Great Labyrinth – Part 3
Baek Sorin whispered.
“It’s huge.”
Ten meters tall.
Saying “ten meters” is one thing, but in reality, that’s the height of a three-story building.
If you tipped a city bus upright, it would be that tall.
Now imagine a creature of that size stomping around, snorting heavily.
It’s only natural to feel intimidated.
I swept my gaze around.
A circular cavern.
No terrain features that could be used to my advantage.
The walls were solid, and the ceiling swirled like clouds, emitting a faint, hazy light.
It was the same in the game.
The Fallen Angel, the Nephilim, was the gatekeeper of the 50th floor.
You had to defeat it head-on to proceed to the 51st floor.
No special strategy was required.
Only raw stats.
If your gear wasn’t properly farmed, you couldn’t break through—it was a pure gear-check boss.
“You all stay here.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll help too.”
“No. Do not, under any circumstances, step into the arena. If you do, you’ll die.”
“Teacher, is it similar to the one that was in the underground mall before?”
“Similar.”
I took a deep breath.
Opening my golf bag, I pulled out alchemy tools and blacksmithing equipment.
As I tapped on them and began brewing herbs, the Nephilim stopped in its tracks and sniffed the air.
“Krugh! Krrrhh!”
But it couldn’t step outside the arena.
Of course not.
According to its settings, it was bound by both a Curse of Shackles and a Curse of Sealing.
If it was possible to attack from the outside, I could cheese the fight, but unfortunately, the arena was subtly disconnected from the surrounding space, making that impossible.
I drank five types of elixirs, applied enhancement catalysts to Black Tiger Sword, Mjolnir, and Aegis, then stood up.
“Huuuuh.”
I activated [Potion Dependency] and [Potion Addiction] before drinking.
As I exhaled, shimmering light particles rippled around me.
Seo Woojin looked at me with concern.
“Teacher, isn’t this too much to handle alone? From what I know, that thing is a Level 7. You need at least four Level 7s to take it down.”
“If it were an ordinary Level 7, yes.”
“Teacher, shouldn’t you request reinforcements from the Protector Alliance…?”
“No. I can handle it.”
It was a mindless monster.
Unlike high-level superhumans, it had no cunning, no strange tricks up its sleeve.
According to my calculations, I had a chance.
And if things went south, I could just run.
Just in case, I had already set my Grand Escape point to the Cannon Base barracks.
The only thing to be wary of—
Was the Nephilim’s sword.
“Watch closely. If I use Grand Escape, you all head to the Cannon Base immediately.”
“Understood, Teacher.”
At the mention of Grand Escape, everyone nodded.
Their tense expressions relaxed as they settled down to observe the Nephilim.
Feeling their gazes on my back, I gripped Black Tiger Sword and Mjolnir and approached the Nephilim.
“Krrhh, krrrhh, krrhh!”
It flared its nostrils.
As I closed the distance, its breathing grew heavier.
Loud enough for even an ordinary person to hear.
Then, suddenly, it opened its mouth wide.
“GRRAAAAHHHH!”
The world flipped upside down.
A surge of intense fear burned through my chest, and my vision went dark.
At the same time, my grip weakened, almost causing me to drop Black Tiger Sword and Mjolnir.
A full-body roar.
A powerful sound-based trait that inflicted both a Fear debuff and a Stat Reduction debuff.
But I endured it.
Using the [Vajra Body] trait and borrowing the power of Bright Eyes, I instantly manifested a mana armor to deflect it.
I stepped forward.
Then launched myself with all my might.
I soared into the air with Grand Assault!
“Kuhh?”
The Nephilim didn’t just stand still and take it.
It cut off its roar mid-way and shut its mouth.
It must’ve sensed something was off.
Its massive, bulging eyes locked onto me as its head creaked in my direction.
In an instant, I had closed the distance.
Fury flared in those giant eyes.
“RAAHH!”
CRACKLE!
It swung its sword down.
No, that wasn’t a sword.
It was more like a colossal club.
Or maybe even a building pillar.
A weapon as massive as the Nephilim itself, as if it were swinging a city bus.
“Hmph.”
I had anticipated this.
The Nephilim was immune to ambushes and surprise attacks.
Anyone attempting a sloppy backstab would get obliterated by its insane counterattacks.
That’s why I had saved one of my triple jumps.
FWOOOSH!
Bright Eyes flared.
My final jump activated, altering my trajectory—
Downward.
Instead of soaring up, I angled straight for the Nephilim’s knee.
Then, I used Aerial Dash.
WHOOSH!
Mana and steam burst from my body.
I shot forward like a cannonball.
Its massive, rough-textured knee rapidly filled my vision.
I switched traits.
[Giant’s Strength] [Mana Soul] [Swordsmanship Expert]
[Mars Swordsmanship] [Thor Cultivation Technique] [Severing Moon]
I unleashed my strongest possible strike.
CRACK!
“GRRAAAHHH!”
Did you think that was it?
As I passed its knee, I spun my body.
Using the momentum, I hurled Mjolnir.
Of course, I had already switched traits.
[Divine Power] [Radiance] [Lightning]
[Close-Combat Mastery] [Artifact Mastery] [Throw]
A primordial bolt of lightning pierced through the back of its knee.
BOOM! BOOM!
It crackled and exploded, searing and shattering flesh.
But when Mjolnir returned to my hand, I clicked my tongue.
‘Are you kidding me?’
It was fine.
The knee joint I had struck with Black Tiger Sword, the hamstring I had pierced with Mjolnir—
Had only suffered minor cuts and were slightly charred.
This thing was a true gear-check boss.
Fine. I expected this.
‘I’ll focus on stacking as many wounds as possible.’
The key to this fight wasn’t me.
It was the enhancement catalyst applied to Black Tiger Sword and Mjolnir.
[Giant’s Blood].
If Godslayer focused on countering the Old Father’s Cult, then Giant’s Blood was specialized against giants.
The Nephilim, after all, was a type of giant.
It didn’t lower its stats—
But it inflicted endless DOT (damage over time).
The more I wounded it, the more the damage would accumulate.
If I could keep attacking, victory would be mine.
“Guaaaargh!”
The Nephilim roared in fury.
Spinning its body, it reversed its grip on its sword and brought it down.
BOOOOM!
Not a chance.
The moment I saw that pattern, I twisted my body midair.
An evasive maneuver embedded in Grand Assault.
In the game, it functioned as invincibility frames. Here, it translated to an exquisite dodge—a top-tier evasion trait.
The ground exploded.
Mana surged up, carrying debris and sand.
An area-of-effect attack, not just a point or a line.
I couldn’t avoid it entirely and took a partial hit, but I endured.
With Vajra Body.
With Indomitable, which mitigated the damage. And with its built-in Purification, which dispersed the impact.
I was flung dozens of meters away, and the Nephilim locked its enraged gaze onto me.
“Grrrrhh!”
Darkness spread.
My whole body itched.
A dark-element DOT (damage over time) effect.
The longer I waited, the more it would stack, so dragging out the fight wasn’t an option.
“Haaah.”
What a waste.
If I had traits like Radiant Knight, Sacred Crown Knight, or Holy Sword Knight, this would be so much easier.
Even an N-rank Warrior Kim could solo a Nephilim with those.
But no use lamenting. I had to win with what I had.
I took a breath and charged again.
Using [Shockwave], I struck its heels repeatedly while it was momentarily stiffened.
“Graaaah!”
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The Nephilim stomped violently.
It must’ve realized that catching me with its sword was difficult.
But that was fine.
I could read its movements with Bright Eyes.
Each time its foot struck the ground, a massive shockwave erupted.
But it was laughable.
With Vajra Body and Indomitable, I could withstand it.
Even Star Spawn was assisting, reinforcing my defenses.
‘It’s almost time.’
Even while slicing through it with Mars Swordsmanship, I stayed vigilant.
I had to.
The Nephilim’s true attack wasn’t its full-body roar, its shockwaves, or even its darkness wave.
It was something completely different—
And it came without warning.
Goosebumps.
The moment the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, I threw myself aside.
I didn’t even have time to think about using an escape skill.
Pouring all my strength into movement, I darted between the Nephilim’s legs.
Then, without looking back, I triple-jumped and twisted my body downward.
Behind me—
Right past the back of my head—
A gleaming light slithered through the air like a grotesque serpent.
A blazing sword aura!
A radiant, brilliant sword force!
SLASH.
Bright Eyes was severed.
The magic barrier I had manifested was partially obliterated and couldn’t even regenerate.
I could feel my hair burning away.
Even part of my skull was missing.
That sword didn’t just cut skin. It erased veins, bones—everything.
The Nephilim’s sword.
The moment I landed, I turned my body.
“Haaah…”
Cold sweat dripped down my face.
But now wasn’t the time to tremble in fear.
The Nephilim’s fatal flaw—
Whenever it unleashed a massive attack, it was left in a momentary rigid state!
I kicked off the ground.
Without a second to breathe, I charged straight at it.
With reckless abandon, I soared up to its chest and plunged Black Tiger Sword into its heart.
At the same time, I slammed Aegis against it and struck down with Mjolnir.
Of course, each attack was optimized with the appropriate traits.
Switching traits for every movement.
“GRUUUUAGH!”
As its monstrous roar echoed, I launched myself upward.
The Nephilim’s head barely grazed past me.
It had attempted a headbutt out of sheer rage.
Even the slightest contact crushed Star Spawn and sent a wave of agony through my bones.
But I could endure.
I didn’t even use Undying—I simply hurled Mjolnir again for another strike.
Only after landing did I activate Undying to heal my fractured bones.
“Grrrrr…”
The cycle repeated.
Like an annoying mosquito, I darted around, whittling down the Nephilim.
The wounds accumulated.
Though they were mere scratches, blood now streaked across its enormous body.
I wasn’t unscathed either.
“Huff, huff, huff!”
My entire body itched.
Outside my skin, inside my skin, the outer layer of my eyes, the inside of my eyeballs, my lips, my tongue—even deep in my stomach.
When itching becomes too intense, it turns into pain.
It felt like a swarm of termites was devouring me alive.
I wanted to tear all my skin off.
But I endured.
Relying on [Vajra Body], reinforcing myself further with [Divine Power], I charged again and again.
Before I knew it, I was bleeding.
Each movement left a trail of crimson in my wake.
I saw my students shifting anxiously.
“Teacher!”
“Stop it already!”
“Use Grand Escape! Do it now!”
“You’re going to die at this rate!”
Yeah, right.
I had hunted this thing so many times, just so I could feed a piece of divine essence to Warrior Kim in the Great Labyrinth’s deepest levels.
And now you think I’m going to die here?
Not happening.
If I had even one N-rank Warrior Kim with me, I’d have cleared this in a single attempt.
Sure, I’d be left half-dead, but still.
Unlike in the game, reality made it excruciatingly painful—
But considering the trait I was about to acquire, it was absolutely worth it.
FLASH!
A flower bloomed.
From my heart, from my Divine Power circuits, a new light was born.
A soft, pulsating radiance.
Yet firm and unyielding.
It pushed back the black tide washing over me.
Acquired the trait: [Radiance].
A fundamental trait for any Paladin, usually paired with [Holy Light].
I immediately felt lighter.
Increased defense, heightened resistances—my entire being whispered to me.
Now.
“Uuuugh!”
I meant to let out a battle cry, but all that came was a strained grunt.
Gritting my teeth, I leapt forward.
Sensing the shift in my aura, the Nephilim’s eyes darted around.
Then, it grasped its sword with both hands.
The Nephilim’s sword stance.
‘Should I dodge?’
Yeah.
I had to.
Blocking was impossible.
Even I, who had withstood Armageddon, couldn’t block the Nephilim’s sword.
But this was a turning point.
And there was something better than dodging.
I reached for my weapon pouch.
There were no bulky shotguns or sniper rifles inside.
Instead, I had placed two rings.
For today.
For this very moment.
The ring on my left index finger vanished, replaced by a new one.
“KUOOOORGH!”
The Nephilim swung its sword straight at me.
A glimmer of victory shone in its eyes.
The moment its will condensed, sword aura erupted—blazing with a force that far exceeded the speed of sound, set to obliterate me completely.
It was wrong.
The only thing the sword aura shattered—was an afterimage.
My vision had already shifted.
I was no longer in front of the Nephilim.
I was behind it.
Standing firmly on its shoulder.
Gazing at its weak spot—the nape of its neck.
STAB!
“GRRAAAAAAH!”
I drove Black Tiger Sword in with all my might.
Even with full force, it only sank halfway.
The Nephilim let out an ear-splitting roar.
But it was still in its post-attack stiffness.
I had time for one more strike.
BAM!
I slammed Mjolnir down.
With the precision of a carpenter hammering in a nail—
Right onto the hilt of Black Tiger Sword.
The blade sank almost to its hilt.
Then, the embedded wound began to bubble and boil.
It had reached the critical threshold.
“GRRAAAAGH! GRAAAAAH!”
The Nephilim went berserk.
Gripping its sword with both hands, it flailed wildly in all directions.
Pale gray sword auras slashed through the air in chaotic arcs.
The final phase.
In game terms, its health had dropped below 10%.
In reality, it was making a desperate struggle before death.
“Whoa!”
I barely dodged one of its attacks.
A slight mistimed movement would have cost me my life.
Even with a near-miss, Aegis shattered, and my forearm was severed.
The Blink Ring I had just used was still recharging.
[Bright Eyes] [Sixth Sense] [Grand Assault]
[Acceleration] [Mobility] [Evasion]
I erased all defensive traits.
I focused solely on dodging.
Even as the black tide of darkness gnawed at my body, I ignored it.
It was a battle of endurance now.
FLASH! ZAP! BOOM! CRASH!
I dodged again and again.
Narrow escapes, one after another.
But I didn’t stop attacking either.
Even with a severed arm, even as my blood sprayed in all directions, even as my entire body was drenched in red—
I hurled Mjolnir in rapid succession.
“Huff, huff…”
My breath was caught in my throat.
My chest felt like it was ripping apart.
My heart was already overloading.
Every joint in my body screamed in agony.
With each movement, my body creaked and groaned, sending jagged pain shooting through me, turning my vision white.
But I endured.
Fueled by sheer determination, I gritted my teeth and kept throwing Mjolnir.
How much time had passed?
My eyes had already burst their blood vessels.
Without Bright Eyes, I couldn’t even see properly anymore.
Then—
THUD!
The ground trembled.
“Haaah… haaaah…”
The Nephilim had fallen.
If I were inexperienced, I might have rushed forward.
Might have rifled through its corpse for loot.
Might have reached for the colossal sword to obtain its true form—[SSR Black Blade].
But I knew better.
Even with zero health, the Nephilim wouldn’t die immediately.
WHOOSH! BOOM! WHOOSH! BOOM!
So I kept throwing.
Mjolnir—again and again.
Even as the Nephilim lay motionless.
Even when its skull burst open, exposing its brain.
Even after its heart had completely stopped.
Like a machine.
Like a robot.
I kept throwing Mjolnir in what seemed like a meaningless repetition.
I only stopped much later—
When I faintly heard a lingering thought.
[How unjust…]
A shadowy phantom danced atop the colossal corpse—
Before finally dissipating into nothingness.
–TL Notes–
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nice
Nice