I set my phone down on the counter, watching as the screen faded to black and left me staring at my own reflection once more.
[Time until reentry: 15 minutes, 03 seconds]
'Almost time.'
I walked out, tossing on a plain black hoodie and slipping into my worn-out sneakers. And I grabbed my phone and keys, sliding both into my jacket as I stepped out of the apartment.
The city was quiet. Early evening. The kind of quiet that buzzed with the low hum of electricity from streetlamps, cars in the distance, and the murmuring of the Astral Community still active on my phone.
No one looked up when I passed them by. I liked it that way. Even with my name trending again in the Hall of Firsts, no one knew it was me. Blank was a mask, and Nile Santos was just another face in the crowd.
[Time until reentry: 12 minutes, 57 seconds]
I sat down near the Rift, away from the others, my back against a rusted metal pillar. The chill of the evening settled into my skin, but it was nothing compared to the cold that waited inside.
My thoughts wandered—not to the third floor, not to the challenges waiting beyond, but to him.
The Patron I was still waiting for.
'You're watching, aren't you?'
'Show yourself. I'm not playing around. I've rejected twenty-one of them already. What more do you need?'
The Rift pulsed again, and my gaze locked onto it.
[Time until reentry: 10 minutes, 02 seconds]
My ears caught a nearby conversation—two newcomers standing a few steps from the Rift, their voices low but clear in the thinning crowd.
"Hey… uh, question," one of them said, scratching the back of his neck. He looked younger, still in street clothes with a cheap knockoff combat vest strapped awkwardly across his chest. "So like… this is my first time. You think the Rift's gonna toss me into the third floor since that's the latest unlocked one?"
His friend laughed nervously, checking his own phone. "Nah, I don't think it works that way. I read about this earlier on the Community. If you've never cleared a floor before, it automatically throws you into Floor 1. You gotta earn your way up."
The newbie frowned. "So I don't get to just… skip?"
"Definitely not," his friend said. "The Labyrinth's structured. First-timers always get sent to Floor 1. That's the entry trial. Once you beat that, then the next time you enter, the system'll recognize it and unlock Floor 2 for you. It always drops you at the lowest floor you haven't cleared yet."
"Ohhh…" the guy nodded slowly, connecting the dots. "So if I clear Floor 1 today, and come back tomorrow, I go straight into Floor 2?"
"Exactly. It's all automatic. You don't get to choose your floor until you've cleared it first. It's why people are going nuts trying to get through Floor 1 right now—some have been stuck there for days."
"Damn…"
I kept listening as they drifted deeper into conversation, the same nervous energy buzzing through them as it had for me the first time.
It was a good reminder: no shortcuts in the Rift. No cheating the system. You had to bleed for every step forward.
[Time until reentry: 00:05:07]
Almost there.
The crowd continued to swell—some Vassals were flexing their gear, showing off enchanted swords, reinforced coats, glowing sigils carved into their weapons or arms. Others stood off to the side, quiet and focused, like me.
I exhaled slowly and stepped away from the chatter, leaning against a rusted railing at the far side of the plaza. And when I checked the timer, the Rift was already open.
[Time until reentry: 00:00:00]
[Rift entry Unlocked.]
[You may now enter the Labyrinth.]
Dozens of people started stepping forward. Some alone, others in groups of two or three. Faces lit by the pulsing light. Weapons drawn, gear ready. Many of them would die within minutes of entry, but their eyes still gleamed with something fierce—ambition. Desperation. Faith. Maybe all three.
I rose from where I sat, and jumped straight into the rift.
[You have entered the 3rd Floor of the Labyrinth.]
[ Quest Type: Extermination ]
[ Requirement: None ]
[ Objective: Eliminate the Goblins 50/50 ]
[You cannot exit this floor until the objective is complete.]