Chapter 174
Chapter 174: The Real And The Fake (3)
“Honestly speaking, the Cheonma Divine Cult venture fell far short of standards.”
The Black Mage Group had emerged from the Labyrinth and ambitiously rolled out new ventures. But not everything had turned out satisfactory.
“We summoned the strongest being from an entire world called Murim, and yet how could that power be…….”
Cheonma's forces had proven far too feeble.
“I never imagined that even the great Cheonma would turn out to be capable of no more than slicing through a mountain.”
Cheonma's Reign, or whatever they called it. A string of grandiose names had come out, and even the Possessors had been unanimous in their praise.
Cheonma was supposed to be the villain used like a reliable staple dish across all sorts of media, and yet…….
“Isn't it said that an empty cart makes the most noise?”
Those words had proven entirely true. At best, he was on the level of a somewhat strong knight, and at very best, Sword Master-tier.
“Compared to those who've transcended the wall, it's not even worth comparing.”
Makia Jangche, the representative of the Black Mage Group, felt a deep sense of regret.
To think the Cheonma Descent venture Thomas had anticipated so much would turn out this disappointing.
They had summoned the Sun-and-Moon Cheonma, said to have once cut down the moon itself. It had been an ambitious step toward standing against the Empire. But that business about cutting down the moon—.
“Are you telling me he earned the name Sun-and-Moon Cheonma just from slicing a moon's reflection in a wine cup?”
It was lamentable.
It made sense why the shareholders had convened this very meeting to decide the fate of the Cheonma Divine Cult.
“This isn't even a joke, to think a thing like this would show up…….”
“And on top of that, isn't the quality of the summoned body so poor that we can't even recycle it as a sacrifice again?”
The testing had already been completed. The Cheonma Divine Cult was genuinely weak.
“How could a being said to have reached the realm of Extreme Demonhood and become a demigod be like this!”
Cheonma had been made to spar against a foreign god. Mynoghra, who had been in charge of the Labyrinth's slayer squad. The sparring partner had been an even higher-ranked being, Nyarlathotep. They had matched him against a name of appropriate stature, at that.
“Only for him to just pop and die.”
Cheonma had burst apart at a single gesture from the foreign god. And so he had been revived within the Major Shareholder's shadow.
This……. How could this be!
Even the Major Shareholder himself had been so stunned he couldn't speak, so the disappointment was beyond words. It was at that moment.
Vwoooooom.
Suddenly, the universe itself trembled. It was the cry of the foreign god Nyarlathotep, filling the sky over the Garcian Kingdom.
“The slayer squad got wiped out?”
The news Nyarlathotep delivered was yet another piece of tragic news. It was the report of the death of the foreign god Cthulhu Mynoghra, the one they had ambitiously believed would control the Labyrinth. And to make matters worse, it was added that he had vanished somewhere without even managing to be revived.
“Are you saying his soul went missing, defying even the Major Shareholder's own power?”
It was truly a bewildering turn of events. Representative Makia hastily looked into all the reports coming out of the Labyrinth. Through the [Guild Chat] and the [Community], and by borrowing the strength of the Major Shareholder's Legion besides, she gathered every piece of information she could.
“This can't be…….”
All the treasures the Black Mage Group had gathered in the Labyrinth had been entirely seized by the Holy Son Erik's party.
“The Saintess of Lu-Solace entered the Labyrinth and killed Mynoghra?”
And on top of that, news followed that the Saintess of the Solar Holy Kingdom, currently in the thick of war against the Empire, had appeared in the Labyrinth.
“Lord Sauron.”
Makia bowed her head toward the Eye of Sauron. At that, the crimson eye floating above the Garcian royal castle turned its gaze toward the distant Solar Holy Kingdom.
Lu-Solace and the Solar Holy Kingdom had fallen.
Word had just come in that the Empire's Second Prince had killed the last remaining member of the Holy King's bloodline.
“Th-then what about the citizens of the Holy Capital?”
The battlefield of Lu-Solace had been, for the Black Mage Group, akin to a free sacrifice-gathering event. In waging their war, they had expended countless punishment soldiers, and had killed even their own soldiers and citizens without hesitation. That was clearly how it should have gone…….
“Good grief.”
Unbelievable news reached her ears.
That Solar Holy Kingdom. That Lu-Solace. Had not killed its own citizens, even as it fell to ruin.
“Does it make any sense that only soldiers, nobles, royalty, and the clergy affiliated with the temple died?”
Representative Makia genuinely tilted her head in confusion. The massive amount of life to be secured from Lu-Solace was supposed to play a crucial role in their future plans, and yet…….
“Th-then what happened to our sales team we deployed over there?”
For this very purpose, Makia had sent out the Black Mage Group's sales team. The intent had been to secure souls and recruit high-quality despair-laden punishment soldiers into the Group.
Whoosh—.
Deep darkness filled the Eye of Sauron. It began examining the battlefield of the Solar Holy Kingdom in closer detail.
The result.
“Are you telling me the Allied Nations' First Seat killed our entire sales team and sided with the Empire?”
Unbelievable news kept coming in. They had only just emerged from the Labyrinth and were about to try their hand at something, only for…….
“The whole world is against us—.”
It genuinely felt as though the entire world had turned against the Black Mage Group. Every attempt they made was being sabotaged. And on top of that, hadn't the Allied Nations, who had acted so friendly, just stabbed them in the back?
“We can only hope the subjugation team brings back news of victory.”
Their last hope lay with the five Floor Masters they had sent to clear the Labyrinth. Floor Masters above the 60th floor, no less.
Powerful beings recognized by the Major Shareholder himself, who had formed a team and entered the Labyrinth, hadn't they? That was clearly how it should have gone—.
The subjugation team had been wiped out.
The Major Shareholder's grief-stricken words shook the capital of the Garcian Kingdom.
“Ahh. H-how could this—.”
Black tears streamed from Makia's eyes.
***
Fwoooosh—!!!
Boom—!
Erik grabbed sacred spear after countless sacred spears and hurled them toward Deathwing.
“Du-sik, Jackson. Throw them faster.”
Because the temple had stockpiled such an enormous number of sacred spears, more were being generated than were even being thrown. The Possessors remaining within the temple were tossing the spears through the dimensional gate, and with so many people involved, the number piling up was overwhelming.
“Man, how is this itty-bitty spear so damn heavy.”
“Ngh, Du-sik hyung, quit complaining and hurry up and throw up!”
Jackson and Jang Du-sik strained with all their might, pulling out spears and hurling them at the Floor Masters. Countless explosions of divine power erupted over the massive Floor Masters.
Ka-boom—!!!
The tens-of-meters-tall giant and the massive insect fused to its back shook violently, as if driven mad. And yet, the two of them showed no sign of coming down.
What in the world is this?
The Saintess, watching this scene from the side, wondered if this was really the right approach.
So she posed a question.
“Is this actually going to clear it?”
“It will if we keep at it.”
Erik gave his answer immediately. Then he directed a scolding remark at the Saintess.
“How long does someone who's lived over a hundred years plan on just watching?”
The gist of it was that she should hurry up and help too. The Saintess looked at Erik with a bewildered expression.
“Didn't you say clearing has its own set of laws?”
Those were Erik's own words. And yet, there was no discernible law of any kind in this act of throwing spears.
Wasn't this just mindlessly pulling out spears and chucking them, and nothing more?
“Just as law is absolute, so too is compatibility absolute.”
Monsters were beings rejected by divine power. The Labyrinth's monsters were no exception. And Floor Masters weren't fundamentally different either.
Which meant.
“You just keep throwing until it works.”
Erik's philosophy was unshakeable. Watching the madness gleaming in Erik's eyes, the Saintess reluctantly began to move.
“Ngh—. H-holy Son Erik, I cannot lift this spear.”
The spear in her hand refused to budge. It wouldn't move even an inch. At that, Erik pulled out the [Wedge of Lu-Solace] from his inventory.
“You should be able to throw this one, right?”
According to the records the Empire had passed along after conquering Lu-Solace, if a true descendant of the Sun God threw this spear, a function would automatically activate that returned it to its owner.
“Y-you're truly giving this spear to me…….”
The Saintess touched the long spear with an expression of deep emotion. At that, Erik scolded her for getting greedy.
“I'm lending it to you.”
“R-right, of course…….”
The Saintess shot Erik a disgusted look, then raised the spear and took up a throwing stance.
Whoosh—.
The moment the Saintess gripped it, an enormous flame rose up over the Wedge of Lu-Solace. The fire swayed and danced, as if delighted to see her again. The Saintess absorbed the energy she felt from the spear, and pulled the shaft back in one motion. Then she launched it.
Fwoooooosh—.
KABOOM!!!
A fierce blaze erupted over Deathwing's wings. The force burned away the small clumps of flesh sprouting from the wings, and in the end, Deathwing's wings lost all power.
BOOM—!!!
The giant Rudrick and Deathwing crashed to the ground at the same time. The two who had stubbornly held their position in the sky the entire time had finally been dragged down to the ground.
—Nishida.
Erik gave the order over the [Guild Voice]. The moment they'd been waiting for had arrived, so there was no reason to hesitate.
“AAAAAAH!!!”
A small, feeble human charged straight at the tens-of-meters-tall giant. Wrapped around his shield was the power of [Taunt], a skill that had gained the effect of "Absolute" upon completing his 3rd Class Change.
“Wh-where do you think you're going!!!”
Rudrick let out a furious roar. It was because Deathwing, which had been fused to his back, had broken away from its position.
“AAAAAAH!!!”
Nishida Ryo. He was gripped with terror. It was because a monster resembling a mantis, of overwhelming size and covered in thousands of compound eyes, was flying straight at him.
I-I've overcome death itself, but—.
The sheer terror insects inspired in him was something he simply couldn't overcome. Nishida Ryo genuinely felt like he was about to faint.
“B-but even so, I've completed the mission given to me.”
Nishida Ryo closed his eyes with an expression of relief. His mission had been to activate [Taunt] the instant both Floor Masters entered the range of the [Skill]. And he had carried it out flawlessly.
Now I just need to slack off a bit back at the temple.
Nishida intended to just die here and return to the temple. If he was lucky, he might even run into the World Tree in her manifested form. Just as Nishida grinned, imagining that alluring figure—.
Whoosh—.
The insect monster, its thousands of eyes gleaming, swung its death-scythe at Nishida. It was at that very moment.
Fwooooooosh—.
THUNK!!!
A spear was launched.
That spear embedded itself in Deathwing's belly.
Kreeeeeeeh—kyeek!!!
Deathwing twisted its body, changing direction mid-air. Because of that, the scythe that should have severed Nishida's neck merely scraped past, grazing the ground instead.
—Nishida, don't even dream of resting.
Then, a voice reached him.
“Ahh…….”
Nishida Ryo turned a bewildered face toward the direction the spear had come from.
The pure white structure. On the roof of the Trial Corridor, the massive Paladin stood, radiating a brilliant glow as he loaded a new spear.
Fwoosh—.
Suddenly, a fierce blaze surged up beside Nishida.
Nishida Ryo turned his head slightly. There, he saw Deathwing writhing, its entire body twisting.
Letting out ghastly screeches, the massive insect thrashed across the ground.
Can it feel pain?
The spear Erik had thrown didn't stop at a mere explosion—it unleashed an ultra-high-temperature blaze. It was an effect similar to the Wedge of Lu-Solace that the Saintess had launched.
Hunting that monster…….
A new emotion began blooming in Nishida Ryo, who just moments ago had been consumed entirely with thoughts of slacking off and resting. Himself, Nishida Ryo, now a member of this mythic battle.
I really am inching closer to being a main supporting character.
Perhaps it was thanks to the training Riferoze had put him through. He genuinely felt a surge of exhilaration. This was longing.
—O God, grant me a mission!!!
“Erik, your followers are all completely out of their minds.”
The Saintess looked at Erik with an expression of pure shock. An army that feared no death.
It felt as though she'd just glimpsed a fragment of one.
“To think you'd have a Possessor enter Deathwing's body just to bait Rudrick into attacking…….”
Erik had ordered Nishida Ryo to infiltrate Deathwing's body. And then he'd instructed him to use his invincibility skill and hold out inside until [Taunt]'s cooldown came back around.
And so, once [Taunt]'s cooldown had reset, Nishida Ryo had lured Rudrick in from within Deathwing's body.
“Once I could target the weak point, it was just a simple matter of finishing it off.”
Erik smiled brightly, saying it was nothing much.
Deathwing's weak point was its belly. The original strategy was to drive Deathwing, which normally stayed on the ground protecting its belly, up into the sky in order to attack its underside. Rudrick's weak point, on the other hand, was its back.
To take him down, a tank needed to taunt him into exposing his back, timed for a damage-dealer to strike.
No matter how filthy a trick you use, in the end it still bows to overwhelming power.
The fusion of the two had broken this basic strategy, but……. Erik had simply subdued it through sheer force.
“Thanks to that, wasn't it an easy kill?”
“E-easy, you say?”
The Saintess took a step back, staring at Erik. She had just witnessed missions that looked no different from suicide attacks carried out by his followers.
You pulled off something like that, and you call it easy?
Nishida Ryo, who had endured a brutal stretch of time holding out inside the monster's body. On top of that, Kang Pung-ho, who had climbed onto the giant's back and fired arrows directly into its eye.
And Park Chang-ho, who had slipped through the eye wound Kang Pung-ho had created and torn through the inside of Rudrick's skull.
“I wondered if a strategy like that would even be possible, and it turns out it actually was.”
Erik nodded, satisfied. Unlike in the game, the Floor Masters here possessed actual physical bodies.
It was something he'd first realized when facing the Floor Master Rockstar.
Because I was able to deal real damage even to the magma inside its body.
Based on that, Erik had come up with the idea of clearing humanoid or insect-type Floor Masters by attacking from the inside.
“Of course, a lot of the credit also goes to you, Saintess, for burning out every single one of that bug's eyes.”
Erik didn't forget to offer the Saintess of Lu-Solace a word of praise as well. Hearing that, the Saintess could only blink in sheer disbelief.
“A-aren't we supposed to be enemies?”
Erik smiled brightly.
They do say you grow closer through fighting side by side, after all.
Having fought through this battlefield together, much of the hatred the Saintess held had been diluted considerably. Originally, if the Saintess had continued to hate him to the very end, Erik had planned to dispose of her the moment the Floor Master subjugation was over. But now, things have changed entirely.
Neutral.
In other words, it meant a state where he could no longer distinguish her feelings toward him one way or the other. Since the Saintess had become like a blank slate, he figured it wouldn't hurt to give her a chance.
“You don't even have anywhere left to go back to, do you?”
Erik relayed the news that had come in from outside.
“The Solar Holy Kingdom has fallen, and Lu-Solace's temple has been destroyed as well.”
“I-in the end, it came to that…….”
Ever since the moment she'd entered the Labyrinth, the Saintess had, deep down, already anticipated that this would happen.
“With even the Sun of Punishment blocked, that's naturally the outcome, I suppose.”
The Saintess resigned herself. Truly, nothing remained for her now.
“Saintess, Nia Solace. You've lived your whole life as Lu-Solace's dog, following that shallow doctrine of yours.”
Erik intended to create a place for the Saintess, who now had nothing left.
“……a dog, you say—.”
“Even a dog can switch masters, you know.”
Erik's eyes curved into a smile.
“I, I'm not so sure about that.”
The Saintess stepped back, looking flustered. At that, Erik took a bold step forward and said.
“You don't need to be sure. Just like you followed doctrine before, all you need to do now is do well whatever I tell you to.”
It was a cold, harsh thing to say, but the Saintess found comfort in those words all the same. She gave a faint nod. Before she knew it, her cheeks, beneath that deep bronze skin, had flushed red. What appeared on those cheeks may well have been a blush.
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