I Died and Received an SSS-Rank Unique Ability-Chapter 61: Labyrinth of Ice

After gathering all the mana crystals and recovering, at least somewhat, from their wounds, the group was ready to press onward.

The chamber around them was vast, its walls stretching into the darkness beyond sight. But after a brief search, they came upon two tunnels leading out. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Both paths were nearly identical.

They were vast, long, and seemingly endless. With no clear indication of where they led, the group hesitated, uncertain which route to take. After a tense moment of silence, Vale stepped forward and closed his eyes—his mind reaching for his relic.

He took a steadying breath, mentally bracing himself for the disorienting surge of vision. But even prepared, the transition hit him hard.

A dull ache stabbed through his skull as the four-eyed raven materialised. Wasting no time, he sent it soaring down the left tunnel.

The spectral bird flew with uncanny speed, gliding through the darkness at several meters per second. Within moments, it reached a sheer cliff—a vast chasm opening beneath it, plunging into unfathomable depths.

The instant it reached the edge, Vale dismissed the relic. A sharp pain flared behind his eyes as blood trickled down from his nostrils. Sweat beaded on his brow. The world tilted, spinning violently as his normal vision returned. He staggered but forced himself to stay upright until the dizziness began to fade.

He exhaled, slow and deep.

Then a gentle touch on his shoulder brought him back.

"You okay, Vale?" Ayla’s voice was soft, the worry in her eyes unmistakable.

"Yeah," he replied, still slightly dazed. "We should take the right tunnel."

She nodded, and with that silent agreement, the group pressed into the darkness ahead.

Klein’s light artifact burned steadily in his hand, casting a pale glow that fought valiantly against the gloom. But the tunnel’s walls—coated in black ice—seemed to devour the light, dimming it to a mere whisper. Shadows clung to every surface, and even with the orb’s glow, the group could barely see a few feet ahead.

Each step crunched beneath their boots. The floor was a thick carpet of ice and snow, with no trace of stone beneath. The cold bit at their ankles and crept under their cloaks, sharp and unwelcome.

"How could the two tunnels differ so much?" Vale muttered, glancing around warily. He recalled the rocky, almost mundane path the left tunnel he had scanned through his relic—this one was entirely different.

They moved slowly, each step deliberate, every breath visible in the frigid air. Despite the confidence they’d earned after their last battle, none dared lower their guard. Their eyes scanned every crevice and every shadow, ears straining for even the softest sound. But the deafening silence persisted.

Then, without warning, the narrow tunnel began to widen. The walls receded, stretching outward and upward until the path opened into a cavernous chamber.

It was massive—at least as large as the one where they had fought the Rat King, perhaps larger. But this space was not open and clear like before. Instead, jagged walls of glistening ice jutted from the ground like frozen teeth, forming chaotic, crystalline corridors that twisted in every direction.

The chamber was a labyrinth of ice.

Pale blue reflections danced across the icy surfaces as Klein’s light bounced from shard to shard. Some of the spires reached the ceiling, while others fractured midway, as if shattered by some ancient, violent force. Cold mist slithered along the ground, hugging the ice as if guarding it.

"This place..." Ayla whispered, stepping closer to Vale. "It’s like a maze."

"Or a trap," Klein added grimly, tightening his grip on the light artifact.

Vale said nothing. His eyes swept across the icy walls, searching for anything—any hint, any movement.

But there was nothing. Just endless frost and silence.

The group advanced toward one of the many narrow corridors, moving with total caution. As they crossed the threshold, a dense, unnatural fog bled into the passage, as if conjured from the very ice itself. Within seconds, it devoured most of their vision.

Weapons already in hand, everyone tightened their grip, hearts beating faster, their nerves taut.

They waited, anticipating an attack. But nothing came.

They pivoted, slowly and carefully, fog curling around them like tendrils. The silence grew heavier and denser until even the sound of breathing seemed too loud. No footsteps echoed. No voice broke the stillness. No life stirred—just the deafening void and the creeping cold.

Then, after rounding a sharp corner, Vale turned to check on the group, preparing to speak.

"Maybe we—"

His breath caught. His eyes widened.

No one was there.

His chest clenched. Mind racing, he spun around, searching the fog. "What the fuck?" he whispered.

He ran back the way he came, retracing his steps—but the path had changed. Each corner led to something new.

The turns felt wrong. The maze seemed to shift with each step.

There were no signs of his group. No footprints. No echoes.

They had vanished, as if swallowed by the fog itself.

"What is going on?" he breathed, the words trembling.

He forced himself to stop, planting his feet steadily on the icy ground. He closed his eyes and took a couple of deep, slow breaths, trying to calm his racing heart.

Then he reached for his relic once more.

The four-eyed raven emerged, flickering into existence above him. His vision expanded rapidly—an overwhelming surge—but he pushed through it. In an instant, his mind hovered high above the ice.

Then, a movement caught his attention.

Just a few corridors away, a human figure moved.

Vale dismissed the raven, grimacing as the toll hit him hard. His vision swam, and a sharp pulse flared behind his eyes. He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to move.

He ran, the turns burned into his memory, guiding his every turn.

And then—he saw it.

A silhouette emerged at the end of a foggy corridor, barely visible through the mist.

Vale slowed, squinting. The figure was human. Familiar.

"Klein?" he called out cautiously.

The lanky student stood motionless, his face pale and expressionless—emotion wiped clean, as if the cold had frozen more than just skin.

But Klein didn’t answer.

Instead, he raised his shortsword with mechanical precision and charged forward, the blade gleaming with a faint frost.

"Huh?!" Vale’s heart skipped. Confusion slammed into him.

He shifted, barely bringing his own blade up in time to deflect the strike.

Steel clashed with steel, the sound ringing across the icy labyrinth.

"What the hell are you doing?" Vale snapped, his voice echoing across the maze.

But Klein said nothing. His eyes were empty, and his sword rose again.