Chapter 349: Avalanche (1)

Lennok scratched his cheek at her cold response.

“Wasn’t this why you wanted to team up with me? I thought you wanted a partner who could assist you in focusing on sniping… I don’t know what you’re suddenly talking about.”

“No, that is…”

Evelyn said that, glanced at Lennok, then suddenly began massaging her shoulder.

“Oh, my arm really hurts from pulling the bowstring too much.”

“…”

“My shoulder feels a bit stiff, and my neck is throbbing a little…”

[This person has absolutely no talent for beating around the bush.]

As Davi said, Evelyn was subtly glancing at Lennok, but her desire seemed clear.

Lennok stared fixedly at Evelyn, who had suddenly awkwardly bent her arm and started patting her waist.

Perhaps she was a bit dissatisfied with having to focus on sniping for three whole days.

He thought he had devised a plan that would maximize her specialty in archery, but as always, things didn’t go exactly as planned.

Thinking that, Lennok still sighed slightly and stood up.

Ultimately, it was Lennok who proposed this kind of collaboration, and it wasn’t false that Evelyn had worked harder than Lennok.

He didn’t know why she was suddenly complaining, but considering all the work she had done so far, granting her request wasn’t difficult.

As Lennok began tapping her shoulder with the back of his hand, Evelyn sharply turned her head to look back at him.

Lennok chuckled, seeing her round, wide green eyes, as if she hadn’t expected it at all.

“I can’t do it for long. Look forward.”

Lennok said, patting Evelyn’s shoulder as she turned her head.

“You’ve probably noticed, but my body isn’t particularly robust physically.”

“…I know.”

“Perhaps inside the labyrinth, I might find myself lacking in stamina. So, then… like this…”

He roughly patted her lower back a few times and then took his hand away.

“Let’s help each other without burdening one another.”

Evelyn would probably manage her part alone, even without Lennok’s help.

Lennok, too, had always done his best with that mindset, but he wasn’t entirely confident that it would be possible inside the labyrinth they were about to enter.

The labyrinth’s interior was a different dimension created by an Ascendant’s power. Realistically, there was no telling how long its paths and journey would be.

Given the significant risks involved in entering the labyrinth, Lennok had no intention of holding Evelyn back due to his own weaknesses.

“Is there anything else you want?”

“…”

Evelyn didn’t say anything, just stared up at Lennok.

Lennok brushed off her gaze and said,

“There’s not much time left until the labyrinth’s entrance opens. It’s best to rest comfortably before then.”

At the moment the labyrinth’s structure periodically flips entirely, its constituent elements move, and cracks open, allowing entry.

Based on the information gathered by the Watchers who arrived before Lennok, the margin of error was at most a day or two.

Between tomorrow and the day after, they would probably have to abandon their current position and enter the labyrinth.

Having tirelessly worked to eliminate competitors for nearly three days, it seemed fine to rest comfortably for the remaining half-day.

“Then…”

Evelyn pretended to ponder, then smiled sweetly and said,

“I’d like to sleep. Will you wait until I’m asleep?”

“…That’s not difficult.”

As Lennok entered the tent and sat beside her, Evelyn lay in her sleeping bag, smiled, and closed her eyes.

“We’ve been taking turns on watch for three days… It’s okay to be like this for just the last day, right?”

“You don’t like sleeping alone? That’s new.”

“Who likes that?”

“…”

Lennok didn’t answer. He, too, hadn’t liked the nights spent sleeping alone before he created Davi.

He gazed fixedly at her face, now fast asleep.

It wasn’t simply due to mental and physical fatigue, but rather the result of training that allowed her to fall asleep easily in any environment.

What outcome did Evelyn Marcia hope for when she accepted her role in her current position?

Her life as a leading Agent couldn’t have been easy, and the city’s darkness must have been far more squalid than she’d imagined.

It would be a lie to say he didn’t feel an inner closeness to her, beyond just being a skilled collaborator and competent business contact, given that he’d known her for years.

She had not only consistently built a favorable relationship with Lennok but had also been the one to save his life.

At that moment when he encountered the monstrous, off-spec Croken Asylus in the factory, would Lennok be here now without Evelyn’s help?

Now, he understood that Croken wasn’t simply a monster consumed by slaughter, but nothing was certain.

Only the fact that he owed her the grace of saving his life remained.

For that alone, Lennok felt a slight sense of responsibility towards Evelyn.

She was the one who shattered Lennok’s resolution to live in this world owing nothing to anyone, right from the start.

“…”

Lennok, grasping Davi’s abundant three-part tail and stuffing her into his coat, stood up.

He had only taken the time to make Evelyn comfortable.

Someone had to keep watching the labyrinth’s vicinity.

Sitting on the edge of the cliff, looking down into the canyon, Lennok spoke to Davi.

“Keep checking the equipment installed at the base of the mountain. This snow mountain’s environment isn’t great, so it wouldn’t be strange for them to malfunction at any time.”

[Understood.]

“Antares said there’s no need to rush, but that’s only once we’re inside the labyrinth.”

Lennok’s eyes gleamed sharply as he looked down at the grand, white tetrahedral labyrinth.

“We’ll be the first ones to enter there.”

The next day, after three days and one more night.

The chaotic skirmishes that had been incessantly erupting all around them had instead begun to sharply decrease.

Rather than rashly drawing out their mana and stepping forward, everyone was preoccupied with watching each other.

Until now, reducing the number of competitors and securing advantageous positions had been the priority, but now everyone knew there was something even more crucial.

As if to reflect their sentiments, the colossal labyrinth filling the bottom of the canyon began to slowly vibrate.

Kugugugugugu!!!

The colossal pyramid filling the canyon began to vibrate and slowly distort in place.

For a brief moment, all the structures forming the labyrinth simultaneously swapped positions and created new paths.

The labyrinth, crafted with barrier magic, was so intricate and magnificent that it seemed to come alive, transforming as if breathing.

Before anyone knew it, those who had taken up positions near the labyrinth, waiting for the opportune moment, were densely lined up.

In the eyes of those facing an Ascendant’s Conceptual Realm, what reflected was not fear, but only anticipation and greed.

If something had happened to Jindun, his legacy existing within this colossal labyrinth might be theirs for the taking.

That possibility was illuminating an indescribable excitement and a rosy future for them.

“We’ve finally made it this far.”

As someone’s words slipped out, another person naturally turned to look at the snow mountain behind them.

“Those damn snipers, are you sure they haven’t come down from the snow mountain?”

“Of course.”

The man, gritting his teeth, replied.

“I’ve checked multiple times. They won’t be able to come near here until the labyrinth opens.”

“It’s a bit of a shame. I was planning to just kill them immediately if they tried to slyly sneak out and seize an opportunity…”

The man’s words, bordering on a threat, were not empty boasts.

In fact, to catch the sniper who had been killing their allies indiscriminately for three days, they had even considered joining forces with other organizations if necessary.

How terrifying and hateful the fear of unseen death approaching could be.

He never imagined that such a danger could be felt even at this high Hierarchy.

“Hmph, it seems those guys have some brains after all. Were they planning to just focus on sniping from the start and not aim for the labyrinth?”

“It seems so. They must have intended to abandon their greed and focus solely on supporting their allies.”

“Good… Then it doesn’t matter. We came to this canyon for one reason anyway.”

The man’s eyes glistened with undisguised anticipation.

“If Jindun truly failed his Ascension and died, and if we can secure even a small part of his legacy… dealing with guys like that is no problem at all.”

It wasn’t merely about grasping immense wealth and honor.

If it was the legacy left by a Transcendent who had already attempted Ascension once, there would undoubtedly be precious artifacts capable of breaking through the blocked walls of Hierarchy.

If they could only obtain it and rise as the next generation’s strongholds… then even gaining the qualification to challenge Ascension might not be a dream.

The eyes of the superhumans, steeped in groundless hope, were brought back to reality as the labyrinth’s cracks widened before them.

Kugugugugu!!!

The labyrinth’s outer wall reshaping as it reassembled. The sight of the cracks leading into the labyrinth, revealed within.

Not a few people had waited over a month for this moment.

No one watched for long.

“Let’s go!!”

“Waaaaaah!!”

The sight of nearly a thousand superhumans rushing towards the labyrinth with fervent shouts.

“Get out of the way!!”

“That entrance belongs to our Zeta Legion!!”

“Seize positions and block others!! Prevent them from entering as much as possible!!”

Those who had just been observing each other now, as if nothing had happened, dashed towards the entrances opened all around the labyrinth, firing mana at one another.

The snowy field, instantly filled with explosions and roars, transformed once again into a blood-splattered battlefield, yet no one stopped their advance.

At the very moment people were about to take their first step towards the endlessly rotating cracks of the labyrinth, open in all directions.

Kwooooong!!

From behind them, a colossal tremor shook the entire canyon.

“…”

“Wait, what in the…?”

Those who turned around a step too late invariably realized the source of the unusual impact and their faces hardened.

“No, no way…!!”

“Fuck…”

Kugugugugugugugugu!!!!

Beyond that absurd vibration, the snow mountain standing tall above the canyon was sliding down entirely.

A colossal snow mass, rising like a giant tsunami from above the canyon and pouring down.

From the center of the avalanche, erupting as if to completely engulf the entire area.

“Shall we go?”

“Faster, faster!!”

Lennok and Evelyn began hurtling towards the labyrinth at incredible speed, using a colossal carapace as a board.

Wheeeeeeeesh!!!

“Van, this speed feels amazing!!”

Ignoring Evelyn’s excited cheers from behind, Lennok delicately adjusted the position of the carapace beneath his feet.

The only important thing was to secure their bodies with mana threads and stably maintain balance.

There was no need to specifically check the direction.

The avalanche, created by collapsing the entire snow mountain, was pouring directly down into the canyon, hurtling towards the center of the labyrinth.

Dudududududu!!!!

A magnificent vibration, like thousands of people drumming simultaneously. The roaring thunder was so loud it made Lennok’s head feel faint, shaking even his insides.

Lennok faintly nodded, seeing the endlessly collapsing snow piles pouring down from all sides.

‘It worked much better than expected.’

The reason Lennok had secured the high ground on the snow mountain and poured sniper fire down into the canyon wasn’t solely to help other Watchers.

It was natural that the more he widened the distance and engaged in supporting fire, the further he got from the labyrinth.

If they didn’t secure a position before the labyrinth opened, their entry time would naturally be delayed compared to other competitors.

However, rashly emerging from the snow mountain and revealing themselves would make them easy targets for the enemies who had been lying in wait.

That’s why Lennok decided, from the very beginning, to descend into the canyon in a way no one else could have imagined, instead of approaching the labyrinth’s front bare-handed.

By utilizing the colossal avalanche he himself had triggered.

[The last of the 235 installed traps have been detonated. Impact transmission to all snow piles within a 2 km radius of the canyon area is complete.]

“Good.”

[The damage radius expanded by about 410% more than expected. From here on, calculating the effects of the avalanche will be difficult.]

“Don’t worry.”

Dozens of bombs purchased from Palmer’s workshop were installed on the slopes of the snow mountain and in areas where snow was heavily concentrated.

Then, Davi’s power was used to sequentially detonate them, maximizing the vibration and linking it to the amount of accumulated snow sliding down.

As a result, not only the snow mountain where Lennok and Evelyn had been staying but also the accumulated snow on other nearby mountains couldn’t withstand the impact and began to slide down.

Lennok stroked Davi’s head and then placed his hand on the carapace plate.

“Because I’m going to figure that out from now on.”

Kwoah-gwah-gwah-gwah-gwah-gwah-gwah-gwah-gwah!!!

All the snow accumulated in the canyon area began to pour down towards the Hanghasa Labyrinth.