I never expected Beretta to say it so casually.
"I'm a demon," he had declared, standing tall with not a hint of hesitation. "I won't be eliminated that easily. I'll do it."
Even though this was a request from me, their willingness was still reckless. But that kind of courage… I respected it.
Treyni didn't hesitate either. Her movements were calm and precise. She pierced Beretta's core cleanly. Ten seconds later, his lifeless body vanished from the floor—then reappeared outside the labyrinth, completely revived.
"…It worked." My voice echoed sharply through the chamber.
Beretta flexed his fingers as if nothing had happened. Ramiris floated in front of me, laughing proudly.
"See, Atem! It's perfect! This was my first time making a single-use disposable item, but I knew I could pull it off!"
I crossed my arms and stared down at her. "Next time, test it on a lesser subject first."
"Ehehe… noted."
Still, it was a success. And a significant one at that. If the bracelet had failed, we would have been dealing with something far less pleasant. But now, the Resurrection Bracelet was complete.
The Return Whistle was also finished—a simple tool for emergency escape to the surface. Both items would be sold at the labyrinth entrance. Whether the challengers bought them or not was their choice. But if they died or got lost without them… they'd have no one to blame but themselves.
"Put it clearly on the sign," I ordered. "No refunds. No excuses. You step into the Labyrinth of Eterna—you accept the risk."
The bracelet itself only stored a fragment of Ramiris' power. Revival was possible—but only at the entrance. It couldn't resurrect anyone outside the labyrinth. If some fool misunderstood that and died elsewhere… well, that was their fate. But I didn't want needless deaths caused by ignorance, so a clear warning was necessary.
The dungeon was almost complete. A hundred floors, a perfect structure, built in one week. I was impressed.
Solarys, my ever-present partner, resonated in my mind.
«Answer. The intrinsic ability of the individual "Ramiris" can be recreated. But Master… your Absolute Ultimate Skill surpasses it.»
I allowed a small smirk to form. "I know. But it's good to acknowledge talent where it exists."
I looked at Ramiris, who was flapping her tiny wings proudly. "Ramiris. You've done well. This is excellent work."
Her face lit up instantly. "Hehe, of course it is! I always give my all when it matters!"
Then I turned my gaze to Veldora. He'd been waiting.
"Kept you waiting, didn't I?" My tone carried weight—steady, commanding. "It's time, Veldora. Release your power. Let this labyrinth feel your true presence."
His grin stretched wide, eager and wild. "Finally! GAHAHAHA! Leave it to me!"
We had built air vents and magical channels through the entire labyrinth—one hundred floors deep. Not because air was needed down here, but because I wanted Veldora's energy to flood through every level, saturating every wall, every inch of this place.
He stepped to the center of the vast hall on the hundredth floor. His body straightened. His aura flared like a gathering storm.
Then—
With a roar that made the entire floor tremble, Veldora revealed his true form.
The atmosphere shifted instantly. His draconic presence poured into the labyrinth like a tidal wave. Youki—thick, heavy, ancient—burst outward, spreading through every vent and stairway. The stone beneath my feet rumbled.
"Then… here I go!" he bellowed. "HYAAA—!"
The sound wasn't just a roar. It was domination.
He didn't need to roar like that, but it fit his mood. Veldora's youki exploded outward in a brutal wave. I put my hand up and threw out Pharaoh's Aegis, a concentrated barrier born of my authority, to cover Ramiris.
A shockwave hit like an explosion.
"T-t-that was close… If Atem didn't protect me, I'd have been blown away…" Ramiris trembled, clutching at herself.
The force was far beyond what I'd expected. The raw youki alone — let alone its pressure — would have killed anyone unprotected.
"GA—HAHAHA! I AM HERE!" Veldora bellowed.
The deepest hall of the labyrinth swallowed his restored form. Seeing Veldora in full dragon shape after so long was awe-inspiring; his presence filled the chamber so completely that the space felt cramped.
He spread his wings, clearly savoring the moment. "It feels so good. If I had done this outside, it would have been chaos," he said casually.
That would have been a catastrophe. Even now the labyrinth's stones bowed outward from the sheer pressure. His release had pushed the magicule concentration sky-high. I made a mental note: no more unobserved releases.
"Mentor's strength… I never imagined my labyrinth would be bent like this," Ramiris whispered.
I let the sight sink in for a second, then moved on to the practical. The spike in ambient magicules was exactly what I needed.
"Ramiris, create a chamber next to this one," I ordered.
"Piece of cake!" she chirped, already moving.
"Good. I'll have ore brought here. Let it soak in Veldora's youki. It'll turn to magisteel ore faster than any furnace. We'll use it." My voice was calm, authoritative — firm in the plan.
Veldora chuckled, pleasure rolling from him. "Adventurers will come, fight through my minions, and meet me at the end. I'll teach them a lesson they won't forget!"
"Exactly." I watched the youki ripple through the floors. With no walls to block it, the divine pressure would seep down and out. Even around the fiftieth floor, magicule density had climbed to levels past what we'd seen in the sealed cave.
It worked better than I'd hoped. The concentration would spawn monsters — first weak on the upper floors, then fierce below as the youki thickened. Veldora's reservoir, now allowed to vent safely in the labyrinth, would be the generator.
We were killing three birds with one plan: give Veldora a purpose, keep his youki controlled, and create a monster generator to populate the dungeon. I'd also clear him out of my rooms for good.
Veldora grinned like a child. "Finally. I'll be the final test for them. GAHAHA — I can't wait!"
"Don't go overboard," I warned, steady. "Keep it focused. We use the power, we don't let it use us."
"Understood, Atem. Leave it to me." He nodded, eyes alight.
With that, the plan moved forward. The air still hummed from the release, but now that hum was useful — a furnace for magisteel, a forge for future power. We left the hundredth floor with the air still vibrating from Veldora's presence and a satisfied certainty that the labyrinth would soon be alive with the monsters we needed.