Chapter 6) Landlord’s Appearance

Weed wasn’t going to succeed just because he found the path through the labyrinth.

“This time there are various branches.”

Sometimes the light from the mirror would split into two or three directions at a crossroads. The s.p.a.ce was distorted which meant that either path would allow him to reach the destination. Of course he didn’t know which side was a shortcut. Moreover, the power of the demons increased as they went deeper so it was riskier.

“It is still difficult like this. It seems I need to use Sculpture Transformation.”

The chaos warrior Kub.i.+.c.hya that could use the dragon sword Red Star!

“Let’s go!”

Weed used Sculpture Transformation and moved along the path revealed by the mirror with Bahamorg, the paladins and the priests. There were 9 demons waiting for them. It was solid evidence that they were reaching the centre of the labyrinth.

“Grrrr, weak humans have come.”

“Do you have faith in the G.o.ds? The G.o.ds won’t be able to save you.”

The demon soldiers struck first.

“Bahamorg, charge!”

“Understood.”

Weed was prepared for the difficult quest and brought boots and armour for a chaos warrior. He had nothing to fear with the protective equipment.

“Blink!”

He popped behind a demon and swung the Red Star.

“Keet!”

“It is fire, fire!”

Radiant Sword was effective against demons because it contained the light attribute, the next effective attribute after holy power. But the Red Star’s flames could burn away evil so it boasted overwhelming damage against the demons.

“Kueeeek!”

“h.e.l.l! It is like I’m being burnt by the flames of h.e.l.l!”

The demons wrapped in the flames of Red Star were in great pain. They had resistance to fire but these flames weren’t easily quenched. Weed’s combat power changed now that transformed and could use the Red Star.

“Persevere!”

Weed received the attacks of 2~3 demons. His health and resilience increased after becoming a chaos warrior but his body couldn’t take attacks like Bahamorg. He attacked with the Red Star and used Blink the moment the demons got close. A chaos warrior was a combat species so they had an advantage over humans.

“I will definitely bite and eat him.”

“The sword that human has. It is giving off the scent of dragon.”

The demon soldiers chased after Weed. It became easier for Bahamorg, Derian and the paladins to hunt. Thanks to Weed’s efficiency in luring the demons, they were able to win with only 23 paladins dying.

The deaths of the paladins couldn’t be helped when looking at their strength and the number of demons. Bahamorg approached Weed.

“Are you okay?”

“This degree…isn’t enough to blink at.”

“I admire your resilience. Your patience isn’t ordinary.”

“It is natural since I am protecting my colleagues.”

Weed didn’t miss this opportunity increase his favour with Bahamorg.

The battle was so dangerous that he only had 25,000 health left when it finished. It was a considerably high number but his health had reached 150,000 when he changed to a chaos warrior. The demons were so strong that he had a lot of anxiety once it reached 20,000.

He often had to Blink when facing the demons so the priests couldn’t treat him. He was able to withstand the demons’ attacks thanks to the power of the Red Star.

“Anyway, this danger will be nothing compared to when we keep advancing.”

They encountered 3 more battle after that. Weed ensured the safety of the paladins by playing the role of bait. He would attack the demons from behind and then lure them aggressively.

“Everyone jump at me!”

Weed yelled using Lion’s Roar.

After their victory, Weed would be so injured it was like he was dead. But he was willing to bear such a burden to reduce the damage on the paladins.

“That b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”

“Get rid of his sword.”

“Chew on his raw fles.h.!.+”

All the demon soldiers chased after Weed.

It was common for the demons’ attacks to land on the ground. However, he could only teleport a short distance and 5~6 demons were chasing after him.

‘Let’s aim behind that demon over there. I can’t stop moving. And the one in the front is the strongest.

He used all his combat experience to dodge the demons. His health fell to the bottom just as Bahamorg took some demons off him. The wild and perilous battle br.i.m.m.i.n.g with so much intensity it was difficult to catch his breath!

“Ugh, we won this time. I really thought I was going to die.”

He managed to survive the battle due to Seo-yoon’s health being transferred through Seulroeo’s wedding ring. This time he had deliberately made the sculpture of Kub.i.+.c.hya with thin fingers so the wedding ring could be worn.

Weed’s body received intense injuries so the priests gathered around to treat him. However a hopeless incident that he couldn’t predict occurred.

“Hiccup, kyaah! The alcohol is good today.”

Jeidun came out to dismantle a trap. The degree of difficulty for the traps also went up as the maze became deeper.

“Uh, should I touch the red line or the yellow line? Hiccup. Perhaps it is the red line?”

Kwa kwa kwa kw.a.n.g!

A pile of stones fell from the ceiling and killed Jeidun!

“No! I have to make you work more…”

He knew the path to the destination but that didn’t matter. It wouldn’t be possible to dismantle the traps from now on.

“At this rate we really will be completely trapped here.”

Weed was stunned and stood at that spot for a while. Roderick’s Labyrinth was completely isolated. He knew the way but now he would receive damage from the traps even before fighting the demons. The lives of Bahamorg and the paladins weighed heavily on his shoulders.

“We will have to fight against Montus at the end of this path.”

Unfortunately, he felt a bad premonition. He knew where Montus was located so Weed could avoid him. Unfortunately Weed couldn’t avoid any places because he was looking for the research records. The possibility was high that he would have to go through that room or that it was located there.

“In the future there will be more demon soldiers, traps and monsters….like this, the odds aren’t in our favour.”

Weed finally admitted to his failure. He only took paladins and priests into Roderick’s Labyrinth and the amount killed was great. Regular soldiers and mercenaries were difficult to lead well but their levels and combat power were higher than the paladins. If they entered the labyrinth as well then Weed might’ve succeeded after a long struggle. Now he felt despair as the faint light of hope disappeared. Weed needed to prepare something quickly.

“A disaster would be difficult. It can’t be used every time the demons emerge and the weak priests would receive significant damage.”

Elemental Sculpting also wasn’t suitable. The elementals were effective in various fields but the ability of a newly created elemental was weak. Dirtman and Fiery Pebble could be used in battle but the demons were too high level.

“There is a slightly better way. Something I didn’t want to use….”

Sculpture Life Bestowal! It was a useful skill that could create a strong ally. The labyrinth was unstable so it wasn’t possible to use Yurin’s Picture Movement or summon the other sculptural lifeforms.

“I need to give life to a minimum of 5 in order for them to be useful. Creating more than 10…..and many of them will probably die against the demons and Montus.”

Not only would his level significantly reduce when he used the skill, only sculptures at the Masterpiece standard or higher would be able to survive. He had made many of those sculptures to date but he hadn’t brought them into Roderick’s Labyrinth.

Even if the number of subordinates increased by giving life to sculptures, it wasn’t easy for them to become stronger inside the maze. It was more likely that they would die against the demon soldiers.

“If I die and then use my fame to bring more free knights…even if I regret it later, it is too late to find a way with traditional sculpting. Then…”

Weed released Sculpture Transformation and took out a wooden block received from the Freya Church.

“Now I need to urgently create a skill that will be the most useful…”

He decided to create a sculpting technique now that he was cornered. It was also possible to change the frustrating situation with a suitable skill. He had to produce a skill that could reverse the situation and be used repeatedly in the future.

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Sakak sakak sakak.

Weed shaved the wooden block with Zahab’s Sculpting Knife. His hands sincerely filled in the small details! The sculpture of the secret technique was important so he had to concentrate perfectly.

‘This tension is like when I put down the deposit to buy a house.’

It was a skill that would become his companion from now on!

Something like Radiant Sword to fight against enemies was needed or similar to Sculpture Life Bestowal would be good. Creating a disaster or unforeseen changes like Sculpture Transformation would be useless. If he used sculpting to create an elemental then the utilization would rise even more. A skill that could change the current situation!

‘If I create too good a skill then the penalty will be severe. Anyway, there should be more wrinkles on the face.’

Weed was making a sculpture of an old grandfather. There was great wisdom in the deep eyes and a large amount of wrinkles. He wore magician’s robes and a wide brimmed hat.

‘The magic staff…there wasn’t a cloak.’

Right now he was sculpting a figure of Magician Roderick. He was sculpting the Roderick that he saw in the video fighting against Montus. The advantage of a sculptor was that he could reproduce the exact target that he saw.

Weed spent 7 hours making the sculpture.

“Sculpture Resurrection.”

“That’s correct.”

Weed said in a heavy voice.

“In this land, there lived as many heroes as stars in the night sky. Emperor Geihar Von Arpen, Kolderim, the Great Magician Roderick and wise King Theodarren of the Rosenheim Kingdom.”

Theodarren was a little less heroic compared to the others but he put it in specifically because of the pyramid he built. It was the sponsors.h.i.+p that was common in movies or dramas.

“It is a skill that can resurrect dead historical people.”

“I’ve already decided.”

Even if the penalty was intense and he couldn’t frequently use the skill, he had no choice.

Weed gave birth to the most valuable skill!

“It is a shame about the reduction in 3 levels.”

Even though he called a great hero, that person was only active for 1 day.

“I have to pay expensive rent for something that isn’t limitless!”

The drop in art, faith and his level was rent for 1 day’s work.

“I have to use it anyway. Sculpture Resurrection!”

Weed immediately used the skill. He had been determined to revive someone from the beginning.

Great Magician Roderick! The labyrinth was his home and laboratory.

It was completely different from summoning the undead. The person actually existed again.

Weed’s location was filled with a white light. The light gradually disappeared and a person showed up.

Great Magician Roderick!

He looked exactly like the image Weed had seen of Roderick before entering the labyrinth. Roderick muttered while looking around at the surroundings.

“I….apparently I fought against the devil Montus and died. And this is my home.”

He was a great magician and judged the situation quickly.

Weed approached him.

“Greetings to the Great Magician Roderick. I am honoured to meet you in a place like this.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m am Weed. My profession is a sculptor.”

“I’ve never heard of you.”

“Of course not.”

Weed wasn’t famous during the time that Roderick lived. He was recognized as a great sculptor and king of the Arpen Kingdom but Roderick didn’t treat him like that.

That was the power of fame. If Roderick travelled to villages or cities then he would quickly hear about Weed. But this was a separate place. Even if he could go outside, it was possible he might not approve of an employer like Weed.

“I heard about how Great Magician Roderick-nim trapped the devil Montus in here and was deeply impressed.”

“It was to make sure the peace of the continent didn’t break due to my mistake. It would be serious if Montus managed to get outside.”

“Of course. The continent was able to stay calm thanks to Roderick-nim.”

Weed responded. It was a society where everyone flattered each other.

“What do you wish from me?”

“Nothing. I was just worried that the trapped Montus would somehow get out one day.”

“I will eliminate Montus.”

“Is that so? Then can I help Roderick-nim from the side?”

“I alone am sufficient.”

Roderick slammed his magic staff into the ground. There wasn’t a large sound or anything terrifying happening but Weed’s eyes were drawn to the staff.

‘The price for a staff used by a great magician….kkul keok!’

There was a large diamond embedded that scattered light. Roderick was a great magician overflowing with confidence in his own ability. It was an att.i.tude appropriate for a magician who understood the laws that the world was composed of and the power of mana.

‘Judge, lawyer, prosecutor and doctor.’

All professional occupations!

“It would be a huge honour if I could fight with Roderick-nim against the devil.”

“It will be dangerous.”

“My power is marginal but I will fight against this devil. I think the most valuable thing in my life is coming here. So I will stay near Roderick-nim and respectfully learn from you.”

“Wait here.”

“I would like to observe Roderick-nim as a sculptor so I can make a fine piece people will remember.”

“Then come along. But don’t become a ha.s.sle for me.”

“Of course.”

Roderick eventually agreed to let Weed come along.

‘Now I can just follow behind Roderick and reap the benefits. It cost me 3 levels so I should properly utilize him.’

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Roderick had installed the traps so he knew where they were all located. That’s because this was his home, not someplace else.

“This place is fairly distant from my laboratory. The demons will move through the spatial distortions so we will have to fight along the way.”

“Yes, I will be ready.”

Weed had once again used Sculpture Transformation into Kub.i.+.c.hya. Bahamorg, the paladins and the priests were also following behind Roderick.

9 demon soldiers were waiting for them.

“Kyahat, humans have come here…”

“They are the prey. Eh! I’ve seen that old man somewhere.”

“All those making a mess of my house, disappear. Body Explosion!”

The air compressed near the demons due to Roderick’s magic and it exploded, causing huge damage. The demons didn’t immediately die but suffered from minor and severe injuries. But that degree of magic wasn’t the reason why a great magician was feared.

“Flame Pillar.”

A large column of flames shot up where the demons were. The wide area magic that had an effect on the whole region! The demons continued receiving damage until the magic ended.

Great magicians were able to use magic in a row without a great delay between spells. The Flame Pillar was just intermediate level magic.

“h.e.l.l’s Fire. Rock Strike. Soul Impact!”

Roderick drove the demons away with ruthless attacks. Weed’s eyes flashed as he sensed a chance.

“Can I help you?”

“You will get in the way while I’m chanting a spell. Just watch the view.”

“Roderick-nim doesn’t need to kill all the demon soldiers. Isn’t it more important to reach Montus? Even my small power can help a little bit.”

“Then do what you want.”

“The paladins will stay in a defence formation and the priests will attack the demons directly with holy magic.”

Weed lined up paladins with s.h.i.+elds on both sides of Roderick to protect him. The fully repaired armour and s.h.i.+eld gleamed and light flashed off it. The priests intensively used holy magic on the demons.

“Kyahaak!”

“We have to kill that human.”

2 demon soldiers ran out.

“You are my share.”

“I will kill you according to Lugh’s will.”

Bahamorg and Derian took on those demons. So far they had struggled against 8~9 so 2 demons were simple enough.

“Kuwaaaak!”

And the demon Roderick was concentrating on caught on fire.

“Blink!”

Weed showed up next to the demon and wielded the Red Star.

His right hand held the Red Star while his left hand moved quickly.

Suksak!

Next was the demon soldier that looked very weak.

Sususuk!

“I will kill you for the justice of the continent.”

Weed chose demons that didn’t have a lot of health left and dealt the final blow. Usually he was conceded the experience in a battle to his subordinates. But the paladins and priests weren’t his subordinates and Roderick would disappear after 1 day.

A persistent battle for profit!

“There is no time. We must go faster.”

“Yes, Great Magician Roderick-nim.”

Roderick could only exist in this world for a limited time so he wasn’t interested in experience.

“Bahamorg, fight quicker. Don’t hesitate for other people.”

“I will do so.”

“The paladins and priests should also focus on speed.”

“Yes! We understand.”

Weed was the commander of the paladins and priests. He had shown hard work and dedication in the labyrinth and was rewarded for it.

‘Roderick can only remain for another 20 hours. We must achieve the goal in this labyrinth during that time.’

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