"Man, I'm wiped... That Big Golden Bull back there was way tougher than expected..."
Having traversed the deepest part of the stone labyrinth, Ren Amamiya and Hare passed through a glowing blue circle inscribed on the ground, arriving in a new, unknown area.
"This isn't even a Palace, so why was there a mini-boss type enemy just camping out in the deepest part of the maze?"
Ren sighed wearily, rubbing his temples. He felt a dull throb in his head.
That huge golden bull, lurking in the depths of the stone labyrinth—sharing the same color scheme as the smaller Shadows but vastly larger and stronger—felt completely out of place for this area.
Caught off guard by the initial encounter, even Arsene had taken a hit, getting sent flying by the bull's powerful charge. Ren himself suffered his first injury since awakening his Persona, struck by the storm of dense energy bullets the bull unleashed, raining down like meteors.
If he hadn't teamed up with Hare to take it down, relying solely on himself, the golden bull would have definitely forced him into a grueling battle, not just the tricky but manageable fight it turned out to be.
His Phantom Suit had its auto-repair function, and the injuries from the energy bullets were already fully healed thanks to Hare's skills. Ren looked perfectly fine now, completely unscathed.
But in reality, after using his Persona's power so many times, his SP—his mental energy—was nearly depleted. He desperately needed to rest and recover his focus.
"That's just how... Mementos is," Hare said, her exquisite face adorned with a soft smile. Standing beside Ren, she gently reached out with her slender white hands and began massaging his temples with slow, soft movements. "With current technology, humans can barely comprehend the mysteries of this otherworld. Nothing that happens here should be considered strange."
Compared to Ren's own rough rubbing, Hare's massage technique felt incredibly professional, like she'd been doing it for years. Even through his gloves, the feeling of her slender, soft fingertips pressing rhythmically against his temples instantly melted the tension in his brain, like ice dissolving in warm water.
Inhaling the faint, lily-like fragrance emanating from Hare's body before him, Ren's mind quickly cleared, the throbbing headache significantly eased.
"You're right. I need to approach Mementos with more caution and respect. Trying to apply textbook knowledge rigidly in this unpredictable, mysterious otherworld is practically suicide."
Having conquered the stone labyrinth alongside Hare, Ren felt their bond had strengthened considerably. If this were the game, a Rank 1 notification would probably have popped up by now.
Plus, Hare's massage felt really good.
So, Ren didn't interrupt her ministrations. He simply enjoyed the gentle touch of the beautiful purple-and-white-haired woman while reflecting on the battle.
Although Mementos in the game didn't feature mini-bosses outside Palaces, the real Mementos didn't care about game balance or predictable patterns. Besides, each floor of Mementos randomly generated a different layout every time—that alone was proof enough of its lack of fixed rules.
His game experience could only serve as a reference, not gospel. Relying on it like a textbook was dangerous. Ren had a moment of clarity; realizing this now, thanks to the golden bull, was much better than suffering a major setback later down the line.
"I'm glad you understand... Joker, perhaps we should call it a day?"
Seemingly satisfied that Ren's mental state had improved, Hare chuckled softly and withdrew her delicate fingers, much to Ren's reluctance, ending the comfortable massage session. She had offered the massage because she noticed his fatigue. While it helped alleviate his mental discomfort, it wasn't a substitute for actual rest. To fully recover his energy, Ren needed a proper, extended break.
"Okay. Is there an exit point back to the real world nearby? If not, I can probably hold out for another fight or two."
After Hare's refreshing massage, Ren felt some of his energy return, enough for at least a couple more battles. While he desperately wanted to stay in Mementos, grind levels, and power up safely, the current conditions weren't sufficient for him to comfortably focus solely on training here.
To settle in Mementos for long-term training, he first needed to sort out basic necessities: food, water, shelter. His Phantom Suit took care of clothing—it auto-repaired, offered great protection, and was comfortable in any weather. But food and water were major issues. After exploring the entire stone labyrinth, Ren hadn't found a single treasure chest. And even if he did, there was no guarantee it would contain food or fresh water. Supplies would have to come from the real world.
"If only we knew the location of a Palace," Ren sighed wistfully. "I could totally go crash there, eat the Palace Ruler's food, drink their drinks, then beat them up, steal their Will Seed and Treasure, and make them have a change of heart."
"Ah..."
Hearing Ren's rather opportunistic lament, even the usually calm and gentle Hare couldn't help the slight twitch at the corner of her mouth.
If he could befriend a Palace Ruler in the real world and gain guest status in their Palace, Ren could effectively use it as his own Safe Room. The troublesome Shadow guards within the Palace would even become his protectors.
Unfortunately, Ren currently had zero leads on any Palace locations, relying entirely on Hare, the native, to search. Without the MetaNav app created by the Evil God, knowing the names of the Palace Rulers from the original story was useless; he couldn't easily infiltrate their Palaces.
"Oh, right. Knowing the name and maybe general location might make finding a Palace easier for you... No, never mind. It's nothing."
Ren had considered telling Hare the names of the Palace Rulers he knew, but after pausing, he decided against it.
If he were to choose a Palace to use as a permanent base, Futaba Sakura or Sae Niijima seemed like decent targets. But thinking it through, Futaba's Palace was a pyramid in a desert—a barren tomb haunted by mummy Shadows, definitely no food there.
Although Futaba herself was already knowledgeable about cognitive psience and had strong motivation to join him due to her mother's death, she was also a very conspicuous figure.
Prosecutor Sae Niijima, due to her Palace's influence, already had an extreme personality. Investigating the mental shutdown incidents, she would be laser-focused on Futaba, drawing attention from Akechi and Shido.
Until her distorted Palace was dealt with, the extreme Sae was too dangerous for Ren to approach. And after conquering her Palace, there'd be no need to interact with her in that capacity anyway.
For safety's sake, to leave as few traces as possible, Ren decided it was best to leave Futaba's and Sae's Palaces alone for now. There was no rush; having started his journey a year early, he was confident he could liberate them from their Palaces' distortions much sooner than in the original timeline.