-Roxy-

  After breaking my fall with wind magic, I took stock of my surroundings. I saw the ceiling being patched with magic as I fell, likely by the monster that tore through the floor. The surface I landed on was not the well worn floors of a dungeon, but a crude cavern dug out by that large creature. I started to theorize that the recent exodus of monsters was due to this tunneling fiend. It must have burrowed its way into the labyrinth, feasting on the native monsters until they started to flee for the surface.

  Much like forests, labyrinths were a source of dense mana, which monsters needed to survive. On the Demon Continent, mana was ever present, leading to the endless threat of monsters. However, on the Central Continent, monsters needed to embrace the few locations where mana was abundant. This invasive species must have truly terrorized the other beasts for them to abandon such a mana rich environment.

  Having come to that conclusion, I began my journey anew, determined to find my way back to the surface. I hoped Sylphie would find help, but also feared she'd simply brave the labyrinth on her own. I needed to rejoin her as soon as possible.

  Unfortunately, things wouldn't be that simple. As I followed the tunnels, which were large enough for me to comfortably stand in, I realized it wouldn't connect to the labyrinth. The monster was able to use earth magic, so any opening it would have made to feed were quickly sealed again. Worse was that the paths tended to shoot upwards. I tried climbing, but the surface was too smooth to ascend. While risky, as I could cause instability in the tunnels and labyrinths alike, I decided to try connecting the two with my magic. To that end, I wandered in search of a wall with signs of recent magic.

  Hours past, as I had to slowly scan every floor and wall for the telltale signs of spell craft. The torch light felt even dimmer than usual, since the tunnel didn't have the luminous ceilings you'd find in the labyrinth proper. As I started to grow drowsy, I found what seemed to be a well used opening. Signs of repeated breaches and repairs made it clear this would connect to a feeding ground. While that meant I may face monsters that were prepared for another attack, it was my only hope of escape.

  Carefully, I broke the seal between the tunnel and labyrinth. As I worked to secure my escape, the ground began to shake. I needed to focus, but the further my spell went, the louder the tremors became. When I created a hole barely large enough to squeeze through, one of the wolf-like monsters desperately crawled out. It looked starved and on the verge of death. When it saw me, it lunged. I beat the beast back with my staff, as I switched from sculpting the earth to shooting an ice blade to kill it. The shaking continued to grow. The pale worm would be on me in seconds. I threw myself through the opening, quickly casting a spell to reseal the enclosure. Then, I waited.

  The rumbling became deafening, as the pale worm filled the tunnel on the other side of the wall. I held my breath, hoping it would pass without entering the labyrinth. After a few tense moments, it moved on. Taking a deep breath, I took stock of my surroundings.

  The ground was littered with bones. While the human and animal remains were to be expected, there were also ones that could only belong to the type of lupine monsters I kept running across. If the beast had resorted to cannibalism, then I feared salvation may be farther than I'd hoped.

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  Deciding to rest for the night, I began to cast a spell to make an earthen shelter. No sooner than my spell started to take shape, the ground began to shake again. I cut off the incantation. After a few moments, the tremors faded. That's when I realized how troublesome this monster would be.

  As I feared, the white worm could sense earth magic. So, I had to do without. That became a problem faster than I realized, as parts of the labyrinth had clearly been sectioned off to serve as food storage. The wolf monster that attacked me in the tunnel must have been the last of this section's stores. I searched every corner, only to find bones and barred passages.

  I tried to chip away at the walls blocking my path with lesser magic, but it was hopeless. Only a powerful blast could clear the way. I dared to cast a fire spell, in an attempt to destroy the barriers the worm had set in place. As I assumed, it couldn't sense magic outside of those related to earth, but the fiery explosion had made my location clear. That was when my dive turned into a game of cat and mouse.

  Any time I tried to make progress, I would be hounded by the white fiend. A new explosion meant a new chase. I managed to outwit the worm at every occasion, but I needed to take breaks often to conserve my strength. Days went by with no way of knowing if I was any closer to ascending to the next floor. I was running low on supplies and there were no monsters to hunt for food. The worm had claimed them all for itself.

  After another frantic escape, I found myself in a much larger section of the labyrinth. Though there were more barriers, I left them be for now. I'd hoped to find the stairs to a higher level before needing to break any more. When I realized where I was, I nearly collapsed. A pair of double doors, as large as the gates to a castle town, stood before me. I hadn't been escaping at all. I was being driven to the labyrinth's very core.

  I was out of time. I had eaten the last of my food the night before. Even if I managed to reach the higher levels, I would run out of energy long before reaching the surface. That would make me easy prey for the pale worm or any monsters that remained. My only hope was to face the labyrinth's guardian. If I was lucky, the boss behind this door would be edible. I'd be able to survive off a large monster for at least another week. With that desperate hope, I opened the doors.

  The light of the final chamber was blinding. Unlike the dim luminescence of the labyrinth halls, the light there was like the mid day sun. What awaited me was a monster that reminded me of a lion. It's fangs were as long as I was tall. It's claws would surely rip me to shreds in seconds. I gulped. Surely I could have survived off its flesh. That is, if it had any left to spare.

  The labyrinth's boss was a pile of bones. It must have died months ago, doubtless usurped by the fiend that hounded me. Across its corpse were dozens of large pods. They shook aggressively, bulging as their contents desperately fought to escape. As I prepared myself, the eggs started to hatch, letting loose a swarm of pale worms.

  I fought as hard as I could. For each of the monsters I killed, another two were waiting to attack. Their numbers seemed endless, as I started to grow weary. Overwhelmed by the legion of worms, I didn't notice them burrowing beneath my feat. In a circle around me, they burst from the ground. Even if I killed most of them, at least one would slip through. Then, I would be overrun. Accepting my fate, I closed my eyes.

  “Get down!” No sooner than I heard the voice, I crouched low. A ring of light shone over my head. A circle of green blood splattered the ground around us, as a sword cut the monsters in two. “Are you okay?”

  Looking up, I saw the hero who saved my life. Lost and alone in the labyrinth, a young adventurer had rescued me at the last possible moment. It was everything I had dreamed of. Yet I wasn't star struck like I had imagined. After all, this was nothing new. She was always there for me.

  “Thank you, Sylphie.”