Dutifully following the path dictated by the compass, the three of us crossed a boiling sea on a platform generated by Yue, hovering over the lava's luminescent and unmoving surface till we ended up before a wall.
Checking the compass to make sure we were in the right place, I channeled cursed energy into my fist and flung it forward, demolishing the wall and emitting the energy on impact to blow the debris backwards.
The stagnant river began to flow earnestly into the hole and Yue moved us in the same direction, following the path the lava traveled until we ended up in a wide circular space.
Unlike the way the wide space in Miledi's labyrinth stretched for miles with no end in sight, the place we currently found ourselves had visible, well-defined edges.
It was still massive though, like… football fields stacked together massive, and I wanted to ask what the point of all this space was, considering the island in the center was clearly our goal here.
What warranted the expansion of this place? Or was it already like this when the liberator found it. Keeping these unnecessary musings to myself, I joined Yue and Siv in scanning the chamber, our three sets of eyes darting all over.
The lava stream we followed here had become a "lavafall" and dripped into the ocean of it in this chamber, joining and adding to the already impressive body of luminescent molten rock.
From within said shining ocean, countless misshapen boulders and crooked pillars of varying width jutted out at various angles and heights, serving as possible platforms for any flesh and blood person who found themselves here.
Standing atop one of the larger of these hot rocks with Yue and Siv, I stared at the island in the center and wondered what we'd have to overcome to reach it, much less breach the dome of magma covering it.
Because there was no way we could simply hop over to it, break into the dome, get what we came for, and call it a day. That'd be too easy, and the liberators didn't do easy.
"…I'll go ahead and scout. I'm expecting anything to happen, so prepare yourselves."
"Mmn…" "Understood."
Nodding and turning away, I bent my knees and pushed off the rock, taking to the air in an arc towards the island. More than halfway to my destination, a line of red and orange shot of the lava sea below toward me.
Smirking at being proven right, I remained calm and demonstrated the results of my own training.
Cursed energy flowed according to my will and went beyond my body, gathering beneath my feet and compressing into itself a few inches from my soles.
The amount of energy ultra precise for what I needed, I "detonated" it and threw myself clear, the combination of localized explosive force and my own superb control allowing me to flip out of the way.
To an outside observer like Siv who didn't know what my powers entailed, it looked like I just kicked on air, but to Yue it was the sight of someone who had tried and failed to mimic the compressed wind platforms she used so often.
However failing didn't mean I'd gained nothing, as evidenced by my successful evasion of the sudden attack from the lava python.
Even though its body consisted of lava and rocks, the snake looked surprisingly realistic, a tongue flicking in and out past its lips and the lifelike, beady eyes the size of a car fixed squarely on me.
'Rick,' Yue contacted me suddenly. 'The island.'
Moving my gaze past the giant python that seemed to want to take up my full field of vision, I noticed a change on the walls that ringed the base of the magma dome.
In the short time between the monster's sneak attack and my dodge just now, a line of red crystals had appeared on the wall's upper section, going around the dome like a belt.
"Ahh I see," I muttered to no one as I tore my gaze from the crystals to the snake. "Its all coming back to me."
Leaping off the platform I'd been using as a refuge, I dodged a sudden blast of heat and glowy molten rock.
Both hands went to my side, the left to stabilize the sheath and the right to pull the sword free.
While the modified Darksword sang a new tune, nine more lines broke through the surface of the tough lava and joined their brethren to form a group of ten mega pythons.
Unperturbed by the sight, I angled myself and landed on another rock, the shrunken Darksword raised above my head and perfectly in line with my body.
I had given the sword to Brim and had him alter it with one of the skills I helped him obtain; Compression Synthesis.
With guidance from the training ability and my knowledge of Hajime's synergist skills, getting him to unlock this one hadn't been hard, but it had taken a lot of work.
Now, he could reduce the size of anything he transmuted, something I'd let him do to the gravity manipulating sword, doing away with its unwieldiness and cumbersomeness.
Eager to put its new and improved form to a try, I tapped into my heightened output abilities and channeled buckets of cursed energy into the blade before swinging it down and emitting all of said energy in a slash.
Mixing with the compressed air in front of the blade, the purple crescent of cursed energy sliced through the distance between me and the nearest snake in the blink of an eye.
Instead of cutting through it—even though it could have—the projectile unraveled upon contact with my command and exploded with intense force, obliterating the snake into a shower of bright lava and pebbles, the dense sea below thrown up and parting slightly from the tremendous impact.
Looking past my handiwork to gaze at the island, I smiled when I saw one of the many crystals in the belt shatter.
Quickly passing the details and plans of what to do next with Yue, I took to the sky again, dodging multiple magma balls with my air walking maneuver.
Mid flip, I swung the sword sideways and repeated the earlier attack, this time gauging the amount of energy properly. Another python returned to the lava from whence it came with a boom and another crystal shattered.
A third immediately followed and I turned to find the remains of a python falling into the lava sea while Yue's Heavenly Wind Dragon demolished a fourth with its dicing beam, the dying python's attacks splattering harmlessly against its construct body.
What followed were repeated scenes of Yue and I destroying pythons in wave after wave of them, each one dying to a single strike from both of us.
They appeared in sets of ten, so when we killed the first batch, thinking it was over or there was something wrong, the same pythons we destroyed rose up again after a short while.
Aware that there was a point to this and a literal progress bar of shattering crystals, Yue and I didn't let the monotony get to us. We both used it to further hone our abilities and even devolved into competition to see who could kill the most snakes.
Normally, I wouldn't have cared if there was nothing on the line, but when my sex-crazed girlfriend sent over mental images of her puckering asshole along with the sultry words 'I'll let you ruin it,' I quit playing around.
It was blatant and obvious manipulation to give her exactly the kind of roughing up she yearned for during sex, but I didn't care. Manipulation or not, that hole was due a visit and a reckoning from me.
Kicking off the localized explosions with mastery and precision honed from hours of practice, I juked left, right, and up in mid air, weaving between the coiling and scalding bodies of the pythons.
I swiped the Darksword repeatedly, unleashing dense crescent after dense crescent of cursed, each reducing the massive monsters to equally massive showers of lava and rock in bright explosion.
This rapid shift in tactics instantly changed the score count from a draw and put me solidly in the lead. Not to be outdone however, Yue conjured more of her element dragons, a thunder one and an earth one before sending both forward.
These two didn't have breath attacks, just their bodies, so they could only tackle the pythons with their bodies to bite and claw at them with the elemental effects that comprised their forms.
Needless to say, it wasn't enough to match up with me or my speed as I darted about the chamber and destroyed the majority of the snakes that respawned without rest, and not until the last crystal shattered.
Soaked with sweat and huffing with exertion, I landed on a platform and started to whip my sword, flinging the lava globules off of it before wiping and sheathing it.
Floating towards me were an equally soaked Yue and Siv, the vampire licking her sweat and lips as she eyed my crotch with a wry smile, while the tiger looked dejected, seemingly unsure of whether she should look at me.
In a really good mood due to the spatial magic we were due to receive in a minute and Yue's promised reward, I ignored the heavy and perky teardrop boobs protruding like an open file cabinet and patted Siv on the back, banging on her shield lightly.
She whipped her head toward me and caught my light smile, "Cheer up. No one's gonna blame you or think you're weak. And you're not allowed to think about yourself. Am I clear?"
Golden eyes going wide, the flushed and sweaty beastman lost the slight hunch she'd gained and seemed to stutter before overcoming it entirely, joy chasing away the despondence marring her features.
"Yes sir. Thank you."
"Hm…" I nodded in approval and looked away, focusing on the tall black building that had appeared after the magma dome hiding it disappeared with our success in the snake destruction challenge.
Yue with her better eyesight quickly found what could only be a door despite the heat haze making the very air wiggle and carried us toward it.
Compared to the drab and craggy black of the walls, the section we zeroed in on looked ornate and well made. It had crests and designs etched into it, crests we'd seen in the boss room of Oscar's labyrinth and in the room we met Miledi in.
I recognized two of them. They were on Oscar's and Miledi's rings, meaning the other five belonged to the rest of the Liberators. Huh…good to know.
Without any prompting from us or anything, the section of the wall slid apart once we arrived within inches of it and Yue carried us in without a word.
She prompted us and dispelled the platform halfway, dropping us gently and allowing us to complete the rest of the journey on our own feet.
Nothing untoward or unexpected happened and we arrived in what would have been a simple room had that breathtaking but crazy complicated magic circle not been in the center.
Gone was the stifling heat too, the cool air stinging my skin slightly.
Sharing nods with Siv and Yue that sent drops of sweat flying, I took firm steps unto the formation and they joined me. Crimson light swallowed us for what I'd come to know was seconds and receded, leaving us with the rewards we'd suffered so greatly for.
Wincing, I clenched my fist to trigger the Treasure Trove and paused when I noticed something in the corner of my vision. Said vision doubled when I turned my head sharply, so I closed my eyes and waited for the dizziness to pass.
When I came to, there was only one Siv, unlike the two earlier, and the tigress was on her knees with one hand clutched against her temple. That was good.
"Are you okay?" I asked, not hiding my concern.
My voice seemed like it made her recall where she was, and she tried to force herself up, only to falter. "Y-yes sir. I just need.. ugh.. a minute."
"Take your time."
"Thank you," she nodded and I turned to my other side to check on Yue, finding her still on her feet with her eyes and brows squeezed in concentration.
As expected. Since this wasn't our first labyrinth, we could handle the brain blasting better. There was nothing wrong with Siv, in fact her agony meant she passed, despite not participating in the snake extermination.
Relieved that both my partners were unharmed in addition to being eligible for this labyrinth's magic, I summoned my Status Plate to confirm if my expectations had either been met, exceeded, or worse, underrun.
Silver light reflected off my features as I raised the plate and I curled my lips into a grin.
Spoiler: New Skills.
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The Dukedom of Ankaji was the planned rest stop after we finished with the Gruen Labyrinth.
We were supposed to spend just a day or two here to relax and digest our gains, after which we'd move on to Erisen where I'd use the magic compass and the pendant we got from the volcano to find the labyrinth at the bottom of the sea.
But that plan… had changed.
Upon arrival in the city proper, all three of us had our breaths taken away by its sheer beauty. The walls that encircled it in its entirety and that of the buildings dotting the city itself were made of pure white marble. All of them.
Clean and well maintained stone streets greeted us wherever we went.
Tall palms trees with healthy green crowns, fresh shrubbery, and neat gardens were practically on every corner and street, with the occasional canal of sky blue water cutting through from the oasis that made all this possible.
It looked like a mishmash of the exotic, luxury destinations I'd always seen but never visited in my past life, and I didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay and enjoy it to the fullest.
What was the point of all this running around in a fantasy world doing all sorts of things in all sorts of perilous places if I couldn't take some time off to actually relish the things that made it awesome?
It was true that I'd just spent three weeks not chasing after the labyrinths, but it's not as if I did nothing but wander about the Sea of Trees or fuck Yue the whole time.
Apart from the daily, sometimes twice daily fun sessions with her, most of our time had been spent improving our own abilities and that of the beastmen. There was no lazing about doing nothing.
Here in this tempting, get away from everything looking place though, I wanted to do exactly that. Laze about and do nothing.
And so in the spirit of getting used to doing whatever I wanted whenever I wanted, I sold the rest of the monster cores we'd harvested in addition to some valuables and rare materials, using the sudden influx of wealth to purchase a mansion in the city.
Like every other building here, it was composed entirely of white marble, with a gate and a wall, a generous compound that had a carpet of fresh grass and a few tall trees that provided ample shade and cooled the air that flowed underneath them.
It was perfect.
I held off on buying furniture since my storage ring had a couple of beds and since we weren't looking to settle here permanently. At least not now. This was just a mini vacation and a taste test of what life would be like once Ehit was defeated.
On the mansion grounds, I had Yue compress a large rectangular section of the dirt with gravity magic, creating a several feet depression she hardened and then filled with magic generated water.
Enclosed within the safety and sanctity of our home, Yue and I enjoyed the swimming pool in the hot midday, the vampire swimming entirely naked while I reclined on the edge, most of my body beneath the water and both my arms spread wide on the edge.
Siv stood behind me and watched dutifully, the tiger clad in lingerie we'd bought on our treks through the city.
It'd been two days since we left the volcano, and the house business and city exploration had pushed back the conversation we needed to have. Now though, there was no better time.
"Siv," I called out, "...come here, join me." I said and pulled my right arm away, patting the stone ground Yue had created from regular dirt with a petrification spell.
Eyes gazing straight ahead, I put the toned and thick thighs entering the corner of my vision out of mind and went straight to the point. "We need to talk. About us."
"...."
Siv said nothing, and I exhaled lightly, choosing to take the leap. "I'll go first, so you have an idea of what I mean."
"...."
"I like you," I said right off the bat, "I want to explore this attraction further in a relationship with you, but I can't say with certainty that I can give you the love you want. However, I'm willing to try and make it work. If this isn't enough for you, I understand. There will be no hard feelings."
My attention was no longer on Yue and was now fixed squarely on her, and for once in all the time I'd come to know her, my stare didn't make her shy and embarrassed at all, only contemplative.
I let her mull on my words, letting the seconds and her thoughts tick by before she finally replied.
"U-um…I'm also willing to try… a relationship with you, I mean."
"Great," I nodded, "but that's not what I'm interested in. I just told you what I'm willing to give you. I want to know what you want. If we become lovers right here and now, what would you expect of me?"
"Ahh… that…"
There was the Siv I met back at the caravans. Ears twitching and tail swishing as she darted her eyes to and away from me in shyness or embarrassment. It was getting hard to tell which.
"…Back when you saved me and my people. The way you stole the sword away and healed me… I thought you were going to hurt me at first, but then you took my hands and healed me… by force. I-I liked it. The way you took charge against my will… for my own good. I-I want more of that."
"Mmhmm… so that's it," I said, nearly exclaiming in genuine surprise, her words filling up a bunch of the empty pages in the mental encyclopedia I had created to better understand her.
"So you want me to order you around… all the time?"
She smiled and nodded subtly, restrained anticipation burning in her eyes.
"Okay then," I gave her a faint smile, before doing away with it and putting on a stern expression. "You're mine now. Don't forget that."
Her tail began to coil and wave about, cheeks going red as she nodded, her head bobbing up and down so hard and quickly I was afraid it'd fall off.
Hiding my amusement at her reaction, I maintained the authoritative role I'd assumed and ordered, "Lean down and kiss me."
Showing all the telltale signs of her budding arousal and bursting excitement at the command, the tiger beastwoman did as she was told and leaned down, pursed, full lips locking with mine.
We started the kiss slow, breaths mingling as we probed each other at first. Our teeth parted less than a moment later and we began to exchange saliva, our tongues coiling around each other before long.
I lifted my hand out of the water in search of her ear, tracing over the smooth contours of her face, cheek and then silky hair to find it.
Gently scratching and rubbing it between my fingers, enjoying the smoothness of her fur, I sucked on her lower lip when my actions elicited moaning whines from her, low, throaty growls joining up with them and spicing up the kiss.
Still focused on the deepening battle of satisfaction, I moved my mouth with expert precision and climbed out of the water with a gentle splash.
Sitting on the edge of the pool and leaning more into the kiss, I snuck my hand into one of the bras of her lingerie and moaned at the soft pliableness transmitted to my hand.