Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 079
Chapter Title: The End of Endless Greed
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"This is..."
Kyle, standing amid the flames resisting the evil, lifted his head. Before he knew it, his surroundings had transformed into a bizarre place.
The sharp scent of rain stung his nose, and what met his eyes was a gloomy sky. Beneath it stretched gray buildings and shattered, broken neon signs.
At a glance, it felt like he'd been teleported into some city.
But the eerie buildings without a single window and the repulsive flesh dripping down the walls made it clear this wasn't reality.
"They called it the Dream Labyrinth, right?"
He'd tested if it was an illusion or curse by dying and reviving with Baal's Minor Curse, but the scenery before him remained unchanged.
In other words, this wasn't an illusion or anything of the sort.
"So this is the power of a demon, huh."
It could even do things like this.
Then, a familiar message appeared before him.
"Even here, it settles up."
Kyle looked up in disbelief.
'So I died to fire magic back there, huh?'
There had been so many barrage spells that he'd died to one of them, apparently the most common fire magic.
But that wasn't all.
Kyle blinked at that.
'Huh? Did I die to wind magic too?'
He soon nodded as if it made sense.
'Well, with all that chaos, I probably died more than once.'
Levebruck's mages had unleashed a ton of spells.
And wind magic was just as common as fire, while also being optimized for long-range attacks.
'But I don't need wind magic.'
He'd already unlocked 'Ancient Elf Wind Magic,' the perfect superior version of regular wind magic.
It was then.
"......!!"
His surprise was short-lived. Reading the skill description, Kyle soon wore an incredulous expression.
'I've felt it since first learning Feel the Wind, but...'
This damn 'Ancient Elf Wind Magic' had skill descriptions that were utterly incomprehensible.
"Anyway, it means I can draw out even greater power, right?"
As Kyle asked, the 'Ancient Wind' swirling around tickled his ear.
"Guess so."
Then another message followed before him.
"Ah, right."
I did use a light-attribute magic artifact at the end.
He'd bombarded Levebruck's mages mercilessly with the artifact, without forgetting to target himself too.
'Hard-earned light-attribute magic artifact—gotta unlock it no matter what.'
He checked the lowest skill in the Light Magic tree.
Kyle tilted his head.
'Huh? Light magic starts with two skills?'
One was a healing skill, none other.
The other seemed a simple attack skill.
'Indeed.'
Light magic's tree apparently split into healing and attack from the start.
'They said it's an extremely rare attribute.'
Even from the beginning, it didn't seem ordinary.
"Alright. I'll pick skills slowly later."
Kyle gazed at the myriad alleyways unfolding before him.
For now, dealing with the current situation took priority.
Habitually activating Nebras's Super Sense, Kyle muttered.
"I see. This is like some other dimension."
It felt like a manifestation of part of hell.
"Hell, hell..."
If it was hell, it was fundamentally a spiritual realm.
"Then."
Kyle activated the Spirit Eye in his gaze.
The hidden side of the labyrinth spread before him.
There, he could 'see' it.
Sinister black mana flowing in a specific direction.
'Mana usually flows toward the barrier's core.'
Casually slinging the holy sword over his shoulder, Kyle said.
"Alright. Let's wrap this up quick."
As he stepped into the alley where mana converged—
"......"
A foul rotten stench assaulted his nose. Crimson blood flowed along the roadside, soaking his shoes.
Lifting his gaze from the unpleasant sensation, he saw something like hell on earth.
Dozens, hundreds of black hands protruding from the walls tore, trampled, and ripped at people's bodies.
Yet amid it all, they couldn't die, shrieking maddening screams from every direction.
One that had once been human grabbed Kyle's pant leg.
At that moment, bang! The alley entrance slammed shut.
A chilling cold rushed in as if waiting, and Kyle opened his mouth.
"Aha."
He pinched his nose with his fingers.
"This concept?"
No idea who designed it, but...
As hundreds of grotesque faces sprouted from the ground, Kyle activated Baal's Minor Curse again and said.
"...Taste for the perverse, huh."
From that point, as if someone flipped a switch, pitch-black darkness engulfed the alley with a thunk!
Walter Levebruck gazed at the Butcher trapped in the Dream Labyrinth, letting out a deep laugh.
Soon, his eyes, painted crimson-black, widened toward the black mist filling the hall.
The authority Dream Labyrinth that Malphas had given them was a barrier technique manifesting a facet of hell in the present world.
Those trapped in the labyrinth would wander endlessly in all sorts of nightmares and darkness, unable to locate the barrier's core.
But as the name implied, it was a proper labyrinth.
Finding the core was incredibly complex, and even choosing the right path was near miraculous.
Not to mention.
The pitch-black darkness driving people mad and the horrific nightmares were bonuses.
Moreover, a month in the labyrinth equaled an hour here.
Having to wander for days in a place that could drive you insane in an hour.
Of course, keeping one's sanity intact through that was fortunate.
Humans were fragile creatures whose minds broke after a day in darkness.
No matter who, human mental strength always hit bottom eventually.
Soon enough, even he wouldn't endure and would pathetically beg to be saved, to be let out.
Just imagining it thrilled him, making Walter's body tremble as he curled his lips.
The moment the Butcher's impudent face crawled on the floor like a bug.
As Walter burst into laughter again—
A piercing alarm rang in his mind, making him widen his eyes and shout.
"......!!"
At that instant, slicing through the labyrinth's mist was none other than a sacred blade.
Kwaaaaang-!!
Holy flames illuminated the darkness-filled hall, and sharp sacred light surged toward them.
"!?"
A tremendous roar erupted as the sacred flames clashed with the black barrier surrounding Otto.
But only for a moment.
The barrier tore like paper, and a pure white flash literally severed Otto's right arm.
"Kuhuuuk?!"
Walter stared in disbelief at the split labyrinth mist.
Emerging with heavy footsteps was a man in black combat gear.
Amid swirling black-and-white flames, the holy sword slung over his shoulder spat fierce flames from its blade.
Paaang-!!
Walter Levebruck's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Well, it was pretty annoying, sure..."
Kyle said, resting his arm on the holy sword.
"But against me? This stuff doesn't work."
The labyrinth's complex paths? Spirit Eye saw through them.
Endless nightmares and darkness?
His immortality didn't just rewind his body to before death.
It was the epitome of absurdity, rewinding body, mana, everything—including his mind—to pre-death.
Thus, his stamina, mana, even mental strength...
All infinite.
That was Kyle Clark's absolute advantage.
An advantage Levebruck could never overcome without knowing Kyle was the 'Immortal.'
"Levebruck, still don't get it?"
The fight didn't end when the demon's authority activated.
"From the very start."
The moment they failed to notice his immortality.
"This battle was already over."
"Here I go."
Realizing Kyle's gaze was on his son, Walter shouted.
"No waiting."
Your last chance flew by earlier.
Kwaaaang-!!
Kyle shot forward like a storm toward the pale Otto Levebruck—
-Finally...!
"?!"
The voice echoing in his head made Kyle's active Spirit Eye widen.
-Finally, I can be freed...!
'This?'
Not Walter Levebruck's voice.
'No way.'
Otto Levebruck?
Kyle instinctively halted his blade.
Walter gasped in shock.
Gazing at the gaunt man before him, Kyle narrowed his eyes and spoke.
"You..."
At that moment, light returned to Otto Levebruck's eyes as he said.
"Please, Butcher."
His pupils trembled.
"End this madness... for me."
Sudden surge of black mana.
"Kaaaak!"
Otto reached out in agony as his body twisted, screaming.
"Graaaah! Butcheeeeer!"
As his eyes lost focus again, baring teeth like a beast—
"...I see."
You never wanted this.
Reading his true intent with Spirit Eye, Kyle swung the halted holy sword once more.
Slash!
A flawlessly clean sword strike gently cleaved his body.
"Guhk...!!"
Otto halted in place, vomiting blood from his mouth, and spoke his last words.
"Tha... nks..."
That was the end.
His body crumpled like a puppet with cut strings. Watching from the top floor, Walter Levebruck screamed.
"N-No! Nooooo!!!"
Grabbing his face with both hands, he shouted.
"This can't—! Not like this! My last direct bloodline of Levebruck, dying so pointlessly...!!"
Walter's eyes trembled rapidly.
"Butcher...!"
'What the hell are you...!!'
Even the Dream Labyrinth failed.
"What in the world are you...?!!"
Before the grief of lost bloodline, fear of the Butcher bowed his head first.
Because now, the distance to the Butcher was nearly gone.
Growing frantically anxious, Walter muttered unwittingly.
"N-No. It's fine. Still fine."
He nodded, looking up at the ongoing descent ritual.
"Yeah, still fine!"
Swallowing hard, he began muttering like a madman.
"Bloodline? Yeah, screw the bloodline. I can make more. Have more kids! Right! Fleetwood's daughter! Kemston too! Excellent bloodlines overflow here! As long as I get this tower—this tower— I can continue the line endlessly!"
Consumed by madness, he addressed the black something swirling above.
"Yes, what's important now—only summoning Lord Malphas...!!"
And the descent ritual was nearly complete.
Then surely, he could kill the Butcher this time.
'If only the great Malphas descends to this land!'
"Not yet, Butcher! I haven't lost yet!"
Just a little more time.
Just a bit more.
'The ritual ends soon!'
Kneeling again at the ritual's center, he prayed.
"Aah! Great Malphas!!"
Walter screamed toward the swirling black mass.
"Pleaseee! Grant this lowly servant the power to face the Butcher...!! To punish the fool challenging Lord Malphas...!"
It was then.
"That's far enough, yeah?"
"?!"
Kwaaaaang-! The stone wall of his room shattered entirely.
Crackling through the debris was none other than solar lightning mana.
Dusting through the cloud, black combat gear emerged. Walter paled and said.
"B-Butcher...!"
His mana-less body shuddered.
"How so fast...!"
"All the tower's mana is converging here. Easy to find."
"Th-That's impossible...!"
Terror-stricken, he fell on his butt and prayed to Malphas again.
"Ma-Malpas!! Please! Please!! Give me power!! Power!!"
But unlike before, no response came. Walter's eyes shook violently.
"Lord Malpas...?"
Kyle let out a hollow laugh.
"What, your mighty demon finally gone silent?"
As crackling mana flared again, Walter desperately reached out.
"W-Wait. Hey. B-Butcher! Butcher!"
As the footsteps approached, he hastily knelt before Kyle.
"I-I was wrong! Wrong!! I'll kneel and beg, so please, have mercy!!"
Kyle gave an incredulous look.
Apologizing only when his own life was at stake, after holding out till the end.
But the last train had left.
"I told you clearly."
Solar lightning gathered in his hand.
"Begging later would be pointless."
"Aaaaaah! No! If you kill me, Levebruck! Great Levebruck!!"
Turning back, he prayed to the demon again.
"Lord Malpas!! Please!! Save me!!"
As draconic aura surged and Kyle reached him—
A colossal flash plummeted onto Walter's head.
"Pleeeeease...!!"
Ku, Kwaaaaaaang!!!