Free Web NovelA heap of scrap roughly five hundred meters behind the defensive perimeter.
— ...Those sons of bitches.
Parco lowered his binoculars and, unusually for him, spat out a curse. Blanc, standing beside him, silently lowered her head. Her hands were trembling.
Cr-r-r-rack!
Flashes of lightning cast a thick shadow across Tarsha’s face, frozen in a snarl of fury. It looked as if she might unleash the full force of her destructive magic straight into the heart of the Luthien camp at any second. ...Naturally, she was stopped before that could happen.
— Let go, Gunt— ah, Levain?
— Calm down. Do you see that?
A blood-red mist slowly wrapped itself around the edges of the defensive base. It drifted like a living organism, occasionally shuddering through its entire mass. Nothing could be seen inside, yet the aura emanating from it was unmistakably sinister.
“...This is bad.”
Levain’s glasses glinted darkly, reflecting the ominous glow.
“A magic formation combining defensive and disorientation functions. High level. They prepared thoroughly, knowing we would come.”
The probability that external attacks would achieve anything was extremely low. Levain strained to analyze the structure of the formation while trying to calm Tarsha.
— ...If we act rashly now, we won’t save anyone at all. I’m analyzing it as fast as I can, so wait a little longer.
— Khh... Hurry up. Those bastards will start killing people again any minute.
— I know. Just don’t lose your head.
Yet Levain’s face was grim as he said it. The situation was worse than expected.
First, the enemy’s numbers exceeded projections. Around a hundred combatants. Even without factoring in the “Table Companions,” the Fourth Platoon at full strength would not easily break through that many.
“...I should have insisted on reinforcements, even if it meant going against orders.”
The moment he saw the Relic, Levain had succumbed to weakness. The power radiating from that ancient staff surpassed every relic of the ancient gods discovered so far. Luthien possessed the ability to defile and distort relics of other deities, amplifying their own authority. If that staff fell into Luthien’s hands, it would undoubtedly become yet another calamity for the Border City.
“Fortunately, the sealing barrier is buying us time... but it won’t hold forever.”
The force generated by grinding down sacrifices was relentlessly battering the barrier. Something had to be done before the protection collapsed.
...But what?
A hundred soldiers. An unidentified magic formation. And the “Table Companions.”
If even one of those factors were missing, victory might be possible. As things stood, even Levain struggled to find a solution.
— ......
His gaze, clouded with a rare sense of helplessness, drifted toward one man. It was unlike him, this weakness. But the decisions and results Gunther had shown today compelled him.
— Gunther.
— ......
— ...Gunther?
Gunther’s face was stone. Only a slow movement — raising and lowering his binoculars — broke the stillness. A moment later, he turned a serious look toward Levain.
— Sorry. I got lost in thought.
Hearing that, Levain felt pathetic. No matter how capable Gunther was, he was still a newcomer. It was unfair to rely on him for a way out of something this brutal.
— ...Sorry for distracting you. Gather your thoughts. If you have any ideas, say them.
Muttering that weakly, Levain turned away.
— Good ideas, huh...
Gunther blinked slowly and spoke in a low voice. Quiet enough that Levain shouldn’t have heard it.
— ...Actually, I have one.
Gunther raised his gaze again. Two options surfaced before his eyes.
[Would you like to read <Seal of the Blue Sea>?]
[Would you like to read <Lesser Formation of Omnivorous Devouring>?]
.
.
.
“Reading.”
A special ability granted by the One-Eyed King. Gunther had first used it when he faced the “Table Companions.”
[Would you like to read the elder of the Table Companions, ‘Okeras Servatio’?]
The moment he agreed, an overwhelming, disorienting sensation had crashed over him. As if someone else’s entire life had been ground up and poured into his skull. Shards of memory pierced his consciousness.
Naturally, not all of ‘Okeras Servatio’ had been imprinted. The infusion of information had cut off midway due to searing pain. Along with it came an unfamiliar message:
[Tip: ‘Reading’ personalities is inherently inefficient and requires enormous expenditure. This can be mitigated as proficiency increases.]
But that had been enough.
— ...I don’t understand. You... have we met before? — the enemy had asked then.
Strictly speaking, “Reading” was not a combat skill. But even partial knowledge and understanding of the enemy could become the key to turning a battle.
— There are things in life that cannot be understood, Okeras Servatio.
— ...Ha. What a brazen brat.
Under normal circumstances, that fight would not have lasted more than a few exchanges. Yet Gunther had managed to continue for nearly five minutes, pushing the opponent to seriously consider “Mutation.” Given the overwhelming gap in their stats, it was unthinkable.
“...If it works on personalities, what about other objects?”
The opportunity to test that hypothesis came sooner than expected.
Ding!
[Reading Lesser Formation of Omnivorous Devouring]
[The creator of this formation ranks below the ‘One-Eyed King.’ Reading efficiency significantly increased.]
[Proficiency increased through successful analysis.]
[Popup hint toggle function unlocked. Displaying summarized information.]
Lesser Formation of Omnivorous Devouring
Properties: Trap-type, consumptive magic formation.
Effect: Retains intruders as long as possible while gradually draining health and mana.
This is not a “Lethal Formation” designed for immediate execution. Instead, it specializes in preventing escape while accumulating physical and mental exhaustion over time. The interior manifests as a gigantic labyrinth that, upon entry, completely isolates the captive from the outside world. Intruders are afflicted with a debuff reducing directional sense and cognitive function, becoming trapped within an illusory space that transforms periodically. Life force is gradually absorbed in proportion to time spent inside.
To escape, one must locate the “Gate of Life.”
Gate structure (Total 32):
-Gate of Life: Sole exit — 1
-Gate of Death: Powerful compressive barrier that disintegrates and assimilates the intruder — 1
-Gate of Return: Returns to entrance — 30
※ Precautions ※
1. External destruction is virtually impossible. The only escape method is to pass through the Gate of Life from within.
2. Attempting to traverse the formation faster than a certain threshold or attempting structural destruction → formation reconfigures to 1 Gate of Life and 31 Gates of Death. The entire labyrinth instantly transforms into a scaffold.
“So if you move slowly, you wither and die. If you rush, you die faster.”
By the time Gunther had absorbed the information, Levain seemed to have grasped the formation’s general nature as well and began explaining it to the platoon. The longer he spoke, the darker their expressions became.
Parco muttered anxiously:
— ...Will we have enough time to break through? What if the barrier protecting the Relic collapses while we’re wandering inside?
— M-maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll make it in time?!
— You’re suggesting we gamble with our lives?
Even he, usually optimistic, shook his head this time.
— And even if we escape the formation, we still face the defending forces.
After a brief silence, he spoke as if reaching a decision.
— We should abandon this mission.
Tarsha immediately objected.
— We can’t. If that Relic falls into their hands, another catastrophe will follow. Innocent people will die again. The power gap between «Night Raven» and the Cult of Abundance will widen even more—
— And because of that, we’re all supposed to die for nothing? Is that what you want, Tarsha?
— ...Shouldn’t we at least try? After seeing this, I can’t just go back, take a shower, and lie in bed like nothing happened.
Blanc, still clutching her binoculars, cut in nervously.
— W-we have to decide quickly. T-there’s no time!
The sacrificial ritual had begun again. One by one, victims were losing their lives. The barrier weakened further.
Time was not on their side. free𝑤ebnovel.com
Levain bit his lip hard as he listened to the argument.
“If the Commander were here, what would he...”
The familiar appeal stuck between his teeth and was swallowed. No matter how many times he called the name now, no one would come.
“Now I... I have to decide.”
There were two options.
The first — as Parco suggested — retreat. Wait for the Labyrinth’s opening day, escape, regroup with reinforcements, and attempt to reclaim the Relic later. On the surface, it seemed reasonable. But it carried problems.
The Labyrinth had dozens of entrances and exits. They might lose track of Luthien. «Night Raven» was currently committing all forces to another large-scale operation; allocating reinforcements would be difficult. ...And above all, choosing this path meant standing by and watching the captives die.
“The second option is to break through by force, but...”
Levain excelled at analysis. The disparity in power that once felt vague now stood stark and clear.
Yes. If they committed everything — prepared to die — the mission might succeed. With Gunther’s [N O V E L I G H T] addition, the group’s balance had improved and overall power had risen.
...But someone would die.
The platoon would follow him willingly.
The real question was whether Levain himself was prepared to bear the responsibility.
“I...” Levain lowered his head. “In the end... I’m not fit to be a leader.”
The thought had haunted him since becoming acting commander. Yet responsibility already rested on his shoulders. With every breath, it grew heavier, colder, biting into flesh.
— Th-the victims are being dragged out! — Blanc turned to him.
It was time to choose.
— Fourth Platoon.
At that moment, a quiet but firm voice reached their ears.
Levain, struck by a strange sense of déjà vu, slowly turned.
Confident eyes looked at him from the darkness.
— I have a plan.
...Eyes that carved a path where none seemed possible. The gaze they had longed for.
— A plan where everyone lives, we take the Relic, and we leave the Labyrinth. Want to try?
***
The fanatics guarding the perimeter wore relaxed expressions. With forces sent from the metropolis at their side, they were confident no one would dare interfere with their ritual. Not even «Night Raven», who had plagued them for so long. Hadn’t they just seen them flee with their tails between their legs?
— Maybe they’ve completely given up and crawled back to their filthy nest.
— Ha-ha, with heretics’ weak willpower, that’s entirely possible.
— Agreed. They must have felt small and helpless before this radiant army of God.
At the exact moment they were indulging in their arrogance—
Fweeeeeesh!
— Huh?
They saw something they had not anticipated.
A silver streak sliced through the air at tremendous speed.
— What is that...?
The outline soon became clear. Two figures stood atop a massive flying shield.
Their trajectory — straight toward the center of the magic formation.
— It’s «Night Raven»!
— They came!
Yet instead of fear, even greater confusion spread across the fanatics’ faces.
— Only two...? Why? — someone muttered, then scoffed.
— The rest must have run. A wise choice.
— But that flying magic tool...
Perhaps they thought they were being clever. But there was no chance such pitiful tricks would breach their defense.
— ...Idiots. Did they really think they could just fly over?
The fanatics’ gazes shifted naturally toward the swirling mist of the “Lesser Formation of Omnivorous Devouring.”
U-u-u-u-um!
As if waiting for that cue, the black-red mist instantly thickened and surged upward like a tsunami.
Splash!
In a blink, it swallowed the two silhouettes on the silver shield.
They didn’t even have time to scream before being dragged into the “Illusory Space.”
The senior fanatic clicked his tongue.
— I’ll report to the “Table Companions.” Unlikely, but... if they somehow escape the formation, we need to intercept them immediately.
No one knew what they had been hoping for with such a reckless charge.
But one thing was certain.
Since they had crawled here themselves—
They had no future left.
