The moment Arin and his wives stepped onto the fourth floor, an oppressive aura filled the air. Unlike the open cavern of the third floor, this place was different. The walls were made of black stone, stretching endlessly in every direction, forming a massive labyrinth.
Valeria placed a hand on her sword. "This place… it reeks of old curses."
Lilith hummed. "Ooooh, I love curses. They're so much fun~."
Selene rolled her eyes. "You would."
Seraphina, however, had a grim expression. "This isn't just any labyrinth. This is the Cursed Labyrinth of Despair… a place where even the strongest lose their sanity."
Zareth, in her human form, ran a clawed finger along the walls. "This structure… it's alive. Be careful, my king. The labyrinth itself will try to consume you."
Arin smirked. "Then let's see if it can handle me."
With that, they stepped forward.
---
The Labyrinth's Madness Begins
The moment they moved deeper inside, the corridors shifted. The walls twisted, changing shape. Paths that had been open a second ago vanished, replaced by dead ends.
Seraphina narrowed her eyes. "It's warping reality itself."
Lilith giggled. "Then let's break reality."
She extended her hand, dark energy swirling. But before she could attack, a voice echoed through the labyrinth.
"Ś̸̒o̶̿̕ ̶̄̾m̵̒̈a̸̛͂ǹ̷y̶̏͂ ̷̑̽p̷̄̿l̴̀̏a̴͗͘y̶̾͝e̷̿̏ȓ̶̈́s̶̑… ̴̽̕H̸̀o̷͑͐w̷̏̋ ̶͊͆m̸͠͠a̵̍̽n̵̄̒y̴͛͂ ̵͂͂w̶̒i̴͆͘l̷͊͝l̷̄ ̵͗͗m̸̈́a̴̓k̶̿͆e̶̎ ̸̄ȉ̷͠t̷̾̑ ̶̃̐ō̷͘u̴̍͆ẗ̶́̀?̷̓͠"̷̛͂
A twisted laugh followed.
The temperature dropped.
Arin's instincts flared. He turned his head—
And saw them.
Figures began emerging from the darkness. Shadows twisted into humanoid forms, their eyes glowing a sickly green. They wore ancient armor, rusted and broken, their bodies surrounded by a dark mist.
> [New Entities Identified: The Lost Souls of Despair]
Status: Cursed Undead
Threat Level: High
Selene cursed. "Great. Now we have an army of undead trying to kill us."
Valeria drew her sword. "Then we cut them down."
Arin cracked his knuckles. "Let's make this quick."
---
Battle Begins – Against the Lost Souls!
The first wave of undead charged.
Valeria moved first, her blade flashing like golden lightning. She cut through three of them in an instant, their bodies dissolving into black mist.
Selene followed, a silver arrow piercing the skull of an undead warrior before it could even reach her.
Lilith danced through the battlefield, her claws tearing into the enemies with savage delight. "This is way too easy~."
Seraphina chanted, her light magic burning away the undead like paper against fire.
But then—
A second wave appeared.
Bigger. Stronger. Faster.
And at their center—
A knight in crimson armor, wielding a massive, jagged sword. His aura was different. He wasn't just another lost soul. He radiated an ancient hatred.
> [New Entity Identified: The Fallen Knight, Belrath]
Status: Guardian of the Fourth Floor
Threat Level: Extreme
Belrath pointed his sword at Arin.
"Y̸o̶u̴ ̷a̵r̴e̸ ̶n̵o̸t̷ ̶w̷o̷r̷t̷h̷y̶ ̷t̶o̵ ̴p̴a̵s̴s̵,̴ ̵m̶o̵r̷t̴a̸l̵.̸"̷
Arin smirked. "I've heard that before."
The knight vanished.
A second later—
He was behind Arin, swinging his sword.
CLANG!
Arin barely blocked in time, his arms shaking from the sheer force.
Selene's eyes widened. "Fast—!"
Belrath attacked again, his movements unnatural, almost teleporting between strikes.
Arin deflected, dodged, countered—but the knight wasn't slowing down.
Zareth narrowed her eyes. "He's binding himself to the labyrinth's energy. That's why he's so fast."
Lilith grinned. "Then let's break the labyrinth, shall we?"
She raised her hand—
And unleashed a wave of pure destruction.
The attack collided with the labyrinth walls, causing them to shudder. The floor beneath them cracked.
For a split second—Belrath's speed faltered.
Arin saw his chance.
He moved.
One strike.
His sword carved through both armor and spirit.
Belrath froze. His glowing eyes dimmed.
Then—
His body shattered into dust.
Silence.
> [Victory Achieved – Fourth Floor Guardian Defeated]
[Path to the Fifth Floor Unlocked]
Arin exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "That was annoying."
Valeria nodded. "His speed was unnatural. If Lilith hadn't disrupted the labyrinth's power, the fight would have been much harder."
Lilith pouted. "Aw, you're giving me credit? That's sweet~."
Seraphina, however, wasn't celebrating.
Her gaze was fixed ahead.
"…There's something else here."
The group turned.
At the far end of the room, a throne of black crystal stood.
And upon that throne—
A woman sat, her long silver hair flowing like mist.
She slowly opened her crimson eyes.
For a moment, Arin felt something strange.
A connection.
As if he had met her before.
She smirked. "You finally made it, Arin."
Valeria tensed. "Who is she?"
Selene narrowed her eyes. "She feels… ancient."
Lilith's grin widened. "Oho~ now this is getting interesting."
Seraphina's voice trembled. "That's… that's not just any woman. That's…"
The silver-haired woman stood.
She descended the throne, her every step making the air grow colder.
Then, she stopped before Arin.
Her red lips curved into a teasing smile.
"Did you forget me already, my love?"
She reached out—
And gently cupped his face.
Selene, Valeria, Lilith, and even Seraphina froze.
Zareth's eyes widened.
"Wait… what?!"
Arin's breath caught.
Because memories surged into his mind.
Memories… of her.
> [New Entity Identified: ???]
Status: ???
Who was she?
And why… did she call him 'my love'?
---
[TO BE CONTINUED…]