Chapter 68: Identity (2)

The Floor Guardian of the first floor. Although I don’t know what will appear, I do know how to summon it.

This is because I paid quite some attention to it, as it marks the real start of the story.

To explain it properly would be too long, so to summarize briefly…

It’s a sacrificial ritual.

The residents of the Great Forest…in this case, all the monsters on the first floor and the elves. A specific number of them are massacred in front of the World Tree, and their bodies are laid out. Finally, when someone harboring a desperate desire for revenge prays for power to the World Tree, that’s the end.

At first glance, it might seem like a simple task that makes one wonder why it hadn’t been discovered yet, but upon closer inspection, it’s not so simple.

Why would anyone bother dragging monsters to the front of the World Tree and lay out their bodies without even extracting their Magic Stones?

Rather than dragging a load a long way, it was better to slaughter the monsters on the spot and take the Magic Stones and drops.

Prayers towards the World Tree? In the early days of the Labyrinth, when there were still elves who hadn’t abandoned their faith in the World Tree, maybe, but nowadays, there are no elves who truly believe in the World Tree.

At best, maybe Eve, who has carried on the old way of thinking?

Conversely, this means that in the distant past, there were quite a few elves who truly believed in the World Tree….

What they wished from the World Tree was its revival.

Like a child who has lost its mother, merely grieving and begging for her to return.

That was the common emotion held by the elves at the time. It’s not for nothing that a racial depression occurred.

As the Great Forest became a labyrinth, the sentiments of the inhabitants became distorted, and because the elves’ affection for the World Tree was much more poignant than the World Tree’s thoughts, it was simple yet undiscovered by anyone.

Over time, those who truly believed in the World Tree disappeared, making the achievement practically impossible.

In the novel I intended to write, the protagonist was to join an elf party as a porter, only to be annihilated by raiders who brought monsters.

A theme enjoying the difference in perception of gender reversal. The protagonist, who barely survived by hiding among the corpses, was like me, a transmigrator from Earth.

Lacking common sense and not even knowing that the World Tree was already a dead deity, he sincerely prayed and accidentally met the summoning conditions.

Thus, the summoned Floor Guardian wins, but is exhausted after killing all the raiders, and the protagonist defeats the wounded Guardian and gains power… something like that?

Well, in my case, I was thinking of buying an elf corpse to use.

Among the numerous races, elves, known for their longevity, are inherently valuable.

Some elves, aware of this, leave wills to sell their corpses for inheritance.

Of course, among elves, this is considered a ruthless act… but still, there’s a legal way to acquire one.

Anyway, how he figured out this simple yet complex condition so quickly is beyond me.

Following Karen, we arrived in front of the World Tree’s illusion. There, the One Who Devours the Twilight were standing in a circle among countless monster corpses.

In the center of that circle, there were two elves who were soon to share the same fate as the monsters…but somehow, their faces looked familiar.

“…Lemon? Apple?”

Why are those girls captured again?

Do they enter the Labyrinth because they want to be tightly bound?? Is bondage their hobby??

As I muttered to myself in disbelief, Ellie, who had been measuring the angle for an attack next to me, flinched and whispered.

“What the? Does Jonah know them?”

“Yes. If you look closely, Ellie, you might remember them too? They are the ones who came to Fairy and Silver Coin to take me away last time.”

“Ah, the ones who were captured by those raiders.”

“That’s right. The dagger I’m using now was also commissioned from someone who takes care of those two…I didn’t know they would be captured again.”

As I sighed deeply, Lydia, who had already drawn her rapier, narrowed her eyes and stared straight ahead as she spoke.

“Senior Ellie. I heard the smallest one is the strongest, so you take care of that one. I’ll handle the one leading the ritual over there. Inquisitor Karen, please take care of the sacrifice offerings in the meantime.”

“That sounds reasonable.”

“Leave it to me.”

Ellie and Karen nodding their heads. Lydia, who had raised her aura, sneakily glanced this way.

“Jonah, you wait here. Later, when Inquisitor Karen brings the hostage, release and treat them, but don’t join the fight. No, don’t do anything that draws attention.”

“I got it, so don’t worry.”

“…Yeah.”

Lydia nodded slightly. Then, she silently looked at Ellie and Karen.

Without a word, the three of them simultaneously stomped on the ground.

Kwang!

Ears ringing, and the ground shaking with a roar loud enough to stir the earth. There was a small crater on the ground, and before he knew it, the three had been launched far ahead.

The first to arrive was, of course, Ellie. She stood in front of the petite frame and took a firm stance.

Thud!

“Aren’t you bitches tired of this! Instead of quietly living in a corner, you always have to jump out and court death!”

Ellie bends her elbow greatly, pulling her arm back. It looked as if she was pulling a bowstring to its limit.

The small figure, now the target, showed no sign of panic and calmly offered a prayer.

“Goddess. The affection I have for you makes me forget even the flow of time.”

It had a small voice that matched its small stature. But it could not be ignored.

Wooong-

A murky purple fog surrounds Ellie. Does it have an effect that hinders movement? Ellie’s movements slowed down as if she was entering water.

But can it completely suppress Ellie’s strength?

Clang!

With the sound of something breaking, the fog enveloping Ellie scatters in all directions. However, perhaps because she had used strength in the process, the trajectory of her extending fist distorted.

The wind pressure alone was enough to shake the surrounding area. However, it missed, and the heretics stood right there.

“O Goddess-!”

The prayer continues. It seems it will take some time to settle this matter.

Nodding inwardly, I turned my gaze to the side. There, Lydia, who arrived a step later than Ellie, was stabbing the heart of a heretic with a rapier enveloped in aura.

It’s the one who tried to kill Lemon and Apple.

“Kuhuk…”

The guy, foaming blood at the mouth, throws the weapon he was clutching with all his might towards Lemon and Apple. But.

Clang!

It was blocked by Karen’s spear, who had run up just in time.

It had no special decoration. Just a blade and a shaft. Though the spear was simple, having only those two parts, it felt like it was quite effective for its intended purpose.

Karen’s eyes, which had been weary from fatigue, were now blazing with anger. Whether it was because she hadn’t forgotten her purpose, she quickly retrieved Lemon and Apple and returned.

“Sir Jonah. Please use this if you need it.”

“Ah, yes.”

Karen, who handed over a bottle of holy water with an effect similar to a potion, dashes back into the battlefield.

Indeed, as Karen said, most of the One Who Devours the Twilight seemed to be at a comparable level.

After taking one down with a surprise attack, Lydia swings her greatsword, felling heretics like falling leaves.

Karen was also calmly piercing hearts one by one.

Of course, the One Who Devours the Twilight were not just sitting idly by, those wrapped in murky divine power took the lead to confront Lydia and Karen, while the rest stepped back to prepare their distorted divine magic.

But it wasn’t much of a big deal.

The heretical divine power was engulfed by Lydia’s flame-like fiercely burning aura, shattered into pieces without being able to exert its power.

And even if someone managed to break through, they were intercepted by Karen’s spear, emitting a clear pink light.

There were also completed divine spells in between, but…

“Shut up! You who distort the will of the Goddess!”

Paaht!

The distorted miracle crushed by the pure divine power emanating from Karen’s body.

Yes. This is definitely as Karen said, even with just one of them, they have the power to win.

So, the problem is indeed on Ellie’s side.

With a single punch or kick from Ellie, the ground flips over, and an explosion is heard in the air.

She’s not like Lydia, who is surrounded by aura. She’s just strong and simply solid.

The growth reward of the Labyrinth seems to have honed the beast tribe’s inherently strong physique to the extreme.

Ellie, who unleashed primitive violence, was emitting a fierce fighting aura, entirely different from the Ellie I know.

Yet, the small figure was somehow keeping up with Ellie.

The purple mist dulled Ellie’s body, causing punches to miss, and the distorted blessings that other heretics barely managed to complete after a long time poured out by the second.

Moreover, what that person was using was not only the power of the Goddess of Love.

A purple crystal spear piercing the air, a warrior shimmering in violet appears from behind, swinging his sword, and at his feet, extraordinary flames flicker.

Judging by the divine power felt in all of them, it’s clear that he’s wielding the powers of another god, though where he got it is unknown.

Yet, despite this, he couldn’t inflict a wound on Ellie.

The crystal spear only managed to scratch Ellie’s body, and the warrior’s head was sent flying by Ellie’s translucent fist. The flames spreading at its feet were extinguished as the ground was overturned with a single advance.

Ellie gradually neutralizes the small figure’s power and closes the distance.

Although it seems that it will take some time, it won’t be dangerous.

Only after being certain of victory did I let out a sigh of relief and turned my gaze to Lemon and Apple rolling on the ground.

Their needlessly sparkling eyes. It would have been better if their pants didn’t sparkle as well.

Locking eyes with Lemonade Dispenser and Just Apple, they opened their mouths.

“Sir Jonah! Did you come to save us?!”

“As expected from Sir Jonah!”

“No. I was captured too.”

“…???”

“…???”

The confused duo.

When they look at you with such expectant eyes, don’t you just want to betray those expectations?