The protagonist, Suzuki, wakes up with a hangover to find a mysterious floating door in the middle of his room. Driven by his hangover-induced recklessness, he opens it, revealing a stone chamber. In the center of this chamber is a large, imposing door and a desk with a CRT monitor and keyboard. The monitor displays a welcome message: "Welcome to the Labyrinth." Suzuki realizes he's trapped when the door he entered through disappears, replaced by a stone wall.
A message on the computer explains that he cannot leave until he clears the labyrinth's lowest floor. The computer interface offers options: Manual, Bulletin Board, Trade, Status, and two hidden options. The Manual reveals the labyrinth's rules: players and familiars gain skills, escape is impossible until the objective is met, interaction with others is limited to the console, death results in forced transfer to the base with item loss from the current exploration, defeating bosses allows shortcuts, and skill slots are limited to ten. Death itself is not permanent, offering some relief.
Suzuki's status shows him as a Level 1 Human Player with no specific race aptitude. His starting "Job Skills" are "Experience Share" (distributes experience to inactive party members), "Tame" (allows taming weakened enemies with restraint items), and "Mapping" (automatically displays the map). He has no active skills. He then checks the Bulletin Board, which is filled with panicked messages from other trapped individuals. They discuss basic needs like food and toilets, the availability of a "bread infinite box," and the cost of items. Discussions also touch upon acquiring weapons and skills, with some players impulsively spending their initial points.
Suzuki decides to prioritize essential items and skills. He claims a "Beginner's Set" which includes a simple bed, a pot, a hard bread dispenser, a water pitcher, a copper longsword, and a wooden buckler. He then purchases a toilet, a kiln for cooking, and a few basic food items, spending 800 DP out of his initial 1000. He also acquires "Swordsmanship," "Shield Technique," and "Agility" skills. His immediate goal is to improve his facilities and find companions.
Suzuki ventures into the labyrinth, encountering and defeating skeletons. He learns that while individual skeletons are manageable, fighting multiple enemies simultaneously is dangerous. He discovers that defeating monsters yields treasure chests, which he initially opens without caution, leading to him being hit by a stone trap and sustaining a minor injury. He uses a healing potion to recover, realizing the importance of caution and the potential for traps. He also learns that items can be stored in an "Item Box" that appears in space.
After further exploration and combat, Suzuki levels up to Level 5. He reviews his loot, selling most of the copper items for DP and keeping iron equipment. He then researches taming on the Bulletin Board, learning how to capture and convert enemies into familiars. He purchases a "Cell" and restraint items to capture a skeleton, which he names "Nek." He discovers Nek is a female skeleton with surprisingly strong combat skills and a rare "Mutated Species" status, possessing skills like "Hammer Technique" and "Courage."
Suzuki then invests his remaining DP into enhancing his base, purchasing a basic bath, soap, and pepper. He also acquires "Teleportation Wedges & Stones" for faster travel within the labyrinth and "Teleportation Feathers" for quick escapes. He discovers that familiars share the same item box as the player.
With Nek as his companion, Suzuki ventures deeper into the labyrinth. Nek proves to be a formidable fighter, easily dispatching enemies. They progress to the second floor, encountering wisps, which are flying magical creatures. Suzuki is injured by a trap from a treasure chest, but Nek's combat prowess and Suzuki's quick use of a healing potion allow them to survive. They return to their base, where Suzuki appraises his new loot and researches further skills and facilities. He notes that Nek's combat effectiveness is significantly higher than his own, attributing it to her rare status. The chapter ends with Suzuki planning to further enhance his skills and facilities, with Nek by his side.
