War

The time to re-enter the labyrinth had passed, but since another colleague from the rescue team was still stuck on the 3rd floor, I had no choice but to wait in Modest. Amber was working hard to manage Modest, trying to move on from Estelle’s death.

As per Estelle’s will, Amber became the guild master of Modest, and she planned to hand over the position to her younger sister, Amy, when she obtained the appropriate qualifications.

The Order also wanted to take Amber to the labyrinth to fill Estelle’s vacant spot, but Amber’s persuasion worked, and she decided to stay outside. Thanks to that, we were able to receive support from Modest even after Estelle’s death.

Ellie headed to the Academy. Nelson’s death was official, and according to his will, Ellie, as his only heir, had things to receive. She planned to study at the Academy until she was ready to enter the labyrinth again.

Suddenly having a lot of time, I worked as Lily during the dark nights and invested the remaining time in learning the space magic written in Patouga’s magic book. Thanks to reaching the realm of a Transcendental, I was able to understand the entire contents of the magic book in a short time with tremendous comprehension.

Moving from the basics of space magic to the next level was not difficult for me, who perfectly understood what space was.

I was able to perfectly use space manipulation, which manipulates space to prevent targets from reaching their goals, and space psychokinesis, the next stage of space occupation. Being able to control objects in the occupied space using psychokinesis created different variables from creating dimensional passages to attack.

I was also able to learn space confinement, which traps opponents in space, and space distortion, which distorts everything that enters the space I occupy and lets it flow away. The time I could maintain both was short, but they were magic with important roles that could determine victory or defeat depending on how they were used.

Because each had clear advantages and disadvantages, I was practicing how to use them. My talent for creation made it possible to incorporate them and create a unique combat method containing my own individuality. I could now create 32 dimensional exits, and simultaneously stab with shadow spears from 32 exits with only one entrance.

When it came to dealing with multiple opponents, I would be among the top three, excluding the overpowered Roel. Even excluding Roel, there were extraordinary talents like Ilia and Ellie.

As I was swinging my spear and focusing on training today, Raelan, who had reached the 4th floor of the labyrinth, returned to Modest. Perhaps wondering how I had reached the 4th floor faster than he had expected, Raelan suddenly demanded all my memories from the 3rd floor.

After receiving the memories, Raelan nodded with a face that understood the current situation, then left Modest without a word, saying he would be back soon. A while later, Ellie was by Raelan’s side when he returned. It seemed he had gone to meet Ellie.

Glancing at her face, she looked much better than the last time when her condition wasn’t good. Her expression was also bright. And her attire had changed. It was the attire she wore when she was the future Archmage who built the Black Magic Tower in another world. She was wearing the mage’s cloak and jewel-studded brooch that Nelson had left behind, and holding a thick magic book in one hand.

Feeling my gaze, Ellie scratched her cheek, as if a little embarrassed, and said.

,Everything was left behind by Master-nim. I thought it would be a great help in the labyrinth, so I brought it.,

,It suits you well.,

I spoke sincerely to Ellie, who narrowed her eyes as if doubting my words.

,You’re really pretty.,

,…Thank you.,

Ellie twitched her eyebrows and pursed her lips at my compliment. Before the strange awkwardness grew, Raelan opened his mouth.

,Estelle is dead, but our situation isn’t too bad right now.,

Ellie glared at Raelan, who started with those words, with eyes full of coldness.

,Estelle wasn’t our combat power anyway. But the death of the immortal Cassis on the 3rd floor is a clear benefit to us. With that guy’s abilities, the Order could have easily passed the 4th floor.,

The 4th floor of the labyrinth was the opposite of the 1st floor, a reverse maze. The challenger who reached the 4th floor was in charge of a certain area of the maze and had to block the monsters wandering through the maze for a certain period of time. In other words, it was a defense.

As Raelan said, Cassis, who could summon countless corpses, could fill the entire surrounding area with corpses beyond the area in charge. Moreover, since monsters would continue to pour in, he could simply turn the dead monsters into allies. Thinking about it, Cassis’s death was a major blow to the Order.

,Lykan has just reached the 3rd floor. At this rate, he will be able to join us on the 4th floor. Rather, our chances of survival have increased.,

No sooner had Raelan finished speaking than Ellie opened her mouth.

,I think Yunis and Lamine’s limit is the 4th floor.,

At those words, Raelan and I looked at Ellie at the same time.

,Especially Yunis, who has almost no combat ability, is likely to get caught up in a brawl and die in the 4th floor labyrinth, even if we are there.,

,I know. Yunis is still a burden we have to take care of. But considering her ability to read the situation, she will be a great help to us, who have no idea what will be on the next floor.,

,…What if Yunis dies too?,

Ellie’s gaze reached me. It was a look asking what I thought. Raelan spoke instead of me, who couldn’t answer.

,Then she dies.,

,….,

Ellie glared at Raelan with a scary face. But Raelan spoke to Ellie as if scolding her.

,Don’t you still understand? We are expendable for the final Ross to save all worlds. Even God is using such Ross as a chess piece. In such a situation, why are we, who are merely characters in a novel, saving our lives?,

Raelan said with a mocking laugh.

,If Yunis dies on the 4th floor, we will use that as a stepping stone to head to the 5th floor. If someone has to die there, I am willing to offer my neck. Even if we sacrifice the entire rescue team, we must make sure that Ross can reach the 10th floor.,

,I didn’t know you were so serious about reviving Luna.,

When Ellie spoke sarcastically, Raelan muttered words that were hard to understand.

,…That’s not the important thing.,

Ellie had a puzzled expression, but Raelan didn’t explain further and brought up another topic.

,What do you think Bella, who has become the Emperor, will do next?,

At the out-of-context question, Ellie and I looked at each other for a moment and remained silent. Raelan spoke without waiting for an answer.

,Bella has already grasped the power of the Order challenging the labyrinth through the bracelet. The Order is trying to obtain the Holy Grail. So, she put Confession and the Vice-Leader, the Order’s greatest forces, into the labyrinth.,

Raelan looked straight at us and said in a low voice.

,If I were Bella, I would aim for the moment when the entire Order entered the 4th floor of the labyrinth. It’s a golden opportunity to move the Church and attack the Order’s headquarters beyond the eastern border. In fact, after checking through Modest, most of the Imperial Knights are not visible in the capital. Benedict of the Church has also left the capital.,

,…!,

,Yes, a war will break out. Naturally, a conscription order will be issued to the great nobles of the east, who are close to the Order’s city. If Bella’s plan succeeds, she will be able to erase the Order’s power from the continent while Confession and the Vice-Leader are trapped on the 4th floor of the labyrinth.,

If that really happens, it would be the best situation for us. But I felt a strange feeling that things wouldn’t go as planned. It was inevitable for the Church and the Order to turn their swords against each other, and it was something that happened in the novel. But in the end, the Church failed to defeat the Order.

Even without Confession and the Vice-Leader, hundreds of thousands of believers and executives remain in the city. Moreover, the leader, who has skills that even Roel cannot gauge, may be in the city. Could this rather be stirring up a hornet’s nest?

As I was worrying about that, Raelan said.

,The Church will fail.,

Ellie nodded as if she thought so too.

,Confession’s master is still in the Order’s city.,

,No, the leader won’t be a problem in the battle. He definitely won’t care at all. I can be sure of that.,

I was curious about Raelan’s certainty. Was he predicting the leader’s movements? As if to answer that question, Raelan explained.

,Lumiel said she met the leader in the labyrinth.,

,…Huh?,

,The leader was already in the labyrinth. With Confession.,

At Raelan’s shocking words, Ellie’s and my faces stiffened.

,The reason the Church fails is not because it loses the war. Rather, it will be a problem because it wins the war perfectly. The Church will never forgive heresy.,

In that moment, the name Ian came to my mind. He is now Bella’s ally and has become a general with my help, but originally, he was a fanatic of the Church who nonchalantly buried tens of thousands of people alive in the later part of the novel under the name of heretics.

,The Order is planning to kill millions of believers to obtain the causality that the leader can move.,

Raelan twisted one corner of his mouth and said.

,They lost the battle, but they will win the war.,