Chapter 23: E-Rank Labyrinth – Grave of the Earth Elf (4)
Chapter 23: E-Rank Labyrinth – Grave of the Earth Elf (4)
Thud. Thud.
The statue had begun moving, its footsteps shaking the ground as it approached us.
Marlin, clutching her dagger while fidgeting nervously, lifted her head—and her eyes widened.
Pitch-black lightning was dripping viscously from the ceiling.
— I have given you plenty of chances to retreat, vermin.
Along with the ominous voice echoing through the air, the black lightning gathered above the statue’s right shoulder and formed the shape of a bird.
An eagle.
The bird that symbolized Sue’je.
Crackle!
As the tattoo on my collarbone began tingling even more intensely, the eagle lifted its head proudly and shouted.
— I will offer you to Sue’je!
《Corrupted Statue of Metherd (? Level)》
《A guardian of the sacred ground stained by the filthy power of Sue’je. Much of its power has been drained by the passage of time, yet it must never be underestimated. It is a monster of unusually high level to appear in an E-Rank labyrinth, so sacrifice your companions and seize power!》
Crack!
Lightning burst out in every direction, grazing the bodies of my companions and me.
The lightning that swept over us flowed back into the eagle, causing its body to grow larger and larger.
The energy emanating from the statue was also becoming thicker and more immense.
“…Kar, can we really defeat that?”
I thought briefly about how to answer, then shook my head.
“If we fight it head-on, we can’t win no matter what. It grows stronger in proportion to the combined value of all our Soul Ranks.”
“…What?”
A monster overwhelming in every aspect—size, weight, and sheer pressure.
At the level of explorers who had not even obtained the bronze badge, the lowest explorer rank, it was absurdly powerful.
That’s why people usually don’t activate the Hidden Piece to the very end.
Expedition parties strong enough to defeat that thing were already busy entering higher-rank labyrinths, while explorers who wandered E-Rank labyrinths found it far too dangerous.
Very few people attempted it.
At this point in time, there should be no explorer who had successfully cleared the labyrinth at the highest difficulty.
Crackle.
Sue’je transmitted an emotion filled with interest through the mark.
“Now is not the time for amusement. Your cultist may very well meet their end here.”
《That monster indeed cannot be defeated at your current level… but you will figure something out anyway. Do as you please. Even the Wise One appears indifferent.》
They all seemed collectively afflicted with a dangerous lack of caution.
No wonder both of them had so few followers left.
“……”
Rosalia, who had been watching the approaching statue, extended an arm and pushed me back.
“Danger.”
The assassin who loved silence had spoken a single word!
Considering that she normally never spoke unless the situation was critical, it meant she regarded the statue controlled by that eagle as a dangerous enemy.
“…Kar.”
Marlin’s tail bristled as she gripped her dagger tightly.
— Begone!
The corrupted statue slowly approached us.
Objectively speaking, it was slow, but for something that massive, that speed was actually quite agile.
“How are we supposed to deal with that…?”
“Don’t panic. Do you really think I’d push a child like you into a deadly situation?”
If someone had to die, it should be me.
I would never want a child to face death.
…Though a little hardship might be fine.
“We can defeat it. A labyrinth may create extremely unfair environments, but it never gives explorers a trial they cannot overcome.”
“…Then what do we do?”
“First, distract it. Just linger around it and keep its attention.”
“Okay!”
Marlin ran forward and began moving around it, drawing its attention.
Whether intentional or not, it was an excellent provocation technique.
— I am the guardian of raging thunder!
Boom!
A gigantic fist slammed into the ground.
Marlin quickly dodged and wagged her tail again to attract its attention.
She was doing far better than I expected.
“Sister, I have a task for you as well.”
I assigned a role to Rosalia, who stood silently watching the statue.
“First, please carry me on your back.”
“……”
Rosalia turned around.
Both eyes were slightly narrowed.
“I didn’t say anything ridiculous like that. Such harsh words….”
“……”
“Just trust me and give me a piggyback ride. Unless you want our Marlin flattened into dried meat.”
The taciturn assassin looked forward again.
“Waaah!”
Marlin’s speed of escape had clearly slowed compared to before.
At this rate, something really bad might happen.
Perhaps thinking the same thing, Rosalia let out a small sigh and bent her back slightly.
“Thank you, Sister.”
I quickly climbed onto her back before she could change her mind.
She was taller than me, so my feet did not touch the ground. The ride was stable.
“Now please take me to the statue’s head. You can do it, right?”
I neither expected nor needed an answer.
Tap!
Rosalia dashed toward a protruding pillar, leapt high, kicked off the wall, and jumped again.
Powerful Leap.
It was only a First-Tier Mystery, but when used by a level-five assassin, it was embarrassing to compare it with the same skill used by low-level users.
“You’re the best, Sister.”
She landed on top of the statue’s head in a single motion.
“Now please evacuate Marlin somewhere far away. After that, focus on attacking the statue’s ankles.”
Rosalia nodded slightly and jumped down.
Now it was my turn.
We couldn’t win head-on?
In labyrinths, that usually meant there was a specific weak point to exploit.
— How dare you, mongrel!
The black lightning eagle cursed at me, but I ignored it and reached out toward it.
Crackle!
My entire body was being fried by lightning.
But I had no intention of turning into crispy cultist roast.
“Stings a little.”
When I performed the human sacrifice earlier, Sue’je’s temporary presence had felt like the god of death slinging an arm over my shoulder in mock familiarity.
Compared to that, this lightning was little more than static electricity.
I clenched my teeth and activated a Mystery.
Stay calm.
The basic Mystery granted to cultists of the Polluted Sky—Black Lightning Bloom.
Since it was a growth-type Mystery, it was only First-Tier for now, but under certain conditions it could produce effects beyond its tier.
I began manipulating the lightning.
— Stop, mongrel!
The eagle flapped its wings violently and hurled lightning at me.
I ignored it and continued concentrating.
“…Ha, haha.”
Laughter kept slipping from my mouth.
Blood poured from my nose, and my body was paralyzed, barely able to move.
The statue’s violent movements made it hard to maintain balance, but even if I fell, the worst I would become was crippled.
With calm focus, I controlled the thunder.
Crackle!
At some point, the eagle’s movements began slowing.
Despite being made of lightning, its face conveyed emotion.
Fear.
— Impossible!
Perhaps realizing it could not shake me off, it tried to move the statue to crush the other two.
I had anticipated that and given the silent assassin sister an additional request.
Boom!
Rosalia’s flying kick struck the statue’s left ankle as she dashed in an instant.
That was not a Mystery.
Not even an assassin dagger technique.
Just a simple kick—but it carried enough power to stagger the massive statue.
While the eagle’s attention shifted toward Rosalia, I continued controlling the black lightning with Black Lightning Bloom.
Crackle!
Resonating with the violent lightning, the mark on my collarbone crackled and surged.
I could feel it clearly.
Sue’je’s excitement as they watched what I was doing.
Then—
Lightning of an entirely different order began coursing through my body.
No, it was more than that.
Crackle!
I had become lightning.
《Well… congratulations. The proficiency of the growth-type trash Mystery Black Lightning Bloom has rapidly increased and advanced to Second Tier.》
The effect of Second-Tier Black Lightning Bloom.
It no longer merely controlled lightning—it allowed the body to transform into lightning itself.
— This cannot be!
The panicked eagle flailed wildly and commanded the statue to strike its own head.
A desperate measure bordering on self-destruction.
Boom!
Half of the statue’s head shattered.
For an instant, I transformed my body into lightning and let the attack pass through me while activating Ghoul Mobility.
My Agility skyrocketed instantly.
Then, through the combination of the Agility-reducing curse Fertilizer Sprout and Dark Clouds Rumble, my Vitality temporarily surged.
“That hurt a little just now.”
Thanks to the increased Vitality, the damage to both body and mind recovered instantly.
“Now please surrender quietly to your junior.”
I curled the corner of my lips upward and wrapped both arms around the eagle.
“Let’s go together. Lord Ermentaz.”
— ……!
The black lightning eagle.
The final guardian left behind to protect the Earth Elf temple after all the others had departed.
Ermentaz opened his beak wide in shock.
— How dare you! You mongrel!
Sharp claws gripped my face and slowly tore into it.
Its final struggle.
If I endured this, it would be over.
My mental energy was nearly exhausted and my head felt like it would split open, but I could still use one more Mystery.
“You should give up now.”
I transformed both arms into lightning and began absorbing the thunder.
Since control had already nearly passed to me, Ermentaz could not revert to his original form and was gradually drawn into my body.
Overwhelming power that would have been impossible alone.
A romantic strategy possible only with the combination of a half-elf—favored by Sue’je—and the weakest cultist class!
Without the will of the supreme being who provided indirect assistance through the electric aura filling this labyrinth, such a miracle would have been impossible.
— No! Violent thundercloud, please save me!
Crack!
Through the tattoo on my collarbone, a certain emotion was transmitted.
If one insisted on expressing the will of that being—something impossible to fully describe with the language of such insignificant intelligent creatures—it would be this.
Save you?
Why would I?
— Kyaaaa!
Abandoned by the God of Nature and rejected by Sue’je as well, the Earth Elf was absorbed into my body as powerful lightning.
With its controller gone, the statue of the God of Nature soon ceased moving.
My body and mind were completely exhausted, and I lost my balance and fell.
“Sisteeer!”
The silent assassin used Powerful Leap once more, jumping up to catch me before landing lightly on the ground.
I simply raised my thumb.
No words could describe how I felt.
“……”
Rosalia stared at my hand for a moment, then cautiously raised her own thumb as well.
Rumble.
The floor where the statue had stood rose upward and formed a large altar.
At its center, a red shimmering gate appeared.
“So, how was my labyrinth strategy?”
Of course, there was no verbal reply.
Perhaps because we had explored the labyrinth together, I could now almost perfectly interpret the meaning hidden in that silent expression.
“You mean it wasn’t bad. I think so too.”
E-Rank Labyrinth.
Grave of the Earth Elf.
Though I was somewhat thoroughly roasted, the labyrinth had been successfully cleared.
“Kar!”
Marlin, whom Rosalia had moved far away earlier, ran toward me with a bright smile.
“I’m glad you’re safe! I thought you were going to be completely fried by lightning!”
“I told you before. I won’t die in an E-Rank labyrinth. If I’m going to risk my life, it should be in an S-Rank one.”
I pressed down on Marlin’s head—the hat I had bought her still firmly in place even through the chaos.
“Shall we go collect our massive rewards now?”
The highest-difficulty rewards, already filling my stomach with anticipation, were waiting for us.