“…Well, this is…”
It was an absurd situation.
After entering the gate, Yujin came across a door inscribed with words identical to those in a trap room from the game. When he stepped inside, he found myself in a labyrinth that existed within the game.
How was he supposed to process this?
“The members of the guild… seem to be gone. Am I the only one who got separated?”
With the polite tone that had become second nature to him, Yujin stood up and scanned the surroundings.
If it’s anything like what I saw in the game… there’s no way there’s an exit.
In the game, this was a place you could only enter through a trap room. There was no way an exit could exist to let you escape from a trap.
More importantly, the game had a return system. Even if you fell into a trap room, you could use the system to return outside the labyrinth. Normally, that was how players dealt with falling into these rooms.
The problem is… that’s not something I can do now.
For Yujin, using the return system wasn’t an option.
In the game, the return system was a form of divine blessing that only applied to those who had entered the labyrinth through its official entrance. It was said to be a gift from the gods to make sure mortals could survive and escape if trapped.
But Yujin hadn’t entered through the labyrinth’s official entrance. He had come in through some unknown door within the gate.
Even if the door had been the entrance, Yujin didn’t recall receiving any sort of blessing. In the first place, such a blessing left a glowing tattoo-like mark on the back of one’s hand.
Yujin’s hand was clean, without so much as a hint of a mark.
“…Well, this is troublesome.”
There wasn’t much reason to go on living, but the idea of drying up and dying in some unknown place like this wasn’t exactly appealing either.
Yujin decided to search the area to see if anything could be of use.
The space was vast but empty. It only had numerous stone coffins and scattered bones.
“…I should have searched a bit more in the game if I’d known this would happen.”
His phone was gone too, leaving him with nothing but the gear he had been wearing before entering.
Yujin exhaled deeply and began to move forward. As he inspected the other stone coffins, he noticed a special altar among the bones in front of him.
He decided to examine the altar first.
When he approached the altar, Yujin noticed something placed atop it.
“…That is?”
It was a gem-like object that was radiating crimson energy.
While it was scattering beautiful red light on the outside, it was like a black hole slowly sucking in light… It was emitting a dark light like an abyss.
Drawn to it, Yujin approached the object as if under a spell.
He reached the front of the altar and placed his hand on the gem-like object.
[At last, you have arrived.]
“!”
Suddenly, a voice rang out.
A sweet voice that seemed majestic yet gentle at first glance. It almost melted his brain.
Yujin tried hard to conceal his surprise and looked at the object where his hand rested.
“…Who are you?”
[Hmm? How curious. Most mortals would usually panic and grow wary, yet… child, you are remarkably composed.]
“Haha… While facing the incomprehensible isn’t something I’m accustomed to, it’s not entirely unfamiliar either.”
Yujin tried to smile in response. The voice seemed somewhat interested.
[Interesting… Child, may I ask you a question?]
“If it’s something I can answer, I’ll do so.”
[Fufu… Very well. Then, child, who do you think I am?]
“……..”
Yujin fell silent for a moment at the question.
Who could the owner of this voice be, echoing through the gem-like object? In the first place, what was this object?
It appeared unlike any gem he had ever seen and was radiating a beauty reminiscent of the universe itself.
Yujin raised his gaze.
The altar was surrounded by towering structures resembling an arched formation of colossal bones.
And then, the name of this space came to mind.
Recalling it, Yujin finally spoke.
“…Tiamat.”
According to the setting of Labyrinth Academy, long ago, during the great war, the leader of the dragon forces among the transcendent forces, and the name of this space… Tiamat’s Tomb.
[…Fu… Ahahahahaha…!]
As soon as Yujin uttered the name, the voice burst into laughter.
The laughter was clear and cheerful as if it was genuinely amused.
[Ahahaha… Indeed, you are perceptive and quick-witted. I like that.]
“…I’m honored to hear that.”
What Yujin received was essentially an affirmation.
The voice had just confirmed its identity as Tiamat.
A being that was like a god among gods in the history of Labyrinth Academy.
She continued.
[Fufu… But isn’t it surprising, child? The fact that the owner of this voice you’re hearing was once the leader of a race in the war among transcendents.]
“…It is surprising, just like everything about this moment.”
It was already incomprehensible that he had entered a space from within a game in the first place. At this point, it was easier to just let it go and clear his mind.
Yujin muttered to himself those words, but the voice… Tiamat still seemed interested.
[Truly fascinating. How can you remain so calm in the face of me? Or is it that the remnants of a defeated being from the war are simply not that surprising to you?]
“It’s not that. It’s just… humans tend to become oddly calm when confronted with something beyond their understanding. Perhaps it’s because it doesn’t feel real.”
[No, child. You are different from that. Your heart is so still and tranquil… almost as if emptied.]
“……”
Was that so? He thought of himself as no different than usual, but when such a great being said it, it gave him pause.
[How amusing. I’ve waited here, sleeping in this tomb for countless years… and now, the one who has finally come to me is far more interesting than I expected.]
“I can’t say how long you’ve been here, but if you’ve been asleep since the Great War, I imagine anyone who found you would be fascinating to you.”
[Fufu, perhaps, but I would have grown bored soon enough. If they were too typical of mortal reactions, it might be amusing at first, but it would quickly become predictable.]
“That may be true.”
A life where everything was predictable… it sounded unbearably dull. Yujin agreed without hesitation.
[So, let me ask… child, what is your name?]
“My name?”
[Yes, you may take it as an honor. For a transcendent being to ask a mortal their name means they consider you worthy of being remembered.]
“….….”
At those words, Yujin was silent for a moment before finally speaking.
“Yujin… Han Yujin.”
“Han Yujin?”
“Yes. Is it strange?”
“Hmm… So Yujin is your name, and Han is your family name?”
“That’s correct.”
[Now that I think about it, you do resemble an Eastern human in appearance. Just to ask, are you by any chance a half-elf?]
“An elf? No, I have no connection to them.”
Elves were a race of humans that were commonly called forest fairies… In other words, they were a race that resembled humans.
They were said to have exceptionally beautiful appearances and long lifespans compared to humans.
Naturally, on Earth, they were purely mythical beings and didn’t exist, so Yujin couldn’t possibly be a half-elf.
[Is that so? For that, your skin is unusually pale, and you have quite a cute appearance compared to other mortals.]
“Cute… you say…”
It was the first time since childhood, other than from his parents, that Yujin had ever been called cute. Could his appearance in this life be different from his previous one?
Yujin considered it but realized his appearance wasn’t particularly different from his past life.
In reality, Yujin had always been someone people avoided due to his mysterious aura and inscrutable demeanor, not because of any flaw in his looks.
Even though a dragon’s aesthetic sense differed from that of humans, the fundamental standards of beauty weren’t drastically different.
Humans often looked at dogs or cats in much the same way, didn’t they? While humans weren’t dogs or cats themselves, they could still judge their appearance as cute or pretty.
Similarly, dragons could also discern the charm or beauty in the appearance of mortals, including humans. To Tiamat, Yujin belonged to the exceptionally handsome category.
“…Well, thank you, I suppose.”
[I’m merely stating what I feel. By the way, child, do you have any questions for me?]
“Questions…”
Given how casually she was allowing him to ask, Yujin wondered if she truly found him to her liking. Or perhaps she had simply been bored for too long.
“Well… for starters, what is this?”
Yujin gazed at the gem-like object on which his hand was resting and asked,
“The moment I touched this, I began hearing your voice, Lady Tiamat…”
[Ah, that.]
“Yes. Even at a glance, it’s clearly no ordinary object, but I still don’t know what it is.”
To this question, Tiamat responded with a surprising answer, as if it were nothing of importance.
[It’s my heart.]
“…Your heart?”
This gem-like object was supposed to be her heart? Its form and structure were far too strange for something that functioned as a heart.
Sensing the doubt in his voice, Tiamat added an explanation.
[A dragon’s heart is different from the heart of an ordinary creature. It’s an organ commonly referred to as the core. It is a source of infinite magical power and a representation of a dragon’s authority. It is also the origin of all the abilities a dragon possesses.]
“…I see. It’s an extraordinary object, to say the least. To think it’s the core of the leader of dragons.”
The source of a dragon’s power… a dragon’s core.
“But why did touching your heart allow me to communicate with you, Lady Tiamat?”
[…Hmm?]
“…? Is something wrong?”
Yujin asked when he noticed the faint hum of curiosity in her response. Tiamat replied,
[It’s nothing. It’s just… you called it an extraordinary object, yet instead of coveting it, you seem more interested in why you were able to connect with me through it. Normally, a mortal would seize such a treasure without hesitation, claiming it as their own.]
“Haha, coveting something beyond my ability to handle is the shortest path to an early death. Besides, this seems to be connected to you, Lady Tiamat. I’d be terrified of whatever punishment I might face if I tried to take it recklessly.”
[Even with that in mind, most would feel at least a momentary greed. Yujin… you’re truly an interesting child.]
It seemed Yujin had inadvertently piqued Tiamat’s interest even further. Her tone became noticeably more favorable as she spoke.
[Hmm… Right, you were asking why you could communicate with me, weren’t you? It’s nothing too remarkable. Before I died, I sealed my soul within my heart.]
“Sealed your soul,…”
[During the Great War, I was defeated, and ultimately, my body met its end. But I couldn’t just quietly accept death, could I? Even if I accepted my defeat, I decided to prepare for the future.]
In short, it meant she survived by sealing her soul within her heart, even if only to prepare for what was to come. Tiamat continued speaking.
[I thought that if someone ever came to my tomb, and if that person faithfully followed me, I would hand over my heart to them. I wanted to create a new dragon. A dragon’s heart is the source of all its powers. If someone consumed it and made it their own, a new dragon would be born. Above all, since it’s my heart, the heart of the leader of dragons, it would birth someone with extraordinary potential.]
“I see.”
So that’s what it was. She intended to hand her heart to someone who followed her to give rise to a new dragon. It made sense.
“But I’m curious. Do you have any means to enforce your will on the person who consumes your heart? It feels like merely following you might not be enough.”
[…….?]
“Hmm? Is something wrong?”
Tiamat’s emotions that were filled with a hint of doubt flowed into his mind. Yujin asked her in response.
[Did you hear everything I just said?]
“? Yes, I did.”
[The one who receives my heart becomes a dragon. Even a mortal gains the qualifications to transcend.]
“Yes, that’s what I heard.”
[…Doesn’t that tempt you? Right now, you practically meet the conditions.]
“But I don’t follow you, Lady Tiamat.”
She had said that if someone who followed her appeared, she would give them her heart and transform them into a new dragon. But Yujin did not follow Tiamat.
Wasn’t it a bit ambiguous to say he met the conditions? In the first place, Yujin had no desire to become a transcendent being.
He had no compelling reason to aim for greatness. He was a simple man who would be perfectly content to retire before 30, tend to bonsai trees, live a leisurely life, and eventually pass away.
There was no reason for him to become a dragon or a transcendent being. His life was one where he lived simply because he had no particular reason to die.
In such a life, becoming a transcendent and challenging the heavens felt like nothing more than chasing an empty dream.
[………]
Tiamat could find no words to respond and was left speechless.
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