– Kiiiieeeek!!
Blood Demon.
Hordes of blood fiends guarding the labyrinth charge forward.
But.
…
Crunch! Swish!
They were mercilessly cut down with just a few monotonous swings of Rudine’s sword.
Adina watched the scene with a horrified expression.
Gurgh…
The sight of dozens of blood fiends charging in and being horrifically shredded apart by just a few sword swings was truly otherworldly.
What shocked Adina even more was that the bodies of the fiends, which had fallen meaninglessly, soon turned into black ashes and were absorbed into the accursed grimoire held by Luke Richter.
“Did I do well?”
“You did well.”
“Really?”
“Yes, yes.”
The nonchalant attitude of the two, who had just committed such an act, was far too calm.
There was no sense of impending danger in their current situation, and their steps were light.
Their responses, bordering on insensibility, left Adina as the sole person baffled.
‘Crazy humans…’
The one reading the cursed tome as if it was nothing, and the other insisting on bringing it here, were both clearly deranged.
At the same time, Adina felt her doubts growing.
Even she, who had lived a secluded life since childhood, could tell that these two were no ordinary humans.
But Luke Richter, the man who introduced himself as a royal dog, was beyond peculiar.
It was suspicious that he managed the long-neglected realm of Blackmore alone.
It was also suspicious how he accurately knew the location of this most accursed cave.
Moreover, his ability to foresee all the traps as if predicting the future was equally dubious.
Still, the reason she had followed this stranger so far was out of a fear of being left alone, a slight curiosity about his identity, and ultimately, an attraction to the mysterious powers he wielded.
‘Exactly what kind of human is he…’
Though she had followed out of a strange competitiveness, she didn’t fully trust him.
Thus, she could not contain her curiosity.
“This place isn’t an ordinary cave, is it?”
“That’s right. It’s a labyrinth after all.”
“Labyrinth?”
“Yes. Surely you have some idea what that is?”
Nods.
I don’t know much, but I have an inkling.
When a particular place is overtaken by anomalies, its structure and properties are twisted, losing its original form and transforming into a space filled with endless chaos and darkness. Such a place is called a labyrinth.
“Exactly how do you know about such a place?”
“I saw it.”
“Surely, you’ve been here often?”
“No, this is my first time.”
“…Then where did you see it?”
“Ah, there’s something to that.”
Of course. There’s something going on.
Adina swallowed hard and continued asking.
“Then, do you know the name of this labyrinth?”
“Tartajan.”
“…Tartajan?”
Never having heard the name before, she looked at him with curiosity.
Tartajan.
As he calmly moved forward, he explained.
“The name of a prison that existed in a forgotten era.”
“…?”
I have no idea what he’s talking about.
“What was kept in that prison?”
“True Ancestor.”
“True Ancestor…”
Truly an outrageous name.
“Hmm? Are you scared?”
“No?”
“If you’re scared, just hide behind me.”
“…Nonsense.”
-She said that but was already hiding behind him, ears perked up.
What a predictable act of cowardice made him click his tongue just then.
“That’s…”
Further ahead.
She had no choice but to stop in front of the thick fog that had settled.
It was so dense and dark that the inside couldn’t be seen.
It wasn’t just that.
The black fog swirled like a fierce current, looking extremely ominous just by looking at it.
‘What sort of lost souls…’
Having awakened her spiritual eyes since childhood, she could clearly see.
At the center of the current,
There, countless spirits entangled and tore at each other, screaming.
Their essence was anomalies.
Among them…
“…Earthbound Spirit.”
Certainly, among the spirits, Earthbound Spirits were low in class and strength, but if these insane fiends were to swarm and attack with intent, there would be no way out.
Passing through this horrific anomaly current with nothing but one’s own body would be suicidal.
Thus, she was trying to stop them.
“Hold on.”
Before she could even utter a word, he stopped.
And what he did next…
“Rudine.”
“Hmm?”
“Can you see that door at the end?”
“Yeah, I can.”
“Just walk straight there.”
“Got it!”
“???”
Madness.
Is this man suggesting to use his companion as a sacrifice to pass through?
“Now what?! Are you insane?!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Pass through there?”
“We’re going through.”
He doesn’t understand.
Thus, she tried to convince him as quickly as possible.
“!!!”
Already, Rudine was calmly walking through the center of the vortex.
The gazes of the wailing spirits immediately focused on her.
“Ahhh, no…!”
A ferocious energy surpassed all expectations.
And, the spirits who had been trying to possess the living body and were tearing each other apart now descended upon Rudine, but…
—Kiiiieeeek!! Kiiiieeeek!!
All spirits trying to possess her were shredded to pieces.
There were no exceptions.
Watching this silently, Luke Richter…
“Hmm, reliable performance indeed.”
…
As if he’d expected this all along.
He wore a satisfied smile.
…
…
…
Kaaaaack.
The spirits that were shredded were being absorbed like being pulled into the pins of the grimoire.
The grimoire hummed with satisfaction after absorbing the fragments of the spirits.
“Reliable performance indeed.”
There was no other way to nod in agreement.
Rudine was, without a doubt, the ultimate landmine clearance.
‘How could Earthbound Spirits defeat the Thousand Death Stars.’
Of course.
If the Earthbound Spirits were of lower rank, then the Thousand Death Stars were of divine rank.
There’s no way such fiends could possess her.
Mission name, Go Rudine!
Success once again.
“Mii… chaa…”
Adina muttered with a pale face.
There was no time to explain each detail, so he took the first step.
“What are you doing? Follow me.”
…
His steps were light.
And well they should be, for they were nearing the end of the labyrinth.
‘This was easy.’
This cave, composed of a total of three areas, was a labyrinth formed from the infusion of vampires’ spirits who had been imprisoned in the jail of Tartajan.
I knew exactly how to conquer this labyrinth having read the original work.
It’s simple: destroy the core of the sealed True Ancestor Arkanthila in the final area.
The method itself was simple, but the process was by no means easy.
Thus, one must enter the labyrinth fully prepared.
‘Rudine, you’re the best.’
No, you’re all unnecessary.
With just Rudine, it’s more than enough.
And as such, passing through the door…
“…”
A coffin placed in the center of the vacant space came into view.
It was both the final gate of the labyrinth and the place where the body of True Ancestor Arkanthila was hidden.
I slowly approached the coffin and stood in front of it.
After a moment of staring at the coffin, I quietly extended my hand and opened the lid.
Creeeeak.
The sound of metal rang out at that moment.
Kaaaaaaa!
An ominous energy weighed down the space, and an inexplicable blood fluid poured down from the ceiling, flooding the area with blood.
The flowing blood rapidly pooled, making the stone floor slippery.
‘Tch, the smell of blood.’
I could feel the surrounding temperature growing colder by the second.
Then, a strange phenomenon occurred.
The rising pool of blood began to reverse flow into the coffin as though it had its own will.
Ratttle! Rattle!
The coffin shook.
The reverse-flowing blood wave enveloped the shaking coffin.
And just as the flooding blood was being sucked into the coffin…
Goooooooo!
True Ancestor Arkanthila.
A slender figure with long, disheveled white hair appeared.
If left as is, the creature would regain consciousness.
Thus,
Swish!
I unfurled the grimoire I had carried from the entrance to the floor.
And I took out the prepared dagger, gripping it in a reverse grip.
“Hmm.”
Crack!
I stabbed it.
Crack! Crack!
I stabbed again and again.
The reason I carried the accursed grimoire all the way from the entrance was simple: this cursed grimoire was the very core of the labyrinth.
And so, as I plunged the final blade…
“!!!”
Fluuff!
Hellfire engulfed the grimoire.
And then…
—Screaaaaaaaaaam!
The form of Arkanthila, who was regaining consciousness, began to melt away.
As she stared at me with what seemed to be a look of regret, I paid no heed.
After all, fulfilling one’s duty to the dead is virtuous.
Boommm…
The land shook.
It was the aftereffect of the core that formed the foundation of the labyrinth being destroyed.
—Damn… uncivilized… livestock like you…
“Toodles.”
—Damn… you… just who…
“Want to know?”
Smirking, I stood up.
And just as I was about to move away.
“Luke!!!”
A flustered Rudine ran toward me.
Adina followed suit in a panic.
“Luke, huh… Richter, huh…! What, what did you…!”
And.
Upon hearing that, Arkanthila…
—Luke… Richter…
Muttered my name.
—I will… not forget…
Leaving behind those final words of hatred…
—D…
Vanished.
Without leaving a trace.
“…Tired as hell.”
Meanwhile.
“Guildmaster, here’s today’s report.”
A masked man handed over the documents he had prepared to a woman.
They belonged to the Shadow Guild.
An intelligence and assassination organization that controlled the back alleys of the empire.
“Good jo…”
The woman who received the document.
She began to crack her neck…
“Luke… Richter…”
“Guildmaster?”
“I will… not forget…”
“???”
Crash!
She exploded into pieces, leaving behind incomprehensible words.
Not only her.
The vampires, the brood of True Ancestor Arkanthila, who were lurking throughout the continent waiting for an opportunity.
The ones hiding in the underworld, masquerading as ordinary humans, all exploded to death at the same moment.
Due to the dissolution of the True Ancestor, those connected by blood also perished.
And.
Just before their dissolution,
They all uttered the name of one man.
That name was.
“Luke… Richter…?”
Luke Richter.
The moment the name of an unremarkable official spread across the empire.
