Chapter 1,
Labyrinth of Dreams
The place was like a dungeon but seemed artificial. There's a big door there creeping with vines, old looking, and one man was standing there. The man looked young, more like he has an age of 16. The place is currently filled with over 1,000 entities from different races grouped and some are alone. 280 are Humans. 300 are powerless and 80 are those who have magical powers. There area total of 250 Zards, 275 Tooris, 85 are SHIFs and 105 are other beings from the 18 Races.
A boy with black hair, bright dark brown eyes with a backpack in his bag was there. His height is about 168 meres tall and his face was like a kid's. He also wears black ripped jeans along with blackish grey t-shirt, not too fit, not too loose and along with that clothes, the backpack makes him look like stray kid who just accidentally wandered to the place.
"Everyone, sorry for the wait. My name is something not worth telling you now, sorry for that," The guy near the door spoke after clearing his throat.
"As far as you can tell, I'm one of those who crossed the labyrinth and will be the one escorting you to different places," he speaks like a real butler.
"Everyone who's here right now, will be taking part of the test given for you to be given authority to wander the Labyrinth of Dreams." no one dare talk and interrupt the one speaking hoping that good information might be spilled even just accidentally. They're yearning for that moment.
"This way everyone, don't push, the door's wide enough to let everybody through," he said calmness filled in his statement.
After arriving at another room, the other races are divided race by race. The young boy who does not know what will they be doing just sat at a corner, hugged his knees like he was about to cry, and tried his best to sleep.
"What are you doing out here?" he was surprised seeing someone in front of him.
The guy in front was wearing a Fundoshi and three katanas on his left side making everyone who sees him think that he's a samurai.
The kid just smiled at the guy and said, "nothing, sir."
"Maybe he just came here by accident and got included in the thousands of players?" Another guy who's scratching the back of his head came forth along with another tall guy who look like a stone and also, both are also samurai-looking.
"That can't be true, he's snot supposed to come in without his name registered," the fist guy who spoke gave a sharp look.
"Please don't kill me with that look," the kid who was the topic spoke again, "indeed, I look like a kid, but my age is already the same as yours, Mr. Heir of the Nimbus family," the kid's smile never disappeared nor looked creepy, but instead, he looked innocent, calm and a good person as he always looks.
"Who the hell are you?!" The two in the sides drawn their swords but the guy in the middle stopped them.
"State me your name?" He spoke with a calm voice.
"Eljeric Reizin, sir." he was baffled. This kid do know who he is, but one thing makes him think, his name isn't written on the Royal book, a book where every royal family's description is.
Many questions was ready to be given to him but he can't say it after the one who seemed the one to tour them spoke.
"Now, the tests will start," he said snapping his finger making a signboard appear out of nowhere.
A voice of a girl's voice was heard, "After grouping with your own race, humans have to divide themselves by two groups: the powerless and the one with power. You can move individually or in groups. You have to survive this forest for 3 days. Remember, killing in not prohibited. If the number of players reached 500, the game will automatically stop." everyone was shocked by the message and specially, when the place changed.
Everyone was scattered but some are in groups. Eljeric is one of the ones who chose to move individually. As he walked, the place was silent as a broken instrument that can't be played. He never minded anything in his path for none can harm nor benefit him. The place was just road, trees on the sides, a few rocks, a few flowers and none more. The view he passed trough just repeats itself until his stomach started grumbling. He was hungry and needing for food.
As he decided to climb a tree, he just saw nothing but mists covering the place making it unseen so he just sat at the tree's roots hugging his knees as he always do. After a while, he stood up and seemed looking for someone. He took out something from his bag.
It was like a ball with writings on it. After dropping it, it emitted smoke, thick smokes that's very difficult to see trough and after that, he woke up. Realizing that an illusion was used against him, what shocked him more is when he saw that someone was about to kill him. He was like the heir of the Nimbus family and he also carry sword but just two of them in the right side. It shows that the guy is left-handed. After realizing it, he ran for his life. After all, this kid never had any power or if he has, he never figured it out nor knows how it works. It's a total loss for him if he tries to fight back.
While he was running, he was bounced back after hitting someone's muscles. The guy who he bumped into already has his sword drawn, but his eyes weren't looking at Eljeric, it was on the person whose tailing the poor kid.
"Could you move aside, Rinel," the man trying to eliminate Eljeric said giving a scary look.
"I can't do that, I already marked him my ally since before the game began," Rinel said his defences up as high as his pride as a swordsman.
"There's no point in talking!" The mist user came attacking after drawing his sword looking sharper as it's silver color reflects the blinding rays of light from the burning sun.
The two came attacking each other, not taking their minds out of their battle. The place is slowly becoming a large area because of the trees and other plants being cut into fine and clean pieces. Without a doubt, the two can ruin the whole Labyrinth of Dreams with this power. As expected from two blood-related families.
Before the two could slash each other, a sound of the clock came ticking then stopped in a second and the two was stopped by Eljeric who's holding the other two swords of Rinel, stopping the two.
The two were shocked by the sudden turn of events. No one would knew how he took the swords without being seen by the two in a flash. Rinel was right in one thing: choosing him as an ally is the right choice.
"Please do not fight." The two had themselves draw back their swords.
"One thing is certain, you are a complete idiot. Do not fight? The Labyrinth is clearly making us kill each other for the throne. Don't dare bent that rule or it'll make you play your life as a prize for not being a good listener," the other chuckled.
"Well then, it you dare to fight in front of me, don't. Please do it when I can't see you," he gave back the two other swords to Rinel as he spoke looking at the other guy, not shifting his eyes anywhere even for just a second.
The two can never argue with that one. Even if they did and still disobeyed, they're sure that he might be able to cut their head without them knowing.
"Fine, I'll go straight down to my path and you guys do the same. I respect someone's principles, rules and beliefs. Anyways, young man, state me your name," he asked making him looked like a middle-aged man despite his age of 19.
"Eljeric Reizin, sir." Eljeric have a bright smile that has the potential to break darkness.
"Serio. Serio is my name. I shall engrave your name in my mind and I hope you do the same," Serio said making a bow then waving while he walks away.
"Back to the topic, I want you to join my group," Rinel looked at Eljeric seriously.
"Sorry, Mr. Nimbus, but I can't do that," Eljeric gave his objection.
"How about this: you will join us until the test ends. How about that?" He said making Eljeric think about it again.
"Is that possible?" Eljeric asked.
"Of course," Rinel answered back.
"Well then, I'll be taking that offer," he said not thinking about for it'll only make him more confused.
"You can call me Rinel and this tall guy who does not spoke is. Remelio and this guy who's a pervert is Neldir," he explained and Eljeric only nodded.
"There's a coin system in this place. You need to gain enough to buy things you want." Eljeric nodded saying he understands what Rinel is saying as they walk, going to their destination.
"There's two ways to gain coins. One is to kill other players, and those who don't want to kill, can kill monsters, animals, beasts and even those who completed crossing the labyrinth," Eljeric was faintly shocked by his words.
"Here we are," Neldir pointed at a cave-looking place.
"This is a dungeon inside a Labyrinth. Weird, is it not?" Rinel smiled.
As they come in, Eljeric seemed to be looking for something in his backpack while he walks along with the others making them looked confused and wondered by what he's doing.
After a while, he stopped and took out a small bag then placed it in his waist and the bag is filled with daggers and knives and he also took a pair of a gauntlets especially made by gemstone cores, cores of strong Magical Beasts.
"I didn't know you have such a thing," Rinel looked amazed as Eljeric puts the gauntlets in his hands.
"I have a lot of different weapons similar to these inside my backpack. They're gifts from my family," instead of being amazed, the others were shocked to the bones.
'How did he get those specially made gauntlets and daggers?' 'They seemed very familiar. . .' 'Family? Who are those family of his, anyway?' 'A lot more? How many weapons does he have?' Questions that kept on lingering inside the three as they gave a smile that's not even true.
"Thus view might be shocking, but bear with i—" Rinel stopped as he was shocked seeing no Eljeric beside him.
As they face the front, they saw him in front of many monsters. He kept on attacking without holding back against them. For him, it's inappropriate for two beings killing for just something not worth fighting for or fighting even though they could solve it peacefully, but with this monsters, he won't. Monsters only move using gems that's inside them or they're being controlled, so he has no reason to hold back for they're just brainless creatures made for violence.
After a while, all that can be seen was one thing, pile of monsters with their blood splattered everywhere. The pile was huge and Eljeric was there standing at the top looking cool and all. One phrase repeated on Rinel's mind: 'Choosing him as an ally was a right choice.'
A cycle of events kept on repeating and anyone who sees it might get stunned. The four people just kept on killing and killing without an end until they reached the end of the road. Indeed, a dungeon is big but who would know they could reach the last room, the room next to the Dungeon Core, the life source of the beings inside a dungeon.
The Beast inside has three horns, as big as an ogre, same color as a goblin, has bat wings, has a club filled with spikes. It was scary as hell and no one would think to attack first.
As the Beast makes it's first move, everyone scattered around it trying to confuse it in case it lowers its guard down. But it not being baffled, he blocked every incoming attacks and the four had no choice to move from offence to defence.
Eljeric was pushed to the wall giving it a crack, "Eljeric!" Rinel calls for him.
Before he could be hit by the club, the Beast stopped moving and someone started speaking.
"Dear survivors, the limitation of player's condition is already fulfilled, any monsters and beasts will automatically die," it said then the monster dispersed into ashes giving the three some extra points.
Slowly, they were automatically transferred to another place. The place was only a room and nothing more further. Tis just an empty white room making everyone at the place very visible to each other. The races are still transported at their category.
"Dear players, now that you passed the test, after a rest of the total of three hours, you'll be starting to continue the labyrinth. I wish you the best of luck!" the original voice of the announcement came flashing showing a cute little girl on the screen smiling cutely.
"Well then, this a goodbye to you," Rinel and the other two waved back as Eljeric waves them farewell and walks away.
This will be the start of his journey. He do not knew how thing will end. He just have to wait for it to come. Right now, he needs rest.
***