Chapter 131: The Guardian of Black Iron
The next floor… it was a space glowing blue.
The rock walls and stone pillars were different from before—made of blue crystals. After walking for a while, there was an open area, and something like a black mass was placed there.
Lazus walked silently toward the black mass.
"What the hell is that?"
『The one that protected me for years, along with Hanuman earlier.』
Protected? What the hell does that mean…?
As I was thinking, the black mass slowly rose into the air, reshaping itself. It formed a rounded shape with a heavy, metallic sound.
It looked like a black snowman floating in midair. At least ten meters tall… maybe more…
Then, from nowhere, several massive swords appeared in the empty space, hovering in the air and spinning around the snowman-like form.
"This is…"
『The same "Divine Omen Beast" as the Hanuman you defeated. I made this one too.』
"You want me to fight this thing?"
『Yes.』
"What's the point? What’s the meaning in making me fight you and these things?!"
『I’ll tell you when you defeat this Guardian Golem, Labyrinthia. Then you can go down to the next floor.』
As Lazus said that, the golem slowly started moving toward us.
"Guess I have no choice."
I drew my sword and assumed a low stance.
The large swords spinning around the golem suddenly shot toward me at high speed. I blocked with my sword, carefully observing the enemy’s abilities.
The golem summoned more swords from thin air.
Swords that had fallen to the ground floated back up, pointing their blades at me in midair. Damn, this one’s gonna be trouble, I thought, and immediately used my鉴定.
Guardian Labyrinthia
Golem Lv4326
■ ■ ■
■ ■ ■
Damn, this one’s a real Leader… I channel flame and lightning into my sword.
Blocking the incoming blade with my lightning-flame sword, I slash at the black, snowman-like torso. The sword rings out sharply, recoiling, but the golem’s body remains untouched—no scratch, not even a mark.
I keep slashing, over and over… but it’s like hitting stone. Nothing’s working.
“Physical resistance, huh… then…”
I sheath my sword. Gather magic in both hands—lightning on the left, the infernal great flame on the right. I merge them into a combined spell.
“—Raijin Mekka—!!”
A jagged bolt wreathed in fierce fire crashes down on the golem, piercing through its black body, shattering the ground beneath it.
Flames and smoke fill the air, obscuring the golem completely. I stay on guard, watching carefully… to check the damage.
Out of the dust, the golem charges forward—completely unharmed. Magic resistance, too? Figures… not a single easy enemy in sight.
Seven massive swords spin around its body in a sweeping, diagonal arc, coming straight at me.
Speed isn’t that fast—easy to dodge—but some of the blades move independently, flying straight at me, point-first.
I deflect the high-speed thrusts with my own sword, parrying each attack, blocking one after another. Even after I knock one away, it floats back up and comes at me again.
“…This is endless…”
After knocking a blade away, I drive my sword into the ground.
I thrust both hands forward, palms together, leaving just a small gap between them. A powerful light gathers—concentrating, building—until an immense energy forms between my hands.
The golem launches three swords at me at once.
Dragon Blast!!
The light shot from my hand erased the three incoming swords and struck the golem dead on. The black snowman-shaped body was missing a third of itself.
The light of extinction hits the cave wall... and just fades away, spreading out like smoke. I thought it’d punch through, leave a hole—but no. This cave’s not normal, that’s for sure.
"Damn, you're something else. As long as you've got that ability, enemies with just high defense won't stand a chance against you."
Lazus says something impressed, but who cares right now. I'm gathering energy between both hands again, aiming to deliver the final blow...
Can't line it up right... Right, yeah... Dragon Blast can't be fired in rapid succession, right? Gotta take it down in one hit.
While thinking about something like that...
"Hey, why don't we test out the sword's ability while we're at it?"
I remembered something after hearing Lazus’s words. Back when I’d鉴定ed Excalibur before, it had been marked as having a special ability attached.
Looking again, taking a closer look—
Can turn sustained impact into a slash... somehow.
Yeah, looks like they can pull off some serious attacks... Damn, that slash from the Black Knight was insane—way too much power.
Could be the perfect opponent to test against.
But I can’t shake the feeling he’s guiding my actions… not a good vibe. That guy’s got something planned, isn’t he…?
While I was thinking that, the golem conjured up more swords than the number it had lost—out of thin air. Eight swords in total.
The golem itself began repairing its damaged body, slowly returning to its original form.
Not some enemy you can just slowly wear down... Flying swords slash through the air—parry them, strike at the main body.
The blades bounce off. Can't even scratch the sword. Can't scratch the core.
After repeating this back-and-forth a few times, Excalibur begins to glow faintly. Is it storing up the impact energy?
Swing the great blade with everything I’ve got. I’m certain now—maximum force is gathered.
"Release it—Holy Sword (Caladbolg) wielded by the King—!!"
The blade blazes with light. The stored energy explodes outward. As I bring it down, a beam of light extends from the tip, slicing through the ceiling and hurtling straight at the golem.
The golem raises all eight swords to defend, trying to block it—but the light blade cuts through every single one, cleaving them in half, and strikes the core directly.
The black iron body splits like tofu. The golem is severed clean in two.
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
Lazus watched the battle from a distance.
Gojo’s sword technique... it’s so familiar. Reminds me of someone I once knew. A mix of nostalgia and sorrow washes over me as I remember that friend.
"Watching, Aias? The battle of the one who inherited your sword."
Gojo unleashes the sword’s power. Rips through Labyrinth.
Seeing my long-time guardian—my protector—fall... it’s unbearable. But I know this is necessary. This is the path ahead.
Gojo ignites black flames on Labyrinth’s wounded form. Delivers the final blow.
"Still... you’re alive within him, aren’t you..."
With that, Lazus closes his eyes softly.
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
The fractured golem looked like it had taken a fatal blow—no sign of healing. But it wasn’t fully dead either.
I decided to fire off a spell just to be safe and finish this thing once and for all.
"Composite Magic ―― The Land of the Impure Dead (Helheim)!!"
The golem is engulfed in black flames. With its damaged body, it can’t fully resist magic… Its black form crumbles apart, ceasing all movement.
"Summon!"
A glowing magical circle appears, swallowing up the golem’s remains. Checking the list board, the golem’s name is clearly marked.
[Teim]
Divine Archetype Vishnu SSS
God Dragon Hydra SSS
Titan, the Stone Giant, SSS
Flame Dragon King Shiva SS
Guardian Lavelia SS
Rakshasa Ravana SS
Beastkin Species: Hanuman S
Fairy Species: Spriggan AAA
Beast Type: Chimera AAA
Spirit Species: Phoenix AA
Gigas the Metal Giant A
Dragon Type: Flying Dragon B
"Looks like we took it down, safe and sound."
Lazus spoke in a flat, unexcited tone. So many things I want to ask this guy...
"Cut the crap—spill it already. What’s your deal? Why’re you doing all this? You said you made a Gacha—why the hell’d you do that?"
I'll answer your question. But first... wow, the "Hero" class board’s maxed out, huh?
"What?"
I check my status and sure enough, the “Hero” class board is maxed out. There was definitely something different about it—something clearly not like before.
Hero Lv99
[Profession Skill]
Blessing of Light A → SSS Title: Guide to Light
Acquired Skill: Growth Acceleration ×5
Acquired Magic: Light Magic ×5
The hero’s [职业 skill] just went straight to triple S.
"It's a special职业 board. You can't level up easily, but reaching the highest level lets you boost your [职业 skill] by three stages."
Three stages? So that’s what made it so powerful…?
"Alright, the fight’s over for now. My main body’s waiting on the next floor. Once we get there, I’ll tell you everything."
Lazus said that, then stepped down to the lower level.