Chapter 105 – Labyrinth

The plan was perfect.

The idea was to half-kill him first, then interrogate him—find out what he knew, where he learned it, and press him for details.

Of course, I never expected him to spill everything outright.

That’s why I planned to lay out what I already knew, piece by piece, watching his reactions to confirm the truth.

But in the end, I couldn’t contain my rage.

“Fucking bastard.”

I kicked Pied’s corpse, its head already ripped off.

Splatter—The body made a sickening sound as it slammed against the wall. I lowered my gaze.

Squirm, squirm—grab, grab

My blood-soaked, small, soft fingers moved precisely as I willed them to.

“Ah, mmm… hmm.”

My voice came out perfectly, sharp and cutting. My eyes could see, my nose could smell, my mouth could taste—everything was working properly.

“Right now, I’m Eliaernes Eustetia. In my past life, I was Ronan… Lujarak.”

My thoughts flowed smoothly, my memory intact.

The sensation between my legs… well, not much time had passed. I had simply moved a bit too vigorously, that’s all.

“Hah…”

Finally, I let my body relax, sitting down for a moment to catch my breath.

The illusion I had been trapped in was… absolute fucking hell.

Ego Annihilation Illusion.

A vague name, but now that I had experienced it firsthand, I understood exactly what it meant.

An illusion that erases your very self.

Many phenomena occurred within it, but the worst by far…

Was losing my sense of self.

Literally, “I” ceased to exist. And in that void where my ego should have been, something else invaded its place. A stone, a monster, the air, wind, light, sea, insects, sounds, demons—countless things gnawed away at my identity.

Of course, such trifles could never truly devour my essence. Even the World Tree herself once admitted she could do nothing about my ironclad sense of self.

But still… it had been dangerous.

Ego Annihilation Illusion—it wasn’t an Isang Hyeonsi [Intent Projection]. Just a crude domain spell Pied had prepared in advance.

That’s why I hadn’t been concerned.

I’m not weak enough to be troubled by such trash-tier magic.

Pied, at his absolute best, was 7th Circle.

Yes, that exceeded my level, and he could imbue his mana with intent, but he wasn’t nearly powerful enough to truly threaten me.

It wasn’t that I had lowered my guard.

I had remained vigilant, anticipating whatever hidden tricks he might employ.

And yet, escaping that illusion hadn’t been easy.

The reason such a crude spell had become such a deadly threat…

Luxurina.

The magi of Lust had been infused into it.

But why?

Why had that filthy whore’s magi suddenly become involved?

The potion.

Pied had consumed some unknown elixir before casting his illusion.

A minuscule amount—barely ten drops, if that.

The effects were instantaneous.

His previously feeble presence became overwhelming in an instant. His mana and magi—both quantity and density—exploded.

Or rather, they weren’t his powers at all.

They had been overlaid onto him.

Luxurina’s magi was forcibly grafted onto Pied.

The magi consumed him, writhing as though alive.

That much… fine.

Being generous, I could accept that.

The Legion Commanders were beings beyond even our comprehension back then.

If fragments of their magi started crawling around independently, whispering or dancing—whatever—I could accept that.

But.

That gaze I felt within the magi…

“Kaloso Verheigen.”

That gaze belonged to Kaloso.

Somehow, that bat-faced bastard had managed to see me through Luxurina’s magi.

Did he recognize me? Did he realize I had reincarnated?

Perhaps he already knew.

The World Tree had mentioned that Kaloso was present at the Demon King’s sealing site.

But even if he knew I had been reborn…

There’s no way he should have recognized me.

Before I died, when I knew Kaloso, that bastard lacked the ability to see souls.

None of us possessed such sight.

Which meant we had no way of knowing what each other’s souls looked like.

So then…

In the illusion…

In Arisa’s memories of the past, how did that chimpanzee recognize me?

It shouldn’t have been… no, it wasn’t possible.

Honestly… I don’t understand.

How the hell did he identify me?

And Kaloso.

That worthless piece of shit.

Why did his eyes suddenly widen like that?

Did he come because he thought he had a descendant?

No. Just as Arisa left behind the Eustetia line, it’s entirely possible Verheigen continued without Kaloso’s bloodline.

But I couldn’t dismiss the possibility that he had come to see Stella.

Stella Verheigen.

She potentially surpassed even Kaloso.

She might even complete Akasha.

That makes her valuable enough for that bastard to covet.

“…Stella, completing Akasha? Hah…”

Tap, tap—I brushed the dust off my clothes and rose to my feet.

I couldn’t possibly imagine that scatterbrain ever completing Akasha.

But even if she couldn’t complete it, I had no intention of surrendering her.

Stella is mine.

***

Samaela chuckled as she looked down at Stella, who had rejected her invitation and remained seated on the floor.

“Isn’t the ground too cold?”

“…Quit the small talk… Tell me about my mother.”

In truth, Stella didn’t want to sit on the ground either.

But she definitely didn’t want to sit beside Samaela.

Stella wanted to stand up, run to Pina, and disrupt whatever ritual was taking place.

But she couldn’t.

Her legs wouldn’t obey her.

She was scared. Terrified. She struggled to breathe.

One wrong move, and she feared the woman before her would kill her instantly. Even now, some inexplicable, unnerving sensation constricted her entire body.

With these thoughts plaguing her, Stella couldn’t rise from her spot. She loathed herself for remaining seated out of fear, but her self-disgust wasn’t enough to overcome the terror.

Seeing this, Samaela stifled her laughter.

In reality, Samaela was restraining Stella with mana infused with her will.

With each word she spoke, she tightened her grip on Stella’s throat before releasing it, and with each glance, she constricted Stella with invisible force.

Her legs unable to support her weight? The same reason.

Samaela had bound her with intent.

She had invited Stella to come closer knowing full well she couldn’t move.

Partly for amusement, yes, but more importantly to shatter her mental state and cloud her judgment.

“Where should I begin?”

This didn’t mean she intended to lie. She had decided to speak only truth.

In the current situation, she believed an outlandish truth would prove more poisonous than any well-crafted lie.

“I should explain why my dear niece was born, why she had to become a Verheigen.”

“…What?”

No person can be born for a reason.

No one enters this world with a predetermined purpose or mission.

It cannot be decided beforehand. It cannot be known in advance.

That is the law of heaven.

Yet Samaela’s words were strange.

“Why you were born.”

“Why you had to become a Verheigen.”

Those words made it sound as if she had been born out of necessity—as if she had been created for a purpose.

“Tell me, dear niece, do you know the story behind the name ‘Stella’?”

Mom—Jenniela—gave me that name.

I was born on a night filled with stars. Like diamonds scattered across black velvet, countless stars shone in the silent darkness, seemingly celebrating my birth.

That’s where my name came from.

Stella. A child who shines like the stars. A child blessed by the stars.

That’s the story I was told—the one my mother whispered to me before bed, the tale I always loved hearing.

“Blessed by the stars, shining like the stars—pfft! Ah, ahem. Sorry, sorry. Yes, you would think that. My dear sister must have told you so.”

Samaela let out a low, mocking chuckle and licked her lips.

“That’s not it.”

“…What?”

“Akasha.”

The sultry playfulness vanished from her voice.

“You were born to complete Akasha.”

Akasha? I had no idea what that was.

I didn’t even have time to wonder.

Samaela’s next words completely shattered my composure.

“No, no. ‘Created’ would be more accurate for you.”

I couldn’t breathe.

My heart pounded so violently it felt ready to burst, yet I couldn’t draw breath. My vision blurred white. My mind grew distant. My extremities turned ice-cold.

“W-what… what are you saying…?”

“Who made you? Why you specifically? Before I answer that, tell me, niece—do you know what Akasha is?”

I didn’t know. How could I?

Akasha was a term lost 400 years ago.

“The Fifth Element. Aether. The pinnacle of magic. The ultimate end of all magical arts.”

The origin of the universe.

Everything.

“That is what Akasha represents. In truth, no one knows precisely what it is. Not even ‘He’ could complete it.”

“That… I… no… who…”

I couldn’t even formulate a question.

The end of magic. That being. Akasha. My existence created for its completion. The reason. Stella.

How did this conversation even begin?

Why was I hearing all this?

“My dear niece. Jenniela’s daughter. Stella Verheigen. Where were you created? Who made you? Why did you become a Verheigen?”

Jenniela Verheigen.

Mom.

“Human greed created you.”

Samaela’s smile deepened.

“Stella, you weren’t born from Jenniela’s womb. You were created in a cold… cultivation tank, suspended in nutrient fluid, defying the laws of nature. And the one responsible for that—”

Suddenly, Samaela’s words stopped.

Her alluring smile faltered. Her serene expression twisted into confusion. Then, just as quickly, it contorted with displeasure.

She clicked her tongue and rose to her feet.

Her jet-black hair swayed as she turned her head.

At that moment—

BOOM!

A thunderous crash shook the labyrinth, as if lightning had struck within its depths.

Thick dust billowed into the air. Small fragments of debris pelted Stella’s thighs.

“You… who are you?”

“Hmm, I seem to be getting that question a lot today.”

A clear, ringing voice echoed through the chamber.

Stella turned toward its source.

“Eliaernes Eustetia.”

“How did you… get here?”

Had she killed Pied?

There was no need to wonder—she was holding Pied’s severed head in her right hand.

Thud—Eliaernes tossed it toward Samaela, letting out a light, melodic laugh.

“Ran my ass off to get here.”

“You fucking bitch.”