WORLD OF THE DEAD — Labyrinth
THIRD FLOOR
Clint activated his aura.
This time, he wasn't joking.
The air of the labyrinth seemed to vibrate around him, saturated with that burning orange energy that made the white walls tremble. His weapon rose slowly, perfectly aligned with Louis's forehead.
— This time, kid… it's over.
Louis felt his breath catch.
Then—
Fsshhk.
A needle shot out of nowhere.
It lodged into Clint's hat, instantly blinding him, and a second needle hooked onto his belt. The lieutenant's pants slid abruptly to his ankles.
…?!
Silence lasted for a fraction of a second.
Then Louis burst out laughing.
— AHAHAHA!
He bolted without hesitation, while Clint remained frozen, fists clenched, his face hidden beneath the lowered brim of his hat.
…Pathetic.
Clint slowly raised his head toward the labyrinth's white ceiling, sighed, then fired without even aiming.
The aura bullet tore through the air.
Several meters away, the hooded man was already running.
The shot passed within centimeters of his head.
He accelerated.
Fast. Too fast.
Clint didn't move, his gaze turning cold.
— I will annihilate everything that breathes in here.
---
SEVENTH FLOOR
Nakid stepped onto a floor stained with traces of aura.
Bodies lay everywhere.
Broken weapons.
Limp limbs.
Figures frozen in death.
He moved carefully, holding his breath, avoiding stepping on what remained of the fallen.
Then—
A corpse moved.
It slowly rose, grabbed a sword, and stared at Nakid. A dark gray aura coiled around its arms, legs, and skull.
Nakid didn't hesitate.
He rushed forward.
His fist slammed into the puppet's chest with brutal force.
The body collapsed.
But immediately, others stood up.
One. Two. Five.
Then a dozen.
— …Tch.
Arrows and sword strikes rained down. Nakid endured them, healed, kept advancing.
But his breathing grew shallow.
— Why isn't the needle man helping me…?
He understood.
— He is testing me.
A hand suddenly burst from a pile of debris and grabbed his leg.
Nakid crashed heavily to the ground.
…!
He forced himself to think.
Some bodies… weren't moving anymore.
Others were.
He activated his aura with precision.
— There … those ones.
Nakid slid beneath the inert corpses, using the dead as shields. Arrows embedded themselves into lifeless bodies instead of him.
He crawled.
Waited.
Observed.
All the puppets carried the same aura signature.
— Someone… is controlling them.
A Necromancer.
Nakid suddenly burst out from the pile of bodies, lifting two skeletons—one in front of him, one behind—using them as living shields.
Each time the Necromancer tried to regain control, Nakid switched bodies.
The number of puppets decreased.
Hah… hah…
His arms trembled.
— I… I'm at my limit…
Then a figure appeared.
The Necromancer.
He knelt before Nakid.
— Do you know the true nature of your body?
…What?
— Your corpse, in the world of the living… if it is destroyed, you disappear here as well.
Nakid clenched his teeth.
— You're lying.
— Look.
A skeleton surged forward, carrying an orange aura arrow.
Nakid tried to run.
Too slow.
— No, Nakid!
Louis' voice echoed.
The Necromancer burst into laughter.
— I succeeded. My body still exists. I'm in a high school. I test. I terrorize. I will survive forever!
Then—
His arms began to disintegrate.
…?!
— What—
His body turned into dust.
— NO! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!
The arrow fired.
Nakid simply tilted his head.
It passed beside him.
Silence returned.
— It's time to leave.
---
Descent to the Fifth Floor — Convergence
A hand grabbed him.
The hooded man.
— Well done.
He dashed forward, carrying Nakid, running along walls, across the ceiling, crossing floors at an unreal speed.
Louis watched them, stunned.
…It's him.
They reached the fifth floor.
Everyone was there.
The MazeBoy smiled.
— Only about fifty players remain.
The walls trembled.
— New rule.
The floors vanished.
— All players will now be gathered here.
The game was entering its final phase.