Chapter 403 – Fun
The chill of blades clashing pierced the ears with metallic screeches, and the explosions from spells striking shook the eardrums.
Bolts and arrows flew indiscriminately from all directions, sometimes even daggers, damaging armor, tearing flesh and muscle, and causing bleeding.
Even if one had sealed away their original strength, the years they had lived and the experience they had gained could not be denied.
Experience, and skill.
Those were unceasingly unleashed through the weapons gained within the labyrinth.
Kwaaaaang!
Rovellin and the Mage of Gentir Magic Tower clashed. Steam rose, settling heavily in all directions.
Obscured vision.
Taking advantage of the brief blindness, a beastman ran on all fours and seized a large bone that had been left lying around.
In that instant, a chill ran down the spine.
He immediately bent at the waist, just as a bastard sword swung horizontally, striking the keel and sending it flying.
The Imperial man raised his brows.
"Sticky fingers, aren't you."
"Bastard, what, you'll get cursed if you touch it?"
The man and the beastman twisted their waists.
Claws and sword blades ceaselessly sought openings, thrusting forward and pulling back in turns.
The moment the dragon's material fell to the ground, all eyes turned bloodshot.
The alliance had already broken long ago.
Now, one-tenth of all participants were in the same space, with eight factions clashing at once, the chaos was indescribable.
It was truly a battlefield of carnage.
"Haa, haa..."
Pressing their backs against the wall, Rovellin's group steadied their breath while observing the battle.
Hezen clicked his tongue.
"Damn, the retreat path..."
What they saw was the familiar translucent barrier, tinged faintly pink, sealing off each passageway one by one. Soon, the last remaining path was also blocked, completely sealing the space.
Some participants had placed the barriers as a safeguard, to prevent anyone from slipping away with the goods.
"The path is completely sealed, we can't even run. What should we do, Lady Rovellin?"
"Maintain distance so no one approaches. Forget about the material, just focus."
Safety came first, the goods came second.
Rovellin reminded her subordinates of their priorities, then spread waves of flame to suppress the many gazes fixed upon them.
Just then, Verden stomped the ground beside her.
"Alan!"
Rovellin called from behind, but he ignored it.
Better to confront the greatest threat head-on, rather than sit idly by.
Charging at full force, he thrust his spear at the woman wielding a curved blade. Sparks burst instantly, steel shrieked.
Verden muttered under his breath.
"Is the host even allowed to intervene like this?"
"Oh my, intervene? I'm fulfilling my duty as a participant, fair and square. Look, this crossbow, this sword, they're the same as what you use. I hunted in the labyrinth and earned them myself. I'm just another ant here."
Ignacia grinned slyly.
"But when ants chase prey and die, whose fault is it?"
"Depends on perspective."
Harnessing his enhanced physical abilities, Verden unleashed a one-sided torrent of attacks.
He pressed forward with his weight, ramming Ignacia with his shoulder, slamming her against the wall, and extended his spear shaft to pin her thin neck along with her curved blade.
"Keuk... ruthless, aren't you. Right now, I'm just a Mage on your level, but you're being overly wary of me, don't you think?"
"Of course I am. Who knows what you'll do."
"Sorry, but I'm not the one making variables here. It's the labyrinth, and you lot."
───Kwoong!
Suddenly, a thunderous sound rang out.
Slow, repetitive, drawing closer... like footsteps.
"Just like now."
Ignacia twisted her head as far as she could, bent her upper body, and slipped free of the pressure.
Her left hand braced on the ground.
Immediately, her right leg lashed out in the air, kicking near his neck.
'Even her martial arts are no joke.'
Verden absorbed the shock, retreating back.
He wiped his chin with the back of his hand. Black dust stained his skin.
Ignacia flicked her hand lightly.
"That kid over there... ah, what should I call you now?"
"Alan."
"Call me Sia. Anyway, Alan, have you heard the term 'Ancients'?"
Ancients?
"I have not."
"Right? I only overheard it myself, but—long, loooong ago, they say there were many other races aside from humans, elves, beastmen, and dwarves. Someone categorized them as Ancients."
She shrugged her shoulders.
"And apparently, among them was a race of giant humans... but honestly, there's no data, no credible legends. As a Mage, I can only think it's a fabricated story. Right?"
"What's your point?"
"Even if it's fiction, isn't it the perfect idea material? So I, with a bit of imagination, recreated some of it."
Ignacia jerked her chin.
Instinctively, he looked that way. A shadow flickered beyond the translucent barrier.
Kwaaaaaaang!
The barrier shattered with a single blow.
And into the briefly silenced battlefield, a 'giant' forced its way in.
A beastman stumbled back.
"Shit, what the hell is that!"
Its arms and legs stretched unnaturally long.
The body resembled a human overall, yet its mouth was torn to the ears, its eyes and genitals absent—its details were entirely inhuman.
Verden instantly realized.
Back on the third day of the labyrinth, the one who burst two participants to death had been this very giant.
'Dangerous.'
With restrictions in place, even if all participants here joined forces, facing the giant would be nothing short of suicide.
Sensing the primal threat, everyone hurriedly pulled back.
Ignacia whispered softly.
"Wow, this is my first time seeing one in the labyrinth too. It really looks terrifying."
"..."
"Don't glare at me like that. I swear on my existence, I had no hidden hand in this. It's all a natural flow."
"I'm not accusing you. I just want to know what comes next."
"Well, since you lot sealed the exits with barriers, at least half will probably die. Unless someone gets their hands on that item..."
Her eyes darted, then she smirked.
"Yes, that way it's fun."
Following her gaze, he saw a man from the Arnak Empire holding a strange hourglass.
Resolute, the man clenched his fingers, shattering the container in an instant───and the entire labyrinth began to pulse.
"That is..."
"Fun is stimulation. Stimulation comes from change, and the seasoning called tension arises from impatience."
Ignacia tightened her grip on her sword.
"In that sense, I only prepared one thing, but I didn't expect him to have it."
Kwoooooooong!
The labyrinth split apart.
No, more accurate to say its structure was being rearranged.
As though
And then, his vision went dark.
***
"...!"
Verden opened his eyes, immediately rising and scanning the surroundings.
No one.
Only dark, winding, empty corridors awaited him.
'A shifted labyrinth.'
The "change" and "impatience" Isabella had mentioned.
The former must mean this new labyrinth itself. The latter, perhaps...
'That the collapse of the labyrinth is accelerating.'
It all made sense.
So Verden assumed, and immediately increased his pace.
Finding Rovellin was his top priority.
Luckily, perhaps because they had been in the same space, he found her quicker than expected.
"Alan."
But this time, there was an additional casualty.
Arril, wounded at the side, was groaning, sweat pouring like rain.
"After the labyrinth changed, we were ambushed. They must have tried to steal the Escape Scroll. Of course, we wiped them out, but..."
Rovellin bit her lip, suppressing her fury.
Hezen spoke.
"We survived the worst, but moving further will be difficult. The wound is bad. Potions like these won't suffice."
"I'm fine... really...!"
"Quiet."
Silencing Arril, Rovellin rubbed her forehead, lost in thought.
A few seconds.
Then she quickly made her decision, and declared.
"Use the Escape Scroll."
They had two means of escape in possession.
Even so, Hezen did not question and immediately obeyed.
Whoooong.
He activated the scrolls one after another.
Mana waves spread widely.
They stayed on guard as the array of runes formed, but fortunately, no ambush came.
Five minutes, then seven minutes.
One after another, blue portals completed.
Apparently, the activation time of each scroll was different. Random. Brutally unfair.
"Sorry for being such a burden..."
"I told you to shut it."
Supporting the wounded Arril, they sent him out of the labyrinth first.
Then, next.
"Lady Rovellin, please go first and rest. I'll follow shortly─── Ugh?!"
Rovellin kicked Hezen.
He could do nothing but be forced back, swallowed by the blue light. Darkness sank over the place where the entrance vanished.
Rovellin let out a breath.
"From now on, I can't guarantee we'll find another Escape Scroll. Staying in the labyrinth like this only raises the chance of dying."
"Then why didn't you leave?"
"Because they're more important. At least, to me... Then Alan, why did you just stand still? If you wanted, you could've taken Hezen's place and escaped."
"My Lady Rovellin's safety is my top priority."
Both were stubborn.
No matter what was said, neither would bend.
"...I won't apologize. After all, both of us will return alive."
Rovellin murmured softly, slipping on a jeweled ring.
It was a labyrinth item Arril had left behind.
The jewel's glow pointed west.
"The keel must still be in the labyrinth. If we follow this, we'll likely run into other participants."
She took the lead.
"Let's move quickly. Before all the Escape Scrolls disappear."
***
Kugugugu...!
The labyrinth trembled intermittently.
The vibrations were similar to those felt when the collapse first began.
As the epicenter drew closer, the end of the auction approached.
Hiding behind a wall, Verden cautiously peered outside.
"...I've found them."
Participants' corpses were strewn about.
The Mage of the magic tower, who had insisted checking the dragon's material took priority, lay cold and lifeless.
The last three surviving participants were rummaging through bodies.
"With this, we've secured all the Escape Scrolls. Still, I wonder when the ones who went chasing the material will return."
"For now, we'd best open the space and wait. Whatever happens, securing a retreat comes first."
"Ha, this suffocating labyrinth is finally ending."
Their bodies drenched in blood, they each activated their scrolls in turn.
The unique rune formations flickered.
Watching this, Verden and Rovellin tightened their grips on their weapons.
"I'll take the first strike."
"Yes."
If the first ambush succeeded, the escape would be simple.
But they were not the only ones eyeing the chance. From one side of the passage, spells and arrows rained down, ambushing the participants.
"Secure the scrolls!"
"Damn rats...!"
In an instant, the melee broke out.
Those guarding the escape route and those trying to seize it tangled together.
The timing was lost.
If they delayed further, the chance would vanish entirely.
Rovellin activated her mana circuits, aiming at the battlefield.
The participants belatedly sensed the mana, but before they could respond, Rovellin had already completed her spell.
A staff that allowed two casts of 4th-tier magic.
Scarlet flames scorched the passageway.
Into the hell of screams and roars, Verden and Rovellin charged.
Just then, a space opened, revealing an escape route.
They poured all their labyrinth items and mana into suppressing the enemy. Elemental bombardments flared alongside the flames of
While Verden drew their attention, Rovellin secured the entrance.
With her final 4th-tier spell, she wrapped herself in fire.
Now, no one would dare approach.
Or so she thought. But then, someone burst through the wall of flame.
"Graaaahhh!"
A man charged, screaming in agony from burns.
Gripping his glaive long, he swung, crimson light flashing.
Mages were not the only ones who could use labyrinth items to draw upon fragments of their true power.
Chamchu斬抽
His martial skill cleaved through the wall of flame.
The searing heat battered him head-on, leaving him far from unscathed, yet still he forced his weapon forward.
"Kuuk...!"
Weakened from casting consecutive 4th-tier spells, Rovellin could not evade.
But before it struck, Verden thrust his spear forward, stepping between.
Kaaang───Kwaaajijijik!
The glaive shattered the spear shaft, then pierced through Verden's abdomen.
Blood surged up his throat.
Even so, he completed his spell calculation, stretching out a hand. The man staggered, retreating in haste.
But Verden had been aiming at someone else.
"...?!"
A fierce wind swept Rovellin off her feet.
In an instant, she was flung into the portal created by the scroll.
Her crimson eyes widened.
That was the last sight before Rovellin vanished from the labyrinth.
The goal, had been achieved.
Thud.
Verden dropped to his knees.
The wound was too severe for a spirit body to endure. There was no need to force himself—the plan was already complete.
"Keugh!"
At that moment, a blade pierced from within the glaive wielder's body.
With a strangled scream, he collapsed, revealing Ignacia behind him.
"So that's why you were running with Bohemirn Magic Tower. Because of that woman, huh?"
Ignacia was as battered as Verden.
Her left wrist dangled in tatters, her side and thigh were deeply cut, and three arrows were lodged in her body.
Verden asked.
"What happened to you?"
"Ahaha, ran into too many on the way. Nearly died. Anyway, what's your relationship with that girl?"
"I won't say."
"Fair enough. Still, even for a spirit body, pain is real. To bear such agony for her... does she even know your true identity? No, she doesn't, right? How romantic."
Ignacia walked over and plopped down beside Verden.
There was nothing around them.
Everyone else was either dead or had escaped the labyrinth. The remaining exit had shattered under the strain.
Only the two of them sat together.
"I heard there was a stir in Gargant recently. A whole building vanished from spatial teleportation. Was that you?"
"It's not unrelated."
"I clearly forbade disputes. Bold of you."
Strictly speaking, it hadn't been a dispute.
He hadn't fought directly, so one could call it an accident.
But that was just wordplay. The decision rested entirely on Ignacia's judgment, so Verden didn't bother with excuses.
"My apologies."
"Do you think an apology gets you off? Well, not impossible... Fine. I'll let it slide this time. But you owe me one. How about it?"
What the debt to a Transcendent would cost was unknown, but there was no choice.
If Ignacia chose to punish, Isabella, the true culprit of the teleportation, would be endangered.
"I accept."
"Bold! Koff, koff!"
Ignacia coughed up blood, then collapsed beside Verden, grabbing his neck.
Too weak to resist, Verden slumped beside her.
The dim ceiling swam in his vision.
"Haa, lying down is easier. My body feels heavy. Still, ending like this is boring... How about a fistfight for memory's sake? Even with a spirit body, it'd be your one chance to beat a Transcendent."
"No thanks. I can't even stand."
"Hehe, true. Me neither!"
Silence fell with her words.
A stillness like being inside a dream. Among the corpses, Ignacia whispered low.
"It's a peaceful age."
"...?"
"Not for you, of course, but for us Transcendents it is. Even if we realize our reasons and ideals for existing, we can't just live however we please. If every Transcendent rampaged in their madness, the world would be plunged into endless war. Like in the distant past. Fun, sure, but not what I want."
She sighed.
"That's why Transcendents must follow at least some rules. And seeking amusement within those limits is difficult indeed."
Verden asked.
"So that's why you host the special auction called Ignacia's Scales?"
"Yep, to stave off the boredom. That's why I love this labyrinth. Where else would I get wounds like these? Sure, they're illusions, but they'll stay vivid in memory."
Ignacia looked at Verden.
"Remember what I said? That a Transcendent is a being beyond races, and a lunatic."
"I remember."
"That's why a Transcendent is always lonely. When all you cherish fades with time, you must remain. Even when that woman you tried to protect, and everyone at your side, crumble away—you must remain, alone, in this tedious world, until existence itself ends."
That, was the price of awakening.
"And still, do you want to become a Transcendent?"
"..."
The same question as before.
Again, Verden gave no answer.
"Heh, but even if you refuse, it's impossible not to. Like I said, Transcendents are chosen. It isn't your choice."
Ignacia embraced him.
The blood of his spirit body, flowing from his stomach, soaked her arms.
"...But maybe you'll be different. Really, maybe. I can't help but expect that you'll make this world fun."
Thud.
A heavy rumble drew near.
The epicenter shook the passageway, looming close. Shadows stretched across the floor, swallowing Verden and Ignacia in the light of scattered mana lamps.
"It's my first time dying with someone else. This memory will last."
Who wouldn't think the same?
Verden couldn't speak, so he answered in his heart.
"It was fun, Asher."
With Ignacia's laughter as the last sound, the giant clenched its fist and slammed down.
Jjeoook.
At last, the labyrinth ended.
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