Kim Saje and the Great Labyrinth — Part 3
How did they know?
It wasn’t hard to figure out.
Why else would Kim Saje flee all the way from the Levant region to the Labyrinth City?
He intended to hide in the Great Labyrinth and build his strength.
And with the Old Father’s Cult’s intelligence network, they must have known about my connection to Kim Saje.
Instead of wasting time arguing in a hotel room, it made perfect sense for them to block the passage in advance.
I quickly scanned the group of Inquisitors.
They hadn’t brought mere Crusaders—they had arrived with a full contingent of Paladins.
On either side of the Inquisitor stood two Level 5 Paladins—squad leaders.
Behind them were twenty additional Paladins, perfectly aligned in formation.
A total of 43 people.
Three Level 5s, eight Level 4s, and thirty-two Level 3s.
This was more than enough firepower to command respect anywhere.
“Hyung…”
I could feel Kim Saje trembling beside me.
It was just the two of us, facing 43 superhumans.
I could handle one, maybe even two Level 5s on my own, but beyond that? It was impossible.
And now, I had to break through this with Kim Saje—an Apostle with almost no real combat experience.
Flash!
One of the Paladins tossed a jewel into the air.
The gem shattered midair, releasing a burst of light that formed a barrier around us.
The passage was now completely sealed off from the outside.
We couldn’t escape, nor could we send an SOS to Kim Saje’s cult at the Fortress of Beginnings.
The Inquisitor grinned wickedly.
“At last, this tedious chase comes to an end. And…”
Her eyes shifted from Kim Saje to me.
“The Savior will finally join our faith.”
“Who said I would?”
“There’s no need for concern, Savior. We’ll take care of everything. A few years in our cult’s temple at the Fortress of Beginnings, studying the greatness of the Old Father, and you’ll naturally entrust your body and soul to Him.”
“Did you toss the Westphalian Covenant aside for soup? I see the Old Father’s oath isn’t worth much.”
“This is the Great Labyrinth. It’s beyond the laws of the surface world.”
“What a convenient double standard you’ve got there.”
The Inquisitor shrugged as if it didn’t matter.
I took a moment to reflect.
‘I relied too much on the Danger Sense Ring.’
Just as they’d encircled us with their barrier, they must have been using some special method to hide their presence.
That’s why the Danger Sense hadn’t activated as we crossed the ninth floor.
Even the detection ability of my helmet hadn’t picked them up.
There was only one option left.
A direct confrontation.
Titles like Honorary Paladin or Official Protector didn’t mean a thing now.
The Inquisitor’s bloodshot eyes made it clear—they weren’t backing down.
‘Can I do this?’
I went over everything I had in my arsenal.
First, my high-tier traits:
[Giant’s Strength], [Vajra Body], [Undying], [Indomitable], [Magic Resistance], [Mana Soul], [Tiger King Sword Technique], [Sigurd Cultivation Technique], [Gunplay].
Then, my equipment:
The Black Tiger Sword, the Dasan Rifle, Mjolnir, Aegis.
And consumables:
The elixir from the Sun Mage Tower and the nectar gifted by the Protector Alliance.
‘It might just be possible…’
Looking back, I had quite a lot.
Each one was a gem of a trait or artifact.
High-tier traits alone required at least an SR-grade character to possess.
Moreover, using [Insight], I could tell that neither the Inquisitor nor the squad leaders appeared exceptionally strong.
[Inquisitor]
[Holy Shield] [Healing] [Torture]
[Command] [Order] [Secret Hunter]
[Squad Leader A]
[Radiance] [Shield Bash] [Charge]
[Shining Hammer] [Healing Hands] [Purification]
[Squad Leader B]
[Radiance] [Shield Bash] [Taunt]
[Holy Shot] [Regeneration] [Blessing]
These were the traits of the Inquisitor and the two squad leaders.
Not bad, but none of them were high-tier.
In other words, they were equivalent to N-grade characters.
And me?
I was fully loaded with six high-tier traits, easily placing me at SSR-grade.
No, even SSR might not be enough.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call me EX-grade.
‘I can do this.’
After all, I’d already defeated the Level 5 [SR Vampire Lord] in a one-on-one battle using my Trinity Build.
And now? With my current build—enhanced by [Mana Soul], [Indomitable], [Tiger King Sword Technique], [Sigurd Cultivation Technique], and [Gunplay]—I was even stronger.
It was a shame I didn’t have a swordsmanship specialist with me, but with the Black Tiger Sword and Mjolnir equipped, I was ready.
‘I can pull this off.’
That was my final conclusion.
If the Inquisitor or the squad leaders had been R-grade, it might have been impossible.
But their focus on schemes and tracking, rather than combat prowess, was their fatal flaw.
With no hesitation, I casually pulled a grenade launcher out of my golf bag.
The Inquisitor’s grin widened.
“So, you intend to defy the Old Father to the very end? If you surrender now, we’ll treat you as befits a Savior. But if you continue this resistance, I can’t be held responsible for what happens next.”
“Hmph.”
I tossed a grenade as a warm-up.
Boom!
An explosion echoed, but it was easily blocked.
The Inquisitor herself had deployed a Holy Shield.
As expected of a priest-type.
Unlike warriors who could only shield their immediate vicinity with mana, the Inquisitor’s Holy Shield covered the falling grenade midair.
The grenade exploded, but its shrapnel didn’t even scratch the barrier.
The only thing I gained was a brief moment of time.
In that instant, I swiftly loaded a special grenade into the launcher.
“You think that toy will—”
[Gunplay] [Shoot] [Aim]
[Rapid Fire] [Insight] [Black Flame]
Did they think I’d been wandering around unprepared?
I’d always been mindful of the Old Father’s Cult.
That’s why I carried this special grenade in my golf bag.
It was enhanced with catalytic Divine Slayer.
“Saje, blessing.”
“Huh? Oh, yes!”
Whoooosh!
A pillar of light descended, reacting with the grenade. Brilliant, golden waves of mana surged outward.
On top of that, I added Black Flame.
Black-and-gold flames, the symbol of the Old Father, surged from the grenade launcher as I aimed and pulled the trigger repeatedly.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
All six grenades fired in quick succession.
The Inquisitor cried out in awe.
“As expected of the Savior! Such magnificent black-gold radiance!”
She raised both hands in fervent exaltation.
The Paladins followed suit.
“Oh, Old Father!”
“Protect your children!”
“We dedicate our souls and bodies to you!”
“Descend upon this earth and make all humanity your nourishment!”
Ugh. What a pack of fanatics.
Layers upon layers of Holy Shields shimmered into existence.
Dozens, at the very least.
The Paladins who lacked shields of their own emitted radiance or channeled their holy power into their allies, forming a collective defense barrier.
And onto that barrier, the black-gold grenades rained down.
BOOOOOOM!
Three forces collided:
The divine blessings of a god hostile to the Old Father.
The catalytic Divine Slayer used to kill the Old Father.
And the black flames, wielded only by transcendent beings who had overcome forced baptism.
The synergy among these was devastating.
Yet, the combined barrier of dozens of Paladins was no pushover either.
The surface cracked and split, fissures forming across its layers, but it held strong.
It managed to repel the black-gold explosion that burned as though it would consume the very world.
The Inquisitor, drunk with exhilaration, shouted,
“This is the power of the Old Father, Savior!”
Is it, though?
Boasting about barely blocking a joint attack from just two people with 43 members on your side seems a bit much.
And this? This was just the prelude.
The real battle started now.
[Giant’s Strength] [Vajra Body] [Mana Soul]
[Tiger King Sword Technique] [Sigurd Cultivation Technique] [Charge]
I took a deep breath.
“Huup!”
The Sigurd Cultivation Technique and Mana Soul resonated within me.
A colossal amount of mana surged through my body, igniting the circuits etched into my vascular and nervous systems.
Fwooooosh!
Even my blood seemed to boil.
The overwhelming influx of mana reacted with the moisture in my body, making me feel as if I were burning from within.
My body was hot, my mind alight with searing clarity.
Yet my reason remained intact—sharper and colder than ever.
With heightened senses, I perceived everything around me in intricate detail.
I could feel it all.
The world.
And the Paladins bristling like porcupines ahead of me.
Without even activating [Insight] or [Sixth Sense], I discerned their thoughts and intentions.
I could tell what they were planning, what they were thinking.
And so, I moved.
Toward their most vulnerable point.
Feigning readiness to strike the shield wall, I instead lunged at their weakest member.
BOOOOM!
The ground beneath me ruptured.
The combined power of Giant’s Strength and Mana Soul unleashed devastating force.
This was what they called the “Double Power” build.
Channeling all of it, I swung the Black Tiger Sword.
And as I struck, I switched traits.
[Severing Moon]
Flash!
A crescent moon slash ripped through the air.
The resulting sword energy wasn’t something a Level 4 superhuman could produce. Even a Level 5 warrior would’ve been hard-pressed to withstand it.
“Gaaaaah!”
The Paladin I targeted was split clean in two.
Focused on maintaining the collective barrier, the knight couldn’t react in time.
“W-What!?”
“Sir Charles!”
The remaining Paladins shouted in alarm, but it was already too late.
The knight crumpled to the ground, blood gushing like a fountain.
Gritting my teeth, I swung my sword again.
Once from right to left.
Then from left to right.
My movements resembled a tiger striking with both front paws in succession.
Tiger King’s Twin Strike!
The [Severing Moon] trait activated.
Blinding arcs of white sword energy clawed through the air like the talons of a tiger.
The Paladins caught in the attack screamed.
“Argh!”
“Guh!”
Back when I first learned the Tiger King Sword Technique, I struggled to use advanced moves like Twin Strike or Tiger King’s Flight.
But now, after steady training and acquiring Mana Soul and Sigurd Cultivation Technique, I had matured enough to wield these techniques in actual combat.
The Inquisitor bellowed, her voice sharp and commanding.
“Shadow Knights, form a defensive wall!”
“Defensive wall!”
“Lance Knights, radiance formation!”
“Radiance!”
Their demeanor changed.
The Paladins near me raised their shields, forming a tight wall shoulder-to-shoulder, while those farther back unleashed radiance to suppress me.
The radiance buffed their allies and weakened me simultaneously.
With it stacking repeatedly, even I felt my mana being suppressed, as though a heavy weight was pressing down on me.
“Tch.”
Gritting my teeth, I gripped Mjolnir in my left hand.
Its embedded traits, [Enhancement] and [Protection], activated.
At the same time, Aegis on my left forearm shone brilliantly, triggering [Protection] and [Augment].
Finally, I switched out [Severing Moon] for [Fighting Spirit], and the suffocating pressure around me vanished like mist in the wind.
“Hyung!”
From a distance, Kim Saje channeled his Golden Blessing onto me.
“Haap!”
I swung my sword in a wide arc.
Tiger King’s Mighty Strike!
A shield shattered, and the Paladin behind it froze in terror.
“Fall back!”
“Pull him back! Cover him!”
The Paladins moved as a single unit, like an enormous beast.
They dragged the exposed knight to the rear and filled the gap in their formation.
But I wasn’t idle either.
Before they could regroup, my sword thrust forward.
Tiger King’s Ascension!
A streak of light pierced through their ranks, and another Paladin lost his shield.
“Fall back! Fall back!”
“Damn it! Is he really Level 4? How is he this strong!?”
“Raise your shields! Shields up!”
The ordinary Paladins couldn’t even block my strikes.
Whenever I swung, stabbed, or slashed, their shields were destroyed, or they suffered a direct hit, forcing them to retreat.
Only the elite Level 4 knights managed to hold their ground, and even they struggled to do so.
When a few more knights fell, the Inquisitor screamed in frustration.
“Enough! Everyone, retreat! Put some distance between us!”
The Paladins quickly withdrew.
The Inquisitor, who had been commanding from the rear, finally stepped back, allowing the squad leaders to take charge.
The three of them formed a triangular formation and surrounded me.
I took a deep breath, then gave them a slow, deliberate smirk.
“So, you’re stepping in personally? Don’t. You’ll die. Wouldn’t it be better to just throw waves of troops at me instead?”
“We cannot waste the lives of our brothers so carelessly.”
That much was true.
If they wanted to take me down, they’d have to accept losing at least half of their Paladins.
No cult would willingly sacrifice twenty Paladins—valuable assets that are notoriously difficult to train.
Especially when they believed they had other ways to capture me.
In this world, it’s common sense: if three Level 5s gang up on a single Level 4, the Level 4 doesn’t stand a chance.
Backing off now would only result in the Inquisitor losing the trust of her subordinates and the confidence of her superiors.
For me, this was a stroke of luck.
If they’d chosen to treat their knights as expendable pawns and used sheer numbers to grind me down, I would’ve struggled.
Thanks to the Inquisitor’s predictable judgment, I now felt a solid chance of victory.
“Try not to die. I mean it—you’d better not die.”
The Inquisitor raised her hand.
That was the signal.
The two squad leaders charged at me like enraged bulls.
‘How blessed we are!’
The Inquisitor almost wept.
Witnessing the true glory of the Savior—heralded by the Old Father through prophecy and proclaimed by the Saintess—felt like a divine revelation.
To see black-gold radiance forged from the powers of a wicked god, a Divine Slayer, and black flames!
This must be the fulfillment of prophecy.
The glorious gospel of the mighty Old Father crushing all enemies and reigning supreme over this little planet.
Some of the Paladins had died, but their loss didn’t matter.
They would rejoice in the divine kingdom of the Old Father.
And yet…
Something wasn’t right.
Calling back the Paladins and pitting three Level 5s against the Savior had been the logical choice.
No matter how talented or blessed by the gods he was, a single Level 4 couldn’t possibly stand against three Level 5s.
Especially with the Paladins keeping the Apostle of the wicked god in check.
But… but this…
What was this?
Why were the squad leaders being pushed back?
Why, whenever they clashed with the Savior, was it not the Level 4 Savior who was repelled, but the Level 5 squad leaders instead?
“This cannot be! This is impossible!”
The Inquisitor screamed in denial, her voice ringing with disbelief.
BOOM!
Another deafening explosion.
One of the squad leaders was sent flying.
The difference in numbers, the gap in levels—it was all meaningless.
They couldn’t overpower him.
No, they were the ones being overpowered.
By a single man.
By Warrior Kim!
–TL Notes–
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This is so hype ahhh