Chapter 386: The Gatekeeper of the Labyrinth (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 386: The Gatekeeper of the Labyrinth (1)
Finally, that guy's name came up.
"We call him 'The Architect,' or sometimes 'the First Administrator.' He is everything, and everything is him."
"That's incredibly vague. Are you referring to a group of people as 'him'? Or does he just have a lot of different titles?"
"Well, it's hard for us to define it precisely either. The concept itself is rather ambiguous. I'd like to explain it in more detail, but as you can see... my hands are half-tied."
Eagle Owl glanced up at the sky.
Bzzt...
Crackle!
Blue sparks were crackling in the sky.
It had already reached the limits of the system.
"One last thing: he possesses a troublesome ability. He has acquired the power to tear down existing rules and reconstruct the Tower according to his own."
"...Is such an absurd thing even possible?"
"Didn't you see with your own eyes how he altered this labyrinth? Of course, he hasn't fully mastered his power yet, but it's only a matter of time. Eventually, everything in the Tower will crumble."
Eagle Owl calmly stated the reality.
"..."
So the longer this drags on, the more dangerous it gets.
This was certainly nothing to take lightly.
If it was an ability that could destroy the very foundation of the Tower, it made sense why the administrators were terrified.
Only now did Sae Yeong Eon Hwan's warning finally make sense.
"How much time do we have left?"
"Since it's such a complex ability, it will take at least two years. Perhaps even longer."
Two years.
A shadow fell over Jinhyuk's face.
Could he really reach the top of the Tower within two years?
Compared to the past, that was an incredibly short window.
Even if he monopolized every opportunity and made absolutely no mistakes.
"...I'll have to get stronger by then. Much stronger than I am now."
"Yes. You must grow even more. And clearing this labyrinth will be your first hurdle."
"I understand perfectly."
He had gained a lot of useful information.
What he needed to do next...
...he now had a rough idea.
* * *
The scenery shifted rapidly.
Unfamiliar places flashed by one after another, but there was no time to rest.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
Alice gasped heavily, catching her breath.
She had no idea how long she had been running.
It had already been hours since she started chasing after Hatoel's heels.
The pursuit was tightening, and her stamina and mana were rapidly approaching rock bottom.
Operating so far away from Jinhyuk, which limited the mana she could draw from him, also played a major role.
I really should have sucked a bunch of his blood before leaving...
She should have sunk her sharp fangs into that soft neck of his and aggressively replenished her mana.
"Why are you panting so much all by yourself? Like a hound with meat right in front of its nose."
Hatoel squinted at Alice with a suspicious look.
"I-I am not! More importantly, where on earth is this entrance?"
"We're almost there. Just a little further."
Hatoel, warily scanning their surroundings, suddenly grabbed Alice's wrist.
"Wait...!"
"Why?"
"There's a barrier right ahead. Looking at the formula, it's brand new—made less than ten minutes ago."
"I don't see anything."
"It's a trap visible only to angels. They used a special divine power to ward off outside intruders."
If anyone crossed that line, battle angels would be summoned instantly.
In the end, even their last escape route had been sealed off.
"..."
Hatoel bit his lip in frustration.
"What on earth made the atmosphere inside Eden so tense? It used to be much more relaxed and comfortable."
"There are internal matters."
"I know that. But what are those internal matters? Since things have gotten this bad, shouldn't I know too?"
Alice pressed him harder.
At that, Hatoel let out a long sigh.
He wanted to avoid exposing their dirty laundry, but as she said, he couldn't keep it hidden forever.
Alice had already stepped into this mess, after all.
"Due to Kizakiel's betrayal, a disciplinary committee was convened in Eden. They called it a meeting, but it was practically a trial to pass judgment."
However...
"Once the trial began, there were far more angels supporting him than expected."
How long must Eden protect harmony and balance, patiently enduring the tyranny of evil forces?
When Eden is the one truly worthy of being the master of the Tower?
The arguments Kizakiel had championed were rapidly gaining traction.
Moving forward, they should disregard the positions of other factions and act solely for the benefit of Eden.
"With that, the atmosphere in Eden shifted completely."
The moderate faction, which had been the majority, crumbled in an instant.
Archangels like Michael and Gabriel remained silent, while radical angels, including Uriel and Raphael, took action.
While it hadn't escalated to the tragedy of purging the opposition, they began to ruthlessly excise any faction that didn't belong to Eden.
"...So that's why it would be disastrous if anyone found out that I and my clan came here."
"Exactly. Lady Gabriel would also find herself in a very difficult position if this got out."
She understood the general situation now.
Alice fell into deep thought.
If it were this kind of situation... how would her contractor have acted?
He surely would have found the best path forward...
"Ugh, I don't know."
Alice ruffled her hair in frustration.
Thinking and plotting wasn't her style.
Acting on instinct suited her much better.
"Then how about we form an official alliance? I'll crush those guys, Uriel and Raphael or whatever their names are, for you."
"Excuse me?"
Hatoel's eyes widened.
He couldn't believe what this vampire was saying.
Surely...
"A-Are you suggesting we start a civil war right now?"
"Yeah. A faction shouldn't have multiple heads. It prevents them from reaching a consensus, and it makes it easy to get stabbed in the back."
It was advice born of experience.
When multiple powerful figures share power equally, trouble is bound to brew.
They might pretend otherwise, but resentment and tension will inevitably build up.
"So, let's get out of here and meet my contractor. Crushing annoying pests is his specialty and hobby."
"That's absurd... No, wait. What are you trying to do?"
"Now that we've decided, we need to get out of here. If we drag our feet, my mana will run dry, and we'll be trapped like rats."
Alice cracked her knuckles.
She intended to blast her way out through the fortress itself, rather than using a secret passage.
"I-If you run wild here, Lady Gabriel will be in trouble too! Did you even listen to a word I—!"
"Sorry, but we're already in the same boat. It's all or nothing now."
Hatoel screamed, but Alice had already channeled her mana.
[Unique Ability 'Blood Lord' has been activated!]
Rumble!
Crimson droplets of blood erupted in all directions.
Despite her unstable mana supply, a storm of unimaginable power raged.
Now, everyone in Eden would know.
That one of the heads of the vampire clans had stepped into their domain.
* * *
"Hmm. I'm getting the chills for some reason."
Jinhyuk rubbed his arms as a shiver ran down his spine.
It wasn't cold, but a chill seemed to seep deep into his bones.
"Has another enemy appeared?"
Cheon Yu-seong's eyes flashed.
Perhaps remembering yesterday's pain, his grip on his sword was unusually tense.
"No, not that. I just have a bad feeling... It's probably nothing."
"Tch. Don't make me tense over nothing. My nerves are already on edge as it is."
Day two of entering the labyrinth.
Thanks to the high-grade potions and the healing from the 'Blessing of the Stars', Cheon Yu-seong had recovered his condition.
Because of that, they had now penetrated quite deep.
By the way, it should be appearing around now...
Surely, right ahead... Ah!
Found it!
He spotted strangely shaped statues nestled between the ravines.
"Are those the statues you've been going on and on about since yesterday?"
"Yeah."
Commonly known as the 'Guardian of Nature'.
To reach the boss room, they absolutely had to obtain the 'Resistance Stones' that came from them.
This was because the path ahead, where different elemental magics raged, couldn't be breached by ordinary stats or armor.
That's why even the knights of the Empire gave up and turned back here.
It was firepower that even armor inscribed with anti-magic defense arrays couldn't withstand.
No matter how extraordinary the Sword Masters were, the amount of mana they possessed was ultimately limited.
Jinhyuk and Cheon Yu-seong approached the statues.
At that very moment...
"Are these the new challengers?"
"Hmm. Three of them..."
"Heheh. The numbers match perfectly."
The three statues awakened.
'Fire Statue'.
'Water Statue'.
'Wind Statue'.
The statues, each wearing a necklace made of a Resistance Stone, chuckled.
"We are one of the guardians protecting this labyrinth. It seems you've come seeking the Resistance Stones... Am I correct?"
The Fire Statue spoke on behalf of the group.
"Well, yeah, that's why we're here. I heard we can only get the ones hanging around your necks if we pass your trials."
"Ho. Did you buy information from those knights?"
"Heheh! No need for useless explanations then."
"That makes things simple. Solve the tasks each of us presents. If you do, we will hand these over as you wish."
However...
"For every task you fail, we will take one of your lives as payment. Do you still wish to challenge us?"
"Do whatever you want."
Jinhyuk shrugged.
With that, the contract was sealed.
A sword with an ornate pattern appeared before Jinhyuk and Cheon Yu-seong. Just as the Fire Statue had said, if they failed, a sword with the effect of Absolute Judgment would pierce their hearts.
"Very well. Let us begin."
The Fire Statue unfurled the scroll it held.
[Trial of Fire]
Description: Handling fire is the key to understanding the purest and most beautiful aspect of the fire element. Above all, if you can subjugate the prideful fire spirits, you will obtain the 'Qualification of Fire'. However, the size of the Resistance Stone awarded will vary depending on the number of spirits you make submit.
Whoosh!
Flames gathered, and small lizards began to manifest.
Flickering tongues.
Dozens of salamanders bared their hostility.
"Hiss!"
"Screeech!"
Though they were only low-grade spirits, their numbers were no joke.
Enough to make most spirit summoners turn tail and run.
"Do I just need to cut them all down?"
Cheon Yu-seong drew the Demonic Sword Ryuhwa.
"Hold on. This isn't something we can solve with brute force alone."
Simply overpowering them was certainly one way.
However, doing so would prevent them from obtaining the true proof of qualification.
Because a spirit forced into submission by power would inevitably harbor resentment.
Subjugating them through Mentra Taming isn't perfect either.
Manipulating their affinity was also a solution that fell just short.
In fact, he had failed to obtain the highest-grade Resistance Stone here in the past because of that.
In that case...
...he had no choice but to use a more foolproof method.
The corners of Jinhyuk's mouth curled upward.
"Salamander. Come out for a second."
"Y-You called, Master?"
From his dimensional subspace inventory, a plump, well-fed spirit beast scrambled out in a hurry.