Chapter 693
Heh heh heh heh!
The Labyrinth was undergoing a cataclysm.
The Gardener froze in place like a stone statue.
There were too many things to be stunned by. Questions flooded his mind.
‘The Labyrinth Lord is the only one who can acquire Labyrinth Transformation, right?’
How in the world did he get that ability?
And why hadn’t he used it until now, if he’d had it all along?
His head felt like it was about to explode.
Assumptions stacked on assumptions, turning his peaceful garden into hell. But right now, the urgent matter was to stop the Labyrinth from changing into an unknown place.
[Gardener activates ‘Labyrinth Transformation’ – Screaming Garden!]
The Gardener desperately tried to counter the ability Jinhyuk had activated.
However.
“Th-this can’t be.”
It wasn’t the same ability.
Something more high-dimensional and creative. A Labyrinth he had never experienced was unfolding.
This wasn’t just transformation…
Creation.
Yes. It was closer to realizing something that hadn’t existed before.
There were still clumsy parts, but the opponent clearly possessed an ability that outclassed his.
“It was fun. In its own way.”
Jinhyuk waved his hand as the scene faded.
Balseter had already crossed over to Jinhyuk’s side.
“Ugh, uaaaaaagh!”
With the Gardener’s desperate scream as the end—
Rumble!
Vines and plants completely sealed the two of them off.
Jinhyuk stretched lazily.
Crack!
As the taut tension vanished, the fatigue he’d been holding back seemed to crash over him all at once.
“A-are you going to spare me?”
A tingle ran down Balseter’s spine as Jinhyuk glared at him.
How dare a Labyrinth Designer speak informally.
For a moment, it nearly added another corpse to this place.
Balseter, sensing the thick killing intent, hurriedly corrected himself.
“A-are you going to spare me?”
“That’s much better to hear. Let’s do well in the future. Huh?”
“I will be careful… very careful.”
Balseter immediately bowed his head.
Still, he’d had a decent sense of things from the first time they met.
Ever since long ago, even if someone’s skills were lacking, quick wits raised their odds of survival.
“As it happens, I need someone to handle management in the upcoming stronghold battle. How about it? Any thoughts?”
It was a rare internship offer.
Needless to say, refusal meant death, and hesitation or visible reluctance would be automatic dismissal.
“I-I will give my loyalty.”
Thud!
Balseter slammed his head into the ground.
It was such a sincere bow that the mask he cherished cracked.
Flames gathered at Jinhyuk’s fingertips.
[‘Brand of Fiery Loyalty’ is activated!]
Sizzle!
“Gasp!”
He’d personally carve it into those flushed cheeks.
The bonus was a future of being thoroughly exploited as useful talent for the stronghold battle.
Balseter, rising while rubbing his cheeks, looked toward the epicenter where smoke still billowed thickly. It was the very spot where Judge of Repulsion had swept away the members of the Veteran Corporation not long ago.
“I don’t know if there are any survivors. Should we go check?”
After being caught in such an absurd attack, it would be normal not to be safe.
Looking at the hellscape that had become a sea of fire, it was hard to imagine anyone still alive.
However.
Jinhyuk could see it clearly.
The uncontrollable flames were cleverly avoiding only a single area.
Fwoosh!
[‘Flowing Water Flower Willow Sword’ is activated!]
Pain von Adel, founder of the Flowing Water Sword.
The white-haired boy who craved a match with Chun Yoosung had intervened.
Squish.
Jinhyuk headed toward the group.
‘As expected, he’s strong.’
Returnee Adel had dominated a world overflowing with swordsmen for more than just being a mad sword demon.
He specialized in nullifying the attacks of the strong with his unique Flowing Water Sword.
The white-haired boy gasped for breath.
His entire body was covered in wounds from deflecting that massive attack, but his eyes were still alive.
“Hyung… I’m going to kill you. So you absolutely can’t be killed by someone else.”
There was no way to know when he’d chased him all the way to the Labyrinth.
What was certain was that his resolve exceeded imagination.
Chun Yoosung understood that better than anyone.
“Damn it.”
A curse slipped from Chun Yoosung’s mouth.
Chun Yoosung knew better than anyone that things wouldn’t be easy going forward.
And from Jinhyuk’s point of view, watching it was as exhilarating as downing a hundred bottles of cider.
“No, what are you groaning about over just that?”
“Just that? Don’t talk if you don’t know how this feels.”
“Hey, hey. What do you mean I don’t know? I was in that exact state. That feeling of having a stalker glaring at you through the window day and night.”
“Shut up! Are you saying I acted the same as that disgusting guy!”
Chun Yoosung glared.
He was getting a proper dose of mirror treatment.
It was honestly fun just watching this.
“Is the contractor okay? And who is that guy?”
Alice looked back and forth between Jinhyuk and Balseter.
“It’s a long story. I’ll explain it slowly later. More importantly, is everyone okay?”
“Yes. Jinhyuk did all the hard work rather than us.”
Teresa smiled brightly.
Pesis and Medrey, as well as Frey and Wolyoung, also smiled and congratulated each other on their hard work.
It was a heartwarming sight.
More than anything, he liked that no one was hurt.
Right then.
Whooom!
A cold flame swept in from one side.
It was fire on a completely different level from what Judge of Repulsion had spewed out.
The strongest Divinity who divided the ancient Divinities and the 50th floor.
It was Oryx, one of the Elder Gods.
“Ahem….”
A heavy groan escaped him.
Oryx, in human form, staggered toward Jinhyuk. As if he’d fought an incredibly fierce battle with Yomaganto, he had almost no Mana left. It looked difficult for him to even maintain his manifestation through the Endless Wayport.
“Thank you for your hard work. We were able to achieve our goal thanks to Oryx taking care of that monster.”
“…The book?”
“I secured it. I’ve safely stored it in Subspace.”
“Excellent. As expected, it was right to trust you. Then, hand over the book now.”
Oryx extended a trembling hand.
As promised, the Necronomicon was to go to the Elder Gods in exchange for blocking Yomaganto.
Everyone’s gaze turned to Jinhyuk.
‘There’s no way that guy will hand it over willingly.’
‘There’s no way that’s going to happen.’
‘I think so too.’
‘The probability of escape is 62.5%, and the probability of attacking is 22.8%.’
‘To try to scam an ancient Divinity. He really is an interesting human.’
In particular, Chun Yoosung—who’d suffered plenty—already had his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Just in case he needed to cut down Oryx.
However.
“Of course. We should definitely give it to you, for the sake of a good relationship with the Elder Gods. Besides, I’m the type to always keep my word.”
Jinhyuk opened Subspace without hesitation.
“I’m glad you’re a man who knows honor. I’ll make sure everyone hears about this.”
Oryx’s expression brightened at once.
A man who had fought even against ancient beings. If someone like that chose to run, chasing him down in his current state would be extremely difficult.
“Hmm. Let’s see.”
Jinhyuk stuck his hand into Subspace.
Rummage, rummage.
“Hmm.”
It wasn’t easy to find.
Maybe because Subspace was so vast, he couldn’t remember where he’d put it.
“Just a moment. It’s definitely somewhere in here.”
Jinhyuk rummaged through Subspace with his tongue sticking out.
[The passage of ‘Endless Wayport’ begins to collapse!]
“Q-quickly… hurry.”
Oryx’s voice grew urgent.
“Not this one. Not that one. Not this one either. Not that one either.”
“Hurry!”
“Ah! I found it!”
Jinhyuk pulled out a book.
It was a book, but it wasn’t the Necronomicon.
It was a conceptual primer for becoming a high-level Necromancer.
The author was T-Bone, the cute skeleton.
With its crooked handwriting, it was already hopeless, but it was a precious book filled with its own memories.
“This wouldn’t work, right?”
“Why are you saying something so obvious!”
Blue flames erupted from Oryx’s body.
His patience was reaching its limit.
However, no matter how eagerly he waited, the grimoire he wanted didn’t come out.
[‘Endless Wayport’ disappears!]
Crumble…
Oryx’s body began to turn to dust.
“It’s almost there… I think I can reach it if I stretch just a little more.”
Jinhyuk shoved his arm in as far as he could and wiggled his fingers.
Something felt like it was about to catch on his fingertips.
“Yes. Quickly. Hurry. There’s no time!”
However.
That pleading voice didn’t last long.
“I found it!”
By the time Jinhyuk pulled out the Necronomicon, Oryx had already disappeared completely.
“Ha, I was really going to give it to him. What a waste.”
Those words were sincere.
It was absolutely not a coincidence that the moment the Endless Wayport vanished and the moment he “found” the book were the same.
Ahem! Ahem!
Jinhyuk coughed repeatedly and clasped his hands behind his back.
—
Tower of Trials, 50th floor.
In Azathoth’s Palace, an anomaly occurred—one that would completely shift the balance of the Tower.
Whooom!
Blue flames rose in a sanctuary that had never been lit before.
[All beings on the 50th floor recognize a new change.]
There was only one reason this could happen.
Only when their sole weakness, the Necronomicon, fell into someone’s hands.
Twitch.
Azathoth’s main body stirred.
He was trying to awaken from his long sleep.
Rumble-rumble-rumble!
The shockwaves spread not only through the 50th floor, but throughout the entire Tower of Trials and even beyond it.
Naturally, an emergency was declared among the administrators and the ancient beings.
“D-deploy the Barrier to the maximum immediately!”
“Damn it. What the hell is going on?”
“The system is going berserk. If we don’t prepare countermeasures, we don’t know what will happen!”
In the management bureau at the center of the Tower, mid-level administrators ran around in panic.
Upper-level administrators, including Bendivia, mobilized every available measure, assuming the worst-case scenario.
They were trying to prevent the Tower itself from collapsing by maximizing the system’s suppression power.
[A hole has appeared in the 7th barrier.]
[Multiple errors occur in the rules of the Tower.]
Red status windows appeared every moment.
No one could predict what kind of ripple effect this would cause.
“Father is trying to wake up.”
“In the end, that damn human is doing things he shouldn’t be doing.”
“…Is he finally going to reach the 50th floor?”
For the ancient beings, this anomaly was the worst.
Azathoth was in a deep sleep, and communication was only possible through the projection of his subconscious.
However, if Azathoth’s main body awakened, there was a risk that this entire dimension could disappear.
Only one person—
“Wow, so it turned out like this. I should’ve bet on ToX, but what are those damn administrators doing without making something like that?”
—remained relaxed, leaning back in a wooden chair with his legs crossed.
“What… what’s so enjoyable about this? Everything is heading for the worst, and you don’t even feel a sense of responsibility?”
Tulcha growled.
The man’s lack of tension was irritating.
“Well. Isn’t the reason things ended up like this because you couldn’t get anything even after mobilizing Yomaganto?”
“What… did you say?”
Heh heh heh heh!
Green poisonous mist rose between the purple tentacles.
A suffocating killing intent piled on, as if to melt everything in the area.
The man shrugged.
“Don’t get too worked up. Besides, you’ve already prepared the next card to succeed Unknown, haven’t you?”
A move the ancient beings had prepared for a counterattack at the point where Unknown failed.
It was impossible for Jinhyuk and the Veteran Corporation to prepare for it.
Because it used one of the absolute conditions of the Tower of Trials in the worst possible way.