First Floor.

They were already in uncharted territory.

But now, they were caught up in something more.

The group approached the shrine.

They could feel a sense of power emanating from the runes drawn around it.

Rumia whispered, "This is definitely some high-level magic."

Archibald nodded in agreement, "But it doesn't seem like anything we can't handle."

Suddenly, Vesta let out a deep sigh, "There's nothing here besides this mysterious shrine. I don't like this at all guys."

Myne stepped in, "It's possible that this shrine belonged to an ancient civilization. They used to use shrines like this to offer sacrifices to their gods."

Lirien chimed in, "My people worship the Beast King. It's not that different from this shrine."

"Very true, and in a continent like Eses where there's numerous religions, seeing an unidentified shrine shouldn't really bother anyone. So don't worry about it Sir Vesta." (Lutessa)

Lutessa was right.

The diversity of religion in Eses was vast.

Rumia prayed to the spirits, hence, Spirit Religion.

Lutessa was a Vayetran Believer, so they prayed to Augustus Vayetra.

Archibald was of the Arthurian Faithful religion.

There was also the Melcius Believers.

In conclusion, numerous religions was a norm in Eses.

Vesta looked relieved, "Well, if no one else is worried, then neither am I. And besides, it can't get any worse, right?"

Archibald groaned, "Stop testing the universe, man."

It was at that moment, a bright light radiated from the magic stones rooted to the ground like stalagmites.

They were all engulfed in its bright light, and Vesta screamed in fear.

The group was unable to move.

Their bodies were paralyzed by an intense gravity.

Rachel shouted, "Everyone find a way out of here immediately!"

Lamperouge vented his frustration, "This is exactly why I hate magic. We're completely helpless here."

Suddenly, the group began to disappear, one after another.

They were being serially transported from their current location to another part of the labyrinth.

Lutessa gasped, "What kind of magic is this?"

...

Minutes of unconsciousness.

And finally, Lutessa regained awareness of her surroundings once more.

She looked around the dark room they found themselves in.

It was clear that it had not been used in a long time as cobwebs hung from its corners and a thick layer of dust settled on the cold stone floor.

She could hear the sound of water dripping in the distance, echoing loudly in the emptiness.

Her party members were already awake.

Rachel looked at the others and said, "We need to find a way out of here. We can't stay in this place for too long."

Vesta said, "But where do we start? We don't even know where we are."

Archibald nodded in agreement, "We need to find a way to navigate this place. Maybe we can find some clues."

Myne looked around and pointed to a faint light in the distance. "Look over there. Maybe we can find something useful in that direction."

The group slowly made their way towards the light.

They were careful not to trip over any loose rocks or debris on the ground.

As they got closer, they could see that it was a torch hanging on the wall.

Lirien said, "Well, that's a good sign. Hopefully, we can find more of these."

Lamperouge added, "Or we might find some traps. Be on your guard everyone."

They continued walking and soon found themselves at the bottom floor of the labyrinth.

The walls were lined with old tapestries and paintings, all of them rotted and tattered.

There were also ancient statues of forgotten deities and heroes in various states of decay.

Rachel said, "This place gives me the creeps. We need to find a way out of here quickly."

As they walked, the sound of water dripping became louder.

The air grew colder, and a mist began to envelop the group.

Vesta exclaimed, "I don't like this one bit guys. I think we're in for some trouble."

"Relax, you're worrying a bit too much.." (Archibald)

"Still... I'm not sure how we ended up here." (Rumia)

"I think we got teleported." (Archibald)

Myne was bewildered, "But isn't [Teleportation Magic] banned in the continent?"

"Yes, it was banned. The likely reason for there still being a teleportation circle would be because it belonged to an ancient magic civilization that existed before the ban against teleportation was declared." (Lamperogue)

Lirien folds her hands worriedly, "Doesn't that mean we're in trouble?"

Vesta spoke up, "How so?"

Rumia interjected, "Because for the teleportation circle to have been triggered meant we were crossing a place we weren't meant to and as a result were teleported here."

Archibald nodded in agreement, "That might have been what happened to the other adventurers that came here before us."

Soon after, Lutessa approached them, holding onto her magic stave.

Archibald saw her and said, "You're finally awake. How are you doing, Lutessa?"

Lutessa bowed her head apologetically, "I'm sorry for making you worry, Sir Knight. I'm feeling better now, thank you."

Rachel smiled at Lutessa, "Just glad you're okay now. We were all worried."

Lutessa then asked, "So how did we get here? Where are we?"

Myne sighed, "We were just discussing this. It looks like we were teleported here, most likely through an ancient teleportation circle."

Lutessa looked around, taking in their surroundings, "This place certainly looks ancient. How do we get out of here?"

"And welcome to the question of the day," said Rumia, her voice wistful.

"I think the question of the day should be - 'Why did we even go down here to begin with?' - I mean... honestly." (Archibald)

While they contemplated their next move, Lirien's eyes flickered towards a set of stairs leading upwards.

"Hey guys, look over there," she said, gesturing towards the stairs.

Everyone turned to look at it.

Lamperouge scrutinized the stairs with a frown.

"Given the circumstances, we don't have much of a choice. Let's use the stairs to progress further." (Lamperogue)

Archibald shook his head in frustration, muttering under his breath, "Whoever built this labyrinth..."

"...deserves a lightning bolt up their ass," Rumia completed his sentence with a snort of agreement.

They all knew that more floors meant different types of monsters that only got tougher as they progressed.

Rachel took a deep breath, "There's no other way forward, we have to take the stairs. Stay alert and be ready for anything."

With weapons at the ready, they began to ascend the stairs.

The silence was palpable, save for the sound of their footsteps echoing in the narrow staircase.

The torches fixed to the wall flickered and danced wildly, casting eerie shadows on the wall.

It felt like an eternity before they finally reached the top, or what they assumed was the top.

A massive metal door stood before them, covered in carvings of various monsters and ancient scripts they couldn't understand.

Myne ran her fingers over the carvings, murmuring, "I wonder what's inside."

Archibald strode forward towards the door, barely flinching.

But Lutessa seemed hesitant and held him by the shirt.

When he turned, he saw the fear in her eyes.

However, he gave her a reassuring smile and said, "It's okay. Let's go together."

She smiled back, nodded, and followed him.

Pushing the door open, they all braced themselves for what lay beyond.

It could be anything, a horde of monsters, a deadly trap, or just plain darkness.

The moment they entered the room, the torches that lined the wall lit up, illuminating the space around them.

There were fire wolves waiting for them.

「Fire Wolves (Grade C)」

About 200 to 300 in numerical value.

If this was how the first floor was, how would the other ones be?

"Whoever made this labyrinth..." (Archibald)

"...is a sadist." (Rumia)

Archibald and Rumia's reaction was almost predictable at this point.

Expectedly, they both complained about the ghastly labyrinth and its creator.

Lamperouge sighed, "We don't have time for complaints. We have to face these fire wolves head-on."

Rachel and Vesta seemed to agree and took up a combat stance, ready to engage the pack of fire wolves.

Lirien took a few steps back.

She took out her bow, and carefully aimed at the closest fire wolf.

As the wolves growled and readied themselves for an attack, the door behind them suddenly slammed shut, trapping them inside.

Archibald looked back and frowned, "Looks like we're in for a fight."

Myne looked worried and turned to Rachel, "What do we do?"

Rachel didn't hesitate and gave them a plan of action.

"Archibald, Lamperouge, Vesta and I will engage the wolves while Lirien provides ranged support. As for Myne, Rumia and Lutessa, you'll support us with spells that can slow them down." (Rachel)

Rumia nodded in agreement, holding out her stave.

"We need to conserve our mana. This is just the first floor, and we have no idea what challenges await us on the higher ones." (Rumia)

Lutessa whispered, "Understood. I'll use <<Water Dragon King>> to control my mana output."

Myne took a deep breath, "I have <<Feldrinite Wooden Wand>>. It's not as high ranked as your artifact, Lutessa, but it should get the job done in terms of mana output control too."

「Water Dragon King (Gold-ranked)」

「Feldrinite Wooden Wand (Amber-ranked)」

With their plan in place, they ready themselves to face the pack of fire wolves.