A couple of days must have passed. The new arrivals had somehow gathered themselves to a somewhat functional degree, with Benny doing his own thing and leaving them to their own thoughts and plans. He kept himself busy with his already established routine, along with his new companion in adventure, Gustav, the leader of this band of hopeless people.
Gustav found hope in Benny's plans, although the man didn't say anything more than what needed to be known. He was as guarded as he'd been when his former teammates had bullied him. So Gustav could only sigh internally about this stupid incident that could have made their lives here a bit smoother.
Though Benny still shared information with them, Gustav felt it wasn't everything there was to know.
Now he'd accompanied Benny on his expeditions, watching how the man moved through the floors, observing and hunting monsters on his own. Gustav offered his help, and both of them hunted monsters together.
Gustav was a lean, muscular man whose body build was suited comfortably for his role as a frontliner and commander. Weapon-wise, he used a sword or mace to bash armor and carried a shield in his off hand.
It was a typical build that could be found everywhere, it was versatile and able to handle most situations they'd face, especially in close-range combat. He preferred to be in front of things rather than just sit at the back overlooking the overall battle, which, to be honest, was what most team leaders would do. But he wasn't like the others. He was himself, and they were them. "Lead by example" was his motto.
Now he and Benny had gone around the second and first floors. Though he didn't ask much, he only watched Benny to gather information himself. Occasionally, he would ask questions about things he didn't understand or was confused about regarding their importance.
Benny, on the other hand, wasn't accustomed to someone following him during his runs on the two floors, so he couldn't quite grasp what to do in these situations. His introverted nature had resurfaced after being left alone for months by himself. It might also be the main reason he'd managed to keep himself sane—he was already accustomed to being a loner.
The leader Gustav had been tailing him every time he went out on these expeditions. But Benny didn't want to reveal everything he knew yet. So he only moved without speaking and answered only when asked, leaving other more important information more vague than what he could actually offer.
To be honest, he'd lost much trust after the last incident. But maybe with this guy, maybe he could trust him. But not quite yet.
Currently, he and Gustav went on tours of the first and second floors. At least this guy, if they decided that they no longer needed him, could find his way on these two floors.
They'd done this for a couple of days now, probably. Who knew what day it actually was anymore.
After a bit more time passed, Benny was starting to get bothered by someone following him. Although the leader didn't speak, his presence could be felt. He wasn't the type who could hide his overwhelming presence even if he tried his best.
"Haaa... Leader, I know I allowed you to come with me, but what do you actually want to do? Do you have plans? Have the others told you what they want to do? I mean, we're all trapped here, so..."
Benny asked. Gustav paused too and looked at Benny, who was looking at him, before he spoke his mind.
"Well, first of all, I know I shouldn't be the one saying this, but I should apologize to you on behalf of the others for that incident back then. Honestly, I don't know what to do anymore. There have been no talks between me and the others yet. But if there's just one sliver of hope, then I'm currently betting that you have some sort of plan on how to get out of here. But I know we broke that trust, which is why I came here with you to learn more about this place."
Benny was surprised. This guy was really straightforward about what he thought, unlike him, who'd been keeping his guard up around them.
"That's okay. I don't mind it anymore. It's not like you were the one who threatened me. I do have my own plans, but..." Benny paused and looked at Gustav. "I don't know if I can trust you and the others yet. There are things in this labyrinth that are rather mysterious, even to me. So I'll hold onto that information for now."
They continued to move, and at certain times they picked up monster carcasses to get important materials. They could definitely use what Benny had done to his armor and weapons. They too were now quite low on supplies. Inspired by this, the leader also picked up what he could. If he wanted to prove useful for Benny's plans, then he'd also have to slowly adapt, and this would be the first step. He knew that without these weapons and armor, they wouldn't be able to reach their destination, wherever that might be.
He and the others had already seen what this labyrinth was like, the deeper you went, the stronger the monsters became. And those skeletons! He could still remember and he shivered in thought. That's where most of their casualties occurred on the twentieth floor, a place that felt abnormal, to say the least. Unlike any other labyrinth he'd encountered in his life as a professional in this field. Though they'd reached the twentieth floor, it was still a wonder if that was the last floor or if there were deeper levels in this insane labyrinth.
For now, he had to earn Benny's trust. It seemed this guy already had a clue they'd missed. And he knew that Benny would need them to reach the bottom. So it was win-win for both of their goals. The important part was that there was hope somewhere that they could cling to get out of here someday.
As they moved through the labyrinth, Gustav began to notice details he'd missed during their desperate ascent. The way certain corridors seemed to loop back on themselves unless you took specific turns. How some areas had subtle markers that Benny used for navigation. The patterns in monster behavior that could be exploited for safe passage.
Benny wasn't just surviving down here, he was reading the two labyrinth floors like a book, understanding its rhythms and rules in ways that went far beyond simple combat prowess. This wasn't luck or accident. This was systematic learning applied over months of careful observation.
Gustav found himself taking mental notes, trying to absorb even the small details that Benny shared. The way certain stones were arranged to mark safe paths. Which sounds meant immediate danger and which meant distant threats. How to identify the territorial boundaries between different monster species.
It was humbling, honestly. Here was someone they'd written off as weak and cowardly, and he'd developed expertise on his own that put their entire expedition team to shame. Gustav had led successful dungeon raids across multiple labyrinth's, but watching Benny navigate this place made him feel like a complete amateur.
"Benny," he said as they paused near a junction. "I want you to know that regardless of what the others think, I can see what you've accomplished down here. This isn't just survival. You've mastered this place."
Benny glanced at him, surprised by the genuine respect in his voice.
"Maybe when you're ready to share your real plans," Gustav continued, "you'll find that some of us are still worth trusting after all."