Strawberry Devil in a Fantasy World

No one came to usher me inside the Great Labyrinth of Daedel.

Disappointment.

Absolutely no one came for me.

With the letter of invitation in my hands, I expected those white mist figures would show themselves again. Unfortunately, whoever invited me expected me to know exactly where to find them.

Such a hassle.

I was able to crack the codes on the teleport gates the first two times I visited this place. Thus, I had my secondary core work on it while I wandered around near one of those gates that would occasionally lead to the second layer of the labyrinth. It was a place that was referred to as the Inner Chambers where executive demons resided.

Moments later, I was able to have a special teleportation gate synchronized with a gate on the Inner Chambers side.

Cool, now I don't have wait for the next solar eclipse.

These unique gates that connected to the Inner Chambers had strange temporal arrangement. They only connected to the Inner Chambers on specific celestial alignments. Each gate had their own criteria and more often than not, the celestial alignment part was only one of the many requirements. Hence, if I didn't know how to crack the codes, I might have to rely on Lapis, Mera's friend or Smoothie to enter the Inner Chambers.

As for why these measures were implemented on the gates, I could only guess. The likelihood of a random person treading into this labyrinth was already slim enough with how obscured its entrances were. Hidden under a lake, inside a mountain, or in a hollowed cavern kilometers below surface to name a few. There was even a stupid one hidden within clouds somewhere above the ocean, as if any person could just fly into it.

Anyway, I was able to enter the Inner Chambers without any issues. Not surprisingly, per the deceased demon scholar's testimony, the designs on the inside weren't much different from the outside.

Since the gate I used had a medieval feeling to it, the interior was the same, oddly enough.

Just as I was thinking where I should go next, two fairies in white dresses showed up via teleportation. Their appearances were near identical and had the size and proportions of adult female humans. They had golden hair and their bodies emanated a soft radiance as like divine aura. No, those were indeed divine aura.

To think there were others like me...

Looking at their status, they were identical as if they were artificial existences. Furthermore, they each had the same blessing as Smoothie.

[Level 90 Fey;
Species: N/A;
Physical: 900/900;
Spiritual: 900/900;
Traits: Transient, Handmaiden, Keeper of the Origin, Limit Breaker;
Abilities: Grace, Eminence, Apocatastasis;
Blessings: Ephemeral Breath;
Description: A fairy.]

What's with that strange looking ability? I've never heard of such a thing. They even have time related traits! Thank goodness I came prepared.

"I guess you two will lead me there?"

"Yes."

"Come this way."

Saying that, the two turned around and prompted me to follow.

Walking down the corridor, I felt innumerable presences of powerful entities. Demons weren't the only ones in the Inner Chambers as I had previous anticipated. Guardians, fey beings, and even ancient beasts were present.

Judging by their energy signals, all of them were level 70 at the bare minimum. Truly, this was a gathering of super powerful beings capable of destroying the world many times over.

Oddly enough, even though I hadn't met any of them, the atmosphere here was harmonious.

One of those powerhouse was De Planck. He was one of the weakest in the gang.

"Hey, what's the deal here? I thought demons and guardians didn't get along."

"Please be patient."

"Your questions will be answered."

The two replied disinterestedly.

Don't tell me that Perdia person keep all sorts of toys...?

We took a couple of turns here and there.

Some random guardians and demons were lurking nearby and peeking at me. Among them I could faintly make out the rude comments being murmured about.

"A newbie?"

"Another one escorted to the gates. What a pity..."

"A troublemaker, for sure."

You know I can hear you all, right?

"I wonder who's next?"

"Shhh..."

"You think she'll make it out?"

"Who knows? Only Perdia, our great leader can sooth the master."

"You mean, Foo, our magnificent lord. Perdia is but a sideshow!"

"Shut your trap!"

"Want to take it outside?"

"I'm down!"

"Quiet!"

I only caught the name of the two faction leaders. It made me wonder who I was actually going to see.

What's going on? Why do I feel like I'm in some back street surrounded by gangs? Hmm... Maybe it's more like delinquents' dorm.

After some time, no more whispers reached my ear.

Anyway, similar to how the outer layer of the subspace was designed, the Inner Chambers had different regions each with their own style and design. Some were super bland, the type Vorte would reside in. Some were futuristic with strange gadgets hovering and lights blinking while some other dwellings were overgrown with exotic vegetations.

It was like everyone had a say in their part of the dormitory.

After an hour of walking down the endless paths, I was fed up.

"Hey! Are we there yet? That is taking too long! Can't we teleport?"

"Teleportation is prohibited."

"It is a rule set by the master."

"Everyone must follow the rules."

"Except the master."

What? Even the demons follow this master? That's... What kind of monster is this?

Of course, I kept my thoughts strictly to myself. If that person heard it, I feared for the worst.

And finally, after walking for like two hours straight, we arrived at our destination. An ornate white heavenly gate awaited me at the end of an open hall.

Once we were merely steps away, it slowly opened, revealing an ethereal and glistening white temple floating amidst immense hollowed dark space illuminated by countless stars and galaxies.

A stone passageway lead from the gate to the temple entrance.

"Woah... I want to try copying that in my subspace. This is so... awesome."

Unfortunately, I didn't know how it was all constructed so it'd be a long shot trying to replicate everything here.

The two prompted me to proceed further in as I had stood still to marvel at the divine construct.

I bet this is where a real god lives.

With all three of us now inside, the gate closed behind me.

This was the innermost chamber.

Wait, isn't Perdia supposed to be here? Or did Lapis give me the wrong name?

I kept that question in my head for when I meet the invitee. I really wanted to ask these two fairies but they'd probably just stare emotionless into my eyes.

Anyway, I didn't have to go far.

A tea table with two chairs was set up some twenty meters away from the entrance in what appeared to be a patio. There a woman with sublime presence resembling these two servants was sitting elegantly with her eyes close. One of her hand held onto a foldable fan resting on her lap.

"The guest is here."

"Please take a seat."

"Okay."

Looking at her status, there wasn't a hint of bewilderment in my mind.  

[Level 99 Fey;
Species: N/A;
Physical: 999/999;
<Health: 999>
<Force: 999>
<Speed: 999>
<Agility: 999>
<Sense: 999>
<Resistance: 999>
Spiritual: 999;
<Mana: 999/999;
<Mass: 999>
<Mastery: 999>
<Detection: 999>
<Luck: 999>
Traits: Grace, Mischievous Muse, Arbiter of Transcendence, Demigoddess, Divine Eyes of Perception;
Abilities: Skill Record;
Blessings: Master of the Great Labyrinth;
Description: Queen of the Fairies.]

All of her stats were capped. The only surprise would be her race.

Who would have thought that the master was a fey being?

Right, I remember there was a story about a fairy queen? I wonder if they're related?

While thinking that, I took a seat next to her. When I did, her eyes opened revealing amethyst violet eyes.

Floop.

She opened her fan and covered half her face.

"My name is Parilia, Arbiter of Transcendence."

"I'm Berry, just a nobody compared to you."

She giggled and her eyes narrowed, "That's humble of you. I'm sure you have questions just waiting to spill out."

"Ah. Maybe."

"Before that, I'd like you to know that I too have something to ask of you in return for answering your questions. Do you accept?"

"Is this a contract or something?"

"You could think of it that way. But I assure you that you'll benefit from it."

"I've had some... bad experiences with contracts so I rather not."

"I am aware of it. Fear not, I shall answer some of your questions first. You may decide after that. How about it?"

I nodded, "Alright, then I'll ask some basic question."

"Go ahead."

"Are you the fairy queen from old tales? I would like to know more about you and your relationship with those living inside the Great Labyrinth of Daedel."

"That's quite a few questions you've thrown at me all at once! Let's see... I have existed in this world since time immemorial, even before the Nexus system was implemented. I was called the Fairy Queen, or simply the ruler of all fey beings. Before I tell about the relationships I have with those living here, I'd like to warn you not to become violent."

"I won't."

"Good. I'd hate to strip your powers and turn you back into that little strawberry fairy or devil. You used to be quite cute, you know?" She smirked mischievously.

This prick... It was her, wasn't it!? She was definitely that internal interference! Or Perdia was the accomplice!

Floop.

She folded her fan and rested it on her lap again.

"Yes. I can create fey beings just as you can. However, unlike you, I have the original and the complete version of your ability. I'm sure you understand what I mean."

"You created my body?"

"Bravo!" She clapped with a bemused yet elegant smile.

No. Bloody. Way. Nope. Not happening.

I don't want to be your kid, wierdo granny.

"Can you not insult me?"

"Oh? Just a little bit of teasing and you're about to burst? My goodness, children these days..."

"Just get on with it! What did you do with my soul?" I said, with obvious annoyance.

"Not yet, let's get back to answering the other question first. I'm sure you've heard of Perdia from Lapis, that little elf?

"Yes."

"Perdia is one of my alter egos. She's become a little deviant nowadays but I'm sure she means no harm. The other one is Foo, the leader of the demon faction as you've probably heard by now."

"What? You orchestrated the whole thing? A self directed play? You-"

"Can't an old lady like me have some entertainment to pass time?"

"You're playing with lives here! If you wanted someone to fix your stupid world, you could have done so yourself!"

"Oh, you're no fun. Let me explain though. I didn't create the factions but they naturally formed, competing for my attention. You know, when there's competition, various individuals naturally form groups, right? That's how it went! It was perfect until things had gone stale. Someone had to stir up a little trouble."

She took a sip of tea and continued on.

"I'm sure you've also heard there was an elf king in that old tale. While it is true that he existed, he was more than what was told nowadays. If he's still around, he'd be level 99 as I am, not that it matters."

"A level 99, of course it matters!"

"It's just some numbers spouted by the system as you call it." She shrugged casually. "I can alter my level however I wish because the system is in fact the elf king. He'd give me anything I desired."

"Say what?"

"With eons passing by, when our civilization had advanced enough, foreign invaders started showing up. I quite liked them. They brought new cultures and technologies to our world. Wars broke out naturally whenever conflicts arose, and I honestly enjoyed a little show just as you have when the heroes fought the fey beasts."

This... She was watching? She knew what I was doing? I was betrayed by Echo!

"Let's not get to the nitty gritties. I only peeked for entertainment purposes. Anyway, as I was explaining, the wars escalated. Several continents had sunk beneath the waves. I'm sure it wasn't all because of me. Poor old me was powerless back then!" She sniffled with a crocodile tear.

Yep, I'm deeming her a monster and a liar.

Given that there was currently one continent in this world, she must have been monstrous back then.

"So you sacrificed him?"

"Of course not! I'm a pure maiden. There was a technology that allowed us to transform a world into that of a semi digital world like a game! Well, he was the one who developed the Nexus system and I was its first user. Sure he was quite boring himself but it was his ingenuity was the real deal, revolutionizing the world the world in some way with his every creation. If it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't have made it this far but I digress."

"In the first few months, the Nexus system ran just fine. But only after running it for a few months he noticed that an glaring problem sprouted out of seemingly nowhere. It couldn't keep up with its users. It simply lacked a powerful enough energy source to continue operating for decades. But seeing how much fun I was having, he proposed to become the core of the Nexus system and link up with core of the planet. This way the system would have enough power to run for eternity while his consciousness stabilized and operated the system."

"I have to say, Daedel was very meticulous when he designed the system. If not for that, the system would have collapsed and everyone would have perished except a select few."

Echo, is this all true?

[Yes.]

This meant that Daedel was the first administrator of the world. The first generation hero was chosen likely by Daedel. It would make sense if Daedel also had the power to create things via the system or as a system.

Furthermore, Daedel also created the labyrinth. Given the scope of this labyrinth, it was likely created at the very initial stages of the system as a test ground. This point, I was able to confirm with Echo since now that I was inside the innermost chamber, I had temporarily been given higher access to the database.

"But wait, the system's voice doesn't have an inherent name when I started communicating it."

"Of course not. His ego had been eroded after thousands of years. The important thing is, I tried to patch up the planet but it was such tedious work! Luckily, the Nexus system chose heroes and guardians who did most of the work."

"Hold on a moment!"

I pulled out Lightbringer from a pocket of my subspace and presented it to her.

"Do you know this weapon?"

"Ah yes, this one. I remember it was used to send trash to the planetary core to become fuel. Someone has to keep feeding it or else we'd run out of energy."

Something doesn't add up... Didn't she say the system could run for eternity without energy issue?

But wait... If things were sent to the core of the planet, that would mean Snowberry isn't retrievable? That's...

A loss is a loss but I can't help but feel bitter. I spent so much time building her and yet she's disintegrated at the planetary core.

This fairy mother is definitely kooky. Yep!

"Are you fine in the head? What if it causes the core to detonate?"

"Rude! I'll have you know that I'm concerned with the state of the planet more than anyone else! If it wasn't for me, those pesky invaders would no doubt destroy my planet many times over!"

"Invaders? Can you clarify?"

"Humans and what you call reptilians. Their civilizations were intriguing at first but I have since lost interest in them. Either way, I'm keeping them around for now. Maybe they'll have some uses later."

"I would have though demons were also invaders."

"Not at all! I created them. Devils, fairies, demons, they aren't that much different. I figured if I could control the growth of civilizations, then they'd never reach a point of destroying my world. It's quite simple and elegant solution, don't you think?"

"Then how did I enter the picture?"

"I can't answer most questions related to you yet. What I can tell you is that while I am aware of your circumstances, Perdia and Foo were mostly responsible for everything! In the end, I'm just an innocent bystander."

"As if!"

"Oh, by the way, that letter?  I tasked Perdia with sending it. You came sooner than anticipated."

I couldn't help but shout with exasperation, "But they're your alter egos! There's no difference!"

To that, she only giggled, "That's like saying Smoothie's actions are the same as yours? Are you so much a narcissist that you'd make love with yourself? There was also Ikebas, was it? What a beautiful drama!"

"Kuh..."

"I'm sure we can see eye to eye with that matter."

"Wait, if you were watching. Let me ask, was Foo the demon god?"

"There was no god. They were just role playing. Unfortunately, Foo wasn't that great an actor. He's being disciplined for going off script."

Floop.

"Curse you! I knew it! You've been playing around my life since I came into this world, haven't you!?" I scream at her as she giggled behind her fan.

"My, my, I can't say it was all my idea! It was you who stumbled into my world. Now, let's get to the important part!"

Floop.

"Why should I!? You're nothing but a prick. My soul was shattered and here you are, just messing around! Sure, you play around with your people but if you could have sent me back, why torment me?! I bet one of you sent De Planck after me as well."

"Oh come on. It was just a silly prank. I'm sure Perdia enjoyed those fresh strawberries. I didn't even have a bite, but perhaps a batch ended up as a strawberry smoothie? Hahahah..."

"You're the real devil here. No deal!" Shouting that, I abruptly stood up.

Just as I was about to push open the door to leave, the two escort fairies stepped forward to block my path.

Her tone became serious. "Just so you know, you can't leave without my permission. Now come sit, at least listen to what I have to offer."