Chapter 376: Regret and Longing (1)

Inside The Cradle, there were jewels and valuables, but with the labyrinth collapsing, there was neither the time nor the space to retrieve all of that wealth.

He could only take portable items, specifically artifacts Jindun used right before becoming an Ascendant.

The Director might have known about these artifacts but wasn’t interested, and Maiya wasn’t even aware of them.

The artifacts sealed on the Changyoseok altar were Lennok’s.

“Hmm…”

The existence of artifacts Jaigys Ethernor Jindun used before he gained the qualification to challenge Ascension.

Artifacts with diverse abilities, collected by a high-ranking sorcerer, were themselves symbols of powerful laws, known in the world as [Spell Armaments].

If one had obtained all of an Ascendant’s Spell Armaments, it would be normal to be overjoyed, but Lennok’s expression was calm.

He already had an idea of what remained in Jindun’s storage, thanks to the memories transferred into his mind.

Hundreds of years had passed since Jindun created the Hanghasa Labyrinth, and during that time, over ten people had exchanged questions and answers with him and received artifacts.

The crystal orb he now held, which allowed him to borrow someone else’s Mind Imprint, was also part of the treasures that had existed within Jindun’s labyrinth.

Lennok knew that after such a long time, not many artifacts remained on the altar.

‘But the most valuable artifacts of all remain.’

Two artifacts lay at the quiet altar’s opposite ends.

Their appearance and the aura they emitted were remarkably different from each other.

Lennok first turned his gaze towards the left wall of the altar.

A multicolored ring slowly floated and rotated in the air. In the center of the ring, a gem with a unique pattern was embedded, resembling the shape of an eye.

Lennok, after inputting the necessary magic security code, immediately grasped the ring and placed it on his left index finger.

The name of this ring was [Feigenbaum’s Eye].

It was an artifact crafted from the eyeball of an ancient species inhabiting the imaginary dimension, allowing one to glimpse the void’s reverse side, which lies behind reality.

The moment a spell is manifested in reality, its reverse side simultaneously exists in the imaginary dimension called the void, and using this ring allows one to directly observe that process.

During his mortal days, Jindun used this ring to complement his barrier magic and to dispel opponents’ spells from completely unexpected angles.

‘But its most important function lies elsewhere.’

If one were to push the ring’s power to its limits, risking overload, it would be possible to transport the user’s body into the imaginary dimension for approximately 0.75 seconds.

Of course, the existence of real mass in an imaginary dimension is not allowed by physical laws, so the user would return to reality immediately after the 0.75-second transference, but what does that matter?

Even though it’s less than a second, the ring’s owner gains immunity to all physical forces in reality during that fleeting moment.

It goes without saying how useful and powerful such an ability would be in battles between high-level superhumans.

Of course, if all the ring’s power were used, the backlash would render the artifact unusable for a long time, but for Lennok, that was enough.

Confirming the ring on his index finger, Lennok immediately turned his gaze to the opposite side of the altar.

Rumble!!!

The rate at which The Cradle’s core was collapsing was accelerating abnormally.

If things continued like this, he would either be forcibly ejected from this space before he could properly retrieve the artifacts, or be swept away and annihilated by the spatial collapse.

Lennok didn’t hesitate and immediately snatched the long scroll floating on the opposite side.

*Slap!

A smooth and soft material, as if made of silk.

Upon its surface, too smooth to imagine writing anything on, unknown symbols and characters were densely inscribed, forming peculiar patterns.

Jaigys Ethernor Jindun had created it himself, and he carried it until just before building the Hanghasa Labyrinth, calling it [Papyrus Argenteus].

Any spell composed of magic could be written and stored within the scroll, capable of recording even ultimate 8-level spells.

It was a type of artifact that allowed recorded spells to be instantly manifested by consuming a portion of its pages, without incantation or time constraints.

An artifact that had reached the pinnacle of memorization, used by Jindun, who practiced barrier magic, to reduce the relatively long spell completion time.

Not only could it record and use ultimate 8-level spells, but it could also be used as a barrel to store magic by pouring that much magical power directly into it.

Once recorded, it possessed the compatibility to be summoned according to a summoning seal, even without further action.

However, instead of immediately leaving the altar with the scroll, Lennok focused on memorizing the unknown characters and symbols Jindun had recorded within it.

There was no doubt that the scroll itself was a very valuable and powerful artifact, but its true worth lay not in the scroll itself, but in the spells recorded within it.

A control code that acted as a ‘key,’ capable of forcibly seizing the operational authority of all artifacts that existed in Jindun’s storage.

Jindun had left that key code inside this scroll.

‘This means even an Ascendant wasn’t purely benevolent.’

Jindun didn’t simply bestow goodwill upon those who broke through the labyrinth and awakened him from his slumber.

Had he left a lingering possibility to reclaim the artifacts he had gifted at any time, and to control others through them?

Thinking about that, Lennok felt his mind calm rather than his heart swelling with gratitude for Jindun’s favor.

He didn’t know what Jaigys was thinking when he met his death at the hands of Pandemonium’s Director and handed over his remains, nor with what intentions he saw Lennok and transferred knowledge of barrier magic.

Even an Ascendant simply acted according to their own understandable reasons and logic, and met their end.

Lennok once again confirmed in this place that even transcendents who had moved beyond the mortal cycle were not noble saints or seekers who saved the world.

He couldn’t doubt Jindun’s sincerity in their final conversation and the transfer of all knowledge… but that an Ascendant was also a living human with dualities.

Trying not to forget that fact, Lennok slowly folded the Papyrus Argenteus.

‘I’ll have a lot more to do when I return to Vulcan…’

To properly use the abilities of this papyrus, wouldn’t he need to transcribe the code written on the scroll somewhere?

Not only did he need to manage his rapidly worsening mystic eye, but there were also considerable things to research, enough to grasp the clues to reaching Level 8.

But instead of focusing on reflecting on the spoils he had just gained from the labyrinth, Lennok immediately drew upon his magic and leaped from the altar.

“Hoo, hoo…!!”

Crumblegrumblegrumble!!!!

The cracks in The Cradle, continuously collapsing, were now truly breaking and falling down right behind Lennok.

“The way out… it’s that way!!”

Lennok, remembering the direction he had come from, using the Changyoseok as a reference point, instantly began to slide across the water mist beneath his feet.

*Whoosh!!

Even as he stumbled without properly balancing, the magic overflowing within Lennok steadily propelled his body forward, synchronizing with the water beneath his feet.

The Ascendant’s Cradle, collapsing along with its space.

The Conceptual Realm, having lost its master, as if crying out for the emptiness in its heart, violently shattered and erupted in thunderous roars that filled the pristine white space.

Kwaaaaaa!!!

As the space shattered, the imaginary dimension briefly revealed itself, and [Feigenbaum’s Eye] on his left hand spontaneously activated, transparently projecting its appearance.

In the midst of this, Lennok’s brow furrowed at the imaginary dimension’s scenery flooding his vision.

“Should have adjusted the artifact beforehand…!!”

After suppressing the magic flowing into the ring as much as possible, he desperately searched for a crack in the vicinity leading out of the gate.

The pristine white space inverted as if shattering, and traces of the imaginary dimension rose like waves, seemingly trying to swallow Lennok whole.

“Found it…!!”

In a perilous moment, Lennok identified a gap of pure white light leading out of the gate and, without hesitation, flung himself into it.

The moment Lennok’s body vanished into the gap of light, the last remaining vestiges of space collapsed, shattered, and utterly disappeared.

Boom…!!

A faint roar, then a moment of silence.

Thus, The Cradle, where the Ascendant had resided for hundreds of years, vanished without a trace.

The Conceptual Realm, having lost the core that sustained the labyrinth, truly began to collapse and crumble.

Rumble-rumble-rumble!!!

Drip, drip.

Drops of blood slowly descended through the air from his forehead.

Red tears, flowing down his heated skin, floated in the air for a long time before finally touching the edge of the bridge, forming a crimson puddle.

The blood fell from at least a dozen meters above.

Ballak O’Edon gazed at the sight and sighed.

“The Agent’s Divine Bow. I never imagined it would be this potent.”

“…”

“To think she could buy this much time, all by herself…”

Instead of answering, Evelyn Marcia simply lowered her head.

Between the gate and the bridge stood an immensely tall pillar.

Hanging upside down amidst the pillars erected everywhere, she silently notched another arrow onto her bowstring.

“…!”

At just that movement, those glaring at her from below flinched, and someone else awkwardly rubbed the back of their head.

The number of people who had been shot through the forehead by her rapid fire and fallen below the bridge was now approaching twenty.

Despite fleeing Ballak O’Edon’s pursuit, her miraculous skill allowed her to precisely strike the heads of those trying to approach the gate.

Her artistry in meticulously avoiding a direct confrontation with an 8-level monster while sniping those heading for the gate was more than enough to divert attention from Lennok and turn it towards her.

Or was it merely an illusion that more people were targeting her than the gate itself?

The relentless sniping that had harassed those trying to enter the labyrinth from outside, coupled with the presence of the Avalanche, who had made a noisy entrance into the labyrinth first.

The resulting focus of gazes and animosity was now growing to be on par with the objective of the labyrinth itself.

And that was precisely what Evelyn Marcia wanted: to buy Lennok time.

“Hmph, I’d rather not cross paths with Vulcan’s Agents… But with Jindun’s death confirmed, there’s no time to delay. Excuse me.”

Ballak O’Edon let out a deep sigh and extended his hand behind his back.

There were now five remaining corpses floating in the air. He gripped the neck of the leftmost corpse among them and spoke.

“These corpses are my shields and restraints, processed with special sorcery. They not only protect me from the aftermath of my abilities but also suppress some of my power for clearer thought.”

“…Even after transcending Hierarchy, you’re still relying on others’ power?”

Evelyn Marcia sneered, her face weary.

“The title of a ‘great superhuman’ must be weeping.”

“Hahahaha!! You don’t know. You don’t know how dangerous this ability makes me.”

Ballak O’Edon, who had been laughing heartily, suddenly hardened his face like a demon.

“If I let my guard down for even a moment, my psychic abilities try to take over me. It’s natural for my limbs to break while I sleep, or for my internal organs to be crushed and burst. A fleeting, powerful emotion passing by. Psychic abilities inevitably react to that.”

Tapping his temples, Ballak O’Edon’s eyes gleamed.

“This happens because it’s power that grows strong without proper training or discipline. That’s why most powerful psychics who didn’t want to be crushed by their own strength went into the mountains to cultivate themselves. They believed mental discipline was the only way to control themselves.”

“…”

“I didn’t want to live that kind of life, and I tried my best to control this power that grew stronger regardless of my will… but now I’ve given up.”

Ballak O’Edon’s eyes, hidden beneath thick flesh, gleamed eerily.

“Turning the destructive urges directed at myself towards others… I had to accept that only that could control me now.”

An uncontrollable power. When unwanted talent reaches its peak, it becomes a horrifying thing for both oneself and others.

Ballak O’Edon’s description of his own life vividly revealed the sorrow of a psychic who had struggled to control an irresistible power.

While it’s common for people to devour and trample others to rise higher in order to survive, what about a life where one must kill others to control one’s own mind?

Even recognizing it as a problem with much to consider, Evelyn Marcia regulated her breathing, trying not to think at all.

She merely sharpened a single arrowhead in her cleanly bleached mind.

The very moment Ballak O’Edon, seeing Evelyn Marcia’s attitude, was about to snap the corpse’s neck—

With a flash of brilliant light, a colossal monstrous bird shattered the Evil God Statue and let out a monstrous shriek.