The Shadow Labyrinth: A LitRPG Adventure

by Thomas K. Carpenter

  The passage opened up a short time later, and without the twisting and turning of the maze to redirect the crystal's vibration, it hit him straight in the chest, capturing him in its auditory ecstasy. The cavern was large, bigger than multiple city blocks, with a small mountain at the center, but Terran couldn't concentrate on what he was seeing. The full force of the black crystal's vibration slammed into him, ripping his thoughts out of his body, until he felt a million miles away.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  The world ceased to exist for Terran. If the song of the black crystal was a drug, then he was hooked, mainlining it straight into his brain.

  "Terran! Wake up! Terran! Wake up!"

  A voice called at him from the void but he couldn't tell where it was coming from. There was only the black crystal. He was it, and it was him.

  It wasn't until Chanterelle kissed him—a hungry, lip-biting, hand-on-the-back-of-the-neck kiss—that Terran came out of his trance. He enjoyed their embrace for a while until he pulled away, the song of the black crystal making him feel slightly dizzy, but no longer blotting out his thoughts.

  "Thanks," he said, reaching into his pack for a piece of wax to shove into his ears. "I wasn't expecting it to hit me like that, but I guess I should have known that would happen. I have an affinity to the black."

  "What would have happened if I hadn't been here?" she asked, still close enough he could smell her minty breath.

  "Perish." He touched her shoulder. "Does it affect you?"

  "I hear it, but I don't like it, but not as much as I don't like that thing in the middle of the cavern," she glanced to her right, nostrils flaring.

  "Shadows below," he said as his gaze fell upon the Beast That Eats the World.

  If the song of the black crystal was a drug, the Beast was the embodiment of entropy. It was as big as a small mountain, with a mouth that swirled with the gray annihilation of Between. The shell on its back was the color of space, shimmering black, smudges dancing with galaxies. Terran couldn't stare at it too long, as if it were a negative sun. Even standing in its presence made his stomach ache.

  "Oh gods, maybe I've made a mistake coming here," he said.

  Chanterelle did not give him a withering stare as he expected, only a nod of agreement.

  "If you made me stand on the barest edge of a cliff a mile high and lean as far out as I could, it wouldn't remotely equate the experience of being in the same room as the Beast," she said.

  The Beast That Eats the World – Level ??

  No solo kills here

  Terran dragged his gaze away from the Beast to stare at the black crystal, which was vibrating from a field of magical energy. He took a step towards it before Chanterelle grabbed his arm.

  "You okay?" she asked, forehead hunched. "You looked like you were sleepwalking."

  He shook away the effects of the crystal song. "Sorry. I probably shouldn't be left alone with it."

  "I'd be happy to leave right now," she said. "I won't even hold you to meeting the Lady of Shadows. You said it from the first, this is a bad idea."

  The prospect of leaving behind the world-eating creature was appealing, but when his gaze fell upon the black crystal, the urge to succumb to its song was strong.

  "Let's examine the settings. Maybe there's a way to remove it," he said.

  She spun him around. "Are you crazy? We'll all be dead if you release the crystal. That horrible song is the only thing keeping it from destroying everything, Gneiss Glen included."

  "I'm not taking it unless I have a solution," he said. "I need to see if it's possible."

  Her hand went to her hilt. "I'll put a blade in your gut again if you even try to snatch it out."

  "We really need to work on your flirting," he said with a cocked grin.

  Chanterelle relaxed, crossed her arms, and matched his expression. "I'll be watching."

  They skirted the edge of the chamber. It took longer than expected because the scale of the space was like traveling around a mountain range. The closer he got the more his body tingled as if it were being dipped in mint. He climbed the dais after checking with Chanterelle, who gave him a wary nod.

  The black crystal was set between two stone cones with brass insets, their points towards the middle. Behind the crystal and facing the Beast, a silvery sphere covered in glowing runes emanated a pulsing frequency that felt like an invisible hand playing a set of strings.

  Terran placed his hand inside the magical field. The vibrations warmed him as if he'd been standing in the snow and moved before a roaring fire.

  [You have increased the skill Battle Song]

  Skill: Battle Song 27 (CHA)

  [You have increased the skill Battle Song]

  Skill: Battle Song 28 (CHA)

  Even the most famous bard gets inspiration from other concerts.

  The increases made him smile. He kept his arm in the field, hoping for further improvements, but the vibration began to irritate so he had to remove it.

  Terran positioned himself beneath the crystal so he could examine the settings without getting caught in its song. The danger was still present; he had to work to keep his mind from wandering.

  "The crystal is a D-sharp," he muttered to himself.

  After cutting a dozen crystals he knew how to shape them. The black could be trimmed down, releasing a piece without upsetting the note.

  "What are you thinking?" asked Chanterelle when he pulled out his crystal cutting kit that Zoras had given him.

  He held up a hammer and chisel. "I need to give that crystal a shave. I think I can knock off a piece without waking the Beast."

  She screwed up her face. "Are you sure? All of creation is at stake."

  "I know. But what is this life worth if we're held captive by the Howling Wind, or killed outright?"

  Chanterelle came close and grabbed his hands, intertwined with the cutting tools. "I know this world was created for Offworlders, but please tell me your hubris isn't about to get us all killed. More than killed. Erased from existence. I like living. I want this to continue."

  Terran glanced back to the crystal. "I know I can do this. But if it's not working, I'll stop."

  Chanterelle kissed his cheek, the tips of her eyelashes flickering against his skin.

  He edged beneath the crystal, out of the field. The approach was awkward, but the direct song would probably immobilize him, or make him miss his mark. Terran pushed his hands into the field, ignoring the tingle, and set the chisel against the black crystal.

  Immediately, the song changed as he interfered with the vibration, changing the note. The Beast snorted, sending out a minor earthquake, so Terran removed the chisel. He waited until the Beast had settled before trying again. The Beast quivered at the interruption.

  "Dammit," he said, marching away. "I can't cut it without waking the Beast."

  Chanterelle glanced towards the entrance of the chamber. "We should go then. The Hounds are nearing."

  "They are?"

  "You're sensitive to the crystal song, I'm sensitive to the denizens of shadow. Trust me, they'll be here soon."

  "Can we take them?"

  Chanterelle pinched her lips together. "I will not fight them."

  "Can I take them?"

  She cupped her chin, looked away. "I fear not, even as powerful as you are, and if I'm here, then I must join their side, and against the three of us, you will surely lose."

  Terran looked at the hammer in his fist. "Then I must cut the crystal before they arrive."

  "Terran. Did you not hear what I had to say? They'll be here soon," she said.

  "If you can't stay, I understand, but I'm getting a piece of crystal, even if it means the Hounds catch me," he said.

  Chanterelle bunched up her fists at him. "You're a fool. I should stab you right now."

  "If you must."

  She growled, turning away. "Fine. Kill us all."

  Terran didn't have time to watch her stalk away. He focused on the crystal. An idea had
come to him, though he wasn't sure how feasible it was. As far as he could tell, the silvery runed sphere was generating the magic that kept the Beast in slumber. It was the power of the black crystal that gave that song enough weight to keep it there, but what if he used his Legendary Staff of the Void to provide the crystal song? Would it be enough for a short time while he cut the black?

  He set up his station on the stone dais. Zoras had given him an adjustable plate with brass fittings. He approximated the length of the black. He wouldn't have a lot of time before the Beast woke, and he wasn't sure how long his crystals could maintain the slumber.

  "Am I crazy?"

  He checked back to the chamber to find Chanterelle gone. He hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye.

  "Focus, Terran. Focus."

  First the Staff. He maneuvered the end, placing the large gray crystal and base of crimson, azure, and rose into the field. A keening squelch made him grit his teeth, but the song remained, and the Beast only slightly stirred. The song was different. He sensed the personality of the Void, raw chaos, rather than raw power, singing to the Beast, and as a creature of entropy, it would speak to it more clearly.

  The thought of swapping the two crystals, leaving the void in place of the black, was enticing. He closed his eyes and listened to the quality of the song. The black was the efficient engines of the Reliant, steady and strong, keeping the ship powering through empty space for centuries. The Void was powerful, but he could hear the variations, like a song that was handed down from bard to bard, changing ever so slightly over the years, until it was completely unrecognizable.

  If he swapped the black and void, the Beast would stay in slumber for now, but years later, as the variations of chaos intruded, the field would eventually fail, freeing the Beast.

  "No, I have to cut it."

  With the Void Staff positioned, using free rocks to keep the base locked in, Terran maneuvered the black out of the fittings. The song changed as he stepped down from the dais and crouched before his makeshift workshop.

  On previous cuttings, he'd enjoyed the smooth surface of the crystals against his skin, but the black, still humming from its song, made him quiver with pleasure. He placed it in the fittings before the sensation distracted him.

  Checking behind him to make sure the Beast was still in slumber, Terran lifted his hammer and chisel and let a D-sharp lilt from his lips. The response from the black crystal annihilated his thoughts. He felt like a particle of light shooting across the universe, hurtling at mind-scrambling speeds.

  It was only the memory of Gneiss Glen, his friends, and Chanterelle that brought him back to the task at hand. Steeling himself, he struck the crystal, placing a fissure near the base of the angle. He planned to lengthen this fissure until one final strike would split the crystal in two, with the half that would stay larger than the one he would take, then he could reshape the ends and position the black back in the stone setting. He worked carefully, feverishly, fighting against the lure of the crystal song, until he'd broken the black in two. He'd repositioned the fittings to accommodate the half crystal when a bone-chilling bay announced the Hounds' entrance into the chamber.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Undaunted by the presence of the Beast, the two shadowy shapes, as large as elephants, bounded across the chamber. Terran hesitated between the black crystal in his hand and the Void Staff currently in the magical field. It was the worst possible time for their arrival, as neither the crystal in his hand or the staff was usable for defense, and many of his bardic songs required a staff.

  Hounds of Shadow – Level 32

  It's hard to believe they were the cutest little puppers

  Terran quickly calculated there wasn't enough time to finish the cut before the Hounds arrived. He placed the crystal in his pocket and squared off with the approaching Hounds.

  He conjured a stone fortress from the earth, attempting to capture the Hounds in a personal jail. The barrier stopped their loping approach, and before they could circumvent the wall, he closed them in, forming a thick roof overhead. The Hounds bayed and slammed themselves against the stone, forming cracks.

  [You have increased the skill Earth Sense]

  Skill: Earth Sense 17 (END)

  Stone is your paint, and the world is your canvas.

  Terran returned to the crystal, finishing the task of refitting the black with shaking hands. The Hounds kept throwing themselves at the walls. They wouldn't last long, and he doubted they'd fall for the same trick a second time. He didn't get to lift his hammer for a single blow before the Hounds were loose again. As they crossed the final distance, Terran leapt to his staff, holding out his hand towards the sonic weapon.

  "Stop or I'll end the song and free the Beast," said Terran.

  The Hounds halted their advance, pawing at the ground, growling and snarling. At close range, he could see the finer details that were lost to their shadowy outline from a distance, but he preferred his former impression as now he could see their fangs, dripping with slaver.

  To Terran's surprise, a woman's voice came through the Hounds. It contained the nicks of time, but was not weary, nor weakened.

  "Terran of Gneiss Glen. At last we meet," said the Lady of Shadow.

  "You have me at a disadvantage. I do not know your name, only your menacing moniker," he said.

  "My name is not important, even if I scarcely remember it myself. But what is important is this impasse. Surely you're not willing to destroy everything just to spite me. You'd kill your friends and new family rather than let me have an advantage," said the Lady.

  "I might say the same for you. You didn't have to send your Hounds into the labyrinth."

  "You're trespassing in my realm. If the tables were turned, you would have done the same," she said.

  She was right but he didn't want to admit that.

  "Come now, Terran. Rather than be enemies, why not join together against the Howling Wind. It would be nice to talk to another Offworlder again."

  "I don't think I can trust you after Dagrath. You tried to kill me and my friends," said Terran.

  "Hardly. I was preparing an army against the invasion of the Howling Wind, but you interfered."

  "And your Champion destroyed my book."

  "A setback that did not slow you that much," said the Lady. "You're resourceful, which is why I'm interested in partnering with you now."

  "Let me have the crystal. I can defend the continent with it, and you'll benefit from my defense," said Terran.

  "And allow you to have the most powerful artifact in these lands? I've seen what a black crystal can do outside of this chamber. Once you disposed of the Howling Wind, you'd turn on me, and there'd be little I could do," said the Lady of Shadow. "You know, eventually you're going to have to sleep. My Hounds can stay awake indefinitely, and you know this little standoff is a three on one."

  Terran glanced away, searching for Chanterelle, whose presence had been identified by the Lady, which meant they were no longer allies, but enemies. The moment of distraction freed the nearest Hound. It leapt across the gap in the blink of an eye, its jaws catching Terran in the shoulder, but he twisted away. The momentum from the impact threw them both off the dais, the back leg of the Hound catching the rocks that held the staff, spinning it the opposite direction. The chamber fell to silence, the song ringing in his ears, but no longer keeping the Beast in slumber.

  Terran rose to his feet to retrieve the Legendary Staff of the Void, but the two enormous Hounds blocked him with their snarling, snapping jaws. Their assault faltered as the entire cavern shook as the Beast Who Eats the World began to awake.

  He was about to call for a truce until the Beast was returned to its immobile state, but he knew she didn't care. They could kill him and use his staff once he was gone. Then the end of these lands would only be a matter of time.

  To his surprise he found the cavern full of deep stone. Terran exploded a section beneath the Hounds, but they stayed in position, their yelps
indicating it was only a minor inconvenience. The rumble of the cavern, chips of stone falling from the ceiling, did not move them either, though the Hounds stared upward as if they expected the entire place to fall on their heads.

  Terran used the distraction to dart around them, only to find Chanterelle waiting with blades in both her fists. The flirting gaze had been replaced by menace.

  "There's only one way you're leaving this chamber," she said.

  The quip ready on his lips evaporated under her sudden attack. A burning line of pain across his forearm where the whisperweave tunic didn't protect him left Terran stumbling backwards.

  "This is madness. The Beast is waking. At the very least, return the staff to the magical field," he pleaded.

  "There'll be time soon enough."

  As Chanterelle stalked him, the two massive Hounds stayed near the fallen staff. His backwards escape over uneven ground was made worse by the steadily increasing shaking. Terran risked a glance towards the center of the chamber to see the head of the Beast lifting slightly, its void mouth sucking up sections of the rock absently.

  To keep Chanterelle off-balance, he exploded a section of stone beneath her feet. The impact threw her sideways like a rag doll, but she quickly returned to her stance, cutting him off before he could circle back around.

  Walls didn't work either, she sensed them before they grew from the earth, dodging out of the way. The Hounds had been large enough to capture, but she was too lithe, too quick. It was like trying to catch a shadow.

  When the Beast lifted its head, a roar annihilating the rocky ceiling above its head, releasing other sections to crash onto the ground, he shouted at Chanterelle.

  "If we don't stop it soon, it's going to destroy the cavern, and there won't be a staff to calm it. You have to let me past," he said.

  "I have my orders."

  He should have been focused on the fight, on how to get past Chanterelle and return the crystal to the magical field, but Newt's argument came back to him, cold and ashy. His friend was right. The Prophecy had been a trick. The world was trying to reset itself, and by taking the black crystal, he'd returned the Beast Who Eats the World to its rightful place.