Swish—!
Karuna didn't use excessive strength. Instead, his movents were calculated and precise, striking only when it mattered.
Even to Seol, who had now beco Yaksha, his movents seed to be perfect and efficient.
Crash—!
He blocked Karuna's kick with his elbow.
Even though he partially covered himself with shadow, the impact was still significant.
Whoosh…
Like a machine, Karuna aid for his lower body.
Swish—!
At that mont, a Darkness Dweller appeared from the side and struck Karuna down.
BOOM—!
Debris covered their vision.
Guoo…
Karuna leaped onto the back of the Darkness Dweller, striking from above.
CLAP—!
[You used Black Flower.]
[Summon shadow hands that perform rapid strikes. Each attack deals damage equal to the amount of hands created. Each additional strike on the sa target deals 20% increased damage.]
Whir—!
Fists surged upward in rapid succession.
Whoosh…
Dark energy flowed from Karuna's sword.
Tuunngg…
Tuung…
A black wave swept through everything around Karuna.
Swept up by the wave, the shadow hands lost their target and scattered in all directions.
There was probably no power as useful as that regarding distance control.
CRACK—!
Karuna drove his sword into the ground.
However, Seol wasn't there. He was glaring at Karuna from within the Darkness Dweller he had summoned.
'The Pitch Black Labyrinth's master is just imitating when I first entered this place—everything I rember, and more. In other words, this Karuna still hasn't reached Supre-rank.' ȑ𝒶NÔ𝖇Êṡ
By now, Karuna would have reached Supre-rank. Due to the Connected Soul skill with Karen, the two shared enlightennt.
However, the Karuna Seol faced still hadn't reached Supre-rank. That's why he could handle him relatively easily.
'The Pitch Black Labyrinth's master lacks imagination.'
The Karuna Seol rembered had stagnated.
It had been a while since Karuna had entered the Void, and even more ti had passed since he entered the Pitch Black Labyrinth.
The Karuna he was facing now wasn't his true self. This Karuna had been created from stolen mories and was far from the Supre-rank.
'But still, he's strong…'
At that mont…
After changing his stance, Karuna mumbled.
"Your movents passed."
"What…?"
"There is no need to see anymore. The next is…'
There was sothing in Karuna's reaction.
Seol noticed it, and even the Pitch Black Labyrinth's master sensed sothing was off.
"You… What did you just say?"
Karuna ignored the labyrinth master's words.
"It's power."
Whoosh…
Karuna's body ignited with a blue fla.
[Karuna has entered the 4th Stage of Soaring Moonlight, Blue Moon.]
[All stats increase by 20%. Elental damage you deal to your target increase by 30%.]
…
An overwhelming power surged from Karuna's body. Yet it only burned and didn't spill over.
'He isn't hostile…?'
Seol had a suspicion. That's why he needed to confirm things.
Whoosh…
A Black wave rippled.
It seed like he was preparing sothing.
Seol realized that and used the Darkness Dweller as a shield.
'This…!'
An imnse energy surged without prior warning.
[Karuna used Exceptional Skill: Night Sea.]
…
A dark wave crashed down.
WHOOM—!
'I can withstand it…!'
The Darkness Dweller's body had endured even the Storm Sword of the Shin Yu from the dream. That's why it should be able to easily block the power of soone who had stayed in the past.
Creak…
[Karuna used Exceptional Skill: Link: Darklight.]
…
SPLASH—!
"Ugh…"
The Darkness Dweller staggered backward.
Another Darkness Dweller erged behind it and caught it, and then another one supported it from behind.
Crack…
The first Darkness Dweller split in half.
However, the second Darkness Dweller wasn't completely shattered.
Clank…
Suddenly, Karuna sheathed his sword.
"Master, you've grown."
"What…?"
He could feel Karuna's smile.
Why was it?
The labyrinth's master shouted.
"I'm your master! What nonsense are you talking about?!"
Upon hearing that, Karuna turned around, looking annoyed.
"Those are disgusting words. There's only one I serve after being reborn—and that soone isn't you."
"What…?"
"I'll be going back now."
Whir—!
Karuna defied the labyrinth master's order and left on his own.
The labyrinth's master gritted his teeth and reconnected to the fake Void.
"Karen, I need your help."
Soon, a longing voice echoed from the Void.
Although it was fake, it was enough to evoke longing.
Karen was a Knight who had stepped onto the threshold of Supre-rank. She would likely be much harder to deal with than Karuna.
'Even if she's as strong as I rember…'
Even if the mories poured out as they were, the odds were uncertain.
However, sothing unexpected happened.
- No.
"What…?"
- Don't call . Ah, Ur is busy, so he probably won't even answer…
"I-I'm your master! Why aren't you following my orders?"
For so reason, all of the summons seem to have free will.
'Could it be…'
They knew that both they and the labyrinth's master were fakes.
'I see! It's because I lost control back then!'
It wasn’t just the labyrinth’s master who was shocked by the summons acting on their own—Seol was shocked, too.
The situation had already been foreseen.
The summons refusal to obey wasn't because they had beco stronger—it was because the master's quality had fallen too behind.
- Well… You're weak.
"Weak…? ? Your master?"
Even though they were fakes acting according to their own will, Seol's expression was dark.
'That's… my fear.'
It was the manifestation of his fear.
His summons refusing his orders was sothing that could happen at any ti after he broke the balance due to having solely focused on their growth.
That image was one of the possible futures he had envisioned before entering the Pitch Black Labyrinth.
"If I'm weak… does that an you've been used by a weakling all this ti?"
The Pitch Black Labyrinth’s master dragged in Seol and tried to persuade her.
- Our Master is different from you.
"What's the difference?!"
- Our Master is noble. You're vulgar.
The labyrinth's master laughed.
"Haha… I see… I see…"
He realized that all of this was a reflection of Seol's true self.
"No wonder you're scared."
"…"
"But you know what? My power exactly mimics the mories and traits of the target. That ans… deep down, your summons think the sa way."
He was right—no, it was most likely true.
"You're a pitiful being… Haha… Ah, it was like that."
It was at that mont.
Whir…
Darkness swirled around the labyrinth’s master as a massive presence erged behind him.
Upon noticing the arrival of the giant being, the labyrinth's master spread his arms wide to welco him.
"Jamad! As expected, you ca!"
The giant being carried an overwhelming presence.
'What the…'
He had never felt his hostility before—after all, it had always been directed elsewhere. But now, as Jamad stood before him, he felt pressure on a whole other level.
"Now, beco one with , and…"
Paaf—!
Jamad's hand gripped the labyrinth's master's head.
"Huh…?"
"You're too noisy. Why do you think you can give orders?"
"W-Wait… I'm your brother…"
"Yes. Brother… but do you know what?"
Jamad brought his face close to the labyrinth master.
"I was reborn after killing all my brothers."
"Ah… No…"
Swoosh…
Jamad turned his head slightly to look at Seol.
"Yes. This might be the image you had in mind."
CRACK—!
The labyrinth master's head shattered.
Whoosh…
The darkness enveloped Jamad as he entered the Night Crow form.
The labyrinth master slumped down.
However, all of that was the will of the labyrinth's master—the will of the labyrinth itself. It was just that now, the labyrinth's master had taken on the form of Jamad.
"How long has it been?"
"Two years…"
"Haha… You sure talk a lot. You damn bastard."
Jamad laughed wholeheartedly before his expression turned serious.
"I thought of you as a brother."
"…"
"Soone I could share my life's goalv"
Seol also thought that.
It was just that he wanted to stand side by side.
"Your choices were always right. But… this ti, I have my doubts."
He was angry.
"You will have to prove that your choice was right, as always. Even though I'm a fake… I'm sure the inside you feels the sa way."
CLAP—!
Dddrrr…
The surrounding terrain changed to a familiar scene—a starry night sky, and a solitary mountain's nest.
He needed to face one who had truly reached the Supre-rank—the first shadow who had regained his true color—Walking Mountain, Jamad.
He could feel the pressure from a Supre-rank.
His enemies so far must have also felt this way. A massive mountain stood before him.
"Do you rember where this is?"
"The place where we first t."
Grin…
It seed that Jamad liked that answer.
This was the Pointy Mountains.
A bond ford through adversity.
Their encounter ford and stacked stories, and now, they were facing each other as enemies in the starry Pitch Black Labyrinth.
Seol stood on the testing ground.
This could beco a guillotine or a runway to break free from the cage.
Jamad spat out the words he had once said to him.
“Oh demon, do you desire the mountain?”
- Oh demon, do you desire the mountain?
The being was larger and scarier than before. Now, he was standing before a being that had beco a mountain.
"Then…"
Tsss…
Seol's body was covered in shadow.
Both of their bodies got painted dark, and each divined their own future.
They had grown now.
Too much had changed for them to remain in the past.
They were weak—now, they were strong.
They had wandered aimlessly—now, they moved with purpose.
They were enemies—now, they were brothers.
[The content of 'The Darkest Light' has changed.]
[The labyrinth's master has changed to 'Walking Mountain Jamad.']
[The Adventure’s difficulty has drastically increased.]
[The inheritance reward has increased.]
…
"Try and take it…"
Although they were standing opposite each other, the outco they desired from this fight was the sa.
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