Ch.78The First Morning Star (1)

Light pours into the labyrinth I created using Earth’s power obtained through the Forest Lord’s remains.

The light illuminates dozens of locations, and as I probe the energy there, I discover it’s where those who came to kill me are huddled together.

As the light gradually grows brighter, I sense the presence of those standing on the ground slowly disappearing.

Whether they’re rising into the sky or vanishing through teleportation, I’m not sure.

“Wooooah—!!”

Thinking I shouldn’t leave them be, I hurled lightning toward the sky.

Rumble…

Dark clouds gradually formed in the sky, darkening the surroundings, and the light shining from above weakened as it was blocked by the storm clouds.

CRASH—!!

As the dark clouds began to emit black light with thunder, and the white light tried to penetrate through by emitting an even stronger radiance.

BOOM—!!

Black lightning covered the ground.

The lightning that struck part of the area where light had been moments ago burned the ground with a deafening sound.

A fatal blow that would certainly kill anyone who failed to defend against it. I traveled along the residual current to check the place where the lightning had struck.

What I realized after inheriting Earth was that I had been using Thunder too much as just an offensive tool.

I could handle parts of nature’s power as if they were my own body, and I myself could become part of nature.

Having realized this, I could now teleport instantly to anywhere lightning existed.

Of course, I could also summon lightning and travel through it like I just did.

After instantly completing my movement, I examined where the lightning had been and could tell someone had been there.

The ground was scorched black from the lightning strike, but the center wasn’t black, as if someone had blocked my attack with a spherical barrier.

Hmm…

To find those who were here, I spread an electric field widely to search for those floating in the air, and channeled energy into the ground to search for those on land.

* * * * *

On a hill as high as the labyrinth walls.

There, a woman in pure white clothes was kneeling with closed eyes, offering prayers.

As if her devout prayers had reached heaven, light poured down from the sky through the dark clouds onto where the Saintess was.

Step— Step— Step—

At that moment, people wearing light armor and elderly individuals in priestly garments climbed up the hill where she was.

The one at the front approached the Saintess, who was absorbed in prayer, and spoke.

“Saintess, we have gathered 13 combat-capable archbishops from the order and 12,000 people who were scattered across various regions to come here now.”

Flash—!

At those words, the Saintess’s closed eyes opened. Her eyes were emitting such a bright light that the word “flash” was fitting.

That was the Saintess’s holy power.

She had apparently been imbuing her eyes with holy power to see something, as the holy power was still flickering.

“Thank you for your hard work. Currently, Wrath is using an ability I’ve never seen before to create a labyrinth that has separated our brothers and sisters. I’ve sent out the First Star Party, an Orichalcon party, and tried to contact each commander trapped in the labyrinth… but something seems to be interfering with my communication there.”

“I see… But Saintess, you were praying until just now. What were you praying for…?”

Archbishop Eriben, the youngest among the archbishops but recognized for his abilities, asked, and the Saintess answered.

“I was preparing to guide all those trapped in the labyrinth, wandering in darkness, back to the light.”

With those words, the dark clouds that had filled the sky dissipated, unable to withstand the bright light, and bright light illuminated the ground.

And people were drawn to that light.

All those who followed Uldur were rescued by the light descending from the sky and transported behind the hill.

“These people were suffering in the labyrinth until just now! Please hurry with treatment and care!”

All of Uldur’s followers were rescued by the light, and the Saintess entrusted their treatment and care to the reinforcements that had arrived.

About 3,000 people were transported by the light. When they first arrived here, there were 5,310 people, but in just three hours, nearly 2,300 had effectively died.

“So many in such a short time…”

The Saintess checked the survivors and discovered that among them were some of the most skilled individuals from the order.

Brother Jess of the Divine Knights, Deputy Leader Brother Zenfil of the Holy Spell Corps, Brother Ebi Pros who controlled powerful Holy Golems, Sister Parion who was considered the next leader of the choir, and Brother Amper, one of the most skilled in the Hammer Corps.

Every one of them was someone who would lead the order in the future, but tears rolled down the Saintess’s eyes at the thought that this disaster had occurred because she hadn’t handled the situation properly.

The archbishops beside her and the Divine Knights and unit commanders who came to report felt the same way.

“But Saintess… I don’t see the First Star adventurer party.”

An archbishop who approached reported this. The Saintess looked around, but William and his party were nowhere to be seen.

“They must be non-believers… I’ve heard there are non-believers among adventurers, but for even the priestess of the party to still be there… I wonder what god they believe in… Don’t worry about it. They’re bound by contract and an Orichalcon party, so they’ll survive on their own. Let’s focus on regrouping.”

While the Saintess abandoned the First Star Party and focused on regrouping, black lightning was racing through the labyrinth with the sound of thunder.

* * * * *

Inside the labyrinth.

Thanks to the Saintess’s miraculous power, brilliant light illuminated the dark labyrinth.

The Saintess’s miracle still remained in the labyrinth, spreading its light, and the First Star Party was benefiting greatly from it.

“Wow, the Saintess must have used some power! Now we can see well without light magic.”

“Yeah! The Saintess is really amazing. To illuminate the entire labyrinth.”

At the words of Berin, the mage of the First Star Party, William’s eyes narrowed. He then looked at Berin.

His face showed an expression as if he had heard something strange, and Berin’s face became urgent.

“Ah! No! Saintess! Not Saintess! It was a slip of the tongue! A slip of the tongue, William!”

Berin hurriedly explained. William looked at her. With his lips curled up but his eyes not smiling at all.

“Right? I thought I heard wrong. Our Berin wouldn’t say such strange things.”

“Yes! Yes, yes! I must have said something strange without realizing it after entering the labyrinth! I’m really sorry, William!”

She hurriedly, very urgently, explained. William, who had been looking at her coldly, also nodded with a bright smile.

“Right. That can happen. Even I think this labyrinth is terrible. But… what did I say I’d do if that mistake happened again?”

“Kyaaaah!!!”

William grabbed Berin’s hair forcefully, and the archer Jane and knight Sage just looked on with pity. Only the priestess Chris was nodding as if this was natural.

William, who was grabbing Berin’s hair and educating her, turned his head. Then he looked at where his party members were gathered and said.

“Hey, instead of just watching, why don’t you come out now?”

“Huh!? No, what!? What’s going on!?”

Pierce answered, thinking William was talking to him, but William just kept looking at where his party members were.

Sensing something strange, the party members prepared for battle, and Berin, whose hair was still in William’s grip, also prepared for battle.

“If you’re planning a surprise attack, it’s already too late, so why don’t you show yourself? I’ve only seen you in photos.”

William continued speaking as if someone was there. Whether his party members were tense or not, he was leisurely talking to the wall.

“Sigh…”

When no one appeared despite his continued requests, he sighed and used his power. His party members quickly moved behind him.

Rumble…!

As William stretched out his hand and drew power, a black sphere was created in his hand and moved toward the wall he was looking at.

Woong…!!

With a humming sound, the black sphere began to suck in everything. His party members had quickly moved behind William, so they weren’t sucked in, but…

Crumble…

The massive walls that were dozens of meters high and blocked even the sun began to be sucked in.

The dozens-of-meters-high walls collapsed and were sucked into the black sphere, and even the ground was sucked in.

Everything within a 10-meter radius of the black sphere was sucked in, turning the area into an empty space, and William, who had created this scene, was just calmly watching.

“That was just a greeting, but if you don’t come out, I can shoot something worse. I just want to talk with you, so could you come out for a moment? We’re both participants.”

Participants.

Whether they understood the meaning or not, William’s party members just stood behind him.

“Sigh…”

As William prepared to completely blow away the entire area, disappointed that Wrath still wouldn’t appear.

Crackle… BOOM—!!

With pitch-black lightning, Khan appeared before William.