Elegy from Another World

My emotions subsided like the receding tide, and after the tears stopped, I felt a sense of emptiness and peace after the storm. My physical disabilities were still slowly healing, but at least I no longer felt that biting chill of being abandoned by the world. This system called "Xiaobei," and the "transparent" community it depicted, was like an unexpected haven.

Curiosity resurfaced. I remembered the mysterious person who had almost instantly "disintegrated" me.

"Xiao Bei," I asked in my mind, "your master... is that former knight commander. Why did he immediately try to kill me the moment we met? He didn't even give me a chance to speak."

Xiao Bei's voice carried a barely perceptible hint of... perhaps regret? [Because the long passage of time and the contract with the Demon King had completely eroded his mind. Now, he is less a human and more a puppet driven by the Demon King's remaining will. His only obsession is to protect the core of the labyrinth—the pink crystal you see—and to eliminate any living thing that approaches. He relies on the core's energy to maintain this state of neither life nor death, becoming the labyrinth's last and most ruthless line of defense. Any life that intrudes into the core area is seen by him as a threat that must be eliminated.]

So that's how it is... A former hero ultimately became the gatekeeper of the darkness he swore to fight against. This ending is truly heartbreaking.

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner when I was on the outer perimeter of the core, surrounded by those tentacles? If I had known earlier, I might have tried to communicate instead of fighting my way in." I said with some annoyance.

Xiao Bei's reply carried a hint of helplessness: "Because you... you acted too quickly. You severed all the tentacles that tried to approach you. Those tentacles were my means of communication; they were like my 'voice' and 'ears.' Without the tentacle connection, I couldn't transmit information directly to your brain. A stable connection could only be established after you were subdued."

"Uh..." I was momentarily speechless, then, recalling how I had been so flustered that I had used a disintegration spell to clear the area around me, I couldn't help but laugh awkwardly. It turned out I had forcibly closed the "dialogue window" myself.

"Actually, I can sense every life form that enters the depths of the labyrinth," Xiao Bei continued. "My duty also includes initial screening. If I sense that the newcomer is not a truly vicious individual, I will try to show non-aggression with my tentacles, then connect to their brain, read their surface memories and emotions, and try to persuade them. Those willing to leave, I will guide them out; those willing to understand and stay, like you, I will guide them into the internal symbiotic network."

"What if it's a bad person?"

[If it's someone whose hands are stained with the blood of innocents and who harbors treacherous intentions,] Xiao Bei's voice turned cold for a moment, [then the tentacles will show no mercy, or... simply send them to face the 'master's' judgment. After all, the labyrinth's final defense mechanism also needs 'fuel'.]

"How do you determine whether something is good or bad? Just based on its reaction when you touch it?"

[Most kind or neutral people, when faced with unknown tentacles, will react with wariness, fear, or an attempt to communicate. But true desperados are often filled with aggression and destructive urges; their emotional fluctuations are very obvious. Reading surface memories also corroborates this.] Xiao Pei explained, "Of course, someone like you… who directly and violently clears the area, is an exception."

"I see... Your discrimination system is quite intelligent." I have to admit that although this method is primitive, it may be the most effective in this environment.

"Thank you for the compliment." Xiaobei seemed to accept the praise, and her tone became lighter. "So, Liscia, now that you've decided to stay for the time being, would you like to try relaxing? The 'environment' here can help relieve your stress."

As it spoke, several soft, warm tentacles slowly emerged from the surrounding flesh. They were no longer aggressive, but rather like gentle massage sticks or curious little animals, gently and rhythmically touching and encircling my body. They avoided my still-healing wounds and blooming freckles, lingering only on intact areas such as my neck and back, bringing a strange, comforting feeling of being enveloped.

This contact wasn't unpleasant; on the contrary, it felt like a weight had been lifted. I sighed softly, completely relaxing my tense muscles.

"Alright..." I closed my eyes, letting the tentacles gently soothe my exhausted nerves. "I'll just... rest for a bit."