The Labyrinth Part 1

The Succubus worked alongside the Paladin as he extracted the curse from Bluejoy’s body. The Witch navigated the more intricate extraction hidden in the deepest or most elusive places.

If the curse wasn’t completely lifted, it would propagate like a weed. It was always a fight against time. Rest was almost impossible.

The Scholar and the Fleur couldn’t help directly with the curse. However, the Fleur mixed concoctions with her plants, strengthening the bodies of the Paladin, the Witch, and the Succubus, allowing them to work longer without fatigue.

The Scholar was able to contribute a part of his mana and gave them a boon to increase their working speed. It greatly helped them stay ahead of the curse.

When the curse finally lifted, the Blue Witch’s complexion improved. The mana escaping her body did not fluctuate greatly anymore; it trickled out at a steady pace. However, her condition was still far from ideal. One careless mistake, and she could fall into death’s grasp.

The group rested for two days under the care of the Red Witch, who nursed them back to health from their relentless work.

When everyone had their strength restored, it was the Succubus who suggested that they all go into the labyrinth together.

The Gate was ready, and she wanted to bring her mistress to Pandemonium as soon as possible.

Except for Bluejoy and the Red Witch, everyone going into the labyrinth was their fastest option. If it was just the two of them, there’s no telling how long it would take to process the mana plants into a suitable form.

The duo that had been running away from the trio finally combined into a quintet party to head into the labyrinth. Although the trio was happy, the duo was not.

“Please be safe,” the Red Witch said, handing them cheeses and dried meat wrapped in waxed paper.

The Fleur happily accepted them and beamed at the Red Witch. “We’ll be sure to return with a cure.”

“We’ll see about that,” the Scholar muttered, already concocting strategies to speed their way down to the lowest level.

The Paladin thumped his chest. “I have faith we can do it.”

“We’ll do our best,” the Succubus said, give the Red Witch a firm gaze.

“I know you’ll take good care of Bluejoy when we’re away, but also take good care of yourself, alright?” White gave Red a gentle hug.

“I will,” the Red Witch said. “I’ll make sure Blue’s still alive when you’re back.”

Inside the cave, the Succubus and the Witch overpowered all the monsters on the way down, leaving the trio in great shock. The Paladin almost despaired at his lack of contribution, his shoulders drooping as he followed the carnage ahead.

On the upper third portion of the labyrinth, the Succubus and the Witch released the mana they’d kept hidden, and no monsters dared approach them. Even the Scholar, the Fleur, and the Paladin felt suffocating being in the presence of such strong mana.

The trio looked at each other and had the same thought about the Succubus and the Witch. They are the real monsters.

The Scholar, not wanting to bear this suffering longer than necessary, gave the group a speed boon, and they ran through the upper portion.

When they entered the middle section of the labyrinth, the monsters stopped being afraid of the duo’s mana. The Succubus and the Witch stopped releasing their mana, and the trio finally felt like they could breathe.

The monsters ambushed or attacked them on sight. The Witch and the Succubus easily defeated them. However, they proved to be a good challenge for the Fleur and the Scholar. The Paladin finally felt like he was being useful as he slashed the monsters.

Wanting to rush through the middle section, the Succubus set up a moving barrier around them. With the Witch at the front, the trio in the middle, and the Succubus taking up the rear, they ran through the stone passages. The monsters chased after them in droves.

“Is this really alright?” the Fleur asked, voice trembling with fear. The only thing that kept their feet steady enough to not stumble was the terrifying thought of being left behind.

“Just keep moving,” the Succubus pushed on.

They stopped before entering the lowest section of the labyrinth. Monsters surrounded them as far as the eye could see. Staying inside the barrier, the Succubus and the Witch fired wide-area attacks and obliterated all the monsters. The lower they went, the more bug-like the monsters, so the smell in the vicinity was vomit-inducing. They all held it together somehow.

In the lower third section, they also pulled the monsters after them as they ran safely inside the barrier. However, because the monsters here were stronger, they made a few stops to destroy the monster groups before reaching the lowest level.

“I’ve never seen a dungeon or labyrinth run like this before,” the Scholar said, out of breath. Bent over his knees, he was pale as a sheet. His hands trembled on his knees as he tried to keep himself standing.

The Fleur didn’t look any better. Somewhere along the way, little purple leaves started to sprout from all over their body, making them look oddly terrifying. The purple leaves retracted back into their body as they calmed themselves down.

The Paladin was not out of breath, but his face was so rigid that he looked like part of the rock wall behind him. “I’ve never had a dungeon run like this before either.”

After a short rest, the group continued their descend.

On the last level of the labyrinth, the White Rose, the Succubus, the Fleur, the Scholar, and the Paladin stood face to face with a giant centipede that loomed a hundred feet over them. They had been battling with this huge creature for what felt like a whole day. It was hard to tell in a place where no sunlight reached. The group would have been blind if not for the floating light orbs conjured by the Witch.

The Witch, covered in dust, waved her cane and fired off flame hot balls at the centipede. It hit the creature’s head with a boom, but the giant bug did not yield. Its head bobbed back and returned like a spring. The attack left a deep wound that saw only a sliver of flesh. However, it healed almost completely when the centipede’s head bounced back.