Chapter 205: Welcome, Hero… Or Rather, Welcome to the Place Where You’ll Die

The gulf between the two sides was vast—utterly unbridgeable.

“You’re right. We really aren’t on the same level.”

Lin Wei nodded in agreement with Iresha’s somber assessment.

Back in the old days, if he so much as raised his voice, those fools would have dropped to their knees, groveling for mercy before the mighty Demon Lord.

Now, after all these years, the fact that they could stand their ground at all—without fleeing in terror—was, in its own way, a sign of progress.

He almost wanted to praise them: “You’ve finally grown stronger, haven’t you?” Something like that.

“So… are we really going to keep exploring the labyrinth?”

Iresha’s voice was taut, tension coloring her words.

“It’s not really a matter of what we want.” Lin Wei’s tone was calm, almost detached. “At this point, even if we wished to retreat, there’s no path left for us. Our only choice is to press on.”

“But at least Yalis has been safely sent out. If she followed the plan, she should have contacted Commander Meilin by now.”

That name carried very different weight depending on who heard it.

To the common folk, the Grand Commander of the Judgement Knights was simply a lofty authority—a pillar of the Holy See.

But only those who had truly met her understood: Meilin, who bore both the Legacy of Goddess Alicia and the twin inheritances of the Judgement Knights, could, if she unleashed her full power, become a living embodiment of divine wrath.

It was nothing like the dignified but aging Commander Alfron.

Meilin’s presence blazed like a cleansing fire, burning away every trace of corruption in her path.

“Doesn’t that mean we should just hold our ground and wait for rescue?”

Iresha’s voice trembled, hope and anxiety warring in her eyes.

“Holding our position is well and good, but as an Honor Knight, I can’t simply abandon those people.”

Lin Wei stood there, radiating a righteous light that seemed almost tangible—he looked every inch the model knight of the Holy See.

“Until Commander Meilin arrives, my duty is to scout ahead, locate the enemy’s lair, and mark it for the subjugation squad. Once reinforcements arrive, they can wipe out the enemy in one swift strike.”

“I have a Holy See tracking device on me. The instant she enters the labyrinth, she’ll be able to find me—saving precious time.”

“It’s just reconnaissance. It’s not as if we’ll be fighting one of the Four Heavenly Kings or anything. What’s wrong, Princess? You’re not scared, are you?”

A flicker of unease crossed Iresha’s beautiful face. Before she could retort, Lin Wei reached out and pinched her soft, proud cheeks.

Up close, her delicate features were nearly flawless.

Her wine-red eyes shimmered with a trace of nervousness. To outsiders, Miss Iresha was always the aloof and mysterious mage; yet here she was, frowning in confusion as Lin Wei toyed with her face like a child playing with a new trinket.

She was a grown woman now—her cheeks felt nothing like Yalis’s.

As he squeezed her cheeks, Lin Wei’s voice softened, a gentle encouragement.

“Come on, toughen up, Miss Tsundere! You’re the woman who dreams of toppling the Demon Lord and rebuilding your kingdom. How can you shrink back at the prospect of facing just one Demon General?”

“I… I never said I was scared…”

Iresha muttered, her cheeks still trapped between his fingers.

The tracking device was, as Lin Wei claimed, only for Meilin’s benefit.

It was reasonable—if their positions were reversed, she would have done the same.

If she were alone, she wouldn’t have worried about the risk.

But now, ever since joining forces with Lin Wei, she found herself anxious for his safety, always afraid he’d do something reckless and get himself killed.

She was painfully aware of her own weakness.

If only she were stronger, maybe she could help him more.

“I understand.”

There was no point hesitating any longer.

She looked Lin Wei in the eye, determination flaring in her elegant features.

Her voice was solemn, almost ceremonial.

“I’ll keep up. But if we run into something we can’t handle, you have to promise me you’ll run.”

“If I get caught by the Demon Generals, you leave me behind and escape. Don’t you dare die for my sake. If you die and Commander Meilin loses our intel, the whole mission could be ruined.”

She knew she wasn’t fast enough to run, and she feared she’d only slow him down.

Lin Wei gazed at her with open admiration, his hand moving from her cheek to her chin.

“So you actually care about me, do you?”

“Relax. If things get dicey, I’ll sell you out first!”

He grinned. “And if I ever have to go back and rescue you, your daughter’s taking my surname!”

Wait, what? Was that supposed to be an insult?

Iresha froze, unable to process the meaning, but certain it wasn’t anything good. She stomped on his foot.

“Go to hell!”

“Now, now, Princess, let’s calm down and get ready to move.”

Lin Wei realized, belatedly, that he’d never used such a line on a woman before. It sounded awkward, but so be it.

He quickly let go, his expression turning serious.

A surge of Mana flooded from his body, sweeping across the path ahead.

It was almost the same as before, but this time, Lin Wei unleashed his power without restraint—at least ten times greater than before.

“Hm?”

Even as the former Demon Lord, Lin Wei couldn’t fully conceal such an overwhelming burst.

Iresha, a talented mage in her own right, immediately sensed the shift.

Moments later, her mind filled with new images.

The terrain, the energy flows, the twisting corridors—everything Lin Wei’s Mana touched was mapped out in exquisite detail.

The labyrinth itself was laid bare, every passage illuminated by his power.

This was a technique Lin Wei had been reluctant to use, but with time running short, he had no choice.

There was no hiding from a Legacy-level Transcendent’s Mana sweep; it was more like announcing his presence to the world.

If the Headless Horseman, Morteir, happened to be within range,

he might even suspect the Demon Lord himself had returned.

Fortunately, the results exceeded expectations.

“Oh? Looks like I found them.”

Lin Wei’s Mana extended down the tunnels, reaching five or six kilometers.

From a god’s-eye view, a new scene unfolded before him.

Hidden behind a false wall, glimpsed through cracks in the stone, he saw more than sixty hostages slumped weakly on the ground.

Nearby, concealed among the boulders, three figures radiating the power of the Evil God lurked—their presence so thick it seemed to warp the very air. Even without focused searching, their darkness was unmistakable.

“Legacy-level fighters from the Cult of the Evil God, huh?”

“Three of them. Plus a handful of elite demon soldiers and some Evil God cultists.”

“Let’s see… not only have they laid an ambush here, but they’ve also prepared a portal nearby. Afraid of being cornered, so they’re ready to flee at a moment’s notice?”

They’d covered every angle.

But… it hardly mattered.

“After all, there’s no way any of you are making it to that portal.”

When the time came, this wouldn’t be a simple skirmish.

He was already prepared to knock Iresha unconscious and slaughter everyone else present.

“Perfect. The magma zone isn’t far from here, either.”

“Once she’s out, I’ll drag her to the twelfth floor. Flawless plan—no wonder I’m the Demon Lord.”

As for Commander Meilin, no matter how fast she was, she’d never reach this place in time.

The “Holy See tracking device” was pure fiction, a lie for Iresha’s peace of mind.

Lin Wei would never let the Holy See plant a tracker on him—not even Veya could get away with that. It was far too dangerous.

“Lin Wei… you found them?”

Iresha’s voice broke through his thoughts.

The shared tactical map had just cut out with a click.

She couldn’t see what he saw, but she caught the smile on his face and her eyes brightened with hope.

“Yeah. I have a good idea of their location.”

He reached out and tapped Iresha’s forehead, restoring her tactical view, then reined in his Mana.

He’d seen everything up close, but it was better not to let her glimpse the details—his abilities were already terrifying enough, and he didn’t want to make her suspicious.

“From here on, just stick close and don’t wander off.”

“Alright… let’s move.”

Come to think of it, if the Headless Horseman had already infiltrated the Hero’s party,

how far had they gotten by now? Could they have reached the hostages before him?

A hostage situation always favored the demons.

The original intel mentioned hundreds of hostages; now, only a few dozen remained.

He sighed, glancing at Iresha, following with grim determination.

She was going to be heartbroken, he could already tell.

◇

“I’ve got it pinned, Hero! Take it down!”

“Got it—here I go!”

“Raaagh!”

A deafening roar echoed as the beast crashed down, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Even though this monster was well over Level 70, it still fell before the Hero’s assault.

Brandy, captain of the Blackrock Squad, stared in awe at the corpse.

“I have to say, Hero, you’re truly something else. We’re supposed to be at the same Level, but the gap between us is enormous.”

Oshu, the Hero, was panting hard, clearly exhausted, but Brandy’s grin was full of genuine respect.

“Forget about me—even a Transcendent, a Legacy-level one at that, wouldn’t stand a chance against you, Hero!”

They’d made it through an hour’s journey with barely a hitch.

With Eileen leading the way, their squad pressed forward at a breakneck pace.

Even though they stuck to the so-called safe route,

the labyrinth was so vast, so dense with monsters, that running into powerful foes was inevitable.

Fortunately, Oshu’s combat strength was truly astonishing.

“No monster, no matter how strong, can stand against the Hero.”

“Though, honestly… it looked like you were barely hanging on with that last one. If another showed up, you might’ve been in real trouble—but in the end, you always pull through.”

One of the adventurers muttered quietly, recalling the earlier battle and privately wondering about the true limits of the Hero’s power.

“Well, as a Hero… I do have some special abilities, you know.”

Oshu was obviously in high spirits, basking in the praise.

He’d been flattered plenty in the past, but those were all weaklings.

Now, after finally reaching Level 70 and standing on the threshold of the Legacy rank, he was surrounded by fellow Transcendents—the very peak of mortal power.

It felt good to be admired by his peers.

Even if he knew they were sucking up, who didn’t like hearing nice things about themselves?

“Special abilities?”

Brandy signaled the other adventurers to clean up the corpse before the blood attracted more monsters, then looked at Oshu curiously.

“That’s right. As a Hero, I’m blessed by the Goddess. No matter how powerful my opponent, I can always win.”

“The stronger the enemy, the stronger I become. I have all sorts of protective blessings, too. Even if I was thrown into this labyrinth, I’d never die—unless I lost my mind and gave up, nothing could go wrong.”

“Take this so-called Super Labyrinth. Thanks to Eileen, we just happened to find a safe route. That’s the Hero’s luck in action!”

Oshu’s real aim was to flaunt his unique status.

But to Brandy, those words evoked a faint, knowing smile.

“I see. Then you’d better watch out for mental attacks.”

“I heard one of the Demon Generals specializes in that… wouldn’t want you caught off guard.”

Oshu laughed, waving dismissively.

“With the Goddess’s blessing, how could I possibly fall to something as trivial as a mental attack?”

“In short, any skill meant to break me just won’t work.”

“As long as I don’t give up, as long as I don’t do anything suicidal, the Goddess’s blessing will always show me a path to survival.”

Back when he first became a Hero and charged off to challenge the Demon Lord,

the blessing probably wouldn’t have worked—he could have been killed in a single blow.

But if he just happened to run into the Demon Lord by chance, that was another matter entirely.

In other words, as long as he didn’t knowingly throw himself at an enemy far beyond his strength,

if there was even the slightest chance of escape, the Goddess’s blessing would see him through.

And if there wasn’t a way out, one would miraculously appear.

That was the Hero’s unique protection.

Of course, no matter how pleased he was, he’d never share those details.

Otherwise, he’d end up just like those weak little heroes before him.

“So that’s why the Holy See is always recruiting Heroes to fight the Demon Lord.”

Blessings this absurd were practically the Goddess’s gaze upon you at all times.

No wonder the Church went to such lengths to secure a Hero who hadn’t even reached the Legacy rank.

But was that truly the reason?

And what about all those subjugation squads that perished before—

did they fall to the Demon Lord’s schemes?

“We’re almost there.”

Eileen’s voice cut through the musings.

She stepped forward, pointing at a spot not far ahead.

It looked like an ordinary stone wall, but a closer look revealed clear signs of artificial carving.

“Go through here, and after one last passage, we’ll reach the entrance to the twelfth floor.”

“Everyone… our dangerous journey is nearly at its end.”

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