Chapter 394: Tangled Threads (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 394: Tangled Threads (2)
Rumble, rumble!
Lightning and sparks.
As various types of mana condensed into a single point, the entire labyrinth shook.
"We have waited a long time."
"Indeed. The time for our counterattack has finally come."
"We shall send them all to Valhalla."
The warriors of Ragnarok bared their teeth.
For years, their territories had been miserably ravaged, and they had done nothing but lose countless comrades and residents under their rule.
Now, it was time to repay that bone-deep resentment a hundredfold.
"W-what on earth is..."
Sherry stammered, visibly flustered.
She had never in her wildest dreams imagined that Ragnarok would intervene at this exact moment.
After all, their reality had been fleeing to the corners of the 41st floor just to cling to their wretched lives.
"..."
Theseus and the vanguard of Olympus were equally shocked.
"Captain Theseus!"
"Giants are approaching from the flank!"
"T-Thor and Loki are here too! How... how should we respond?"
The panicked soldiers screamed at Theseus.
It was true that thirty elites were more than enough to deal with Jinhyuk and the Veteran Corporation.
Even if they couldn't defeat them, stalling for time until the main force arrived would have been trivial.
But fighting this many enemies was completely outside their plans.
Theseus silently clenched his fists.
Did he calculate that we would come...?
From the moment they first entered the labyrinth, he must have anticipated every variable, including Lu Bu and themselves.
Otherwise, there was no way he would have thought to summon Heimdall at this precise moment.
"You guys always love moving in small vanguards. I just figured that if I threw out a bait this appetizing, you'd definitely bite. Well, you fell for it even easier than I expected, so I'm both grateful and a bit underwhelmed," Jinhyuk said, shrugging his shoulders.
"I see. The rats in a jar... were us."
They were completely cornered.
However—
Sring!
"Do not get cocky just because you joined hands with cowards. We were the ones who used to sweep those guys away on the front lines in the first place."
"Hmm. So you're saying you can take on a hundred men by yourself?"
But what to do?
Theseus wasn't the only monster here right now.
Whoosh!
The moment he finished speaking, a terrifying sound of tearing wind echoed.
Crackle... snap!
Appearing amidst blue sparks was the Norse God of Thunder, Thor.
Mjolnir, lauded as the strongest hammer, soared high into the air.
"You!"
"Greek brat...! It's been a while!"
Boom!
Hammer and sword clashed.
A sonic boom erupted, and the ground beneath Theseus's feet caved in.
An immense cloud of dust shot up into the sky.
And with that as the signal, countless giants began to move.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Graaaah!"
"Raaaaah!"
Colossal clubs ruthlessly tore through the air.
"Aaargh!"
"D-dodge!"
The shield-bearing warriors were turned into mush by those single blows.
No matter how sturdy their armor was, they couldn't overcome the physical strength of giants over ten meters tall.
"Sweep them all away!"
"Hahaha! I'll chop them to pieces!"
Warriors wielding axes charged like madmen.
Under the protection of the giants, they sought to finish off the enemies who were fleeing like slippery loaches.
In an instant, the battlefield turned into a sea of blood.
Screams and roars rang out, deafening to the ears.
Cornered, Theseus played his final card.
"Astmolis! I authorize the release of the Divine Beasts!"
"I've been waiting for those words."
A burly, bearded man immediately blew a whistle.
Then—
Hummmm!
Subspace tore open, and a gentle breeze drifted out.
Neigh!
Neigh!
It was then that the whinnying of horses was heard.
Pure white Pegasi rushed toward Theseus, deftly dodging the giants' clubs.
Not only did they possess outstanding mobility, but they also granted the broken ability to engage in free aerial combat.
This was the strongest Divine Beast that Olympus took pride in.
Mounting a Pegasus, Theseus shook off Thor in an instant and dove into the midst of the giants.
"Are you running away?!"
"I don't have time to deal with a brainless brute who only has brute strength. I'll deal with you next time."
Theseus headed toward the nape of a fire giant.
He dodged a swinging arm and—
Slash!
He sliced the giant's neck clean open.
"Graaaah!"
The slow, heavy body of the giant could not catch the nimbly darting Pegasus.
One, two...
Every time the Pegasi threaded through the giants, geysers of blood erupted like waterfalls.
"Shoot your arrows!"
"Buzzing around like gnats!"
"You bastards have no warrior's pride!"
Since they couldn't close the distance, they had no choice but to take a one-sided beating.
Unlike before, the tide of the battlefield was starting to shift subtly.
But right at that moment—
[The unique ability 'Triple Magic' has been activated!]
Countless magic circles appeared above Jinhyuk's head.
Different elements lay dormant within the hexagrams.
"I was planning to just stand back and watch, but if you're going to pull out something that broken, I have no choice but to step in."
Having sheathed his sword at some point, Jinhyuk concentrated mana in both hands.
An energy completely different from his Heavenly Demon Divine Art began to creep upward.
"Ridiculous. Did you think magic would work on a Pegasus?"
"It's a bit disappointing if you think this is just ordinary magic..."
This was going to be slightly different from the norm.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fire and ice rained down upon the heads of the flying Pegasi.
Since the coordinate calculations were already complete, the accuracy rate was close to 80%.
"A-Aaargh!"
"Ugh... Graaaah!"
The result was devastating.
Before their screams could even fade, the charred Pegasi crashed to the ground.
Only a few of the strongest warriors, including Theseus, barely managed to survive the bombardment.
"How... can magic have this much power...? To the point that even a Pegasus can't withstand it?"
Though they weren't the original lineage ridden by Perseus, the Pegasi here were still divine beasts that inherited that bloodline.
They were creatures capable of withstanding the magical bombardments of the Demon World's Liches.
However,
What Theseus had overlooked...
Was the fact that there existed a magic-class player stronger than hundreds of Liches combined.
"Having resistance just means your endurance is better than others. It doesn't mean you're completely immune."
Blue mana flared in Jinhyuk's left hand.
Crackle...
Red flames erupted in his right hand.
Whoosh!
Snowflakes created by 'Glacial Shaping' drifted alongside flames created by 'Fire Dragon's Breath'.
"Tell Zeus. Conquering Yggdrasil will be impossible."
And between the two spells—
'Daylight' became a single beam of light, slicing through the air.
* * *
A single beam of white light changed everything.
"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it..."
Sherry cursed repeatedly.
The situation was already completely out of control.
All that was left was to accept failure and run.
But.
Would it really be that simple?
If I fail this mission, I'll die anyway.
Nyarlathotep was not a generous soul when it came to failure.
Especially if someone ruined a project he was putting so much effort into.
Even if she was lucky enough to survive, maintaining her connections with the upper floors would be impossible.
Sherry's gaze turned toward Jinhyuk.
She gritted her teeth.
If only that detestable human didn't exist...
No, if only he were easy to exploit like everyone else, she could have used the carrot and the stick appropriately to get her hands on the Fountain of the Sun.
"Somehow... I will find a way to turn this situation around."
If she hid quietly and waited for the perfect moment when Jinhyuk found the Fountain of the Sun, there was still a chance to turn the tables.
But then—
"Hmm. I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that. My contractor told me not to let you go."
A chilling voice echoed from behind Sherry.
"...?! Who's there!"
Sherry hastily threw herself to the side.
She had clearly hidden herself in a corner far away from the battlefield.
Yet, she hadn't sensed a single trace of presence until the voice spoke.
Flap, flap, flap!
Dozens of bats gathered, quickly forming a human shape.
To be precise, the shape of a vampire.
"You are..."
Of all people!
A shadow fell over Sherry's face.
Alice von Ataraxia.
Excluding those on the 50th floor, the monster she least wanted to fight had appeared right before her eyes.
"Oh? You know me?"
"How could I not? The True Ancestor of Ataraxia, whom even the giant factions and deities of the upper floors once kept at arm's length."
"...Hmm? What did you say I was?"
"They said you were... the strongest among all the True Ancestors in history."
"Keep going."
"Pardon?"
"Keep going. Hurry. Tell me how strong, how beautiful, and how great I am. I have about three hours to spare, so list every single detail meticulously."
As if venting her frustration at not being recognized by Jinhyuk, Alice pressed Sherry even harder.
"Are you mocking me right now?"
"No, I'm completely serious. It feels like honey is dripping into my ears, so hurry up and say more."
Alice hopped up and down on the spot like a child.
"...Fine! Very well. No matter how great you were, now that you've lost your power, you can't be as strong as before. I won't go down so easily either."
Sherry took a combat stance, gripping her dagger.
"Are you really going to fight? All you have to do is hand over the dagger, but you're making a big deal out of this."
[The unique ability 'Blood Lord' has been activated!]
"Well, if you insist on drinking the cup of punishment, I'll gladly pour it for you. Watch closely with those eyes of yours. See for yourself whether I'm past my prime or not."
Crimson droplets of blood rose from the ground toward the sky.
* * *
Rumble, rumble!
Amidst the raging storm, Jinhyuk walked at a leisurely pace.
The battle was practically over.
All that was left was to wrap things up nicely.
Alice will take care of Sherry on her own...
Taking down Theseus as well would be ideal, but that would be difficult.
As long as he was riding a Pegasus, he would manage to escape with his life somehow.
But it didn't matter.
Even if he escapes and calls for reinforcements from Olympus, by the time they arrive, everything will already be over.
All they would find would be an empty Sopae Castle.
Step.
Jinhyuk stopped in his tracks.
Ahead of him, he could see Cheon Yu-seong and Lu Bu fiercely clashing.
Clash! Clash! Clash!
It was as if two small whirlpools were colliding.
"You really are amazing. You're probably the only one who can fight that well while wearing a skirt."
"Do you... really want to die?"
Cheon Yu-seong glared at Jinhyuk with murderous intent, pausing mid-fight.
He didn't say it out loud, but he seemed to be quite embarrassed in his own way.
"Hey, now. Don't threaten the guy who came all this way to help you. Anyway, things are mostly wrapped up over there. Can you handle this on your own?"
If it were a one-on-one, it might be different.
But right now, Cheon Yu-seong was surrounded by Lu Bu and his lieutenants, taking a relentless onslaught.
This meant that without intervention, he would slowly be worn down to death.
Boom!
"Die!"
Lu Bu pressed his attack even more violently.
Even for Cheon Yu-seong, parrying the spear swung from atop the Red Hare was no easy feat.
Of course, the spears and arrows flying in from the gaps were equally fierce.
"...Ugh!"
Cheon Yu-seong gritted his teeth.
His pride was wounded, but he knew better than to let stubbornness get the best of him.
"Help... me."
In the end, Cheon Yu-seong asked for help.
"Sure. Since the great Sword Star is asking, of course I should help. But you know..."
Jinhyuk spread his palm wide.
"The Fangtian Halberd and the rest of the items are all mine, got it?"
Naturally, there was no room for refusal.
If he didn't like it, he could just die.