Chapter 2: Labyrinth Of Darkness

Riku Kazama gasped, his arms hugging the cold stone wall as he passed through the last door of the first floor. The dim light from the lantern hanging high above was only enough to illuminate a small section ahead, creating a deeper darkness in the maze.

"Try the 2nd floor: find a way out of the maze before time runs out. Reminder: predators are waiting in the darkness."

The cold voice rang out again, this time carrying the feeling of Inside the person.

Standing in front of the palace, Riku felt like he was just an architecture in the middle of the divine palace. The towering stone walls were covered with rotten vines and dried blood. The wind blowing through the small gaps created whispering sounds, like the call of a demon.

"Only 15 minutes..." Riku was born with a blue face, looking at the hourglass that had just appeared on his wrist. The sand grains fell little by little, as if he was carefree about survival.

He punched, the feeling of the battle still lingering in the base. "I can't stop. I have to survive."

Riku stepped into the labyrinth. Each of his footsteps echoed harshly on the stone floor. He tried to remember every time he fell, but the surrounding space was too similar.

Naturally, a loud noise would be raised from behind. Riku turned around, but saw nothing but darkness.

"Something is following me..." He shivered, feeling a sharp gaze following him.

Riku tried to calm down and walked faster. Thanks to his "Learning Memory" skill, he realized something important: he had to pay attention to every little detail, from the scratches on the wall to the strangely colored paving stones.

Not long after, the noise behind him became clearer. It wasn't the wind. It was footsteps... and a low growling noise.

A biological item appeared from the darkness. It was a lizard-like monster, nearly three meters tall, with a metallic black sheen. Its glowing yellow eyes locked onto Riku.

"Mode!" Riku cried out, running the life bell.

The beast followed, its claws scratching the ground. Its thunder echoed throughout the labyrinth, making Riku's heart beat fiercely.

He ran in a neat fall, but was cut off. The stone wall blocked him, there was no escape.

The item increased, rushing forward. In desperation, Riku noticed a strange wound on the wall in front of him. The golden horse placed his hand on it, and the wall began to shake, opening a secret passage.

Without responding to his thoughts, Riku rushed into the newly opened passage. As soon as the stone door closed, the monster's rumbling behind him was blocked outside.

He sat down on the ground, panting. "I almost died…"

But not letting Riku rest, a circular room appeared on the other side of the passage. In the middle of the room was a glowing crystal, but there were also three different doors leading to other paths.

"Choose the wrong door, and you'll die."

Riku frowned, feeling nervous again. "How do I choose here? Aren't there any hints?"

In his confusion, the "Memory Insight" skill suddenly activated. Riku placed his hand on the crystal, and a series of images appeared in his head: people who had passed through this room before.

A man chose the first door but was blown through by a series of styles from the ceiling. A woman chose the second door, only to fall into a bottomless pit.

Only the third person, a teenager, chose the third door and survived.

Riku opened his eyes, feeling the breath straighten his spine. "Alright, I know the way."

He walked towards the third door, Touching the doorknob. A click sounded, and the door opened, leading to another hallway.

Riku walked through the hallway, his nervousness still not lessening. Each step brought a sense of death. But finally, a faint light from the light appeared in the distance.

As he walked closer, a familiar voice rang out:

"Congratulations on clearing the 2nd floor. Prepare for the 3rd floor."

In front of Riku was a stone platform, on which an escape object was placed. He approached, and realized that it was a small sword. The sword emitted a faint light, but it gave off a feeling of