Chapter 345: Lord of the Labyrinth

The physical Crystal Maidens changed into enormous spiders and planted themselves in front of the army.

More than ten thousand beams struck them.

Metallic crashes filled the passage mouth. Fine cracks spread across the Maidens’ golden bodies, only to vanish beneath ripples of flowing crystal.

Nine had been killed before she could react because she was a caster. Extreme Spirit came at a price. Her body was more fragile than that of many ordinary troops.

The physical Maidens were another matter.

They held through more than ten seconds of concentrated fire before the barrage began to thin.

Sheltered behind them, Cassian opened the Amber’s seal and paid to release the Divine Dragon. The Blood Chalice consumed its summoning cost as six Blood Emperors took shape beside him. Aether and Blood Essence would keep paying for their presence.

Then he looked across the immense plaza.

Dark passages opened all around its walls. He could not tell where any of them led. At the center stood a palace covering several square kilometers, its Gothic spires rising a thousand meters high. The architecture reminded him of the Mage Sanctum.

Hundreds of Dark Prism Towers surrounded it. Their fire had slackened as they gathered power for another volley.

Troops patrolled between the towers in orderly ranks. Tens of thousands of them, drawn from races Cassian recognized and others he had never seen.

A figure like a small hill sat before the palace.

It had a bull’s head and a Human-shaped body. Even seated, it stood dozens of meters tall. A golden axe more than a hundred meters long rested at its side.

[Vaurak]

[Title: Lord of the Labyrinth]

[Lords, Heroes, and troops who die within the Labyrinth Core have a chance to continue existing as Vaurak’s slaves.]

[Race: Human–Demon Hybrid | Level: 105 | Quality: Mythic, One-Star]

[Combat Rating: 960,000 stars]

[Physique: 1,200,000 | Aether: 800,000 | Spirit: 1,100,000 | Load: 740,000]

[Skills: ???]

"Nine hundred and sixty thousand stars. One point two million Physique. And that’s before he uses any skills."

Cassian studied the patrols again.

"Hundreds of Level-105 Legendaries. More than ten thousand Epics. Previous challengers who died here, I suppose."

He let out a breath.

"Is this really meant for newcomer Lords?"

A wild Level-105 Mythic would not have frightened him. Vaurak’s Combat Rating was at least twice the basic strength Cassian would have expected.

"At least his attributes aren’t Extreme."

That was the one piece of good news.

Vaurak rose slowly. His voice rolled across the Core.

"Every few decades, or perhaps a century, another newcomer Lord finds this place. Some reach me through strength. Others through luck."

His gaze settled on Cassian.

"But never a Human. You are the first."

He had recognized Cassian’s race at a glance. Whatever ability had let him do that, he offered no explanation.

"Go."

At his gesture, the nearest troops turned toward the passage. Several thousand charged together.

"Come, then. Show me something worth watching."

Vaurak swung his axe.

Twelve enormous golden axe shadows crossed tens of kilometers and came crashing down like falling mountains.

"That range!"

Cassian barely had time to shout.

Rhea rose with two Praetorians holding the adjoining points of Aegis Fold. Aurelia spread Folded Sky Ward. Beside them, the Divine Dragon swung its tail, and six blood shields bloomed in the air.

Nine of the axe shadows struck those defenses.

The weakest Blood Emperor was hurled more than a hundred meters backward. His shield held long enough to save him.

The remaining three blows fell on three of the crystal spiders.

Their bodies shattered.

Legendary Nine-Star Extreme troops, killed instantly.

"Resurrection!"

Harriet and two other Dawnwing Marshals raised their hands. Sacred light descended. A heartbeat after being smashed apart, all three Maidens stood whole again.

Cassian drew a sharp breath.

"An attack loses power over distance. If that hit at close range, it might kill even a Mythic in one blow."

He turned toward the scouts.

"Crystal Maidens. Check the other passages."

"Yes, Lord."

Across the plaza, Vaurak took an eager step forward.

"Mythic troops? I’ve never owned a Mythic slave."

Then he stopped. Annoyance flickered in his eyes.

He had offended a power he should never have challenged. For countless years, this chamber and its immediate bounds had been his whole world. Lord of the Labyrinth was an impressive title for someone who could not leave its Core.

A living Lord had finally appeared after a hundred years. In his eagerness, he had nearly spoiled the amusement.

What if the challenger fled back down the passage?

The scouts soon returned their findings.

"No sign of another Lord within a thousand kilometers," Seven reported.

Inside the boundary, her Echo Survey worked normally again. That much was consistent with the way such barriers usually behaved.

"Good. Report any change immediately."

The chance was small, but Cassian had no intention of doing all the work only to let another race’s Champion claim the kill.

With the surroundings checked, he acted.

"Disarming Toast."

The skill settled over Aurelia’s Command, protecting it from interference. Cassian turned his attention to the Amber.

"Dragon’s Blessing. Ten billion Aether for Celia’s full attributes. Ten billion for Liora, Sylvara, and Lethria’s Spirit."

Golden light spread through his forces.

"Thirty billion for Rhea, Aurelia, the Divine Dragon, and the Blood Emperors’ Physique. Fifty billion for every troop’s primary attribute."

He set the final condition.

"One hour."

A hundred billion Aether burned away. Including the money he had borrowed, it was every crystal he had set aside for this blessing.

Divine Dragon Amber was exceptional even among Mythic artifacts. Its appetite for money was the only thing Cassian could find to dislike.

Compressed into a single hour, that fortune became an extraordinary surge of strength. Every troop’s primary attribute rose by more than fifty percent. Celia, with ten billion devoted to her alone, saw her attributes double.

She took a deep breath and understood at once.

The power released by Sword Nurturing also depended on the wielder’s current strength.

The first several thousand defenders reached the passage mouth.

Vaurak had sat down again after throwing his twelve axe shadows. He seemed content to watch.

Battle erupted.

Angels, Demons, Divines—Level-105 fighters from powerful races crashed into Cassian’s line. He had spent a hundred billion for a reason. With Mythics and champions who could rival them at the front, his army met the charge head-on.

"Aegis Fold!"

"Heartpiercing Touch!"

"Sword of Space!"

Heaven’s Guard flared among the Dawnwings. Sacred Strike fell into the enemy ranks. Void Entanglement, Crescent Mark, and gravity rounds followed, leaving no room for Cassian’s opponents to regroup.

Sword Energy streamed from Celia. The six Blood Emperors became streaks of crimson, leaving severed heads behind them. Lethria slipped through phased space, spreading Aether Vacuum across the battlefield.

Cassian’s own troops fell too. In that opening clash, the Marshals reached them with Resurrection and brought them back into the line.

Within minutes, nearly half the attacking force had been killed or disabled.

Vaurak rose from his seat.

This was not the entertainment he had expected. Watching his slaves fall in groups stripped away his concern about frightening the visitor.

"My faithful servants! Form ranks! Kill them all!"

Movement swept across the plaza. Ten times as many troops began to assemble, advancing toward Cassian in ordered formations.

Fifty thousand.

Every one Level 105. Hundreds of Legendaries and more than ten thousand Epics marched among them. An army like that could destroy a nation.

With ordinary attacks, Cassian would have had no choice but to run as far as he could.

Instead, he smiled at the neat ranks.

"Celia. Mind the angle."

"Yes, Lord."

She stepped forward and unfastened the sheathed sword from her back.