Chapter 424 - Dragon Temple (11) (1/2)
Boom! Waltz slowly pulled her fist back after punching. After the dark energy was released from her fist, steam floated up from it.
[You have successfully subjugated the graveyard keeper ‘Vasuki’.]
[A part of the ‘Dragon’s Curse’ has been removed.]
‘It gets more amazing the more I look at it. The magic of the Draconic species and the Mugong of the One-horned tribe…the Summer Queen chose her successor well.’ The Head Bishop smiled ruefully as he watched Waltz. The first time he’d met her, he’d seriously contemplated whether he needed to awaken the power of the Seven Demon Kings because his strength was lacking in comparison to hers after the Channel with the Heavenly Demon had been disconnected.
However, Waltz just looked him and the bishop over and asked if they wanted to move forward together. It meant their truce still held, and they would work together until they at least found their subordinates. After all, none of them knew what was hiding in the labyrinth. The Head Bishop had agreed because he had no reason not to. However, it dawned on him that Waltz didn’t need their help at all.
‘She really has discovered the secret of the labyrinth. You have to collect the pieces that appear after breaking the protectors?’ The more pieces of Kalatus’ tooth she gathered, the more Waltz’s power returned. ‘And it appears she somewhat knows her way around.’
The Head Bishop still didn’t know how to navigate the complicated labyrinth, but Waltz seemed to have figured it out. The Head Bishop assumed that she had used her draconic magic to help her.
At any rate, the Head Bishop managed to head towards the center of the labyrinth with Waltz’s help, and he reunited with many of his subordinates in the stone rooms along the way. Although seventy percent of the Devil Army’s forces was missing or dead, it wasn’t a bad result considering the difficulty of the labyrinth.
Furthermore, the players that they encountered by chance immediately threw their weapons down and surrendered. Soon, the group following Waltz grew to about a hundred members.
‘White Dragon might be able to build up their position after getting through this danger.’ There wasn’t a better way than this for players to observe her.
‘I have to find the key, too.’ His eyes grew thoughtful. Thankfully, as he began to circulate the power of the Seven Demon Kings, his blocked Channels slowly recovered bit by bit. After it was complete, the only thing he wanted to do was find Yeon-woo, the root of all this.
Rumble. Just then, Waltz stopped moving forward for the first time. As they saw her stare at the empty air, the players behind her looked up, too, wondering what was there. Just as the Head Bishop was about to ask her what she was doing, Waltz muttered, “It’s awake.”
The moment the Head Bishop was about to ask what she was doing, Waltz muttered first.
The Head Bishop felt chills down his back. “What?”
“The owner of the labyrinth.” Before she could say more, the labyrinth began to shake.
The Head Bishop could feel all his senses and the strength of the Seven Demon Kings fluctuating around him.
『Ha! Haha! To think I’d feel this here!』
『Oh dear…』
『You couldn’t expect any less from the Black King. I didn’t imagine it would be this difficult to find the key.』
『The Crawling Chaos...』
The disconnected Channels began to return one by one. The static made it hard to understand what they were saying, but they were definitely voices belonging to the Seven Demon Kings. However, one of their voices could be heard as plain as day.
『Watch out.』
It was the voice of their leader, the Bull Demon King.
“Everyone get d—!” The Head Bishop was about to shout when realized that it was too late. He clapped his hands together, shooting his magic power around them to form a barrier.
Boom! The labyrinth quaked before exploding. Rumble.
“Th-the labyrinth is collap…aaack!”
“What is this? Aaaack!”
It was a bolt from the blue for those who were occupied with searching for treasure. Many of the players were swept away by the falling rubble and buried alive. Those who were more skilled quickly used scrolls and artifacts to escape the torrent of magic power. The large size of the collapsing labyrinth meant that its impact spread throughout the entire stage.
“What…!” The players who were about to enter the labyrinth after hearing the rumors…
“Damn it! Use your suspension magic! The stage is behaving strangely!” The semi-rankers in the middle of their trials in the Dragon Temple…
“What did that Hoarder do now?” And the rankers who had heard rumors of the ruined thirty-fifth floor…
They all quickly began to retreat from the temple. However, the ground cracked beneath them, and a high-magnitude earthquake burst out with even more destructive force. Innumerable players died or went missing.
Then, a humongous shadow appeared on the ground with a loud roar, paralyzing the survivors with shock. A huge dragon—a species thought to already be extinct—stood tall and bellowed.
[The corrupted dragon king Kalatus has emerged!]
[At Kalatus’ will, the entire 50th floor has been designated as dragon territory.]
[The ‘Dragon’s Curse’ is being applied to the entire stage.]
[The ‘Dragon’s Curse’ has been strengthened by the ‘Crawling Chaos’.]
…
[All players’ Channels have been blocked.]
[All abilities have decreased.]
[All immunities have decreased.]
…
The curse of Kalatus that had been limited to the labyrinth now spread throughout the stage. The sky turned dark as all the laws that made up the stage were sealed, affecting all Channels, powers, and skills.
“Wh-what’s going on…!”
“This can’t be happening!”
It was bad news for the players that had barely managed to avoid the earthquake.
Another message popped up.
[All players who have entered the 50th floor ‘Dragon Temple’ are being given a sudden quest!]
[Hunt the boss monster, ‘Corrupted Dragon King, Kalatus’.]
[Quest / Kill the Dragon]
[Description: The ancient dragon Kalatus entered into a contract with an otherworld god, ‘Crawling Chaos’, in order to resurrect his child, Uballa. The knowledge gained through ‘Crawling Chaos’ informed him that his chances of success would increase if he gained holiness and transcendence. He attempted to climb the Tower, but he was blocked by Allforone on the 77th floor. He led the entire species to war against Allforone and initiated the great war that would later be called the Second Dragon Massacre, which resulted in the extinction of the Draconic species.
Barely clinging to life, Kalatus returned to his residence, the labyrinth, to regret his past choices and await death. After only leaving behind a successor, he gave up his soul to the otherworld god as part of the contract and was contaminated.
Now, the dragon king has been summoned due to unknown reasons. Despite his contaminated state, the remnants of his consciousness has made him furious that his haven is being intruded upon. The temple honoring his ancestors is no longer serving its purpose. Kalatus will punish those who have interrupted his slumber.
The angrier he grows, the more he will open the door for the ‘Crawling Chaos,’ whose influence in the Tower will grow. Players currently on the stage cannot escape Kalatus’ territory or request for help. Together, survive the new disaster, Kalatus, or overcome the Dragon’s Curse and successfully eradicate it.]
[Qualification of Participation: Players on the 50th floor]
[Time Limit: 72 hours]
[Rewards:
1. Title ‘Opponent of Dragons’