"I'll kill you... I'll definitely kill you!"
The delinquent spat curses at me. I chuckled and arched my back in response.
"Hngh...!"
Misa, who was leaning against the wall with her hips thrust out, reacted.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! My thighs repeatedly struck her buttocks. My cock wasn't entering her pussy, but her anus.
With Sensual Amplification activated, she was experiencing sexual pleasure from her first anal sex. Below her anus, her pussy gushed vaginal fluid, the labia minora fluttering open.
"Aang! Haaang!"
"I'll kill you! I'll chop you into pieces and kill you! Sung Yujin...!"
I could have silenced the Delinquent if I wanted to. I was the only one among us with a proper weapon, and I handled all the scouting. But none of that was why Misa was taking me. She was the one pushing her hips back against me, clear-eyed and fully willing.
It's more fun to let the punk squirm.
I sneered at the Delinquent as Misa moaned and pressed back against me, and I began to ejaculate inside her at her workplace.
"Ah... that feels good."
Day 7 in the Maze.
The atmosphere among us had shifted.
The reason for this change was likely Misa. She pretended otherwise, but if you watched her face closely during sex, you could see the lewd pleasure in her expression.
Even I, the one involved, could sense it. There was no way the Delinquent, watching from the sidelines, could have missed it.
As time passed, I could sense the growing distance between the Delinquent and Misa. At some point, their relationship turned cold and distant.
Now, Misa no longer refuses my requests. This is a stark contrast to her initial behavior, when she would frown or feign reluctance, making it clear she disliked my demands.
I realized that the relationship between Misa and the Delinquent had reached its end.
We continued to move. Staying still would only make us prey for the lurking monsters. The best course of action was to find the Maze's exit and escape. To achieve that, we had to keep moving.
Well, at least I have the White Stone.
If things got truly dangerous, I was prepared to abandon the Delinquent and Misa and flee alone.
By the way, there are so many corpses here...
It wasn't my first time seeing corpses in the Maze, but this place was unusually littered with them. A rough count revealed over twenty bodies strewn about.
And most of them are intact.
Corpses killed by monsters typically fall into two categories: either mangled beyond recognition, reduced to little more than chunks of meat, or completely devoured, leaving no trace behind as they become part of the monster's flesh and blood.
Could this be the result of infighting among humans... rather than monster attacks?
Judging by the state of decomposition, the bodies had been there for two to three days.
We passed through the area littered with corpses. I took the lead, followed by Misa. The Delinquent had recovered enough to walk without assistance, though he was still in no condition to fight.
Then we encountered a Pierrot.
"Oh?"
The Pierrot, dressed in red with a conical hat, wore stark white makeup. The makeup was designed to mimic a weeping expression, but it was so thick that it was impossible to discern his true features beneath.
Misa, who had been following behind me, flinched at the sight of the Pierrot. I understood her reaction; there was something unsettling about Pierrots. It wasn't for nothing that the term "coulrophobia" existed.
Is this the Pierrot who gave Mizuchi the White Stone?
It was likely. There couldn't be many Pierrots wandering around this maze.
"It's been a while since I've seen people who aren't... compromised," the Pierrot said, addressing us directly in fluent Japanese. "Did you also get caught in the Rift and end up in this maze?"
"...Yes, that's right. But who are you? I didn't see anyone dressed like you at the Fuka Shrine festival..."
"I'm not here for the Fuka Festival. First, please take a look at this identification."
It was an ID from the World Hunter Association. The name area was covered, and there was no photo, making it highly suspicious.
"I'm affiliated with the 17th Special Unit of the World Hunter Association. Please understand that I can't reveal the details of my mission."
"You expect us to believe that?"
"It's natural to be suspicious. I'm aware I seem suspicious myself. But it's the truth. Due to the nature of my mission, I can't disclose further details, so this is all I can say."
Pierrot maintained a fixed distance from us, clearly trying to avoid raising suspicion.
I sensed he was being friendly toward us.
"Ah, are you perhaps looking for a way out of the Maze?"
"...Yes. Do you know where the exit is?"
"This maze has an entrance, but no exit."
"Ah..."
Misawa and the Delinquent's faces twisted in dismay. Pierrot had just bluntly stated that there was no way to leave this place. Being trapped in a maze was hardly a pleasant situation.
Pierrot stared intently at me.
"You don't seem disappointed."
"...If there's an entrance, can't we just go back through it?"
"Hmm. That's not quite what I meant... Actually, there are only two ways to escape this maze that I know of."
"Could you tell us?"
"Yes, of course I should. The World Hunter Association has a duty to help those in need."
Pierrot said this with a smile.
The smile felt unnervingly sinister because of his clown makeup.
"..."
"The first method is to completely conquer this Maze. If we do that, we'll naturally be able to return. That's how most closed dungeons work."
"...With our current skills, that seems impossible. We're already struggling with the Monsters roaming the Maze. How could we possibly conquer it completely?"
"Don't be too discouraged. There's a second method: the White Stones. Have you ever seen one while exploring the Maze?"
"No, I haven't."
"Ah, unlucky. If you take the fourth path to the right after going right, left, and then right again, you'll find a fountain. The White Stones are inside. Hold one in your hand and channel Mana through it to escape the Maze. Once used, a White Stone can be reused after 30 hours. Of course, using it outside the Maze won't do anything."
Pierrot spoke without hesitation. His willingness to share the information so easily was almost suspicious, but his words rang true. After all, Mizuchi had used the White Stone Pierrot gave him to escape the Maze.
"So there was a way out after all. If you wouldn't mind, could you come with us to that place?"
"Under normal circumstances, I would gladly assist you. However, I'm currently quite busy. The situation within the Maze is rapidly escalating."
"If you're busy, there's nothing we can do. We're grateful enough for you sharing the escape method."
Pierrot glanced at us, his expression unreadable. He seemed to sense something, but he refrained from interfering further.
"Then, I'll take my leave now. The fountain area is relatively safe, but remain vigilant until the end."
I urgently asked Pierrot, who was about to leave, "If the White Stone can be used to exit the Maze, is there a stone that can be used to enter it?"
"You have a keen sense of perception. Yes, there is a stone that opens the entrance to the Maze the Black Stone. I cannot reveal its location; it's far too dangerous."
"...One last question. Is the Master of this Maze human?"
Pierrot remained silent.
But his silence was answer enough.
My guess is that the Master of this Maze is either Seitaro or one of his companions.
"I hope you all return safely. May God bless you."
Pierrot had left, and we moved toward the fountain he had indicated.
Of course, we didn't forget to scout ahead with the drone. Finding no monsters or traps, we proceeded to the fountain with confidence.
It's time to finish exploring this maze.
I felt no regret. My sole purpose for entering the Rift had been to win Misa over, and I had achieved that goal.
Time to return and focus on my doll play.
My gaze drifted furtively backward.
Two conflicting thoughts warred in my mind.
Kill the delinquent. Don't kill the delinquent. Ugh...
Killing the delinquent would simplify things later. This was a maze; the chances of getting caught for murder were less than 1%. Even if suspicion fell on me, I could claim he was attacked and killed by a monster along the way.
"But if I kill the delinquent, I'll have to kill Misa too."
That would be a waste. I didn't want to kill a woman who had survived this far beside me.
Maybe I don't have to kill her...
The Wind God Guild had already been humiliated by this incident and would likely lie low. Even if the delinquent tried to retaliate against me immediately, the guild wouldn't approve.
With the Pleasure World App, I'll become even more powerful in a few years. The one who needs to be careful isn't me, but that punk. If he exposes what happened in the Maze, my reputation might take a hit, but it's Japan anyway... Huh?
I stopped walking.
Ten steps ahead, a fountain gurgled with clear water. But something was hanging from the ceiling above it.
"What's wrong? Why did you suddenly stop?"
Misa asked irritably, but I didn't have time to answer.
"...Let's get out of here now and come back later."
"What are you talking about... gasp!"
Misa had spotted it too: the massive spider lurking in the shadows on the ceiling, staring down at us.
The spider whistled as it watched us.
Whee-oo~ Whee-oo~
"T-the Black Howling Spider?!"
The Black Howling Spider, a B-Rank Monster, could conceal itself in shadows and wield venomous spider silk as its primary weapon. Its legs and body were also coated in poison.
"F-fucking hell," the Delinquent muttered, his face pale as he stumbled backward.
Whee-oo~ Whee-oo~
The spider hanging from the ceiling let out its distinctive whistle and leaped down toward us.
"Duck!" I shouted, and we all lowered our upper bodies. A massive spider brushed past overhead.
Kukakakang!
The spider flew backward and crashed into the wall, the impact sounding more like rock colliding with rock than a living creature.
It rose from the rubble. Its eight legs, harder and sharper than steel, were enough to make my knees tremble just looking at them.
"Ah... ugh..."
Surprisingly, the Delinquent was the first to panic. Perhaps his poor physical condition was affecting his mental state. He turned his back on the spider and bolted toward the fountain, apparently planning to use the White Stone to escape the maze.
It's too late to retrace our steps. The Delinquent's move is the right one. But...
The spider's gaze first fell upon the delinquent, who had turned his back.
The spider writhed, its jaws widening.
Whee-oo~ Whee-oo~
A chilling whistle echoed as black webbing shot from the spinnerets at the end of its abdomen.
"Kaaah!"
The webbing pierced the delinquent's thigh. He collapsed, falling just three meters short of the fountain.
I gripped the Hwaryeon Flying Dagger, assuming a combat stance. The Black Howling Spider was a B-Class Monster one wrong move and I'd be dead.
The spider crouched low, all eight legs coiling simultaneously like a spring about to snap.
"It's going to jump again! Duck!" I shouted. Misa and I lowered our upper bodies. The spider soared over our heads and crashed into the fountain.
Kwakakang!
The fountain shattered, sending water and white stones flying in all directions. Some of the white stones rolled all the way to where Misa and I were hiding.
This is our chance!
The Black Howling Spider's attention was currently focused on the Delinquent. We could use the white stones to escape the Maze while the spider was killing him.
"Misa! Pick up the white stones on the ground and infuse them with Mana! Let's escape the Maze!"
"No! I can't abandon Ken!"
Crazy bitch!
Misa clearly hadn't given up on the Delinquent. She infused a white stone with Mana and hurled it at the spider. The spider didn't even flinch, letting the stone hit it without reaction. It didn't seem to bother him in the slightest.
Judging by that punk's behavior earlier, he's already abandoned Misa anyway...
Whatever. Not my problem. I had no intention of stopping him from dying alongside that punk.
I picked up a white stone from the ground.
"Yujin! Help Ken! I'll do anything!"
"...Anything?"
"Yes! Anything! Just hurry and help Ken!"
"Don't forget you said you'd do anything."
Misa's naked body flashed through my mind. It would be a waste to abandon her here, especially with those G-cup breasts.
I have Momentary and Complete Recovery, plus the White Stone... I'll give it a shot. If it looks like it's going to fail, I'll bail immediately.
The spider grabbed the delinquent with its two massive forelegs and began wrapping him in silk, starting with his legs. The silk coiled around him with astonishing speed.
Whoosh~ Whoosh~
"Uwaaaah! Get off me!"
The Delinquent tried to burn the spiderweb with a flame, but the heat only made the black webbing stickier.
I charged toward the spider, channeling sword qi and Thunderbolt into my blade.