After several grueling minutes of dragging himself forward through the narrow passage, the tunnel began to slope downward. The stone beneath Sylas's palms changed texture—less jagged, smoother, almost worn.
Then he saw it.
A faint, pale glow flickered in the darkness ahead, pulsing softly like a distant heartbeat.
"…Found you," he breathed.
Embedded in the cavern wall stood a divinity stone nearly the size of two bowling balls fused together. It radiated a tranquil blue light that washed over the chamber in gentle waves. Simply standing within its presence eased the tension in his muscles, dulled the ache in his bones, and steadied his ragged breathing.
Carefully, Sylas lifted Nagumo off the bear's carcass and carried him closer. He lowered him against the wall beside the crystal, adjusting his posture so his head wouldn't slump forward.
Beneath the stone, a shallow pool had formed where droplets gathered and fell in steady intervals. The water shimmered faintly, illuminated by the crystal's glow.
Sylas knelt at the edge of the pool. Slowly, he cupped his hands and brought the water to his lips.
The instant it touched his tongue—
Relief.
Fatigue dissolved like mist under sunlight. The tremors in his arms stilled. Torn muscle fibers visibly knit themselves back together beneath his skin. His aura, once nearly depleted, stirred and began to replenish, flowing through him in warm currents.
He exhaled shakily, lowering his hands back into the pool.
"…That hits the spot."
After resting for a few quiet minutes, he gathered another handful of the shimmering liquid and moved to Nagumo's side. Gently tilting his head back, Sylas let a measured stream trickle past his lips.
He waited.
Nagumo's chest rose and fell steadily.
Satisfied, Sylas leaned back against the cavern wall and allowed himself to close his eyes.
That was when the exhaustion truly struck.
His body had recovered—but his mind had not. The fear. The urgency. The memory of claws and blood and near-death. It all crashed down at once, heavy and suffocating.
"Just a minute…" he murmured.
Darkness claimed him.
[One Hour Later]
…
Nagumo's eyelids fluttered open.
His vision blurred before gradually focusing on the soft blue glow filling the chamber.
"Is that… a divinity stone?" he muttered weakly, eyes tracing the crystal embedded in the wall as droplets of luminous water fell to the floor.
Divinity stones formed naturally over centuries, created when immense quantities of mana pooled and crystallized. When fully saturated, they secreted a miraculous liquid known as Ambrosia—the liquid of life. Holy water.
It was said to heal nearly any wound or ailment.
At least, that was what he had read in the royal library.
His gaze shifted toward the tunnel entrance. The massive bear lay dead where it had fallen.
"…That means—"
He turned his head.
Opposite him, slumped against the cavern wall, was the one who had killed it.
'He saved me… why?'
Nagumo couldn't make sense of it.
At the faint sound of movement, Sylas's eyes snapped open—sharp, alert, predatory. His shoulders tensed instinctively before he recognized Nagumo's face.
He relaxed.
"Looks like you're finally awake," Sylas muttered, stifling a yawn. "Thought you were gonna kick the bucket there."
He rolled his neck, stretching out his arms. Nagumo tried to sit up—
—and immediately pitched forward, hitting the stone floor face-first.
"Easy," Sylas said calmly. "The holy water healed you, but you'll need time to adjust. Losing an arm isn't something you just bounce back from."
Nagumo froze.
He slowly looked down at the space where his arm had been severed. The wound was completely closed—smooth, scarless. Whole.
"The divinity stone…" His voice dropped. "So that's how."
Silence settled between them, broken only by the faint dripping of water into the pool.
Finally, Nagumo lifted his eyes. "Why?" he asked quietly.
Sylas blinked. "Why what?"
"Why help me? You could've left me outside for the monsters. Why risk me backstabbing you while you were asleep?"
Sylas shrugged lightly, continuing his stretches. "Just consider it thanks."
"Thanks?"
"For the temporary shelter," Sylas replied, motioning lazily toward the crystal. "And for helping me find this."
Nagumo stared at him, uncertain.
Time passed in thoughtful quiet.
"…What do you plan to do now?" Nagumo asked at last.
Sylas shifted, lying flat on his back and folding his hands behind his head.
"I plan to clear this labyrinth."
Nagumo blinked. "…Are you serious?"
"Dead serious."
The casual tone unsettled him as he tried to dispel the awkwardness, "So… how did you end up here?"
Sylas stared at the cavern ceiling. "Where to begin… I was crossing the street. Normal day. Then I got hit by a car." He paused. "Next thing I knew, I was here."
Nagumo gave a faint, humorless laugh. "That's… very different from what happened to me."
He began explaining—how he and his classmates had been summoned as heroes, how betrayal shattered everything, and how he fell into the Abyss.
Sylas listened quietly.
"So you were betrayed by one of your classmates," he said once Nagumo finished. "That's rough." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "What're your plans now?"
"My plans…?" Nagumo hesitated.
He didn't have any.
"Well," Sylas said as he sat up and pulled his shirt over his head, revealing a scarred, well-defined torso, "if you don't have one yet… could you do me a favor?"
Nagumo stiffened slightly. "…What?"
"Can you block off the entrance for me?" Sylas pressed his palms together in mock pleading. "It would mean a lot."
After a brief pause, Nagumo nodded. "If it matters that much to you… sure."
If Sylas had wanted him dead, he'd had countless chances already.
"Appreciate it," Sylas said, standing and walking toward the bear's corpse.
Nagumo watched him carefully.
"…What are you?"
Sylas didn't answer.
He simply grabbed one of the bear's massive arms—
—and took a huge bite.
Blood ran down his chin as he chewed.
"Disgusting," he muttered thickly.
Nagumo's stomach twisted.
Sylas swallowed and immediately moved beside the pool of holy water. He knelt there, bracing himself.
"AAAHHH—!!"
The scream that tore from his throat was inhuman.
His face plunged into the holy water as his body convulsed violently.
'Is he insane?' Nagumo stared in horror.
Every book he had ever read since arriving in this world detailed monsters, magic, kingdoms—
—but none mentioned what happened to humans who consumed monster meat.
"AAAH—!!"
Another scream echoed through the tunnel, raw and distorted.
Nagumo couldn't comprehend it. Sylas was strong enough to leave the labyrinth. Why risk something so reckless?
The thought died mid-formation.
An ominous pressure radiated from Sylas's body.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Before Nagumo's eyes, Sylas's frame began to change. His muscles swelled and tightened, expanding as if reforged from within. Veins stood out across his arms and neck. His dark-brown hair deepened into pitch black, strands lengthening slightly as his physique grew larger, denser—sharpened into something distinctly inhuman.
But it was his eyes that froze Nagumo in place.
The familiar brown vanished.
In its place burned a vivid, glowing crimson.
The air itself felt heavier.
—
[Name: Sylas]
[Race: Monster–Human Hybrid]
[Age: 19]
[Job: Nen User]
[Skills: Energy Sickles, Threat Detection]
[Passive Skills: Iron Stomach, Enhanced Strength, Increased Regeneration, Pain Resistance, Enhanced Reflexes, Heightening Senses, Enhanced Durability]
To be continued…