[5/24 (Saturday) - Afternoon]
[Labyrinth - VESTA 1]
Landing on both feet, Clerval mentally noted the short distance from the drop to the floor before taking stock of his surroundings.
The aesthetics of this location were completely different from those of his previous location. Instead of the expected crumbling columns and dust-laden ruins, the entire surroundings were pristine—white, lustrous marble covering every surface from floor to ceiling. Not a crack or speck of dust to be seen. Even the air itself felt clean and fresh.
It was as if he had stepped into something sacred.
"Testing, testing. Wanderer, do you hear me?"
Mary's voice echoed from within his mind.
Surprised, he raised a hand and tapped lightly at his temple. "Yes," he replied under his breath.
It seems that she got his reply as she continued. "I am contacting you through your connection to the Velvet Room." A second later, a beep chimed from his pockets. Bringing his Scroll up to his face, his fingers swiped the screen, and an unfinished map filled the display before him, the center a pulsing yellow dot amongst the walls around it.
"I shall serve as your guide throughout your exploration traversing the Labyrinth—your navigator, in a sense. I have linked a bird's-eye view of your current surroundings to your Scroll, though it is up to you to unchart the unknown space before you."
Tucking his Scroll back into his pocket, he let out a steady breath; his hand instinctively rested against the grip of his Evoker before taking his first step forward.
"The Labyrinth is structured into floors. You are currently on the first floor—VESTA."
His footsteps echoed softly against the marble tiles as he moved with his guard raised, his instincts sensing something in the air. "From the data and analysis I conducted prior to your arrival, I have determined that Floor VESTA contains four sub-floors, each leading downwards until you've reached the next main floor."
She paused for a moment. "You may consider Floor VESTA the 'tutorial' level, as you humans would say."
Clerval huffed faintly at that.
Turning around the corner, he found himself in an intersection that stretched three ways. Left, right, and forward. Each corridor was identical without any markings or distinguishing features that could differentiate the three paths. If it weren't for the fact that his Scroll was constantly updating the map of the floor, he mused that he'd be lost in an instant.
He then wondered aloud. "Any advice on which direction to take?" Since she mentioned that she had performed analysis on this entire floor, Mary should have a decent sense of where things were...
"The structure of the Labyrinth changes every day. Unfortunately, memorizing the map would not help in your exploration, should you return the next day to tackle it once more." Well, there goes his plan of committing everything to memory.
He rolled the dice and picked a random direction, opting for the left pathway.
The Labyrinth moniker was well deserved, as the passage stretched forward before bending sharply out of sight. Every turn revealed another identical corridor, and every corner led to yet another branching path.
As he turned yet another corner, a thought surfaced in the back of his mind.
Why was he exploring the Labyrinth in the first place?
"Mary?" He called out to the deafening silence.
She responded immediately. "Yes, Wanderer?"
"Why am I here?" he asked bluntly.
Though the connection didn't show her expression, he could sense a faint smile dawning on her face.
"You shall see soon enough."
And it seemed her prediction had come true a minute later.
Straight ahead, a black mass writhed with two glowing red eyes, staring right back at him. Four grotesque arms extended from its form, twisting at impossible angles, each movement accompanied by a wet, slithering sound.
"A Shadow," His mind provided.
He had no clue where or how he knew of it, but then he recalled his first encounter with a Grimm, where he had mistaken the Creature of Darkness for a Shadow.
How had the knowledge of its existence been in his amnesiac mind long before he ever entered this place?
He snapped out of his thoughts upon the Shadow exploding into black liquids, transforming into a two-armed Shadow with a red mask that had the number II donned on its head. Groaning, it flexed its arms before launching right towards him.
Reacting instantly, Clerval smoothly drew his Evoker out from its holster, resting the barrel against his head in a clean motion—
"Persona."
Firing the imaginary bullet, the form in the depths of his soul manifested into reality as a large xiphos intercepted the lunging Shadow. Materializing in an instant, Odysseus shoved it away, keeping his user out of harm's way before throwing out a high-speed Cleave towards the black monster.
The strike hit true, slamming the mass of blackness into the walls of pristine marble. Surprisingly, however, the Shadow rose again, only slightly marred by the attack with bits of black goo dripping from its body.
It just took a Cleave from Odysseus? The same Cleave that would usually bisect a Beowolf clean in two?
As the Shadow got ready for another attack, Mary's voice cut through the tense situation.
"While brute force may suffice against ordinary Grimm, Shadows possess far greater durability and combat prowess." She explained as Odysseus blocked a clawed strike from the Shadow. "However, most Shadows have elemental affinities that they are vulnerable to that can be exploited. Targeting these Weaknesses is the most reliable method to inflict significant damage."
Clerval absorbed the information, and instantly, the image of another Persona filled his mind. Dismissing Odysseus after he successfully disengaged with the Shadow, he let the hero of Ithaca fade back into his soul before summoning Pixie into reality.
"Zio!"
Giggling excitedly, the lithe pixie rubbed her palms together, lightning dancing across her skin before she thrust her palms outwards, sending a bolt of thunder at the Shadow.
The Persona User immediately raised his Evoker once more as the bolt of Zio struck the Shadow, causing it to mid-lunge, convulsing as the current coursed through it—but nothing more.
Physical and Lightning Skills aren't working. How about Fire?
Another press of the trigger rang out through the corridor as the Persona forged by the bonds between him and Ruby materialized. The blue pillar of light behind him faded as a silver blur zoomed past him and towards the Shadow.
"Agi."
With a sharp meow, the cat in shogun armor swung his blade forward, flames erupting from the edge in a streak of fire that collided with the Shadow. But the Shadow stood up unbothered, albeit a little singed. Fire didn't work as well.
"Persona Change. Apsaras." Another gunshot echoed, dismissing Neko Shogun as the blue-skinned water spirit danced. The temperature around them dipped significantly, frost creeping along the marble floor. With a swift motion, blocks of ice hurtled forward, slamming into the Shadow.
And for the first time during their short fight, the Shadow staggered, falling onto the ground disoriented.
"Wonderful; you've struck the Shadow's Weakness." Mary interjected as the Shadow struggled to get up. "This variant—the Merciless Maya—is Weak to Ice attacks. Not only does targeting a Weakness inflicts substantial damage, but it also knocks the enemy down, creating openings for further offense."
"Take advantage of this One More, and finish it off."
"Apsaras, Bufu again."
The Hindi spirit obliged, dancing through the air as she rained icy shards down upon the fallen Shadow.
A final, decisive strike was all it took; the Merciless Maya shuddered before shattering entirely, disintegrating into motes of black particles that drifted upward like smoke before vanishing into nothingness.
Once the threat was defeated, Clerval exhaled slowly, letting the tension drain from his shoulders as his heartbeat steadied. Mary's voice resonated through their connection.
"Well executed. Your approach to dealing with an unknown Shadow is precisely what I hope to convey in this session. I sense that there are no immediate Shadows in your vicinity; take a breather and continue when you are ready."
Sheathing his Evoker, he shook his head to ease the minor discomfort at switching and summoning multiple Personas in quick succession. That was when something caught his eye.
A glimmering object lay near where the Shadow had fallen. He crouched and reached out, lifting the object to eye level.
This was—a fragment of a card? The cut was precise and uniform, missing three more pieces to form a complete playing card. The card was blue in color with golden accents running along the border.
"Make sure to pick up those Golden Pieces whenever you come across them. They will prove useful once you have collected all four fragments."
Clerval turned the fragment over in his hand before keeping it in his pocket.
When he felt ready to keep going, he signaled to Mary through their connection.
"Very well, Wanderer. I will provide you with audio backup, proceed at your own pace, and trust in your instincts."
With that, Clerval steeled himself before pushing on deeper into the Labyrinth.
============================================
NEXT UPDATE: 22 April, Wednesday
============================================
Please consider supporting me on my Patre0n where I post chapters in advance and new story ideas not on any websites yet.
Your support, even if it's only for a month or even a whole year, helps me dedicate more effort and resources to writing more of my work!
patre0n.c0m/damaine_n
(change the zero to "o")
Advanced Mastery Tier - 3 Advanced Chapters and more (Almost Fully Implemented!)
Ultimate One Tier - 5 Advanced Chapters and much, much more(Almost Fully Implemented!)
============================================