Finally, it was time to find out how much he'd improved with these mystical changes in his own strength. To challenge himself—him, the coward, the weak-willed human being—he would now try to conquer his own fears.
He'd already finished mapping out the first floor of the labyrinth, or what served as the entrance level. There wasn't much to it, and he'd actually found the rats' nest. He guessed those were the only monsters on this floor. Why they hadn't encountered those rat bastards before must have been because of their numbers—these rats seemed to be afraid when they were at a disadvantage. They only came out now because he was alone and wasn't making too much noise.
As for the roaches, he hadn't found where they came from yet. But since he'd finished mapping the first floor, he believed he could finally challenge the second floor. His first goal upon reaching it would be to find the location of its sanctuary, if there even was one.
He managed to find his way down to the second floor stairs—a spiraling path that descended into deeper darkness. He hadn't encountered any monsters on the way down. It seemed monsters had their own schedules for foraging throughout the labyrinth.
Upon reaching the second floor after a few minutes of walking, he could finally see how huge the place was. It had many more light sources than the floor above, but with that illumination came a foreboding, deathly atmosphere. He took his time absorbing this new information before moving forward to find the sanctuary.
The air felt different here—heavier, more oppressive. Every breath seemed to carry the weight of ancient malice, and the shadows between the light crystals seemed deeper, more substantial than mere absence of light.
He started wandering around, only to encounter the monsters that roamed this level. Creatures of enormous size moved through the corridors with purpose. For now, he only watched how they behaved, doing nothing that would endanger him further.
The first creature he spotted was massive—easily three times the size of the mutated rats from above. It had the general shape of a scorpion but wrong in every conceivable way. Four pincers instead of two, armor that looked thick enough to stop a sword, and twin tails that dripped with what was obviously poison.
Then he caught sight of something else moving in his peripheral vision. At first glance, it looked almost cute—like a rabbit. But as his eyes adjusted, he realized this thing was a nightmare version of any bunny he'd ever seen. Its front teeth were massive, sharp as razors and thick as his fingers. Its claws looked capable of shredding steel, and when it moved, it was faster than anything that size had any right to be.
Both creatures moved with intelligence he hadn't seen in the rats. They patrolled specific routes, communicated with others of their kind through clicks and hisses, and seemed to coordinate their movements. These weren't just bigger, stronger monsters—they were smarter.
Benny crouched behind a rock pillar, his heart hammering as he watched the creatures go about their business. His improved strength meant nothing if he couldn't even get close enough to use it. These things would tear him apart before he could land a single blow.
He continued wandering through the expanse of the second floor, keeping to the shadows and taking in all the information he could gather. The layout was more complex than the first floor—natural rock formations created a maze of corridors, chambers, and dead ends. Light crystals were embedded everywhere, making stealth more difficult but navigation easier.
Every step was calculated, every movement deliberate. His cowardice had evolved into something more useful down here—a survival instinct that kept him alive in an environment designed to kill intruders.
The sanctuary had to be here somewhere. Every floor was supposed to have one. But finding it without attracting the attention of those monstrous guardians would require patience, planning, and more luck than he was comfortable counting on.
For now, reconnaissance was enough. He was learning the patterns, mapping the dangers, and hopefully finding a way to survive long enough to locate his next safe haven in this underground hell.