**Day 36 The Farthest Labyrinth 56F**
In the end, after finishing everyone's treatment, Haruka-kun collapsed like he'd run out of batteries and passed out asleep.
The armored knight stood beside him protectively, like a guardian statue.
The kind of aura where you can't just casually talk to her—or feel like you're allowed to.
We just said our thanks and waited for Haruka to wake up.
Everyone else was in tatters too. We collapsed into sleep one after another.
No strength left to move. No energy left to talk. Minds snapped, bodies gave out.
When we woke up… same as always. Like it was the most normal thing in the world. Haruka was cooking breakfast.
Just like those cave days—grumbling about how everything's mushrooms while making perfectly ordinary meals, completely naturally, like nothing happened.
We dragged our heavy bodies up to the smell. While eating, we bombarded him with questions.
We were completely done for. Total party wipe. Didn't even notice the trap. Couldn't escape. Game over right there.
But Haruka knew the answer? Apparently his "Spatial Grasp" skill clued him in.
"See? This is a puzzle room, kinda? Uh… you find four hidden rooms, collect the items, clear condition? Something like that?"
That's how it worked. No wonder it felt like an impossible monster house. Without knowing, instant death. Worst trap design ever. But… wait. We didn't collect the items?
"But you killed them? You could kill it? Somehow?"
"Nah, couldn't kill the mummies or the Sphinx. Sphinx has 'Magic Null,' 'Physical Null,' 'Immortal.' And as long as Sphinx is up, mummies keep Yellow Springs Returning. Permanent loop. Impossible."
Can't kill? Can't be killed? Magic null + physical null = no attacks work. Immortal monster on top. Yet it got killed?
""""WHY DID YOU KILL AN IMMORTAL MONSTER THAT NULLIFIES BOTH MAGIC AND PHYSICAL ATTACKS!?""""
"Well, you know… like that thing the wise old guy said? 'If you kill it, it can be killed' or whatever?"
We've heard that line. Famous one. Usually followed by "there's nothing you can't do if you try," but… isn't this taking it in a super violent direction?
""""WHO SAID THAT?! What kind of brutal ancient person is that?! Some Sengoku warlord even worse than Oda Nobunaga?!""""
"Uh… like… 'If you try killing it, you can kill it'?"
""""…Haaaaah.""""
Why does he solve literally every problem by killing it?! If someone like that really existed in history, humanity would've gone extinct ages ago! That person would've wiped us all out for sure!
And then…
"Um… thank you so much for saving us, honorable knight over there."
"""""Thank you very much."""""
She returned a graceful, silent bow—elegant and beautiful. But just her standing there makes the space feel like a different world. Like another realm entirely.
"Uh, Haruka? Could you introduce her?"
"Ah—uh, this is the former? Labyrinth Emperor? Kinda?"
""""WHY DID YOU BRING THE LABYRINTH EMPEROR WITH YOU?!""""
It makes sense now. Overwhelming. That Sphinx—terror and awe incarnate—got squashed like an annoying fly in her eyes.
To her, a mere 57F floor boss—not even a real guardian—was just roadside trash.
"Uh… we thought we were saved, but… are we dying here now?"
"Nah, nah. I didn't 'bring' her. More like… employed her? Kinda?"
""""WHY DID YOU EMPLOY THE LABYRINTH EMPEROR?! She's not someone you can just employ!! She's the single most important figure in this entire world!!?""""
What on earth has he done? Not Labyrinth King—Labyrinth Emperor. Ruler of every labyrinth, even commanding Labyrinth Kings. And he made her quit that ultra-critical position… then employed her… and brought her along?!
But that's exactly why Haruka is here.
Otherwise we'd all be dead.
No matter how you think about it, there's no way Haruka should be here.
Just one week ago he fell to the bottom floor—100F.
No way he climbed 43 floors in one week.
But if the person next to him is the strongest Labyrinth Emperor, ruler of this entire labyrinth and all others…
Then yeah. Breakthrough possible. That's how he did it.
Through the monster-infested lower layers, together with the strongest being at the very bottom.
That's why we survived.
Thanks to the threat of the worst labyrinth's ultimate emperor… and the absurd, rule-breaking massacre of employing that emperor to slaughter everything.
Haruka-kun really is something else.