deep across its body, each one a story of survival. A thick chest plate was hammered into its flesh, fused with old wounds, iron now made bone. A longsword longer than I was tall rested easily across its back, too heavy for anything but a monster to carry.
Its eyes burned. Not just glowing red like the lesser minotaurs, but searing, coal-hot, filled with command.
The notification flickered into the air.
[NAMED MONSTER – THORUS, THE BLACK MINOTAUR GENERAL – LEVEL 40]