Chapter 66. Infinite Labyrinth
A Barrier was a space created through Magic.
And Magic was the power to manipulate or influence phenomena by using supernatural forces or phenomena that could not ordinarily occur.
Except that it wasn’t.
Most people considered Magic to be a “supernatural phenomenon”.
I had thought the same at first.
However, that was completely wrong.
According to the Archmage, one of the Heroes of the Coalition Forces—
—Magic is actually an entirely natural phenomenon.
It was merely the artificial reproduction of natural phenomena after interpreting the principles by which they occurred.
In that sense, Arcane Studies could be called the “Study of Interpretation”.
What Arcane Studies sought to interpret were the laws and natural order of this world.
Therefore, Magic was a “natural phenomenon” created by “interpreting” the Laws of the World.
What made that possible was Mana Force, an energy created by converting Mana into a usable form.
—Mana Force can be considered a type of energy that serves as the “raw material”.
To start a fire, one needed the raw material known as “firewood”.
Mana Force could be considered the equivalent of that firewood. The only difference was that it could become virtually anything.
—By controlling Mana Force, a mage can generate various forms of energy, including heat, light, electricity, and sound.
A ball of flame floating in the air—Fireball.
A sudden explosion of light—Light Boom.
Lightning erupting in succession—Chain Lightning.
A sound wave capable of rupturing the eardrums—Shock Wave.
Behind each of those magical spells was firewood in a different form.
In other words, Mana Force.
Therefore, although Magic might appear absurd at first glance, it was actually an entirely natural phenomenon founded upon the laws of this world.
—Just as burning firewood produces the thermal energy known as fire.
Consequently, mages could not use magic to produce phenomena that violated the laws of nature.
Resurrecting the dead.
Reversing time and returning to the past.
—Reversing Entropy is impossible.
That was why, from a mage’s perspective, “Aura” was the true magic.
It was a power that dragged something existing only within an individual’s imagination into reality.
Aura was a power that should never have been capable of existing. Nevertheless, it existed—abruptly, unexpectedly, and absurdly.
It completely disregarded even the Natural Laws of the world.
If that was not magic, what else could possibly be?
Most people, however, believed the opposite. They considered magic supernatural and Aura natural.
—Even though reality is precisely the opposite.
Considering all of that—
Avarus was a “mage”.
He could not wield the supernatural power known as Aura.
That was because his exceptional intellect had allowed him to understand that Aura was fundamentally impossible.
Therefore, this barrier was magic—and thus a “natural phenomenon”.
It merely used an authority possessed by the Monarch of the Abyss as its raw material, along with Mana Force.
That was why it only appeared supernatural.
Consequently, when Rule 3—“There are no exits in this place”—appeared in the Rulebook, I realized that every rule in the Rulebook was either false or deliberately deceptive.
One of magic’s absolute laws, and especially one of Alchemy’s fundamental truths, was [Equivalent Exchange].
To obtain something, one had to pay a corresponding price.
To start a fire, there had to be firewood.
If there was an entrance, there had to be an exit.
That remained true even if the exit was unreachable or could only be accessed through a nearly impossible method.
Therefore, the rule claiming that no exit existed was a deception.
More importantly, there was the weakness of the barrier identified through Find Weakness [U].
It had unquestionably pointed toward the Rulebook.
That meant the Rulebook contained the method of escaping the barrier.
With that suspicion in mind, I examined the rules more closely.
Then I discovered something strange.
Certain words within the Rulebook’s rules were subtly different.
Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that they were written in a different style.
====
Rule 3. There are no exits in this place.
: If you see anything that resembles an exit, do not stop. Ignore all of them.
In Rule 3, the different word was “stop”.
At first, I thought it had merely been emphasized.
However, when I reviewed Rules 1 and 2, I discovered other words stained red with blood and written in a subtly different style.
When those words were separated—
1. Light. Secure. You. Are trapped. Sense of direction. Distorted.
2. Structure. Moves. In place.
3. Stop.
They began forming a sentence.
That was why I stopped moving and remained where I was.
The strange patterns subsequently appeared, followed by new rules containing more words written in the subtly different style.
4. Strange patterns.
5. Repeat. That. Moment.
6. Rulebook. Damage.
7. Rule 6. Discover.
8. Hope.
9. Exists.
====
When I gathered and combined all those words—
“Found you.”
I sharpened Dragon’s Claw [A] and tore apart the Rulebook.
However, because the Rulebook had become entangled with my hand, I had no choice but to tear off my entire hand along with it.
Secure light and recognize that you are trapped.
Afterward, when your sense of direction becomes distorted and the structure of this place moves—stop in place.
Repeat the strange patterns.
If you damage the Rulebook at that moment—you can discover Rule 6.
◆Temporarily blocking the Sensory Nerves!
◆Activating the skill “Regeneration [B+]” to regenerate the damaged body!
My severed hand was restored through Regeneration [B+].
The powers granted by Predation [S+] functioned normally in this place, so it was not a serious problem.
The Rulebook, torn apart along with my hand, fell across the floor.
Screeeeeeeeeeeeech—!!!
The Rulebook thrashed like a living creature and released a series of spine-chilling screams.
Dark-red blood poured from the torn Rulebook.
It intertwined with my own blood before engraving new rules across the floor.
5. If even one of the Infinite Labyrinth’s [Absolute Rules] is violated, the Infinite Labyrinth will cease to exist.
6. Hope exists.
: This place is called the [Infinite Labyrinth]. The Infinite Labyrinth is a distorted dimension intertwined with the consciousness of the [Administrator], as well as an entity fused with the [Administrator]. [Absolute Rules] exist within the Infinite Labyrinth, and the [Absolute Rules] take precedence over every other law.
== [Absolute Rules] ==
1. The [Administrator] cannot arbitrarily establish or modify the Infinite Labyrinth’s [Absolute Rules].
2. The Infinite Labyrinth must always possess an [Administrator].
3. The Infinite Labyrinth possesses infinite Stamina and Mana, while its space and time are also infinite.
4. The Infinite Labyrinth’s [Absolute Rules] must be revealed directly by the [Administrator], regardless of the method used.
The concealed Rule 6—had finally been revealed.
Ominous forms and patterns were engraved upon the Rulebook.
Faint eyes and lips appeared between wrinkles tangled like a spiderweb.
They distorted grotesquely as though in agony.
<You bastaaaaard!!!>
A voice resembling a scream roared at me.
<What in the world are you?!>
The Rulebook—no, Avarus shouted in disbelief.
<How did you escape the Great One’s authority?!>
It appeared that the being behind this truly was the Monarch of the Abyss.
However—
“What’s the point of bringing me a fake?”
It was not the real Monarch of the Abyss.
It was a Monarch of the Abyss created through Illusion Magic.
Something like that could never be enough to collapse my mind.
No, the result would have been the same even if he had brought the real Monarch of the Abyss.
◆Player’s Will [EX] resists An Unknowable Terror Beyond Explanation!
Ian’s ability, Player’s Will [EX].
As long as I possessed it, my mind would never collapse.
<Y-You... How did you know that...? No, even so, that was the Great One’s authority! How could you possibly—?!>
“That’s none of your concern.”
I had now discovered a way to escape the Barrier.
I merely had to exploit the [Absolute Rules].
Absolute Rule 2: The Infinite Labyrinth must always possess an [Administrator].
Absolute Rule 5: If even one Absolute Rule is violated, the Infinite Labyrinth will cease to exist.
In other words, eliminating the Administrator would cause the Infinite Labyrinth to disappear.
There was no need to ask who the Administrator was.
This was precisely why Find Weakness [U] had identified the Rulebook as the barrier’s weakness.
I tensed my thighs and leaped from the floor.
Sharpening Dragon’s Claw [A], I slashed Avarus, who had assumed the form of the Rulebook.
Chunks of Avarus’s torn flesh fell to the ground.
<Hehehe! Where do you think you are?>
Avarus did not die.
<This is the Infinite Labyrinth, created through the Great One’s authority!>
Absolute Rule 3: The Infinite Labyrinth possesses infinite Stamina and Mana, while its space and time are also infinite.
Moreover, the Infinite Labyrinth was an entity fused with its Administrator.
<No matter how desperately insignificant creatures like you struggle, it’s useless!>
That meant Avarus’s Stamina and Mana were also infinite.
Shrrrrrk—!
Sharp tentacles suddenly emerged from gaps within the walls of flesh.
Parasite-like protrusions covered the ends of those tentacles, allowing them to drain anything they touched.
At that moment—
“Would it kill you to explain things in advance?!”
Kai, who had witnessed the entire sequence of rules from beside me, charged forward.
He appeared to have roughly understood the current situation, and there was no hesitation in his attacks.
He slaughtered the surrounding masses of flesh in an instant and moved close beside me.
“Do you have a method?”
As expected, Kai also understood that we had no obvious way to kill Avarus.
Kai could not die because of Immortal Link [E].
However, even that ability was not infinite.
Once his Aura was exhausted, his immortality would disappear.
The same applied to me.
I possessed Regeneration [B+], but my calories were finite.
In that regard, the number of calories currently stored within me was—
However—
◆Surplus Calories: 13,551 kcal
Approximately thirteen thousand calories.
Because I had used Metabolic Overdrive [U] and Regeneration [B+] before entering the barrier, my reserves were nearly depleted.
◆Error: Inventory is not responding.
Furthermore, my inventory remained unresponsive.
I could not consume the calories stored within it.
Infinite and finite.
<You’ll both rot to death here! You’ll be trapped within the infinite abyss and become sacrifices to the Great One!>
Avarus’s victory was practically guaranteed.
Our defeat had effectively been decided the moment we entered a mage’s territory.
However, there was one fact Avarus did not know.
Another tentacle of flesh extended toward me.
I used Dragon’s Claw [A] to tear off a handful.
Then I placed it inside my mouth and chewed.
Crunch!
An indescribable flavor filled my mouth.
The soft, squishy texture was one problem, but the flavor itself was utterly bizarre.
How could I describe it?
Chew, chew.
If I had to put it into words, I would call it “the taste of chewing rotten mud”.
Of course, I had never actually eaten rotten mud.
I might have tried it if it contained calories, but mud provided almost none, so I had no intention of ever eating it.
Still, one could imagine what something would taste like.
Then there were the juices that burst out whenever I crushed one of its hearts—if they could even be called juices.
“Urgh—!”
It tasted like someone had boiled a festering swamp.
“Bleeergh—!”
....I did not think I could sell this one.
Market value: zero.
Once again, I realized that the monsters of the Snowy Mountain Region were the best.
Even so, I somehow forced the flesh down my throat.
◆You have accumulated +5,210 kcal.
A message informing me that calories had been accumulated appeared before my eyes.
Surprisingly, it was extremely high in calories.
I had expected flesh to contain calories, but I had never imagined that a single handful would provide an astonishing 5,210 kcal.
<W-What...?!>
Avarus’s eyes widened in shock.
More precisely, something resembling eyes widened.
Kai’s reaction was not much different.
“.......”
Standing beside me, he looked as though he had witnessed a creature even more repulsive than Avarus chewing on an insect.
Both ally and enemy were looking at me with “disgust”.
....Strictly speaking, Kai was also an enemy, but that was beside the point.
I effortlessly ignored them both and used Dragon’s Claw [A] to tear another chunk of flesh from the wall.
Then I began chewing it.
<W-What are you doooooooing?!>
Avarus screamed in agony.
I gestured toward him with my chin and spoke.
“Kai.”
“.......”
“Can you see him?”
“.......”
“Answer me.”
“....What exactly are you referring to?”
“He’s in pain.”
“That is true, but…. Ah!”
Kai’s eyes flashed as he understood what I meant.
According to Rule 6, the Infinite Labyrinth was an entity fused with Avarus.
More specifically, it was a distorted dimension intertwined with Avarus’s “consciousness”.
In other words, damaging the Infinite Labyrinth caused Avarus to experience pain.
The screams we had heard whenever we damaged the walls or floor had belonged to Avarus.
Naturally, under the Infinite Labyrinth’s [Absolute Rules], Avarus possessed infinite Stamina and Mana.
However, his mental strength was not infinite.
Meanwhile, because I could obtain calories by consuming Avarus’s flesh, my Stamina was effectively infinite as well.
Unfortunately for him—
◆Player’s Will [EX] resists An Unknowable Terror Beyond Explanation!
My mental strength was also infinite.
In that case—what would happen if I subjected Avarus to infinite pain?
My Regeneration [B+] could block pain.
Avarus possessed no such ability.
How long could Avarus’s mind endure?
“Kai, stay out of this and use your Aura to maintain the light.”
If it were possible, I almost wanted to place Avarus inside my inventory and raise him.
I burned one hundred thousand calories at once.
The explosive substances synthesized within my body increased uncontrollably and propagated throughout it.
They spread across my entire body, accompanied by intense heat and energy.
Crackle-crackle-crackle—!!
◆Surplus Calories: 100,000 kcal
At some point, I had reached the maximum number of calories I could store.
The taste was appalling, but its caloric efficiency was insane.
My body seethed as though it were about to explode, and every cell within me ignited simultaneously.
An enormous blaze surged throughout my entire body.
Fwoooooooooosh!!!
Using my very existence as firewood, an inferno spanning countless ages erupted.
It was an overwhelmingly powerful force that could not be contained.
That power condensed within both my arms condensed—condensed—and condensed once more.
The ferocious power of a dragon awakened.
“This will give you a thrill even the Monarch of the Abyss couldn’t provide!”
◆Activating the Combination Skill “Dragon Rage Explosion [E]”!
I thrust both hands toward the horrified Avarus.
No comments yet. Be the first to leave a review!