Lord Of The Lost

The Lost Labyrinth isn't just a maze, it's a gravitational nightmare. The closer you get to its heart, the stronger the pull, as if the entire structure is trying to consume you. But the real challenge? There isn't just one gravitational field. Multiple forces, large and small, overlap and twist together, warping the space and making the magnetic field chaotic beyond comprehension.

Many adventurers have ventured into its depths, each hoping to uncover its secrets. Few return. Those who do bring back hard-earned knowledge, creating an unofficial survival guide for future explorers. Their key advice?

1. The maze does not follow normal rules.

2. Never assume the same path leads to the same destination.

3. Don't split up. Ever.

Anomalies in Space

William could feel it, the maze was alive with energy, pulsating with the remnants of those who perished here. A special kind of power lingers, released when the strong meet their end. The creatures that inhabit this place have absorbed it, mutating into something far more dangerous than their original forms. Some call it pollution, others evolution.

This was precisely why the Forum Master, Metatron, and their team had come. They refused to be bound by their current limits. They were determined to break through to Level 10, forging their own path forward.

But leveling up wasn't as simple as grinding low-tier monsters. The experience gap from Level 9 to Level 10 was a chasm. Slaughtering weaklings for XP would take an eternity. They needed stronger prey.

The labyrinth was dark, its terrain uneven, its environment treacherous. Only William and Alex could move freely here. Before long, they encountered their first challenge.

"Stone Demon. Level 10."

It resembled a stone elf, an ancient being that had gathered energy over centuries, awakening both instinct and intelligence.

William didn't bother joining the fight. His ability, [Killing to Prove One's Truth], relied on the strength of his kills to grow. But at his current level, monsters weaker than him barely provided any feedback. Even slaying a Sequence 9 Werewolf would yield a pathetic 0.00 physical value increase.

Instead, he stood atop a low-hanging tree, scanning the horizon. Through the mist, a faint silhouette of ruins emerged. But something was off.

As William focused on the ruins, he felt a strange distortion, as if the air itself was bending. It was like staring into a warped mirror: objects stretched, shrank, and twisted unpredictably. The further he looked, the worse it got.

Beyond 100 meters, nothing remained normal. His vision twisted into chaos.

William quickly averted his gaze, suppressing his senses. Keeping them fully open here was a mental strain—this place was messing with his mind.

Below, the battle ended.

The Forum Master and the others had shattered the Stone Demon, peeling apart its hardened exterior to retrieve a fractured core.

William leapt down. "There's a ruin ahead. Let's check it out."

No one disagreed. In a place where paths changed at will, any sign of civilization was a rare and valuable lead.

As they moved forward, they encountered several more monsters, all Level 9 and 10. None posed a real challenge. The team cut through them with ease, making steady progress.

Then, Metatron stopped suddenly. "Our physical stats are dropping."

The Forum Master's face darkened. He quickly analyzed the situation and came to a grim conclusion.

"We're poisoned."

The maze wasn't just dangerous because of its monsters. A deadly miasma permeated the air, thin and nearly undetectable. Unlike traditional games, there were no system warnings. The poison crept in slowly, unnoticed, until it was too late.

They should have been more cautious. The Labyrinth Guide had warned of the environmental hazards here, not just monster classifications, but also the toxic atmosphere. But they had been overconfident.

Top players like them had high resistance to modern diseases, but this wasn't an ordinary illness. They weren't true superhumans yet. Their bodies lacked extraordinary immunity.

Thankfully, they had come prepared.

One of their earlier prizes, a [Magic Pocket], allowed them to carry hundreds of kilograms of supplies. Inside were enough antidotes to neutralize the poison, at least for now.

But the Lost Labyrinth was just getting started.

Survival, Battles, and an Ominous Discovery

"Wallace, need some medicine?" the gambler asked, tossing a vial in his direction.

William shook his head. "No need. I have the survival trait."

As a Demon Wolf, survival was second nature to him. The harsher the environment, the stronger he became. Whether in toxic mists, underground tunnels, or even underwater, he could move freely for over half an hour without issue. This weak miasma? Barely a nuisance.

The gambler muttered, "This kid's a freak," before downing his antidote in one gulp. No time to rest, they had to keep moving.

Metatron kept scanning ahead, using [God's Perspective] to chart the safest path. But even with caution, danger was inevitable.

A Sequence 9 supernatural entity appeared.

Ice Ghost. Level 15.

The Forum Master quickly identified it, a monstrous, skinless ape-like creature, with the terrifying ability to freeze rock until it cracked. This thing wasn't just strong; it was lethal.

The team wasted no time. The Forum Master and his men donned invisibility cloaks and struck first.

The Ice Ghost reacted instantly, summoning a thick armor of ice to shield itself. The gambler's [Werewolf Fist and Claw] attack, which should have crushed its skull, barely left a dent.

Then Alex made his move.

Using [Shadow Cloak], he melted into the darkness, his speed surging. As the Ice Ghost lashed out, he activated [Shadow Gem], creating a clone with 80% of his combat strength to attack from behind.

The Ice Ghost shrieked, a sound so chilling it echoed through the mountains and drew another one to their location.

But standing in the path of the second Ice Ghost was a tall young man wielding a spear.

The battle was over in moments.

Two Ice Ghost hearts in hand, the team pressed forward without hesitation.

Leveling Up & The Real Danger

The gambler grinned. "Killing higher-level monsters gives great XP. I just hit Level 9!"

No one acknowledged him.

Metatron and the Forum Master were too focused on navigation. This maze was a death trap, and if they blundered into the wrong area, they could easily run into creatures at Sequence 7 or worse. Not even invisibility cloaks would save them then.

Meanwhile, Alex remained silent, and William was lost in thought. His real goal was finding the witch's [Holy Grail], a relic hidden somewhere in this underground world.

But for now, he needed to survive.

They pressed on, cutting down more than a dozen high-level monsters in just over an hour, including some Sequence 9 supernatural beings. The XP and loot they gathered were substantial.

Then, finally, they reached the ruins William had spotted earlier.

The Ruins & An Ominous Presence

The once-grand structure lay in ruins, its walls cracked and crumbling, dust-covered stones whispering tales of long-lost history. Darkness clung to the air, thick and suffocating.

Then Metatron froze. His face went pale.

"Something is inside. Something powerful."

Not one thing. A group.

A faint, sinister glow seeped through the cracks of the ruins. Ominous. Wrong.

Metatron's future visions all went black.

No clear outcomes. Just emptiness.

William's eyes narrowed. "Forum Master and I will scout ahead."

Draped in invisibility cloaks, William and the Forum Master stepped into the ruins.

The architecture suggested it had once been a temple, massive half-buried stone pillars, remnants of a sacred past. But now, all traces of holiness were gone.

All that remained were ruins swallowed by darkness.

Then they saw them.

Floating. Watching. Waiting.

"Evil spirits." The Forum Master's voice was tight.

These were no ordinary creatures. They had no flesh. No blood. Just wandering souls clinging to existence, oozing dark energy.

A system notification flickered.

> [You have encountered an Evil Spirit.]

[Evil Spirits: Lost souls trapped between worlds, refusing to fade, feeding on the living.]

This place wasn't just haunted.

It was a graveyard of the damned.

Confronting the Evil Spirits

William and the Forum Master quickly assessed the situation, three evil spirits drifted through the ruins, each carrying the aura of a Sequence 9 entity.

But not all extraordinary creatures are extraordinary beings.

These were two entirely different concepts.

The lowest tier of true transcendents began at Sequence 9. A newly born werewolf, for example, wasn't considered Sequence 9 right away, it had to first master its supernatural abilities. In contrast, powerful races like dragons and giants were rumored to be born with natural Sequence 9 abilities.

But evil spirits? They were different.

They weren't born. They were created.

When supernatural individuals die, their souls should normally pass on. But sometimes, something goes wrong. Their spirits linger, stripped of identity and purpose. They wander, searching for new bodies to possess, clinging to any form of life they can steal.

Evil spirits aren't a species, but they're often more troublesome than any supernatural entity. Why?

1. Physical attacks don't work on them.

2. They can possess the living.

3. Most players rely on physical combat at this stage.

That made them nearly impossible to deal with for non-supernatural beings.

A Tactical Retreat?

The Forum Master frowned. "We should leave."

He wasn't being a coward. Possession by an evil spirit is a fate worse than death. Only supernatural beings of high-level paths had a chance against them. And even then, it was risky.

William, however, wasn't ready to go just yet. His gaze lingered on the spirits. Their distorted, hazy forms still carried echoes of their former humanity.

"What's drawing them here?" he mused. "Are they guarding something… or is this place their refuge?"

The Forum Master sighed. "I can't tell. These things are beyond my abilities."

He was right. The fact that powerful transcendents could leave behind evil spirits after death meant their souls retained immense power. Tracking their origins was impossible.

William clenched his fist, biting his knuckle in thought. Then he spoke.

"You go first. I'll handle this."

The Forum Master knew that tone. William wasn't leaving. Staying here himself would only make things harder.

With a nod, he turned away. "Don't get possessed."

His form flickered as he activated his invisibility cloak and disappeared into the ruins.

William lowered his presence, activating [Stealth] to find the best angle of attack.

Then—he launched himself forward.

His evil spear surged with dense, black energy—

→ [Piercing Attack]!

→ [Destruction]!

His body became a streak of black light, tearing through the air—

BANG!

The first evil spirit exploded, shattering into a thousand flickering lights, like a swarm of fireflies scattering into the night.

But before William could press forward, the fragments began to gather again.

The shattered soul energy reassembled, forming a weakened, yet intact, spirit. It had lost more than half its original strength, but it wasn't gone.

Then—

The other two spirits sensed his presence.

A bone-chilling wail filled the ruins;

Soul Scream!

Invisible shockwaves of soul power blasted out, rattling the air, tearing at the ground, and kicking up a storm of dust and debris.

William didn't flinch.

His grip tightened on his spear. With a sharp swing—

→ [Slash]!

A single, fluid motion, a jet-black arc tore through the air, slicing toward the two spirits.

BOOM!

The attack collided mid-air with the screaming spirits; dark energy clashing violently against soul power.

The first spirit, now reformed, hesitated for a moment before lunging at William.

It wanted his body.

William snorted.

Dark energy surged around his slender right hand, growing, expanding.

Until it became a massive, one-meter-wide shadowy palm.

[Hand of Darkness]!

A powerful spell, one William had specifically purchased from Calcifer. Unlike his own magic, which was still in its early stages, this was a refined, high-grade supernatural ability.

And now, it was time to put it to use.