The sun had barely risen when Chakra found himself standing before another labyrinth gate.
Mist coiled around the ancient stone arch, the air trembling faintly with mana. He adjusted his gloves, took a slow breath, and stared into the swirling darkness that marked the entrance.
It had been only a few days since his last conquest, yet something inside him urged him forward again. His system quest still gleamed faintly in his mind — "Defeat the past Phantom until victory becomes certain[9/10]." He was close to completing it, and the hunger to grow stronger gnawed deeper each day.
Just as he was about to step into the labyrinth, a voice called out from behind him.
"Hey, you heading in alone?"
Chakra turned. A tall man, probably in his mid-twenties, approached with an easy smile. His armor looked worn but well-kept, the kind of equipment only experienced explorers could afford.
"Yeah," Chakra replied casually. "Why?"
The man chuckled. "You've got guts. Most solo explorers don't go into labyrinths of this tier. Name's Rian. How about we form a temporary party? Safer that way — and faster."
Chakra hesitated. He'd always gone alone, not out of pride but because no one ever wanted someone like him in their team.
Yet, for some reason, the offer didn't feel wrong this time. Maybe it was curiosity… or the faint hope of knowing what teamwork even felt like.
"Alright," Chakra nodded. "Let's do it."
Rian grinned and offered a hand. "Then let's register."
They completed the legal process at the guild counter nearby — party registration, labyrinth entry clearance, and confirmation of exploration rights. Nothing unusual. Yet when the clerk stamped their clearance, Chakra felt an odd chill. A fleeting moment, gone before he could make sense of it.
Inside the labyrinth, silence reigned except for the echo of their footsteps.
The tunnels shimmered with faint, golden runes carved into the stone, pulsing like veins of light. Monsters lurked in the shadows, grotesque and hungry, but Chakra and Rian cut them down together with practiced coordination.
"You're not bad for a beginner," Rian said, wiping ichor off his blade.
"Thanks," Chakra replied simply. "You're strong too."
Rian smirked. "By the way… what's your rank?"
"E rank."
Rian stopped mid-step. "E… rank?" His tone faltered before he quickly masked his reaction with a forced laugh. "Didn't expect that. You fight like someone higher."
"Guess I just got lucky." Chakra gave a half-smile, though he caught the flicker in Rian's eyes — curiosity… and something darker behind it.
Ranking System
In the world of explorers, rank was everything.
It wasn't determined by raw strength or talent, but by merit — the number of labyrinths conquered and contributions recorded by the International Research Organization (IRO).
F-rank marked beginners.
E-rank belonged to those who had at least cleared one labyrinth.
From D to S-rank stood the veterans, legends who could face calamity-class labyrinths and live to tell the tale.
And then Masters— those who have transcended humanity, Beings who cannot be classified into the ranking system.
Each labyrinth's value, too, was determined by the power of the artifact within.
Once an artifact was taken, the labyrinth would close for several days before reopening — weaker, empty of relics, but still filled with monsters strong enough to hone one's abilities.
Hours passed as the two pushed deeper into the labyrinth. The tunnels widened, the mana thickened, and the air grew heavy with pressure. They were nearing the core.
But then, just as they reached the vast stone doors of the boss chamber, Rian suddenly turned.
A sinister grin spread across his face.
"You know… I didn't expect this to be so easy."
Chakra froze, instinctively stepping back. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb." Rian's eyes gleamed with madness. "When I saw you outside the labyrinth, I felt something. A pressure — no, an energy. It wasn't normal. I thought maybe you had a relic. But when you said you were E rank…" He laughed, a low, deranged sound. "I knew you were hiding something."
Before Chakra could react, Rian's blade flashed — swift, precise, aimed straight for his throat.
Clang!
Sparks erupted as Chakra blocked it with the edge of his dagger. "You're… one of them," Chakra hissed. "A rogue."
Rian smirked. "Rogue? That's what they call us now? No… I just stopped pretending to play by the rules."
With that, he lunged again.
System Notification
[Urgent Quest Triggered!]
Defeat the Rogue Explorer!
Reward: Unknown
Failure: Death
The fight exploded into chaos.
Rian moved like a beast — his attacks unpredictable, wild yet precise. Chakra barely kept up, his instincts screaming. The confined tunnel trembled from the impact of their strikes.
"You could've been one of us!" Rian shouted, swinging again. "But you chose the leash of IRO instead of freedom!"
"I chose not to lose myself!" Chakra roared back.
Rian laughed manically. "Then die chained!"
Their weapons clashed — metal biting against metal, sparks scattering like embers. Chakra's body screamed with fatigue, but his will refused to waver. He activated Temporal Halt, freezing the world for thirty precious seconds.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
He moved — slashing, dodging, striking — burning through every second before time resumed.
When the world caught up, Rian stumbled back, bleeding from his side.
"You… what are you?" Rian spat, clutching his wound.
Chakra's breath came heavy. "Just someone who doesn't give up."
Rian screamed and charged again — a final, desperate strike. Chakra met him head-on. The clash resounded like thunder before Rian collapsed to the ground, lifeless, eyes wide in disbelief.
System Notification
[Quest Cleared!]
Reward: Unknown Artifact Acquired.
Chakra looked down. A faintly glowing object materialized beside Rian's corpse — a small, black pendant pulsing with a faint red hue.
"Unknown Artifact…" he murmured, picking it up carefully. The moment he touched it, a chill ran down his spine. It was cold, almost alive.
But before he could examine it further, a deafening roar shook the entire chamber.
The labyrinth's boss had awakened
The stone doors shattered, revealing a towering beast of obsidian hide and molten eyes.
Chakra barely had time to react before the creature lunged.
The battle that followed was chaos — a blur of movement, roars, and searing light. Chakra fought with every ounce of strength he had left, drawing upon every skill, every ounce of his will. And then… silence.
When the light faded, Chakra found himself standing outside the labyrinth gate once again.
The evening breeze hit his face, cool and grounding. He didn't remember walking out — perhaps the system had pulled him back after the battle ended.
He stared at his trembling hands, at the faint red glow of the pendant in his palm.
Later that night, he sat in his dimly lit room, the sounds of the city faint beyond the window. The pendant rested on his desk, its dark aura quietly pulsing.
"What the hell are you…" he whispered.
As he reached for it, the system window suddenly appeared again.
System Notification
[Quest: Begin the Purification of the Demon's Artifact]
Target: Artifact of Vetala
Description: Purify the cursed energy lingering within the relic.
Warning: Failure may result in possession or death.
Commencing in: 10 seconds.
Before he could react, the world around him melted into black.
The floor vanished. The walls dissolved. Only darkness remained — endless, suffocating.