Chapter 12: Dungeon Diver

Alice and Braydon walked to the city gates, showed the guards their adventurer cards, then left to go on their quest. After around an hour of walking, they reached a cave.

"Is this it?" Braydon asked. Alice looked at their quest paper. A quest to dive into a newly discovered dungeon. Its rank is unknown. It says a large-scale operation will be launched in a week consisting of fifty elite rank adventurers.

On the paper is a sketch of a cave identical to the one they are looking at. "Looks like." Alice said as she put it back. "Let's go." She said as she walked in.

"Right." He said as he followed her. As they entered the cave, Alice summoned a ball of light. The cave is not all that large, however, at the back of the cavern, there is a large door made of stone.

The door is covered in vines, moss, and cracks. Alice walked to it. Once Alice was close to the door, it began to open. "Neat." She said. After it had opened fully, Braydon and Alice entered.

The entrance is a long hallway. Upon entering, Alice and Braydon heard a loud roar from deep within the dungeon, causing them to freeze. Shivers went down Alice's spine. "What was that?" Braydon asked as he looked at Alice. Alice shook her head.

"I'm not sure." She said as she continued walking. Braydon quickly caught up to her and matched her pace. At the end of the hall, the path split two ways. "I have a bad feeling about this..." Alice said.

"Why?" Braydon asked.

"It feels familiar. Not as if I've experienced it, but more like I've heard of this." Alice said.

"Strange." Braydon said. Alice nodded in agreement, then took a left. Braydon followed Alice. After a bit of walking, they reached another split path. Alice chose to go to the right.

After a few more split paths, Alice stopped. "Daedalus..." Alice said as realization hit her.

"What?" Braydon asked.

"Ah, nothing." Alice said.

They continued, choosing paths at random. After a while, they came across a wall with a door. The door is about eight feet tall and three feet wide. In the center of the door is a bullhead with a ring in its nose, which is presumably the knocker.

Alice investigated the door, then placed her hand on the door. She closed her eyes and focused on it. After a few moments, it opened. Behind the room is a well-lit, well-decorated room. Alice entered and looked around.

Immediately, a desk with a skeleton hunched over it sitting in a chair caught her eye. Alice walked over to it as Braydon entered. Alice crouched and looked at its clothing. A silken shirt and silk pants.

The pants are black with a red pattern and the shirt is red with a black pattern. "I see." Alice said as she stood up.

"What?" Braydon asked. Alice looked around the room. Next to the desk is a bed with red silk sheets and a contemporary canopy that has silk fabrics attached to it.

On the back wall is a fireplace. Along the left wall are many bookshelves filled with books and scrolls. Alice focused her attention on the desk. There are various journals, papers, and scrolls strewn about. There is also a quill and some ink.

The desk has various drawers. "Alice?" Braydon asked. Alice picked up the only open journal which the skeleton is laid over as her heart began to race and her breath erratic.

She turned the journal to the first page to confirm her suspicions. She felt a shiver go down her spine and her breath stop as she read the large emboldened words at the top of the page. 'Labyrinthus Project.'

"Alice, is something wrong?" Braydon asked as he put his hand on her shoulder. She jumped as she gasped and turned to face Braydon and dropped the book.

"No." She said as she picked up the book again. "I just got focused. The book is in Latin." She said.

"Latin? That shouldn't exist here." Braydon said. Alice shook her head.

"I know. I was trying to figure out why it's here." She said as she sat on the bed. 'Project Labyrinth. Someone made this. Judging by what we heard earlier, it isn't a challenge, but a prison.' She thought.

She continued reading the book. 'I leave this record here for those who find this. Leave.' The book read.

'Not the most welcoming first line.' She thought.

'My name is Daedalus, an artificer of a world long passed. I am originally from Kyrak. I was transported in some bizarre twist of fate to a city known as Knossos. I spent a few years gaining a reputation as a genius artificer. In truth, I was just recreating inventions I had seen in my youth.' The book continued.

'This is a very different tone. But what does this mean, exactly?' Alice asked herself.

'Eventually, the king, Minos, had asked me to construct a massive structure. I was offered many possessions and positions, so I had no room to say no. I constructed it. That structure is what you are currently in. My greatest creation that even I could not leave. Ironic how my craft, the thing that set me free, ultimately trapped me.' Alice continued her reading.

'Although the records likely say Theseus defeated the Minotaur, in reality, all he had done was activate a hidden circle I had made when constructing the Labyrinth. It sent both the Labyrinth and myself to my home. Theseus wasn't the greatest of individuals, but I will give him credit where it is due, he managed to bring me home.' It continued.

'I, of course, will also criticize him. He was too weak. Unable to defeat the minotaur. Yet he was considered among the greatest and most powerful? I can't help but chuckle about it. The heroes of my world were a hundred times stronger and more decisive than that weakling!' Alice kind of chuckled at this part.

'Now that I am thinking of those heroes, I wonder how Adelaide is doing. That little mage was always quite good with magic. Well, I say little, but we were close in age. It's been so long since I've seen any of them. My only hope is that I may see her and the others from that village again.' Alice read.

'If you, the reader, wouldn't mind going there for me, that would be wonderful. The village is named Martav. It is a small coastal town.' Alice read.

She closed the book and got up. She picked up the hands of the skeleton and put the book back from where she got it, closed. "What did it say?" Braydon asked.

"It was the journal of an artificer. He made this dungeon and at the center, there is a minotaur." Alice said as she walked to the exit.

"Are you sure we should leave now? There is a lot of stuff here." Braydon said.

"Let's leave it." She said as she exited the room. Braydon followed suit after hesitating for a moment. "Let's visit Martav sometime." She said.

"Who is that?" Braydon asked.

"It's a coastal town." Alice said as they came to another split path.

"Fine by me. We could get some fish while we are there." Braydon said. Alice nodded. Over the course of a few hours, they had finally reached the center of the labyrinth.

The is a large cylindrical hole with stone walls and flooring. There are many skeletons, piles of gold, pieces of equipment, weapons, and other resources. In the middle area of the hole is the minotaur. The minotaur has a great ax and is not wearing anything.

Its dick is swinging about and very large.

"Braydon, let me borrow your katana." Alice said.

"Okay." He said as he took out his katana and handed it to Alice. Alice cast a light spell in front of the minotaur and blinded it. She then jumped down and charged it. Upon hearing Alice's footsteps, the minotaur began to swing its ax randomly in the direction of the sound.

Alice cast a teleport and appeared behind it in the air, quickly slicing into its neck. The minotaur roared and grasped at the back of its neck. Alice teleported to the side as It turned around and swung furiously.

She teleported up by its shoulder and cut off its arm weapon arm. Once she hit the ground, she teleported its other side and cut off its left leg, causing it to fall and roar in agony.

Once it was on the floor, she walked over to its head. It looked at her with fear. "Sorry." Alice mumbled as she raised her sword and cut off its head. She teleported back up to Braydon. "Here." She said as she handed him the katana.

"Thanks. Sorry to leave it to you." Braydon said.

"I chose to." She said as she realigned her focus on the labyrinth's center. "I'll collect everything." She said as she opened a portal under everything and fed it into her bag. She left the minotaur.

"You did everything on this one, so I'll leave the reward to you." Braydon said. Alice nodded.

'Well done, Theseus.' Alice thought as she opened a portal to outside the city.