The stranger lunged at Ryo, but he dodged effortlessly, flipping backward with ease.
"Who are you?!"
Yui: "Wait, Zalarosa! He's not an enemy!"
Zalarosa (still gripping her sword): "Are you sure?"
Yui: "Use your brain—do you really think a kid who hasn't even reached fifteen could be a threat to us?"
Zalarosa: "Even if he's a child, it doesn't mean we shouldn't be cautious."
Eventually, Zalarosa accepted that Ryo wasn't a threat. After that, Ryo handed them food, and they devoured it like wild beasts.
Ryo didn't care. Instead, he began pondering some things.
Ryo: "Hey, system. That guardian… How could simply charging up for one attack shake the entire floor?"
System: "Reason: That guardian was both the protector of the labyrinth and the core of that floor. Every time it charged an attack, it consumed an enormous amount of energy from the floor's nucleus. The excessive energy caused instability, hence the tremors. Also… the labyrinth is currently unstable and fragmented."
Ryo: "And what about Yui's attack? That was unbelievably powerful."
System: "Yui's attack was indeed strong, but not strong enough to destroy the barrier between two floors. As you know, each floor in the labyrinth is like its own dimension, and the walls are the boundaries between those dimensions. It's impossible for Yui, with her current strength, to pierce that kind of wall."
Ryo: "Then how did her attack earlier break through the barrier?"
System: "As I mentioned, the labyrinth is currently unstable. Its full energy is concentrated in one area instead of being spread across the floors and walls. That wall she attacked was already deteriorating and was going to collapse in time. Yui only sped up the process. Also, her fire spell likely drew from the Great Flame Spirit, which explains the immense power."
Ryo activated his Spirit Eye—Reigan—and indeed, the walls had no energy. They were crumbling, and in just a few short years, the floor itself would collapse.
Ryo: "What a poor maze… it's going to fall apart soon."
System: "The labyrinth won't collapse as long as you're alive."
Ryo: "What do you mean?"
System: "True, the labyrinth has become a separate entity from you, but it still requires your energy to stay stable. Also, you're unable to use your full power for two reasons. First, you've kept the flow of time around Yui and Zalarosa extremely slow, which is draining your energy. Second, the labyrinth—after becoming a sentient entity—demands even more energy to reshape itself. So, it's been leeching from you."
Ryo: "Wait… isn't it supposed to be independent from me? Shouldn't it find another energy source?"
System: "Yes, it's technically independent. But don't forget, your energy is massive—enough to power an entire planet. Natural energy sources on this planet aren't enough to fuel the labyrinth's transformation. So it hasn't fully severed its connection with you. There's still a thread binding you to it, from which it continues to drain your power. If you try to cut it… that would be catastrophic. The labyrinth will go berserk. Its spirit won't be able to maintain shape and it will start devouring planetary energy. That won't be enough either. Eventually, it could consume the whole planet—and that still won't satisfy it. With time, it might evolve… begin devouring other worlds, solar systems, galaxies… and perhaps even entire universes."
Ryo: "…That's a disaster. So I have to give it my energy?"
System: "Yes. Eventually, your energy will run out. And when it does… the labyrinth will consume you and then move on to consume worlds, stars, and galaxies. Someday, it could gain the ability to create entire alternate realities, timelines, and dimensions within its floors—forming new existences completely independent from the rules of this universe."
Ryo: "This is seriously bad... Is there anything we can do?"
System: "Leave it to fate. There's nothing we can do now. And don't worry… the labyrinth won't kill you so easily. It knows that your death means its own end, too—even if it's independent."
Yui: "Ryo! Come over here already!"
Ryo: "Alright, I'm coming… We'll talk later, System."
System: "As you wish."
---
To be continued...