* * *
“This time, the selection match will be different from the previous ones where guilds competed against each other in combat. Two guilds can now form an alliance. Other than that, there are no specific rules.”
“Allowing alliances between two guilds?”
“Yes. But that doesn’t mean both guilds will qualify. Only the most outstanding guild will be selected. The criteria are simple: bring back the orb sealing the soul of the divine beast, Belges.”
The other guild members began murmuring, except for me, who already knew the story’s progression.
In the end, it meant we’d have to abandon the comrades we fought alongside in the labyrinth.
Naturally, all eyes turned toward the Flare Guild.
I also inadvertently turned my head and shuddered when I saw a familiar face for the first time in a while.
‘What the…? Something seems different about him.’
Carlisle, who had been conversing with Luke, turned to look at me.
Even though our eyes met for only a moment, I could tell—Carlisle’s demeanor had changed.
If he had previously felt like a charismatic yet playful monarch, now he exuded the chilling presence of a ruthless tyrant.
Carlisle, who had been staring at me with a hardened expression, turned away again.
Jerome muttered something cryptic.
“It seems he’s finally made up his mind.”
“What decision?”
“It’s nothing you need to know, baby.”
I frowned deeply at Jerome’s ominous words.
Letting out a sigh, I glanced at Luke and Carlisle preparing their weapons.
A twinge of guilt pricked my conscience, feeling like I was stealing the protagonists’ victory, but I had my reasons for not backing down.
If we failed this selection match, I wouldn’t be able to meet the third divine beast.
Without that, retrieving the Stone would be impossible.
And then…
‘I wouldn’t be able to perform a miracle to save Jerome.’
Clenching my fists tightly, I steadied my wavering resolve.
The guild members here were all top students, even earning praise as elites at the academy.
Jeanne, who hadn’t been born with magical talent, defeating them with spells was nearly impossible.
But that didn’t mean there wasn’t a way.
‘In the original story, Luke failed to solve the three riddles and ultimately couldn’t purify the divine beast, leading to a major setback. That’s when so many readers quit.’
With a rumbling sound, the labyrinth’s door opened, and the determined guild members began stepping into the pitch-black darkness one by one.
Jerome nodded toward me.
“Let’s go, honey.”
A chilly breeze tousled my hair. Adjusting my bow, I followed Jerome’s lead.
‘But I’m different. I know all the answers to the three riddles. I just need to use them.’
✽ ✽ ✽
Kiiiieeek!
When the grotesque wraith attacking them let out a monstrous scream and collapsed, the black walls surrounding Luke and Carlisle crumbled.
Luke, bloodied and staggering forward, suddenly stopped.
The orb, stained black—it was undoubtedly Belges’s soul that Luke and Carlisle had been searching for.
[Foolish humans. You care not to understand true worth, only obsessing over proving your strength.]
Carlisle, who stepped in front of Luke with a sigh, knew it was too late.
The orb had been so corrupted that purification magic was no longer an option.
A sharp voice echoed throughout the labyrinth.
[You merely defeated me with brute force, without solving my riddle. Thus, the treasures I have hidden shall not be yours, cruel humans. You will live cursed forever.]
“Damn it, Luke!”
Carlisle shouted urgently as the black energy inside the orb began swirling dangerously.
Realizing something was wrong, Luke quickly drew his bow.
As the arrow struck the center of the orb, it shattered, and the black energy began to dissipate.
A mournful voice echoed, as if yearning for someone.
[Ah… Maya… If only I could see her one last time before fading away…]
The shattered fragments of the orb rolled on the ground, proof of Belges’s soul vanishing.
Though they had prevented a greater disaster, Luke couldn’t shake the guilt of having destroyed yet another innocent divine beast.
‘I’m becoming more like the Sacrean, the very people I despised.’
He had hated the Sacrean for looting resources and killing his parents. Yet now, he too was sacrificing something for a greater purpose. A bitter smile crept onto Luke’s lips.
‘No… there’s no time for regrets. I have to do this… for the Aileenian children…’
Luke, trying to steel himself, suddenly stopped at the sight ahead. E
ven Carlisle froze, his face betraying disbelief at the gruesome scene before them.
Luke muttered in despair.
“No, this can’t be. Something’s wrong. Something must be wrong!”
The “Southern Sea Labyrinth” episode was the only time Luke’s mental state completely crumbled.
While the trial was necessary for his growth, this episode, where the ever-reliable Luke had been dealt a bitter blow, had earned widespread criticism from readers.
It reminded me of the barrage of angry comments I’d received for this “unsatisfying” storyline.
‘And I vowed never to pull such a ridiculous stunt again, trying to grow the protagonist at the readers’ expense.’
Reflecting on that early blunder, I was lost in regret as the guild members pointed toward something in the distance.
“Hey, what’s that?”
“What is it?”
Beyond the seemingly endless dark corridor, a vast library-like space appeared.
A mysterious figure cloaked in black hovered in the air, letting out a sinister laugh.
[I am the first riddle of Belges. You foolish and vile creatures must answer this: What am I?]
Books from the shelves floated into the air, flapping like insects before descending upon the guild members.
Realizing the fight had begun, Jerome unsheathed his sword.
[I am not solid but hold together as one. I am not liquid but can flow downward. I can become anything but cannot be anything itself. What am I?]
The guild members’ faces turned pale at the riddle, unable to make sense of it.
As the figure’s menacing laughter filled the air, Jerome smirked darkly.
“We’ll find out what it is once we attack it.”
“No, we can’t attack it in this riddle.”
“Huh?”
Jerome gave me a puzzled look as I shook my head.
Other guild members, thinking like Jerome, charged at the mysterious figure.
Before I realized it, I shouted.
“Don’t go! You idiot!”
It hit me then—this entity was the same bastard who once mocked me as a disaster.
But watching someone rush toward their death wasn’t something I could ignore.
The man recklessly hurled attacks, only for the figure to spew green mucus at him with a splatter.
“What the… What is this sticky stuff?!”
The man frantically wiped it off, but his panicked cries soon turned into screams.
My eyes didn’t deceive me—the green mucus was dissolving his body, reducing him to a crimson puddle.
The guild members froze in horror.
“His body… it melted away completely?”
“There’s no way we can take down something like that. How are we supposed to figure out what it even is?”
The once-confident faces of the honor students were now filled with despair.
The unknown entity was shrouded in a black cloth, leaving no visible clues.
They glanced furtively toward the Flare Guild.
Judging by the somber expressions, even Luke and Carlisle hadn’t caught on yet.
But there was no way I was going to let them solve the first riddle before I did.
It was time to play my trump card.
“Jerome, do you remember what I told you in the Slime Cave?”
“…”
“Back then, I said I gained something far more valuable than diamonds.”
I brushed past Jerome and approached the unknown entity, a triumphant grin playing on my lips.
“Let me show you now—just how valuable it is.”
My guild members held their breath, watching as I boldly approached the entity without hesitation.
Taking a deep breath, I mentally rehearsed what I wanted to say.
“Greetings, King of Slimes. I have been recognized as a member of your kin and have come here on behalf of your lineage.”
Yes, the enormous being cloaked in black was none other than… the Slime King.
Knowing the second Divine Beast episode involved the Slime King, I had deliberately learned the Slime language in advance.
Defeating such a powerful king with brute force would take far too much time.
In the original story, Luke and Carlisle only realized it was the Slime King after seeing the acidic residue dissolving a man’s body.
But as someone familiar with the plot, I had no need to waste time on deductions.
[Ah, I see. If you can speak our language… you must indeed be one of us.]
I nodded in affirmation.
The Slime King, who had been watching me intently from beneath the fluttering black cloth, burst into hearty laughter.
Then, graciously, he lifted the black curtain blocking the way.
[Very well. I can’t let one of my kin rot away in this tomb of books. Proceed!]
Gasps erupted from all around as I passed the first riddle without any effort.
To the others, it must have seemed unbelievable—solving the riddle merely by standing there.
Frustrated, the guild members shouted in protest.
“That’s impossible!”
“Why did they let Jeanne through so easily? Damn it, she must’ve pulled some underhanded trick! Don’t just leave us to die—tell us what you did!”
Would you share if it were you?
This was an ability I had traded hundreds of millions for.
Scoffing at their pleas for the answer, I turned toward Luke just before stepping through the open door.
Meeting his disbelieving gaze, I smirked.
“You’d better catch up to me quickly. Because when you do, I’m going to make a truly humiliating demand of you.”
Luke’s previously relaxed expression tensed once more.
As Jerome came up beside me, his voice filled with admiration.
“You know, I don’t know about anything else, but when it comes to this… I really think I nailed the marriage.”
“…”
Staring blankly at Jerome’s grinning face, I let out a sigh and responded in a firm tone.
“Don’t get too comfortable. This is just the beginning.”
Yes, the real challenge started now.
* * *
Hehehehe
11
I love Jeanne so much