Arthur scoured the stone maze for more than an hour. And found absolutely nothing. It was impossible to backtrack as well. At least for him. Every pattern in the maze seemed to be the exact same. Even if he tried to, he wouldn't even know if it really was back where he started. Though he felt something odd in the air. With the dragon bodies enhanced senses. He could feel the dense mana in the air. It was extremely dense. But he found himself finding a differential between each path. Some were denser, almost suffocative. While the others were light in the air.
So, he made the obvious decision. And went down the noticeably denser path.
'There has to be a reason why it sticks out…it's not a coincidence. The difference in density is too large. There's something down this path. Hopefully, it's a way out of here…though, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about who made this thing.'
Arthur walked down the path with denser mana. As he walked down the path. The air only grew denser. And a dense fog started shrouding the area. Arthur held up the moonlight blade as it paved the way through the fog. And he came to a wall. Just a wall. A normal wall. Any person would just, turn around. But Arthur noticed something. A golden string had manifested on his finger. And it had drawn taught. Going straight into the wall.
'This again? I sure do hope there aren't any giant deadly snakes behind here…'
Arthur sighed and broke through the stone wall. Unlike the walls of the labyrinth, this one had no barrier. Making it stand out clearly. He took a step over the rubble and cracked his knuckles. In his mind. He was praying for some water. His mouth had grown dry already. Though he unfortunately was not met with a puddle. He was met with overgrown lush green. The room was dimly lit with sunlight coming through the roof.
Arthur's eyes widened as he looked to the center of the room. A loud roar rang through the room. Like a remnant. An echo. Because sitting still in that room were the bones of a giant dragon. A slumbering grave had been hidden under the palace. A voice rang out through the room. Yet there was no one to provide it.
"Is it you? I can see, sense…the blood of the old gods…oh my dear boy…where did you go?"
Arthur's shadow stirred beneath him as a man emerged from it. Arthur looked at Thanatos.
"How did you—"
He was cut off.
"I can travel through darkness as well. I don't have to be lingering in your shadow."
"…ah. Well. I've been awfully lonely for the past few hours."
Thanatos scoffed.
"I was searching. This place is impossible to navigate. I'm not sure who created this place. But whoever they were, they had to be an extremely powerful being or…"
Arthur sighed.
"A god."
Thanatos nodded.
"Most likely. Seeing as this place is so well covered up. That would mean it was most likely created to cover something else up. Whatever those things were that infiltrated the palace. Are trying to uncover it. And have dragged us into it."
Thanatos looked towards the dead dragon.
"You heard it too, didn't you? That voice?"
Arthur nodded.
"Yeah. It was a kind of echo right? The last vestige of that skeleton?"
"I'd assume so. I'm not sure if it reacted to your presence or mine, though…it would make more sense if it was I."
"Why is that?"
"Uh? I'm the god of death, remember? Or at least, a piece of it. A piece is enough for any dead being to react in my presence."
Arthur remained silent as the two walked towards the skeletal corpse.
'So this is the origin of the dense mana…how strong was this thing if it's able to condense its mana into a fog while being dead?'