Chapter 77
Beyond the long corridor of the labyrinth, eerie voices echoed.
“Krurururung…….”
“Lightlightlightlightlight……!”
“Kkueeeeeek!”
As they drew closer, faint tremors began to ripple through the labyrinth’s passageway.
Before long, the ominous presence of Monsters surged forward like a tidal wave.
Joo Sarang must have sensed it too, as a sharp curse escaped her lips.
“Why the hell did we come this deep in?”
“Why did you follow me then?”
“Because I wanted to see it.”
Suppressing a sigh, I used the 【Dark Relic】 to form a long spear in my hand.
My preferred weapon was a sword, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t wield others.
Thanks to the A-rank skill 【Weapon Mastery】, I could handle almost any weapon at a master’s level.
Besides, in a narrow hallway like this, a spear was far more useful than a sword.
When I activated the 【Power of Mighty Strength】, an immense force coursed through my entire body.
A breath of exhilaration escaped me.
I leveled my spear toward the oncoming wave of Monsters.
If I allowed them to approach even once, I’d be swept away by that tidal wave.
The moment I tensed my body, cracks spread across the floor from the pressure of the activated 【Power of Mighty Strength】.
I kicked off the ground and hurled my spear.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion that tore through the air, a massive hole opened in the midst of the Monsters flooding the corridor.
Joo Sarang’s eyes widened in shock.
Without pause, I kept generating and throwing spears toward the horde.
Each time I did, thunderous explosions rang out, and the Monsters that filled the labyrinth’s passage were blown apart.
“I don’t get it. If you can deal with them this easily, what’s the fuss about?”
“…….”
That part hadn’t been in my calculations.
This dungeon’s level was similar to that of The Nameless One’s Mansion.
The issue was that the gap between my past and present strength was enormous.
I had completely forgotten.
I had grown.
And since my growth, this was the first time I had transformed into the Devil Knight form and fought at full power.
That was why I couldn’t properly gauge my own strength.
Now, I could combine two powers simultaneously, and both my overall stats and mana reserves had risen significantly.
“But there really are a lot of them.”
Joo Sarang looked at the Monsters with an expression of exhaustion.
Indeed, their numbers were overwhelming.
Even as we kept slaughtering them, it didn’t seem like their numbers were decreasing at all.
If I wanted to wipe them all out at once, using the 【Flames of Gehenna】 would be best—but that would attract every creature lurking in the deeper levels.
At that moment, an idea came to me.
During the battle with the Guardian, I had managed to combine two powers to create an entirely new one.
Should I try another combination?
The power 【Levatein】 had been born from the fusion of the 【Dark Relic】 and the 【Flames of Gehenna】.
Then what would happen if I combined the 【Power of Mighty Strength】 with the 【Dark Relic】?
I shouted to Joo Sarang.
“I’ll wipe them out in one go. Hold them off for a bit!”
“What? All of a sudden?”
Clicking her tongue, Joo Sarang placed her hand on the ground. The floor rippled like liquid, and countless Monsters sank beneath it.
A matter-manipulation ability, huh.
Now that I had some breathing room, I immediately began combining the powers.
The mana filling my body started melting away at once.
The fusion of two powers—each belonging to a different master.
A miracle that would’ve been impossible in-game.
This must’ve been possible only because my body served as the vessel for the Final Boss.
Having done it once before, performing the fusion again wasn’t too difficult.
【Power fusion successful.】
【A new, unprecedented power has been created.】
【Power ‘Spear of the Giant’ has been generated.】
【Corruption rate increased by 1%.】
Corruption rate, huh.
I hadn’t seen that message before—it caught my eye for a moment—but the result itself was clear.
The spear created through the 【Dark Relic】 had changed shape.
The Spear of the Giant looked more like a massive stake than a proper spear, as if a boulder had been crudely carved into its form.
Joo Sarang, still holding back the Monsters, let out a strained voice.
“How long do I have to hold them?!”
“It’s done—get back!”
Gripping the Spear of the Giant, I took a throwing stance.
Its sheer size made it unbelievably heavy; without the 【Power of Mighty Strength】, I wouldn’t have even been able to lift it.
Thunk!
As I raised it, the ground cracked under the weight.
The moment Joo Sarang received my signal and retreated—
Like a dam bursting, the Monsters surged forward again.
“Don’t stand there! Get behind me!”
Once I confirmed she was behind me, I hurled the Spear of the Giant.
Ku-gwagwagwagwang!
A thunderous roar erupted—far beyond anything from before.
The colossal spear pierced through the horde, dragging every Monster in its path as a violent gust exploded outward.
Chunks of pulverized flesh scattered in every direction.
But the Spear of the Giant’s power didn’t end there.
It began to grow—like the mythic Ruyi Jingu Bang—expanding rapidly until it filled the entire labyrinth corridor.
Devouring the Monsters’ life force, air pressure, and mana, it grew infinitely in size.
That was the true ability of the Spear of the Giant.
Ku-gu-gu-gu.
The entire labyrinth trembled under the immense shockwaves.
Eventually, the spear completely sealed the passage, bringing its advance to an end.
It wasn’t just a massive wall of defense.
Using my aura sense, I could feel that one side of the corridor had been completely cleared.
Sensing this, Joo Sarang let out a short remark.
“Wow, shi—.”
When I released the power, the Spear of the Giant that had filled the labyrinth corridor gradually shrank, then crumbled into ordinary stone.
The scene left behind where the spear vanished was devastating.
Even through the darkness, I could sense the remains of Monsters that had died gruesomely.
I sat down for a moment to catch my breath.
Joo Sarang, exhausted from fending off the beasts, sat down beside me as well.
Thud.
She rested her head on my shoulder.
That armor must have been uncomfortable against her head.
“Ugh, such a mood killer. Can’t you take that armor off?”
I knew she’d say that.
“What if more Monsters show up?”
“Look ahead. Do you see any?”
“You can’t even see in this darkness.”
We stopped talking after that, quietly enjoying a brief moment of rest together.
Joo Sarang glanced at Seongwoo, who sat beside her.
The darkness hid his face, but the faint sound of his breathing and the warmth radiating from him made it clear he was really there.
Neither of them spoke.
But the silence wasn’t awkward—
at least, Joo Sarang didn’t think so.
How many years had she longed for and resented him after they were separated ten years ago?
Now, she finally understood.
He hadn’t forgotten or abandoned her and their comrades—
he simply couldn’t do otherwise.
“Do you know how long it’s been since we were together like this?”
“…….”
“It’s been ten years. You disappeared when we were seven.”
When Seongwoo still didn’t answer, she puffed her cheeks and began fidgeting with her piercing.
A nervous habit of hers.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Because you don’t understand what’s going on right now.”
The dark tone of Seongwoo’s voice made her brow twitch.
His attitude toward her felt colder than how he treated Park Siwoo or Helena back at the Academy—and that bothered her.
Unbeknownst to Seongwoo, Joo Sarang had spent quite a bit of time following him and secretly observing his actions since they’d met again at the Academy.
So she knew well how he treated his friends.
He was always relaxed, playful, and mischievous—
just like the boy she remembered from the past.
But with her, he stayed distant and cold.
Why was he so cold only to her?
Was it because she had infiltrated the Student Council as Pandemonium’s agent—
specifically, as one of Berid’s subordinates?
She already knew the two of them had a bad history.
But that hadn’t been her decision to make.
A high-ranking executive from Pandemonium—her superior—had personally assigned her to him.
And yet, to treat her curtly over something like that?
‘Isn’t that being a bit too petty?’
Unaware of Seongwoo’s true feelings, Joo Sarang’s tone sharpened.
“If you think I don’t understand, then explain it to me. Don’t just keep it to yourself and brood. We used to talk about everything and solve our problems together.”
Seongwoo held back a sigh that was about to escape.
Countless sharp words circled in his mind, but he didn’t let any of them out.
It frustrated him that he couldn’t control his emotions whenever something involved her.
Because of that, he couldn’t bring himself to feel any affection for her.
The constant reminiscing about their past, the pitiful look in her eyes—it all irritated him.
He was only putting up with her because she was still useful to his plans.
“It looks like we’ve both recovered our stamina. Let’s get moving.”
“Why won’t you ever answer my questions?”
“You’ll find out soon enough, whether you want to or not.”
Seongwoo deliberately replied in a stiff tone and stood up.
In truth, his reaction stemmed from his trauma.
To escape this place, one of them had to die.
And he had already experienced killing someone—for the sake of survival, for his plans.
‘Damn it.’
Even if time passed and the person he killed had forgiven him, the weight and scar in his heart hadn’t disappeared.
And from what he’d heard of Joo Sarang’s past, she had gone through something similar.
He didn’t want to dig up old wounds and make things more complicated between them.
In the end, the two said nothing more and kept walking deeper into the labyrinth.
The deeper they went, the stronger the Monsters became, but to Seongwoo, it wasn’t a serious problem.
Unlike before, they no longer swarmed in hordes, so their progress through the dungeon was much faster.
Before long, the two began nearing the end of the labyrinth.
The faint cries of Monsters and the unpleasant sounds of flesh tearing—once intermittent—now surrounded them constantly, like the dungeon’s background music.
Finally, when they reached the corridor’s end, they were met with a massive pit.
At the same time, enormous Monster presences exploded in every direction, filling his sensory field.
This was the source of all those cries and revolting noises echoing through the depths.
The color drained from Joo Sarang’s face as she saw it.
Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor.
“Ugh… no… stop it…!”
That place was truly hell itself.
Countless Monsters were endlessly fighting within the pit, devouring each other.
Some tore off others’ tails and ate them, only to have their own legs bitten off in turn.
Others, left with only half their bodies, still moved their mouths as if trying to eat.
Then, their eyes—and antennae—turned toward the two.
And it was as if they were asking:
‘You’re the same… aren’t you?’
The question sent a shiver through both their hearts.