Seraphina 1

The Guild Master’s office was heavy with the weight of years.

Dusty bookshelves, yellowed maps, and an old hourglass by the window told the story of time’s passage.

As I took a seat, Bea stood beside me, her silver armor gleaming in the morning light.

Outside the window, the snow-capped mountains of Shia Kalt shimmered brilliantly, but we all knew the dangers hidden beneath their beauty.

The soft sound of Ronin’s harp played quietly from the corner of the room.

Despite the soothing melody, my heart remained uneasy, and even Ronin’s eyes, seasoned from centuries of life, showed an unfamiliar tension.

Chloe’s white ears twitched, and Gain leaned against the wall, his cold gaze never relenting as he scanned the surroundings as if battle might erupt at any moment.

“That flower… it saved the village, didn’t it?”

Marianne clutched the holy tablet tightly and replied, her hand trembling slightly.

“Yes… Under the red moonlight, it emitted a sweet fragrance, and all the monsters vanished.

It was like a miracle from Michel. But…”

Rian’s voice cut through the air, cold and sharp.

“It wasn’t a miracle. It was just the monster’s power.”

The Guild Master’s voice was heavy with gravity.

“And then Frostia appeared.”

The name alone made the air in the room freeze.

Chloe’s ears fluttered, and Gain’s hand tightened around the hilt of his sword. Even Ronin’s harp fell silent for a moment.

Oldin spoke with a trembling voice.

“The sight of a massive ice dragon transforming into a silver-haired woman… I still can’t forget it. The overwhelming presence was like that of a god descending upon us.”

‘Michel… The vision I saw was surely…’

Confusion swirled in my mind.

Could the sacred being I saw in my dreams, the one who prayed in Michel’s name and called out to me, truly be a servant of the Great Labyrinth’s ruler, Frostia?

Haphel’s sharp words cut through my thoughts.

“We spared her life, but she was warned not to show herself again, or else she’d be turned to dust. And she laughed as she said it.”

Marianne opened her mouth cautiously.

“But that flower… It definitely had Michel’s divine power…”

“Silence.”

Rian’s sharp rebuke was laced with fear and suspicion.

“We agreed not to speak of this.”

Arthur glanced out the window before explaining in a low voice.

“That flower… It wanted to learn our language. We taught it for a month. But if this becomes known…”

“We could be labeled as followers of the Evil God.”

Gain nodded.

“That’s not just it.”

‘It learned… a language?’

My mind grew even more confused.

If the sacred being from my dreams, who might be Frostia’s subordinate, learned a language…

And what of the divine power Marianne sensed?

“We all ate the flower’s nectar.”

The room tensed at Oldin’s words.

“What I felt was…” Haphel hesitated.

“As if our minds were expanding, as if we could understand each other…”

The Guild Master looked at Bea, his wrinkled eyes holding a last glimmer of hope.

But Bea slowly shook her head.

“Frostia… My power alone…”

Then, something surged within me.

Like the first time I received Michel’s revelation, my entire body shuddered.

I stood up and said,

“There is hope.”

All eyes turned to me.

Ronin’s harp fell silent, and Chloe’s ears perked up.

“The flower I saw in my dream… It was surely praying in Michel’s name. And it was calling out to me. This must be Michel’s will.”

Oldin sighed, his beard rustling.

“But Saintess, the monster…”

“I believe.”

I forced a smile, though my heart ached.

I recalled the days when Bea worried about my stubbornness in the knight order.

Was I making the same reckless decision again?

Bea placed a hand on my shoulder.

“I won’t let you go alone.”

Her golden hair shimmered in the sunlight, like a shining lighthouse.

But I knew her heart harbored the same anxiety.

“Seraphina.”

Bea stopped in her tracks.

“Do you… regret this?”

I shook my head.

“No, it’s just…”

I couldn’t finish.

Bea turned to face me, her blue eyes filled with deep understanding.

“I know. I’m… scared too.”

Her honest confession lightened my heart.

When we finally arrived, there was nothing but endless white plains and the distant, massive entrance of the Great Labyrinth.

Was everything I saw in my dreams a lie?

“Is this… the place?”

My voice was carried away by the wind.

Chloe perked up her ears and said,

“Could it be that everyone saw the same illusion?”

“No.”

My voice was cold.

“Michel’s revelation will never be in vain.”

Was it faith, or was it stubbornness?

But there was no turning back now.

Bea gazed at the Great Labyrinth.

“If it’s Frostia’s possession… It might be inside the labyrinth.”

I, too, looked in that direction.

The enormous ice cave was immeasurably deep, its sheer scale breathtaking.

“I’ll go alone.”

Bea stepped in front of me.

“We’re going together.”

Her voice trembled.

“You all return to the village. If we… don’t come back, inform the Order of Light.”

Ronin’s harp played a mournful tune.

For once, no one stopped him.

The sad melody spread across the snowy plains, mourning our potential farewell.

Among the Eight Great Labyrinths, Shia Kalt was the most shrouded in mystery.

The entrance of the massive ice cave waited in the darkness, its ceiling lined with menacing icicles.

What lay within?

A divine being, or greater terror?

A wyvern flew in the distance, careful to keep its distance from the labyrinth’s domain.

It was a stark reminder of how dangerous this place was.

‘Michel… Please protect us.’

Under the clear sky, our footprints were slowly erased by the snow.

As if the journey had never begun, or as if it foresaw the events to come…

***

‘Hmm… I’m bored.’

With the Master away, there’s nothing to do, no matter how much time passes.

I want to go show some affection to the Master again soon!

Now, all I have to do is heal and drink blood while the insects handle the hunting…

‘This must be what they mean by “auto-hunting.”

I checked on the insects around me.

Their average level had already surpassed 100.

Thanks to the Master sending us to the deeper layers!

And as for me…

『  ★    【Lycoris】    Thanatos Crown    LV182    3rd    ♀

  【Stats】

  HP : 1,864/1,864 + (793,152)

  MP : 1,764/1,429

  Attack Power : 1,864

  Magic Power : 1,764

  Defense : 1,764

  Magic Resistance : 1,764

  Agility : 0

  【Skills】

   「Detection LV9」  「Crimson Apocalypse」  「Frost Block LV8」  「Photosynthesis LV6」  「Deadly Poison LV7」  「Black Root Eruption LV4」  「Pollen Release LV8」  「Pollen – Allure LV8」  「Pain Resistance LV4」  「Unconscious Action LV8」 「Pollen – Paralysis LV3」 「Pollen – Healing LV8」 「Pollen – Hemorrhage LV3」 「Pollen – Corrosion LV1」 「Pollen – Decay LV2」 「Delicious Nectar LV6」 「Nectar – Will LV8」 「Red Mist LV4」 「Red Moon」 「Intimidation LV2」

  【Traits】 

  [Inferno Stigma]  [Michel’s Encouragement]  [Demon Charm]  [Frostia’s Beloved Plant]  [Blood Delicacy] [Michel’s Flower]  』

‘Is this even possible?’

In just three weeks, how is this possible?

Is it because of the blood from the deep-layer monsters?

Or…

‘Could it be that I couldn’t evolve for the first three years, so my leveling was blocked?’

Thinking about it now, it’s frustrating.

If I had stayed awake for those three years, I could have been so much stronger by now!

I let a little nectar drip and a butterfly approached.

It no longer looked like a butterfly but more like a fairy.

‘I’m so unfair! I could have been so much stronger!’

I poured my frustration into the sweet nectar.

The butterfly silently nodded and gently brushed against the petals with its tiny legs.

Gasp!

Was it comforting me?

I hadn’t expected it and was deeply moved.

‘Thank you…’

The butterfly blushed and fluttered its wings.

Heh-heh.

It seems this one is weak to praise.

Well,

‘How about the Master?’

The butterfly’s wings fluttered listlessly.

Apparently, the Master was still busy.

‘Hmph… The Master went to find a monster that knows polymorph, but it’s taking a while.’

I’ll just keep watching the insects.

Just then, a Crystal Beetle arrived, carrying a wounded Hyperborean Ant on its back.

The injuries on the ant, affected by my pollen, healed quickly.

‘Good job. What about the corpse?’

The butterfly fluttered, and the ant nodded before climbing up the ice wall.

Soon, it returned with the monster’s corpse.

‘Auto-hunting is sure convenient~’

This life isn’t so bad…

A yawn escaped me.

‘Master… When will you return…’

Cecilia sparkled among the petals.

Her appearance, like a small ruby, warmed my heart.

Our hot pack…

‘She might be waking up soon…’