After the situation seemed to have calmed down, they all began to relax and rest their weary bodies. Gustav, on the other hand, wanted to gather information from Benny. He had some idea of what this place they were resting in was. It was similar to the sanctuaries he'd witnessed in other labyrinths, but he wanted to know what was different about this one. He could feel there was something odd about it—not bad, though, unlike the ones he'd encountered before.
"So, Benny, what do you know about this sanctuary?"
Benny looked at him with wariness in his eyes, seemingly still defensive and likely not willing to tell the whole truth. Benny had witnessed what his previous truth had done to them and how they'd reacted to it. So he was reluctant to share what he knew, even though Gustav was the one who'd calmed the situation down.
"Haaa," the competent leader sighed. "I'm sorry about those idiots, Benny, but don't worry about them. They're just frustrated and tired at this point. We all are. But we really need some information right now so we can plan our next steps."
Benny, still reluctant, shared what he knew of the sanctuary. First, that this place could be entered by enemies, but it had a defensive array that would attack anyone who showed excessive killing intent. At least that was how Benny had viewed and witnessed it, and how he'd processed and deduced that information. The sanctuary was indeed relatively safe from monster attacks.
Benny didn't go into details about the sanctuary being able to confuse hostile enemies with no killing intent, or the effects of the light crystals, and other things. They could figure it out themselves, but for now, that was all he was willing to share with this charismatic and dependable leader.
After several hours, they managed to get proper rest. Benny went out to grab some meat from the dead monsters. He wanted to butcher some and feed these people so they could recover.
He also pointed out that there was a watering hole here they could definitely use, but they should stay away from it while washing themselves so it wouldn't get contaminated.
Meanwhile, Benny prepared a meal for them. He also asked if they still had some spices left he could use to improve their food. Of course they did, since they'd mostly used ready-prepared meals so far and only ate monster meat from time to time.
They watched Benny work on the mutated rabbit's meat, expertly removing the skin and revealing clean flesh. He used their cooking cauldrons for soup while grilling other pieces over the fire. Others began gathering around him and helped prepare the meal. Soon the aroma filled the entire sanctuary. People who hadn't eaten a proper meal in ages found whatever they were smelling now incredibly appetizing.
After it finished cooking, they all got their bowls and were served food. They went silently to their own corners and spaces to eat peacefully.
After a few bites, delicious moans escaped their mouths as if it was the most delicious and satisfying taste they'd had in months.
Some even sobbed and cried as all their emotions began pouring out. Unable to cope with reality for some, others just happy to be alive. Nobody said anything, and they only ate in peace, listening to the various emotions that filled the air.
After they finished their meals, they began to assemble for a meeting. For now, they wanted to see with their own eyes if the entrance was indeed blocked. After that...
They couldn't or wouldn't want to come to terms with it just yet.
After they finished resting a bit more, they began sharpening and examining their tools—their weapons of defense and their armor. Some were really worn out and at their breaking point, showing they'd been used regularly. It didn't matter how well-tempered the steel was or how great the craftsmanship—in time, everything would wear down. These were man-made tools, so eventually they'd reach their limits. But they couldn't just abandon them now. They needed to make sure they had these weapons ready for a fight. So they sharpened them, and some hammered out their armor, especially pieces that had dents. Benny did the same.
After doing so, Benny briefed them on their route and told them they should follow his commands so they could avoid the monsters' patrol routes, even if they couldn't avoid them completely. It was good to preserve their strength.
Some were reluctant, but Gustav wasn't as shortsighted as these idiots. He knew Benny had this place memorized in his mind and could escape these monsters with his eyes closed. Maybe not that extreme, but he believed that if push came to shove, Benny would be able to do so.
They began to move as instructed, pausing here and there. They also saw monsters fighting each other and took advantage of it. Benny looked left and right before proceeding to move again. After a couple of minutes, they finally reached the entrance to the first floor.
They had sweat on them, but they'd encountered no fights. It was a good trade-off. The others were now beginning to believe that maybe Benny really had managed to survive all this time on his own down here.
The journey up had been a revelation for the group. Watching Benny navigate the labyrinth was like watching a completely different person from the timid guard they remembered. He moved with quiet confidence, reading the environment like a book written in a language only he understood.
His hand signals were precise, his timing perfect. When he indicated they should stop, they stopped. When he pointed toward cover, they moved without question. Even the most skeptical among them couldn't deny that this wasn't luck or coincidence—this was mastery.
Gustav found himself studying Benny's techniques, filing away observations for future use. The way he positioned himself to maximize sight lines while minimizing exposure. How he timed their movements to coincide with distant monster sounds. The subtle environmental cues he read to predict patrol patterns.
This wasn't the desperate flailing of someone barely surviving. This was the methodical approach of someone who'd not just adapted to this environment but had learned to thrive in it.
"Impressive," Gustav murmured under his breath as they reached the stairway. For the first time since this nightmare began, he felt something that might have been hope. If Benny could survive down here for months, maybe there were other options they hadn't considered.
Maybe their situation wasn't as hopeless as it seemed.
But first, they needed to see that blocked entrance with their own eyes. They needed to confirm that their worst fears were real before they could start planning for a future that didn't include escape.