Pandora Unchained - B1C42: The Shifting Labyrinth

"How is this possible?" asked Nale, kicking a skeleton whose flesh had been picked clean by beetles. It was as Lawrence said: the corpse was less than a year old, and the bones hadn't yet had time to properly dry. "Didn't we just unseal this dungeon? I was there. I saw it."

Stephan snorted. "Just because we unsealed the entrance, that doesn't mean it was the only entrance."

"Didn't the tomb imply only a single entrance?" asked Lise, Team Oasis's archer. "Pardon, but if we can't explain this phenomenon, we might all be in danger."

"I think the answer is self-evident, yes?" said Daphne. "This place was contaminated when we arrived, but the seal was intact. It stands to reason that the contamination came from somewhere."

"In other words, there was at least one extra entrance to this dungeon before we even arrived," muttered Sorin. "A point of infection not necessarily related to the obvious gaping wound."

"There could have easily been multiple entrances," said Daphne. "It's a well-known fact that dungeons are dimensional anomalies that actively seek to connect to the mortal world."

"Daphne is correct," said Stephan. "It's not unusual for there to be separate entrances to a dungeon. In fact, the main entrance to a dungeon, like the one we found, is seldom used, and we typically discover it after the fact. Lawrence? Warren? What's the count?" The two rogues dumped a pile of 1-star demon cores onto the ground, along with a short sword, a wand, and a pile of outdated old coins.

"I think some of these coins might be collectors' items," said Lawrence. "Look at this one! A hundred and fifty years old!"

"I think the more important things here are the two enchanted items," said Nale. "The wand. We want it."

"Hey!" said Daphne, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm a mage too, you know."

"But you're not a life mage," Hellen pointed out. "And that's clearly a life wand."

"You technically have priority since it is a life wand," said Stephan. "But I hope you realize life wands are expensive."

"Of course, I know that," said Nale. "But Hellen is a valuable part of our team, so we must have it. Also, you don't have a life mage, so priority goes to us."

"These wands are expensive because they allow non-life mages to heal others to some extent," said Stephan. "But you're right. It'll also make Hellen that much more effective, so I won't quibble with you. Most importantly, our team name stands. As for the difference between this short sword and this wand… these cores will do nicely. And the gold."

"Don't you think you're going a bit too far?" asked Nale stiffly. "You're also benefiting from Hellen's magic."

"Not at all," said Stephan. "Life wands are valuable items, but they're still individual equipment. Moreover, we're two separate teams. I need to look out for my own team, just like you need to look out for yours."

"Fine," said Nale. "Count yourself vicious." He snatched the wand and handed it to a very pleased Hellen. As for the short sword, Sorin's group had a quick discussion and decided that Lawrence was in dire need of a better weapon. Sorin would get priority on the next short weapon they got their hands on.

"If that's everything, then let's be on our way," said Stephan once they tidied up the loot. They traced their steps back, only to discover that the way they'd come was now an unfamiliar branching corridor that didn't match the maps they'd been taking.

"I'm honestly very confused," said Gareth. "And I personally wrote this map. See that mark over there? Can you smell it? That's Sorin's mark. Except that mark he left was just inside the wall of a corridor. Now it isn't."

"I can confirm that," said Sorin. He'd been dutifully marking every corridor they'd come out of.

"Then I have some bad news for you all," said Stephan. "It appears that we've stumbled onto an autonomously mobile puzzle dungeon." Seeing their confusion, he clarified. "A shifting labyrinth, if you will."

"And why is that bad news, exactly?" asked Nale.

"Aside from the notorious level of difficulty such dungeons offer, I think the main reason is the lack of a way back," said Stephan. "Unless you have a 3-star escape spell or a family heirloom on your person?" His next words immediately sobered up the entire group. "Why don't we all take a quick five-minute break. While we're at it, we'll do a ration count."

They proceeded to unpack any food items, water, or fasting potions on their persons. Sorin's team had thankfully packed plenty, enough to last 3 weeks. Nale's team, on the other hand, only had a week's worth of fasting potions, along with some water skins enchanted with minor magics and dry rations that might last a few more days.

"This is going to be a problem," said Stephan, eyeing the rations grimly. "From now on, everyone is on half rations."

"What do you mean, half rations?" snapped Nale. "A week is more than enough time to escape this stupid dungeon."

"Question?" said Sorin, raising his hand.

"We're not students here; ask away," said Stephan.

"To get out of this dungeon, do we simply need to find the exit, or do we need to clear the dungeon?" asked Sorin. "Because that's a pretty big distinction, isn't it?" Though he was new to adventuring, he'd been gaining snippets of knowledge here and there. From what he'd heard, clearing a dungeon in the big cities would automatically send everyone out of the dungeon.

"In theory, we can do either," said Stephan. "But in practice, it's much easier to clear the dungeon than to find a specific exit. This is because dungeons all obey specific rules. I'm sure Daphne has noticed a certain phenomenon by now?"

Daphne had been scribbling on a notepad while they'd been counting rations. Sorin had assumed she was jotting down story ideas or working on a spell, but to his surprise, her scribbles turned out to be a simple map covered in strange symbols.

"I'm sorry, Daphne, but your map skills are even worse than Lawrence's," said Stephan. "Could you please translate this technically accurate monstrosity?"

"The mana density has been getting progressively thicker," replied Daphne. "I assume one of the rules you mentioned relates to mana density? Perhaps the endpoint or core of the dungeon is typically located where the mana density is highest?"

"That is correct," said Stephan. "Danger also scales with mana density. More powerful demons will gather where the mana is denser. The strongest demon in the dungeon will likely occupy the center, and only by defeating it will we count as clearing the dungeon."

"Well then. This greatly simplifies things," said Daphne. "I have a few more things I need to research. You can all lead the way while I figure out how to get us out of this mess."

"Then, if it's too much of a bother, I suppose little old me will take charge of tracking mana density," said Hellen, eager to point out her advantages.

"Suit yourself," said Daphne, taking out a new notepad. Sorin tried to decipher the writing, but his head started hurting. Magical theory was beyond him.

The next few encounters following the beetles were easy to clear, requiring only two or three of their members to participate. The others stood guard or rested. Conserving stamina was important now that they were on half rations. Team members were only permitted to use mana they could recover passively.

Before long, a day had passed. Their teams set up two camps for eight hours, during which the labyrinth mysteriously went dark and projected a starry sky above their heads. And when they woke, the walls grew lighter and gave off a rosy hue like a morning sunrise.

They wandered in this way for three days before Hellen finally realized the crux of the problem. "What is with this labyrinth?" she muttered. "The density was increasing fine over the past day, but now it's shot down almost to its original levels."

"That's why I had everyone count their rations," said Stephan. "Mana density is only an indication of proximity to the center. But proximity to the center doesn't necessarily mean we're anywhere near the exit. Now quiet; I think Lawrence found something."

"Stop doing that!" said Lawrence, stepping out from behind a wall. "You keep ruining my dramatic entrances."

A smile tugged at the corner of Stephan's mouth. "You'd better work on your stealth skills then. Maybe doing some exercises in the morning would help?"

Sorin suppressed a laugh. It was an open secret in the group that Stephan was using underhanded means to trace Lawrence. At first, it was a fun, practical joke – at least, until Lawrence's stealth skills began to improve by leaps and bounds. After that, it became a core training exercise for the lazy rogue; in fact, Stephan had gone so far as to pay off Team Oasis in exchange for not mentioning it.

"Anyway, as I was about to say, there's a group of strange creatures up ahead," said Lawrence. "I'd call them demons, but…"

Stephan seemed to understand something. "Are they humanoid?"

"They are," confirmed Lawrence. "I'm just not sure if those are corrupted humans or spawned demons."

"Why don't we take a look," said Stephan. "Gareth, Lise, why don't you take the lead and make sure we get a good vantage point."

It wasn't long before the scenery changed in its usual fashion. Stone hallways gave way to a rock-covered island littered with caves. The endless darkness of the ceiling transformed into a clear blue sky with not a cloud to be seen in every direction.

Gareth and Lise motioned for the team to come forward and only stopped them once they reached the edge of a cliff.

"Incredible!" Hellen was the first to comment on the 'demonic life forms' they saw. "Looking at them, it's like seeing a primitive human settlement."

"With a few big differences," said Lawrence. "If you'll notice their size."

"It was the eye that stood out to me more than anything," said Sorin. "These aren't humans, Stephan. These are ancient mythical creatures. I've seen fragmented pictures of them before in the Kepler Clan's library."

"I also recognize them," said Stephan. "In the Adventurers Guild's records, they're are called Cyclops."

Stephan proceeded to explain the characteristics of cyclopes. They were humanoid and shared a lot of their anatomy. The main differences were that they were much larger, had a single eye, and had two hearts. They were also carnivorous. Their power scaled to size. Ten feet or less was the equivalent of a one-star demon. Larger cyclopes could be considered two-star demons. There were no records of three-star cyclops.

Gareth was already familiar with this knowledge and added his own commentary while scanning the enemy camp. At first, he was relaxed about it, but suddenly, his expression changed. "Lise, could I bother you to inspect the area beside the small fire over there?"

"I think it's… no. It couldn't be," said Lise.

"It could," said Gareth. "That confirms it. They're monsters. Permission to draw closer?"

"You two are in charge here," said Stephan.

"Then let's see how close we can get to those abominations," said Gareth.

The two archers cautiously brought their group through the mountainous terrain, making sure to avoid any cyclopes that were busy hunting, gathering, and fishing. The creatures lived in small grass huts and seemed to have a primitive language that relied on grunting and gestures. They were aggressive but cooperative.

"What's that wonderful smell?" asked Lawrence when they drew nearer. "Smells like pork."

Stephan's nose wrinkled. "It most definitely does not smell like pork, Lawrence. In fact, I strongly advise you to associate that smell with terrible things instead of salivating." He then sighed. "Gareth? Lise? Is it confirmed?"

"Is what confirmed?" asked Nale.

"He… he means that… well…" Warren said, only to suddenly throw up.

Only then did it dawn on Sorin that he had encountered this smell before in burn patients. "Are you saying that in that camp, they're cooking humans?"