When I came to, I woke up in a dimly lit cavern surrounded by stone paving.
A short distance ahead, a single old wooden door stood in isolation.
”Hmm… where is this?” I muttered, rubbing my eyes. “Did the place suddenly change on me?”
I shook my head as I got up and looked around.
There were no visible light sources around like torches or lamps.
Despite that, every corner of the cavern was clearly visible.
I happened to glance down and saw a single memo paper lying at my feet.
”Okay, let’s see… Game Operation Instructions, huh,” I said, picking it up to check the contents.
The message written there was surprisingly simple.
’First, let me try opening the status screen! This is an essential system for this game.’
”Status, huh,” I muttered. “That’s a staple in any RPG.”
The bottom of the page described how to open it.
Apparently, no special action was required-I just had to strongly will it in my mind.
”Status!” I thought, half-convinced it would actually work.
The next moment, the space before me rippled like water, and a vivid pale blue window appeared.
[PLAYER STATUS]
Name: Kageyama Manato
Gender: Male | Age: 17
Race: Human
Level: 1 (Next Level: 0/10)
HP: 100/100
[UNIQUE SKILLS]
• One Who Wields the Ten Sacred Demon Swords (Degim Gladius Master)
• Appraisal (Bonus!)
• Accelerated Evolution (Accelerate) (Bonus!)
”Whoa…!” I gasped in awe, my eyes widening at the floating screen. “The status screen actually opened…!”
It felt like I had become a game protagonist myself.
By this point, my excitement had already passed its limit.
I have three unique skills, and on top of that, all of them look pretty rare.
”Did I hit the jackpot at the character creation stage or what?” I grinned.
Reaching out, I touched the window floating in space and tapped the player name field to test it.
[GAME DETAILS]
Name: Kageyama Manato
Player No: 000 (Early Access Player)
Difficulty: NIGHTMARE
Game: Abyss Labyrinth
Current Floor: 1/30
”I see,” I said, analyzing the text. “So the game I’m playing right now is called Abyss Labyrinth. There aren’t any detailed rules written, but if it’s literal, I just need to head underground. Thirty floors-that’s a ton of content to grind through.”
Muttering to myself, I tapped the detailed screen for my unique skills.
[SKILL DETAILS]
• One Who Wields the Ten Sacred Demon Swords (Degim Gladius Master)
- Allows the user to wield ten demon swords.
- Swords are unlocked one by one according to proficiency.
- Unlocked: 1/10 | Proficiency: 0/100
• Appraisal
- Allows detailed examination of various things.
• Accelerated Evolution (Accelerate)
- Enhances both thought and body for 5 minutes. (Current: 2x)
- 1-hour cooldown after activation.
- Level: 1/5 | Proficiency: 0/100
”‘One Who Wields the Ten Sacred Demon Swords (Degim Gladius Master),’ huh,” I smirked, shaking my head. “The name’s a bit chuunibyou1 overload, but demon swords are pure fantasy material.”
Only one is unlocked right now, which means there are nine more.
Just imagining what kind of specs the other swords have gets me pumped.
Though, to be fair, I’m a complete amateur who’s never swung a sword before today.
When a home gamer swings a sword, it’s usually just on a screen.
The other two skills, Appraisal and Accelerated Evolution (Accelerate), also seemed like excellent, practical abilities.
I tried using Appraisal on myself, but no new information appeared.
Maybe the target wasn’t good enough.
With that in mind, I mentally cast Appraisal on the backpack I was carrying.
[ITEM APPRAISAL]
Item: Backpack
Owner: Kageyama Manato
Description: Large-capacity backpack. It’s worn out and smells a bit. You should probably replace it.
A small window popped up at the edge of my vision.
”Hey, ‘smells a bit’ and ‘you should probably replace it’-that’s none of your business!” I yelled at the floating text. “There’s some serious malice in that description!”
Even as I complained, I was satisfied that the skill activated properly.
It seemed Appraisal could be used without any limits.
”As expected, this is the classic tool for dungeons,” I noted, nodding to myself. “With an information advantage like this, I could probably pull off the ‘I’m so overpowered’ routine, right? …But then again, there’s no sign of anyone else around, so there’s nobody to show off to anyway. Haaah~”
A slight pang of loneliness hit me.
I’m taking this situation pretty calmly, but will I actually make it back home after clearing it?
A little regret crept in already.
Getting carried away, I picked ten game plays, so it looks like I’ll be away from home for a bit.
If clearing one game takes about two or three days, that’s roughly twenty days total.
Even the first game is a dungeon with thirty floors-it could easily take several days.
If that happens, won’t the police be called in for a missing person report?
That would be really bad since they’re both worriers and overly caring.
If only I could tell Mom and Manami, “Your son is just playing a game right now, so he’s fine.”
…Yeah, that’s not happening.
When I do see them again, I’ll apologize for making them worry.
Time to switch gears and test out the skills.
I steadied my mind.
Alright, now for the main event-let’s test out ‘One Who Wields the Ten Sacred Demon Swords (Degim Gladius Master).’
Nobody’s around, so atmosphere is everything.
Normally, I don’t need to chant since it activates just by willing it, but I decided to shout it out dramatically for style.
”Come forth!” I yelled, striking a dramatic pose. “First Demon Sword… Abyss…!”
The moment I shouted, blue particles gathered in my right hand, and light stretched into a single straight line.
The particles solidified into matter, an ornate hilt appeared, and a beautiful blade took shape.
”Whoa-!” I gasped, catching my breath involuntarily. “Amazing… So cool…!”
The blade was a deep blue, as if a piece of the deep sea had been cut out.
Silver patterns like flowing water were engraved on it, and a sinisterly glowing blue gem was embedded in the center of the wave-shaped tsuba.
Gazing at it, I felt as though I were drifting underwater.
I gave the demon sword Abyss a light swing.
”Hm,” I muttered, testing its weight. “It’s a bit heavy, but that’s fine. Probably won’t take long to get used to it.”
After confirming the weapon’s feel, I set it down on the ground.
”Alright, let’s try the last skill too!” I called out. “Accelerated Evolution (Accelerate)…!”
The moment I chanted, a shock ran through me as if every cell in my body was seething.
My body felt light as a feather, freed from gravity.
My thought speed also clearly felt like it had shifted up a gear.
”Enhanced thought and body… Right now it’s supposedly 2x..,” I noted, checking my limbs.
I placed my backpack on the ground and gave a light jump on the spot.
”Whoa-!” I laughed as I bounced into the air. “My body’s so light! It’s like jumping on a trampoline!”
Getting carried away, I sprinted full force through the cavern.
”So fast-!” I yelled, panicking as the wall approached. “Crap, I can’t stop-“
…Thunk!
”Ow ow ow..,” I groaned, clutching my face.
The acceleration was too much and I couldn’t brake in time, slamming face-first into the dungeon’s rock wall.
Even though my brain knew I needed to stop, my body’s stopping distance couldn’t keep up.
”I’m going to need some practice to get used to this,” I mumbled.
As I crouched holding my nose, the effect of Accelerated Evolution (Accelerate) eventually wore off.
Checking my status, I saw a cooldown notation, showing I can’t use it for an hour.
When I checked the proficiency section, Accelerated Evolution (Accelerate) had gone up by 1.
Probably each activation increases the proficiency by 1.
On the other hand, the proficiency for ‘One Who Wields the Ten Sacred Demon Swords (Degim Gladius Master)’ remained at 0.
Maybe the method of raising proficiency differs between skills? For example, it might not increase unless I defeat monsters.
”It looks like new demon swords unlock as proficiency goes up, so I’ll work on grinding that for a while,” I reasoned. “This is probably the main grind element anyway.”
In this first game designed by the gods, I think strength is determined by level, skill types, and proficiency.
Level is probably an indicator of my current overall strength.
There also seems to be a strategic element-like deciding what setup to use based on acquired skills to clear this dungeon.
Proficiency is likely the stat for growing those skills.
Well, I suppose there are also skills like Appraisal that don’t have a proficiency stat.
That’s probably about right.
After confirming all three unique skills, I slung my backpack back on and gripped Abyss in my right hand once more.
”Alright, then-let’s start the game!” I declared.
From here, an adventure that’ll get me more excited than anything is about to begin.
(I feel bad for Manami and Mom, but I don’t think I’ll be coming home for a while. Well, it’s fine. Unlike me, they’re both responsible. I’m fully aware that I’m always causing them trouble because of my careless personality.)
Thinking such carefree thoughts, I placed my hand on the wooden door ahead and pushed it open with all my might.
Beyond the door was the same stone-paved cavern corridor as the starting room.
But the depths were shrouded in deep darkness.
The width was about fifty meters, and the ceiling height was roughly ten meters.
The total depth was completely unknown.
I still don’t understand why the visibility brightens like this, but I suppose it’s another one of the labyrinth’s mechanics.
”Whoa, found something!” I exclaimed, spotting a marker.
By the side of the passage stood a stone tablet inscribed with glowing blue letters.
[CHECKPOINT]
You can save your progress here. Would you like to save?
> [Yes] / [No]
”I see,” I noted, inspecting the tablet. “So it’s not like you can save anytime from the menu screen-it’s a checkpoint-style save.”
Without hesitation, I reached out my hand toward the stone tablet and selected Yes.
[SYSTEM]
Save complete.
The message flowed directly through my mind.
”Oh, so this is how it works,” I mumbled.
I think I’m pretty adaptable, even by my own standards.
I’ve accepted this situation without any discomfort so far-guess my gamer instincts are really kicking in here.
If there’s a save, does that mean I’ll respawn here if I die?
If so, does that mean dying isn’t really the end?
Well, not that I’m looking to die on purpose or anything.
Though, if I do die, I’d prefer they turn off the pain, since I hate getting hurt.
Thinking back to when I slammed into that wall earlier, that might be wishful thinking.
I was strolling along with that easygoing mindset when-
…Clang. Clang.
The ominous sound of metal striking stone echoed through the cavern.
Heavy footsteps echoed from the depths of the darkness.
Something’s there, taking heavy steps forward.
A massive shadow emerged from the gloom.
At the same time, a groaning roar rumbled through the air, vibrating the ground beneath my feet.
”Oh, monster found!” I said, freezing as it stepped into the light. “…Wait, hold on, that thing’s pretty big and looks tough…”
What crawled out of the darkness was a giant green humanoid creature.
A goblin, as they’re commonly called, though this one easily stood two meters tall.
At 172 centimeters, I was completely dwarfed by its massive frame.
Its hand gripped a giant sword, and its entire body was clad in heavy metal plate armor.
”Alright, Appraisal,” I whispered, focusing on the beast.
With a sinking feeling, I locked the target in my sight and checked its stats.
[MONSTER APPRAISAL]
Name: Goblin Swordmaster (Mutant Variant)
Sex: Male | Race: Demi-human
Title: Swordmaster
Level: 325 | HP: 32,590/32,590
[SKILLS]
• Greatsword Arts • Mind’s Eye • Prediction • Parry
• Indomitable • Hardened Body • Intimidation • Command
• Pack Strengthening • Physical Enhancement • Endurance Boost
• Plunder • Night Vision • Scent Enhancement • Lust Lord • Stamina King
[RESISTANCES]
• Flame Resistance • Frost Resistance • Status Ailment Resistance
”…Huh?” I gasped, staring at the numbers.
Level 325? HP over 30,000…?
In that instant, the goblin vanished.
…No, it moved so fast I couldn’t track it with the naked eye.
By the time I realized what was happening, it was already far too late.
Right before my eyes, the greatsword-held high by the Goblin Swordmaster-was already bearing down on me.
…Swan!
My vision spun violently, flipping upside down.
In that moment, my consciousness faded completely.
….
….
….
[SYSTEM]
YOU DIED!
Continue? -> [Yes] / [No]
”WHOA-!!” I screamed, bolting upright as I gasped for air. “Hah… hah… wait, I’m alive?!”
I frantically touched my neck to confirm.
It was attached, my head and body firmly connected.
But the vivid sensation of my neck and torso separating from that slash remained burned into my memory.
Before me, the stone tablet I just saved at stood silently.
Looks like I really did die once and respawn here.
I didn’t even register the feeling of dying because it was that instantaneous and overwhelming.
”What the hell was that monster?!” I yelled at the empty corridor. “That’s not a first-encounter kind of enemy! There’s no way I can beat it with that level difference!”
I clutched my head and screamed at the sheer beginner-killer design.
I set the difficulty to NIGHTMARE, but there should still be limits.
That level is clearly too high, that HP is absurd, and the number of skills is way overkill.
At level 1, there was nothing I could do to win against that.
”I mean, yeah, setting the game difficulty to maximum is on me, but you’d think there’d be a little more mercy!” I complained.
My voice echoed hollowly through the cave.
But as my ragged breathing steadied, what welled up inside me wasn’t terror-it was the thrill of trying to figure out how to take that thing down.
When faced with an unfair challenge, clearing it is when a gamer’s dopamine hits maximum overdrive.
”Hmm, alright,” I muttered, sitting back down. “Let’s think about what to do first.”
Looks like there’s no item loss from dying.
My backpack was still on my back, and Abyss was lying at my feet.
If I charge in blindly again, I’ll just get killed again.
I crouched down on the spot and started brainstorming a way forward.
Trivia:
- Kageyama’s Player No. 000 and “Early Access Player” status mark him as the very first participant, which may carry special narrative or mechanical significance beyond mere bragging rights.
- The skill name “One Who Wields the Ten Sacred Demon Swords” directly parallels the series title, suggesting the entire story revolves around mastering this ability.
- The “Nightmare” difficulty setting and 30-floor dungeon structure establish this death game as a brutal endurance challenge from the very first stage.
- The protagonist’s immediate shift from terror to strategizing reveals a core personality trait: he processes trauma through game logic, a coping mechanism that may become increasingly unreliable as the stakes rise.
- The “Swordmaster” title appearing in both the stat block and the goblin’s name suggests this is not a random spawn but a fixed boss encounter, implying the game design intentionally places an unwinnable fight at the very start to teach respawn mechanics.
- The goblin’s “Lust Lord” and “Stamina King” skills, while seemingly comedic, hint that this labyrinth’s ecosystem includes reproductive and endurance-based mechanics rarely seen in standard RPGs—foreshadowing darker systemic depth.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ A Japanese slang term for “middle-school second-year syndrome,” referring to grandiose, self-important fantasies or overly dramatic naming conventions often associated with adolescents.
2 ↩ A common RPG skill used to identify enemy stats and abilities. In this context, it represents the protagonist’s gamer instinct to assess threats through familiar mechanics.