The seventh floor of the Septem Grand Labyrinth.

There was a lone figure standing there.

That figure was none other than the hero, Nord.

Nord walked cautiously along the dimly lit, narrow passageway, a faintly sinister smile on his face.

“Hahaha... to think there really was a hidden route leading to the lowest level!”

He recalled the information he had received from a certain demon recently.

The Septem Grand Labyrinth contained a hidden route that connected the third floor directly to the seventh.

However, only a hero could traverse this hidden path.

That’s what the demon had said.

Of course, Nord hadn’t swallowed the information whole.

Still, he decided to test it out, thinking it wouldn’t hurt to try.

After all, exploring up to the third floor on his own was well within his capabilities.

And when he actually tried it, the demon’s claim proved true.

The moment Nord placed his hand on a dead-end wall in a corner of the third floor, a small amount of his mana was absorbed into the wall.

Immediately after, the wall slid open to reveal a staircase leading downward.

Swallowing nervously, Nord descended the stairs.

Reaching the seventh floor at the bottom of the staircase, he continued down the single passageway that stretched ahead of him.

If what the demon said was correct, something Nord desired more than anything would be waiting at the end.

With this in mind, he kept walking for several minutes.

At last, the narrow passage ended, and he stepped into an open space.

“This is...”

A vast, circular room about fifty meters in diameter.

Ahead of him stood a black, uneven wall.

In front of the wall was a pedestal, and embedded in that pedestal was a single sword.

“Is that it?”

Spotting his goal, Nord let out an excited cry and dashed forward.

He stopped before the pedestal and carefully examined the sword.

The sword, radiating a dazzling light, was a holy sword.

However, it was no ordinary holy sword.

The power contained within it was leagues beyond anything else.

“To think there exists a holy sword in this world that exudes such a powerful aura... It’s on a completely different level than mine!”

Heroes typically wield holy swords as their main weapon, and their means of acquisition vary.

Some are crafted by renowned blacksmiths, while others are awarded as labyrinth completion rewards.

This sword likely fell into the latter category.

Although Nord’s method of reaching it could hardly be called legitimate.

“Calm down. The real question is whether I can wield this holy sword.”

Trying to temper his excitement, Nord took a deep breath, then reached for the sword and gripped its hilt.

With a firm tug, the holy sword came free far more easily than he had anticipated.

In that instant, a torrent of mana surged from the sword into Nord’s body.

An overwhelming sense of omnipotence enveloped him, a sensation unlike anything he had felt before.

The demon had been telling the truth.

With this holy sword, he could defeat anyone.

A minotaur.

A lesser demon.

And most of all, those detestable dolls commanded by the accursed Ike.

“Just you wait, Ike. I’ll show you my true power!”

Nord proclaimed boldly.

All that was left was to return to the surface with this holy sword.

That was what Nord thought.

But then, the unexpected happened.

“What the... this tremor?”

Suddenly, the ground—no, the entire labyrinth—began to shake violently.

Such a thing had never happened before.

Nord froze in place, wary of the sudden vibrations.

Soon, however, he realized where they were coming from.

“What... what is this?”

A grating noise filled the air, and the uneven black wall before him began to move.

No, that wasn’t it.

The thing he had thought was a wall until now—

“This... no way...”

Nord’s words were cut short.

What had appeared to be a wall suddenly spread massive wings and stood before him.

Its body was so enormous that it defied comprehension.

The oppressive presence it exuded was so overwhelming that Nord couldn’t understand how he had failed to notice it was a living creature.

And Nord knew exactly what kind of monster it was.

“...Why is there a dragon here!?”

“GROOOAAARRRRRRR!”

Ignoring Nord’s astonishment, the black dragon let out a deafening roar, flapping its colossal wings and taking flight.

But the ceiling—surely it would collide with the ceiling.

That’s what Nord thought, but he quickly realized his concern was unfounded.

The ceiling couldn’t withstand the dragon’s might and collapsed instantly.

A creature that symbolized destruction, the dragon rose into the air, undeterred by any obstacle.

“What on earth... what’s about to happen? No, more importantly—!”

The black dragon’s relentless destruction of the walls caused the labyrinth’s tremors to intensify.

It seemed as though the entire labyrinth might collapse at any moment.

Nord shook off his fear and focused solely on escaping to the surface.