Chapter 353: Hanghasa Labyrinth (3)

Instead of minding Jawoon’s reaction, Lennok fell into thought.

‘What should I do…?’

He knew that Jawoon had rapidly elevated his own achievements by obtaining some unknown stroke of luck.

Considering the rumors Lapis had told him, he probably allowed a spirit or consciousness, whose accomplishments far exceeded his own, to partially inhabit his body, thus breaking through his limits by unconventional means.

Although he had already confirmed it in the previous battle, it was clear that he had gained considerable power in the process.

Regardless of Jawoon’s knowledge or abilities, if he kept a close eye on him, wouldn’t he be able to find out which collaborator Jawoon had surrendered his body to?

However, even as Lennok felt a surge of curiosity about Jawoon’s secret, he ultimately made up his mind to refuse.

‘Evelyn is here. There’s no need to seek additional benefits by incurring animosity.’

If he were alone, he wouldn’t mind playing mind games, gauging when this madman might betray him, but Evelyn was different.

Although she left the decision to Lennok, given Evelyn’s disposition, she wouldn’t be pleased with forming an alliance with a wanted person like Jawoon.

He didn’t think the situation was so urgent that he needed to disregard her preferences and ally with Jawoon.

For now, it wasn’t too late to reconsider after breaking through the labyrinth and encountering a wall that the two of them couldn’t overcome.

Just as Lennok thought that and was about to answer to refuse Jawoon’s offer.

A fierce wave of magic erupted from the corridor Jawoon had passed through, sweeping everything away.

Kwaaaah!!!

The torrent of magic, swirling around the cavern, instantly surged towards the three people.

Such pressure that an average magic user would instantly be crushed and burst apart.

The intense aura was more than enough to indicate that the owner of this magic was a formidable master.

Amidst the surging torrent, Jawoon subtly frowned.

“Damn it… he’s a persistent bastard. I thought he’d give up by now, but he was still chasing?”

“If it’s someone following you, I’ll hear the answer later.”

Lennok quickly processed the information and replied.

Jawoon’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Ho, so you’re testing the waters, huh?”

“If you’re not planning to fight here, you should also be running from the owner of that magic approaching now, shouldn’t you?”

Lennok chuckled.

“You didn’t mention that you’d made enemies inside the labyrinth yourself. So, we’re allowed to think a bit more about your offer, aren’t we?”

“…”

Jawoon narrowed his eyes at that, staring at Lennok.

“You’re far more cunning than I thought. Where did you come from and what have you been doing?”

“Do you have time for such questions right now?”

Even at this moment, the furious surge of magic was rapidly approaching from beyond the fork in the path.

If Lennok and Evelyn were to join forces with that side and try to kill Jawoon, the situation would become much more complicated than it already was.

Staring at Lennok with a displeased expression, Jawoon reluctantly nodded.

“Alright. Then let’s talk again later.”

Jawoon, standing before another fork without hesitation, flicked a gem he held in his hand.

As the gem emitted a dazzling flash as if burning, his figure vanished from the spot.

And as if on cue, immediately after Jawoon disappeared, someone burst out from where he had been.

Thump!!

“Damn it, did I lose him!!”

“…”

“This was my chance to finally catch and kill that monster…!”

A man, striking the ground with a look of agony.

His entire body adorned in dazzling silver armor, he was unmistakably a knight.

Following him, dozens of other knights appeared in succession. Lennok belatedly realized who they were.

They were the ones who had remained outside the canyon, merely observing the chaotic situation for three days near the labyrinth, without getting involved in the melee.

Each of them was a considerable master, and their organization seemed formidable, which was why Lennok and Evelyn had simply watched. He never imagined they were chasing Jawoon.

The man quickly composed himself, stood up, and approached Lennok and Evelyn.

“My apologies for the disturbance. I’ve caused you trouble.”

The man, who readily extended a handshake to the two, introduced himself.

“I am Dein of Kavahim. I came to the labyrinth to prevent scoundrels like Jawoon from obtaining the Ascendant’s relic.”

Kavahim. Lennok had heard that name before.

A city-state located in the northwestern part of the continent. It had a long history, even having periods as a monarchy, he recalled.

The existence of a knight order as a military force within a city-state must also be due to its history as a kingdom.

There were rumors that it was an area that produced outstanding warriors on a large scale, and true to those words, the level of the knight order was remarkably high.

Every single one of them was skilled enough to control their own magic, and Dein, who led them, seemed to be looking beyond the realm of an Archmage.

The magic he had unleashed earlier to restrain Jawoon was not something even Lennok could dismiss.

His youthful appearance, unbefitting his skill, was also proof that his inherent realm had reached the pinnacle of Self-transformation.

Evelyn, too, seemed to sense an extraordinary latent power from Dein’s magic, as she observed his features with a sharp gaze.

Dein received their gazes indifferently and spoke.

“I know what you two did before entering the labyrinth.”

“…”

“To collapse a snowy mountain and cause an avalanche. Your idea and decision were incredibly daring, but what’s most surprising is your versatility in making it succeed.”

Lennok realized that Dein’s gloved hand was naturally resting on his sword hilt and subtly stepped back.

He had fought countless superhumans and numerous formidable individuals, but this was the first time he had faced a swordsman of this caliber.

How fast and sharp would the first strike of a knight be, who had concentrated all his achievements into a single sword?

However, despite Lennok’s wary reaction, Dein turned his back with a faint smile.

“Thanks to you, we also entered the labyrinth smoothly, so I’ll let it pass this time. But don’t be too greedy.”

“What do you mean?”

“If Jindun truly failed his Ascension and left his legacy in this world, it rightfully belongs to one who is worthy.”

Dein, with his back turned, subtly raised his head and looked back at them.

His eyes, shrouded in darkness, scattered a chilling white frost.

“I hope the Eyes of Blue also make a wise choice.”

“…”

Following Dein, the other knights also cast silent, heavy glances and disappeared towards another fork in the path.

The knight order precisely chose the fork where Jawoon had vanished and disappeared. Only after confirming their disappearance did Evelyn let out a small sigh.

“Haa… It’s not going to be easy.”

“He’s a belligerent man. It’ll be hard to avoid a fight next time we meet.”

Dein’s retreat without drawing his sword just now wasn’t because he had received help entering the labyrinth.

It was because he judged that expending power against the two of them here, while still wandering the outermost fringes of the labyrinth, would be meaningless.

It was confidence only possible for someone with immense conviction in their own strength.

“It’s clear he has a grudge against Jawoon Audis, at least. We should make sure we can exploit that relationship appropriately.”

“It’s not much further to the first gate, is it? Can you do it?”

Based on cross-referenced journals of dead explorers in the outer labyrinth, the distance from here to the gate wasn’t far.

But Lennok grinned and raised a finger.

“Of course. I couldn’t say it until now… but I managed to attach tails to both Jawoon and Dein.”

“…What?”

“Their willingness to engage in conversation made it easier to act. Especially Jawoon, he seemed to know a lot about the labyrinth, so if we use him well, we might even uncover his secrets.”

He thought it was strange that he let Jawoon go so easily, but he was planning to tail him and extract his secrets from the beginning?

Lennok’s idea of trying to tail two Archmage-level 7-tier ability users was absurd, but what was even more surprising was Lennok’s magical manipulation ability that actually pulled it off.

“Boasting a superior information advantage in front of me… I’ll drain your marrow dry.”

Evelyn looked up at Lennok’s leering smile with a bewildered expression.

[Didn’t I tell you not to do anything reckless?]

“What are you talking about? My calculations were perfect.”

Jawoon retorted, running swiftly through the dark labyrinth corridor.

Even clad in a thick robe and countless pieces of equipment for combat and exploration, his breathing remained completely steady.

A formidable sorcerer who had acquired the powerful gem spell-casting technique, yet also possessing the body of an excellent warrior, a talent that allowed both to coexist.

It was precisely because he knew Jawoon was an excellent vessel, capable of acquiring two easily irreconcilable powers, that the voice lent him strength when Jawoon couldn’t break through his own limits.

[Those two just now. If you had fought, there’s a high chance you would have lost. You didn’t make a deal with me just to die in a labyrinth like this, did you?]

“…I knew Divine Bow’s skill, but that wizard bastard’s skill is that good?”

[This is why I told you not to stop gathering information about the Eyes of Blue… Didn’t you feel anything even after testing their movements just now?]

The voice echoing near Jawoon’s heart sighed.

Jawoon frowned deeply.

“Hey, do you know how hard I’ve been running around until now? To fulfill your end of the deal, I went into the heart of Kavahim and those damn knights have been chasing me ever since. I don’t have time to worry about things on the other side of the continent.”

Even now, he could intensely feel the sharp magic trailing him from the dark corridor behind.

But neither Jawoon nor the voice paid any mind to Dein’s intense magic, even as it was clearly perceivable.

[Let’s continue what we were discussing.]

Instead, the voice simply shifted its attention back to the original topic.

[He’s a fire/heat wizard who appeared in the autonomous region two years ago and single-handedly subjugated the drug lord of Pandemonium. His past actions are unknown, but he’s incredibly skilled, so much so that the Lighthouse Keeper himself put in a lot of effort to recruit him.]

“…”

[Considering the extensibility of fire/heat magic, he’s the worst opponent to fight in a labyrinth like this. I know your choice of words is often harsh, but as long as there’s room for a deal, try not to incur animosity.]

“Hmm…”

[Shouldn’t you know the continental trends better than me, who just woke up in this era?]

A piece of advice laced with faint sarcasm. If it had been anyone else, Jawoon would have crushed their head without a second thought and turned them into pulp.

But even though he was openly mocked, Jawoon merely furrowed his brow and didn’t retort.

What would be the point of self-harm? The opponent was a monster who felt no physical pain anyway.

Instead, Jawoon listened to what the voice said and shifted his thoughts in a different direction.

“If that annoying wizard is so useful, I’ll have to figure out a way to use him in this labyrinth.”

[I told you he wouldn’t be an easy opponent, didn’t I?]

“I don’t necessarily have to make the plan. Anyway, to pass through the gates of this labyrinth, they’ll eventually have to move too. If I seize that opportunity well, I can gain a collateral benefit.”

[Hmph… I worry a lot. How long do you plan to show off with the knowledge I’ve given you?]

The voice spoke as if chastising a child. Jawoon felt irritated but suppressed his emotions with effort.

The house-sized gem he had acquired while exploring an ancient ruin in the northwest.

He had never imagined, even when the lingering spirit trapped within the gray radiance spoke to him, that it would become such a useful collaborator.

In the process, he had surrendered a part of his body and exchanged restrictions and deals, but he wouldn’t have reached this point without the voice’s advice and knowledge.

He remembered the last incident in the mega-city. Even the face of the wizard called Van.

That sight of him effortlessly breaking through a realm he couldn’t reach.

Wasn’t it because he felt fear, rather than jealousy and inferiority, at that sight, that he was driven away from the mega-city and pushed to this point?

But now, it was different. Now that he had completed the Hierarchy of gem spell-casting technique and was looking beyond that realm.

And after acquiring the Ascendant’s relic and advancing to a completely different realm.

“After this is over, I’ll have to visit Vulcan again.”

[You can worry about that after successfully escaping this labyrinth.]

Jawoon chuckled at the voice’s words.

“Don’t worry. Can’t you see the situation? We’re almost there.”

Jawoon stopped in the middle of a dim section of the corridor and glanced back into the darkness of the path he had come from.

Even now, he could vividly feel Dein chasing him at an incredibly fast pace from behind, but it didn’t matter.

Now that he had safely arrived here, any pursuit would be meaningless.

Woong!!

He placed his hand on the fifth brick on the lower part of the outer wall of the corridor and rotated his magic. Three times to the right, once to the left.

Finally, when he imbued the pre-memorized spell-word, the corridor wall flipped over, completely transforming the spot where Jawoon stood.

Thunk!!

Jawoon, who instantly entered the wall, raised his head and looked up at the immensely tall staircase before him.

“The information you’ve given me has never been wrong, not once. We have an overwhelming information advantage in this labyrinth.”

The voice didn’t explicitly state what era it was from, but it was clear that its history spanned well over several hundred years.

Otherwise, there’s no way it would know Jindun’s Hanghasa Labyrinth, built hundreds of years ago, so thoroughly.

No, perhaps it wasn’t just well-informed about the labyrinth, but might have even known Jindun directly.

Even as Jawoon vaguely considered this, he refrained from asking the voice directly.

He roughly guessed that the voice itself had to be willing to tell him.

“Don’t worry. I will definitely be the first to obtain the Ascendant’s relic in this labyrinth.”

Jawoon’s figure, leaving the confused knights outside the corridor behind, swiftly moved further up the stairs.

In the swirling labyrinth, carrying different thoughts and purposes.

But no one noticed a faint strand of magic glinting between the folds of Jawoon’s clothes.