CH 290

Catherine seemed ready to rush out toward the monsters outside her labyrinth at any moment, but she suddenly looked back as Kim Jin-Woo spoke.

Kim Jin-Woo asked, “What did you mean when you said the Immoral Lord might not be the ruler of the Wardens?”

“I wondered why you’d come all the way here in the midst of this chaos, but you’re here to ask that, huh?” Catherine replied. Had she believed such a day like this would come? She had a sassy attitude despite the weight of Kim Jin-Woo’s question.

“I feel it’s a bit late, but since it’s already late, can’t you wait just a little longer? It’d be better if we take care of those guys out there before we start talking. Unlike your Valhǫll, my labyrinth isn’t that powerful,” Catherine continued. Her statement made sense, as her summons were showing their inferiority as they fought against the creatures.

“Help me out instead, will you? It wouldn’t be great if you leave your labyrinth for too long either, would it?” Catherine asked. Seeing no reason to reject her request, Kim Jin-Woo readily agreed, nodding.

“I’ll start first, so just observe the situation and help me out as you see fit,” Catherine said. She then stood with her back to the labyrinth and put her hands on her chest as she began chanting.

“You, the Dead, who have been cut down by swords and burned by flames.”

Her low-pitched voice gradually began to find a rhythm.

“Warriors who await eternal rest at the end of a life of suffering!”

It soon began to resonate hauntingly across the battlefield.

[The Wailing Lord has activated her power.]

[The surrounding air of death has been amplified to an abnormally high level.]

[The only and only Truth—inseparable like Life and Death, or Light and Shadow—has been split apart and completely isolated.]

[The Wailing Lord has taken full control of the battlefield. Nothing can leave the battlefield without her permission, not even the ghost of a fallen warrior who has already died.]

“The comfort of the earth covering one’s body and the glory of one’s name left behind will be lies and deception; all will be useless and worthless.”

Kaaaaaaaaaargh!

A horrendous scream permeated from the depths of the darkness. Soon, the screams, roars, and shouts that had been rampant on the battlefield were all swallowed up.

“I deny all hypocrisy, bring the end of suffering, and grant you the only worth you deserve!”

[The fallen summons have risen from the dead. They are different from the Army of the Dead used by the King of the Dead, Valicius, and are even closer to Death than Valicius’ army.]

[The phantom spirits and the reanimated Dead are baring their teeth against their enemies.]

Corpses with split-apart heads slowly rose from the ground, and summons with severed limbs began scurrying around. Even the corpses of dead giants and dragons rose slowly before staring into the air blankly.

[In this unfinished battle that you have all failed to end, this victory is the final reward you can enjoy.]

The choking air of death merged and coalesced, beginning to take form. Finally, the mighty army of the Dead descended on the battlefield.

[A mighty army of soldiers has returned after even their deaths were denied, and all that remains within them is their unified hatred for the living.]

[The Wailing Legion has joined the battlefield.]

“Take away the breath of life, and even the pain of loss!”

Catherine’s power of Wailing was the song of ghosts howling before death.

The Wailing Legion was truly terrifying. They were beyond even regular undead; even when their decaying bodies fell apart, they simply became gray ghosts that bit into their enemies’ flesh and sucked away their blood.

Not long after, even the corpses of their fallen enemies rose up and became soldiers of the Wailing Legion, which completely invalidated any victories or defeats that had been obtained in the beginning of the battle.

“And where did you need my help?” Kim Jin-Woo, who had been looking for an opening to join the battle, muttered with a puzzled expression.

There was no place for a living being like him on a battlefield that appeared more like hell, where death begot death, and the cycle repeated endlessly. If hell truly existed, it had to look like this.

Kim Jin-Woo groaned at the terrifying sight and simply waited for the battle to end. He muttered, “Wailing Lord, huh. A fitting name.”

Unlike Kim Jin-Woo, who had overpowered every Noble he encountered and absorbed their essences to increase his power, the Wailing Lord had completely subjugated the other Nobles under her.

However, the way they had been used was simply cruel. They had been sacrificed to summon the Wailing Legion, and they were merely vessels of hatred. They were no different from death row inmates.

The moment Kim Jin-Woo realized that, he understood. He understood why the Nobles wanted the power of the Highlords so much, but also why they were so afraid of the Highlords.

In their eyes, the Highlords were monsters who fed on the lives of the Nobles. The closer the Highlords got to their former glory, the more the Nobles would find themselves without a place to exist in the Underworld, no matter how deep a Floor they might bury themselves into.

The plight of the Nobles was truly pitiful. But then again, it was the circle of life.

After all, everything they had accomplished in the first place was because they had leeched from and extorted the powers of the Ancient Lords, so there was no room for sympathy now.

While Kim Jin-Woo was immersed in thought as he watched the Wailing Legion, the battle quickly came to an end.

The three-eyed giant rushed toward the Wailing Legion with bloodied eyes, but it was ripped to shreds by the rattling jaws of the Dead, and not a single morsel of flesh was left behind.

“It took longer than expected, didn’t it?” Catherine remarked.

The battlefield was overflowing with blood and flesh, and it looked as if hell itself had taken over the Underworld. And yet, Catherine chatted away casually as if she were late for a lunch date.

However, Kim Jin-Woo knew best that he wasn’t the right person to point out her attitude, considering the path that he himself had taken thus far.

“I’ll ask again. What did you mean when you said the Immoral Lord might not be the ruler of the Wardens?” he asked. He couldn’t care less that thousands of lives had been lost just moments before outside the labyrinth, and he went straight to business.

“It seems that among the Reapers, someone who has a score to settle with the One-Eyed Lord is looking for you,” Catherine replied.

“The Reapers?” Kim Jin-Woo asked.

“The ancient monsters that the Ancient Lords fought constantly to no end,” Catherine answered.

Kim Jin-Woo waited for her to continue, as he realized that the names of the monsters suited their appearance pretty well.

“There’s no need for you to think so deeply. It’s exactly as I said. The ruler of the Wardens isn’t the Immoral Lord, simply put,” Catherine said.

“Then is it me, the One-Eyed Lord?” Kim Jin-Woo asked.

Despite the deep worries Kim Jin-Woo had held until then, however, Catherine’s answer was blunt and cool. “Yep.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me about it right away?” Kim Jin-Woo asked.

Catherine’s attitude implied she had known that fact but simply hadn’t told him. Kim Jin-Woo could no longer understand the intentions of the Wardens, who seemed as if they were acting on someone else’s orders.

“Looks like I’ll have to correct my answer. To be precise, you’re the master of the Wardens, but it’s not you. The one they follow has always been the ‘One-Eyed Lord’,” Catherine continued.

Afterward, the Wailing Lord waved her hand around, and the air of death that covered the battlefield swirled along with her gestures before being absorbed back into her body.

“Mm. As expected, the death of the Reapers doesn’t reward me much. Well, they were just empty shells in the first place, so it’s ridiculous that I was expecting something out of them,” Catherine remarked, looking exhausted. She turned around to find Kim Jin-Woo waiting for her to continue, and so she did. “I don’t know exactly what basis the Wardens are moving on. All I know is that they followed the One-Eyed Lord in the past, and they still follow the One-Eyed Lord now.”

She explained that was the reason why Kim Jin-Woo was the master of the Wardens, and yet wasn’t at the same time; and yet, it wasn’t a matter that warranted his worries.

“That aside…” Catherine seemed more concerned about the second coming of the Reaper clan as she continued, “The reemergence of the Reaper clan means that soon, Night will reawaken. And if Night reawakens, it’s only a matter of time before even more powerful Reapers will come looking for us. They’re monsters that not even the Ancient Lords could defeat.”

Catherine warned Kim Jin-Woo to prepare for the tribulation that was to come. In the end, Kim Jin-Woo was forced to be content with just his newly attained knowledge of the Wailing Legion and the Reaper clan, and he returned to the Grand Labyrinth.

***

“She’s hiding something.”

Kim Jin-Woo had gotten the feeling that Catherine was intentionally avoiding mentioning anything related to the Wardens. Otherwise, there was no way she would be taking the Wardens, who had been threatening the Highlords the entire time, so lightly.

“But of course, there’s something I’m not telling her as well.”

He hadn’t told Catherine that the Wish Stone had been found. He found no reason to tell an untrustworthy person such an important piece of information that could determine the future direction of the Underworld.

“How about meeting the White Raven once again?” Dominique suggested.

“There’s no point. In the first place, it doesn’t even seem as if she remembers anything, and even if she does, if she’s made up her mind to try and trick me, there’s no way I can completely overcome that,” Kim Jin-Woo replied.

Although Kim Jin-Woo had the Eyes of Truth that he had acquired while inheriting the powers of the One-Eyed Lord, it had been proven through Ariane that the skill could be circumvented and beaten.

The Eyes of Truth simply revealed the ‘truth’ that was in one’s mind at that point in time, and if the opposing party was determined and focused in their thoughts, there could be a chance that Kim Jin-Woo would find himself being deceived by a limited truth and end up partaking in an even bigger lie.

“Ultimately, this just means the Wailing Lord also has her own wants and wishes,” he continued.

Every single Ancient Lord and the beings related to them were insidious in their own right. It was no different for the Wailing Lord, despite her treating him favorably.

Fortunately, he had another card up his sleeve. He had another Highlord on his side; someone whom he didn’t have to worry about straining their relationship and being betrayed by.

“Has the Heavenly Giant Lord not yet awakened?” he asked.

“He was left nearly dead after being attacked by the Evil Dragon, so it’s going to take a little longer,” Dominique replied.

Although the Heavenly Giant Lord might be unconscious at the moment, it was worth a shot to try and talk to him as soon as he awakened. Their conversation would be more cruel than gentle, closer to an interrogation.

“Even though he might not know what the Wailing Lord is thinking, I’m sure he should at least be aware of the Wardens’ relationship with the One-Eyed Lord,” Kim Jin-Woo remarked. His eyes flashed as he recalled the urgent changes in the Underworld and the Wardens who were actively on the move as if they were under someone’s command.

There had been another attack. However, there was no news from either Mimir, who had said he would be back soon, or Bryntess, who had said she would bring the Wish Stone.

Kim Jin-Woo realized he couldn’t just sit around and wait in his labyrinth. He decided to head straight into the Deep Floors as soon as the Eternal Treasury was finished relocating.

Meanwhile, the unconscious Heavenly Giant Lord finally woke up.

“Urgh…” Perhaps remembering the last moment before his terrifying memories were cut off, his gigantic body trembled madly. Even then, he couldn’t contain his doubts. His pale face was full of fear and distrust as he exclaimed, “What the hell are you!?”

“As you can see, I’m the Fourth Highlord—the Naga King and the one who succeeded the One-Eyed Lord. Also, I’m a fragment of the Wandering Lord,” Kim Jin-Woo replied.

“Urgh… I never believed you from the beginning.” Even as his jaw rattled in fear, the Heavenly Giant Lord didn’t stop talking.

“Are you trying to make excuses now and push away your responsibilities? Is it just simple mistrust that was the cause of all this?” Kim Jin-Woo asked.

“At first, I couldn’t be sure. But now I know. Only I, having been inside your stomach and come back out alive, know your true identity!” the Heavenly Giant Lord exclaimed.

“I don’t think that’s the kind of stomach you’re thinking about,” Kim Jin-Woo replied.

Just because the giant had been swallowed and regurgitated once didn’t mean the giant now literally knew him inside out. After all, the stomach the Heavenly Giant Lord had fallen into was Greed’s, not his.

Despite Kim Jin-Woo’s sarcasm, the Heavenly Giant Lord continued to speak out. “You’re not the fragment of the Wandering Lord.”

“What?” Kim Jin-Woo exclaimed.

“The Wandering Lord was the first to be killed by Night!” the Heavenly Giant Lord continued.

‘What’s this all about now?’ Kim Jin-Woo wondered to himself, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the Heavenly Giant Lord.

“There’s no way the Wandering Lord could have left behind a fragment!” the Heavenly Giant Lord exclaimed.