Chapter 225

Wiping the sweat beading on my forehead while catching my breath, Verdi spoke from within the bracelet, sounding somewhat surprised.

[…You really succeeded.]

“I won’t accept any further objections.”

[Yes. I no longer have any hesitation either. I was simply unable to choose one side until the very end and wanted to leave that decision to fate.]

Verdi seemed to have completely shaken off her worries.

Sensing that the situation had somehow been resolved for now, I regulated my breathing and slowly headed towards the exit of the space.

[That girl over there was your family. She too has already finished all her choices and is waiting outside with the others for you.]

“……”

Whoosh.

Just as she said, upon exiting the space, I saw Seoa’s figure gazing at me along with the others.

Shin Noeul, noticing my exhausted expression, was the first to speak.

“Is everything over?”

“Yes. That’s right. I’ve obtained everything I wanted.”

In a word, it meant I had succeeded in perfectly clearing the labyrinth.

“Hmm. So now all that’s left is to really leave this place?”

As Sophia said.

However, there was one matter that needed to be addressed before that.

It was regarding Xiao Chen.

“……”

Perhaps sensing my meaningful gaze, Xiao Chen instantly leaped back in surprise, putting distance between us.

Then she spoke with a sarcastic tone.

“So, you’ve seen to your business, and now you’ll deal with me?”

She too had probably been considering various possibilities in her mind while cooperating.

Even if she said she would walk a different path from Luke, the resentment she held towards me hadn’t been resolved, and we couldn’t even verify if that statement was true.

With that, Xiao Chen looked at all of us with a resolute expression and intensely flared her Spiritual Power.

“You think I cooperated obediently all this time knowing nothing? I assure you, if I overload this labyrinth with this Art Formula, at least two of you…….”

“I haven’t said anything yet.”

My initial thoughts weren’t much different either.

Xiao Chen was still a dangerous individual, and I believed she needed to be dealt with before leaving this labyrinth, at the very least.

However, my thoughts had changed slightly now.

Precisely because of one piece of information Yeon Jaki had secretly hinted at last night.

[Xiao Chen is currently in conflict with the Sakoonpa, which controls modern China across both the political and Cursed Arts worlds.]

Understanding the meaning wasn’t difficult. It meant Xiao Chen’s goal was to erase that Sakoonpa from this world.

‘Come to think of it, there was such a mention.’

While dropping hints about the Night School in the early part of the original work, the content about them attacking and devastating one of the Sakoonpa’s branch offices was also conveyed to the player in passing.

While it was simply a hint about enemies to be faced in the future, in a situation like now, it was bound to become excellent information.

‘Xiao Chen’s past is entangled with the Sakoonpa. That much is certain.’

Although such details had no use in the original work because she retired early, the story was completely different now.

If her goal was the dissolution of the Sakoonpa, then that wasn’t an unrelated story for me either.

‘They’re utterly detestable bastards.’

Immediately, some of the main forces of that Sakoonpa cross over to Korea around the time this 3rd Night Parade of One Hundred Specters Crisis occurs and commit a truly heinous atrocity.

To be precise, an event that occurs in the difficulty level just before the Hell difficulty I’m currently living in—that is, the original highest difficulty.

‘The smuggling of the Specter Desire Jar.’

To minimize their own damage in the foreseen 3rd Night Parade, they break the seal of the Specter Desire Jar, a Special-Rank Cursed Tool that attracts all sorts of Specters.

Then they cross over to Korea, deliberately cause friction with the Three Great Families, and under the cover of the focused attention, manage to smuggle it into Seoul, the capital of Korea.

‘When I first played Hard Mode, I wondered how on earth I was supposed to clear this.’

Moreover, this place now is a world within Hell difficulty. It wouldn’t be surprising if they did something even worse than that.

‘I must stop them.’

If I don’t, the crisis before us will gain much greater momentum due to their actions, and something will happen that I’ll regret countless times over.

And now in my mind, several puzzle pieces were connecting, and one thought was rising to the surface.

A secret plan to properly strike the Sakoonpa from behind.

“Is your goal the annihilation of the Sakoonpa?”

“…You must have heard something from Yeon Jaki. Even if that’s the case, what does that have to do with you?”

“It’s not unrelated. The Sakoonpa are my enemies too.”

To be precise, they are scheduled to become my sworn enemies from now on.

‘If Xiao Chen’s Teleportation Art and the information I possess are combined…….’

It’s definitely possible.

To thwart their sinister goal and simultaneously completely collapse its foundation.

Xiao Chen looked at me, harboring such thoughts, with a puzzled expression.

And after a little time passed from then, we used the Witch’s Seal to leave Blind Mountain as if nothing had ever happened.

Harboring our respective purposes within, uniting them to create a new form.

“…What you said must absolutely be kept.”

“You don’t need to worry. I’m doing this because I need to as well.”

Although she said that, Xiao Chen didn’t seem to greatly doubt me.

Well, the shallow promise made inside the labyrinth was actually kept. She couldn’t help but think my words had considerable sincerity.

“Then, I’ll be off now.”

Xiao Chen left us like that. To realize her plan, she too probably had to move busily from now on.

And we who remained soon finished the necessary brief arrangements and formally declared the completion of the labyrinth conquest.

“Contact me if you need anything~”

“It was quite a unique experience. I’ll let you know about the promised content soon, right?”

“Yes. I’ll help you when an appropriate time comes.”

And so, everything came to an end.

Seoa and I, who returned to the lodging Hwang Jincheol prepared, began to talk about the stories we couldn’t share inside the labyrinth.

“Is it true you became the successor?”

“Yes. I was a little conflicted, but I accepted. Having gained various knowledge, I should now be able to use the Witch clan’s Cursed Techniques a bit more seriously.”

Of course, Seoa still had the obligation to pass through the remaining two labyrinths, but it seemed she had made considerable progress just from this conquest.

And now, I too had to convey a fact I hadn’t revealed to the other party members.

Upon hearing my story, Seoa tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

“So, you’re saying the soul of that Verdi-nim is contained in this bracelet?”

“Something like that.”

From my perspective, it would have been easier for her to explain directly to Seoa, but for some reason, Verdi hardly tried to reveal her presence before Seoa.

[That child isn’t ready yet. It’s better for her not to meet me until she passes the other two labyrinths.]

In a word, Verdi seemed to think revealing herself now could have a bad influence on Seoa, the successor.

Since that wasn’t particularly wrong, I also nodded and conveyed only a brief intention to Seoa.

“…Okay. I understand. I think that’s the right way too.”

If she herself was convinced, then there was no problem. After talking with Seoa for a while longer, I went up to the rooftop alone, deployed a sound-blocking Art Formula, and began a conversation with Verdi.

“So, how’s your condition?”

[Not bad. Honestly, I thought it was a reckless challenge, but it seems more effective than I thought.]

Verdi then summoned a semi-transparent physical body from within the bracelet, moved various parts of her body, and even poked my cheek with her finger.

“If I get a little more accustomed, it seems I’ll be able to do most things in this state. Of course, it won’t be as good as before…….”

Honestly, since it wasn’t something done for personal gain, from my perspective, even that much was a huge gain.

Even if it’s a weakened state, I had gained an Ancient Witch, a Named-level character from the series’ sequel, as an ally.

‘Moreover, she is…….’

Somehow, she also feels like family to me. I wondered if this is what it would feel like if I ever had a daughter in reality.

Perhaps an faint smile unconsciously escaped me, as Verdi looked at my expression with a puzzled reaction.

“You really are an incomprehensible person. You too.”

“That’s a relief.”

Rather, that was just right.

It was preferable for her too not to know too much about my identity.

Setting aside such thoughts, Verdi moved her hands a few more times and then went back inside the bracelet.

[The energy consumption is considerable. If I don’t diligently gather the Natural Qi flowing into the bracelet, it’ll be hard to maintain that state for long.]

In a word, it meant receiving her help had to be during decisive moments.

I nodded, leaned my arms on the railing, and blankly looked up at the stars in the night sky.

For the first time in what felt like ages since falling into this world, reminiscing about past events one by one.

The tasks laid before me after completing the labyrinth conquest could be largely divided into two.

First, responding to the imminent 3rd Night Parade of One Hundred Specters.

Second, defeating Luke Pensalot and his comrades, who are the most immediate threat to me right now.

‘Neither can be realized without sufficient power.’

And thankfully, I was able to achieve sufficient results through this Eternal Labyrinth conquest.

While Verdi’s joining was one thing, I had finally achieved the Level I originally aimed for.

【Han Kangyoon】

▶Level 55

▶Stats

【Stamina : B】

【Spiritual Power : B】

【Art Formula : B-】

【Mental Strength : A-】

▶Traits(10/10)

【Phantom Body(S)】

【Witch’s Resonance(A+)】

【Dragon Body(A+)】

【Soul Combustion(A)】

【Challenger(B+)】

【Intracranial Spell Repository(B)】

【Life Returner(B-)】

【Emergency Evasion(B-)】

【Hawk’s Eye(C+)】

【Strong Body(C-)】

It’s remarkable when I think about it anew, especially compared to when I first fell into the Academy dormitory.

‘It doesn’t feel like that much time has passed, though.’

Even by stats alone, it’s a level that surpasses most 1st-Rank Exorcists, and with my abilities added, I no longer fall short against Special-Rank Entry Exorcists either.

And with this, I have definitely met the challenge conditions for the trial of Cheonghongyeong.

‘…All preparations are complete.’

Now, it was time to dive more seriously into the obstacles before me.