No.16: Crimson Deathbell

A while later, now rested and rejuvenated from relaxing in the Mana Spring for some time, Felix and the others continued exploring deeper into the Grand Labyrinth.

They spent several more hours delving further into its depths, facing a multitude of Monsters while avoiding traps and the like.

This continued until the group eventually stumbled upon a wide expanse, almost comparable in size to the Safe Zone.

This place, however, lacked both the ores and Mana Spring.

Instead, a vast field of peculiar-looking flowers beautified the scenery.

Not failing in beauty compared to the Safe Zone, the landscape was painted in shades of dark crimson, as all the flowers appeared to be in a closed blossom state, giving the entire area a unique appearance unlike that of ordinary flowers.

The sight, leaving many of the group in awe.

Some even wondered if this was another Safe Zone.

‘Could there even be more than one Safe Zone in a Grand Labyrinth?’

Whether that was truly the case or not, Felix wasn’t sure.

Either way, it was undeniable that the place was pleasing to the eyes.

Coupled with the fact that there wasn’t a single Monster near the entrance, much less within the wide expanse itself, many were inclined to believe it might actually be another Safe Zone after all.

Getting closer to one of the flowers, Felix couldn’t help but feel intrigued by it.

For some reason, he felt a strange pull toward it, as though the flower was beckoning for him to get closer.

Extending a hand, he decided to see what exactly about the flower was causing him to feel that way.

Until...

Feeling a sudden grip around his wrist, Felix flinched.

Engrossed by the flower, he had even failed to notice someone approaching him, till he felt the grip on his wrist.

Having briefly left the group earlier to investigate something after confirming the path ahead was clear, Hans immediately grabbed Felix’s arm upon returning and seeing what he was about to do.

“Don’t touch those. No matter what!”

His voice rose slightly before returning to normal as he said this.

Surprised by Hans’s reaction, Felix paused.

Though he hid it well, Felix could tell that Hans was unsettled as he cautiously glanced at the flowers.

His breathing was slightly elevated, while his gaze remained fixed on the flower, a faint trace of panic visible in his eyes.

It was a look Felix had never seen before, not even when Hans faced the Alpha of the Thorn Howlers.

Noticing that something was wrong, the rest of the group turned toward them as well.

Sighing upon realizing he had unintentionally drawn everyone’s attention, Hans continued.

“These aren’t ordinary flowers. They’re Crimson Eclipse Blossoms.” Pausing upon seeing the confused expressions on everyone’s faces, he added. “Or some of you may know them as... The Crimson Deathbell.”

The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere changed.

Even the Vice-Leader, who was usually indifferent to most things, visibly flinched a bit.

At Hans’s words, everyone instinctively glanced back at the flowers, surprise and wariness filling their gazes.

Despite the limited information available regarding Grand Labyrinths, there was hardly anyone who hadn’t heard the name Crimson Deathbell at least once.

Suspected for being the cause of nearly half the deaths associated with Grand Labyrinths, the flower had become an object of fear among Adventurers.

Taking another look at the seemingly harmless flowers, the group couldn’t help but see them differently now.

What had moments ago appeared beautiful now seemed sinister, as though a subtle aura of danger lingered around them.

Several members instinctively took a step back, almost as though afraid the flowers might suddenly bloom before their eyes.

Never had they expected such a harmless-looking flower to be something so feared.

Though stories regarding the Crimson Deathbell varied from place to place, some claimed it drained the blood of its victims, explaining its crimson coloration.

Others believed the flower bloomed only to summon creatures from hell itself.

The stories were always different, and only few knew which version, if any, was true.

The only consistent fact among all the tales was that it served as a beacon of death.

A flower responsible for countless deaths.

A true Deathbell.

The revelation finally helped explain why even the Monsters themselves avoided this place like the plague.

Noticing that the group now understood the gravity of the situation, Hans continued.

“As some of you already know, it only blooms once every few years. However, there’s something most people rarely talk about.” Pausing briefly, he added. “It’s extremely sensitive to touch and will bloom immediately upon coming into contact with a living creature.”

The group’s faces immediately paled on hearing this.

Several of them instinctively stepped farther away. Felix wasn’t much different.

After all, he had already suspected something was wrong the moment Hans managed to get so close without him noticing.

Given his hypervigilance, that alone was enough to tell him these flowers were far from ordinary.

However, they soon learned that the flower itself wasn’t actually what people feared most.

Rather, it was what followed afterward.

As Monster populations within the Labyrinth increased, stronger Monsters would begin feeding upon weaker ones to speed up their evolution into higher Grades.

This process would continue until the population of the weaker Monsters declined significantly.

At that point, the stronger Monsters would enter a state of hibernation and wait for the Monster population to recover over time, either by repopulation or they respawn from the Labyrinth itself.

The Crimson Deathbell acted as a sort of alarm for these higher-Grade Monsters.

Since it bloomed only once every few years, or when touched by a living creature, it often coincided with periods when Monster populations had grown large enough for some to migrate into these sections of the Labyrinth.

In doing so, they would accidentally trigger the flowers.

Over time, the higher-Grade Monsters had learned to associate the scent of blooming Deathbells with the arrival of fresh prey.

Thus, whenever the flowers bloomed, they interpreted it as a signal that the Labyrinth had once again become plentiful with food.

So it wasn’t the flower itself that people feared, but rather, It was the Monsters that came afterward.

The blossom of the Crimson Deathbell was akin to a dinner bell for the Labyrinth’s strongest predators.

The only saving grace was that the flowers were extremely rare and appeared in very few Grand Labyrinths, with most Adventurers never even encountering one.

Then again, considering that those who did were often either left mentally scarred by the experience or didn’t survive long enough to tell the tale, it was difficult to determine just how many had truly fallen victim to them.

With that in mind, the group quickly decided to leave the area before someone accidentally stepped on or touched one of the flowers.

Making their way toward another route, they soon left the area of the Crimson Deathbell.

Slowing his pace until he was slightly behind the others, Felix glanced at the tiny object hidden in his palm.

Before attempting to touch the flower, he had noticed a strange crimson speck on the ground, barely larger than a grain of sand.

Only after hearing Hans’s explanation did he realize it was most likely a seed from the Crimson Deathbell.

Examining it one last time, he briefly rubbed it between his fingers.

After which he deduced that it felt almost identical to a tiny polished stone.

Then, before anyone could notice, he casually tossed it back onto the ground.

......

A while later, the group had made considerable progress, drawing closer and closer to their goal of obtaining the Upgrade Crystal.

Only a little farther remained.

However, before they could reach it, something unexpected happened.

A subtle crimson flash suddenly appeared around Hans, following which, a glowing formation immediately materialized beneath his feet.

Visibly baffled by the sight, Hans briefly looked down at it.

Then he attempted to flee.

However, before he could even utter a word...

He vanished!

Just like that.

Leaving behind only a stunned group and a deafening silence as everyone struggled to comprehend what had just happened.

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