Chapter 384: Spring Water of the Sun (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 384: Spring Water of the Sun (4)
– Alice. I'm leaving it to you. No matter what the outcome is, I can accept it if it's from you. So don't feel too pressured. Got it?
Yes.
Her contractor had placed his trust in her.
Saying it didn't matter whether she succeeded or failed.
But she couldn't let that trust falter right from the start.
“…….”
Alice clenched her fists.
Although the risk had risen incomparably higher than what they had originally agreed upon...
“I'll do it.”
She would rather die than utter the word 'surrender.'
“Very well. Then, the rest of you, please wait here. It won't take very long.”
At Hatoel's words, Bellus and Ophelia immediately protested.
“Are you sure this is alright? It could be a trap.”
“I agree. They're the ones who changed the plan on a whim anyway. We have plenty of justification to just turn back.”
“Just wait here until I return. That is an order from your head of house.”
“……Understood, Lord.”
“If that's your decision, I suppose we have no choice but to follow... but be careful. I don't want to lose the head of the house we serve twice.”
Alice followed Hatoel.
Clank!
Not the main gate, but a side door hidden among golden leaves opened.
This was a measure to prevent Alice's presence from being exposed to the other angels.
“Oh.”
Stepping inside, Alice looked around.
The sanctuary where countless angels gathered was a magnificent sight in itself.
The holy and splendid architecture, along with the army of thousands guarding them, were all fully deserving of the title 'the strongest.'
However, what stimulated her senses the most was...
As expected, the mana leaking from a small house nestled in the corner of an alley.
Tingle! Tingle!
A stinging sensation prickled against her skin.
She didn't even need to ask Hatoel.
She knew Gabriel was inside that house.
“It's in there, right?”
“Yes. She is waiting for you. Please go ahead. I will follow after checking the perimeter.”
“Alright.”
Alice entered the house.
Inside the small room, the Archangel was sipping tea with a bright smile.
“……This is terrible hospitality. I thought you'd at least suppress that unpleasant divine power of yours while waiting.”
“Fufu. My apologies. I tried to be mindful, but instinct is a difficult thing to suppress. Especially when dealing with the head of the Ataraxia family, who once wiped out our clan—shouldn't I be even more cautious?”
“I'm sure you would.”
Alice spat coldly, pulling a letter from her breast pocket.
“This is a letter from my contractor. He said it contains a clue to that book or whatever it is you've been searching for so desperately.”
“……!”
Gabriel's expression shifted instantly.
Her bright smile vanished, replaced by eyes gleaming with raw greed and instinct.
Having a clue to the treasure she had spent ages searching for right before her eyes, it was only natural that her composure would shatter.
“Ah! Get your filthy hands away. First, don't you have something to give me too?”
Slap!
Alice ruthlessly slapped away Gabriel's reaching hand.
“……This is the information Player Kang Jinhyuk wished to know. It contains the recorded memories of Hastings's past.”
Gabriel placed a blue gem on the table.
The 'Memory-Imbued Stone.'
It was a special item that could only be played once.
With this, the items both factions desired were gathered in one place.
[Gabriel activates Lv.?? 'Scales of the Horizon'!]
A golden scale appeared above Gabriel and Alice's heads.
The sealed letter was placed on one side of the scale, and the 'Memory-Imbued Stone' on the other.
A sacred scale that determined the authenticity of each item and compared their values.
With this skill active, there was absolutely no room for deception in the transaction.
Indeed, the two pieces of information held a similar level of value.
'It means the clue to the Necronomicon... is only a partial one.'
Gabriel nodded as if she had expected this.
It would have been stranger if it were a perfect clue.
Still, being able to break out of a deadlock where they had no leads at all made this a highly profitable deal.
Right then.
“However, he also told me to pass this along.”
Alice added.
“What would that be?”
“Because Kizakiel went wild in the Citadel of Giants, the damage was quite severe. We want additional compensation for that.”
“That's……! Kizakiel is a fallen angel who was exiled from our side before this incident even occurred. How can you hold us responsible for his actions?”
“I don't care. I'm just delivering what my contractor told me to say. Or what? Should we just call off this deal entirely? I don't think I need to waste my breath explaining who stands to lose more.”
Alice made a motion as if to tear the letter.
“W-Wait a moment!”
It was Gabriel who grew anxious.
“If it's compensation... what exactly are you asking for?”
“Hmm. Nothing much. Just fully restore our ruined citadel and support us until it becomes a large-scale base.”
“A…… large-scale base? Do you honestly think that makes any sense?”
“Yes, it does.”
Of course it did.
The corners of Alice's mouth curled upward.
—Push her hard, no matter what. Just act like your usual self. It'll definitely work. Eden is the one in a hurry.
She had already received reassurance from Jinhyuk.
All that was left was to keep pressing her opponent.
Grit.
A chilling sound of grinding teeth came from Gabriel.
“……Very well. We will add that clause to the contract.”
With a tilt, the scale tipped heavily to one side.
It was an obviously unfair contract, but Gabriel had no choice but to swallow her pride and accept the terms.
“Good. That settles it.”
Alice stood up, as if there was nothing more to discuss.
But at that very moment,
Vroooom!
Weeeeeng!
Powerful mana began to surge along the fortress walls.
A warning alarm reminiscent of a siren also shook all of Eden in an uproar.
“It seems they've noticed an intruder has entered.”
“You……”
“This really wasn't intentional. As Hatoel probably told you, our internal issues have grown quite significant as well.”
Gabriel shrugged.
“But don't worry too much. It would be troublesome for us as well if word got out that we made a deal with vampires. Hatoel.”
“Yes.”
“Please escort Lady Alice safely out of Eden.”
“Understood. If we hurry, we can find a secret passage that hasn't been blocked yet.”
“Tch! Fine.”
Alice quickly prepared to leave.
“Ah, I almost forgot to give you this.”
Gabriel handed over a red apple.
It was no ordinary apple.
Possessing an extraordinary energy at a single glance, this was...
The Forbidden Fruit. Or the First Apple.
Though called by various names, it was one of the highest-grade special items symbolizing Eden.
“You're giving this…… to me?”
“When you are alone with someone precious to you, if you feed them this apple, you can make them yours, Lady Alice.”
A binding force with absolute judgment.
With this...
Jinhyuk would surely fall for her.
“Of course, one might not be enough, but I'm giving it to you so you can at least test its effectiveness.”
“D-Do you think I would use such a cheap trick? I can make that guy fall for me as much as I want with my own power!”
“Hmm. For someone saying that, your eyes are shaking quite a bit. And why are you drooling while breathing so heavily?”
“W-When did I!”
“Fufu. Anyway, I look forward to the day we meet again—as the head of the Ataraxia family.”
Gabriel bid her farewell with a bright smile.
* * *
Boom!
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Giant black tentacles ruthlessly smashed the rocks.
“Damn it! What kind of…… monstrous…… octopus…… is this?!”
Cheon Yu-seong dodged the attacks, moving his body frantically.
Calling it an octopus was an understatement; its attacks were like a relentless barrage from a machine gun.
Even though he was moving at full strength, just dodging was incredibly difficult.
“Just how long are you going to keep setting up those damn fish traps?!”
“Just wait. You stepped up so confidently, and now you're whining... I survived against that guy for fifteen minutes in the past.”
“Ha! A mere fifteen minutes? If you lasted fifteen, I can easily do thirty!”
“Thirty minutes…… against that monster? No way. That should be impossible, right?”
Jinhyuk stammered with a shocked expression.
“Just watch. I'll show you that we are on completely different levels.”
Rumble!
[Cheon Yu-seong activates his unique ability, 'Song of the Sword'!]
Cheon Yu-seong squeezed out every drop of his mana and swung Ryuhwa.
Clash!
The sword, shrouded in demonic energy, clashed head-on with the octopus's tentacle.
'As expected, prideful bastards and idiots are so easy to manipulate.'
And of all people, a prideful idiot was the easiest to handle.
Just like that guy over there.
Jinhyuk hummed as he pulled out an Armored Shrimp from outside the trap.
Unlike the other shrimp, this one had larger, more curved claws.
This fellow was the key to entering the labyrinth.
And although he had already obtained the key, the reason he was putting Cheon Yu-seong through the wringer like this was...
Because there was a lack of delicious food to eat inside the labyrinth.
'With so many delicious ingredients scattered around out here, there's no need to go inside and eat garbage.'
Let's see...
That one over there with the black stripe on its back looks like it'll have a rich, sweet flavor.
And that one hasn't finished spawning yet, so it should be exceptionally fatty.
While Cheon Yu-seong fought for his life, Jinhyuk selected seven of the most delicious Armored Shrimp and stored them in his subspace inventory.
Next...
Jinhyuk's gaze shifted toward the inner part of the valley.
A pool of water that appeared to be the deepest.
Beneath that floor lay the entrance to the labyrinth.
“You can stop fighting now! Get over here, quick!”
Shouting, Jinhyuk dove into the water.
In an instant, the freezing water swallowed his entire body.
The cold was so severe it felt like his brain would freeze, but his mind remained remarkably clear.
Jinhyuk swam with practiced ease.
Downward.
Until he reached the very bottom of the valley.
He could see the Eagle Owl and Cheon Yu-seong following right behind him.
As well as the giant tentacles of the octopus.
He had to hurry.
If nothing else, confronting that giant octopus underwater would be truly dangerous.
Bubble!
Cheon Yu-seong's mouth opened wide in a silent shout, pointing at the suction cups chasing right behind them.
Damn it. I know. I know we're in deep trouble if I don't open the door right now.
'Insert the claw... into the crevice, and turn it 23 degrees clockwise...'
Click!
As expected.
Fitting a key precisely was something he had done so many times he could do it with his eyes closed.
[Labyrinth 'Valley of Eternity - Where the Sun Cannot Reach' is unlocked!]
The bottom of the valley opened, and a brilliant light burst forth.
At the same time, everyone's vision was dyed pure white.
* * *
“Cough! Cough!”
“Whew... That was close.”
They had succeeded in entering the labyrinth by a hair's breadth.
Any later, and Cheon Yu-seong would have ended up as octopus food.
However, there was no time to relax.
This was the most vicious labyrinth on the 23rd floor.
From now on, they had to assume that everything inside was a trap targeting them.
'Still, no matter how much they raise the difficulty, as long as I know the basic strategy, clearing it will be a breeze.'
Jinhyuk brushed the water off his body.
But then,
“You seem to think we were the ones who raised the difficulty...”
The Eagle Owl, who had been silent, spoke up.
“It seems there's a slight misunderstanding.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It's true that this is no ordinary labyrinth. However, the one who made this place so anomalous wasn't us, but...”
Clank!
Thud!
Monsters clad in bizarre carapaces began to reveal themselves one by one.
“It's because of the guy I mentioned earlier.”
“Damn it. Just when did...! Kang Jinhyuk!”
Cheon Yu-seong roared.