Chapter 87
Chapter 87: Raid (1)
'How does God bestow power?'
The phrase "the temple has become clear."
Erik felt an indescribable intense intuition.
The people of this place wielded God's power indirectly.
'The method of bestowing power.'
The act of borrowing God's will, establishing divinity.
Or revelation, prophecy.
For Holy Knights and priests, it was as common as daily life, but it was not applicable to Erik.
He had never even felt a glimpse of God's voice, let alone heard it.
Erik fell into contemplation.
'I've become one giving what I never received.'
Regardless of Erik's worries, the Astia Religious Order's Holy Knights steadily advanced toward the shattered Black Tower.
"Everyone, do not fear!"
Advancing through the demon realm.
The Pope's divinity illuminated the darkness where the sun did not shine.
Thanks to the land devastated by the Holy Spear, finding their destination was not difficult.
A tower broken in half was visible in the distance.
"It's an ambush!"
After advancing for some time, as they approached the tower, the darkness grew thicker.
From the darkness of the demon realm, countless monsters appeared.
"The Holy War Knights engage the monsters on the upper levels!"
All around was a battlefield, a scene of carnage with blood and flesh scattered everywhere.
As monsters launched surprise attacks and showed tactical movements.
"The grace of Astia is with us!"
The Holy Knights' bodies shattered endlessly.
Yet the Pope's power restored them to wholeness.
"The boss is concentrating that much…."
Though monsters filled the rear where Erik was, he paid no mind.
He focused entirely on his own time.
"Ugh, Dakkal! The right side is open!"
His trustworthy subordinates were with him.
So he had plenty of leeway even in the enemy's midst.
Much less was the Astia Religious Order's Holy Knights.
"Astia protects us, so we have nothing to fear!"
If it's faith, then faith.
If it's experience, then experience.
If it's skill, then skill.
The clergy of the Astia Religious Order excelled in all aspects.
"Julius, guard Erik's rear."
The aura of divinity surrounding Erik was truly magnificent.
Though what he was doing was unclear, it was enough for the Pope to lend a hand.
The Pope took the frontmost line himself and sent Julius to guard Erik.
"Our Father is with us!"
The Pope sharply honed his divinity into the shape of a blade.
With the Pope at the vanguard, morale soared.
Waaahhhhh!!!
The momentum to tear apart the darkness of the demon realm.
Even in such commotion, Erik remained silent.
'How does God bestow power?'
He sought to find a path by deliberating himself.
He recalled the conversation between Ruelle and Kang Pung-ho that he had overheard.
'I definitely did something similar.'
Erik focused on the connection he felt at that time.
His purpose was singular.
The will to communicate with beings who considered him a god.
'Where is it?'
Thus, he tried to find Ruelle's presence.
Since she wasn't a Possessor, it was more difficult than expected.
With them, it felt like the lines were connected from the beginning, but in Ruelle's case, he had to create those lines himself.
However, Erik's monster-like talent quickly found the answer.
He felt her presence.
'Roughly around there?'
Erik shifted his gaze to find Ruelle's aura.
Amidst countless monsters.
Ruelle's presence was vivid among the horrible creatures.
'She went in that far?'
An incredible sight he couldn't believe.
The line's end was in the heart of massive monsters within the demon realm.
Close to the Black Mage Group's tower.
'Did I find the wrong place?'
As he pondered this, an enormous ogre suddenly changed direction as if hitting something.
It was unnatural.
"Grraaahhh!"
At that moment, Janson's arm on the right front side burst.
At that sight, Jang Du-sik muttered,
"Well, Ruelle is really fluttering around too."
The three Possessors pressed close behind Erik swallowed their saliva.
A glance.
They exchanged glances with each other.
Especially Kang Pung-ho looked startled.
'Could Ruelle have…Janson….'
He felt chills.
Hearing Jang Du-sik's grumbling, he couldn't help but understand.
The context was that Janson used some power, and as a result, Ruelle took the damage he would have received.
'Does Ruelle also not treat Possessors as people?'
It was completely different from when they conversed in the church.
Moreover, Kang Pung-ho clearly knew the identity of 'something.'
'Guardian-class skill.'
The skill effect was so vivid that he couldn't miss it.
As much as he was sincere about Continental Online in the past, there were few skills he didn't know.
'Janson is definitely a Possessor too.'
This was the first time seeing Janson in such detail.
Looking at his relationship with Jang Du-sik, he seemed close to Erik as well.
'Perhaps all the knowledge Erik—no, God—has about Possessors came from this person?'
Such a suspicion arose, but he pretended not to know.
If Erik hadn't said it beforehand, it meant it was something he didn't need to know.
He had some tact.
"Chang-ho, isn't that a Guardian skill? The ultimate from 3rd-tier advancement!"
That's when Nishida Ryo shouted.
Park Chang-ho frowned in thought.
That tactless bastard.
Should I react to this?
'If I do….'
Whoosh! Crack!
Just as Park Chang-ho expected, a club flew in in an instant.
Jang Du-sik appeared to teleport, standing in front of the Possessors.
Screech!
Magic circles shone like tattoos all over his body.
He looked like a real gangster with truly muscular arm tattoos.
"Eek!"
Nishida Ryo trembled all over.
Park Chang-ho and Kang Pung-ho were the same.
All three recalled memories of being beaten to death in the Labyrinth.
"Du-sik, well done."
Even Erik, whose concentration had been momentarily broken, nodded at Jang Du-sik's sharp response.
"Well, it'll take a long way to make these bastards human."
"Du-sik, you have some work to do."
It was a somewhat serious yet light atmosphere.
"—Healing."
Erik healed Janson and the three Possessors, again focusing on the connection he felt.
'The will to repay those who believe in oneself.'
Ruelle's presence became clearer.
Like something—a line connected.
Was it because she was in the demon realm?
Communication was difficult, but instead, it seemed possible to convey the power of Lu-Solace that he had just obtained.
'Pure fire power.'
It would be a power that matched Ruelle's characteristic subtlety.
And wasn't the situation perfect for it too?
'With Ruelle's tact, she'll know exactly how to use this power.'
When Erik began transmitting the power, he felt a hot gaze from behind.
It was the eyes of Julius, who was guarding the rear.
His eyes wavered as if looking at lunatics.
'This isn't a picnic….'
They were beating each other, healing, and causing chaos.
Moreover, Erik, who led them, was meditating with his eyes tightly shut, going about his business.
'Supreme power.'
Though such tremendous power was felt, the situation was what it was.
How long did he plan to stay still?
An inhuman demon realm spread before his eyes.
Goooohhhhh!
The core of the demon realm.
A chasm spewing the filth of the Labyrinth let out a horrible scream at close range.
The divinity rippled at that eerie sound.
'The monsters of the demon realm are identical to those in the Labyrinth….'
Yet such an unconcerned appearance.
No, an indifferent attitude.
As Julius rubbed his bridge of nose, Erik opened his eyes.
Flash!
A golden wave scattered centered on Erik, and he approached Julius.
"Thank you for guarding the rear."
He exuded a mysterious confidence.
"Saint Erik, do you have a plan?" Julius asked.
Erik had only meditated without a single battle, but there seemed to be no change.
Just an expression of self-assurance?
With that, Erik approached the Pope at the very front with Julius.
"Have you come," the Pope said.
The Pope's advance had stopped.
At a distance of merely a hundred meters, the broken Black Tower and the chasm before it were clear.
Also visible was the Saint of Lu-Solace screaming and writhing in front of the broken tower.
"We must save him," the Pope muttered lowly, but Erik stopped him.
"Your Majesty, our enemy is that one."
Erik's fingertip pointed at the massive monster emerging from the chasm.
Ueeeehhhhh!
The Floor Master of the 30th layer of the Labyrinth.
The Giant, Rudrick's Knight.
A thirty-meter-tall gray giant raised a greatsword.
Following the giant, numerous gray soldiers emerged from the chasm.
They were called soldiers, but they exceeded five meters tall.
Flicker!
Red eyes that floated above the broken tower moved.
As the pupils turned toward the Astia Religious Order, the mass of giant monsters roared.
***
"Grraaahhhhh!!!"
The Saint, Ray Solace.
He was captured by the Black Mage Group.
Bound by black magic power, his body was being dismantled piece by piece and offered as a sacrifice.
'Ah, Father—.'
God does not answer.
In the demon realm where the sun does not rise, the aura of the sun god Lu-Solace had long since vanished.
His arms disappeared and his legs were swallowed by darkness.
"Huhut."
Even from a distance, the laughter of the pale woman tickled his ears.
It was a voice that seemed both mocking and exhilarating.
'Ah, Father!'
Had the Astia Religious Order not appeared, he might have accepted death.
But now that he had seen the sacred relic filled with the sun god's power, he could not abandon hope.
Could it be that the Astia Religious Order was coming to aid him?
Perhaps the Saintess of Lu-Solace was among them.
'It must have been a spear thrown by my sister.'
The religions supposedly had poor relations with each other, but not enough to be enemies over a black mage.
'They, they will save me!'
From the chasm of the demon realm, monsters continuously appeared.
And they all charged toward the Astia Religious Order.
Like what he had endured, in an endless wave, monsters surged.
'They too don't have an answer….'
They were Floor Masters of the Labyrinth.
Even classified as masters of the highest tier, the 30th layer.
Ueeeehhhhh!
The thirty-meter-tall gray knight let out a roar.
The booming sound resounded deafeningly through the rusted giant's armor.
At the same time, the gray soldiers lay their swords horizontally.
'A concentrated charge…..'
Ray Solace swallowed his saliva.
The army of the Solar Holy Kingdom that participated in the Labyrinth's 30th layer subjugation decades ago came to mind.
'Among the strong in the subjugation party, only around a dozen survived.'
A 5% survival rate—the worst subjugation record.
Reportedly, half died in the first charge…….
Kuuoohhh!
The Giant, Rudrick's Knight, stomped its foot.
The earth trembled, and at the same time, a black shadow rippled above the gray soldiers.
'That's an unstoppable attack.'
A charge that caused the impossible phenomenon of unblockable defense.
Rudrick's Knight wielded a strange power that made certain being hit inevitable.
'There are too many to dodge.'
How could one possibly avoid the five-meter-tall giant soldiers densely filling all directions?
The shadow-wrapped soldiers were virtually invincible.
As he thought this, a change occurred.
Kwaaang!
With a short boom, a massive meteor shower pierced the demon realm's darkness and fell.
The Saint harbored a sliver of hope.
'Could it be….'
The overwhelming power was evident.
The shockwave even caused holy flames to ripple all around.
The demon realm's darkness was momentarily brightened.
However, words different from the Saint's expectations reached his ears.
"Stupid fools."
"Hut, don't be like that. In our world, there's no one as thorough with the Labyrinth as Thomas, is there?"
"That is… what I said to the representative…."
"I know, my Thomas would never do such a thing."
Again, the conversation of the black mages was heard.
Ray Solace ground his teeth in frustration.
Hearing this was certainly an insult to himself as well.
"Indeed, as Thomas said, calling the 30th layer's master was the right choice."
White smoke billowed.
Beyond the dispersing remnants of divinity, perfectly intact gray giants filled the area.
Above the giants, a radiant being with six wings unfurled, letting out blinding light while shouting something.
'The Saint of the Astia Religious Order.'
With the characteristics of a god, it was easy to recognize.
Not his sister, the Saintess of Lu-Solace, but nonetheless a similar existence to himself.
By the feel of it, it was certain that this one had thrown the spear of Lu-Solace.
'The Astia Religious Order possessed a sacred relic of Lu-Solace….'
It was strange.
'Looking at that power, it seems possible…. Eh?'
Ray Solace's eyes widened.
A question suddenly occurred to him.
'Why did he plant the holy spear in a building?'
A being possessing such tremendous power could not have miscalculated the spear's destination.
Though Ray Solace looked like a child and acted like one, he had lived over a hundred years.
This meant he had accumulated the wisdom to read much meaning in a single action.
'But why….'
It was lamentable.
Surely he couldn't have been unaware of his kidnapping.
Then was it intentional?
'Why didn't he throw it to me?'
Had the sun god's sacred relic been hurled at him instead…..
His body would not have been dismantled as a sacrifice, and instead, he could have created an opportunity to aim for the Floor Master's back in the enemy's midst.
'My body won't move.'
Yet the sacred relic of Lu-Solace was stuck in an unfortunate tower.
The distance was far.
He had no limbs to approach it.
"Uhuhuhu, now only the heart and head remain. Writhe there and watch the Astia Religious Order's downfall,"
Makia laughed deeply.
The distance was so great, yet it felt like she was whispering in his ear.
Ray Solace squeezed his eyes shut.
Then the voice grew louder.
"Representative, I'm a bit worried about why you destroyed the land like that."
"Is it from the subjugation method Thomas mentioned?"
"That, well, it's not exactly that, but something feels off…. Ha!"
Because of the destroyed terrain, the direction of the giants' charge changed.
The Astia Religious Order's army unified into three groups, and all the giant soldiers passed, avoiding them.
"Thomas, why do you look so serious?"
"Representative, those guys seem to know the subjugation method."
"What?"
"The Floor Master…. That, that's a pattern that can't be seen without memorizing it!"
Forgetting to mock the Saint, Makia looked at Thomas's face.
It showed genuine bewilderment.
"Could it be… the next pattern…."
An unchallengeable charge.
In the game, the common strategy was to use the black mages' isolation magic to break through it.
But now, the first pattern ended through the bizarre method of changing terrain.
'Next is the field panels,' he realized.
As he pondered, the Floor Master drew its sword.
Generally, a tank using [Taunt] to redirect the attack in the opposite direction is the pattern.
Otherwise, an attack dealing near-fatal damage would come.
And with it came a field panel draining 5% HP per second.
"Everyone, kill the soldiers!" the Saint of the Astia Religious Order, floating high in the sky, shouted.
His ringing voice shook the demon realm.
Thomas was relieved that the Saint showed foolish judgment, unaware of subjugation methods.
"It seems my concern was unfounded."
***
The three Possessors were genuinely bewildered.
Because Erik, who supposedly knew the subjugation method well, was committing madness.
Ueeeehhhhh!
The thirty-meter giant raised its sword and roared.
"Wait, no. If you get hit by that, isn't everyone except the tank instantly dead?"
A pseudo-instant death pattern.
Unless one was a tank-class with high HP, it was level damage that resulted in instant death.
Even surviving with scraps of health, they'd die to the ensuing flame panel.
So usually, a tank with [Forced Taunt]-type skills would change the boss's direction to proceed with the strategy.
Yet Erik gave the strange order to kill the giant soldiers.
"If we clear the soldiers, phase 2 becomes a breeze, but how do we survive that?"
Park Chang-ho, quite knowledgeable about strategies, racked his brain.
Since they dodged the charge pattern well, he thought there must be a reason.
"Holy Knights have high HP, so maybe that's why—."
"Then doesn't that mean we all die?"
"It can't be…."
The despair deepened from careless words.
That's when it happened.
Kuuoohhh!
A bright golden light rippled across the black demon realm's sky.
A Holy Knight wrapped in six wings drew the [Sword of Creation].
Erik shot forward like an arrow, flying toward the giant.
'The class difference itself….'
Even harboring such brilliant divinity, the Possessors felt not a single possibility.
The sight was what it was.
If it were usual, the Possessors would have praised.
Whoooosh!
A giant with a greatsword measuring dozens of meters slashing downward vertically, and Erik with a small sword striking horizontally upward.
The outcome seemed obvious.
Caught in such despair.
Claaaang!
With a clear resonant sound, Erik's sword and the giant's sword met.
Overcoming the size difference of dozens of times, two existences' blades froze in midair.
A human confronting a giant in sword-clash.
Siiiiiii!
Divine light blazed brilliantly.
A tremendous sword light traveled along the Sword of Creation, and intense brilliance flickered along its path.
"The, the heavens!"
At that sight, the demon realm's darkness split in half.
The giant eventually had to retract its sword.
"Since there exists one who can block…. the subjugation method changes too."