Vampire

Mako and Gantz pushed open the heavy door. At the same time, Sei cast magic on everyone.

It was a spell to counter mental attacks. A defensive magic with Carla-sensei's seal of approval, guaranteed to completely block something as weak as a vampire's charm.

They swiftly entered the room. The enormous space, large enough for a giant to rampage around freely, had rocks scattered here and there.

"In the back."

Sei ran. Chaos followed.

A small coffin came into view. They stopped. The coffin opened.

Inside the coffin lay a handsome middle-aged man with golden hair.

"It's a vampire."

In response to Sei's whisper, the vampire answered.

"It's been a while since explorers have come…"

Rising from the coffin, the vampire directed his crimson gaze at the party.

"Hmm, you aren't carrying any boorish weapons. Old-fashioned explorers armed with magical weapons and armor."

The vampire smiled in good spirits. But his eyes weren't smiling.

"I've got a question for you."

"Hmm, what is it?"

The vampire responded to Sei's question in the same good mood.

"I heard vampires are part of the demon race, so why are you serving as a floor boss in a labyrinth?"

"When you've lived for over a thousand years, young lady…"

Spreading his cloak gracefully, the vampire answered.

"You tend to get bored. So I made a deal with the master of this labyrinth."

As if intoxicated, the vampire raised his hand.

"To wait at the deepest part of the labyrinth and crush the hopes of explorers. I thought it sounded rather entertaining. That's all there is to it."

"You came all the way here just for that?"

"I have time to spare. I usually sleep, occasionally getting my blood pumping with combat. Humans may not understand, but this is quite the ideal environment."

She couldn't comprehend the vampire's values. But she understood that she couldn't understand.

"One more question. If you die here, will you properly come back to life?"

At that question, the vampire laughed out loud.

"Are you worried about me? Young explorer. Of course I will be resurrected, but you cannot kill me in the first place."

"I see. I do hesitate to kill someone who can hold a proper conversation, but if that's the case, then it's fine."

"Interesting. Most interesting, young lady. I've never heard of an explorer who worries about a vampire. That said…"

The vampire wore a slightly different smile than before.

"Two virgins, are there? Their blood must be quite delicious."

"You sexual harassment bastard!"

Sei shouted, and the battle began.

Chaos sheathed his curved sword and focused on defense with his shield. He knew his attacks couldn't damage the vampire.

Mako and Gantz charged forward, imbuing their weapons with magic power. Even this would significantly reduce the damage dealt, but it was better than nothing.

Dodging their attacks, the vampire soared into the air. There, he created multiple ice spears.

But Sei completed her spell faster.

Dozens of fire arrows were launched at the vampire.

The fire arrows evaporated the ice spears and pierced the vampire. In response, the vampire furrowed his brow.

"You're somewhat capable, human…"

Ignoring the vampire's voice, fire arrows continued piercing him one after another. On top of that, Mako extended her spear and impaled the vampire's chest.

"Y-You insolent…"

Kukuri and Nero attacked with arrows. Since they knew the vampire was the boss, they had prepared mithril arrowheads that would work against him.

"C-Curse you…"

Sei's attacks didn't stop. Even using Identify, she could see the vampire's life force steadily dropping. She thought they might simply overwhelm him like this, but.

"Enough!"

A blast wave exploded outward from the vampire.

"Fools who know nothing of the aesthetics of combat…"

When the vampire brushed his hair aside, what he saw were six completely unharmed explorers.

Nero and Kukuri had hidden behind Chaos's shield, and Gantz was uninjured behind his own shield.

Sei and Mako had completely blocked the blast with magical barriers.

"He's surprisingly weak… Actually, maybe that vampire hasn't really fought anyone on his level or stronger before?"

"Yeah, I think so too. He's way too careless."

Still, it was impressive for a vampire.

In the brief pause in attacks, his life force was rapidly recovering.

His magic power and stamina weren't depleted either, so it was purely a racial trait.

"Well then, continuing on."

Sei's anti-air barrage resumed.

Mako's spear attacks were going strong too. Kukuri and Nero had run out of arrows, so they were in spectator mode.

No matter how close to immortal, a vampire wasn't truly immortal.

He would revive even if killed in this labyrinth, but being defeated by these explorers was highly unsatisfactory.

Floating in the air, the vampire identified his target.

The biggest threat was that mage girl, but she seemed to have some trump card up her sleeve.

The second biggest threat was the spear-wielding girl. Sharp attacks, but she only had one spear.

The rest didn't matter. They had no means of attack.

The vampire swooped down toward Mako, adding the momentum of his fall.

His clawed hands became weapons. Mako blocked the attack with her spear.

But she was naive. The vampire had another method of attack.

He would sink his sharp fangs into the girl's soft neck.

Or rather, he tried to.

"Too bad."

Hard scales. Hard enough to block a vampire's fangs.

And Mako bit a chunk out of the vampire's neck instead.

What?

The vampire was confused.

He was supposed to be the predator. So why was he being eaten?

After chewing, Mako swallowed the vampire's flesh.

"… Raw meat doesn't taste good."

Muttering that with a calm expression, Mako pinned the vampire down with her spear and bit into his neck again.

Fangs.

Her teeth, strengthened from eating carnivorous monsters, could even be called fangs.

With half his neck severed, the vampire died.

"Whoa…"

Sei muttered in a daze, taken aback.

"D-Did you eat him?"

"Yeah. Vampires are strong, so I thought if I ate one, I'd get stronger."

"I see… The vampire's still alive though. Want to eat more?"

According to Sei's Identify, the vampire still had life force remaining.

Looking at him, the wounds on the vampire's neck, who should have died, were slowly regenerating.

"Could you cook it for me? Raw is a bit…"

"Got it."

Once, when cremating people killed by bandits, Mako had vomited.

But now she was saying she could eat it if cooked. What had happened to her?

"You're okay with eating something humanoid?"

"But he'll come back to life, right? Then I have to devour enemies that might give me special abilities."

"Y-Yeah, I guess."

Sei burned the vampire's body as instructed. The moment his life force hit zero, his body turned to ash.

"Huh…?"

"Huh?"

"Maybe because he's a vampire, he turned to ash when he completely died?"

"Maybe…"

While Mako pondered, Sei used Identify.

"Whoa…"

She had gained quite a few Gifts.

High Speed Healing, Regeneration, Organ Regeneration, Limb Regeneration—those made sense, but what about Blood Drain?

She had also gained Physical Attack Reduction, various magic resistances, and status ailment resistances—the vampire's best attributes. It was strange that she hadn't gained Charm, but perhaps that was because it belonged to the mental category?

Her race was still technically human, but maybe Sei should reconsider their relationship.

At the very least, they should confirm whether she could still function properly under sunlight.

"Mako, next time you eat something, please consult me first."

"Eh? Was there some bad effect?"

"No, not exactly…"

So this was Gluttony.

It wasn't simply getting stronger from eating. It was gaining the abilities of what she ate.

At that point, Sei realized something frightening.

(What would happen if I fed her my flesh…?)

No, surely even Mako wouldn't go that far.

That's what she wanted to believe. For her own mental stability.

"Hey, are you okay? Ugh."

The other party members who had scattered came gathering. In their line of sight was Mako with her mouth stained red.

"Did you cut your lip?"

Chaos asked with concern, but that wasn't the case.

"Umm, well, I ate the vampire."

Mako struck a pose with a face that said "Tee-hee."

Chaos and Nero stood with their mouths hanging open. This was par for the course, but this time Gantz and Kukuri were the same.

"S-So the vampire…"

Nero forced out his voice desperately.

"He seemed to still be alive even when he couldn't breathe, but when I burned him until his life force hit zero, he turned to ash."

"Then this means we've completed the labyrinth conquest."

"That should be the case, but…"

At that moment, a voice was heard.

'Well done, explorers, for defeating the floor master and conquering the labyrinth.'

It was a woman's voice. Filled with power, soft yet carrying a sense of will.

'In recognition of this honor, I shall grant your wishes to the extent of my power.'

The voice echoed, making it impossible to tell where it came from. But somehow, everyone looked up.

"My wish is to be able to use water magic. Can that be granted?"

Chaos, who had the clearest wish, spoke up.

'It shall be granted.'

Light gathered before Chaos and entered his body.

At the same time, a clear magical formula began forming in Chaos's mind.

"Water."

With Chaos's incantation, water overflowed from his hand.

"Ohhh…"

His long-held wish had finally come true, and he even had tears in his eyes.

Sei used Identify on Chaos, and indeed he had the Level 1 Water Magic skill. He hadn't lost the Fire Gift either.

(Couldn't he have just learned that normally from Carla-sensei?)

She thought that, but it was too late to say now.

"I want an orichalcum sword. Not for me to use, but one so impressive that anyone who sees it can feel its power."

Nero had stepped forward. The goddess responded to him.

'It shall be granted.'

The light took form before Nero, becoming a longsword a bit too large for him to use.

Nero smiled. Not a nihilistic smile, but one of genuine relief.

"I want to become stronger."

The next to speak was Gantz.

A blunt statement, typical of him. The goddess paused briefly in response.

'Simply becoming stronger is impossible. This labyrinth was created for the purpose of becoming stronger. However, I can grant you magic, skills, or resistances.'

"I want my strength increased."

'It shall be granted.'

To Sei's eyes, she could see that Gantz had gained the 'Herculean Strength' skill. It seemed to be the advanced version of the Superhuman Strength skill.

"I… I guess I'd like the Identify skill with See Through attached."

Kukuri appeared to have agonized over the decision, but that's what he said in the end.

"At first I wanted to learn all the poems the Goddess-sama knew, but I decided to seek those out myself. That means an ability useful for traveling would be best."

'It shall be granted.'

The goddess spoke with a hint of a smile in her voice.

Light entered Kukuri, and he gained the See Through skill.

"Okay, so for me—"

'I have something special to discuss with you two.'

Interrupting Mako's voice, the goddess spoke.

'I shall send the others to the surface. Wait a moment.'

Light enveloped the four, and they vanished.

The ones remaining were Sei and Mako. These two had something in common.

They were both people from another world.

Sei was on guard. There was definitely some intent behind keeping only her and Mako.

But before she could take any action, the world around them changed.

"What is this…?"

Under the moonlight, luminescent flowers.

In the distance was a great tree, and from that direction, a small light approached.

"A fairy?"

It was a small winged fairy. At the very least, she sensed no hostility.

"Welcome to the eleventh floor of the Trial Labyrinth."

The fairy announced this with a slightly happy expression.

"I am Labyrinth. The master of this labyrinth."

Nice to meet you, Labyrinth continued.