Chapter 145

“So you’re the leader,” Bartholomew said. Malaxus’ zeal had come back to bite him, as he was now the focus of Bartholomew’s rage.

“Argh!” The ferocious Bronze Giant tossed Ariane violently aside like a ragdoll and stomped toward the Dwarves. Several other giants followed closely behind him.

In terms of numbers, Malaxus and his troops had the upper hand, but the Noble’s troops had the labyrinth’s amplification buffs supporting them. The Dwarves and the Nightmares were easily defeated by the sheer might of the Giants on their home turf.

“S-stop him!” The Dwarves tried their best to block Bartholomew’s path, but they weren’t even able to buy another second of time, as they were effortlessly crushed to pieces.

“This… this has all gone wrong.” Ariane groaned from the corner as she spat out blood. “Hecarim is in their hands as well…”

The huge spear in Bartholomew’s hand looked familiar. If her guess was correct, the spear was Hecarim itself, which had initially been used by the other labyrinth masters to lure the enemy’s main forces outside of their labyrinth. It seemed as though it had fallen at the hands of the wretched Bronze Giant.

“Looks like my time is up. Guess I was too greedy,” Malaxus lamented as he saw the Giant approaching him just a short distance away.

Malaxus had once tasted victory with his allies against the 10th Floor coalition army that invaded the 9th Floor. Thousands of the 10th Floor army troops had been killed that day, and their leaders had also barely fled with their lives. That unprecedented victory had caused Malaxus to be gravely mistaken.

Neither he nor his Dwarves had been the protagonists of that victory. Not only were they just supporting characters, they had barely had a minor role in that war. The main cause behind that impossible victory was the Undefeated Commander, not him.

With that understanding, reality began to sink in. Where they were right now wasn’t even the 9th Floor. Contrary to their previous encounter, the Dwarves were the ones now receiving the inter-floor penalty, while their enemies were receiving their own amplification buffs. It was no different from having their hands and feet bound while fighting a tough opponent.

Looking back, Malaxus wondered what the hell he had been thinking, underestimating the 10th Floor so easily. He muttered, “Nah, I guess I was too blinded by the loot.”

But an early regret was still too late, and there seemed no way out of this crisis. Before Malaxus even knew it, the surviving guards of the labyrinth were freed from the illusion magic cast by Ariane, and surrounded them from all sides.

“Roaaaaaaaaar!” The Giants roared furiously, but Malaxus couldn’t tell whether it was to mourn the loss of their clanmates, or a war cry filled with bloodlust. Surrounded by enemies, with no possible way out of his predicament, Malaxus was prepared to die.

“Those mere few down gems are all you’re worth?” Bartholomew looked at the few down gems in Malaxus’ hand and snorted.

Seeing the Giant’s blatant contempt and ridicule, Malaxus was simply lost for words. He mustered all the willpower he had left, but it dissipated as he realized his own pitiful state. And when the Dwarves realized that their own King had lost his will to fight, they too surrendered.

“Kneel. Beg for mercy.” Bartholomew spoke arrogantly, like a predator playing with his prey just before going for the kill.

The King of the Dwarves, who had already half-succumbed to the Noble’s Majesty effect and had lost his will, began to bow slowly, not daring to disobey those words. But his body suddenly stopped halfway through his bow. In addition, even his slightly trembling body stopped shaking.

“Stop,” came a voice.

It was a sudden turn of events, but instead of looking at the measly Dwarf’s bow, Bartholomew was frantically searching for the source of the powerful murderous intent that had suddenly enveloped his entire labyrinth. He began, “You are…”

When had they arrived? From a distance, men with cutlasses shining brightly like the crescent moon were making their approach.

“The only person you should kneel for is Him, not that useless chunk of metal,” Ariane said.

Bartholomew saw Ariane’s smiling, bloody face and belatedly understood what was happening. He grew furious at the realization that the wicked shaman had been distracting him this whole time.

He exclaimed, “You bastard! Why are you here!?” His new opponent was formidable. The one leading the army of warriors was an Underworld Baron, just as he was.

“Why? Because our merciful king sent me to check on these wretched servants,” Boreas said with a wide grin.

***

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[The Conqueror’s army is free from the inter-floor penalty. But the army is so large that some squads are unable to receive this penalty pass.]

[Only designated troops are exempt from the inter-floor penalty.]

[The Undefeated Commander’s name resounds throughout the 10th Floor. The morale of allied forces will increase, and they will fight harder with the participation of their trusted Commander.]

[Any opponent that confronts his army will be petrified and demoralized. They will easily fall into despair or fear.]

After a year of bloody battle, the effectiveness of the Conqueror’s name and the Undefeated Commander’s abilities has grown even more powerful. Just his mere presence on the battlefield had changed the tide of battle.

By setting foot on the 10th Floor, numerous troops under his command were freed from the inter-floor penalty, and benefited from the amplification effects of the Undefeated Commander.

“Looks like we’ve suffered quite a heavy loss,” Dominique reported.

“Of course. No matter how corrupt or lazy they may be, they’re still Nobles. Who can emerge victorious without even shedding a drop of blood?” Kim Jin-Woo responded nonchalantly.

Despite the fact that his army was now able to escape the inter-floor penalty and receive his amplification buff effects, the enemy forces would be able to hold their own easily due to their respective labyrinths’ defensive effects. Things would be different if he were to head to the battlefield himself, but there were countless battles occurring across the battlefield, and there was only one of him.

“Still, I’m glad the Under-Elves are now proving their worth. Thanks to them, we don’t have to unnecessarily clash with the Moai,” Dominique said.

Dominique, who had gone through all sorts of conflicts with Rikshasha in the past, no longer treated her as a lowly Under-Elf. Still, she was unable to wholeheartedly praise her.

With a pouty expression that didn’t match what she was saying, she rubbed her mouth before changing the topic. “Aren’t we helping them a bit too late?”

“No, now is the perfect time. If we helped too early on, they would have been too focused on their own personal gains. By now, they should feel more strongly about my support than what they’ve individually accomplished thus far.”

It was Kim Jin-Woo himself who had put up the 10th Floor Nobles’ labyrinth cores as a reward for the 9th Floor labyrinth masters’ contribution to the war, but he had no intention of sharing such precious artifacts with them so easily from the beginning.

Of course, if he were to make use of them without promising any rewards, he could have done so. But no matter how much allegiance they swore to him under the Underworld system, it would have created dissatisfaction among them without a doubt. Thus, he had thought of the best way to balance out getting them to achieve his mission while also rewarding them appropriately.

It was an unavoidable decision given the situation on the 9th Floor, which had been expanding aggressively.

“Let’s move out.” Lives were being lost and death surrounded him, but Kim Jin-Woo was relaxed, as if he were out for a leisurely stroll.

But that was merely what others saw on the surface. His eyes were analyzing the messages appearing in front of his eyes, and he was busy relocating his troops and adjusting the power balance on the battlefield.

“Inform Morrigan that once she’s done, she is to head west.”

“Heimdall is to head northwest. Balzark and Quantus alone aren’t enough.”

“Rikshasha and the Under-Elves are to assist the retreating allies by slowing down the enemy’s pursuit. Avoid direct combat, and make use of confusion tactics.”

As expected, they weren’t able to directly fight against the Nobles. Heimdall, Morrigan and Boreas were busy supporting the troops, but none of the 9th Floor labyrinth masters were able to defeat the Nobles.

Balzark and the other Fortress leaders were busy supporting the troops as well, but even those who had evolved via consuming summoning stones seemed to struggle against the Nobles.

Nevertheless, the war situation wasn’t highly unfavorable. Over a hundred labyrinths from the 9th Floor had invaded the 10th Floor. No matter how powerful the Nobles were, their defense was limited to whatever power they had remaining after engaging with the Moai.

But just as always, Kim Jin-Woo was racing against the clock.

“Hurry. The Moai have tracked the scent of our blood,” Dominique reported. The Moai, which the Under-Elves had been luring away all this time, had now caught the scent of all the blood spilled on the battlefield.

“Damn bastards. Looks like they want the entire 10th Floor for themselves.” Kim Jin-Woo couldn’t help but curse under his breath as he felt the malice of the Moai slowly consuming the battlefield. There were far more Moai on the 10th Floor than he had anticipated. “Gather the retreating troops and prepare to engage the Moai.”

He had wanted to avoid unnecessary bloodshed fighting Moai, but life never gave him what he wanted. He received the various reports pouring in from messengers across the battlefield and began preparing contingency plans.

“Guess it’s time for me to slowly take care of what I’ve been delaying for so long.” As the Moai’s movements became more frantic, Kim Jin-Woo knew that it was time for him to move. “I’ll take charge of the main unit.”

Despite Moai pouring in from all directions, Dominique’s expression didn’t change one single bit. And likewise, Kim Jin-Woo wasn’t worried about her or the main unit. He said, “I’ll leave them to you.”

“Yes, Master!” Dominique replied brightly as Kim Jin-Woo mounted his Tiger Dragon. She said, “Please be careful.”

“You too, Dominique.” Kim Jin-Woo smiled widely at Dominique’s unwavering loyalty and concern toward him, as he sat in the saddle before kicking the Tiger Dragon’s side. “Let’s move!”

Kim Jin-Woo and fifty of his Dragon Knights detached from the main unit and headed out toward the battlefield. Ignoring the presence of the Moai, they galloped straight toward the labyrinth of Ustus, the One-Eyed King and Fragment of the Ancient Lord.

“No need to waste your strength! Just clear the ones blocking your way!” Kim Jin-Woo exclaimed as he and the Dragon Knights charged forth at full speed. There was an occasional Moai or two in the way, but Kim Jin-Woo easily cut them down with a swing of his sword.

After a long time, Kim Jin-Woo finally reached his destination. “Stop,” he commanded, and he and his Dragon Knights slowed down when they saw the One-Eyed beings surrounding their labyrinth.

Between the One-Eyed beings stood Ustus, who greeted him as though they had been expecting him. “I’ve been waiting.”

“You knew I was coming?” Kim Jin-Woo asked. Despite the fact that it was a fairly unexpected visit by Kim Jin-Woo and his fierce Dragon Knights, Ustus seemed as calm as ever, nodding wordlessly.

“Then perhaps you know the reason why I came?” Kim Jin-Woo asked again. Once again, Ustus simply nodded without uttering a single word.

Kim Jin-Woo had been outspoken thus far, but Ustus’ calm demeanor didn’t sit right with him. For some reason, something felt off, and he wasn’t able to quite put his finger on it.

But suddenly, Ustus stepped forward and spoke. “My five hundred subordinates have now dwindled to just a hundred. At this rate, I’ll suffer a miserable end that doesn’t live up to my name. I’m only glad that I’ll get to choose my own end.”

And with that, Ustus looked at Kim Jin-Woo as he said his final piece. “Thus, please take what you’ve wanted all along.”

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