Vol 1 Chapter 4: An Encounter at the Bottom of the Earth (Great Labyrinth Arc)

The exploration of the Grimoire Great Labyrinth continued far longer—and proved far harsher—than I had expected.

First, I battled monsters in the square surrounding the underground lake, then pressed onward along a cave-like path that offered nothing but unchanging darkness, no matter how far I went.

Ever since I fell here, I lost all sense of how much time had passed. In these days of fighting for survival, the concept of time had long since dissolved; day and night no longer held any meaning.

Both sleeping and waking were dictated by defeating monsters, securing safety, and hiding.

Yet, the path continued on, and so I kept moving forward.

I couldn’t help but wonder how many riffraff and even those monsters that nearly broke me I had defeated around the underground lake. After all that, how much money would the Adventurer’s Guild pay for all these kills?

To distract myself from the accumulating pain and fatigue, I occasionally let my mind wander to such thoughts as I cleared the way with Asterion.

When hunger struck, I roasted monsters with Asterion’s flames and devoured them, and I secured drinking water whenever I found a suitable source.

After days resembling those of a denizen of the deep, when even my once-proud blond hair had lost its luster under a coating of blood and mud, I finally arrived at a place that was unmistakably unusual.

The cave-like walls began to be overlaid with what looked like iron or something similar, and as I continued down the path, I encountered a pair of double doors that, though rusted, exuded a majestic aura.

In labyrinths and dungeons, such doors often hide a boss, yet I felt no magical energy emanating from them.
But this was the Grimoire Great Labyrinth—the supposed stronghold of the Demon King. It was best to be cautious, but this door was the first sign of change I had seen in ages.

I had no choice but to open it, though by now my exhaustion was deeply set in.

I couldn’t help but worry: if some unexpected monster appeared, would I even be able to fight it? I paused for a moment, recalling the strength of the monsters I’d faced thus far, yet truly, I had no idea.

However, it was highly likely that beyond this door lay a path to the upper levels. At the very least, since either humans or monsters had been here, there was a high chance that some stairs descending from above existed.

Swirling with both hope and anxiety, I shook off any timid thoughts. Opening this door would surely mean progress in this seemingly endless labyrinth exploration.
If that were the case, no matter what awaited me, I simply had to open it.

“Will a demon come out, or a snake… or maybe even a sleeping angel?”

Anyway, while keeping my body coiled and ready to draw Asterion at a moment’s notice, I placed my hand on the door.

With a creak, the door swung open to reveal a dimly lit room.

It was unusually spacious—ample enough that even a gigantic monster could rampage about without constraint.

“Since we’re at the bottom of the earth, if anyone’s here, could it be some kind of golem?”

If so, it would likely be an opponent unlike any I had faced on the upper levels. Should I encounter it here, I’d have to consider retreat as a worst-case scenario; nevertheless, I advanced into the room, guided by Asterion’s light.

Just to be safe, I carefully watched for traps as I proceeded. Then, a foul stench hit me.

Covering my nose with my hand, I traced the source of the odor and, rather oddly, discovered a corpse that appeared to be human—clad in armor and decaying with its back turned.

Undead or something of that sort, perhaps? Either way, since it was dead, it posed no threat.

But what is this? Why is it dead? And here, all alone…

And furthermore…

“There’s a door that obviously seems meant to guard this place,” I observed.

Illuminating the area with Asterion, I saw that the corpse was lying with its back against the door.

Unlike the door to this large room, this white door—crafted from magic-sealing ore—appeared designed not for concealing monsters but for allowing passage for beings roughly human-sized.

Could it be that a staircase leading to the upper levels continues from here?

If this corpse were the gatekeeper, it must have been abandoned here for such an extended period that it starved to death.

That makes sense. If the hero and the Demon King were colluding, there’d be no need for the Demon King to reside on the hundredth floor; a place this deep underground could easily be left untouched.

In the meantime, it was forsaken and died here. And since there were no visible wounds, it seems unlikely that something beyond this door had slain it.

In conclusion, I decided that it was safe to open this door.

With a heavy creak, I opened it again. Beyond lay utter darkness without a trace of light, so I promptly enveloped Asterion in illumination.

As the room was gradually lit, its full form began to come into view.

Inside, though very ancient, the construction was of marble reminiscent of that in the royal church I’d seen, and two rows of stone pillars—each etched with some kind of crest—lined the path ahead.

From the ceiling and the pillars, chains used to seal magic stretched toward the center of the room.

Was something sealed here, perhaps?

Anyway, having come this far, I pressed on with the door open and Asterion serving as my light, determined to inspect the area up close.

Advancing cautiously, step by step, I suddenly noticed movement at the point where the chains converged.

I immediately readied Asterion, and from that convergence came a sound akin to coughing, followed by a hoarse voice.

“…Who is it?”

It was the feeble voice of a little girl, utterly devoid of vitality.

I shone my light, expecting a high-level demon, but what I saw was too slight even to be called a demon.

More than anything, I noticed…

“Human… no, are those ears elf-like?”

She belonged to a subrace—one caught between warring humans and demons, exploited and oppressed by both. Her pointed ears confirmed it immediately.

But, somehow…

“There’s no hint of hostility or even any sign of intent… though I’ve only ever seen elves as slaves…”

She was beautiful. I couldn’t help but think so honestly.

In the dim light, her face appeared almost doll-like in its perfection, framed by hair as white as snow. Her green eyes, though cast downward, hinted at a gentle double eyelid.

Her body was delicate, so fragile it seemed it might break at any moment.

But more than anything, what caught my eye was that—even her limbs—were immobilized by chains designed to seal her magic.

“…Who are you?”

I had no choice but to ask, and the elf, gazing at me blankly, replied in a somewhat self-deprecating tone.

“I am Yuu of the Ancient Elves.”

“Ancient Elves, you say?”

I hadn’t heard of anyone named Yuu, but the Ancient Elves were said to have been extinct for over two hundred years.

Moreover, the Ancient Elves were legendary beings of tremendous magical power—monsters among monsters—rumored to have rampaged across the world and even struck fear into the heart of the Demon King.