Chapter 131
“Here. And here. And finally, here. On this side, they're setting up traps with pre-cut logs that will come crashing down, preparing an operation to hinder us. And on this side, they're planning to use flying Magic Beasts, Kuera, to drop rocks and halt our Advance.”
I calmly explained to the Guild Masters and Captain Jerome.
“That's everything. These are the traps they're preparing on Floor 4 and Floor 5.”
“......How did you know all this?”
I grinned at Captain Jerome's bewildered words.
“I have mind-reading ability. That's how I confirmed it.”
The Guild Masters and Captain Jerome exchanged glances for a moment at my words.
Old Man Ban listened to everything I said, then offered an opinion.
“The Great Labyrinth is a place where using Magic is extremely difficult. Even Magic Beasts with enormous magic stones can only use magic at the level of a beginner Mage from the outside world. Their power is drastically reduced, or their Range is completely messed up, in most cases.”
Ban pointed at me.
“The Saint also showed the exact same symptoms. We shouldn't push him any further.”
The Guild Masters and Captain Jerome nodded.
“I agree.”
“The good news is that when looking across Floor 4 and Floor 5, there's no terrain as specialized for Ambush as Demon's Peak. This means there won't be any more places where the Saint has to go out and fight alone.”
“Since we know the enemies' plans in advance, we can respond accordingly.”
As they put their heads together and started deliberating, a plan quickly took shape.
Old Man Ban didn't speak much during the discussion with the Guild Masters and Captain Jerome.
Just a few words here and there.
He merely laid out the core principles.
“The Golden Company needs to handle the sniping. It's not that the Hunters can't shoot, but the Golden Company is far superior at Long-Range Precision sniping.”
“In narrow terrain, shotguns will be better than machine guns. Take Double-aught Buckshot instead of slugs.”
“Here, we absolutely need Heavy Machine Guns. We'll need Anti-Air Fire.”
Once Old Man Ban roughly set the direction, Captain Jerome and the Hunter Guild Masters smoothly worked out the detailed plans.
Just like that, in an instant.
An Annihilation Plan for the Lucifer Followers, based on my information, was established.
“This should be enough.”
Seeing Old Man Ban nod, I subtly raised my hand.
“Then what about me? As you've seen my Combat Ability, you know that keeping me only in the rear just because I was in danger once would cause too great a loss of combat power.”
Ban nodded.
“Move with the Annihilation Squad. That will probably be much less of a burden on the Saint. Please follow the orders of the Field Commanders, and normally act as a Healer. When needed, you can act as a Damage Dealer, Tanker, etc. Just move in whatever form is required.”
Ban flashed a wicked-looking smile.
“Let's give those bastards a taste of Hell, Saint.”
That was an expression I quite liked.
I nodded.
After advancing for about half a day more, the Expedition Team reached the area where the first Ambush awaited us.
At both ends of the large V-shaped Valley, Lucifer Followers, with massive logs suspended, would be waiting for us to enter the path.
What they didn't expect was this.
“Fire!”
The Annihilation Squad, formed by selecting only the Veterans from among the elites, separate from the Main Force, secretly bypassed the valley and struck the flank of the Lucifer Followers who were preparing to drop the logs.
It was a brutal scene, with bullets flying everywhere.
Victory overwhelmingly tilted towards the Annihilation Squad without difficulty.
[*Machine Gun Nest! Over there!*]
“I'm going!”
[*Kill them!*]
I burst forward, pushing off the ground with explosive speed.
As soon as they spotted me, heavy machine gun fire began pouring out from the machine gun nest.
Black Magic is also Magic.
Even when magic stones are used to channel mana, the range and power are greatly weakened, which is why Lucifer Followers favored firearms.
And I didn't dodge the Heavy Machine Gun Rounds flying at me.
The Time Stop Armor repelled all the bullets.
“Sniping! Target the joints!!”
[*Like hell, you idiots!!*]
The Time Stop Armor was still armor.
Since my defense couldn't defend the joints, some skilled Snipers tried to target my joints.
Kon wouldn't just stand by and watch that.
The bullets flying towards my joints were simply deflected by Kon's Telekinesis.
Nothing could stop me.
“Damn it! Prepare Black Magic!!”
As I entered a certain range, the Black Mages waiting in the Machine Gun Nest began casting spells at me.
But I had no intention of letting them hit me.
The time it took for them to cast and fire their spells at me was slower than the time it took for me to crush the Machine Gunner and crumple the Heavy Machine Gun along with him.
And once that was done?
My job was finished.
“Neutralized! Fire!!”
The Bolt-Action Rifles of the Golden Company's Snipers, at a range Black Magic couldn't possibly reach, spat fire.
The Golden Company's rifles, equipped with Telescopic Sights almost as long as their barrels, boasted incredible Shooting Precision.
In an instant, as the Mages fell with holes in their bodies, it was the Hunters' turn.
The Hunters, shouting something in rough Northern dialect, charged forward, their Auto Shotguns spitting fire.
The Lucifer Followers were instantly riddled with holes and died from the 10-gauge Shotguns, which used recoil to load the next round.
It was easy.
Definitely easy.
Once I roughly killed or neutralized the key figures and pulled back, the Hunters and the Golden Company took care of the rest.
After the last Machine Gun Nest was neutralized,
There were no more living Lucifer Followers in the vicinity, except for one.
“P-please save me....... *Gasp!*”
The Annihilation Squad didn't kill the one who appeared to be the Person in Charge, but dragged him before me.
I placed my hand on his head and read his memories.
Immediately after, a hole was blown through the Person in Charge's head.
“Remove the logs!”
After the Hunters skillfully removed the traps, designed to send logs rolling down if a single rope was cut, the Expedition Team was able to cross the valley without incident.
And then.
It was the same for the next one.
“That Black Mage over there! Please take care of him, Saint!”
“Understood!”
Heavy Machine Guns are strategically placed in key Passageways.
Particularly threatening Black Mages.
Magic Beasts were brought as secret weapons.
After neutralizing or destroying those guys, I quickly returned to the Annihilation Squad.
Then the bullets took care of the rest.
“Saint! This guy's artery is severed!”
“Bring him here!”
“His finger is cut off!”
“I'll provide treatment! Lay him down! Over there!”
“His lung is punctured by shrapnel! He can't breathe, Saint!”
“I'll heal him!”
Breaking through Floor 4 and Floor 5 took a total of five days.
And during those five days, we had to break through a total of four ambushes.
Naturally, since I wasn't moving alone, the wounded poured out in droves.
As long as I was watching.
Not a single person could be allowed to die or be injured.
“A Frontal Assault is too dangerous, Saint.”
“You could be exposed to Black Magic!”
I continued to volunteer for dangerous missions.
Of course, the Field Commanders of the Annihilation Squad, the Guild Masters and Golden Company Members, tried to dissuade me, but I didn't listen.
“It's better if I get attacked instead of you all. I don't want to see my people die in front of my eyes. And even if I fall, can't you all save me right away? Isn't that why we came together?”
A bullet meant for someone else.
I took it one more time.
I threw myself into the fray, trusting in the Time Stop Armor and Kon's Psychic Power to handle the Black Magic.
[*Like hell!!*]
Kon desperately used Telekinesis to disrupt the spells' aim, and as soon as a spell missed, he used Telekinesis to snap the Black Mage's neck.
Precision.
His Psychic Precision alone was truly remarkable, to an extent that couldn't be ignored.
If it weren't for Kon, the fight would have been much harder.
After those intense five days
“This is the Lake of Serenity. If we go down there, it's Floor 6, Saint.”
The Expedition Team entered the Entrance to Floor 6.
Casualties: 0.
Wounded: 0.
***
At the entrance to Labyrinth Floor 6.
The Expedition Team set up camp and was resting.
The smell of cooking and the sounds of various conversations drifted through the air.
I leaned against the carriage I always rode in, leisurely looking down at the people chatting.
Over the past five days.
I could feel that the Expedition Team's gaze towards me had changed.
[*Everyone's staring a lot, Amael.*]
Kon said that in a somehow pleased tone.
I nodded.
The Golden Company had always looked at me with respect.
But now, they were looking at me with an almost worshipful feeling.
The Hunters were similar.
The gaze that saw me merely as an important person to protect was gone.
Hunters who met my gaze placed a hand on their chest, bowed slightly, and then moved away with great deference.
“It's the respect shown to someone they owe their lives to. It's rare for someone to earn the respect of the majority of the Labyrinth's Elite Hunters. You have every right to be proud, Saint.”
Old Man Ban said this as he handed me a wooden bowl of stew.
“I just did what was necessary.”
“Didn't you throw yourself in front of Heavy Machine Guns and Black Magic, seemingly without regard for your own life? That wasn't just 'necessary.' That was a great deed.”
“I did it trusting in Time Stop, Kon, and my Healing Ability. I definitely wasn't overexerting myself.”
“Someone who possesses outstanding abilities yet throws themself into the fray for the humblest among us. That is what makes one great. You deserve that respect, Saint.”
Old Man Ban chuckled, then began to gulp down his stew.
I watched Ban beside me.
“If that's the case, aren't you far greater? Didn't you charge at the very front, knowing full well that one wrong bullet or one wrong spell could kill you?”
Old Man Ban volunteered for all four Annihilation Operations.
And he stood at the very front, firing his shotgun more passionately than anyone else.
I might have Time Stop Armor and Healing Ability, but Old Man Ban didn't have any of that, did he?
“Well, I'm just a living corpse who could die at any moment. The young ones should live, and an old man like me should die. Wouldn't that be logical?”
Old Man Ban let out a small laugh.
I took a few spoonfuls of stew, following Old Man Ban's lead.
It was a simple, yet nutritious and delicious stew.
“When you meet Ponemkin, what will you want to say first, Mr. Ban?”
“I want to ask if our family is truly the descendant of the true hero Karim.”
The unexpected question made me let out a hollow laugh.
“Haven't you come all this way, believing solely in the fact that you have been the Descendant of Hero Karim for 300 years?”
“That's right. We came this far on that belief alone. But it's just a belief. No one truly knows if we are the Descendants of the Hero Family or not.”
Old Man Ban tapped his eye.
“We don't have Blue Eyes, do we? Our Family has lived with murky brown eyes for generations. No Blue Eyes. No evidence to prove we're the Descendant of the Hero Family. We're just people who, a very long time ago, believed one of our ancestors said they were the Descendant of Hero Karim.”
Old Man Ban clenched his fist.
“For 300 years, we've been called liars. My grandson, my last remaining bloodline, will live without hearing such words. I intend to prove that my ancestor's words were not a lie, but the truth. That is this old man's last wish.”
Old Man Ban ate quickly.
He emptied the stew from the wooden bowl in an instant, then stood up.
“Floor 6, then. I heard the Followers have no plans from here on.”
That was true.
No matter how many Followers' memories I scanned, there were no more Ambush Plans from Floor 6 onwards.
“It's possible they realized we could read memories and decided not to leak information to their Subordinates anymore.”
“That could be it. Or it might be because ambushes are difficult here. From Floor 6, Magic Beasts become extremely dangerous. It might be impossible to set up large-scale traps.”
“Then.........how do they plan to stop us?”
“It's highly likely they'll try to stop us with a powerful individual who can face the entire Expedition Team alone, or by deploying a Magic Beast of equivalent strength. Have you perhaps seen any memories related to that?”
At Old Man Ban's words, a memory suddenly flashed through my mind.
I scanned the memories of the Person in Charge of the last Ambush Team.
A faint memory that had passed by.
“It seems it was a top secret even among the Followers. Among the memories I saw, no one knew the clear and precise details. However.........there is one scene from a memory that gives me a strong hunch.”
“Would you tell us, Saint?”
I sincerely hoped it wasn't true.
But in this place, one always had to assume the worst.
“I pray I'm wrong, but if there's something blocking us on Floor 6.........it's highly likely to be a Fire Dragon.”