Chapter 354: Hanghasa Labyrinth (4)

“Found him.”

Lennok, who had been quietly concentrating with his eyes closed, immediately stood up.

“I thought he was too relaxed for someone being chased by knights, and he did have something up his sleeve after all.”

“You found Jawoon?”

“His location shifted as if he vanished at the end of the corridor. He definitely knows about a hidden passage in the labyrinth.”

Lennok extinguished the cigarette he had been holding against the wall, his eyes gleaming.

“Once the knights give up after failing to find his trail, we’ll follow right away.”

“What about the hallucination you saw?”

“It’s not too late to confirm where Jawoon is heading. At this point, heading for a secret passage must be a trick to quickly pass the first gate. For now, let’s just follow him.”

“Well, regardless, passing the gate is the priority anyway…”

Evelyn immediately agreed to Lennok’s suggestion and began moving down the corridor.

In that fleeting moment when Jawoon was distracted by the knights, Lennok had successfully attached the magic thread he had pre-installed in the cavity to Jawoon’s back.

It was a measure intended to keep late-arriving competitors in check, but Lennok hadn’t expected to use it in this way.

‘It was worth remembering his magical pattern…’

If it were merely Lennok’s own magic attached as a trace, Jawoon, who had reached Level 7, would undoubtedly notice. By mimicking Jawoon’s magical pattern, Lennok was able to deceive Jawoon’s senses and tail him in this labyrinth where magic detection was disrupted.

Lennok and Evelyn stealthily followed the path the knights had taken, reaching the last known location where Jawoon had vanished.

Evelyn placed her hand on the wall and shook her head slightly.

“There’s no trace of dust, frictional heat, or wind. If we had passed by without knowing, we wouldn’t have noticed at all.”

“There’s hardly any magical trace left either.”

Lennok said, slowly reaching out his hand to the wall.

“But that’s enough.”

Immediately after, Lennok’s left eye rotated with a violet light, visualizing a realm of countless possibilities.

Whoosh!

Others might have simply thought it was magic scattered by Jawoon as he moved, but Lennok, knowing the truth, saw something more. Through the residual magical traces left by Jawoon, he inferred the direction and pattern of the mark drawn on the wall and imitated it. The magic rotating in Lennok’s hand rotated identically to Jawoon’s, opening the hidden passage.

Thump, thump, thump!

Evelyn’s mouth gaped slightly upon discovering stairs endlessly ascending within the wall, and Lennok’s gaze lowered.

“…”

“Let’s go.”

What was Jindun’s purpose in constructing this enormous labyrinth in the northern snowy canyon?

For what reason had he secluded himself in this vast labyrinth for hundreds of years, unmoving and ignoring those who came and went?

If it was merely to repel outsiders interfering with his Ascension, this labyrinth was excessively vast and complex, yet, conversely, not so exclusive. If Jindun’s objective hadn’t changed, then was the very existence of the Hanghasa Labyrinth a tool for challenging Ascension?

The answer was unknown.

They could only reach the end of this labyrinth and confirm all truths with their own eyes.

At their current breakthrough speed, both Lennok and Evelyn knew that moment was not far off.

“Hahh… C-Can we take a short break?”

“…”

Of course, that was assuming they weren’t factoring in Lennok’s terrible stamina.

“Hoo…!!”

Lennok, his trembling legs barely carrying him to the top of the stairs, let out a deep sigh.

“We made it…”

Even without trying to show it, a sense of proud accomplishment was evident in his voice.

Evelyn, who had followed behind, shook her head with an incredulous expression.

“I told you I’d carry you up.”

Evelyn hadn’t shed a single drop of sweat despite climbing thousands of stairs.

Her complexion was in stark contrast to Lennok, who was gasping for breath and dripping with cold sweat.

A Level 7 Archmage-level physical ability user. And Evelyn, who had already transcended her limits, carrying Lennok up the stairs at a sprint would be no trouble at all.

But Lennok, fully aware of the offer, had adamantly refused.

“We’re trailing Jawoon. It was necessary to hide our magic and traces as much as possible, and be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances.”

There was a reason he didn’t smoke his cigarette or use levitation magic. Furthermore, if Evelyn were carrying Lennok, their response to any unexpected situation would be slow. If Jawoon were to realize they were tailing him and launch a surprise attack, one of them had to be able to react immediately.

Due to various circumstances and considerations, Lennok had undertaken a considerable adventure for him: walking up those dizzying stairs in his right mind.

“Actually, wasn’t it just because you were embarrassed?”

“…”

At Evelyn’s mischievous smile, Lennok didn’t reply, subtly averting his gaze. Instead, he pointed in the direction he turned, redirecting her attention.

“Look at that. Now that we’ve come up, I roughly understand why the stairs were so long.”

“That’s…”

A narrow passage visible at the end of the stairs. It was so small that only one person could barely pass through.

Below the passage, dozens of meters down, a wide thoroughfare was revealed.

Among all the paths they had seen in this labyrinth so far, this was by far the most expansive and grand.

And at the end of the thoroughfare, there was a gigantic gate, wide enough for ten people to pass through at once.

“So, those who break through the labyrinth and gather here must pass through that gate to enter… Compared to that, this side…”

After passing the stairs and ascending, one could proceed beyond the gate through the passage. A shortcut to enter the inner part of the labyrinth without going through the gate.

Realizing its meaning, Lennok and Evelyn quickly exchanged glances.

“Where did Jawoon get this information?”

“…It’s impossible that Jindun doesn’t know about the existence of this shortcut. We can only assume he got help from an acquaintance of the Ascendant, or someone involved in designing the labyrinth.”

Lennok glanced down at the scenery below the gate and replied.

“In the worst case, he might have already received Jindun’s permission.”

“So, we have no choice but to follow him to the end and confirm it ourselves.”

“More importantly, look below.”

No sooner had Evelyn finished speaking than Lennok raised his finger.

“It seems others are starting to gather here too.”

Dozens of openings lined both sides of the thoroughfare. People began to emerge one by one from various passages.

In an instant, dozens of labyrinth entrants appeared throughout the thoroughfare, acknowledging each other’s presence, and slowly increasing their distance.

“…What is that?”

Naturally, everyone’s gaze turned towards the two statues standing on either side of the colossal gate.

Two warriors faced each other, weapons drawn.

At their feet, ten keys glowed with different lights.

Those who realized that the light of these keys was identical to the light emanating from the statues’ eyes immediately moved.

Clink!

“Is this the first gate of the labyrinth created by the continent’s best barrier master… It seems you can enter by inserting the keys into the gate.”

“Hey, put that down.”

Those who had arrived late snarled at the superhumans who had already picked up keys.

“If you want one, grab a key placed on the opposite side… Ah, they’re all taken already.”

The superhumans, who finally understood the meaning of the first gate, let out bitter laughs.

Not only did they have to fight on behalf of the two different statues, but they also had to prevent those without keys from taking them?

An obvious intention, yet an unavoidable structure.

However, among those who had entered this labyrinth, no one wanted to give up at just the first gate.

Moreover, the space in front of this gate was a vast thoroughfare, seemingly deliberately created as a battlefield.

It didn’t take long for a battle to erupt.

“The Ascendant’s legacy is ours!”

“How dare those who are unqualified…!! We’ve lived in the Northern Continent for decades!!”

Boom!

Lennok expressionlessly looked down at the entangled individuals who had instantly begun a fierce battle.

“It’s actually for the best. While they waste time here, we can go first…”

“Wait a moment.”

Just as Lennok was about to crawl into the passage, Evelyn pulled firmly on the hem of his coat.

[…!?!]

Davi, who had been sound asleep inside, was rubbed back and forth, startling the little fox awake.

As Lennok frowned at the commotion inside his coat, Evelyn pointed to the back of the thoroughfare.

“It’s the Watchers. They seem to have arrived a little late.”

“…”

As she said, some of the faces of the Watchers they had encountered at the meeting were visible. Some quickly assessed the situation and entered the battle to seize keys, while others kept their distance, eyeing an opportunity.

“Shouldn’t we help them?”

“I understand your intention, but I think it will be difficult.”

He knew Evelyn’s suggestion wasn’t simply born of pity or baseless camaraderie. Ultimately, the important thing was for any of the Eyes of Blue Watchers to break through the labyrinth and confirm Jindun’s fate. If so, it would be rational to help allied Watchers enter the labyrinth.

“It’s fortunate that we’re thoroughly hiding our magic right now, but if we support allies with sniping, our position will be immediately revealed. Then the advantage of trailing Jawoon will disappear.”

“So, if our position isn’t revealed, it’s fine to help, right?”

“What?”

Evelyn said, lightly brushing the top of her left forearm.

Twang!

The bowstring of a short bow sprang out from her suit, revealing itself. She then notched an arrow and drew the string.

Creeaaak…!!

As she slightly twisted the arrow tip drawn to her forearm and released it, the arrow, rotating counter-clockwise, arced low and pierced the chest of a warrior fighting a Watcher.

“Argh…!!”

A distinct curve, seemingly shot from a direction completely different from where Lennok and Evelyn were located.

But even more surprising was the fact that Evelyn hadn’t used a single shred of magic in the process.

She had succeeded in sniping a superhuman using only her raw strength and skill.

As Lennok subtly admired this fact, Evelyn turned back to him and grinned.

“Given what we’ve done for three days, just revealing our presence like this will be a big help to the Watchers.”

“…Alright.”

Click!

Lennok replied, pulling out a sniper rifle from his coat.

“Then let’s help out for a bit and get out.”

At that, Evelyn’s expression, conversely, turned to one of dismay.

“W-Wait. If you use something like that here…”

Lennok pulled the trigger instead of replying.

The sound of the shot was perfectly muffled by silence magic. Davi, who had been sleeping soundly but was woken by Evelyn, designated the bullet’s spatial jump point with a grumpy face simultaneously with the shot. The firing angle was twisted, piercing the enemy’s limbs from a completely different direction.

“Aargh…!!”

“It’s a sniper!”

“They’re hiding nearby…!!”

“Those damn bastards, even inside the labyrinth!!”

“Search the corridors in your vicinity, they couldn’t have gone far!!”

Unlike the other superhumans who were shouting in fury, the Watchers, who recognized Lennok and Evelyn’s presence, immediately moved. Lennok nodded, confirming that a few familiar faces had secured keys.

“That’s enough. We can’t help the other Watchers who might have encountered different gates…”

Although a considerable number of labyrinth entrants had confronted each other in the thoroughfare, these weren’t all of them. Dein of the Kavahim Knight Order, whom Lennok had faced, wasn’t here right now. Considering the size and breadth of the Hanghasa Labyrinth, they were probably facing competitors at different gates in different directions. It was impossible to help those not visible here, such as the dog-headed giant Rapperd or the curse sorcerer Lens.

They could only hope they would enter the labyrinth themselves and lend a hand.

The two stood up and passed through the narrow passage, exiting beyond the gate.

Lennok stepped through the intangible barrier, rightted himself inside, and muttered, looking up.

“The density of magic is on a completely different level than before. We’ve only just passed the gate… I can barely feel the magic thread attached to Jawoon.”

“Looks like we’ll have to meet Jawoon again, using a deal as bait.”

Evelyn said, shaking her head.

“The existence of the secret passage to get past the gate is one thing, but we absolutely have to find out how he knew about it.”

“If we close the distance somewhat, we might be able to figure out his direction. For now, we have no choice but to push forward.”

Just before they slid down a slope much steeper than the stairs they had climbed for a long time, reaching the ground.

“…Wait.”

Lennok, with a thoughtful expression, stopped Evelyn by grabbing her shoulder.

“W-What?”

Ignoring Evelyn’s slight stammer of surprise, Lennok wrapped an arm around her neck and pushed her head down. Immediately after, a dark light flashed past and fell exactly where the two had been standing, causing a massive explosion.

Boom!

“I had a hunch, and I was right.”

“I barely sensed any presence… How did you know?”

Evelyn got up from behind Lennok, who had deflected the explosion with an added shield. Unnoticed, five arrows were already nocked on the longbow that had appeared in her hand.

She fired without waiting for a reply. The five black flashes that darted from between Evelyn’s fingers now conversely sped towards the opposite side. That direction was directly opposite the gate, at a slope mirroring the one where Lennok and Evelyn had been.

Thwack, thwack, thwack!!

Amidst the rising dust from the instant destruction, Lennok replied,

“There were two statues guarding the front of the gate, right? The thoroughfare was also perfectly symmetrical around the gate. Therefore…”

“Two secret passages. We should have guessed there would be someone else hiding, entering from the opposite side in a different way.”

A leisurely voice echoed from within the rising dust.

A middle-aged man, slightly balding. And a woman swaying behind him. Are there only two of them on that side too? As Lennok quickly checked for other presences again, the man stroked his chin and grinned.

“I thought I met some excellent treasure hunters and came to greet you, but you were just lucky fools.”

“Do grave robbers nowadays replace greetings with violence?”

Lennok chuckled, rising to his feet, and asked.

“A very thief-like way of greeting.”

“Isn’t it obvious? Everyone you meet in this labyrinth is a competitor.”

The man nodded unreservedly and replied. Judging by his lack of reaction to Lennok’s provocative words, he seemed to be quite thick-skinned.

“The more excellent the opponent, the faster and more swiftly they need to be eliminated. There are many hands, but the treasures are limited, aren’t they?”

“…”

“It’s the legacy left by an Ascendant who died. It must be a treasure chest more than enough to risk a hunter’s life for.”

Evelyn, hearing those words, spoke with a slightly crestfallen expression.

“My mistake. I’m sorry, I have nothing to say.”

“…No. My thoughts were slow too. There’s no need to make an issue of it now.”

As a result, Evelyn’s suggestion had led to their hidden presence being discovered by those who used the opposite passage, but now that they were beyond the gate, it wasn’t a big problem. Moreover, the decision to help the Watchers and increase allied forces inside the labyrinth wasn’t fundamentally wrong. There was just one small problem: to resolve this smoothly, they had to permanently silence the opponents here.

And it seemed the opponents had the exact same thought.

“I’ve got a rough idea.”

Swish!

The man, pulling out a long, curved machete from his waist, laughed.

“That unique subtle presence, the soundless breathing, the light footsteps. You’re the snipers who were hiding in the snowy mountains, aren’t you?”

“…”

“I’ve lived longer than you, so I know very well…”

He nodded knowingly without waiting for Lennok’s reply.

“For everything you gain, you lose something. If both of you possess such ridiculous sniping abilities, it’s almost certainly because you’ve combined your individual skills to maximize your power.”

“Hoh.”

Lennok let out a low gasp of admiration at the man’s logical tone. It was remarkable how he could make such a perfectly wrong judgment while providing his own reasoning.

But the man, perhaps gaining even more confidence from that reaction, spoke patronizingly and smugly to Lennok.

“In other words, if you two are separated, it’ll be difficult for you to exert your full power.”

With those words, the woman standing next to the man stepped forward. She held a scythe and a hammer connected by a chain. She clearly appeared to be a physical ability user specialized in close combat, leaning towards the vanguard role.

Her long, flowing hair hung down as she precisely focused her magic on Evelyn.

“Especially you, woman. Seeing how that wizard protected you earlier, your close-combat ability must be entirely non-existent, right?”

The man, holding his machete reversed, licked the blade with his tongue and whispered,

“I don’t go easy on weaker opponents… Lucky fools are the type I hate the most. You’d best be prepared.”

“Truly remarkable insight.”

Lennok, unable to contain his admiration, nodded naturally. From behind Lennok, who was clapping, Evelyn muttered with an exasperated expression,

“…No, everything he said was wrong.”