From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

Chapter 211: The Labryinth Pathway

After about ten minutes of navigating the labyrinthine corridors, Nana couldn't shake off a nagging feeling. "Why do I feel like we're going in circles?" she voiced out loud, her tone laced with a hint of frustration.

"What even is this place?" she added, the slight annoyance in her voice echoing off the cold stone walls.

Pegasus, following close behind, chimed in. "It, in a way, reminds me of the catacombs back in the kingdom that they use for burials. It's vast and easy to get lost in, though filled with the dead. But even those are a lot less creepy than this," he remarked, his voice carrying a mix of unease and curiosity.

As they continued their trek, the oppressive atmosphere of the labyrinth seemed to press in on them. The air was still, as if time itself had slowed within these ancient walls. Despite the eeriness, the trio pressed on, driven by the necessity to find answers and a way out of this perplexing maze.

Their journey through the labyrinth was not just a physical challenge, but also a mental one. Each turn and each dead end tested their resolve and patience, making them question their choices and direction. Yet, amidst the uncertainty, their determination to uncover the truth behind this strange place and their mysterious predicament remained steadfast.

Todd, with a hint of confusion etching his features, spoke up. "Catacomb? Is that like some kind of burial ground?" His question reflected his unfamiliarity with such concepts.

As they continued their trek down another corridor, Pegasus offered an explanation. "Yeah, catacombs are sort of like that, but underground," he said, his voice echoing slightly in the confined space. "I was told they were used to preserve the wealthy and important people for future generations.

The poor or commoners, on the other hand, were usually buried in the outlands, or their ashes were kept in a corner of the house."

Their conversation was momentarily interrupted as they reached a dead end. The walls, cold and unyielding, offered no further passage. Pegasus looked around, a slight frown on his face. "Seems we hit a dead end though. Think we need to turn around?" he asked, his question hanging in the air as they all took in their surroundings.

Todd nodded in agreement with Pegasus' suggestion, his hands running along the cold, unyielding surface of the wall. "That is pretty cool," he remarked, reflecting on the concept of catacombs. "Where I'm from, we just buried people where they died, really. We never had a formal, thought-out plan for those who passed away.

Though sometimes, they'd get a unique burial if they died in battle, but that's about it."

"But yeah, this wall seems pretty sturdy," Todd commented, his gaze assessing the structure before them. "I'd like to try breaking it, but that might cause the roof above us to cave in. It looks fragile compared to the walls." He turned back, signaling the decision to return and choose another path.

Nana, with a slight groan of frustration, echoed the sentiment. "This is more tedious than I was hoping for," she muttered, pulling out her flask and taking a swig of water to quench her thirst and perhaps, her growing impatience.

As they retraced their steps for about ten minutes, the familiar drawings on the walls came into view again. These images of creatures locked in battle with humanoid figures served as markers, a point of reference in the otherwise disorienting labyrinth.

"At least we were able to find something to base ourselves on the direction of where we are going," Nana observed, her voice tinged with a hint of relief mixed with concern. "But there have to be like ten different paths. How do we even know which one is the real pathway? I'd rather not spend hours getting lost."

Todd nodded in agreement with Nana's observations. "What's more odd is that we haven't seen the other teams at all," he mused, his expression growing more thoughtful. "I wonder if they got sent somewhere else. It would be best if we figure out what's going on and get through this as fast as possible."

With a decisive clap of his hands, Todd sent out a small shockwave, noticeably larger than his earlier attempt. "Huh, this seems to be coming back slowly," he noted, a hint of surprise in his voice. "Maybe whatever he did wasn't permanent?"

Intrigued by Todd's demonstration, Nanako tried her own abilities. She snapped her fingers, and a small pop accompanied by bits of smoke materialized in front of her. "Huh, I guess so," she said, her expression a mix of relief and curiosity.

Pegasus, watching their displays with a bit of awe, chimed in with a question. "Wait, you guys can fight without some unique weapon, right? Like some innate ability?"

"Yes, why do you ask?" Todd responded, turning his attention to Pegasus, intrigued by the sudden inquiry.

Pegasus, his expression a blend of confusion and curiosity, shared his thoughts. "It's just a bit odd. Our entire life growing up, we were taught that all energy flows through the weapons bestowed by the goddess. But that never made much sense to me. I mean, where would the goddess get her power from?"

He paused, considering his own question. "Part of me feels the weapons are supplied with power themselves before being passed down to us. So, that would beg the question of being able to use the power without a weapon."

Todd, listening intently, gave a bit of a chuckle at Pegasus' musings. "Well, that's a good theory in and of itself. I don't really know much about it all either, but maybe one day you can put it to the test," he suggested, a hint of encouragement in his voice.

"But just so you know, I used to have to do a hand sign to weave the energy around me to act and be able to create the shockwaves," Todd explained, demonstrating his point with another clap that produced a visible shockwave. His explanation was cut short as Nana, growing increasingly focused on their current predicament, interjected. "We can go over this at a later time.

Which path are we going to take, anyway?"

Todd, pondering the options before them, replied, "Well, I suppose we will just have to go down each pathway one at a time."