Reagan wiped of the blood his face, his breath coming in ragged, painful hitches. The silence of the boss room was absolute, a stark contrast to the deafening screeching moments ago. He looked down at his blood stained hands and then at the shimmering rewards floating above the weaver's carcass.
[ITEM ACQUIRED: WEAVER'S MANDIBLE x2]
[ITEM ACQUIRED: MAP OF THE LABYRINTH]
He reached out and touched the map. Instantly, the parchment dissolved into light, integrating with his vision. A mini map with a glowing golden thread that snaked through the complex geometry of the maze, appeared before his eyes.
"The rewards this round are quite good. With this map, I won't have trouble finding the heart of this maze. I might even be the first to clear it. As for the mandibles, they will make a better weapon. But first ...System shop." he called out. "I need to patch myself. With my current money, I have enough to buy a couple portion."
[Lesser Health Potion x3 purchased]
Three glass vials materialized in his inventory. He withdrew one, downed the bitter liquid in a single gulp and felt a surge of warmth knit his wounds back together. As his HP stabilized, a new notification flared in a brilliant gold.
[Congratulations, you are the first player within your sector to defeat a boss. You have gained a title.]
[BOSS SLAYER: +15% stats when dealing with boss type monsters]
[Please enter an alias for sector - wide broadcast]
Reagan hesitated. He didn't want a target on his back, and he certainly didn't want the spotlight.
"Alias? If they are going to broadcast it, let's keep it quiet. Set it to unknown.
[Are you sure you want this name as your alias?]
"Yes."
A booming, celestial chime echoed acrossthe entire first floor.
[ANNOUNCEMENT: PLAYER 'UNKNOWN' HAS DEFEATED THE FLOOR BOSS: BLIGHT - WIDOW WEAVER]
The floor erupted in chatter
"Unknown? What kind of name is that?"
"Someone beat a boss already. Who is this guy?"
"It has to be one of the top ten," another player argued. " Probably leonard. Did you see how fast he cleared the penalty quest? It is definitely him."
"Yeah. It has to be Leonard."
Meanwhile, meters away in a different corridor of the maze, Leonard's eyes twitched as he stared at the announcement. He had assumed he was the undisputed apex of this sector. To see a nameless person take the first boss kill glory made his grip tighten on his sword until his knuckles turned white.
...
Using the map, Reagan sprinted as the golden line guided him through secret revolving hedges and hidden tunnels that bypassed the traps. He slayed any monster that dared crossed his path.
As he rounded a corner, the sound of rhythmic twips of a bowstring and a heavy, wooden thud reached his ears.
Valeria was there. She was backed against a wall of thorns, her bow arm a blur of motion as she fended off a five Thorn - back shamblers. She looked exhausted, her quiver nearly empty, her movements losing the sharp precision she had boasted about.
Reagan didn't hesitate. He launched himself forward, his daggers trailing streaks of wind. He took the first shambler from behind, driving his blade into its core before it even registered his presence. The second monster turned, but he had already pivoted, his daggers finding its mark. The other monsters were distracted giving Valeria the distraction she needed to finish them off. She fired a triple shot arrow that shattered their cores.
Valeria panted, leaning on her bow as she looked at him. "Thank you."She said, wiping sweat from her brow. "I guess I owe you one."
"No need. That's what friends do." He replied.
She smiled, but her eyes were sharp.
"You are 'Unknown,' aren't you?"
Reagan played it cool. "What makes you say that?"
"A woman's intuition." she replied with a knowing smirk.
"I just happened to come across it." he answered, offering her a hand.
"Let's get out of here."
"Do you know the way?" she asked as she took his hand. "I got a map after defeating the boss."
They followed the golden thread for another twenty minutes. As they neared the Heart if the Maze, they stumbled upon a scene of carnage. A group of players bodies lay scattered on the mulchy floor together with the remains of three shamblers. In the center was a young man facing off a shambler. His midnight - blue armor was cracked, and his curved sabre was chipped. He was holding his side, his face pale, a ragged breathing and his dark hair matted with blood as he struggled to stand.
Valeria immediately shot her arrow that pierced its core. The lifeless monster fell on the ground.
The young man traced the trajectory of the arrow. When he saw Reagan and Valeria, he relaxed and dropped on the floor heaving.
Reagan approached him and handed him a health potion.
"Why? Why are you helping me, a stranger?" He questioned with suspicion in his eyes
"Do I need a reason?" Reagan asked. "Beside, you look almost at the death door." Reagan answered.
He looked Reagan in his disbelief and then took the potion and drank it.
"Thank you for the help. Sorry to disappoint you, but I have nothing to offer you in return."
"Don't worry about it. Your name?" Reagan asked
"Liam." he replied.
"Am Reagan and that is Valeria." he introduced themselves, pointing at Valeria who was withdrawing her arrow from the shambler's carcass.
....
The trio reached the center - a vast, open plaza of white marble tiles surrounded by a wall of shimmering, glowing flowers.
As they stepped onto the tiles, the rankings flickered into existence for the entire sector to witness.
[LABYRINTH CLEARANCE RANKINGS]
1. Reagan Greywoods - Time: 1hr: 29min
2. Valeria Pottersmith - Time: 1hr: 29min
3. Liam Kincaid - Time: 1hr: 29min
Ten minutes later, the hedges parted. Leonard and his group arrived, their faces grim. They stopped at the edge of the plaza, staring in stunned silence at the three "nobodies" who claimed the top spots.
They all waited for the time to run out.