**Chapter 25: Secret⑤**
After a moment, I began to pursue the presence, moving cautiously.
Navigating the oppressive labyrinth while fending off Raiders was quite the task. It was even more challenging while enduring the torment of the Seーブル curse that plagued my entire body.
I fought to keep my consciousness intact, despite the pain. The labyrinth was truly vast, filled with numerous traps. What made it particularly troublesome was that this underground maze was not a secondary Yuan but a tertiary Yuan labyrinth. High ceilings were dotted with openings and narrow passages, from which Raiders could ambush us, while those same passages might lead to the Sei解. Without the ability to sense the night crystal like I could, we wouldn’t even know if a proper goal existed.
The castle of the虚Shadow魔King loomed atop a steep cliff. It would be difficult to create such a vast labyrinth underground without employing legendary magic that warps space itself. The multi-layered structure of this underground maze likely served to solve that issue. While it lacked convenience, the Golem didn’t complain, and the NormalアN/AデN/ADoro didn’t seem to mind either.
However, what concerned me was the ‘enemy’ Seib体. Surely, the defense mechanisms from the time of the虚Shadow魔King could not still be intact. Too much time had passed; we should consider that we had fallen into a trap.
Logically, the suspicious party would be the employer of Lazar and the one who revealed this place to Senri—the Mayor of【デSeN/ADoro】. Yet, as I had sensed a moment ago, this trap and underground labyrinth were not something a Human would create.
In response to my doubts, Senri fell silent for a moment before speaking in a hushed tone.
“アN/AデN/ADoro created by a死霊Mage fundamentally cannot use magic.”
“Eh…? But I can use it. Besides, Vampires possess magical power.”
The small spells I had learned for daily life were still sufficient. Moreover, the reason Vampires are strong against curses and attack magic is due to the vast magical power they inherently possess. In response to my question, Senri answered quietly.
“That’s merely possession. While it serves as a source of resistance and powerful physical abilities, it cannot be transformed into the phenomenon of magic. You are—special.”
“……I see. So it’s a matter of safety.”
The死霊Mage is cautious. The advantage the master has overアN/AデN/ADoro, who possess strong physical abilities and immortality, lies in magic.
I had always found it strange. The definition of the ‘Dead person’s King’ is a specialアN/AデN/ADoro that has mutated from a死霊Mage. So, what exactly does ‘special’ mean?
Why is it that powerfulアN/AデN/ADoro, who have undergone rank mutations and grown stronger, are not called the ‘Dead person’s King’?
Initially, I thought it referred toアN/AデN/ADoro with special curses like ‘Curse Absorption.’ However, it seemed that the conditions were not limited to that. If that were the case, there would be many more ‘Dead person’s Kings.’
The answer lies in—Necromancy. When I first met the Seーブル, they changed color upon seeing me use Necromancy.
Surely, ‘specialアN/AデN/ADoro’ refers to those who can wield Necromancy. And it’s likely that NormalアN/AデN/ADoro cannot learn Necromancy after their creation.
Vampires already possess resistance to Necromancy. The absolute order of authority might not last forever. If an immortal Vampire were to gain magic, they could break the shackles placed upon them. The master would never allow that.
“Indeed. IntelligentアN/AデN/ADoro could potentially consume their master, which is why the死霊Mage (Necromancer) imposes restrictions on the acquisition of magic.”
The absence of those restrictions on me likely stemmed from the Lord’s intention to use my physical body. Through a series of fortunate events, I now found myself here.
An arrow released by a Golem was effortlessly cut down with a refreshing sound. In the darkness, a poisoned arrow rolled across the floor. Senri spoke in a serious tone.
“The only ones that can be spared are the trusted subordinates.”
I had lost track of how many Golems we had already slain. The Golems that attacked us in the dark were neither particularly strong nor weak. However, that was only in relation to me; if these Golems banded together to assault a small town, it would likely be beyond their capacity to handle it. I wasn’t very knowledgeable about Golems, but the sheer number being produced and controlled indicated a powerful practitioner behind it.
“So, in other words… they’re a nuisance.”
“アN/AデN/ADoro grow stronger and wiser the longer they live.”
I didn’t like that. I didn’t particularly dislike fighting; it made me feel alive. However, I preferred battles I could win, and I wanted to avoid the deadly struggles I had faced thus far. If the opponent was not only strong but also intelligent, it was a different matter entirely. This time, Senri was with me, but the enemy was employing EclipseKnight strategies, and considering the worst-case scenario, having Senri around might actually be a source of anxiety.
I wondered ifアN/AデN/ADoro could learn healing magic. Lost in thought, Senri added as if to fill the silence.
“In the end, you’re already sufficiently strong and quite a nuisance.”
“……”
I craved blood. Even now, I was walking while enduring pain. I was surprised at how much I could move. I felt a sense of self-praise.
No matter who the opponent was, it didn’t matter. I spoke in a deliberately bright tone.
“Let’s resolve this quickly, return to the inn, and get some blood.”
That was my driving force. Glancing at Senri’s expression, I noticed a small sigh escape him.
That meant he was okay with it. My motivation surged. It was funny how, with that thought, even the pain felt a little enjoyable.
I stretched my back slightly and quickened my pace.
However, this labyrinth was truly intricate. No matter how vast it was, there should be limits, yet I couldn’t reach the presence of the night crystal that should be nearby. If the presence was beyond the wall, I could simply destroy the wall to proceed, but it wasn’t that simple. Just how vast could it be?
I loved the miasma, so I was managing, but for a Human like Senri, staying in this place with little to no acidic elements would likely be quite detrimental.
I came to a halt. Senri, who had been following closely while remaining alert, also stopped without colliding into me.
Then, I forcefully slammed my『Light喰らい (ブラN/ADoro-ルーラー)』 into the ground. I closed my eyes, ignoring the pain, and focused on the sounds, vibrations, shocks, and the tremors in the air.
My senses were heightened due to the Shadow echoing from the Albaトス, making my sense of smell the most acute, but that didn’t mean my other senses were dull. Though it was a bit of a makeshift method, my physical body’s performance was high enough to manage to some extent.
Information flooded into my pain-wracked brain. I opened my eyes.
“……That’s strange. This labyrinth doesn’t seem… that wide.”
I could roughly discern the terrain. The paths were indeed convoluted, but there was no way it could be spacious enough to walk for such a long time. No—more importantly, it was absolutely odd that we hadn’t reached the night crystal yet.
A hoarse voice echoed in my mind.
『Exorcist’s Labyrinth (ふつじんめいどう). It seems… it seems there’s something they really want to hide.』
It was the Lord’s voice. The Lord residing within me was speaking to me. Exorcist’s Labyrinth. The maze of confusion. It was the magic the Lord used to hide their base.
The effect was—unless guided, it confuses intruders. Hmm… so we were being led in circles?
While enduring the pain, I was mentally sketching a map. I was confident that I wasn’t lost, but when magic was involved, I was at a loss. The Lord could occasionally be useful.
“It’s no good, Senri. It seems there’s an Exorcist’s Labyrinth (ふつじんめいどう) present… a maze of confusion.”
“!! So… we need to either destroy the source of the spell or find a guide.”
『Destroying the source of the barrier underground is foolish. It will collapse.』
“Destroying the source of the barrier underground is foolish. It will collapse.”
“Foolish… I see.”
Senri’s tone had dropped slightly compared to a moment ago. It wasn’t my words; it was the Lord’s. But I thought it was foolish too… because if the underground collapsed, even if I survived, Senri would die, and if I were the practitioner, I would surely set up a trap that would bury me alive if I destroyed the source of the barrier.
『For now, put aside the pursuit of the presence. Instead, search the surroundings.』
It seemed the Lord had something on their mind. Perhaps the Lord, who always appeared when I was in a pinch to offer useless advice, had finally decided to take things seriously. Without hesitation, I followed the Lord’s instructions and began to search the surroundings. Perhaps sensing the change in my demeanor, Senri silently accompanied me.
We opened doors, climbed ceilings, and checked the stairs leading further underground. Golems and traps were present everywhere. However, we encountered the Golems most frequently when we got closer to the night crystal. Without the barrier, we would likely have reached it easily.
After investigating for a sufficient time, and while still alert but growing slightly bored, the Lord in my mind spoke up.
“Hm… I see. As expected of the ‘Dead person’s King,’ they’ve put in a lot of effort.”
“Hmm… I see. As expected of the ‘Dead person’s King,’ they’ve put in a lot of effort.”
“……What did you find out?”
It seemed that the astute Senri had sensed something that the inner Lord could not comprehend. Of course, I was just as lost. The only thing I understood was that constructing this underground labyrinth must have been quite a monumental task.
As I blinked, waiting for the next revelation from SeLi, the Lord’s voice rang out, laced with a hint of delight.
“Foolish one. What were you looking at? Do you not realize—this underground maze itself is a ritualistic ‘three-dimensional magic circle’?”