Chapter 366: End of the Labyrinth (5)

As Lennok saw it, the words the Doctor had spoken flashed through his mind.

Hadn’t he said that suicide and homicide held completely different meanings under the principle of Geas?

If so, Maiya’s action wasn’t merely a betrayal of her partner, but…!!

“Get clear!!”

Lennok shouted, drawing forth his mana, but it was already too late.

As the Doctor’s life was extinguished, a radiant light burst forth, chasing after Lennok and Evelyn at an incredible speed.

Fwoosh!

Immediately after, a similar light began to emanate from Lennok’s vicinity, swiftly pulling them towards each other.

A tremendous gravitational force, as if grabbing and pulling on their coats. In that moment, Lennok’s expression hardened as his spatial perception revealed the nature of the light’s power.

“Spatial designation transfer… Don’t tell me this was their aim from the start…!!”

[It’s not… a power… that can be used… anytime….]

A faint, leisurely voice drifted out as the Doctor’s life ended.

[A forbidden art… akin to human sacrifice… To use that power… a trigger… must be satisfied….]

The Doctor’s secret, unknown to Lennok but known to Maiya, who had acted with him.

An artificial life form created by forcibly combining dozens of living humans. A forbidden spatial designation transfer technique activated by instantly piercing and killing its heart.

This forbidden technique, fundamentally premised on human sacrifice, somewhat paralleled the large-scale spatial transfer technique used by the cult, which also demanded human lives as a price.

Realizing the similarity in an instant, Lennok recalled his conversation with the Doctor and clicked his tongue in dismay.

The Doctor’s seemingly meaningless series of questions to Lennok. Had it all been a ploy from the beginning to satisfy the conditions by spending time in the same space?

Just as Lennok had discerned the Doctor’s affiliation and objective, his opponent had likewise hidden a decisive reversal within their conversation, like a blade.

As the light covered the distance Lennok and Evelyn had traversed in an instant, the Doctor’s final message echoed.

[Next time we meet… I’ll tell you more about how to use humans as ingredients… If there is a next time, that is… Hahahaha!!]

“……”

Lennok stared at the light seeping from his chest, then turned his head toward Evelyn.

“Remember what I said before?”

“Van…!!”

“It’s a technique activated at the cost of human sacrifice. To forcibly break it, one would have to pay a considerable price.”

Lennok gave a bitter laugh and shifted his body slightly, speaking.

“If their intention was to kill me, I would have to resist unconditionally… but if it’s just Maiya appearing here, I can endure it.”

Saying that, Lennok prepared to throw himself towards the approaching radiance.

“I’ll create as much distance as possible from here, so don’t worry.”

In all likelihood, the one whose position would be swapped with Lennok’s was Maiya herself, who had killed the Doctor.

He couldn’t allow her to jump thousands of meters and stand at the same starting line as Evelyn for the final race towards the gate.

To prevent that, Lennok intended to leap from the carapace spear immediately and put as much distance as possible between himself and Evelyn.

He hoped she remembered the conversation they had on the bike.

Just as Lennok was about to leap down without hesitation.

Thump.

Evelyn grabbed his shoulder and spun him backward.

At her unexpected reaction, Lennok barely clung to the spear, and with that recoil, Evelyn leaped from the tip of the spear.

Lennok looked down at Evelyn’s receding form, his expression contorting.

“Evelyn…!!”

“You wanted to meet Jindun, didn’t you?”

Evelyn, falling backward with her back to the ground, offered an awkward smile.

“Well, you know… the vegetable bundle was delicious. Consider this my thanks.”

“……!!!!”

Evelyn winked at Lennok, who rarely showed such a flustered expression. Her body, instead of Lennok’s, was struck by the light.

Instantly, she swapped places with Maiya, who had been lagging thousands of meters behind.

Lennok stared blankly at the empty space where she had vanished, then clenched his fists until they ached.

Evelyn had decided from the start that if a moment came where one of them had to choose, she would send Lennok forward.

She had merely used the trivial excuse of