Chapter 264: Ragnarok (10)

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By the time Carl had slipped outside—

A fierce battle was raging beyond the barrier.

“Master!”

“So, it’s the Demon Realm faction.”

Carl clicked his tongue.

In the meantime, it seemed they had even summoned monsters into their ranks—so many that the labyrinth’s passageways were packed to the brim as they surged toward this location.

“We finish them in one sweep and break through.”

With no idea how long the test would last, there was no need to waste stamina on unnecessary skirmishes.

He had already spent a considerable amount of energy in the battle with the demons inside the barrier.

Carl clenched his fist and drew forth the demonic energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

─KWA-AANG!

A flood of pitch-black Demonic Flame swept through the labyrinth corridor.

Monsters, twisting their bodies as they charged in, melted away without a trace, and Carl burst forward, kicking off the wall.

Fwoosh!

Carl expanded his energy sense to sweep over the Demon Realm faction’s presence.

‘The Ragnarok ritual itself is no longer what matters.’

The message left behind by the Saint of ‘Rest,’ a participant in the previous Ragnarok, and the demons—

Whether it was true or not, it was not something he could afford to ignore.

If even winning Ragnarok did not lead to full divinity, there was no reason to risk his life obsessing over it.

In that case, it would be more efficient to target the Fairy King, the Guardian of Ragnarok, instead.

‘But if I change my stance too suddenly, it could raise suspicion.’

If Fairy King Mabel or the transcendent beings observing Ragnarok changed their attitude and turned hostile, it would put him in a dire situation.

‘They’re not the only enemies.’

The Demon Realm faction, the followers of Prometheus… and perhaps even the Empire and the Holy Church.

Right now, there wasn’t a single group outside of NOX he could trust.

“No need to hold back any longer.”

The more complicated the matter, the more simply it should be handled.

Carl seized Kylos’ divine power and thrust it forward like a straight punch.

Fwoooosh─!

A vivid green radiance swept across the entire labyrinth.

-Kyaaaah!

The demons and monsters that had attacked were instantly melted away, disappearing without a trace.

Cutting through them, Carl spoke to Six and Gallon.

“We’re getting through this place in the shortest time possible.”

“Understood.”

“Let’s get moving.”

If the Demon Realm faction had united, they needed to drag things out and gather as many points as possible.

But neither of the two raised a single objection to Carl’s decision—they simply trusted him unconditionally and followed him with all their strength.

Swoosh!

At every turn, monsters burst out, or gatekeepers thrashed about, blocking their path.

But Carl pushed through without hesitation, leaping over bothersome foes with a single goal—to finish the test.

As they reached the deepest part of the labyrinth, NOX’s score was tallied.

[3. NOX – 72 Points]

Third place.

Not a bad score.

Seeing that first and second place had easily surpassed triple digits, it seemed that side had focused their efforts on point accumulation.

Which likely meant that faction was led by the head of the Demon Realm group.

Flash!

Once all the tests had ended, the participants exploring the labyrinth were summoned back to the Central Corridor.

Floating in the air, Fairy King Mabel addressed the crowd with his usual indifferent expression.

“The third gate will be held in six hours. Please rest well until then.”

A six-hour break was granted.

Carl nodded and spoke to NOX.

“Everyone rest. Make sure you’re in peak condition.”

“Understood.”

“…And, Queen.”

“Yes, Master.”

Carl sent a voice transmission to Queen.

Her eyes widened slightly, but she nodded and naturally moved behind Carl.

As NOX made their way back to their lodging—

Ssshh.

Carl’s figure vanished into thin air, and Queen’s form transformed to match his exactly.

Soon after, she entered the room assigned to her alone, and the other members likewise began resting in their own spaces.

Using Dark Flow Footwork to erase his presence, Carl slipped unseen into the Ragnarok corridor.

His first destination was the Imperial Palace faction’s camp.

“Sigh, what a headache. No word from Carl?”

“Seems he took a heavy hit in the labyrinth. His last message was that he’d arrive an hour before the next gate begins.”

“…Can’t be helped. He’s gone through every gate so far.”

Crown Prince Yulian was deep in discussion with his subordinates.

They were all prominent knights and mages from the Empire, sharing various opinions and proposals about the structure and mechanics of Ragnarok.

Listening quietly, Carl stepped away and headed toward the Holy Church’s side.

“……”

Unlike the active discussion among the Empire’s people, the Holy Church’s lodgings were eerily quiet.

Everyone knelt in their rooms, offering prayers to the Goddess.

They were working to recover divine power, restore blessings and protection.

Or perhaps they were asking for the courage to overcome the upcoming trials.

“……”

Carl narrowed his eyes.

In truth, the most suspicious group was the Holy Church.

At first glance, one might consider them the most trustworthy allies—but that very belief made them the most dangerous.

Because those we trust unconsciously are the ones to whom we expose our greatest vulnerabilities.

‘Besides, even the Goddess’ existence is suspicious.’

If the Goddess were truly a full divinity, she might have incited the Fairy King to prevent another from attaining divinity.

On the other hand, if she were a demigod like Prometheus or Kylos, she could be pulling strings on this side to ascend herself.

Either way, they held a position that could not be easily trusted and warranted caution.

“……”

After watching the clergy for a while longer, Carl quietly turned and headed for his next destination.

‘Originally, I wanted to check on the Prometheus Cult as well.’

That side had many individuals who wielded bizarre abilities.

Rather than stirring up trouble and creating unnecessary noise, it was better to proceed directly with the intended objective.

Carl moved straight toward the Demon Realm faction.

Ssshh.

As expected of the place where demons had gathered, a chilling demonic energy brushed against his skin right from the entrance.

Carl suppressed his presence even more tightly and stepped forward.

“……”

High-ranking demons could be seen roaming about in various places.

The Demon Realm faction seemed to have completely joined forces, with members mingling without distinction between camps.

Carl approached the area where the strongest presence stood out.

“I wasn’t sure about the first gate, but the second one was an easy win.”

“There are far more of us here than the humans. Just keep it going like this.”

“The variable is if the Prometheus side joins the humans…”

“That doesn’t seem likely. Demigods never cooperate among themselves. Especially Prometheus and Kylos—they were sworn enemies even in the previous Ragnarok.”

“Well, I suppose for demigods, a change of era is just a fleeting moment.”

“Then we can assume there will be no real alliance.”

Those appearing to be the leaders of the Demon Realm faction were also gathered in one place for a meeting.

Carl scanned the area until he found the face he was looking for.

‘They called him the Grand Duke of Hell.’

Alokes, Grand Duke of Hell.

He was a demon so famous that records of him remained even on the continent.

His name was always mentioned whenever there was talk of the Demon Realm invading the continent.

However, the established academic belief was that he had been exterminated by an ancient hero.

And yet, here he was, appearing boldly before them.

Whether the records were false or he had been resurrected by some means—no one could know the truth.

And Carl’s objective was Alokes, the leader of the Demon Realm faction.

“…Very well. Let’s end the meeting here. I’d like to rest for a bit.”

“Understood, Grand Duke.”

At Alokes’ words, the other demons nodded and left the area.

Left alone, Alokes leisurely poured himself some tea.

…Not just one cup, but two.

“You must be tired from watching me secretly. Why don’t you come and have a cup?”

“……”

Carl released his concealment.

Not to test him, but because he realized the other had genuinely detected his presence.

‘How did he notice?’

His stealth had been perfect.

The other demons hadn’t sensed him at all until they left.

It must have been some unusual artifact or a strange skill unique to Alokes.

Watching Alokes’ every move, Carl slowly took a seat before him.

“I came because I have something to say.”

“Something to say, huh? From the one who’s essentially the leader of the human faction, to me?”

Alokes maintained a leisurely demeanor.

It was only natural—he held an overwhelmingly advantageous position in Ragnarok.

Carl took a breath before speaking.

“To be frank, I have little interest in ascending to divinity. The same goes for the other factions, excluding the Prometheus Cult.”

“Hmm.”

From the start, it was a topic that piqued interest.

To participate in Ragnarok and yet claim no interest in divinity?

As Alokes narrowed his eyes, Carl backed up his words with proof.

“As you know, neither I nor my faction understood what this ritual truly entailed before we entered Ragnarok. If anything, we got swept into it.”

“What is it you’re trying to say?”

“If I were to speculate, the preparation for invading the continent and mobilizing the Demon Realm army—it’s all because you desire ascension to divinity, isn’t it?”

“So you’re saying you’re willing to yield?”

“If necessary.”

Carl nodded lightly.

Reading the sincerity in Carl’s gaze, Alokes dropped his relaxed air and leaned forward.

“You know something. That must be the key to this negotiation.”

“First, I’d like a promise. If the Demon Realm’s candidate attains divinity, there will be no harm done to the Middle Realm or the continent. …A generation’s worth of peace should be sufficient.”

“That’s nothing to worry about. The gods of the Middle Realm and the Demon Realm are different, so interference is impossible in the first place. More importantly, what do you know?”

At Alokes’ question, Carl gazed silently at him.

In the worst case, Alokes might also be in league with Fairy King Mabel.

But to set his plans in motion, cooperation from the Demon Realm faction was essential.

So Carl pulled out a small fragment from his robes and placed it on the table.

“You probably encountered those who participated in the previous Ragnarok while going through the second gate.”

“…This is!”

Alokes’ eyes widened.

Carl immediately deployed a technique to block surrounding sounds and seal the space.

Even if Fairy King Mabel showed up, eavesdropping would be impossible without being detected.

“……”

Alokes silently clutched the demonic fragment.

Then, lifting his head, he asked Carl,

“Was this inside him?”

“I spoke with him. He told me something rather shocking.”

“You spoke with him directly? What did he say?”

“Well…”

Carl began to relay what he had heard during the gate.

“……”

Alokes’ eyes slowly began to widen.

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