The area at the bottom of the stairs was surprisingly well-maintained. With its stone brick walls and cobblestone floors, it had the exact atmosphere one would expect from a labyrinth. A straight corridor extended from the landing, and after walking for a short while, a signpost came into view.
"Let’s see... 'Beyond this point lies the Labyrinth of Destiny. Only those guided by fate shall claim the treasure. Let those without resolve depart,'" Halfa read the inscription aloud.
"The Labyrinth of Destiny, huh? That sounds like it might be a handful..."
"Yeah. The vibe here is different from the dungeons we've seen so far."
Spira and Lowell both seemed to be on guard, likely due to the sign's ominous wording.
『There is no need to be so tense. It is merely Lamuyadas’s excessive joking. It is a troublesome labyrinth, to be sure, but there is little actual danger,』 Garna advised, his tone suggesting they should relax.
I was of the same opinion. I was certain Ren-kun was just messing around. After all, I’d seen this exact message in my previous life.
The Labyrinth of Destiny was a hidden dungeon from a certain RPG. Since it didn't affect the main story, the developers had clearly gone wild with it; it became infamous for its absurd difficulty. The challenge wasn't the strength of the monsters, but rather the sheer cruelty of the gimmicks.
If I recalled correctly, there were teleportation traps hidden in the middle of corridors that would warp you to an identical-looking hallway without you even noticing. There were also sections filled with one-way doors where you’d be trapped forever unless you picked the right ones in a specific sequence, and an area where you had to luckily choose the right destination among five teleportation circles that randomized every time you used them... In short, it was an incredibly tedious dungeon.
If Ren-kun had reproduced all of that, it was going to be a bit of a pain. It relied heavily on RNG. Oh... wait. With my luck, it might not actually be a problem at all.
『With Tort here, we'll definitely be fine-zo!』
Shiroru declared this despite knowing nothing about the dungeon’s mechanics. Still, I had a feeling she was right.
First, we reached a point where we might have gotten lost during the initial test...
"Ah, the first fork in the road."
"Let's see... 'Of the three doors, only one is correct. The hint is...'"
『Which one do you think it is, Tort?』
"Uh, probably the red door."
"Umu, let's go with that then."
『You lot, at least bother to read the hint.』
Next, we encountered the confusing mix of corridors and teleportation traps...
『Nu? The scent changed-zo! We’ve been teleported!』
"Wait, really? I didn't notice a thing."
"Shiroru-chan, you're amazing!"
"In that case, we might never reach the end even if we keep walking straight. Should we turn back?"
"Yeah. ...Oh, wait. This wall right here is a hidden door!"
『Normally, there would be a hint in the small room ahead, but...』
Then there were the troublesome traps that were supposed to drain our time...
"It says 'Teleportation Trap Area.' It looks like the floor is covered in teleportation traps, and we have to weave through them to reach the goal."
『There are traps? I can't tell where they are at all-zo!』
"Hmm, even with my [Trap Disarming], I can only see some of them. Well, it'll be fine. I'll go ahead and mark the path. Oh, before that, let me make a golem from Halfa's shadow."
"I see. That way, even if you trigger a trap, you can just use Shadow Leap to get back."
"Though I feel like Tort-kun will probably clear it on his first try anyway."
『The traps are completely wasted on you if you can just teleport back...』
Finally, we faced the most unreasonable trial of all...
"It says 'Final Trial: Door of Destiny.' Out of these twenty doors, only one is the correct path. The rest apparently send you all the way back to the entrance."
"All the way back to the start? That would make going home pretty easy."
『One mistake sends you back to the very beginning, you know! Normally, one would find that outrageously unfair.』
"Normally, perhaps. But we have Tort."
『So, which door are you picking?』
"The second one from the right, I think. Ah, looks like that was it."
It was a long journey, but we finally reached the end of the labyrinth!
The goal was a small room, and at the far end sat three objects that looked like altars. A treasure chest was placed on top of each one.
"Let’s see... 'O thou who hast been led by destiny. Well done for overcoming various hardships to reach this place.'"
Halfa tilted her head as she read the sign in the center of the room.
"Hardships? Did we actually face any?"
『There weren't even any monsters. It wasn't hard at all-zo.』
Halfa and Shiroru looked genuinely puzzled.
"You two, come on, read the room. Ren-kun might get pouty if he hears that."
『Honestly, I don't think that's the kind of consideration he needs...』 Garna muttered, looking exasperated. Spira and Lowell could only offer wry smiles. Why?
Well, setting that aside, it was time for the treasure.
"Can we open all three?"
"Ah, wait, there's more. It says, 'Of the three treasure chests, only one may be opened. One is the Jackpot, one is a Win, and the last is a Lose.'"
『Muu? We can only pick one?』
"Seems so."
Just as I thought. This was exactly like the game. This was the part players called the most unreasonable point of all. Even after overcoming the final trial, there was another mandatory gamble. While you could technically re-enter the dungeon to try again if you got a "Lose," it was extremely unpopular because it forced players into an endless cycle of RNG-based gameplay.
"Which one should we pick?"
"We'll leave that to Tort," Lowell answered on behalf of the group.
I figured he'd say that. Whenever luck was involved, it was my job. Now then, which treasure chest should I go with?