Chapter 4) Roderick’s Labyrinth

“Kuu, delicious humans have come after a long time. It is possible to finally eat human meat.”

Common flying demons were waiting on the 1st floor of Roderick’s Labyrinth. Weed had been prepared for battle from the moment he came down the stairs so he instantly used a skill.

“Radiant Sword!”

7 eagles flew out and hit the demon soldier’s body!

The first demon soldier he met had incredible resilience.

“Only this degree…”

It was said that originally intermediate demons existed on the Versailles Continent. The demons were weakened under the influence of the G.o.ds and destroyed. That’s why they looked for contractors and took over the body of warlocks. The demons exerted a powerful influence over the land if they were underground and were difficult to subdue.

‘I raised Radiant Sword to this degree and it didn’t even make a scratch.’

The demon soldier wielded a thorn-studded whip.

“This much is ridiculous!”

Weed rolled and avoided the whip. The whip shot out and opened a deep gap in the ground. The demon wielded the whip quickly and the range was also wide so it was fairly difficult to avoid.

There was a sharp, scorpion like sting at the end of the whip and had embedded monster teeth. It had a paralysing ability when hit directly.

The whip attacked from a distance and shaved away at Weed’s health and combat power.

“You can’t continue to run away like a rat.”

“We’ll see soon.”

“All humans are similar. They have no sense.”

Weed didn’t both talking about the distant future. The paladins from the Freya and Lugh Churches have finally descended the stairs.

“Evil that defies the will of the G.o.ds!”

“Catch it!”

The brave paladins received the priests’ blessings and jumped forward.

“The troublesome believers have come!”

Nevertheless, the momentum was still with the demon soldier. It wasn’t possible to deal a blow to the demon with ordinary weapons. Holy power was a demon’s natural enemy but it was level 500 so the soldier wouldn’t die that easily. It alone could be a boss cla.s.s monster!

Even the attacks from the paladins were weakened so the demon soldier received significantly reduced damage.

“Deny the G.o.d you believe in. Holy Corruption!”

The demon soldier used a magic to reduce the ability of the paladins. It didn’t weaken the paladin’s physical power but their holy magic. A paladin with weak faith would have lower skills and eventually there was a risk of betrayal.

“Hand of Oppression!”

The demon brandished the whip in its right hand and grabbed the air with its left. And a paladin floated in the air like he was caught by a giant hand.

Kwadududuk.

The paladin’s s.h.i.+eld and armour was crushed by a strong pressure!

“Dirty Soul Fragment!”

An explosion occurred in front of the demon soldier and spread all over the place. The wide area attack skill made it difficult for the paladins.

“This body has returned to the G.o.ddess.”

“Kneeling due to evil…”

2 paladins from the Freya Church had already been killed. The paladins systematically fought in a formation but the magic and whip attack from the demon was very intense. Furthermore, it was difficult for them to even concentrate on attacking.

“I should’ve expected it to be like this from the beginning. Not many paladins and priests have entered yet. Van Hawk, Torido!”

Weed called his subordinates. He had wanted to avoid summoning a Death Knight and Vampire Lord if possible. If the paladins and priests saw them then their morale would weaken. They were worse enemies so an adverse effect would occur despite Weed’s high leaders.h.i.+p. But defeating the demon right now was more pressing.

“Go fight!”

“Understood, Master.”

Van Hawk rushed to the front as soon as he appeared. The Death Knight had the same attribute as the enemy. And the demon was a strong monster but it couldn’t be compared to Barkhan. Van Hawk also grew as his battle experience acc.u.mulated.

“That is a demon soldier. Master…beautiful girls coming to a place like this.”

Torido mumbled and quickly headed to the side of the demon.

A vampire’s battle style was to dazzle the enemy! The priests used this break to heal paladins injured or suffering under a curse. The many priests meant that the wounded soldiers could recover their combat ability quickly. If they didn’t die then combat power could be restored.

The paladins holding their s.h.i.+elds and swords continued coming down the stairs until eventually Alveron and Derian arrived. Bahamorg was the last one to enter Roderick’s Labyrinth.

Weed’s plan was to come in first to clear any demons at the entrance. Bahamorg was instructed to enter last in case Weed needed saving.

The priests’ holy magic supported the paladin’s pincer movement and the demon received a cruel blow. The whole place was filled with a holy power as the demon was wrapped in a holy light.

Torido and Van Hawk had played active role in reversing the situation. Now the situation didn’t require them any longer. Weed wanted to raise his two subordinates but he had to give that up due to the priests and paladins entering the labyrinth.

He had to sacrifice something in order to pretend to be good.

“Humans. Disgusting humans have come here!”

The demon swung its whip despite suffering from the paladins and the priests’ holy magic. But it couldn’t last longer once Bahamorg joined and turned grey as its life was lost.

“We finally won.”

Ultimately 3 paladins were sacrificed. It was their first time dealing with a demon and they entered Roderick’s Labyrinth via a narrow staircase so they received quite a bit of damage. It was far more advantageous to gather the priests and paladins together and have them use long ranged holy magic.

But once they entered deeper into the labyrinth, at least 10 or 12 demon soldiers would appear at the same time. Even the Morningstar Guild couldn’t last against 13 demons and were wiped out. And n.o.body had continued deeper so there was no telling what dangerous places there were.

“I knew there was going to be trouble…it can’t be avoided.”

Weed repaired the armour and sword of the paladins while they were resting. Having the Blacksmith skill in an expedition was essential to maintaining their power.

“Thank you very much. Your Majesty.”

“It is a honour to have you sharpen my sword directly…”

“You have learned skills to punish the wicked and establish justice. I have to do everything I can since you are fighting the demons.”

Weed was able to slightly raise his intimacy with the paladins. Of course, that would only come in handy if the paladins lived.

“Healing Hands.”

“Freya’s Barrier.”

“Protection of Faith!”

Weed led the paladins and started carefully hunting in the labyrinth. It wasn’t difficult to deal with the mutated monsters made by the magician Roderick.

“Bahamorg, lure them.”

“Understood.”

There were many powerful monsters with levels in the late 400s. Even if the personal power of the paladins and priests were weak, their combat power was a group was outstanding. Recovery magic was available so it was possible to do a quick first aid in a long battle.

There weren’t any monsters that could threaten the group’s lives but they were decent to hunt. The strengthening auras on the paladins also had a significant effect. The Freya Church had a bright purple aura while the Church of Lugh had a white aura. The paladins fought spectacularly while radiating an aura according to their faith.

“Kuwaaaab!”

There were many undisclosed places on the continent with high ranking monsters that wasn’t possible to enter. But it wasn’t unusual when this much power was gathered.

“2 people died this time.”

Every time a demon soldier emerged, Weed carefully commanded the paladins but those that showed even a little gap were sacrificed. The level difference between the demons and paladins was too serious.

His brain worked quickly as he tried to find a way to fight against the demons. The weak paladins who judged that they couldn’t avoid death were determined to drag the enemies down with them into h.e.l.l. Despite fighting defensively, 11 paladins had already died in the labyrinth.

“I need to make sure the paladins don’t decrease…if I can’t find a way to navigate the labyrinth then the damage will only worsen.”

The morale of the paladins had yet to fall. They had confidence in the hero who saved the continent and Weed also had high achievements with the Freya and Lugh Churches.

But once they entered the labyrinth a little deeper, 5~6 demons would emerge. The labyrinth was complicated and difficult to grasp their location. Whenever Weed encountered a crossroad, he would unconditionally select the left path.

“I feel like I should go to the right…but that is unlucky so let’s go to the left.”

Monsters and demons kept on showing up. But there were many times when he returned to a place they had been. The entire labyrinth was filled with spatial distortions, spatial expansions and magic so it was difficult to find a path.

Weed didn’t know where the group was but they seemed to be circling around the labyrinth. As they reached the centre of the labyrinth, there were many crossroads and spatial distortions. They endlessly fought in Roderick’s Labyrinth as they ran out of food and were killed by the monsters and demons.

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Yoo Byung-jin watched the monitor with satisfaction.

“It is really severe this time.”

The Versailles Continent was suffering from the wars between prestigious guilds. The Hermes Guild temporarily stopped their war but everyone knew it would resume again once preparations were finished. And that time was fast approaching.

In order to compete with the Hermes Guild, other guilds were attempting to occupy more territory. In the meantime, the Embinyu Church was also devastating the continent. Yoo Byung-jin enjoyed Weed’s adventure more than the war.

“If he doesn’t succeed then he’ll be wiped out. And the current probability of success if 0.2% at most.”

The artificial intelligence calculated the odds of Bahamorg, the paladins and priests making it through Roderick’s Labyrinth. Weed was the variable here. Weed’s pure combat ability would slightly increase those odds to 0.23%.

“Final secret sculpting technique quest. It is very difficult and tricky.”

It was a quest that required all of a person’s power. The mobilization of sculptural lifeforms was necessary and Weed should’ve even created more sculptural lifeforms. Even if he did this, the calculated probability of success was approximately 5%.

Yet Weed didn’t many the sculptural lifeforms into Roderick’s Labyrinth for some reason. Yoo Byung-jin thought this plan was reckless and stupid.

“No one has broken through Roderick’s Labyrinth so the true degree of difficulty couldn’t be determined. Sometimes there is no choice but to fail even when every effort is made…anyway, the final secret sculpting technique will die here. There have already been a few other profession related skills buried.”

There were secret techniques for knights, warriors and magicians. The quests for the secret techniques were so difficult that people would go hunting in order to become stronger. They became too caught up in increasing their level.

The quests for the secret techniques of other professions were delayed too long and faded away. There was a large number of secrets on the Versailles Continent but people also played a role.

“Tsk tsk, 3 paladins died this time.”

Yoo Byung-jin was watching a battle against 2 demons on the monitor and 3 paladins had already been killed.

Once the fight started, it was inevitable they would die against the demons’ fierce aggressiveness. It was interesting for Yoo Byung-jin to watch Weed’s forces gradually weaken but it became tedious.

“It should be fascination once half a dozen emerges at once. Many will die then.”

If Weed couldn’t obtain the final secret sculpting technique then he wouldn’t be able to resist the Hermes Guild and would disappear. Even if that happened, Yoo Byung-jin was still having fun. He wanted to see Weed struggle and fight until the end. It was interesting as Weed was driven into an increasingly more extreme situation. The number of enemies increased as they wandered through the Roderick Labyrinth. Even if they found the path, they were likely to be wiped out while wandering around.

It was a situation where there was a deficient of information on how to find the correct path through the labyrinth. It was close to impossible to reach the room where Roderick studied magic.

-Based on Weed’s character and judgement, I’ve calculated his chances of success in this quest.

Yoo Byung-jin sipped his lemon tea and asked comfortably.

“How much is it this time?”

He calculated that the probability of success while commanding Bahamorg and the paladins was approximately 0.2%. This was after a comprehensive a.n.a.lysis of Weed’s judgement, leaders.h.i.+p and abilities demonstrated in every adventure so far.

-The probability of Weed suppressing Roderick’s Labyrinth is 46.7%.

“What did you say? Isn’t your calculation incorrect?”

-That is the average number that repeats after calculating it 316,820 times.

“Why is the success probability so high? It is impossible to find a path through the labyrinth.

-After a review of the existing data, Weed can find a way.

“The power of the paladins is too weak to conquer the labyrinth.”

-They will be able to demonstrate more strength under Weed’s leaders.h.i.+p. The damage will be minimized and they will gradually expand more power.

“There are a lot of dangerous traps in Roderick’s Labyrinth. Isn’t it possible that they will fall into a trap?”

-Whatever crisis Weed gets into, he will make an unpredictable choice.

Yoo Byung-jin’s mood sharply fell.

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“Ohh, demon henchmen!”

Bahamorg twisted a huge sword. Bahamorg was the only one who could fight against a demon soldier one on one. That wasn’t even possible for Weed unless he used Sculpture Transformation or Sculptural Destruction. The demons could use many types of black magic and curses.

“You are just trash from h.e.l.l and I will cut your body.”

Bahamorg’s taunt skill!

“A barbarian like you…”

“I won’t kill you smoothly. You will struggle in eternal torment.”

The angry demons brandished their whips towards Bahamorg. Once their magic and curses were concentrated on Bahamorg, they were easier to take care of. The priests showered Bahamorg with healing and blessings so there was no need to worry about the curses.

Bahamorg had a super hard body that deflected attacks and wore the best armour given by Emperor Geihar. He couldn’ receive the concentrated attacks of 2~3 without worry.

Meanwhile the paladins and priests cast holy magic and used their swords as support.

“It can’t be. The other humans…”

“Slaughter them. I have to kill more humans.”

The demons tried to provoke the paladins but Bahamorg persistently interfered.

“You think you can escape from me? Look at the funny sight of you running away with your tail between your leg!”

Bahamorg caught and firmly held 1 demon soldier. The paladins raised their s.h.i.+elds and the defence formation meant that their survival rate increased.

“You will be complete annihilated according to Lugh’s will!”

Lugh’s Sword wielded by Derian!

While Bahamorg was defending, Derian would attack. The holy power of the restored Lugh’s Sword made even the demons shy away. They were so busy trying to escape and couldn’t counter-attack against Derian. Weed hadn’t confirmed it but Derian was at least in the mid-500s.

‘If I raise him well then he can play more of a role than Alveron.’

Derian had quick sword skills but most of his strength was based on holy power. He could deal with 2~3 demons by himself but the problem was that the demons avoided Derian.

The blessing magic from Alveron was the best. He sometimes used wide range healing magic. It was dangerous if he cast a holy spell against the demons but he was protected by the paladins.

‘I taught him properly. Nevertheless, a lecture is needed for training.’

Weed understood the characteristics of the paladins and made a formation while utilizing Derian and Alveron. The paladins and priests wouldn’t fight well without leaders.h.i.+p. If a priest didn’t cast treatment magic at the appropriate timing then it could be dangerous to the paladins.

But that changed once Weed commanded them.

“Unit 1 will step back after attacking twice and Unit 2 will fill their place. Units 3 and 4 will use a crossbow attack while Unit 5 should be ready with spears to create distractions! Derian will use Lugh’s Sword to disturb the demon soldiers.”

The health and vitality of the demons were gradually shaved under the paladins’ offensive. He commanded the troops against the demons like he was conducting an orchestra. His ability to control the flow of combat like it was music! He thoroughly grasped the characteristics of his subordinates and made them work.

“Unit 7 priests, use holy magic on the right arm of the demon holding the whip!”

The demons possessed high health and excellent defence so it didn’t die in a short amount of time. But their ability to recovery was low compared to their level and aggression so h.e.l.l wasn’t well populated with them.

However, they exerted merciless power when weakened so the paladins couldn’t relax until they were dead. Weed predicted the movement of the demons and commanded the paladins.

“There are indeed many good points about fighting in a group.”

Weed liked the feeling of leading a ma.s.sive number of troops and continuously hunting boss cla.s.s monsters. The demons were strong but they couldn’t face a horde of people. The thing that exerted the maximum force over the demons was holy magic and numerical advantage!

“We have to fight these cunning fellows. Maintain our numerical dominance and isolate them. Paladins, stab your sword in from behind!”

The demons were too intimidating so it was natural for some paladins to become damaged. When the demon was about to die, it would give up its life and recklessly attack. This would kill a few paladins who couldn’t survive even with healing magic. If he didn’t prepare and command the troops properly then the formation would collapse and more people would die.

“30 paladins have already been killed.”

Weed sighed. The demons were very high level and the death of each paladin would cause his contribution to the related religion to fall.

“I’m going to have to prepare a bit more.”

He had prepared basic goods before the paladins entered Roderick’s Labyrinth.

Torches, extra swords, minimal food etc.

He brought enough supplies to endure for 1 month and 10 days. The colossal amount of supplies Weed prepared through Mapan was enough to fill 22 carriages. He didn’t want the group members to die from lack of food or materials. He had to solve Roderick’s Labyrinth and exit before the supplies ran out.

“I have to move more slowly.”

Weed only moved once the paladins and priests had perfect health and vitality. Of course, he still hadn’t found a way to navigate the labyrinth. Even when he returned to a previous place, he still stuck to the left.

‘There are still too many demon soldiers. We need to get used to them.’

There was two methods to get through Roderick’s Labyrinth. One was to quickly visit the centre. The problem was that he didn’t know the path but he could conserve his troops. Weed decided to go around.

‘I have to fight as much as possible. There are too many unknown things about the labyrinth to recklessly rush forward. There must be a clue somewhere so I have to look through every last corner of the labyrinth.’

Jeidun moved extremely slowly and disabled the traps. At every break, the paladins would switch between sleeping or sentry duty.

The carriages Mapan gave him was baggage in the rear. From the beginning he had prepared for living in Roderick’s Labyrinth.

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“Looking for a part to go hunting at Ullenba Lair. I am a level 230 axe warrior and have already hunted there a few times.”

“Does anyone have purple stones? I’m looking for 15 of them. It is essential for the success of enchanting magic.”

“The monsters are dangerous so I’m looking for people to travel with to Rasuru village.

Time pa.s.sed on the Versailles Continent while Weed wasn’t seen. The Arpen Kingdom’s territory widened and new buildings rose due to technological development. The ambitious architects challenged themselves to complete one building after another as festivals took place throughout the kingdom.

“Hooray the Arpen Kingdom!”

“The performance to commemorate the completion of the clock tower is starting now.”

“Gra.s.s porridge! Gra.s.s porridge!”

The Grand Buildings were used to promote the development of the Arpen Kingdom. It was required for users who went hunting or adventuring for a long time to return to the village.

“Is this place the Yusellin village? I think I made a mistake…”

“The walls have widened and there are many people here. How did this village change to a city in a few months?”

“Ah, that is the Alkazar Bridge! They were making it when I left but it seems to be completed already.”

“We can now cross the river using that bridge. Aren’t there many lights on the other side?”

“It is evening so you can’t see it well but a city is being built there.”

Users sometimes stood in the middle of the street with dumb surprise.

“Where do I go if I want to reach the market?”

“What do you want to buy?”

“A leather tr.i.m.m.i.n.g tool for my bag.”

“Oh, there is a leather specialist store in the South Square. The larger shopping centre is in the east but it will be difficult to find simple things there.”

“Thank you very much.”

The development speed was just as quick as Morata in the past as the entire Arpen Kingdom changed. If the kingdom developed then the capital Morata would prosper even more. It was an obvious choice for beginners to start in the north.

“The King of the Arpen Kingdom defends our pride and honour. King Weed is the only one who can bring back the glory of the Niflheim Empire.”

“It is an honour for the Imperial Knights to follow a charismatic and honourable new king.”

“Aha! A new trade route has opened.”

“Merchants, quickly go to Vent Castle.”

“What local specialities will sell well?”

“That place does have enough goods so everything from Morata is popular.”

Beginner merchants riding carriages and others form the Arpen Kingdom flocked towards Vent Castle. Adventurers and knights also headed there.

“What kind of adventures will be here?”

“Go faster. We have to complete the first quests and dungeons.”

“Miller-nim, don’t you have to go work today?”

“I took a one week vacation so I can access the game. The adventure will start today!”

Vent Castle remained intact even after the fall of the Niflheim Empire. It was natural for there to be many rare quests among the residents.

“Sir Knight, your method of handling a horse is still immature.”

“I came to learn.”

“I’ll teach you the Niflheim Empire’s methods of fighting on a horse.”

“Heok, that is an advanced technique….! I am prepared to die in order to learn it.”

Knights were able to acquire new techniques at the castle.

Many beginners who started in Morata chose a knight profession. Knights steadily rose horses, defended justice and was loyal to the kingdom. They also had high defence that could withstand strong monsters so it was a popular profession. But knights that didn’t belong to a village couldn’t gain honour and dignity. Those knights were the most pleased about the founding of the Arpen Kingdom.

“Now we can be openly called knights of the Arpen Kingdom!”

“Kya kya kya, I’m going to show off to my friends.”

Knights had influence in the kingdom and could receive better treatment from residents even if they had low fame. Of course, it there was a battle for the kingdom then they were obliged to go out and restore peace. But knights willing to do their duty could obtain a portion of the kingdom’s profit.

“Is there something coming from the sky?”

“Isn’t it a cloud?”

“It seems to be a piece of land…”

Lavias the sky island had arrived in the Arpen Kingdom. The island where the avians lived!

“The Arpen Kingdom is no joke. Something exciting is always happening.”

“The pace that the Arpen Kingdom is developing at is hard to match. I’m a little behind so I’ll have to hunt eagerly.”

“CTS Media has a program related to the Arpen Kingdom every week. And the rumours in the taverns can’t be missed.”

Lavias the sky island neared Morata. The users were able to fly to Lavias through items purchased from the stores or quests.

The Gra.s.s Porridge Cult had an urgent meeting.

“Our Gra.s.s Porridge shouldn’t be undeveloped.”

“I agree. We need to spread the excellent taste of gra.s.s porridge to all continents.”

“If they taste the gra.s.s porridge then they will join.”

“I want to see a newly born bird pecking at bread.”

The avians joined the Gra.s.s Porridge Cult! And there were also discussions about why Weed hadn’t shown up for a long time. He succeeded in his hummingbird’s journey and training Radiant Sword in a storm.

“He rallied the priests and paladins of the Freya and Lugh Churches to go somewhere…I don’t know anything but it is bad if we haven’t heard any news.”

“Do you think his adventure will succeed?”

“Of course, he is Weed-nim!”

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The Hermes Guild didn’t pa.s.s the time doing nothing.

“The integration for the occupied areas of the Kallamore Kingdom, Lasalle Kingdom and Britten Alliance Kingdom is almost complete.

“The Tullen Kingdom?”

“There are still some things to arrange there. We have the Beden Guild cleaning up the last remaining forces of the Black Lion Guild.”

They made progress against the Cloud Guild of the Britten Alliance Kingdom. They had absorbed key members and slowly dismantling the guild.

The Kallamore Kingdom, Lasalle Kingdom, Britten Kingdom and the Tullen Kingdom had been perfectly devoured by the Haven Empire. The Hermes Guild knew that they wouldn’t be able to stop once they started expanding their territory again.

“Pay attention to mine development, secure blacksmiths and open a supplies road.”

“We’ve established a plan for conquest.”

They would alienate other guilds while spreading and paying attention to the rear would weaken them. Lafaye prepared a conquest plan that would allow them to proceed without a hitch.

“The construction of the Imperial Palace?”

“The construction site is enormous so the completion rate is 83% despite hurrying.”

“Don’t worry about the budget and commit to it.”

“There are no problems. But many decorations and artworks are required for the Imperial Palace. That’s why there is a delay.”

Sculptures and artworks were indispensable for the elegance of a palace. The Imperial Palace increased the authority of the Emperor and maximized his grip on the entire Empire.

Normally architects and artists were commissioned by the guild. It was normal for them to complete buildings destroyed by wars. However, most architects with great workmans.h.i.+p moved to the north and they were forced to deal with roadside artists.

The north was taking the lead in cultural development.

They were lacking artists so the construction of the Imperial Palace was behind schedule.

“The Hermes Guild will begin their war of conquest once the Imperial Palace is completed.”

They didn’t have any moral justification to conquer the continent. They just wanted to become the strongest force on the continent!

Their military would advance in 3 directions towards the Gradian, Ritten and Aidern Kingdoms.

“Is there any news about Weed’s situation?”

Rather than the other competing guilds, Lafaye cared more about Weed. Whenever he was quiet, he would suddenly show up and cause a big incident!

“According to an a.n.a.lysis from our intelligence network, Weed has entered Roderick’s Labyrinth.

“Is that reliable information?”

“Someone in Somren City witnessed him hiring the paladins and priests from the Freya and Lugh Churches. And the only place that would require that much power nearby…”

“Roderick’s Labyrinth. But going there is suicide.”

Lafaye thought it was outrageous for a moment.

‘Is he crazy? That is too hard if it is for his Sculpting Master Quest.’

He was surprised since no one had conquered Roderick’s Labyrinth.

‘It will take some time to finish the cla.s.s quest. If nothing unusual happens then Weed would finish the Cla.s.s Master Quest first. But if he dies in the labyrinth then his sculpting skill would fall.’

Losing skill proficiency at this moment was serious. The damage was so large that it was likely Weed’s other production skills would fall as well.

‘I just don’t get it. Roderick’s Labyrinth at this point…can he clear Roderick’s Labyrinth?’

Lafaye shook his head.

So far, famous parties had challenged Roderick’s Labyrinth. They all failed to defeat it. The monsters were a problem but so was finding the correct path. The standard of the traps, monsters and maze was high enough to wipe out the whole Morningstar Guild.

“Roderick’s Labyrinth will be Weed’s destruction.”

That was the sobering a.n.a.lysis of the Hermes Guild.

“In the end, it seems to be that way.”

Lafaye nodded but wasn’t entirely convinced.

Something similar had occurred in Continent of Magic. Weed succeeded in all adventures that no one else could accomplish.

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