Kim Saje and the Great Labyrinth — Part 4
But the one most shocked at this moment wasn’t the Inquisitor.
It was the squad leader who had physically clashed with me.
“Ugh!”
He swallowed a groan.
A metallic taste filled his throat.
‘How is this even possible?!’
Judging by the concentration of his mana waves, his opponent was undeniably Level 4.
Yet the destructive power he was facing was beyond comprehension.
It didn’t feel like fighting an ordinary squad leader—it was more like colliding with a senior commander.
Each time their shields clashed, it felt as though his entire body was being crushed, his vision turning stark white.
Even his insides throbbed with pain, as if internal damage had already been done.
‘This is absurd!’
No matter how much he screamed internally, the monster before him charged forward like a wild boar.
“Damn it!”
He charged in return, but he already felt himself faltering.
Though both unleashed shield bashes of equal technique and power, somehow, his opponent’s strikes were sharper, stronger, and more devastating.
“Come on! Come at me!”
Sir Clement, his long-time partner, bellowed a taunt, but it was useless.
The sacred proclamations that worked against demons, magical beasts, and heretics all missed their mark when aimed at this opponent.
And every time it happened, he saw it.
A strange glimmer in the monster’s eyes.
It was as if the monster was silently muttering an incantation.
‘An incantation. That’s what it is.’
It had to be an incredibly unique one.
Surely, it was something bestowed by an evil god!
Light? Savior?
What nonsense.
This creature was undoubtedly an Apostle of a wicked god.
How else could it exhibit such overwhelming power, such horrifying strength?
If it had been Level 6, he would have accepted it.
Even if it had been Level 5, he could have understood.
But a mere Level 4 showing this kind of capability?
Clearly, the Saintess had been deceived.
This man must have drawn his strength from a dark god!
For the squad leader—a man of ordinary talent but unwavering faith—such blasphemous doubts should have been unthinkable.
But against Warrior Kim’s overwhelming might, even his unshakable beliefs were beginning to waver.
“Die! Just die already!”
He had been commanded to keep the Savior alive at all costs.
But that order had vanished entirely from his mind.
With all his strength, he charged forward again, swinging his shield.
This was his twentieth, no, perhaps his thirtieth charge.
But…
Neither the squad leader nor the Inquisitor had accounted for one crucial fact.
The monster’s shield wasn’t ordinary.
It was Aegis.
The pride of the Gaia Cult, a relic of unparalleled value.
Even though the version Kim carried was a mass-produced model, Aegis was still an SSR-grade artifact—miles apart from the standard shields used by the squad leader.
The result was catastrophic.
CRAAACK!
Unable to withstand the repeated impacts, the squad leader’s shield shattered into dozens of fragments.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
Through his stunned gaze, a sharp killing intent gleamed cold and deadly.
FWOOSH!
A blinding flash of light erupted alongside that murderous intent.
A single, straight beam of radiance sliced forward.
The moment he saw it, he knew it was the end.
He instinctively raised his left arm to block, but it was futile.
The beam carried a long, trailing tail and had already pierced his heart.
‘Beautiful…’
As consciousness began to fade, his last thought was how it resembled a shooting star in the night sky.
With that, his vision went dark.
“Sir Frederick!”
“No!”
The Paladins watching from the sidelines screamed in anguish, calling out to their fallen commander.
But there was no time for mourning.
The other squad leader shouted urgently.
“Protect the Bishop!”
The monster who had taken the squad leader’s heart—Warrior Kim—was now leaping toward the Inquisitor.
“Grrk!”
To cut to the chase, the Paladins were too late.
Instead of charging forward, I used a leap to vault over the squad leader and swung my sword at the Inquisitor.
[Giant’s Strength] [Mana Soul] [Slash]
[Tiger King Sword Technique] [Sigurd Cultivation Technique] [Severing Moon]
I ignored the recoil caused by the double power build.
This strike carried every ounce of my strength.
A flash of sword energy, as swift as lightning, tore through the Inquisitor.
Neither her Holy Shield nor her magical barrier could block the attack.
She was split from her neck to her chest, blood foaming from her mouth.
“B-Bishop!”
Maybe an elixir could save her—maybe.
But I wasn’t about to leave any doubts.
I slammed my blade into her skull and severed her neck to ensure the job was done.
“You bastard!”
The remaining squad leader charged at me, screaming like a madman.
But he was too slow.
A sluggish, enraged Paladin without any acceleration traits or techniques wasn’t worth my attention.
Taunts?
I had [Vajra Body] and [Indomitable]. Even just [Vajra Body] allowed me to resist provocation, and adding [Indomitable] made it completely ineffective.
BOOM!
I leaped once more, soaring through the air like a bird, easily clearing several meters and leaving the squad leader behind.
Instead, I aimed for the Paladins.
Specifically, the weakest ones—those who, according to [Insight], were Level 3 and lacked strong traits or equipment.
“Shadow Knights, defensive formation!”
“Defensive formation!”
“Lance Knights, defensive formation!”
“Defensive formation!”
With the Inquisitor dead, the senior Paladins took over, barking commands.
The Paladins moved quickly, but it wasn’t enough.
Without the Inquisitor’s [Command] and [Order] traits, their coordination was noticeably lacking.
And to me, their weaknesses were glaringly obvious.
One of the Lance Knights moved half a beat too late.
[Giant’s Strength] [Mana Soul] [Sigurd Cultivation Technique]
[Close-Combat Mastery] [Smash] [Throw]
I switched traits the moment I threw.
BOOOOOM!
A deafening thunderclap echoed through the Great Labyrinth.
A bolt of lightning descended, precisely striking the point I’d targeted.
A storm of electricity erupted in its wake.
“Ughhh!”
“Aaagh!”
“Old Father, protect us!”
Paladins were the most resilient defensive build in existence.
It wasn’t possible to annihilate them all with a single blow.
But one of them—the unlucky knight whose head had taken a direct hit from Mjolnir—was utterly finished.
After Mjolnir, it was the Black Tiger Sword’s turn.
I leapt forward, closed the distance, and drove the blade in with blinding speed.
A true meteor slash.
Following it up with a [Severing Moon] strike, I turned the Paladins into little more than straw men being cut down.
“Stop him! Stop him, I said!”
“Defend! Defend yourselves!”
“The squad leader is coming!”
Only the elite Level 4 knights could even hope to withstand my attacks.
But I relentlessly targeted the weaker Level 3 knights.
Whenever the squad leader approached, I’d retreat, firing the Dasan Rifle and grenade launcher. Once I’d shaken them off, I’d rush back in, raining down slashes and [Severing Moon] strikes.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Kim Saje, now freed from interference, added his Golden Blessing to the mix, making me even stronger.
Every one of my attacks began to register as critical hits.
And with the luck-boosting effects of the Golden Blessing, the Paladins’ formation crumbled like a house of cards.
At this point, I would’ve expected them to flee.
But instead, they turned their eyes back in fanatical determination.
“Do not retreat!”
“Show the might of the Old Father!”
“The great Old Father is watching us!”
“To the divine kingdom!”
Truly behavior befitting zealots.
Not a single one fled.
Each one embraced death as if it were a blessing.
Even the squad leader, after being struck through the heart by my blade, spoke with a satisfied smile.
“You truly are the light… the Savior foretold by the Old Father… Cough… I eagerly await the day your soul ascends to the divine kingdom and is offered to the Old Father.”
With that, the squad leader collapsed, his head slumping forward with a serene, radiant smile—one of pure happiness.
It gave me chills.
I shook my head in disbelief. Zealots were impossible to reason with.
As I was doing this, Kim Saje approached, his face exhausted.
“Hyung, you did amazing.”
“You too. You looked like you put a lot of effort into maintaining the blessings.”
“Come on, I just stayed in the back and watched. Still, Hyung, you’re incredible. Three Level 5s and eight Level 4s, and you took them all down by yourself.”
“Well, I haven’t exactly been slacking off these past few months.”
“Slacking off? There’s no way this is just from effort.”
Kim Saje waved his hands animatedly, his fingertips sparkling faintly with a golden light.
“By the way, our god says there’s nothing left nearby. Oh, and they’ve dissolved the barrier too. It’s such a relief.”
“A relief? Why’s that?”
“It seems the Inquisitor didn’t manage to call for reinforcements. No transmissions went in or out before or after they set up the cloaking and suppression barriers.”
“You can figure that out?”
“Well, our god can. Even if their power is still weak, they can do quite a lot.”
I guess a god is still a god.
I used [Insight] to examine the corpses for any useful magical artifacts but quickly lost interest.
There was nothing worth taking for myself.
The Inquisitor and squad leaders were probably from a lower tier in their hierarchy.
That made sense, given that Kim Saje’s cult wasn’t exactly a major player. It was only natural that the Old Father’s Inquisitors assigned to them would also be second-rate.
Still, there was one gain from this battle:
Acquired the trait: [Destruction].
I had obtained it earlier when I shattered the squad leader’s shield.
Now, if I ever needed to break through someone’s armor or defenses, I’d have just the tool for the job.
“I’ll take care of selling all this and send you the cash.”
“Really? Thanks.”
“Hehe, is it okay if I take a small commission?”
“Of course. Nothing in this world is free.”
“Thank you. By the way, Hyung, what was all that about them calling you the Savior? What does that even mean?”
“I have no idea. They’ve been calling me that for months now.”
“Huh… The Savior…”
I had my own suspicions, but there was no need to voice them.
For now, the fact that the Old Father’s Cult was preparing for resurrection was a closely guarded secret.
Just planting the seed of curiosity in Kim Saje’s mind was enough.
Eventually, the Thor Cult or the Gaia Cult would get wind of this.
Those two cults were sharp enough to piece together the Old Father’s ultimate goal.
We passed through the field of corpses and descended to the 10th floor.
The ceiling above suddenly opened up, revealing a crimson sky.
Though this was still deep within the spiraling shell of the Labyrinth, spatial distortion made it appear as though we had emerged onto the surface.
The 10th floor was home to a critical stronghold:
The Fortress of Beginnings.
The vanguard for conquering the Labyrinth all the way to the 100th floor.
A place governed by laws entirely separate from those of Earth.
A true Labyrinth City.
Clusters of low, two-story concrete buildings were gathered like groups of turtles huddled together.
“Grand Archbishop!”
The priests gathered at the entrance cheered at the sight of Kim Saje.
They wore flowing, ornate golden robes that practically screamed, I’m a priest!
The chest of each robe bore the unique sigil of Kim Saje’s cult.
“You’re safe! We were worried because an Inquisitor descended here just a few hours ago.”
“We actually ran into them on the way here.”
“What?! Are you unharmed?”
“You must have evaded them masterfully!”
“As expected of the Grand Archbishop! A true son of stealth and escape!”
A son of stealth and escape?
It seems he had picked up some odd nicknames while we were apart.
Kim Saje shook his head with an amused laugh.
“I didn’t evade them. My Hyung killed them all.”
“W-What?”
“Killed them? What do you mean?”
“Go check the passage on the 9th floor. It’s littered with their corpses.”
“How could that be…”
“You’re saying a Level 4 warrior… not even a Level 6, managed to wipe out two entire squads of Paladins? And there was a Level 5 Inquisitor with them too?”
“Go see for yourselves. You’ll understand when you see it.”
Their eyes were filled with disbelief and doubt.
It was an understandable reaction.
Even I wouldn’t believe someone claiming a single Level 4 wiped out 43 superhumans alone.
Though, to be fair, that Level 4 was more than SSR-grade—closer to EX-grade.
After sending the priests and guards away, only Kim Saje and I remained inside the temple.
It was a humble temple, to say the least.
The interior of the two-story building had been cleared out to house a single gilded statue of their god.
However, to Kim Saje’s cult, this temple must have been deeply meaningful.
After all, it was the first temple they had built in 3,000 years.
“I’m so grateful to you, Hyung.”
Kim Saje spoke as he gazed at the statue of their god.
“This temple wouldn’t exist without you. If you hadn’t taught me the Golden Offering Ritual, our god wouldn’t have grown strong enough to gain the Gaia Cult’s cooperation.”
“You’re the one who worked hard.”
“No, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have made it this far. I’d still be back in Sinrim-dong pretending to be a qi therapy specialist.”
He wasn’t wrong.
As I silently nodded, Kim Saje reached behind the statue and pulled something out.
“This is the most precious relic I obtained from the treasure vault in the Levant region. I was originally going to give you an ancient holy sword and armor, but since you already have better gear, I’ll give you this instead.”
“The best item? Shouldn’t you be the one using it?”
“That was the plan, but after everything you’ve done for me these past two days, I couldn’t just give you something random.”
“I’ve made good use of the holy sword and idol you gave me before… Thanks. I’ll use this well.”
“You’re so straightforward, Hyung. That’s what I like about you.”
“Haha.”
Smiling, I accepted the gift.
It was a necklace—a relic that gleamed with an opulent beauty.
Dozens of gemstones were strung together on golden threads, so dazzlingly extravagant that wearing it outside your shirt would probably attract a horde of thieves by the end of the day.
I recognized it immediately.
In the game, this was an artifact excavated and taken by the Old Father’s Cult:
[Heart of Abundance]
Its abilities were simple.
It increased all stats.
And it came with [Luck].
Compared to Mjolnir or Aegis, it seemed underwhelming, but Heart of Abundance was still an SSR-grade artifact.
In terms of pure stat boosts, it was one of the best in Arcane Seoul.
And the bonus [Luck] could also provide plenty of small but meaningful benefits.
It was a reward I was more than satisfied with.
While I smiled contentedly, Kim Saje seemed to think it wasn’t enough.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve given you more, but I had to liquidate a lot of items into gold… Hyung, is there anything else you need? If it’s something I can get in the Great Labyrinth, I’ll find a way to send it to Korea for you.”
“There is something.”
“What is it? Just tell me!”
“If you can, get me the heart of a Goat Demon.”
I already had the heart of a Flame Dragon.
But that was something I planned to consume when I reached Level 6.
For Level 5, as the Protector Alliance advisor had recommended, the heart of a Goat Demon or Rakshasa was ideal.
“Uh… I’ll check on it.”
I didn’t have high hopes.
The Goat Demon was a Level 5 entity—hunting it would be difficult, not just for Kim Saje but for his entire cult.
But to my surprise, Kim Saje returned with a bright, beaming smile.
“Hyung! They’re selling one at the auction here! I’ll buy it for you!”
Ah, capitalism truly is the best.
I didn’t expect it to be this easy.
“Thanks.”
“Come on, don’t thank me. After everything you’ve done for me, this is nothing.”
Around this time, the priests and protectors who had left earlier returned.
They all looked completely dazed.
Their faces were pale, like they’d just seen a ghost.
Watching their stunned expressions, I stood up.
“Saje, I’ll see you later.”
“Huh? You’re leaving already? Why don’t you stay for a few days and rest?”
“I’ve got things to do.”
Things of great importance.
I’d secured enough nectar and gathered all the ingredients I needed to create an elixir.
Now, I just had to return home and consume it to reach Level 5.
But there was one hurdle left to overcome.
Warrior Kim was an N-grade character by birth.
The growth limit for an N-grade character was Level 4.
In other words, my first Limit Break was waiting for me.
–TL Notes–
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