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A massive door loomed before Sieg. It was crafted entirely from obsidian, covered in magnificent, intricate carvings. This was the entrance to the Labyrinth Lord’s chamber.
Sieg sat in the Mana Recovery Stance, closing his eyes to restore as much stamina and mana as he could. He focused on his breathing, letting all the tension drain from his body.
[Concealment] should work on the Labyrinth Lord. I didn’t raise its proficiency for nothing. By my internal clock, it’s still before noon. I want to be at my peak before going in… but…
His wish, however, was not granted.
A dry crunch echoed from the corridor. It was the sound of someone stepping on gravel. He had scattered it near the entrance precisely for this reason—to detect approaching enemies.
The Obsidian Hellhounds were coming. A lot of them.
Right now, being outnumbered was the bigger problem. Whether it was a hellhound or the Labyrinth Lord, a single clean hit would kill him instantly. The monsters here were that strong, and he was that weak. That being the case, facing the single Labyrinth Lord was the slightly better option.
Sieg steeled his resolve and opened his eyes. The hounds’ red eyes glowed, staring right at him. The moment he activated [Concealment], the beasts flinched.
Sieg let out a long breath, slapped his cheeks, and got to his feet.
“Alright! Time to go!” he yelled, psyching himself up.
The instant he spoke, the hounds growled and charged. Sieg snorted, spun around, and pushed the massive door.
“You mutts! You’re not the ones I’m here to fight!”
The door groaned open. Just as the hounds were about to pounce, Sieg slipped through the gap and into the chamber. The door slammed shut behind him, and the sound of a heavy lock engaging echoed through the room.
A magic circle flared to life on the door’s surface, then faded away. Sieg forced a grim smile, trying to beat back his fear. The room was now completely sealed, both physically and magically.
He wasn’t getting out until the Labyrinth Lord was dead.
It was a vast chamber with a soaring ceiling. A gallery, supported by numerous pillars, ran along the perimeter. The room was filled with pedestals, each bearing the statue of a wizard.
At the far end of the chamber, one colossus towered above all the rest. In the pitch-black, obsidian room, this statue alone radiated a brilliant white light.
The colossus shuddered once, as if awakening, and took a ridiculously large warhammer from its mounting on the wall. Then, despite having no mouth, it unleashed a deafening roar.
‘ZGGYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!’
The sound was so loud it shook the entire labyrinth. Sieg gritted his teeth and glared at the colossus. That was the master of the Labyrinth of Obsidian. An ancient automaton crafted from holy silver—the Mithril Golem.
Sieg quickly moved away from the door, hugging the wall to get out of the golem’s line of sight. Just as he’d hoped, the golem couldn’t see him. It turned its head, scanning the room, and let out a low, frustrated growl. It was confused, unable to locate the intruder.
Good, [Concealment] works on it. Now I just have to run out the clock!
Defeating the MithrilGolem was impossible. Even Sieg at his peak would have had a tough fight. In his current state, a single graze from that hammer would vaporize him. He had to keep his distance and avoid getting caught in its attacks at all costs.
By my senses, I should awaken as the Hero in about an hour. Just have to hold out until then!
The golem, apparently losing its patience, roared again. It ripped a nearby wizard statue from its pedestal and—hurled it at the door with incredible force.
—What!?
A deafening crash echoed as the statue exploded on impact, sending a shower of shrapnel in all directions. The walls, the floor, and the stairs to the gallery were pelted by the debris and began to crumble.
“Guh!”
Sieg was thrown by the shockwave. He barely managed to land in a roll, scrambling to his feet and diving behind a pillar just as fragments rained down through the billowing cloud of dust.
Coughing, Sieg glanced at the devastation near the entrance. The door itself was intact, but the surrounding statues and pillars had been completely obliterated, leaving a mountain of rubble.
Sieg’s face contorted, sweat beading on his forehead. The golem had changed its tactics. It didn’t need to attack him directly; it just had to destroy everything in the room. By throwing statues and smashing the area with its hammer, the resulting shrapnel would be just as effective as a direct hit.
This is bad… really bad… I don’t know if I can dodge the next one! The last one missed by pure luck!
Just as he feared, the golem raised its hammer and pulverized a nearby statue. With another deafening crash, the statue shattered, sending debris flying at terrifying speeds. Fortunately, the attack was directed away from his hiding spot.
But I could be next!
Sieg bolted from behind the pillar, his mind racing as he sprinted along the wall. He scanned the room, searching for a safe zone, but there wasn’t one.
What do I do!? If I just keep running, the shrapnel will get me eventually!
In his panic, his eyes landed on the golem itself, and an idea sparked.
That’s it… that spot! No, but… He squeezed his eyes shut for a second. It was his only option.
Sieg skidded to a halt, spun on his heel, and dashed across the open floor. The golem must have spotted the movement in the dust. It raised its hammer and charged, its massive body shaking the ground.
‘ZYYGAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!’
Whoa! Ahhhhh! Faster! Faster!
With every one of its steps, the room boomed and vibrated. Sieg scrambled up the stairs and onto the gallery. The charging golem was now directly below him.
The golem lost sight of him again and looked around, confused. The moment it turned its back, Sieg made his decision.
Now!
The safest place in this entire room… Sieg glared at the golem.
…is on your back!
“Go!”
Sieg leaped from the gallery, soaring toward the golem’s back. He stretched his arms out as far as they could go and latched onto its shoulders.
“‘Guhhh!'”
The impact was agonizing, like slamming full-force into a stone wall. Sieg’s face twisted in pain.
He coughed up blood—he must have damaged something internal—but there was no time to worry about it. He would not let go of the arms he had wrapped around the golem’s neck. If he was thrown off, he’d be crushed underfoot.
I won’t let go! I absolutely will not let go!
The golem, seemingly unaware of the foreign object on its back, continued to wander around, searching. Its sense of touch must have been dull. Thanks to that and the [Concealment], it hadn’t noticed him.
Good… Just like this. All I have to do is wait!
The time of his awakening had to be close. When it came, he could defeat this golem. He already had a plan for that.
Sweat dripped, making his hands slippery. Sieg clung to the golem’s back for dear life.
Not yet…? Is it not time!? Hurry! My… mana…!
Before his awakening could arrive, the thing Sieg feared most began to happen. His vision flickered, and a cold sweat broke out over his entire body. He began to tremble, and his vision tunneled.
Mana depletion.
Please… just a little longer… just hold on a little longer!
If he ran out of mana, [Concealment] would break. If that happened, even this dull-witted golem would notice him. And then, it would be over.
He tried to regulate his breathing, to recover even a sliver of mana. But a wave of nausea washed over him, and his head began to throb. If this kept up, he would pass out from mana exhaustion. If that happened, he’d be helpless.
He had to avoid that at all costs.
Sieg took a breath, steeled himself—and deactivated [Concealment].
His body, his warmth, his very breath, all took form once more.
Instantly, the Mithril Golem froze. It turned its head with a grinding sound and glared at the intruder clinging to its back. For a brief, terrible second, their eyes met.
So… you noticed me after all…
Sieg unwrapped his arms from the golem’s neck and dropped to the floor. His legs buckled, and he stumbled, collapsing onto his rear. He couldn’t even get back up.
Panting heavily, Sieg looked up. The Mithril Golem trembled with glee at finally finding its prey, its eyes glowing crimson.
‘ZYGGYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!’
It roared and raised its giant warhammer.
But—Sieg wasn’t looking at the golem. He was looking far above its head.
…About time you showed up… you’re late…
Suddenly, a pillar of light descended and, with a sharp, metallic clang—
“‘…ZG?'”
—effortlessly sliced the Mithril Golem in two.
The golem, its expression one of utter confusion, split into two halves and slowly began to topple. More light rained down as a finishing blow, obliterating the golem completely.
‘ZGGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!’
Crushed by overwhelming power, the golem disintegrated into dust.
Sieg let out a long sigh and looked up. A winged, female-like being was floating down from the new hole in the ceiling.
Seeing that form again after so long, Sieg’s expression was complicated.
It was a spirit. Spirits were messengers who delivered the will of the gods to the mortal world.
When a spirit appeared, a pillar of light would materialize around its target. This pillar had the function of completely eliminating any hostiles in the vicinity, ensuring that the divine message could be delivered without interruption.
This was the only way to defeat the Mithril Golem. No monster, no matter how powerful, could stand against the spirit’s pillar of light. Sieg had been counting on this pillar to defeat the Labyrinth Lord all along.
The spirit smiled at Sieg and was about to speak, but before it could, Sieg cried out in agony.
“Uggghhhhhhhhhhh!”
By defeating the Mithril Golem, the master of the labyrinth, a massive flood of experience points poured into him. He Ascended again and again, his stats soaring.
Ugh, so this is Ascension Sickness! My head feels like it’s going to split open…!
This was a drastic Ascension, raising his rank by dozens of levels at once. His body couldn’t handle the strain. Sieg convulsed violently, the whites of his eyes showing, and passed out cold.
When Sieg awoke, the spirit was still floating there, just as before.
He didn’t know how many hours—or even days—had passed. His entire body ached from lying on the hard floor for so long.
Sieg gave a long stretch and moved his stiff limbs. Though still exhausted, the sleep had helped him recover significantly.
The spirit smiled at him and spoke.
“SIE_G OF THE WES_T VIL_LAGE. WIL_L YOU_ AWA_KEN AS_ THE HER_O?”
Sieg ignored the spirit’s words and headed toward the back of the room. The spirit followed him, and the pillar of light moved with it.
Though it had a human form and seemed to have a will of its own, the spirit had no mind. It was merely a talking letter, entrusted with a message from the gods. If he didn’t answer, it would follow him forever.
At the back of the room was another door, which led to a treasury. It had unlocked when he defeated the Labyrinth Lord. Inside were piles of gold and silver, as well as rare weapons and magic tools.
Sieg took only a sword made of sacred silver and quickly left the room. He pulled a cloth from his pocket and tied it tightly around his left arm, just above the elbow.
The spirit watched him, still smiling.
There was one more thing Sieg had to do before becoming the Hero.
When a Hero awakens, the Hero’s Crest appears on the back of their left hand. Sieg wanted to get rid of it. If he had the crest, his identity as the Hero would be revealed. He didn’t want anyone to know who he was.
The only way to do that was—
Sieg drew the sword from its sheath and placed his left arm on a piece of rubble. Breathing heavily, he positioned the blade just below his elbow.
It’s okay… it’ll be over in an instant… just endure it for a second… I can do this!
“HERE I GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
With a determined cry, Sieg severed his own left arm below the elbow.
The sacred silver sword was terrifyingly sharp.
“‘Ugggggggggggggggh!'”
Sieg gritted his teeth, enduring the searing pain. His face contorted, he looked up at the spirit, which was still smiling as it asked again.
“SIE_G OF THE WES_T VIL_LAGE. WIL_L YOU_ AWA_KEN AS_ THE HER_O?”
“I will! I will awaken!”
A brilliant light erupted from the spirit, enveloping him. Sieg’s stats skyrocketed as he was granted the basic Blessings and resistances of a Hero. Then, the spirit informed him that he had been granted even higher-level Blessings on top of those.
Just as he had planned, they were [Hyper Recovery], [Appraisal], and [Spatial Storage].
Yes! The prayers paid off!
Once the awakening was complete, Sieg looked at his left elbow. As expected, the Hero’s Crest had appeared there. With his left hand gone, it had nowhere else to form.
Alright, with this, no one will know I’m the Hero at a glance!
Sieg took a deep breath and activated a Blessing.
The Blessing was, of course—
“[Hyper Recovery]!”
His left arm regenerated before his very eyes. The high-level Blessing [Hyper Recovery] could completely heal even severed limbs.
This was his plan to bypass the crest. By letting the crest form on his elbow and then healing his arm, he would have a left hand with no crest on it.
The spirit smiled at Sieg and, finally, announced his title. A Hero is granted a title, each awakening a unique power within them.
The spirit spoke.
“HER_O SIE_G. YOU_R TIT_LE IS_ THE SOL_ITA_RY HER_O.”
Hearing this, Sieg let out a long sigh.
Just as I thought… not that I was expecting anything different.
It was the same title he’d had the last time. He remembered his awakening from the first time.
(‘The Solitary Hero? So basically, I’m stronger when I’m alone?’)
If the title was the same, then his course was set.
He would not reveal his identity, he would not take any companions, and he would strengthen himself to the absolute limit—
He would defeat the Demon King alone.
There was no other way.
Its message delivered, the spirit smiled and ascended into the sky. The pillar of light vanished, and the chamber was plunged into darkness.
And so, having awakened as the Hero, Sieg stored all the treasure from the treasury in his [Spatial Storage] and used a teleportation circle inscribed on the floor to exit the labyrinth. The deepest parts of labyrinths often had convenient escape routes like this.
Hero Sieg looked up at the sky and took a deep breath.
The birth of a Hero would be observed by the kingdom’s mages almost instantly. An envoy from the kingdom would be dispatched to this land eventually.
But he couldn’t let them find him. Being forced into a Hero’s party was the last thing he wanted.
Even the Royal Knights would have a hard time reaching this labyrinth… He was certain this would buy him a considerable amount of time.
In the meantime, I’ll head to the next territory.
There was a magic tool that Sieg wanted at any cost.
His destination is the trading city of Treden. He would obtain that item there, no matter what.
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