Chapter 8: Zombie Apocalypse (1/2)

Gray returned to the top of the staircase, ignoring the new path that was now open after defeating the boss on the first floor.

”Huh?”. Gray blurted out unintentionally. While going up the stairs, his body tripped, causing him to stumble.

When he leaned back to avoid falling headfirst onto the staircase floor, his leg slipped on the pool of dry blood beneath him. Resulting in him losing balance.

'Shit-'

[Pause]

Without a doubt, the fall back down the staircase would have killed him. He would have lost his life had he not been able to [Pause] and catch himself in time.

After he sighed, he continued up the stairs. Every once in a while he looked down the pit beside the staircase on his path to the top, imagining what would have happened if he had fallen down the pit instead of the staircase when he first entered the labyrinth.

It literally looked like the abyss. As he pondered these things, he reached the top.

As he looked up, he wondered just how he could escape? The labyrinth was quite a far way down.

Gray contemplated how to climb up for some time before deciding it would be best to climb up.

He could pause the air beneath him, creating a platform on which he could leap up in order to reach the top faster and more efficiently, however, this would require more stamina than simply pausing a body part.

Of course such a feat would not have been possible without his ability.

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He slowly began climbing up the walls of the labyrinth, using his skills. As he scooted his body upwards, he paused and unpacked his hand at the exact moment. Having failed twice before, he did this again and again, but by his third try he had mastered it.

Five minutes and 49 seconds had passed since he began this third climb. He would have been out of breath by now if not for the fact that he placed all of his remaining points into stamina. But even with the extra five points he was struggling.

As he climbed, he panted heavily. As a result of how long he had been straining his arms, they had grown numb.

He was battling infections all over his body, his teeth ached from not brushing them, and the stench coming from him was clouding his thinking.

It was the hunger, the fever, and the thirst that had reached the point where he wanted to drink his own urine if it helped.

It was clear from his status.

[Possessor: Gray Caliber

Race: Human

State: Fatigued / Greatly Injured

Level: 2

XP Required For Level Up: 65/200

[HP: 8/11] [-4 Injured / Infected]

The unfortunate situation couldn't help but bring back bad memories.

”Damn it…”. He cursed as he panted, but there was no sign of the top.

[Pause]

He scooted up once again when all of the sudden. There was a change in the air.

[You have left the labyrinth]

At that moment, he felt it. As the sunlight brushed the top of his head, he felt its warmth. Confused, he looked up, his eyes widening.

He felt his heart begin to pound as he saw it. A vast blue sky.

Gray, unsure of why it suddenly appeared, picked up the pace and climbed faster and faster. The hole seemed to grow wider as well.

'Just a bit more-'

A humanoid figure suddenly flew past Gray. It was as if time stood still as he felt as if he had made eye contact with it. He looked down to see what it was, but before he could, it was too far down for him to see.

Even though he just climbed up it, everything and the stairs seemed unrecognizable. All that was beneath him was pure darkness.

'A person just fell…?'

While Gray paused and unpaused on his ascent, his hand moved faster and faster as he advanced.

100 meters…

Another humanoid figure fell past him, this time from the other side. Even more concerned than before, Gray continued on because stopping wasn't an option.

50 meters…

Another three figures, this time from the other direction.