Chapter 10 – Labyrinth Strategy 【2】

I got a bit sidetracked thinking about her adorableness and our developing relationship, but earlier I was considering the “class” and “mage” she mentioned.

Let me ask her directly.

“Come to think of it, Mel, you said earlier you’re a mage…”

“Ah, that’s righ—right. I, I’m technically a third-rank mage.”

Then she made a dark expression and murmured quietly, “Even someone like me.”

She seems to have some dark past.

I’m very curious, but I feel like I shouldn’t force this out of her.

Let me read the room and change the subject.

“A mage, huh… That’s mysterious. My world didn’t have magic.”

“What!? No way! No magic!? But then how did you get here? You can’t come here unless you get hit by a truck, right? Don’t tell me you came here without getting hit by a truck?”

As a result of attempting to change subjects, I obtained new information: “You can’t come to the labyrinth unless you’re hit by a truck.”

It’s like a mystery game where you gradually collect clues.

That aside, there are trucks even in worlds where magic exists?

And in that world too, getting hit by a truck sends you to another world?

Come to think of it, Yamada also said he was hit by a truck and transferred here…

I don’t understand at all. Why does getting hit by a truck cause transfer?

Is the true identity of trucks actually not automobiles used for freight transportation but magical tools for teleportation?

“No no, I definitely came here after being hit by a truck, but trucks move by engine power, so they’re not related to magic, right?”

“What’s an engine? Trucks move by magic stone power, you know?”

Mel looked puzzled.

It seems there’s a huge gap between Mel’s common sense and mine.

We walked around while exchanging information.

I explained to Mel that this is a world created by programming, monsters move according to input patterns, they have specific attack patterns, and there might be rewards for defeating the demon god on the lowest floor.

However, since programming and games weren’t developed in her world, my explanation wasn’t accepted by Mel.

I tried to explain as clearly as possible, but:

“Programming… you mean, creating worlds? Impossible! That’s something only gods can do, right?”

“Huh? Programming language? Tools for making games? Sorry… I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

On the other hand, Mel explained to me that this is a labyrinth created by an ancient demon god’s skill, monsters move by magic power, they have specific skills, and wishes come true when you clear the labyrinth.

“That’s why that light sphere is Second World Magic, ‘Light of Annihilation’!”

“The reason we can’t lie down on our own and our walking speed is fixed is because of a curse. This labyrinth has a powerful curse from the demon god on it.”

“Huh? You don’t know that monster’s name? How did you get this far? The screaming monster is ‘Helicobacter Pylori,’ and the scream is the ‘Instant Death Shriek’ skill. That skill’s effect is the death of all targets who hear the scream. But this can be nullified by the tentacle-shaped plant, ‘Proton Pump.'”

However, I couldn’t accept Mel’s explanation.

It’s obvious this world is the world of a ryona game.

Yamada’s story and the strategies I’ve been executing prove that.

Besides, she knew nothing about the labyrinth as a game.

Not the boss abilities, Hanako’s existence, the death scenes, the strategy for each floor, or even that the clothes she’s wearing are a sailor uniform.

Opinions also diverged on physical abilities.

I said it was a middle school girl’s physical abilities, but Mel couldn’t understand the concept of “middle schooler.”

Mel expressed it as “the physical abilities of a mage whose magic power is sealed,” but I didn’t know what would happen if she had magic power.

Is this what cultural exchange—or rather, interdimensional exchange—is like…

After that too, our opinions ran parallel.

But the methods for protecting ourselves from the labyrinth’s monsters matched exquisitely.

This is helpful. Whichever we follow, we’ll survive in the end.

However, she didn’t know the boss patterns.

I explained the shape of this floor’s boss, but she was skeptical.

This is bad. We’re about to challenge the second floor boss.

To describe the second floor boss’s appearance in one word: a massive blob of slime.

It extends lewd tentacles to attack Hanako.

According to the creator interview, those tentacles weren’t actually attached from the start but are transformations of the main body blob.

Those tentacles have many thorns growing on them, and if caught by those, you suffer a terrible fate as a woman.

Specifically, both hands and legs are restrained by tentacles, and you’re violated internally.

In this case, you can escape by repeatedly pressing directional keys. However, the stolen virginity and destroyed womb don’t come back.

And if your HP reaches zero while caught by tentacles, you die after forced climax.

Also, after 30 seconds all attacks change to instant death patterns, and touching even once leads to death scenes where tentacles steal Hanako’s purity that she guarded for 13 years and exit through her mouth, or death scenes where all ten holes in the body—eye sockets, nostrils, oral cavity, ear canals, urethral opening, vaginal opening, anus—are continuously violated, or death scenes where you’re pulled by tentacles and eaten by the boss.

Incidentally, the boss’s interior is composed of various types of tentacles.

I can’t speak of what’s depicted after being eaten.

The only thing I can say is that the first floor boss might have truly been a savior to Hanako.

When Hanako got caught, I just thought “Oh, she got caught. Gotta reset,” but thinking about Mel suffering such a fate made me feel like all the blood in my body was flowing backward.

Saved by Mel, I decided I would definitely protect this angel-like girl. I can’t allow Mel to be defiled by something like that.

Of course, I don’t want it to happen to me either. Just imagining it drains the blood from my face.

However, the tentacle attacks are very fast and difficult to avoid.

I memorized all the angles and timing of incoming tentacles and cleared it, but it took some time to get used to, and during that process Hanako suffered terrible things dozens of times.

Other players had the same situation.

Even in the game it takes time to get used to, but now instead of controlling a game character, I have to dodge directly.

If even I’m not confident, the probability of Mel clearing it without being touched even once on her first try is extremely low.

However, there’s actually a trick to clear this without being touched even once.

By exploiting a bug discovered by a certain player, if you crawl in a corner of the boss room, no matter how many tentacles attack, they can’t touch you.

This is a bug that occurred because the diagonal length of the room is longer than the tentacle sprite’s length.

However, just crouching won’t work—you’ll get caught.

What’s important is being in a crawling posture, the lowest height among all of Hanako’s sprites.

So, crawling in a corner of the room means tentacles can’t catch you no matter what. And just one minute passes without penalty.

Plus, unlike the first floor boss, this boss disappears after one minute. Then you just exit and descend to the third floor.

In other words, we can clear this without touching tentacles.

However, this trick is predicated on her trusting me.

Mel doesn’t look like someone with the nerve to calmly crawl in a corner of the room while tentacles attack right above her head.

But right now, she doesn’t trust me at all.

From her perspective, I’m just an odd man who doesn’t know any of the common knowledge mages should know or monster ecology, and blindly believes in incomprehensible “game strategies.”

Thinking Mel will trust me and calmly crawl in a corner of the room in what looks like an extreme situation just because I guessed the boss’s shape would be far too optimistic.

Think. This is reality, definitely not a game.

Once caught by tentacles, there’s no way to save Mel.

She’ll be violated by tentacles and die miserably. I can’t allow that.

Fortunately, there’s a way to pass through this floor safely. The problem is that Mel doesn’t trust me.

Is there no way to get her to trust my strategy?

…Actually, there’s one plan.

As I mentioned earlier, this labyrinth’s traps are extremely vicious.

Most traps trigger results completely unpredictable from appearance.

For example, a passage that looks fine is actually a pitfall, and below is a mountain of needles, or suddenly your body gets cut into thirds while walking.

Therefore, if I accurately predict trap contents, she might trust me.

The problem is that to prove the trap’s contents, I have no choice but to trigger it directly myself.

At that time, my death will surely traumatize her.

But pathetically, I’ve been worrying not because I was afraid of traumatizing my benefactor, but because I was afraid of dying.

I’m so terrified I can’t stand it.

After what felt like an eternity, this life was finally saved. I never wanted to die again.

Moreover, what I’m about to do is unthinkable behavior for a sane person.

This time, she might abandon me, having developed fear toward me.

But I realized something. More than me dying, more than being avoided by Mel, losing her is incomparably more frightening.

Therefore, I’ll prove it. And I’ll earn her trust and protect her.

I thought about which trap would be best to trigger.

First, cutting-type traps are excluded.

No matter how much potions fully restore HP, I don’t know if they regenerate severed body parts.

Pitfall types are also no good.

Below is a mountain of needles, and I’m not confident I can return to ground level with Hanako’s physical abilities.

Annihilation types and inescapable rooms are obviously out of the question, and traps that remain afterward are also no good.

For example, using a potion while impaled through the crotch with a spear would just result in immediate death.

Continuous traps are also no good.

You’d just trigger the trap again the moment you revive.

In the end, summarizing:

Not a cutting-type, pitfall-type, annihilation-type, or inescapable-type trap

A trap that activates only once and disappears after activation

…Fortunately, should I say. Actually, there’s one trap on the second floor that satisfies all conditions.

But do I really have to trigger that one? I really don’t want to…

I sighed and asked Mel.

“Hey, Mel. Do you happen to know about the ‘Door That Won’t Open’?”

“Huh? What’s that?”

Mel didn’t know about the “Door That Won’t Open.”

It seems she only pressed the hidden switch at the “Lake of Death” and came straight here.

Well, that’s natural.

If she had entered that room, I wouldn’t have been able to meet her because of the third question.

In that case, this is simple.

I explained the room’s strategy to Mel, then went to that room together, solved all the questions, and obtained a potion.

This was possible because new potions appeared due to her transfer.

Since the door’s questions and instant death trap were exactly as I explained beforehand, Mel gradually began trusting me.

But this level isn’t enough. To protect her, I need her to trust me completely.

Well, I only came to this room to get a potion in the first place, not to persuade her. Let’s move to the next stage.

…By the way Mel, being led into a closed room by a man you just met is extremely dangerous.

This labyrinth doesn’t have concepts of thirst, hunger, fatigue, or sleepiness, but it does have the concept of sexual desire.

I resolved once again to protect the innocent her.

◆　◆　◆

To earn her trust, I entered a certain passage.

It was a dead end where green light was blinking.

“Hey, Mel. You see that flickering light over there? What do you think happens if we go there?”

“Yeah… I’m not really sure, but maybe nothing good?”

“Correct. Specifically?”

“Umm… I don’t know that much…”

Anyone would know nothing good would happen.

But when asked specifically what would occur, that can’t be answered.

Except by those who knew beforehand.

Therefore, if I accurately predict “what will happen,” I can earn her trust.

“Specifically, the moment you go there, six light spears appear and pierce both legs, the neck, both arms, and the heart in that order.”

The creator calls it “Hedgehog,” but that aside.

“Then after some time passes, the green light and spears disappear, leaving only a tattered corpse. Well, you don’t die though.”

“That’s… I can’t believe it…”

Mel’s face turned pale at the gruesome content.

That’s understandable. Normally thinking, you wouldn’t imagine such a cruel trap exists in a space with just blinking green light.

That’s why it’s the first place ryona game at the ryona contest though.

“Well, thinking normally you can’t believe it, right? But what if I showed you definite proof?”

“Definite proof?”

“Yeah, definite proof that the strategy I know is correct. Remember the spear order I mentioned?”

“Um, legs, neck, arms, heart, right?”

“Wow, amazing! You remembered even though I only said it once!”

I handed the potion to her. Then I tried my best to smile.

“That’s right. Watch carefully, Mel. Six spears, in the order of both legs, neck, both arms, heart. And when the spears disappear, use this on me.”

“Huh…!? Wait…!”

I left Mel and ran toward the light.

Mel realized a bit late what I was trying to do, but by then I’d already reached where the light was.

And the next moment, two light spears appeared and simultaneously pierced both legs.

Just as I was about to scream from unbearable pain, the newly appeared third spear pierced my neck, and I couldn’t even make a sound.

“…!”

I reflexively tried to pull out the neck spear, but the fourth and fifth spears pierced both arms, and I couldn’t move my arms anymore.

Then the final spear slowly penetrated my chest.

Ah, so that’s how it was.

In the dizzying pain, I finally understood the meaning of the spear firing order.

Looking at just the CG, this is merely a cruel scene. But after being pierced directly, I understood.

The person who thought this up is the lowest demon bastard.

First pierce the victim’s legs and fix them so they can’t escape.

The victim would scream from the intense pain. Like I just did.

But right before that, the neck gets pierced, so no scream can come out.

Next, seal the arms that would try to remove the neck spear.

Then finally, slowly pierce the heart of the victim who can’t move at all and can’t make a sound.

Yes, just like now.

The sensation approaching my heart is terrifying beyond measure. This will definitely cause trauma.

I felt like I’d pass out, but I couldn’t pass out until the end.

Indeed, Hanako never passed out in any situation.

Was that also the labyrinth’s influence?

While feeling the pain of my heart being pierced for a while, the light spears suddenly disappeared.

And I collapsed on the floor with my entire body in tatters.

My HP had already reached zero.

Thus, I met my second death since being transferred to this labyrinth.

◆　◆　◆

Having died like that, I was revived thanks to Mel using a potion on me.

The first thing I did after reviving was getting scolded by a crying Mel.

“Why did you do such an outrageous thing!!”

While being helped by Mel to walk, I explained everything with tears and a trembling voice.

The boss patterns, what happens if caught by the boss, my gratitude toward her, my determination not to let her die, the trick to safely overcome the danger, the necessity of her trusting me.

And that this was the only method—I told her everything.

I knew that saying such things in a blood-covered sailor uniform appearance would only inspire fear, not emotion.

I was even prepared to be avoided.

However, Mel listened to everything I said and hugged me as my tears and trembling wouldn’t stop.

Then while crying, she apologized for not believing my story.

She asked me never to do something like this again because she’d believe what I say.

She said she didn’t want anyone dying because of her anymore.

And she comforted me while stroking my head until I calmed down.

Thus, I touched a bit of her darkness and earned her trust.

That aside, this time was really dangerous.

I can’t forget the sensation of the spear piercing my heart. It feels like it’s still inside my chest.

I’m really glad this labyrinth doesn’t have the concept of sleep. If I slept, I’d definitely be tormented by nightmares.

Just seeing spears or the color green might make me panic now.

But I can’t stay like this.

I haven’t forgotten that I died in this labyrinth because of trauma.

I entered the “Lake of Death” to wash my sailor uniform stained with blood and other fluids, and to treat my trauma.

After washing the sailor uniform there and staying until I got used to green, we challenged the second floor boss stage.

◆　◆　◆

Right now, we’re feeling each other’s body warmth in the corner of the boss room.

That said, we’re not doing anything like creating a new life form.

We’re just in a crawling position in the corner, avoiding tentacles that attack right up close to us.

Mel has a slightly pale face, wary of the attacking tentacles.

She might be feeling one second like one minute right now.

“A-Are you sure this is okay?”

“Yeah, trust me.”

“O-Of course I trust you, b-but I’m a bit anxious, or… Really, it won’t hurt…?”

“Yeah, it won’t, it won’t.”

While reassuring the anxious Mel, I enjoyed her body temperature, scent, and skin texture.

While doing so, one minute passed in the blink of an eye, and the boss disappeared.

“There really was nothing…”

Mel looked stunned. Cute.

I smiled mischievously while speaking.

“Right? Now can you trust me a little?”

“Idiot…”

Mel’s cheeks flushed red as she looked down and murmured in a small voice.

“I’ve been trusting you ever since that time. There’s no way I could have endured something like this otherwise.”

I felt happiness that she relied on me and said in a light tone:

“Well then, shall we descend to the next floor!”

“Yeah. Sugar, what kind of floor is next?”

“Ah, the next floor is…”

While walking toward the exit, I simply explained about the next floor.

While explaining, Mel’s small voice reached me.

“For someone like me… thank you so much, Sugar.”

“Huh? Did you say something just now?”

When I asked, Mel shook her head with a red face.

“N-No. Nothing.”

“I see.”

I resumed explaining while walking. But actually, I heard it clearly.

Thank you so much, Sugar. Thank you so much, Sugar. Thank you so much, Sugar.

I permanently saved her words in my head, then played them on repeat.

Even though walking speed should be fixed, somehow my steps felt lighter.

This insane world even seemed to shine brightly.

By the way, why does Mel blame herself?

I’m very curious, but we’re not in a deep enough relationship yet, so in the end I couldn’t ask anything.

However, I thought that someday I want to remove her darkness.