The fall of the Plated Gorgon had not only proven my strength; it had created a new path. The massive monster had crashed through a weak section of the sewer wall, revealing a narrow, hidden passage, slick with black muck. This was the true Labyrinth, the hidden underbelly of the city known only to the Miasma Shroud and, perhaps, the Guild Master.
"The main tunnels are dead ends," I stated, pulling Juts toward the breach. "This passage isn't on the map. The Guild Master wanted the Gorgon to seal this off after it killed us."
Juts didn't argue. He had seen the swift, brutal end of the Gorgon, a display of power that had thoroughly silenced his protests. He now followed, his fear replaced by a nervous, almost obedient focus.
The narrow tunnel twisted and sloped downward, the stench of decay intensifying. After a few agonizing minutes of crawling, the passage opened into a vast, cavernous chamber. It was dry, the air unnaturally still, and illuminated by a faint, sickly green glow emanating from dozens of strange, crystalline growths on the cavern walls.
But we weren't alone.
Lying slumped against a pillar of rock was a figure. A hunter. She was petite, her armor scratched and cracked, and her dark hair matted with grime. She clutched a distinctive artifact—a Summoner's Bell—a small, tarnished brass bell on a leather thong, which faintly resonated with energy. She had a wound on her leg, wrapped crudely in a shredded piece of cloth.
"Who's there?" the hunter rasped, her voice weak, immediately raising the Summoner's Bell defensively.
"Dax and Juts. We are hunters sent by the Vigan Guild," I replied, keeping my voice level and my movements slow. I analyzed her: a Summoner, likely reliant on her contracted monsters. If she was this injured, her primary defense was either dead or unable to be called.
Her eyes, sharp and wary, narrowed as she looked us over, lingering on our youth and our common clothes. She ignored Juts and focused on me, her gaze stopping briefly at the obsidian sheen of my gauntlet. "The Guild sent two children into the Sunken Labyrinth? Is this a joke?"
"The joke is on the Guild Master, not us," I countered. "We're here for the Miasma Shroud. You're clearly in no condition to continue. What's your name?"
"My name is Aaliyah. And I'm not giving up the hunt. The Miasma Shroud is my target," she asserted, though her voice lacked conviction. "I've been trapped here for two days. I tried to backtrack after the Shroud ambushed me, but the tunnels I used to enter have completely collapsed. I'm stuck, and I can't call my full-power summons in this atmosphere."
Aaliyah's situation was ideal. A powerful hunter with valuable information, neutralized by her environment, who now needed my ruthlessness to survive.
I walked closer, assessing her heirloom, the Summoner's Bell.
Summoner's Bell (Rare-rank Heirloom)
Primary Function:Soul Echo. Allows the wielder to temporarily summon the spirit of a defeated monster for a brief combat maneuver, even without having the corresponding Card.
Limitation: The summoned spirit's power is capped by the wielder's current energy and is highly ineffective in areas of high elemental miasma, like this cavern.
Benefit: Its value lies in its versatility. It lets a hunter use a monster's skill without needing to collect or consume its essence, making Aaliyah a versatile and unpredictable combatant outside of this toxic environment.
"The main tunnels didn't collapse on their own," I observed, pointing to the crystalline growths on the wall. "This entire chamber is an extension of the Miasma Shroud's territory. The crystals are condensed Miasma—poisonous, highly volatile, and they give the Shroud complete control over the structural integrity of the surrounding rock. It trapped you."
Aaliyah's eyes widened, a sudden dawning of fear. "It's smarter than we thought. It knew I couldn't use my summons effectively here."
"Cunning, not smart," I corrected, a cold satisfaction settling in my chest. "It's a low-caste monster with a powerful, specialized artifact. It's defending something valuable, or it's hiding something the Guild Master wants buried." I knelt beside her. "Your leg is secondary. The poison from the Miasma is leeching your energy. You need to get out."
"I can't. And I won't leave my Summoner's Bell or the Guild's task," she insisted, gripping the bell tighter.
I met her gaze, letting my voice drop to a low, commanding tone. "Listen carefully. The Guild Master sent us here to die. The Miasma Shroud is guarding something he doesn't want found. The Miasma Shroud is a Rare-rank monster, but its essence, 'Toxic Fog,' is highly valued by a specific, wealthy clan outside Vigan. I suspect the Guild Master has been running a smuggling ring and the Shroud is eliminating his competitors or guarding the exit point he uses."
Aaliyah stared at me, aghast. "That's treason! Why would you tell me this?"
"Because you are a powerful hunter with an excellent heirloom, and right now, you are leverage," I said simply, without a hint of warmth. "I need information, and you need survival. I will get you out, but only if you cooperate fully and use your remaining energy as I command."
Juts, watching this exchange, remained silent, his gaze shifting between my cold eyes and Aaliyah's desperate ones. He was absorbing the dark lesson: allies are tools, and honesty is a weapon when used to create leverage.
"What do you want me to do?" Aaliyah whispered, the fight finally draining out of her.
"The Miasma Shroud uses its toxic fog to hide its movement and confuse you," I explained. "It attacks when it knows you are disoriented and low on energy. Your Summoner's Bell is useless in combat here, but it can be used for detection. Focus your remaining energy into a gentle pulse—not a summon—a pure Soul Echo pulse that radiates outward. It won't harm the Shroud, but it will disrupt the Shroud's concentration and reveal the monster's exact location, even through the densest Miasma."
Aaliyah hesitated, then nodded. "If you get us out, I'll tell the Guild Master exactly what you said."
"Go ahead," I said, a cruel grin touching my lips. "A smuggler caught red-handed will deny everything. But a survivor with a rare heirloom and a tale of a monstrous, overly-cunning enemy? That's a story they have to listen to."
The Guild Master was about to learn that throwing a life into a Labyrinth of Lies only leads to the exposure of the truth.