Chapter 279: Hello? (3)

Chapter 279: Hello? (3)

~19th
floor~

It
took less than half a day to reach the place where memories of bloody
battles with the undead army remained.

It
had been less than three days since Elder Lich had hunted monsters
and gathered the undead forces.

Even
the labyrinth, which endlessly spewed out monsters, couldn’t turn the
floor into a monster field in such a short time.

With
no monsters blocking the way, all that remained was to move forward.

Every
time I stamped the ground, the wind split and scattered to both
sides.

The
swamp that filled the ground and slowed our steps couldn’t hold us
back.

-Splash!

As
Diana and Balkan released their magic power, the swamp around them
turned into ice with each step.

When
the full-body armor with its heavy weight touched the ice, large
footprints were left behind.

Under
the control of excellent balance, the legs moved without slipping—an
impossible concept.

‘……’

Balkan,
with a sour expression, caught his breath after running for half a
day and followed the two women ahead.

‘Not
enough.’

Though
clearly running at a similar speed on the same ice path, no
footprints remained where the two had stepped.

They
had achieved a level where they could run on pristine snow without
leaving traces.

I
looked down at my feet again. The crudely marked footprints on the
ice revealed the gap between us.

Being
weighed down by heavy full-body armor was no excuse.

‘If
I’m lacking, I must overcome it.’

To
reach the goal of touching the abyss of the labyrinth, I needed to
easily surpass them.

Balkan
observed the two women as if studying monsters.

Swoosh—

Magic
power pooled in the heart traveled along the nerves toward the
eyelids.

As
the magic flowed naturally, the eyelids grew hot, and crosshairs
appeared in vision.

This
was an application of the weakness detection magic, made possible by
the simultaneous increase in magic stats and finesse stats.

The
weakness detection magic, which appeared like a rifle’s crosshairs,
began to scan the bodies of the two women.

‘See.
Memorize. Remember those movements.’

Like
a hunter observing prey, I etched their movements into my mind.

What
movements and actions do explorers who have reached the end of the
labyrinth take?

How
do they breathe, how do they move their nerves and muscles, and
consequently, what lines do they draw as they control their bodies?

Balkan
recalled his roots.

Although
he had recently discovered many useful aspects of radiant blessings
and magic, the foundation of everything was still the physical body.

The
ideal model for methods to move an excellent body more efficiently
was right before his eyes.

-Click!

As
the weakness detection magic continued its search, the crosshairs
fixed on the area around the two people’s feet.

While
running, I absentmindedly opened my mouth.

‘Has
the weakness detection magic ever been fixed on these two before?’

It
had occasionally flashed and disappeared, but it had never been so
clearly fixed like this.

In
gaming terms, it felt like landing meaningful damage on an enemy that
was previously invulnerable due to an overwhelming gap.

There
was no time to focus on that peculiar sense of conquest.

My
eyes were drawn to the soles of their feet, where their weaknesses
appeared.

‘They’re
not running while struggling.’

Despite
running for half a day, their breathing remained relatively light.
They appeared much less fatigued.

Tap—

Diana
and Idelbert’s walker soles touched the ice, and Balkan focused on
that moment.

The
impact of their feet dispersed very thinly across the ice, and the
two advanced faster by kicking off the floor with that rebound.

Almost
as if the ice was pushing them forward.

‘…The
ice, the terrain. It pushes them?’

The
most required ability for those exploring the labyrinth.

Strong
and effective blessings, outstanding talent, resilient mentality…
all were equally required.

But
in a labyrinth where the environment changes drastically with each
layer, the most important thing is adaptability.

The
ability to move as usual in any environment.

On
flat stone floors, in sticky swamps, in wavy lakes, in burning
flames, on bumpy frozen ice.

When
adapting to all these environments and placing even nature beneath
one’s feet, a body perfectly adapted to nature naturally harmonizes
with the environment and becomes one with it.

The
cold magic power pooled in my heart asked:

What
is below you now, what are you entrusting your body to?

Ice
fixed on a sticky swamp.

Cold,
hard, and static in nature, yet vulnerable to shock—I kicked off
from that ice.

-Swoosh!

A
sudden gust of wind pushed through the eye holes of the helmet.

The
intensity of the wind was different from before. That meant I was
moving faster.

I
slightly turned my head to check behind.

Footprints
were still there.

However,
those traces were noticeably shallower than before.

Naturally,
with each step, one step, two steps, every time I kicked the ground,
the fierce wind cut through my body, and the feedback helped my body
move more naturally, adapting to nature.

With
each repetition, the traces left on the ice gradually disappeared.

‘It
feels like skating.’

It
might not be that different in terms of entrusting one’s body to the
given environment while moving.

The
two women ahead suddenly came closer.

“Oh.”

Feeling
Balkan’s explosive surge, Idelbert put more strength into her thighs.

Though
she wanted to be caught by her disciple quickly, as a master who
couldn’t simply let herself be caught, she kicked the ice and moved
forward rapidly.

“Can
you keep up, my disciple?”

“Master,
you’re the one who needs to keep—”

“Heck…!”

At
the rough breathing sound, master and disciple looked back.

“You,
too, heck… fast, yo…!”

The
white cat beastkin cleric, who had accompanied the warriors’ forced
march, was crawling along with her long tail drooping on the ice,
panting heavily.

By
now, having arrived near the 20th floor descent portal, they looked
at Serif blankly.

It
was truly a miracle that Serif, a pure cleric, had kept up with the
warriors’ movements by bestowing miracles on herself.

Soon
to arrive at the 20th floor, rest would be needed to recover.

“Unexpected.”

In
front of the 19th floor portal, at Balkan’s small whisper, Idelbert
turned her head.

“What
do you mean?”

“That
you let Serif accompany us to hunt the Envy Worshipper. I thought you
would refuse.”

“…Have
you roughly figured it out?”

I
seemed to know what she was talking about.

It
must be about the conflict between the two sisters related to the
Envy Worshipper.

“Roughly.
I haven’t heard directly from both of you.”

At
that answer, Idelbert slightly lowered the corners of her mouth and
leaned in.

Was
it to talk more quietly from closer proximity?

As
I moved my body closer to match her, I felt a breath mixed with
laughter.

Whoosh—

Immediately
after, a hot breath entered through the gap in the helmet below the
neck.

At
that thrilling sensation, goosebumps rose all over my body, and my
heart pounded heavily.

As
I stiffened at the sudden attack, Idelbert, seeing my reaction,
relaxed her tense face and smiled slightly.

Perhaps
Idelbert was also tense at the thought of confronting the Envy
Worshipper.

“Focus
on the battle for now. If things end well, I’ll tell you everything.”

~20th
floor~

Following
the hot, humid, and sticky tropical environment that stretched from
the 16th to the 19th floors, the new location was a glacier zone with
cool chilliness.

‘From
a hot bath that pushed the limits of discomfort to a cold bath where
my toes freeze again.’

Indeed,
an environment befitting the malice-filled labyrinth.

Clear
water that reached the ankles, where the blue sky, which seemed to
hold a refreshing clarity, was transparently reflected.

It
felt like a place where polar bears that had lost their habitats
might live.

The
wind blowing in was filled with coldness, but none of those present
were shivering from the cold.

‘Diana,
like me, has cold magic power and is resistant to the environment,
while Idelbert and Serif brought thermal artifacts.’

“Disciple,
give me the map.”

“Yes.”

At
Idelbert’s words, I handed over the map of the 20th floor.

A
map with an X mark in red caught my eye.

It
was the map where Cleassia had marked the hiding place of the Envy
Worshipper.

“Indeed,
an unexplored area.”

Due
to the existence of the fountain teleportation scroll, floors that
were multiples of 5 remained largely unexplored.

The
Envy Worshipper had chosen one such unexplored place as a hideout,
and thanks to that secrecy, had remained uncaught until now.

Moreover,
according to Cleassia’s confession, the security of the Envy
Worshipper’s hideout, the ice cave, was very strict.

The
naturally formed cave in the 20th floor was itself a living maze, and
the Envy Worshipper had personally installed dozens of trap spells
there.

It
was a veritable fortress, undeniably the front yard of the Envy
Worshipper and the place where she could exert her maximum power.

We
needed to draw the Envy Worshipper out from there.

“Well,
I don’t suppose we’ll need to use the map anyway, right?”

“That’s
true.”

Idelbert
rolled up the map, put it into her subspace, and then took out a
fountain teleportation scroll and tore it.

After
teleporting near the fountain, we checked the surroundings first.

There
were no signs of other explorers coming.

We
couldn’t help it if they came up from the lower floors.

Since
Idelbert and Serif had caused fear about what had happened in the
labyrinth while in Eden, there would be no reason for anyone to
descend from the upper floors to the 20th floor.

“Yes.
There’s no magi nearby. It seems they haven’t moved yet.”

After
Diana confirmed the surroundings with tracking magic, Idelbert looked
at Balkan.

“Disciple,
can I trust you?”

“Master,
are you saying you don’t trust me?”

“…I
misspoke. I’m just unreasonably anxious about whether that criminal
woman really sent the letter as you instructed.”

On
the day Idelbert confirmed Cleassia’s capture.

Under
my orders and Idelbert’s, Cleassia wrote a letter to the Envy
Worshipper.

Perhaps
due to anxiety about revenge, Idelbert, who was hesitating now, was
met with Balkan’s confident nod.

“Either
the big fish or the small fry, at least one of them will definitely
take the bait.”

So
the only thing we needed to do now was one.

Idelbert,
whose eyes met mine, nodded as she took out a stealth artifact from
her subspace.

“…Alright.
Diana. Serif. Please use stealth magic and miracles. Make sure we’re
not detected.”

Outer
cave of the 20th floor.

“Cleassia
sent news?”

“Yes.”

The
Envy demon Worshipper, chameleon beastkin Karelos, who was in the
hideout filled with cool chill and darkness, tilted her head after
seeing the letter brought by her escort.

Seeing
the questioning look of the owner, the escort nodded with dull eyes,
the characteristic dreamy eyes of someone completely brainwashed.

Deep
within those eyes, a faint will of struggle remained, but
consciousness sealed by the power of envy followed Karelos’ words
like a puppet.

“Didn’t
she report regularly a week ago? She said there were no problems, and
the brainwashing of Jellicy was almost complete…”

“She
says it’s an urgent matter.”

The
escort said this while handing over the letter again.

“Haah.
She said there was nothing wrong…”

Karelos
clicked her tongue and snatched the letter.

She
couldn’t simply ignore it, as Cleassia was doing important work.

‘Starting
with the brainwashing of an intermediate cleric, I need to extend my
influence to the order again…’

The
Earth Mother Goddess Order, where those who followed the Earth
Goddess faith and could handle divine power gathered, was a powerful
danger to those who handled magi.

But
at the same time, it also made her think:

‘If
I could just devour the temple, the greater dangers would be
reduced.’

Starting
with such thoughts, Karelos had reached out to the Earth Goddess
Order from the past, and until a decade ago, she had achieved the
feat of brainwashing half of the high-ranking clerics of the order.

Yes,
she ‘had’ done it.

In
other words, it wasn’t the case now.

‘Idelbert.
If it weren’t for that bitch…’

Karelos
remembered that villainess who had completely destroyed her years of
achievements in just one night and the massacre that occurred just
before she was about to brainwash the saint, the symbol of the order,
after spending a long time.

‘It
was just one night. If only one night had passed, I could have
brainwashed even the saint…!’

Even
now, thinking about that time made her blood boil.

As
a result of her long-term efforts being destroyed in one night, even
after more than a decade, whenever she thought of that bitch, a deep
murderous intent boiled up from the depths of her heart.

But
at the same time, she also had an innocent interest in the power of
the woman who had destroyed her years of effort.

The
power of a being who had reached the deepest part of the labyrinth.

The
desire to possess, brainwash, and make her own that being who was
strong enough to win four out of ten fights against the Wrath
Worshipper Gott rose persistently from the depths of her heart.

However,
that was a fantasy close to impossibility.

Karelos
calmed her stirring heart and opened the seal of the letter.

She
couldn’t let her current affairs go awry by being stuck in the
past… or so she… thought…

“Huh?”

-Blink.
Blink.

Karelos,
who blinked her eyelids and rubbed them vigorously, read Cleassia’s
report written in the letter again.

[A
battle has occurred between the Explorers’ Union leader Idelbert and
the Scourge of the Inn, Diana Ordia.]

[As
a result, Idelbert is unconscious with severe injuries.]

[Currently,
due to the absence of high-ranking cleric Coolid, the brainwashing
target Jellicy is directly healing her.]

Severe
injuries? That Idelbert?

What
gave credibility to this absurd sentence was the person mentioned
earlier, Diana Ordia.

Like
Idelbert, she had reached the end of the labyrinth and prevented the
revival of the Lust demon.

‘I
heard from Gott that she was weaker compared to before…Was that not
the case?’

More
importantly, the two had fought? Why?

No
matter how much she racked her brain, no answer came, so Karelos
asked the escort who had brought the letter about the veracity of the
incident.

“Is
this, is this content…really true?”

“While
I’m not yet sure about the outcome of the battle, the information
that a battle occurred between Diana Ordia and Idelbert was acquired
two days ago.”

“Why
are you only reporting this now—?”

“During
the last report, Miss Karelos told me not to talk nonsense.”

Come
to think of it, that was the case.

It
made sense. Of course…it sounded like nonsense.

There
was no reason for those two to fight each other to a bloody pulp.

Property?
Honor? What could those two possibly lack?

A
man problem?

This
was even more absurd.

Those
cold explorers, over a man?

‘Could
it be a trap to lure a demon worshipper?’

She
pondered over this thought, but it didn’t make sense either.

If
they directly expended their power to the point of causing severe
injuries to lure another demon worshipper, they wouldn’t be able to
withstand it.

Karelos
looked at the letter delivered by her faithful subordinate of over a
decade.

‘No
matter how I think about it, this is an opportunity.’

That
Idelbert, unconscious with severe injuries?

This
was clearly a unique opportunity that wouldn’t come again for years
and it was worth taking the gamble.

Cleassia
was there, but she couldn’t brainwash a strong person like Idelbert.

So…

“We
will raid the temple. All escorts, gear up and assemble!”

“Are
you personally going, Miss Karelos?”

“Of
course.”

As
this was a rare opportunity, she needed to make sure.

She
couldn’t afford to make the same mistake and miss an even bigger
opportunity.

The
assembly was instantaneous, and Karelos, with her brainwashed escorts
and consumed by evil, burst out of her hideout.

She
had to brainwash Idelbert before she regained consciousness, or even
if she did, before she recovered the power she had expended in the
battle with Diana Ordia.

Every
time Karelos kicked out of the ice cave, the smile on her face grew
deeper.

The
excitement was so intense that she felt dizzy.

The
thought of getting revenge after over a decade, and that the woman
who had ruined her decisive brainwashing would finally be brainwashed
by her, made her smile unconsciously.

Overwhelmed
with excitement, Karelos saw the portal that had now come within
close reach and smiled, and then…

-CRUNCH!!!

With
a horrifying sound of flesh tearing, she stared at the massive hole
that had been punctured through her abdomen.

“…Huh?”

Her
head turned slowly as she belatedly realized the situation, looking
toward whatever had pierced through her abdomen.

Above
the ice arrow coated with magic power, divine power, and miracles.

“Hello?”

As
the stealth dissolved, she saw gauntlets and an oversized axe coming
from both sides.