Chapter 60: D-Rank Labyrinth — Library of Sin (3)
Chapter 60: D-Rank Labyrinth — Library of Sin (3)
When a Large Magic Book “reads” an explorer, it opens its interior and releases tentacles.
During that reading process, a gimmick activates—its resistance is fixed at zero and flame damage is amplified.
That moment was the only time I could deal meaningful damage to them.
{I understand what you were aiming for, but that was far too reckless!}
It was a strategy I normally avoided, since it required the “bait” to die—or suffer damage equivalent to death.
“But if I hadn’t done that, the kids would’ve died. I didn’t have a choice.”
{Observation: If you had sacrificed the bald explorer and his team as bait, you and your wards could have survived safely without suffering any pain.}
But if I had done that, the children would probably have developed permanent revulsion toward me.
I also understood what kind of actions people considered morally wrong.
“My head hurts….”
I waved my hand to dismiss the floating messages and pressed my temples.
A headache throbbed from excessive mental exertion.
Still, it had been worth it.
{First, congratulations: Sa · Yeom · Hwa has reached Tier 2.}
The growth condition for Sa · Yeom · Hwa.
Burn something—or transform it into the dead—using flames imbued with the power of life and death.
Even so, it was still a low-tier Mystery even within Tier 2.
But in a place filled entirely with wooden abominations like this, it could perform spectacularly.
Squirm.
My left arm itched.
The snake tattoo, its body slightly thicker now, was shaking violently.
The wriggling movement contained a strange will that an ordinary intellect could never comprehend.
If forced to translate it into mortal language, it would resemble a majestic evil laugh: “Hehehe…!”
“…O Silent One, I would also like to share in the joy of growth, but unfortunately I do not have the leisure for it right now.”
Even after exploiting the gimmick, I had not killed the Large Magic Books.
No matter how much flame I produced, my current self could not defeat a Level-8 monster.
The books had only become vulnerable due to their weakness to burning pain.
In reality, their vitality probably hadn’t even dropped by one-tenth.
“…Which means I need another method.”
While the book monsters burned, I forced myself upright and drank a stamina recovery potion.
Then another.
And another.
As I staggered forward.
My destination wasn’t far.
Amid the nearby shelves and books turning into ashes, one book alone had not burned.
{?-Tier Mystery Tome — Sealed Demon King}
{Its effect remains unknown. However, it clearly appears when all other “Demon King” related Mystery Tomes are gathered.}
The flames on the Large Magic Books were already fading.
I hurried over and grabbed the black Mystery Tome.
Then opened it.
I had no idea what it said.
Every page contained only abstract diagrams and patterns like a Magic Eye puzzle.
— KIRRRRK!
The Large Magic Books finally extinguished the flames and began searching for the arsonist.
Since I didn’t actually need to understand the contents, I flipped pages quickly.
Meanwhile, the Small Magic Books that had avoided the flames were also rushing toward me.
— KIRIRIK!
Just a little more.
{Magic Books are approaching from all directions!}
Three pages left.
{Warning: If you don’t evade now, you will die!!}
I used the fact that Large Magic Books floated slightly above the ground and flattened myself on the floor.
The books that had opened their pages to read me hesitated briefly.
A momentary gap created by the limits of their body structure.
If an explorer missed that opportunity, they didn’t deserve the title.
CRUNCH!
Just before their reading tentacles wrapped around me—
— At last, destiny has arrived.
As the final bizarre illustration entered my eyes, a deep voice echoed.
The voice came from the Mystery Tome I had just read.
— Kiruruk…?
The Large Magic Books faltered in confusion.
I pulled the other four tomes from my Radiant Faith storage.
Centered around Sealed Demon King, all five books floated into the air.
A blasphemous green pentagram formed.
“I never imagined I would emerge like this.”
Then—
A blue-skinned demon stepped out naked from the pentagram.
{Nameless Demon King (Demon, ??? years). No further information can be read.}
The Nameless Demon King.
A ruler from the golden age of demonkind who had vanished from history.
Just standing in the same space made my entire body feel crushed.
That was how overwhelming his presence was.
“What is the name of the one who awakened me?”
His eerie heterochromatic eyes stared at me.
“…Kar.”
I forced out the answer with what little strength remained.
The Demon King smiled gently.
“A half-elf cultist. You must have lived a difficult life.”
“……”
It wasn’t that I was being rude.
My body simply had no strength left.
“If you’re struggling, just stay still. As thanks, I will grant you a Mystery I devised myself.”
The Demon King stepped closer and examined me briefly.
Then rubbed my forehead.
“This place will do.”
CRACK!
Pain surged as if my bones and muscles were being reconstructed.
A strange sensation spread through my body.
{??: A growth-type Mystery (Tier 3), Sin: Gluttony, has taken root in your body.}
{What exactly is this ominous Mystery? I am confused…!}
“Blond half-elf. I shall also handle a small matter for you.”
The Demon King glanced around at the Magic Books kneeling across the floor.
Then casually waved his hand.
SHAAA—
The Magic Books surrounding me shattered instantly.
Paper scattered like cherry blossoms.
This was the effect of the Nameless Demon King Hidden Piece.
In the game, the arrival shockwave erased nearby enemies.
The process had changed.
But the result was the same.
No—better than expected.
{All nearby monsters have been annihilated! Even those far away!}
“That should do.”
The Demon King even helped me stand.
“…I am deeply grateful, Demon King.”
“I will be leaving now. I intend to enjoy my freedom after such a long time.”
He waved his hand and a deep green gate appeared.
A gate meant for Demon Kings.
I couldn’t use it.
“But half-elf. What is the current state of the Demonic Realm? Are you still fighting daily holy wars against the Benevolent Gods’ churches as before?”
“……”
I quietly closed my eyes and turned my head.
There was no need to say something that would sour his mood.
Perhaps he had only asked casually.
The Demon King did not press further and stepped through the gate.
{What exactly was that Demon King? The Wise One seems confused…}
The Evil Gods were puzzled.
But I couldn’t explain either.
Even in the game, the Nameless Demon King’s identity had never been revealed.
“Just a MacGuffin, according to common theory….”
Even on creator Kato Roger’s MiTube channel—where he explained everything from mansion windows to minor lore—there was no video explaining this Hidden Piece.
Which was strange.
He had explained countless trivial details.
Yet not the Demon King who appeared in such an important way?
{In any case, it was a new experience. The Wise One is extremely satisfied!}
I wasn’t dissatisfied either.
There was a good chance I might learn the Demon King’s true identity later as new content.
“If Lidni is pleased, then I am pleased as well.”
It had been exhausting but fulfilling devotion.
I stood silently for a while before limping forward.
“Now I will continue the exploration.”
One more Hidden Piece remained in the Library of Sin.
“There it is!”
Following Bartimir’s instructions, Pendrick shouted.
Beyond ordinary shelves stood a tall cactus.
Upon closer inspection, it was actually shelves and green books twisted into the shape of a cactus.
— What is this place?
The surroundings were even stranger.
The ground had become sand-colored dunes.
And a cluster of orange books hung from the ceiling like a sun.
Pendrick and Astrimia laughed awkwardly.
“A forest earlier, and now a desert?”
“Ridiculous, right?”
— I’ve been wondering since yesterday. Why does this place look like this?
“The Library of Sin expanded on its own due to mana accumulation. But mana has no intelligence. Of course it built things terribly.”
Bartimir tapped a shelf shaped like a cactus spine.
“That’s why regions resembling natural landscapes appeared.”
The clues for the Hidden Piece were hidden in such areas.
“It’s a little hot.”
“The climate is slightly adjusted too.”
Warm, but tolerable.
“Black, Red. Search carefully. There should be a shelf with an empty slot somewhere.”
“Understood.”
Pendrick and Rosalia searched thoroughly.
RUMBLE!
“…Here we go again.”
Bartimir frowned.
— Leave this place immediately!
Then a knight made entirely of books rose from the floor.
Library Guardian.
Level-7 monster.
The same rank as a Large Magic Book.
But its fireproof armor made flame attacks ineffective.
A monster impossible for D-Rank explorers to defeat head-on.
“Red and I will stall it! Black, find the empty shelf!”
“Yes!”
“Damn, this’ll be rough again!”
Bartimir rushed forward and punched the guardian’s abdomen.
A rapid barrage followed.
The knight endured it and swung a sword made of books.
But Bartimir had only been bait.
“….”
Just before the sword struck Bartimir’s head, Rosalia kicked the blade aside and landed atop the guardian.
She forced its book-mouth open.
— Hiss!
Her venomous creature, Maengmaeng, slid inside the monster.
— Cowardly trick!
The guardian slashed upward, but Rosalia leapt away.
Bartimir hurled murky green spheres that shook its head.
But the guardian refused to fall for the same trick twice.
— Insolence!
A crescent sword aura cut the air.
SLASH!
“…Damn.”
Bartimir’s left arm was severed.
Because of the curse Treacherous Companion, it would regenerate.
But he was temporarily disabled.
The knight cut off his leg next.
“Now!”
Bartimir grabbed the knight’s arm with his remaining hand.
Rosalia seized the moment.
Her dagger flashed.
[Extreme: Severance]
A Tier-5 Assassin Mystery.
— Grrrk!
The guardian’s throat split.
But the Level-7 monster retaliated violently.
Rosalia was forced back.
Meanwhile—
Pendrick continued searching.
Eventually—
— Pendrick!
“…Yes. Here it is. On the ground.”
At the edge of a sand-like mound was a tiny shelf slot.
Pendrick pulled out a book and placed it inside.
CREAK.
A hole opened in the air and a sheet fell.
[Donation Points: ■■□]
— Donate one more book to receive a special benefit!
“Done.”
One of the Library of Sin’s Hidden Pieces.
Donate three books filled with blood, pain, and screams.
“Captain Bartimir, donation complete!”
Kar was the kind of cultist who would be disappointed if someone didn’t give their all.
So Pendrick intended to do exactly that.
That was what exploration meant.
“You donated it? Then run!”
Rosalia grabbed Bartimir and ran.
Pendrick joined them.
— You wretches!
They barely escaped the slow Library Guardian.
“…If we fight again, my head might actually come off.”
“Indeed…”
They rested briefly inside a circular wall of shelves.
Then—
— CAW!
A crow cried in the distance.
Rosalia immediately warned,
“…Kar.”
Pendrick stood up instantly.
Bartimir blinked.
“Why? Is Blondie coming?”
“Yes.”
Pendrick tightened his grip on Astrimia.
“We need to move now.”
When Kar was an ally, he was incredibly reliable.
But when he was an enemy?
His cunning schemes.
His endless vitality.
And above all—
His unpredictable madness.
“If we hesitate, Captain Kar might trap us instantly.”
Kar was the most dangerous cultist one could meet as an enemy.