Chapter 120 : Chapter 120
Chapter 120 : To the Labyrinth (6)
Normally, by the time the monster Lion spoke of appeared, there should have been signs like the ground rumbling by now, but no signs or anomalies occurred here right now.
As if nothing would happen.
However, it wasn't the case for Lion at least, as Lion held onto Luna and spoke pleadingly.
“Quickly, I have to run away quickly. The monster is coming soon!”
“No, even if you say that……. Where is the monster coming from? Have to know that to run away or fight.”
“Anywhere, just have to run away for now!”
Luna shifted her gaze as if seeking my agreement.
“Since we can't just ignore it, let's move for now.”
“Mmm, I think that would be good too.”
Since Lion, with a child's steps, couldn't possibly run properly, Luna decided to carry him on her back for now.
“……Doing this, it feels like a family fleeing from war.”
“Run in the time you say useless things.”
“Still, I'm faster, you know?”
Unfortunately, that was true.
Right now, the movement speed was slowing down because Luna was matching my pace.
No matter how much I improved my physical abilities with Haima's Pendant, supported physical abilities with Demonic energy, and recovered stamina with the Orb of Water, what couldn't be done couldn't be done.
There was that much of a huge difference in physical ability between me and Luna.
“Faster, have to go faster!”
Since we were already running at a considerably fast speed, Luna, unable to hold back, said a word.
“This kid. If you're so urgent, you want to get off and run yourself? Such a tiny thing is all talk.”
“So, sorry. I still have to go faster! Or else the monster will come!”
“While we're at it, let me ask. Just what is that monster thing? Does it really exist?”
“……The monster exists.”
As Lion spoke in a far too serious voice, Luna, who was snapping at him, also couldn't hide her awkwardness.
“No well, I'm not necessarily saying you're lying…… just saying.”
“It's right.”
“Ah, yeah.”
About ten minutes passed since we started running busily.
No matter that the Orb of Water continued to recover stamina, ten minutes of full-speed sprinting was never easy.
“Is the monster still chasing us?”
“……I don't know. I definitely felt it until just a moment ago…… Huh?”
“What's wrong?”
“The feeling is somewhat…… Aaah!”
Lion screamed and struggled on top of Luna.
“Look at this kid. What's wrong with him? Stay still a bit.”
“It's coming, it's coming!!!”
“Coming? Where?”
“Ah…… already, ah……!”
Lion grabbed his hair and screamed.
Along with that, the space in front of us started to ripple.
“Wait, stop.”
“……What is that? Does such a phenomenon happen in the labyrinth too?”
“It's a phenomenon I'm seeing for the first time too.”
No matter that all sorts of things happen in Akiro's Labyrinth, such a phenomenon was a first for me too.
No, perhaps it would be a first for anyone who frequently visited Akiro's Labyrinth.
“Step back.”
Don't know what that phenomenon means right now, but at least it was certain it wasn't a good phenomenon.
Ggul-leong, ggul-leong…….
As if the surrounding scenery was stained, it slowly took a certain form.
It revealed its appearance naturally.
As if it had existed there from the beginning.
“Mo, Monster!”
The monster's appearance was exactly as Lion had described.
Countless tentacles reaching out in all directions.
Dozens of eyes burning like flames.
Horns sprouting from the head.
‘As expected, it's a demonic beast I don't know.’
No, looking at the process of appearance or various other things, it would be correct to see it as an anomaly caused by some phenomenon rather than a demonic beast.
“Run, have to run away!”
“It's already too late. If we turn back here, the way to the safe zone will be delayed by a few days more.”
Anyway, if the monster appeared in that way, it was questionable whether running away was possible in the first place.
‘Can't be helped.’
An anomaly is different from a demonic beast.
Since an anomaly itself is like a phenomenon occurring in a special environment like a labyrinth, there are those that can be hunted like general demonic beasts, but the majority are not.
‘First, checking what kind of strategy works on the anomaly is the priority.’
Among anomalies, the easiest to deal with are, as expected, the types that can be removed by physical strikes.
Looking at the appearance of the anomaly revealed right now, since there was sufficient possibility it was that type of anomaly, I reached out my hand.
[Activates ‘Weapon Summon (??)’.]
[Personal weapon is summoned.]
[Summoning Weapon, ‘AKR-74 Assault Rifle (GF-40 Grenade Launcher Combined)’.]
Along with a blue halo, the AKR-74 Assault Rifle combined with the GF-40 Grenade Launcher revealed its appearance in my hand.
There was no need to hesitate particularly.
Cheol-keok─
Trigger pulled.
Tu-kwakwakwa──!!!
The ruthless firepower projection that turned level 5 players into ashes at once occurred again.
Sssss…….
The thickly risen explosive smoke cleared, and soon the appearance of the anomaly was revealed again.
In a far too intact appearance.
-Kkieeeeeeeek───!!!
A bizarre scream that seemed to tear the eardrums rang out, and a shockwave occurred.
[‘Orb of Water’ protects the wearer.]
[‘Orb of Water’ deploys ‘Rotating Shield of Water’.]
[‘Nak's Legacy─Jeon’ activates authority according to the wearer's will.]
[‘Nak's Legacy─Jeon’ deploys ‘Flash of Lightning’.]
The authority of the Orb of Water and Nak's Legacy arose simultaneously and offset the shockwave that reached out.
Seeing the water spray scattered in all directions, it was inevitably a tremendous power reminding me of the Magic of the Celestial Sound.
“What, that ugly monster.”
Unable to watch, Luna put Lion down and reached out her hand.
Seureureung─!
Along with that, the anomaly's body rippled once, then returned to its original state again as if nothing happened.
An appearance like seeing a mirage.
“Wh, What?! Why doesn't it work?”
“As expected, it doesn't work.”
“What is it? Do you know that thing?”
“Don't know. But I have to know from now on.”
Even Luna's Space Magic that strikes space itself doesn't work.
In other words, it was correct to see that physical strikes were virtually meaningless to this anomaly.
“Retreat for now.”
“Didn't you say there's nowhere to go back earlier?”
“It's a strategic retreat, not changing the path completely.”
With an anomaly of that form, it would be difficult to shake it off completely whatever path is chosen anyway.
So, I felt the need to find out about that thing after widening the distance for a moment.
‘General physical strikes didn't work at all. Then what about Demonic energy?’
I loaded Demonic energy into the AKR-74 Assault Rifle.
Sssss…….
My Demonic energy mixed with the Destruction Dragon's Demonic energy, unlike general Demonic energy.
I remember.
That the Destruction Dragon's Demonic energy not only possessed physical form but killed even things in a certain spiritual world.
Didn't the contractors of spirits, commonly called shamans, also lose countless spirits by the Destruction Dragon?
Then, it should be able to affect to some extent even things that cannot be affected originally.
Of course, it's just a guess, but that's something to verify personally.
Taang!──
Gunshot rang out with the pulled trigger.
And a single bullet shot out straight.
-Kkieeeeeeeek!!!
As soon as the Demonic Bullet pierced the anomaly, the anomaly's body rippled along with the space and writhed.
Couldn't eliminate the anomaly at once, but it was certain that it had some effect at least.
“It, It worked?!”
“It will be possible for you too if you use the Destruction Dragon's Demonic energy.”
“Is thaat so? I'll deal with this bastard right now…….”
“No, for now, we leave this place in this gap.”
“Why? Can't we just finish it off cleanly at this opportunity?”
“Look carefully.”
The anomaly was only affected for a moment, and soon its body returned to its original state along with the spatial rippling that occurred.
Meaning even the Destruction Dragon's Demonic energy only made that anomaly hesitate for a moment, but couldn't fundamentally remove it or anything.
“……It returned to its original state?”
“Stalling for a moment is possible, but can't do anything about that even with the Destruction Dragon's Demonic energy.”
“Then what do we do?”
“Run away for now, after buying time.”
Only then understanding what my words meant, Luna nodded.
“Good, let's do it.”
The Destruction Dragon's Demonic energy, which started to surge with a vicious aura, wrapped around Luna's right hand.
That energy was so dangerous that it felt like the source of life was being eaten away just by being close.
“Heup!”
A straight punch thrown heartily.
Kwakwakwakwa──!!!!
The tremendous wind pressure and explosive power that occurred along with it struck the anomaly just like that, powered by the Destruction Dragon's Demonic energy.
-Kkeueeeeeek!!!
The power was so strong that the anomaly's entire body disappeared completely for a moment.
“Run!”
Although it lost its form completely right now, it would return to its original state not long after.
Luna and I crossed past the spot where the anomaly was just like that while carrying Lion on her back.
Lion, who was practically hanging on Luna's back, couldn't hide his astonishment.
“Just how did you handle that monster……. Just what kind of people are you two?”
“Seems like that's what we should say. Why is that monster chasing you?”
“……I don't know, at all.”
“Even though you were being chased by that monster when you opened your eyes, you don't know at all?”
“Yees…….”
Lion himself said so, but Lion clearly has some relationship with that anomaly.
Unless that was the case, there's no way the anomaly, which never revealed itself in front of other users on the anonymous bulletin board, would reveal itself only to us.
“Do you really have no guesses?”
At that, Lion twitched his lips as if trying to say something, then shook his head.
“……No. I don't.”
“Lion, if you remember something, tell us everything. We are trying to help you.”
At Luna's words, Lion's pupils trembled violently.
“……I will, definitely.”
However, Lion seemed to still be hiding something, and didn't tell us in the end.
How long did we run avoiding the anomaly?
Lion, who was on Luna's back, fell asleep breathing gently before we knew it.
“Seeing this kid fall asleep, it seems the monster isn't chasing anymore?”
“I think so too but…… I think it's better to keep running until the destination for now.”
“Mmm, understood.”
Was it thanks to running and running again like that?
Before we knew it, the green land we wished for so much started to be seen beyond the vision.
Green verdant land.
What that meant was clear.
“It's the safe zone.”
Perhaps the full-speed sprinting earlier wasn't completely unhelpful, as we could cover the distance that would have originally taken well over two days in a day and a half.
“Phew…… Did we finally arrive?”
Luna, who was confident in physical ability alone, shook her head as if covering this much distance was quite exhausting.
“Yeah. Then we should decide now.”
“Huh? Decide what?”
“What to do with the Lion. Didn't we agree to take him only to the safe zone in the first place.”
“That is true but…….”
Luna sent a pitiful gaze toward the sleeping Lion.
“……So, what are you going to do?”
The answer to Luna's question was practically decided from the beginning.
If things that didn't exist in the existing Akiro's Labyrinth appeared before our eyes, that was something that also aligned with our purpose of coming to the labyrinth.
Divine Sword.
Lion.
Anomaly.
All of that is clearly connected.
“We will go together for the time being.”
Luna's pupils widened.