[You have entered the 2nd Floor of the Labyrinth.]
[ Quest Type: Survival ]
[ Requirement: None ]
[ Objective: Survive the fog. ]
[You cannot exit this floor until the objective is complete.]
Thud.
I landed hard, knees bending slightly as I landed. The air was still. Not windless — dead. Heavy, like something pressing against your chest from the inside.
I looked up, and truly, I am inside The Silent Garden.
Tall, crooked trees surrounded me, all leafless and dry. Their black bark twisted upward like frozen smoke. Broken stone paths ran through the woods, scattered with fallen bricks and shattered statues.
It looked like a forgotten graveyard.
And then, I noticed the fog was already here. Pale green, and shifting as if it is alive.
Pale green. Rolling in slow waves over the ground. It covered everything below the knees, and it kept rising, slowly, like water in a sinking ship.
[Time Remaining: 04:59:50]
I didn't waste time.
I still vividly remembered the path, and I moved quickly down a crumbling stone path. Every five steps, I checked my surroundings — tree formations, ruined arches, a bent statue of a woman holding a book.
The longer you stayed, the worse it got. The poison wasn't strong at first, but it built up — slow, sneaky. First you'd get a headache. Then your legs would feel heavy. Then the real symptoms: dizziness, nausea, blurred vision. Death.
As the hours passed by, more people signed their Pacts. More became Vassals.
The Crimson Rift had started as a mystery, a danger only a few dared to approach. But now, it was a doorway to something greater. Power, fame, survival — whatever they wanted, the Labyrinth offered a chance to reach it.
And the world couldn't look away.
The number of challengers grew fast. Some entered alone, others in teams. Every hour, more of them stepped into the Rift and onto the First Floor.
[Astral Community Forum]
As I walked, I checked my interface and opened the Astral Community feed. Even in the Rift, you could still browse it — signal from the gods, they said.
My post had blown up.
[INFO] Vile Sludges – Weakness & Kill Method (Floor 1)
Body:
The thread had over 80,000 views already. Thousands of comments, likes, reposts.
└ @FrostVassal: "It works. Fire actually works. We just cleared our first nest."
└ @NovaSeeker: "Whoever Blank is, they just saved my squad. Respect."
└ @HelixLancer: "I thought this was bait. We almost gave up. Then we torched one… and it melted."
└ @RiftBorn: "Blank's the real deal. Guy's in the Hall for a reason."
└ @ZetaFox: "FIRE! FIRE EVERYTHING!!" 🔥🔥🔥
Some people were even putting together mini-guides using my info. Making charts. Making memes.
But, of course, not everyone loved it.
└ @NullFaith: "Easy to claim you're Blank. Post a vid or stop acting like a god."
└ @D3bunker: "Fake. Someone's farming clout with old info."└
@VoidEye: "Typical. Drops one post, thinks he's a savior."
└ @SludgeHunter69: "Screw you Blank. My friend died trying your method."
I didn't respond to any of them. I didn't need to.
Those who listened survived. The rest would maybe learn eventually.
And some of the replies… some of them were different.
└ @AuriVassal: "Blank saved us. No joke. I owe you my life."
└ @PatchKid: "I joined the Rift because of you. Please keep posting."
└ @CrimsonFan88: "Blank is GOAT. Give this man a throne already."
└ @WatchfulWren: "Following every word you say. Please don't vanish like others did…"
[The Center Garden]
[Time Remaining: 04:43:17]
The fog was thicker now, so I sped up.
The map in my head told me I was close to the center — the worst part of the floor. The place where most people got lost or turned around.
And that was exactly why it was also the fastest route to the exit.
I reached a wide clearing surrounded by broken archways and headless statues. In the middle stood a spiral pattern made of pale stones. Just beyond that — a narrow, fog-covered trail leading deeper.
I gritted my teeth, stepped into the spiral, and pushed through.
[Time Remaining: 04:38:44]
My fingers were starting to tingle, but the path was clear now.
I could already see a tall, broken wall with a vine-covered archway. The exit.
On earth, a notification popped up in front of everyone.
[System Message]
[Someone has cleared the 2nd Floor of the Labyrinth!]
[The 3rd Floor of the Labyrinth will open in 1 hour.]
[20 days have been added to the Annihilation Countdown.]
[Time Remaining Until Annihilation: 59 Days, 22 Hours, 8 Minutes, 12 Seconds]
-
└ @FrostVassal: "Huh? Wait… the 2nd floor was cleared already?"
└ @NovaSeeker: "Already?!"
└ @SludgeHunter69: "No way. Who the hell did it??"
└ @RadiantMage: "I don't know, but damn, whoever they are, they're on fire. Who else could clear it that fast?"
└ @HelixLancer: "I'm legit impressed."
└ @ZetaFox: "Bro, we're still trying to figure out Floor 1... now the 2nd floor's gone. That's wild."
└ @VoidEye: "I bet it's one of those big-name Vassals trying to make a name for themselves. Someone from the Hall, maybe?"
└ @PatchKid: "Holy shit, whoever it is, they're amazing."
└ @AuriVassal: "Yo, this guy has gotta be crazy good. I saw a post from a guy called Blank, and if that's the same person, they're legit. First in the Hall, now this?"
└ @CrimsonFan88: "Wait, I think Blank did it? No way… Is Blank the one who cleared it? Damn, that's a whole new level."
└ @WatchfulWren: "I've followed Blank. Guy's got some serious skills if that is the case."
└ @SludgeSurvivor: "What the hell, the first floor barely even settled and now this? The game's changing faster than I thought."
└ @DoubtfulOne: "Hold up, Blank? Was the source legit? That dude who posted about the Sludges? Nah, there's no way he cleared it so fast. He's just a fluke."
└ @NullFaith: "If Blank really did it, post the proof. I don't trust anyone who doesn't show a vid. No vid, no proof."
└ @ZetaFox: "I just checked their thread… they've got the whole 'Sludge method' thing down. Maybe Blank's for real after all."
└ @HelixLancer: "Well, whoever they are, I'm taking notes. If I don't catch up, I'll never survive the next floors."
People were shocked by the notification, and started to follow me on my Astral Community Page.
[You are the First to Clear the 2nd Floor.]
[You are the Fastest to Clear the 2nd Floor: 22 minutes, 16 seconds]
[Rewarding Bonus Experience…]
'This feels amazing. I wonder what will I get this time'
[Rewards Calculated.]
▸ Reward Received:『Dungeoneer's Charm』 [Common, Rank C]
A simple charm crafted by experienced adventurers, offering minor but useful effects to ease the journey.
Increases your stamina regeneration by 5% while in the Labyrinth
Reduces the time it takes to regain health from healing items by 10%
▸ Stat Points Awarded:
+3 STR
+2 DEX
+2 END
[Strength increased by 3.]
[Dexterity increased by 2.]
[Endurance increased by 2.]
I got some stat points as a reward, but I wasn't sure how many I had in total.
'It's fine. Even though I can't see my system yet, so long as I can feel its effects, that should suffice'
The only thing that bothers me is not being able to open up my inventory to use the Skill Book I acquired earlier. That will help me get rid of something on the 10th floor.
[System Alert – First Clear Recognition]
Your achievement shall be recorded in the Hall of Firsts.
A name is required for the inscription. This name will be eternal, visible to all challengers who follow. Choose wisely.
Please input the name to be etched into the Hall of Firsts:
(....)
When you're the first to clear a floor, it doesn't matter if the same person does it again because the system will always ask for a name to be added to the Hall of Firsts.
"Blank."
[The name 'Blank' has been registered.]
[Labyrinth – 2nd Floor: Cleared]
[Cleared By: Blank ]
[Completion Time: 22 minutes, 16 seconds]
[You are being returned to Earth.]
[Please stand by.]