Chapter 196 — Apostle Andrea

1

Evening.

Everyone gathered in the lobby.

Manus, who arrived last, looked around at the assembled group.

Everyone seemed brimming with confidence, as if they had packed their pockets of spatial storage to the brim.

It wasn’t just that.

Guillermo and Melanie had even gotten new armor made.

Even with an artifact like Panzer, basic defenses couldn’t be neglected.

Sturdy armor is a weapon that guarantees survival in the worst of situations.

“Seniors.”

“Everyone, take this.”

“What is this?”

Nia looked curiously at the crimson orb.

What could this be?

A powerful fiery energy radiated from it.

If you infused it with mana and threw it, an enormous flame would erupt.

The group held the [Flame Orbs] in their hands and asked about their use.

These were items necessary for Andrea’s Garden.

They would only make the strategy easier, but this was reality.

It would be better to have as much preparation as possible.

“Flame Orbs. If you infuse them with mana and throw them, they’ll burst into flames.”

“So, we throw them into places where regular fire magic would be inefficient.”

“Exactly. Throw them when I give the signal.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Preparations were done, and now it was time to ascend the tower.

How many floors had they reached the last time?

It wouldn’t take as long this time.

Manus led the group back up to the floor they had reached before.

Where they had once defeated the giant tree golem.

It was slightly past halfway, but Manus could tell.

It seemed Emerson felt the same.

“A powerful energy is nearby. Is the garden… perhaps a bit shorter than the labyrinth?”

“No, I don’t think so. Most likely… it’s Andrea, furious, waiting below.”

“Hmm, and could that explain why the demons gathered last time, rushing around?”

Alano asked.

Manus nodded in response.

There was a good chance Andrea was aware of the effects of the mana stones.

This information hadn’t been depicted in the original story, but it could be deduced from her actions last time.

So, surely, instead of waiting on the 100th floor, she must have come down.

Maybe not too far, perhaps around the 70th, 80th, or even the 90th floor.

“It might actually work in our favor. It’ll be less exhausting that way.”

“True. It’d be better than facing her on the 100th floor.”

“Alright then, let’s push forward!”

They agreed that whoever found the staircase first would signal the others, and then they began the climb.

Like that, they reached the 70th floor.

An unusually quiet atmosphere.

Had all the forces been pulled back?

Except for the occasional demon acting as a sentry, there was nothing to show for their effort.

71st floor, Patroller.

Again, it was just one.

A demon that used plant tendrils to attack, but it wasn’t difficult to handle.

“Whew! It’s really nothing now!”

“Above all, absorbing the mana stones has boosted our mana capacity.”

“Exactly. It’s like drinking an elixir every day. We’re not as tired as we thought, so let’s keep going.”

Everyone nodded.

The group climbed with unstoppable momentum.

The battle with the Apostle was now imminent.

2

80th Floor of the Garden.

Andrea stood in a grand palace, accompanied by her beloved plants.

The intruders would soon arrive.

She had meticulously programmed her defenses for this day.

Carefully organizing formations and issuing orders to perfectly respond to the intruders.

To reach this place, they would have to break through an army of plants.

And then, if they wanted to face her as well?

‘You should never have come here.’

Crack-

The seed in her hand was crushed under her grip.

Now, it was time to meet the intruders.

[Screeeech-!]

The creature she had set up as an alarm howled in the distance.

A powerful energy was approaching.

An even stronger energy than the last time.

Andrea instinctively sensed it.

This time, victory would be hers.

Their stamina would wane, and she would watch their downfall from her throne.

Andrea looked at the Patroller standing beside her.

They were her last line of defense, to be used only at the very end.

“So, you’ve arrived.”

The door to the garden opened.

The massive creaking doors swung open on both sides to greet the intruders.

Several of them entered boldly.

Andrea looked at them and sneered.

The mana stones they had absorbed to get here were barely worth mentioning.

How would they feel seeing the vast number of demons deployed before them?

[Welcome to my palace.]

She rose from her seat, looking down on the challengers.

The maze-like garden.

Demons packed tightly throughout.

A typical breakthrough stage, where they had to overcome numerous obstacles, including the boss.

The group was stunned by the sight of Andrea’s stage.

They had expected it, but seeing it with their own eyes highlighted the Apostle’s cunning even more.

Pearson pointed accusingly at Andrea, who was visible in the distance.

“This is way too much! Shouldn’t an Apostle fight fairly?!”

[Heh, fair? To me, you’re nothing but pests to be exterminated, intruders, heretics against his cause. You are not beings deserving of fairness.]

“…It makes me even angrier because she’s right.”

“What should we do? Is there any chance of breaking through?”

“I’m not sure. If I’d known it would be like this, I would have brought more Flame Orbs.”

Honestly, Manus hadn’t anticipated this pattern either.

That she would turn the entire stage into a fortress and wait for them.

Manus couldn’t help but chuckle.

Showing weakness could affect morale.

The sight of Andrea laughing in the distance filled him with determination.

The way she twisted the dungeon and laughed like that.

“We break through. The vanguard will be me, Melanie, Guillermo, and Trace, in that order. Evade or block any attacks coming from behind as much as possible. Got it?”

“-Yes!”

Everyone responded in unison.

Now that it had become real, the gimmicks had multiplied.

The good thing was that even the relatively frail mages had begun physical training recently.

Though it was unlikely they’d experience a dramatic turnaround, their accumulated stamina would surely help.

Instead of just standing and fighting, they might need to run, dodge, and move directly.

A strange fire burned in Manus’s heart.

[Matu: Physical Enhancement]

Crackling-!

Powerful mana surged from Manus’s entire body.

It was a simple buff, but it had the ability to elevate a mage’s physical capabilities to a warrior’s level.

In the game, it increased evasion rate, physical attack power, critical hit chance, and defense.

An agile, evasion-based tank, relying on drawing aggression through precise strikes rather than solid blocks.

Manus stepped forward, recalling Santoleo’s role.

“Let’s begin.”

[Struggle all you want.]

Andrea’s unpleasant voice echoed in his ears, and the party moved in unison, led by Manus.

The first barrier was breaking through the coiled plants that formed a giant wall.

Behind them, demons fired volleys of thorns, densely packed.

Alano and Nia, who had the most mana, deployed defensive spells.

Pop, pop, the thorns embedded themselves with enough force that, if hit directly, it would greatly hinder their ability to fight.

As Manus ran forward, he clenched his fists.

Seeing this, Andrea mocked.

[You think that fist can break my sturdy darlings…]

BOOM!

[…Huh?]

Manus’s punch caused a massive explosion.

The tightly packed plants shattered into fragments.

His entire body, wrapped in blue mana, was as fierce and otherworldly as a god of battle.

“Prepare yourself.”

A chilling voice rang out.

It wasn’t just Andrea who was surprised.

The others following behind him also gaped.

“Senior, you’re really a mage, right?”

“Stop talking and run.”

“Hahaha! Did you see that?! That’s our Senior Manus! You hag of a demon!”

Pearson, whose sharp tongue never lost to any mage, continued to taunt.

Yet, his buffs and debuffs were applied precisely, a testament to why players could never bring themselves to leave him out.

Manus smirked and pushed forward.

The advantage of Matu was that it allowed explosive damage to be delivered to a concentrated area, using minimal mana.

Professor Jennifer’s teachings were clearly imprinted in his actions.

It wasn’t going to be easy.

They’d feel the pressure.

‘Wait and see. Just stay there.’

Human stamina isn’t infinite.

Even athletes say proper stamina management is key to winning matches.

It was a common strategy in skating events, for instance.

Manus was no different.

He needed to manage his stamina and mana carefully to use his magic.

But now that Manus had acquired a new skill, that restriction had somewhat diminished.

“Hoo-!”

His stamina was overflowing like never before.

As if he had four lungs, he could breathe comfortably.

The body imbued with the spirit of the North’s mighty guardian exuded vitality.

And that wasn’t all.

“Senior, look out! Huh?!”

Skill block chance, 30%.

A barrier of mana sprouted naturally, blocking the stiff, sharp thorn.

Manus could tell if that effect was activating or not.

So that’s how it worked—the mana moved automatically.

‘With Caesar’s Mindset, I can predict it in advance.’

True overpowered abilities in RPGs were always laden with passives.

How could you stop an ordinary attack loaded with countless passives?

Manus believed that the direction he was taking was correct.

The true asset that would protect him from all kinds of obstacles was the solid skills he had accumulated.

“Huff-!”

Taking a deep breath, he tightened his body, infused it with mana, and destroyed the obstacles.

BOOM!

The mana-infused fist glowed as it shattered everything in its path.

“Go, go!”

“Manus, when will we switch?”

“We’ll run as far as we can and then recover all our strength.”

Guillermo nodded.

A reasonable plan.

However, as the party ran forward relentlessly, they soon hit a limit.

[Allow me to introduce them. My dolls, created just for you.]

THUD!

Five Patrollers.

Wooden golems, resembling beasts, appeared in the vast clearing.

It was natural that the group’s advance came to a halt.

The Patroller they had encountered around the 70th floor had been powerful.

Now there were five of them.

It was understandable that the group hesitated.

Manus calmly pulled out a Flame Orb.

“I’ll handle one. You each take two.”

“Senior?!”

“You’re fighting a Patroller alone? Are you insane?!”

Kael and Nia shouted in alarm.

They were shocked.

Manus always headed into the battlefield alone, risking everything.

He smiled gently.

“Worry about yourselves.”

“But-!”

“Kael. Someday, you’ll have to come this far too.”

His blue eyes locked onto Kael’s trembling gaze.

In an unavoidable crisis, the only thing that could save allies, friends, and bonds was strength.

Manus would show them.

He would show them just how far they needed to go.

BOOM!

A wall of flames separated Manus from his allies.

Andrea laughed out loud at the sight.

A clear sneer.

Mockery at the foolish human who had made a foolish choice.

[Hahaha! Idiot! Such a stupid decision!]

But, contrary to her wishes, this world sided with the living.

More accurately, it was a punishment—a penalty—imposed on Andrea for breaking the [Law].

[Reversal of Causality]

[The abilities of the Apostle Andrea, who violated the world’s law, are reversed.]

[The souls of the demons slain so far turn toward the chosen ones instead of Andrea.]

[Andrea’s Exclusive Skill: Psyche Colligo]

[The power of all the souls captured in the garden is infused.]

RUMBLE!

It was the punishment for breaking the rules.

–TL Notes–
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