Chapter 88
In a certain place of the Magic Labyrinth.
As its name suggests, the erosion entities emerging from the labyrinth were anything but ordinary—they were a whole different breed.
It was because one could only spot five-star masters, who required a skilled expert-level knight order to even face off against them, passing through here.
The problem was that it wasn’t just one or two of these monsters but groups of dozens showing up all at once!
Thanks to this, the Valheim knights were constantly engaged in battle as they pushed forward.
The swift strikes of the master-level sword were leading the charge, supported by their other sword and dagger-wielding members.
“Smooth sailing.”
And at the very forefront of the Valheim knights…
Standing before the torn corpses of erosion entities, Lilish scanned the surroundings.
They still had a distance to cover before reaching the reported eastern region.
As an order specifically trained for world erosion, the Valheim knights were able to keep up without any issues.
“The labyrinth’s environment is challenging, but…”
Aside from the obscuring black rain, the Magic Labyrinth wasn’t insurmountable.
Of course, prolonged consumption of their auras might become a hassle, but it was manageable otherwise.
At that moment, someone caught Lilish’s eye.
With jet-black hair, a crow perched awkwardly on his shoulder, and a pair of closed eyes that hinted at something supernatural…
It was Kraush, a member of the Blue Sea knights, who undoubtedly exuded a gloomy atmosphere associated with the otherworld.
Before entering the labyrinth, Lilish had heard from the vice-leader of the Blue Sea knights about Kraush’s identity.
“Kraush.”
Though a half-brother, he was the youngest among the siblings.
When she first heard of Kraush, it piqued her curiosity.
She couldn’t understand why he would mask himself so covertly when traveling through the Magic Labyrinth.
In her recollection, Kraush was always treated like a fool.
There had been whispers lately about his change, but she had never had the chance to verify it personally.
That was because, as the leader of the Order, Lilish was perpetually busy with her duties.
During the time when Kraush had just begun to walk, she was already swinging her sword every day within the knights’ ranks.
Of course, part of it stemmed from chasing after her older brother, but she genuinely loved honing her skills.
And now, at the age of twenty-seven, a full fourteen years had passed since then.
This age gap was closer to that of an aunt to a nephew than that of siblings.
Because of this significant age difference, and due to her busy life as an officer, Lilish had never once shared a conversation with her younger siblings.
Moreover, being a half-sibling made things even more awkward.
Even with her blood-relative, Beloquin, the age discrepancy created a chasm between them.
Certainly, Charlotte wasn’t easy to converse with, and naturally, Kraush was no different.
Deep down, she did wish to connect with her younger siblings.
However, the harsh reality was that her relentless devotion to the pursuit of power always swallowed that longing.
“Kraush didn’t even attend Beloquin’s funeral.”
During Beloquin’s funeral, Lilish was taken aback, attending the ceremony in disbelief.
Hearing that Beloquin had perished in the world erosion brought memories of her mother flooding back.
Her mother, who had been extremely worried for Beloquin.
As the eldest, she couldn’t help but feel guilty for not being able to look out for her younger sibling.
But was that feeling unique to her?
As soon as Beloquin was buried, Charlotte hastily left.
Kraush claimed to have been traumatized by witnessing Beloquin’s death during the world erosion and therefore didn’t show up.
Naturally, the eldest siblings, alongside their father, quickly departed as well.
Only their stepmother exchanged a few words with her.
The family hardly seemed to regard Beloquin’s death with significance.
Lilish found herself lost in thought before Beloquin’s grave.
According to his dedicated butler, Beloquin appeared to be quite lonely.
“Lonely, huh.”
Though such feelings were common for the direct descendants of Valheim, it still tugged at her heartstrings.
Being family, yet they were so cold it bordered on the ridiculous.
And she knew all too well that she was no different.
Was this even a healthy family structure?
Despite the pressure from her older brother’s status and the newly rising divine Charlotte, she had always been someone who cared more about her quest for power.
The passing of Beloquin presented her with an opportunity to reconsider her relationship with her family.
While she pondered family matters day by day…
Kraush suddenly appeared in disguise out of nowhere.
What was she to make of this?
“Hmm…”
With the incessant black rain drenching her, Lilish slowly brushed back her wet bangs, even with a hood on.
“There must be some purpose behind this.”
If so, wouldn’t she, as his older sister, be able to help him in some way?
Arriving at the Magic Labyrinth, Lilish had been pondering what to say to Kraush all this time.
“Lady Lilish, is something on your mind again?”
Just then, her thoughts were interrupted by Darbian Phenox, the deputy commander who had served her for nearly a decade.
When she casually asked how to bond with the kids, he advised her to give them candies.
By chance, thanks to his input, she had offered candy to Kraush’s fiancée.
That had brought about some success.
So perhaps he might give her some useful advice again.
“What do you think I should say to someone I haven’t talked to in so long?”
“Just greet them like usual, saying hello might do?”
“…That’s the hardest part.”
Unfortunately, that was the most challenging task ever.
“Hmm, how about giving them a gift they desire?”
“A gift.”
Lilish pressed her chin thoughtfully.
Would helping Kraush achieve whatever goal he was disguised for count as a gift?
“The problem is not knowing what that goal is.”
Ultimately, she found herself back at square one.
“Is this about Kraush?”
At that, Darbian shot her a sharp question.
Having spent considerable time observing her, he had picked up on her feelings quite quickly.
As the deputy of the Order, he was also aware of Kraush’s identity in advance.
Lilish nodded in agreement instead of dismissing him.
Seeing that, Darbian glanced around.
Then he noticed Reblian, the vice-commander of the Blue Sea knights.
“It seems Deputy Reblian has some degree of familiarity with Kraush. I’ll ask him.”
Darbian and Reblian were brothers of the Phenox household.
This should make it easier to ask.
“Please do.”
Darbian stepped forward to call Reblian.
Meanwhile, in a twist of irony, Kraush was watching her too.
“What on earth is she trying to do?”
Since entering the labyrinth, Kraush had caught Lilish glancing over at him.
At first, he suspected she might have something to say, but since she hadn’t uttered a word, that didn’t seem to be the case.
[She’s possibly just trying to check on her younger brother.]
“Lady Lilish?”
At that moment, a scout knight they had sent ahead called out to her as he hastily approached.
Seeing this, Kraush felt the urgency to prepare for battle.
“Everyone, get ready.”
As expected, an order was issued from Lilish immediately.
“The target is the named entity, Nysrock.”
This was the report relayed by their scouts.
Rumble!
The ground suddenly shook throughout the entire area.
It felt as though an earthquake were underway, the ground vibrating violently.
As the knights prepared their weapons for the emerging Nysrock from the black forest, Kraush opened his eyes wide.
“Not in front.”
Kraush’s attention turned to the ground.
Deep within the earth, something enormous was forcefully rising.
“It’s coming up from below!”
The moment Kraush shouted, a thunderous roar erupted.
The entire battlefield collapsed as the sound echoed.
Knights who had been standing above began plummeting down into the ensuing chaos.
Amidst the wreckage, he spotted a pool of swirling black rain flowing beneath the collapsed ground.
It seemed that the black rain was being absorbed and forming an underground lake.
What would happen if they fell in there?
Needless to say.
Even wrapped in an aura, that black rain would find a way to invade the body and transform them into a rain-warped entity.
For a regular group, this would spell utter annihilation in the blink of an eye.
But sadly, they weren’t dealing with an ordinary knight order.
Crash! Bang!
Valheim knights swiftly took evasive action, employing different techniques to escape the fall.
Some swung their swords against the walls to halt their descent, while others detonated their auras beneath their feet to use it as a launching platform to escape.
They wouldn’t be hailed as the strongest knights without reason; they climbed out of the pit in the blink of an eye.
However, there was one individual who dove down.
With her long blue hair flowing behind her, Lilish took a leap into the black water.
Splash!
She plunged into the pool of black rain below.
In that very instant, a small vortex began to form on top of the black lake.
“Everyone brace yourself! It’s coming!”
“Prepare for attack!”
The commanders, having grasped Lilish’s intention, shouted to alert the knights.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Just then, a grotesque entity burst forth from the swirling underground waters.
A cylindrical monster, draped in bizarre chains upon its purple skin, emerged.
Simultaneously, its wide, toothy maw gaped open with a sickening squelch.
It was the named erosion entity that had just begun to threaten the eastern region—Nysrock.
On its back…
Lilish, with her sword plunged deep within it, was soaring up alongside Nysrock.
Despite the intense wind pressure, she appeared unfazed.
So much so that even amidst all this chaos, she was carving sword marks into Nysrock’s hide.
Meanwhile, the Valheim knight order began launching their attacks toward Nysrock.
This attacking duty mainly fell upon her knight order, the Sky Command Knights.
“Green Sea and Blue Sea will hold off the erosion entities rising from below!”
The other knight orders, excluding the Sky Command Knights, stood to confront the baby erosion entities emerging from the hole created by Nysrock.
They were creating space for the Sky Command Knights to engage Nysrock smoothly.
Of course, Kraush was dutifully playing his part as well.
“Lilish, my sister really is a monster.”
As Kraush witnessed his sister continuously assaulting the writhing Nysrock without losing her footing, he couldn’t help but momentarily admire her skills.
Though overshadowed by Charlotte, Lilish was undeniably proficient enough to maintain that status.
[Kraush.]
Yet, amidst all this, the one variable was the world’s erosion.
Upon hearing the call from Crimson Garden, Kraush obliterated a baby Nysrock with a punch before turning his gaze away.
“Got it.”
In the distance, an entity was rushing toward him, nudging against his instincts.
It was the one who realized its prey was being hunted.
“Deputy Reblian.”
Kraush positioned himself beside Reblian.
“…Kraush?”
The one leading the charge, fighting off the baby Nysrocks, turned to acknowledge Kraush’s approach.
Kraush nodded slightly, indicating the need to execute a personal endeavor.
Reblian appeared taken aback.
“Despite the context, you want to act solo?!”
It was a difficult position.
“Harpas is approaching.”
At Kraush’s words, Reblian stiffened.
Harpas, the named erosion entity, king of this eastern region.
If that creature arrived, chaos would surely follow.
Reblian quickly scanned his surroundings.
However, his sensing abilities weren’t on par with Kraush’s acute instincts.
He couldn’t precisely locate its position.
All he could do was faintly detect a tremendous oppressive force creeping in through the surrounding chaos.
“I’ll keep it at bay.”
“What?! Harpas is a level six erosion entity! Kraush, you can’t handle this alone!”
“I know. That’s why it’s going to get chaotic when it arrives.”
Reblian was so astonished he momentarily forgot to regard him as Kraush.
Fortunately, amidst the chaos, no one else heard their exchange.
But regardless of whether he yelled or not, Kraush was already moving.
“Don’t worry. Aside from other things…”
Sudden flames erupted beneath Kraush’s feet.
“World erosion is my specialty.”
In that instant, he surged through the battlefield like lightning.
As Reblian watched Kraush vanish in an instant, his eyes widened.
He had initially believed Kraush to be at the expert level, but that brief movement surpassed even his expectations.
“What on earth is Kraush capable of?”
He snapped out of his daze and quickly regained focus.
While he had known Kraush was strong, that didn’t alter the duties at hand.
“I must update Lady Lilish about this.”
Only the direct line could hamper the actions of a direct line.
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