209. Crawled Up

Just as I was about to activate the Ring of Spiritualization to break through the swarm of Ironclad Beetles, I felt Joshua’s soul return to me.

Simultaneously, I realized something serious must have happened to Joshua and Leah, who had fled together.

“Joshua. Joshua, can you hear me?”

I temporarily placed Joshua’s soul into a golem.

This made communication easier than trying to converse while he was in a purely spiritual state.

“Why are you still in the labyrinth? I thought you’d have gotten out by now!”

“I was searching for a Transfer Stone when I found traces of you two and followed them.”

“No… Ah, this is bad. Really bad.”

“What is it? Did something happen to Lady Leah?”

“Well…”

Joshua quickly began explaining the situation.

“So… you’re saying the hole you accidentally fell into while escaping was connected to the Spirit Tomb?”

“Exactly. Right now, she’s alone in the Spirit Tomb.”

According to Olivia, the difficulty level of the Spirit Tomb was nearly on par with ancient ruins.

And Lady Leah was alone in such a place?

“Damn it.”

“What do we do? If we go to rescue her, we’ll all be in danger. But if we leave her, she’ll most likely…”

Die.

Even if we rushed up to the 5th floor, assembled a subjugation team for the 6th floor as quickly as possible, and returned…

Given that Leah had fallen into the Spirit Tomb-of all places-it was hard to guarantee her survival.

“Of all places, the Spirit Tomb had to be beneath the Layer Split.”

The Layer Split meant adding an extra 0.5 floor to the existing layer. In other words, the difficulty was that much higher.

From my experience so far, the monsters on the 6th floor each had at least one bullshit ability.

And the ones beneath the Layer Split? They’d be even worse, without a doubt.

“To go back up, we’d have to find another Transfer Stone. And we’d have to kill the flesh lumps guarding it. Even if we assemble a subjugation team and come back down, it’d take at least three days.”

“You’re thinking of going down.”

“There’s no other choice.”

We’d have to carry out Leah’s rescue operation on our own.

Me, Helena, Pria, and Ulysses. Plus Joshua.

“We don’t have a vanguard in this team.”

“Unfortunately, no.”

As Helena said, our hastily assembled Leah rescue team lacked a proper vanguard.

To be precise, I was the only one.

“Damn it.”

I’d have to tank.

I’d rather use snakes as meat shields, but summoning enough of them would require piling up corpses.

So, in the end, I’d have to take the front line.

“Let’s go.”

With no time to waste, I pulled Joshua out of the golem’s body and headed toward the Spirit Tomb.

Skitter skitter…

A rustling sound reached my ears.

The Ironclad Beetles were gathered, gnawing at the walls.

Before they could detect me, I activated the Ring of Spiritualization and flew in the direction Joshua indicated.

---

An hour and a half after Joshua left.

Leah stood in the darkness, staring at the entities watching her.

They didn’t approach, but their presence was undeniably threatening.

‘People. Humanoid figures.’

Without the Spirit Eye, she couldn’t see them clearly, but she knew they weren’t living beings.

They took human form. But they weren’t human.

Closer to monsters. Likely the Spirit Tomb’s monsters.

Little was known about this place.

Aside from Olivia’s strategy guide and Frodo’s information, hardly anyone had ever entered the Spirit Tomb, leaving most of its secrets shrouded in mystery.

‘What… are you?’

If they were monsters, they should have attacked her. Yet despite being monsters, they didn’t attack-they just watched.

It was unnerving, but Leah considered it fortunate that they remained in a standoff rather than engaging.

‘Given the atmosphere, lighting a fire seems unwise.’

Wrapped in darkness, Leah waited silently.

She barely moved, suppressing even the sound of her breath.

All of this was what she’d learned from her teacher, the Spider of the Dark Department.

Hiding her presence and erasing her traces was second nature to her.

‘But can I endure hunger and thirst?’

Three days was her limit.

Beyond that, she’d start struggling.

Staying motionless without food, water, or sleep-three days was the most she could last.

If no rescue came by then, things would turn dire.

‘Please, let Joshua’s soul reach Shion.’

She prayed silently for things to work out.

Then, something rushed toward her.

‘Shit!’

She tugged lightly on the thread tied to her pinky, and a blade-like silver thread lashed out at the tiny figure charging at her.

A spider’s web designed to take lives with minimal movement.

“Eeek!”

“…”

Normally, its torso should have split in half or its head should have flown off, but the tiny creature stopped just before the silver thread.

Leah glanced down at the squirming figure in the dark. Something that could detect an invisible silver thread was dangerous.

‘A… mouse?’

It was a tiny mouse.

For a moment, she wondered if Shion had transformed into a mouse to find her, but the mouse that had approached her spoke in a completely unfamiliar voice.

“Human over there. Are you the one who came down from above?”

“…”

“Answer me! You who have entered the King’s tomb-are you a human from the surface?”

“What… is this?”

A talking mouse.

A mouse that spoke human language.

‘A monster?’

The labyrinth was full of cockroaches and mice.

They were more like pests infesting the labyrinth than actual monsters.

But a talking mouse was a different story.

The moment it spoke human language, it couldn’t possibly be an ordinary labyrinth mouse.

“I am the King’s Right Hand! Are you a human from the surface or not?!”

Leah’s mind raced.

What was the intent behind this question? Why was it so fixated on whether she was from the surface?

Why this obsession with the surface?

‘Is it planning regression? Or…’

The relentless questioning about whether she came from above implied that there were also humans who came from below.

Monsters were inherently hostile to humans.

They were designed that way from birth.

Leah withheld her answer.

Responding carelessly would surely lead to trouble.

“Why won’t this human answer?! If you’re from above, please, help us!”

When she remained silent, the mouse blurted out new information.

“Help you? With what?”

At the plea for help, Leah realized the mouse didn’t seem hostile-just desperate.

“For the King’s revival! We need human help!”

“Humans need help? Why?”

“Because only humans can remove those terrible objects!”

“Objects?”

“Yes! The cursed objects left behind by that madwoman! If they aren’t removed, the King will soon go berserk!”

Cursed objects left by a madwoman.

‘Don’t tell me…’

Could it be referring to the three holy relics left by the Saint?

The thought crossed Leah’s mind.

‘If the Saint left relics here, it’s highly likely it was to seal whatever this “King” is.’

The monsters of the Spirit Tomb couldn’t leave.

What if the reason was that the Saint from two generations ago had sealed them here?

Moreover, the fact that hardly anyone could enter the Spirit Tomb was likely due to it being hidden behind a barrier.

“Follow us! The King awaits!”

Soon, countless mice swarmed toward Leah.

She had no choice. Whether it led to death or salvation, she had to follow them.

‘How much deeper are we going?’

She walked for a long time through the Spirit Tomb, lined with stone coffins and the dead.

Monsters that should have attacked her on sight merely stared blankly, while the mice around her parted in perfect unison, guiding her path.

The deeper she went, the thicker the mana concentration became, making it harder to breathe.

Despite her adaptation to mana, she was struggling. The density here surpassed even the worst of the 6th floor, leaving her nauseous and uneasy.

‘This is alien.’

An unmistakably foreign energy.

Something that didn’t belong on the 6th floor had taken root here, and Leah feared what lurked in the dark.

Whatever it was, it was beyond her ability to handle.

Perhaps something that transcended ordinary monsters.

“We’re almost there! Human!”

“Why…?”

“Show respect before the King. If you wish to escape the labyrinth by his grace.”

“He’ll… let me escape the labyrinth?”

“Yes! He is benevolent-he won’t kill you. He might even take you as his servant. That’d be better, no? A chance to shed your pitiful human flesh!”

“…”

The mention of shedding human flesh sent chills down Leah’s spine.

Was it planning to curse her with transformation? Or worse-twist her very existence.

Her hands trembled as she processed the mouse’s words.

She was terrified, but she couldn’t show it. And if she wanted to live, she had to show respect.

Her pride had long since been discarded in the labyrinth city.

Survival was her top priority now, and bowing to a monster was a small price to pay.

“O King! I’ve brought a human! She seems to have fallen into the burrow by chance! Given that she passed through the Void in the Barrier, she may be able to break the curse!”

The mouse shouted before a tightly sealed stone door.

Amid its frantic squeaking, a hoarse voice answered from within.

[Enter.]

Instantly, Leah’s legs nearly gave out.

Something beyond mere voice struck her mind, shaking her fragile soul.

The stone door creaked open, and an unfathomable darkness spilled out, coiling around her ankles.

[You are already a child who has heard the Call. That must be why you passed through the Void.]

The darkness whispered.

The King of the Sewer observed Leah’s body, mind, and soul.

[You are fated to descend below.]

And with that, it pronounced her destiny.

[And there, you shall die.]

A death sentence.

A foretold future.

Leah stepped deeper into the darkness.

Trembling without realizing it, she faced the abomination before her.

The stone door closed behind her, and the sealed being spoke again.

[Release my seal. I shall erase the fate written for you.]

It was a lion.

No-perhaps a crowned sewer rat.

Its form was impossible to grasp.

The illusion woven by darkness concealed the shape of the demon that had crawled up to the 6th floor.

For Leah’s mind, fully perceiving the King of the Sewer was nearly impossible.

But one thing was clear:

This was not an enemy to be fought with strength.

She had to stall for time, survive the ancient god’s temptations, and hold on until help arrived.