5th Floor
by Afuhfuihgs
About a week after absorbing Mammon, I had the chance to feel a slight glimmer of being overpowered. I absorbed Paimon and Egin, who were my next targets, into the Shadow Spear, and obtained the [(End-Tier) SSS-Rank Army Treasure – Shadow Spear] from a common mass-produced mobile game.
The reason for this sudden rapid development is simple. When I returned to Modiste after killing Mammon, I happened to meet Eunice, who had returned to Modiste to gather information, and mentioning the fact that I killed Mammon was the cause.
“…Then you didn’t necessarily have to kill him, right?”
Apparently, Eunice, being a mage, didn’t fully grasp my skills that had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
“That’s true. If I just land the final blow, I can absorb them into the Shadow Spear. But ancient demons are dangerous. Even someone who has reached the realm of transcendence is at great risk of dying if they don’t have seasoned experience. Being able to skillfully respond to variables is true skill.”
“Then why don’t you just order a colleague stronger than you to kill the demon?”
“?”
Reading the situation, Eunice came up with a ‘Paimon & Egin’ strategy on the spot. The strategy was very simple. It was to entrust the fight to Ilade, the former head of Frax who was playing around in the capital, and Conrad, the current headmaster of the Academy and known as the Coordinator of the World.
The two, who were enjoying tea time at the Academy, lifted their heavy butts without a moment’s hesitation at my request. The reason was that they couldn’t just sit still while their liege was trying to become stronger to save the world.
When the Sword Master and the Archmage joined forces, they literally smashed the head of Paimon, who was excited about being released from his seal after a long time and thinking of ruling the human realm. All I heard was the greeting, “Yes, I am Paimon-“
As soon as I absorbed Paimon, I moved to absorb Egin, whose location I already knew. Because I destroyed the lighthouse and the cliff, I couldn’t light the way to the temple.
But our Archmage, with the simple thought of ‘Isn’t there a temple on the other side anyway?’, used magic to split the sea of darkness and create a path.
Thanks to that, it became a little-known anecdote that Egin, who was sealed in the basement of the temple, left the greeting, “This body is Egin, who will burn the world-” and repeated the same departure as Paimon.
Anyway, thanks to Ilade and Conrad, I was able to strengthen the Shadow Spear easily and safely. When I tested the strengthened Shadow Spear, I realized the great meaning of why the Demon King advised me to strengthen the magic spear.
The Shadow Spear was able to use the abilities of the absorbed demons as they were. No, since it was said that what was originally in the Shadow Spear had split off, it should be called regaining the original power of the magic spear.
Ourikus’ ability hidden in the Shadow Spear was [Division]. The ability to divide the spearhead into several, as used by the Demon King’s executives in the novel, remained the same. Changing the shape of the spear was the inherent ability of the Shadow Spear.
The absorbed demons added special options to the Shadow Spear like Ourikus.
Mammon, who had the ability to enlarge his body, gave the ability to make the Shadow Spear even bigger, Paimon, who had the strengthening ability to block even the Sword Master’s sword energy, gave the ability to strengthen the spear into the hardest thing, and Egin, who had the ability to shoot magical energy from afar, strengthened the ability to throw the spear.
After testing the completed Shadow Spear, I, as a master of spear techniques, immediately created several techniques that could be used in actual combat. The Shadow Spear, which was already a weapon that could gain an advantage against a large number of enemies, was now nothing short of a blender thanks to the perfect success of this enhancement.
Furthermore, if I use the Shadow Spear like a blender using space occupation… even if there are many monsters, I can do tower defense alone. In addition, I have the Spear of Resolution obtained from Cormo and the World Tree Spear gifted by the Saintess.
If I use the three spears according to the appropriate situation, my combat power will rise endlessly. The preparation to enter the labyrinth is completely finished.
And the next day, Raelan returned to Modiste.
Having sacrificed three cities in the north, in the form of an Apostle of the Demon King.
***
I entered the 5th floor of the labyrinth. The only people with me were Raelan and Ellie. Raelan seemed dissatisfied with the small number of people, but he didn’t force it. Raelan knows very well that Lamine and Eunice would not be helpful on the 5th floor.
Still, we have grown significantly in preparation for the 5th floor of the labyrinth, where we don’t know what might be there. Although it’s not obvious on the outside, I kept the fact that I obtained the World Tree Spear a secret, seeing Raelan, who announced that he had become an Apostle of the Demon King, and Ellie, who gave a strange look, telling me to look forward to what she had prepared.
They already know that the Shadow Spear has become stronger, but they don’t know that I received the World Tree Spear as a gift. I was planning to surprise them by making a surprise appearance with the World Tree Spear.
Raelan, who was looking around, said, looking at the door in front of him.
“This looks like the door of a building.”
What I thought was a huge wall seems to be the wall of a building. Looking closely, it felt like a huge tower. I can’t confirm it with my eyes, but a strange feeling gives me confidence.
“Since there is no other way, it seems like the priority is to enter the building… To get to the 6th floor of the labyrinth, we either have to find a door with specific conditions, or reach the highest floor in the building to find the door, right?”
Raelan’s plausible reasoning made Ellie and I nod. We decided to check the inside first and proceed with the next situation. I, who had manifested the Shadow Spear, raised my magic power and opened the door.
When I opened the door, a beautiful landscape came into view. Nature occupied one floor, just like I saw in Paradise. Looking around, I found a structure far away that was uniquely connected to the sky, like the World Tree. From a distance, it looked like a pillar supporting the sky. Ellie, who followed my gaze, said, looking at the pillar.
“Maybe if we go there, we can go to the 2nd floor?”
Since there is no particular goal in sight, we moved towards the pillar as Ellie suggested. Judging from the sounds of birds and animals, it seems to be a floor where life exists, but even if we keep walking, nothing appears.
I checked the surrounding terrain through guiding magic from time to time, but there were no particular enemies. Maybe the next floor is the real deal? When I casually said that, Ellie, who was waving her staff in the air, laughed.
“I don’t think the labyrinth is that nice, though?”
Ellie’s words soon turned out to be true. Something was densely gathered near the pillar. The more enemies there are, the more opportunities there are for the new Shadow Spear to show its power. I pretended to be expressionless so as not to show that I was excited.
Raelan, who magnified his vision with magic and checked the front, muttered.
“Dwarves are blocking the way. But they don’t have weapons. Rather… it looks like they’re welcoming us.”
Raelan’s words were true. As we approached, the small and cute dwarves bowed as if they were waiting for a benefactor. Among them, a cute dwarf girl wearing a crown, who seemed to be the representative, came forward.
“Welcome. We welcome the challenger of the labyrinth. I am Krona, the princess of the Gnomes who manages the 1st floor world of the tower.”
“Gnome?”
It seems they are not ordinary dwarves. Ellie and Raelan also shone their eyes with interest in the race called Gnomes, which they were seeing for the first time.
“Yes, we Gnomes all live happily on the 1st floor of this tower. Everyone is a loving neighbor and family. We don’t harm others. We don’t bully others either. We live happily in this paradise.”
I nodded roughly at Krona’s appearance, introducing how kind their race is. I wish they would step aside since I know the Gnomes are kind, but Krona didn’t seem to be willing to let us go easily.
“Please taste the food we have prepared! It’s a food with the unique taste of Gnomes, made using fruits and ingredients obtained from the 1st floor. You will all be very satisfied!”
What should I do? When I was sending a look to Raelan, Ellie said to Krona.
“Thank you so much for the hospitality, but we need to go up to the next floor quickly. Can we go up to the 2nd floor if we go to that pillar?”
Krona’s pupils shook greatly at Ellie’s question.
“Are, are you really going to go up?”
“…? Of course. That’s the purpose of entering the labyrinth in the first place.”
“Could, could you please reconsider?”
Ellie tilted her head at Krona’s appearance, who was on the verge of tears as if she was about to cry. Raelan, who noticed something strange, opened his mouth slightly.
“It seems they don’t want us to go to the 2nd floor.”
Krona hesitated for a moment and then nodded.
“…Yes.”
“Why?”
“Every time a challenger of the labyrinth goes up a floor, our world is destroyed. Our world, which has everything in abundance, will gradually be ruined and turned into a place where life cannot live.”
Krona knelt on the floor. The other Gnomes who were watching the conversation from behind also knelt down to us. It seems they have no intention of fighting us.
“Please! Please, don’t destroy our paradise!”
As soon as Krona’s words ended, the voices of the Gnomes followed.
“Please!”
“Please protect our paradise!”
“Please bestow grace upon us!”
Ellie, who was embarrassed by the sight, took a step back. Seeing Ellie looking at me, not knowing what to do, I said firmly.
“I’m sorry. We have a reason why we must go up.”
Saying that, I passed by Krona, who was kneeling, and headed towards the pillar.
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