Chapter 179: The Devil's Tongue
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 179: The Devil's Tongue
Fear, tension, and silence hung heavy in the air.
“What the hell! Get the hell out of there, Caleb!”
Meldini's frantic, terrified shouts could be heard from outside.
“I’ll be right there!”
Meldini immediately took flight.
Right in front of us was a gate leading to the surface.
Yet, no one dared to jump through it. We couldn't make a single rash move.
Everyone sensed it instinctively. One wrong move, one step, and we would be killed where we stood.
Honestly, just standing here was a struggle.
My entire body thrummed with a chilling fear, as if I were coming down with a terrible sickness.
I felt like I'd been dropped in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and left stranded.
The overwhelming pressure of its mere presence filled the room.
A killing intent that effortlessly crushed even Deep Layer adventurers.
I had met countless powerful individuals and monsters—the Wyndham duo, Hyedam, Blackdog's four-man party, the professors, the Consul, Dagger Raptor, and even the White Lion—but the being before me was beyond comparison.
It was on a completely different level.
And…
How does it know my name?
I'd heard from Bipa before that I had apparently gone down to the Deep Layer with Hyedam, Bipa, and Mugol's party and met the Labyrinth Master.
Did the Labyrinth Master remember my face and name from back then?
But why?
Why would it remember a mere errand boy who just carried luggage among the strongest of the Deep Layer, like Hyedam, Mugol, and Bipa?
What happened back then?
Dammit.
I should have dug into it sooner.
Every time I tried to get information, all sorts of fucked-up things kept happening one after another, so I still hadn't found out.
And now, of all times, I run into the Labyrinth Master.
This was the worst possible situation.
“…”
Back Attack glanced toward Blackdog.
The enemy was already on a level far beyond us. The only ones we could rely on here were the Deep Layer quartet.
It seemed he was hoping to rely on their strength, but…
It probably won't work.
Not only would Blackdog be unable to defeat the Labyrinth Master, but it was highly likely they wouldn't even fight him at all.
“Blackdog.”
The moment the Labyrinth Master called his name, I quickly cut in and shouted.
“Don’t talk to him!”
I couldn't let them talk.
“He'll try to divide us. Don't fall for it!”
I tried to get ahead of it, as a sort of preventative measure. But.
“Just one party.”
Logic is weak in the face of power.
“I will allow you to descend to the surface. I will give this chance to the four from the Deep Layer party.”
“…”
“Krom!”
I shouted, cutting in again. I absolutely could not lose the Deep Layer party now.
“The Labyrinth Master stole the White Lion's body! It's probably inside the Gourmet Whale! He's the one who caused the Labyrinth Eruption 12 years ago! You can't just let him go!”
“…”
“And if the Labyrinth Master could move this easily himself, he wouldn't have needed to craft such insidious schemes with the White Lion and Dagger Raptor in the first place. That bastard must have some kind of penalty right now! The Labyrinth Master can't beat us! That's why he's trying to exclude Blackdog's party!”
The corners of the Labyrinth Master's mouth curled into a cunning smile.
“Stay out of this, Caleb.”
“…”
“Aren't you looking down on these people too much? It won't be so easy to manipulate them as you wish.”
“Things won't go your way either,” Krom snarled, glaring as he aimed his axe.
“Where is the White Lion's body? I have a lot of feelings about that bastard. Say one wrong word and I'll kill you on the spot.”
“Do you know what will happen if you kill me?”
The Labyrinth Master took a few steps toward Blackdog, stopping right in front of Krom's axe. He looked at Blackdog.
“All Possessors will return home. Blackdog. What do you think? Do you want to go home?”
he asked.
“Of course not. I know that you've built a family in the back alleys and are already living happily.”
“That's…”
“You want to protect Sohen, but you are against killing me. Blackdog. Because you have no intention of being separated from your family forever. Am I right?”
“…”
“Think of your wife and children in the back alleys. The woman who supported you even before you became the king of the back alleys. Her, and your daughter, who is now just six years old. Are you prepared to be parted from them forever without even saying goodbye? If so, then you may point your blade at me.”
“…”
Blackdog couldn't answer.
“And you, Krom. Are you prepared to send your sick friend back to his original home? Are you prepared to forcibly tear this man from his family, banish him from the back alleys forever, and face the resentful glares of his wife and young daughter?”
“…”
“If that's not the case, then don't bare your blade so carelessly,” the Labyrinth Master said, pushing Krom's axe blade away with a finger.
“Your bluff is showing.”
The Labyrinth Master pushed past a stunned Krom's shoulder.
“Don't move!” the startled adventurers shouted.
“Don't be afraid. I'm merely giving you a small gift.”
The Labyrinth Master approached Blackdog.
“Curse Release.”
And with that, he lifted the undead blood curse that afflicted Blackdog.
“Wh-what…”
The first to react were Rococo, the former cardinal, and Priest Mikhail.
Both of them froze in shock.
“It can't be.”
Blackdog was the same. He had been under a terrible curse that was killing his blood cells one by one, turning him into an undead.
“The curse is gone.”
His face filled with ecstasy, as if his body had suddenly become as light as a feather.
“How about it, Blackdog? Do you still wish to fight me?”
Fuck.
It was starting.
Even in the game, the Labyrinth Master was a being whose 'every single word was lethal.'
In the game, the Labyrinth Master tries to talk to you during the final battle, and choosing the wrong dialogue options often leads to the situation getting severely twisted, causing the party to split up or members to leave.
That's why it's important to maintain high levels of trust and favorability with your party members.
And right now, we were getting fucked in real time.
“Caleb probably would have demanded something from you in exchange for lifting your curse. For instance, to sink the whale.”
“…!”
“But I give it to you for free. And I will let you live. Don't be fooled by that wizard's cunning tongue, Blackdog. I am not your enemy. Go where you need to go. Go down through the gate and return to your family. Your daughter…”
The Labyrinth Master gently closed his eyes.
“is drawing a picture of her father on a piece of drawing paper right now.”
“You—”
Krom quickly stepped in front of him.
“Don't fuck with us. Stop with your shitty tricks.”
“She's using the crayons that Aunt Nimue bought for her.”
“…”
“…”
It was a detail I didn't know, but the expressions of Krom, Rococo, Nimue, and Blackdog—all four of them—hardened.
“And now, let's re-examine the very justification for this war. You pawns on the board.”
The devil's sermon continued.
“It was reasonable for you to block the monsters that emerged from the Labyrinth's eruption. And it is just to fight to prevent the White Lion's body from being taken. However.”
“…”
“Now that you realize your opponent is me, you must decide your stance clearly. Do you truly wish to kill me and close the Labyrinth?”
The Labyrinth Master thrust a hand forward.
KWAANG!
With a vortex of intense energy, a dimensional gate opened.
“How about this?”
The Labyrinth Master abruptly pulled someone out from within it. It was the leader of the Public Security Headquarters, who had just entered the Gourmet Whale's stomach.
“Consul.”
Summoned before him with a bewildered expression, Consul Peterson aimed his sword at the Labyrinth Master.
“Sohen is a city that has prospered on the riches of the Labyrinth. Are you prepared to kill me and seal away that treasure trove forever? Is this something you've agreed upon with the countless citizens who make their living from the Labyrinth?”
“…”
“Answer me. Are you prepared, by your sole decision, to put countless fathers and mothers out of work, plunge them into severe financial hardship, and turn Sohen and numerous other Labyrinth cities into dying ghost towns?”
The Consul could not answer.
His purpose for coming here was likely, at best, something along the lines of 'because Neko is here,' or 'because we can't let them take the White Lion's body.'
“I am asking if you are prepared to stab me and bear all the consequences should I stand in your way.”
Of course, the Consul had made no such resolution.
When Isel planned to close the Labyrinth, she was prepared to be executed in the streets.
That's how precious the Labyrinth is to this city.
Even after suffering that devastating eruption 12 years ago, people still gather and live in this city. The immense wealth the Labyrinth provides is like an addictive drug they can never quit.
The Consul was not the type of dictator to eliminate something like that on his own authority.
“Servants of the Ethereal Galaxy,” the Labyrinth Master shouted at us.
“Do not dare stand before me with such half-baked resolve.”
“Everyone, snap out of it!”
I shouted in alarm, shaking the Consul and Blackdog by their shoulders.
They were both on the verge of giving in!
“Don't be fooled! The Labyrinth will erupt and swallow the continent! It was the Archmage's last words! That bastard will destroy this world!”
“Yes.”
The Labyrinth Master nodded.
“I knew Caleb would say that.”
What?
“Is there anyone else who heard Dalstream's last words?”
“…”
“Or is there anyone who has read his final thesis?”
Ah, fuck.
“If not that, is there anyone who has read Dalstream's memories through speaking with the dead or psychometry?”
I'm truly fucked.
“If none of those, are you pointing your blades at me based solely on Caleb's testimony?”
After shaking Blackdog and the Consul, I was the next target.
“Caleb can be trusted,” the Consul retorted.
“When he gave his testimony to me, it was under a Lie Detection Magic spell.”
“Hahahaha.”
The Labyrinth Master let out a low laugh.
“Caleb, you tell them. Is Lie Detection Magic truly reliable?”
I couldn't answer.
For one, Meldini knows the truth. The Lie Detection Magic gimmick has run its course.
“Caleb…?” The Consul glanced at me.
If this were a game, this would be the moment I'd be choosing a 'dialogue option' in the final chapter.
“Consul. There are loopholes in Lie Detection Magic.”
I had no choice.
“But everything I testified to back then was the truth. Professor Dalstream said those things when he spoke with Dagger Raptor.”
If this were a game, a message saying 'Consul Favorability -10' would have just popped up.
This is driving me crazy.
“Consul. Judge carefully. What is the basis for the claim that the Labyrinth will swallow the continent and destroy everything?”
In the end, it is nothing more than the testimony of a single undergraduate magic academy student who claims to have heard a wizard's last words.
The Consul squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them.
“Even so, I trust Caleb.”
“Then try to kill me now. And go down and tell the citizens. Tell them you killed the Labyrinth Master and destroyed the Labyrinth because Caleb was right.”
The Labyrinth Master spread his arms wide, as if inviting them to stab him.
“…”
The Consul's shoulders trembled, but he couldn't bring himself to attack.
“You can't do it. You are a leader of upright character who loves Sohen. You cannot make such a bold decision to ruin Sohen by yourself. And you shouldn't. Consul, let me teach you. You should have convened a Sohen leadership council long ago, put the closure of the Labyrinth on the agenda, and held a citizen referendum.”
“…”
“How foolish, lazy, and incompetent you all are.”
The Labyrinth Master scanned everyone with eyes full of contempt.
“You came here without a shred of resolve or conviction. You don't even have a plan for what comes after. Can you truly call yourselves the leaders of this city?”
“…”
“Shame on you. You arrogant elites are worse than Dagger Raptor. Let me teach you the truth.”
The devil spoke.
“The reason you blindly chased me all the way here… is because the Ethereal Galaxy designed you to do so.”
“…”
“It is the same as a monster wave occurring when a strange phenomenon breaks out in the Labyrinth. You are an adventurer wave, generated in response to the strange phenomenon known as a Labyrinth Eruption. You lowly creatures. Awaken your wisdom and come to your senses. You are not prepared to kill me.”
He pointed to the gate.
“Fortunately, I am merciful and can give you more time. Go home. Spend time with your families, research the closure of the Labyrinth, prepare countermeasures, gather everyone's opinions, and steel your resolve.”
Silence fell.
At the same time, I knew instinctively.
We've lost.
It was over before we even had a proper fight.
The monster didn't need to use a single spell or skill to break us.
Just a few words.
With just that, Blackdog lost his reason to fight, and the Consul lost his justification.
He really was an opponent we should never have engaged in conversation.
“I was planning to kill you all, but now I've lost interest. To think you're all just zombies with no resolve or thought. You're not even worth killing.”
The Labyrinth Master pointed to the gate.
“All of you, go down. I'll let you live, just this once. However.”
He looked at me.
“Caleb stays.”