A Game of Chicken

[Present moment. The 11th night in the Monster Mausoleum.]

Van travelled smoothly over the landscape in the Underworld Labyrinth with the Palladium Wind Nymph Sandals on his feet. The wind beneath his feet was like a friendly spirit, giving him a nudge here or there to support him.

The terrain in the labyrinth varied widely due to the influences of powerful treasures or creatures in the area. This quickly varying environment was one way in which you could tell that the Monster Mausoleum was man-made or at least not completely natural.

Earlier, he had deducted that the various natural formations in the Underworld Labyrinth were constructed to look natural. Actually, they were designed to confuse those who enter them and prevent them from reaching the center of the labyrinth. This thought got Van's blood boiling – he felt that there was definitely something important hidden at the center of the Underworld Labyrinth.