âUrgh!â Boreas finally pulled himself together after being knocked down by the sudden blasts. The explosions themselves werenât that big of a deal, but the massive pieces of debris that had fallen from the ceiling were a bigger problem.
He groaned at the horrendous sight that lay in front of him, as he barely managed to stand up from the rocks and dirt that weighed down on his body.
âLord Boreas!â The lieutenant returned from the passageway and asked, âAre you alright?â
Boreas didn't even respond to his concerned query. He was still trying to comprehend the tragedy that had occurred right in front of his eyes.
The passageway that had existed just moments prior had now totally collapsed.
âGaaaargh!â
âGuhâŚâ
Screams and groans could be heard from all over. The soldiers who were still alive considered themselves lucky.
The soldiers who had been near the epicenter of the explosion, or were swept away by the subsequent blast of fire, left not a single trace behind.
âWe lost fifty percent of our troops! Those that survived are badly injured! The passageway is also now completely sealed and further advancement is impossible!â
At his lieutenantâs report, Boreas let out a rage-induced howl. âGaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!â
***
âWhat⌠What did you do?â Utherâs skin crawled at the sight of what had just happened, and finally managed to piece together a few words. âIt didnât look like magic, and yet an explosion that bigâŚâ
Kim Jin-Woo didnât respond, and instead was focused on the screen that was receiving visuals from the last remaining slime in the vicinity of the explosion.
It looked like hell itself. Soldiers crushed by debris, their limbs lost from the explosion, were wailing in agony from all across the passageway. Those fortunate enough to survive were busy climbing over the rocks, desperately trying to rescue those buried alive. It was chaos.
There werenât even that many that could be rescued. It appeared as though almost half of the troops had been wiped out.
âThis should buy some time for the other labyrinth masters, just as I promised,â Kim Jin-Woo remarked
Uther looked at Kim Jin-Woo as if he had just seen a ghost. How he had managed to totally collapse the passageway without any magic was something Uther couldnât even begin to comprehend. He exclaimed, âYou didnât just buy them time. Youâve dealt such massive damage to their army before the fight has even begun!â
Kim Jin-Woo looked down upon the overly excited Uther and answered, âNo. The 10th Floor soldiers are stronger than you think. Look. Even now, survivors are still appearing.â
At those words, Uther turned to the screen and let out an inaudible gasp. Soldiers were climbing out of the pile of dirt and stone, as though the undead were rising from their graves.
âFrom the way I see it, theyâve lost around twenty percent of their troops, not the forty percent we expected. Theyâre indeed stupidly tough,â Kim Jin-Woo remarked.
Despite that, the results were better than expected. The main purpose was to block off the passageway and the advancement of the troops, so any damage dealt to the troops directly was simply an added bonus.
This was no sheer luck, either. Those that left their respective floors would suffer a debuff penalty. The farther they were from their labyrinth, the weaker they would become.
Kim Jin-Woo couldnât help but wonder exactly how many had willingly accepted this penalty as they climbed to the 9th Floor.
It had been ten years since the end of the last war, and most survivors had been left to be wanderers without a home, confined to their own floors. Knowing this fact, Kim Jin-Woo had specifically targeted this weakness in the army, who were unaccustomed to traveling between the different floors.
The darkness of the passageway had blinded their sight, and the long journey upward had only made it more difficult for them to use their senses. All that accumulated into what had just happened.
The explosion itself wasnât that deadly, but even reducing the armyâs strength by ten percent would still have been a massive success. Besides, the survivors were in poor condition to fight.
âI still expected more. How unfortunate.â
Seeing Boreas without a single wound despite having been in the epicenter of the explosion, Kim Jin-Woo was undoubtedly disappointed. The armyâs leader had lost his majesty to the mud and debris all over him, but it only served to fuel his rage even further.
âInform those pathetic labyrinth masters who have locked themselves in their labyrinths. The enemy has lost one-tenth of their troops and are currently in chaos due to having their path blocked.â Kim Jin-Woo gave the order the moment he returned to the Nagaâs Fortress, and the nagas, who were all ready and waiting for their commander to return, all roared in unison. He continued, âBut we didnât manage to buy too much time. So tell them to hurry up and keep their promises.â
The Dragon Knights and Rangers all bowed and hastily left the labyrinth.
âNow, it truly begins.â
***
The labyrinth masters were shocked at the news that the nagas brought forth to them. They couldnât believe that the enemy had lost a tenth of their troops despite the fact that the war had yet to begin.
And with a fierce war imminent, they knew the nagas had no reason to lie. The power of the Nagaâs Fortress was once again proven to be formidable.
âInform the awaiting troops! Weâre moving out!â
However, they couldnât keep standing around in shock. The enemyâs movements were definitely slowed down by the collapse of the passageway, but all it would take to rectify the problem was to move aside the rocks and debris blocking their path.
Thinking of the enemies who would soon resume their advance, the labyrinth masters left half of their troops to defend their labyrinths while sending the remaining half to the nagasâ aid. The latter troops lined up and marched towards the Nagaâs Fortress.
âA hundred dwarves sent by the King of Hammer and Anvil await at the border of the labyrinth!â
âWeâve received a report that a hundred and fifty Nightmares sent by the Queen of Illusions have arrived!â
Kim Jin-Woo got up from his throne at the sight of various reinforcementsâ arrival. âDominique,â he called.
<Yes, Master.>
âTake care of things here while Iâm away.â
Dominique nodded seriously at those words.
***
âWhat kind of trick did he pull this time?â
The labyrinth masters who had gathered outside the Nagaâs Labyrinth were gossiping, trying to grasp the situation. They had heard from other labyrinth masters, who had scouted the goings-on at the passageway.
âItâs not magic. If it were magic, thereâs no way the 10th Floor Nobles wouldnât notice it. I even heard that their army is composed of creatures sensitive to magic.â
âI agree. According to my scouts, they didnât notice a single thing before the explosion went off. If it were magic, they would have sensed the flow of magic beforehand.â
âThe nagas are truly something else.â
The labyrinth masters were discussing Kim Jin-Wooâs unexplainable feats when Hecarim, King of the Wanderers, passed by them. With a disgusted look on his face, he finally broke his silence and spoke. âI understand your curiosity, but you guys are weird. In any case, isnât the Undefeated Baron on our side?â
Even the Queen of Illusions herself, who had vowed her loyalty to Kim Jin-Woo with the Vassalâs Pledge, spoke up as if to show her partiality. âYou guys arenât naive, but just stupid, arenât you? Is there any guarantee that that mysterious power wonât be directed at us? If it happens, do you have any way of stopping it?â
âJust the thought of it is scary enough. If an explosion like that happened in the middle of my labyrinth, I donât know what I should do.â
At the labyrinth masterâs words, Hecarim nearly spoke out once more before deciding not to. The subject of the discussion had made his appearance.
âYou guys are as easygoing as ever.â Kim Jin-Woo had a cold expression on his face, as his âStealthâ ability ended and his pale afterimage faded in. The labyrinth masters squirmed at his sudden appearance.
âIf only my enemies were like you guys. If that were the case, they would have given up on taking the 9th Floor and run for their lives by now.â
âMy King!â
âMaster!â
The labyrinth masters were taken aback by Hecarim and Arianeâs display of fierce loyalty as they got on their knees and greeted their master.
Regardless of their surprise, Kim Jin-Woo continued. âIf you have time to make small talk, you should be thinking of how to chase away our enemies. This war hasnât even started and yet youâre worrying about the future beyond that. Iâm disgusted beyond belief. Youâre all pathetic.â
The labyrinth masters belatedly realized their mistake and shut their mouths.
âBut anyway, is this everyone?â Kim Jin-Woo asked. Compared to their previous meeting, there were a couple of labyrinth masters missing. He continued, âUther, whatâs going on?â
Uther, who had been hiding behind him using his own âStealthâ ability, showed himself and replied, âHmm. Gorinthosâ labyrinth has completely shut its doors. The same goes for the other labyrinths. It seems theyâve chosen to hide rather than fight.â
âIt seems theyâve already decided who will be the victor,â Ariane stated bluntly, and the mood turned sour.
But Kim Jin-Woo could only feel his rage rising. âWeaklings. Well, who knows. Maybe theyâre wiser than me.â
His eyes indicated otherwise. If those very labyrinth masters in question were in front of him, he would probably have devoured them whole.
âOf course, if the 10th Floor Nobles win, theyâll be rewarded in a way. But should they lose, Iâll make sure that theyâre punished and pay the price for their insolence. Iâll see it through to the end.â
The thought of what might happen to Gorinthos and the other labyrinth masters shook the hearts of the labyrinth masters who were present. The circumstances of the war hadnât changed, and yet they felt they had made the right choice.
âSeeing that there wonât be any more joining us, we should consolidate our forces.â
At Kim Jin-Wooâs straightforwardness, the labyrinth masters exchanged nervous looks.
But before he could even bat an eyelid, Malaxus stepped forward and lowered his head. âI hand over the command of my hundred battle dwarves until the end of this war.â
[You have taken command of a hundred battle dwarves led by Malaxus, King of the Hammer and Anvil. They will obey your orders first, unless their king repeats your command.]
In response to Malaxus' declaration, the other masters also announced the transfer of their command in a hurry.
[One hundred and fifty Nightmares led by Ariane, the Queen of Illusion, are now under your command.]
[By the effects of the Vassalâs Pledge, they will receive the same amplification effect as the nagas.]
[One hundred and forty centaurs, led by Hecarim, King of the Wanderers, are now under your command.]
[By the effects of the Vassalâs Pledge, they will receive the same amplification effect as the nagas.]
Following Hecarim and Ariane, ten other labyrinth masters also handed over command of their forces.
[You, the commander of the Naga Fortress, the righteous king and Underworld Baron, have become the commander-in-chief of the alliance.]
[The position of the commander-in-chief will be maintained until all 10th Floor Nobles have been fended off from the 9th Floor, and his orders are absolute.]
With that, Kim Jin-Woo amassed an army of seven hundred. Except for Ariane, Hecarim, and Malaxus, the rest of the labyrinth masters had left about half of their troops, and thus the number wasnât as large as he had expected. Nevertheless, he was still satisfied.
âVery good. You wonât regret your decisions,â Kim Jin-Woo said.
The labyrinth masters awkwardly looked at each other before bowing.
âWeâll take care of the small details on the way, but first, weâll move out!â
âOnward!â Assuming the position of vice commander, Uther shouted his order, and the seven-hundred-strong army started marching forward.