They were falling. That much was clear without needing to look around.
The question was, where to?
The specters quickly guessed the situation amidst their sudden descent.
They were falling into the labyrinth, together with the arena.
They were plummeting down onto the giant fortress built atop the labyrinth.
Confused by this abrupt change of circumstances and their fall, the specters nonetheless attempted to deduce what had happened.
The light that had just appeared, along with Omul’s outstretched arm, was familiar to those who knew him.
Omul’s other name is Maan Hunter.
He was a figure known for extracting and hunting rare and powerful Maans.
Those who understood this realized the situation had been orchestrated by Maan.
It must have been done by simultaneously capturing 42 Maans to twist space and send them flying over the labyrinth.
While the purpose remained unclear, the immediate task at hand was evident.
The specters had to kill that being imbued with divine power.
Considering that Omul wasn’t someone to act without thought, it was certain.
As soon as the specters grasped their roles, they moved.
Though it was unpleasant to be manipulated into this situation, eliminating the human divinity was the priority.
Following rationality, they prepared to attack.
However, Aslan moved faster than them.
Sssaaak!
A severed neck. The sword blade struck precisely as Aslan’s feet left the ground.
With that fatal blow, one specter died silently, its head separating from the body.
Aslan didn’t fully understand the situation.
He didn’t grasp the sudden sensation of floating or the changes happening around him.
Though unaware of how events were unfolding, Aslan was not someone who couldn’t fight without circumstantial information.
If there was an enemy in sight and a weapon in hand, he could fight.
Aslan was a veteran of battles.
The greatest warrior recognized by the Supreme Divinity.
Even without knowing the situation, and even if his feet didn’t touch the ground, he could still fight.
Seeing Aslan slip between their ranks and sever heads, the specters shouted reflexively.
“He’s coming!”
Though the voice was drowned out by the wind accompanying the floating sensation, the specters reacted as if they’d heard it.
Aslan fought against them despite not having his feet on the ground.
An aerial battle unprecedented in Geladridion’s history.
As the specter’s body he had decapitated began to float upward, Aslan used it as a stepping stone to leap.
Kaang!
Swinging his Abyssal Sword while changing direction mid-air.
When the black-purple blade slashed, another specter about to leave the ground thrust a spear to block it.
Kaang!
“Ugh…!”
The armored specter warrior stumbled under the attack.
Due to acceleration and the wind of hell, Aslan’s movements had become impossible to predict.
No matter how many specters there were, when they couldn’t see his movements, they could only guess his trajectory.
Thus, they barely managed to block.
But blocking was all they could do. Realizing immediately after blocking that it was a mistake.
The moment their stance wavered, Aslan’s Abyssal Sword transformed.
A dagger attached to a chain wrapped around Aslan’s arm.
The moment their stance wavered and the specter tried to retreat, the dagger pierced through their flesh, sealing their fate.
Chraak! The chain sang as it pulled, and Aslan’s left fist smashed into the specter’s head.
Upon the death of the spear-wielding specter, Aslan seized the spear from their hand and hurled it.
The target was the shield-bearing specter. The spear aimed to pierce through the shield as well but failed.
Ka-aang!
The specter easily deflected it with the shield.
Giiing.
The wizard specter behind stabilized their wavering stance by stepping on a rock they had conjured.
The next target was obvious. In the briefest moment, Aslan’s left hand threw the chained dagger again.
Kwa-dek!
The dagger accurately pierced the wizard’s shoulder, and Aslan launched himself toward the wizard.
Tu-tu-tung!
Arrows and maces shot toward Aslan, but he dodged by twisting his body and scattering the wind of hell.
Without any resistance, Aslan approached the wizard with pure intent.
Faster than the wizard could raise their staff in defense, Aslan pierced through with purity.
“Guh…”
Kwa-dde-de-dek, Chhe-yahk!
The white blade piercing the abdomen was lifted upwards, splitting the wizard in two.
The entire process took less than a second.
The arena would hit the ground in less than a minute. The surface was getting closer.
In this remaining time, Aslan wielded his sword and abyssal powers, moving freely through the air.
Aslan’s goal was simple.
To make the most of this unfamiliar aerial combat, cutting down as many opponents as possible, wearing them out, and making the subsequent fight advantageous.
The plan wasn’t bad.
The problem was that the opponents were specters.
“Aa-aa-ek, Cheeng!”
Aslan’s swing of purity was blocked.
Not by a weapon or material, but by a phenomenon. A spatial distortion created by wild magic deflected it.
When the purity slipped aside, the warrior using wild magic swung an axe.
Kaang!
The axe striking Aslan’s side. Though it didn’t break the armor, its force penetrated sufficiently.
Despite frowning, Aslan retaliated slightly late, smashing the head with his Abyssal Sword now shaped like a mace.
Ka-ga-gak!
Interlocking with the sword blade. A surprise attack accelerated by magic targeted Aslan.
Aslan blocked the specter’s sword with purity and pushed back, intending to slice through the blade. Realizing this, the specter let go of the sword and retreated.
Taking advantage of this gap, the mace and arrows, along with magic, attacked.
All Aslan could do against these numerous attacks was transform his Abyssal Weapon into a shield and push it forward.
Tudududud!
The heavy sensation of the shield being pounded. Along with the soreness in his shoulders, Aslan clicked his tongue.
As Aslan grew accustomed to the aerial battle, so did the specters.
Nevertheless, Aslan didn’t give up. If he couldn’t reduce their numbers significantly now, his chances would dwindle.
Holding two weapons, Aslan leaped forward, engaging in the unfamiliar aerial battle once more.
Collecting the specter’s weapons with his Abyssal Sword, he swung purity at the specter. When necessary, he used the Dragon King’s punch to strike.
Wearing down and being worn down, the battles continued.
Finally, the arena descended to the ground.
Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga!
Shocks reverberated in all directions as the castle beneath shattered and scattered. The unusually sturdy arena completely demolished the castle built atop the labyrinth.
Flying dust and the corpses of already dead specters. Beneath them spread a thick sense of death and shock.
As the rising dust covered and swirled around the arena, Aslan landed swiftly within.
The wind of hell wrapped around Aslan, preventing the inevitable fall to death.
Moreover, it allowed him to catch and gently place a knight who had lost both arms and was growing cold.
Even managing that much was a struggle, but the specters survived in various ways.
Breathing heavily, Aslan sat slumped, glaring at the specters despite his high fighting spirit and great exhaustion.
The specters also glared at Aslan.
Their gazes brimmed not with anger but calm analysis.
In just a minute-long fall,
Aslan had intended to take advantage of the specters’ unfamiliarity with aerial combat to lead the battle favorably, but it hadn’t worked out.
The reason was simple.
Just a straightforward fact.
Because the specters were heroes, villains, warriors, and wizards who dominated their eras.
They were veterans of ancient times.
Their skills and adaptability surpassed Aslan’s expectations, preventing him from fighting according to his plan.
Even now, instead of rushing in recklessly, they surrounded Aslan, maintaining balance.
As Aslan gripped his sword while breathing heavily, they exchanged glances.
These specters who exchanged glances.
Ordinarily, they were far removed from cooperation.
Yet, Aslan’s strength united them.
Thus, sufficient skill could reverse the tide and also bring together lone wolves to cooperate.
Understanding this fact, Aslan gritted his teeth.
The physical toll from using both the wind of hell and acceleration.
The number of hits allowed in that short time.
The attacks endured during the unfamiliar aerial battle.
These things forced Aslan to his knees.
It was regrettable. With a perplexed expression, Aslan glared at the specters.
Could he really handle all of them?
Approaching Aslan, three specters stepped forward among those surrounding him.
At first glance, they were distinctive individuals.
A knight clad in armor that faintly gleamed bronze all over.
A woman dragon rider taller than Tiamat, encased in plate armor.
And a knight in white armor with a golden hawk-shaped faceguard.
As these three stepped forward, the specters noticed them, and though Aslan aimed his sword at them warily,
they paid no heed and turned their backs to Aslan.
Naturally, silence and confusion followed. While both sides of specters and Aslan watched them, their actions were obvious.
They had betrayed the other specters.
“What are you doing?”
One of the specters questioned their actions, and Aslan too wore an expression of curiosity upon seeing them.
The knight in bronze armor responded.
“I’ve merely done what needed to be done.”
“…What needs to be done? Are you really going to oppose for just that?”
Knight of Love.
At the title, the knight clad entirely in bronze nodded.
Holding a large halberd in hand, the knight called Knight of Love spoke.
“It should have been done long ago.”
This statement carried several emotions implicitly.
Self-loathing for lacking the strength to step forward earlier, and self-contempt for finally stepping up inspired by Aslan’s determination to fight despite the disadvantage.
With these emotions, the knight inside the helmet slightly moved his head.
As they raised their weapons to surround Aslan protectively, Aslan stood up.
Fate didn’t respond.
“There’s little chance of survival. Joining me doesn’t guarantee you’ll live.”
While lowering his guard, the female dragon rider replied with a beautiful voice even through her plate armor.
“Whether there’s a chance or not… we shouldn’t avoid a fight we must have.”
“Anyway, they’ve chosen to forsake honor and serve unknown monsters. Serving such creatures is worse than death. Let me fight alongside you.”
This response was received by the knight with a golden hawk emblem on his faceguard.
For Aslan, who lacked a single hand and a shield to parry blows, there was no reason to refuse.
Since Fate also didn’t respond, there was nothing to be cautious about.
As Aslan gripped his sword and stepped forward, the knight who had spoken first said,
“What they’re doing isn’t love, but exploitation. Thus, as one who loves the whole earth, I intend to oppose them until the end.”
There seemed to be ample reason to fight. Whether Aslan empathized or not, he didn’t dwell on their reasons for fighting.
There was no time for that.
As Aslan kept an eye on the three while stepping forward, he briefly said,
“Hold on. I’ll take care of the rest.”
As Aslan ran forward speaking, the three specters followed him, confronting the other specters.
A chaotic battle unfolded.
While Aslan traversed the battlefield with acceleration and the wind of hell, the three specters held others in place.
Exchanging sword strikes, swinging halberds to shatter shields, and holding enemies with spears and shields.
Aslan cut down those held by the defected specters with his sword, creating openings.
Inflicting wounds to knock them down or disabling their mobility to finish them off.
Receiving as many attacks as possible from the specters charging at him, he countered effectively.
Kara-rak, Jjeong!
Deflecting a massive axe swung at Aslan’s path with his Abyssal Sword, he struck the ribs with his fist.
Dduk!
Beheading with purity, the specter fell.
By the time the white-stained sword trail disappeared, the specter had already collapsed.
Dodging incoming spells with agility, explosions erupted across the arena, leaving traces of destruction and flames.
At first glance, the situation seemed improved, but broadly speaking, it wasn’t.
The specters were once heroes.
They were still formidable adversaries.
When Aslan swung his sword with the cutting power of purity to slice through weapons, the defensive trajectory was bent and deflected.
“Die!”
Instead, the specter reversed Aslan’s trajectory and counterattacked with their weapon, forcing Aslan to narrowly evade.
‘Knight Killer.’
Even special abilities failed to produce significant effects.
Dduuuk!
When Aslan used Knight Killer for the first time, no one could react, but starting from the second use, it became ineffective.
Kak!
Rather, when Aslan used Knight Killer, they twisted their bodies at the moment purity darkened, ending with minimal injuries.
It happened again now. Even with an arm severed by Aslan’s Knight Killer, the warrior swung a mace.
The mace falling towards Aslan’s head.
‘Turn Shadow.’
The only special ability that couldn’t be countered consumed the shadow.
The moment the vanished shadow reappeared, the specter was sliced into three pieces, and Aslan continued moving, suppressing his harsh breaths.
Even Aslan’s desperate punches were blocked.
Some countered his swings of purity with wild magic.
The defected specters struggled more as the priest-transformed specters increased their casualties.
First to perish was the Golden Hawk Knight.
Kwa-dde-dek!
A mortal knight who became a martial monk, now resembling a locust.
Being bitten by the locust-like martial monk, the Golden Hawk Knight’s head was torn off.
The remaining two were also struggling.
On the battlefield, the priest-transformed specters were unleashing their full authority and skills.
A mechanical specter resembling a predator priest.
A martial monk specter with a locust-like appearance.
A beast-like specter who had become a mother priest.
A magician spectre with smooth skin reminiscent of marine creatures.
The latter particularly troubled Aslan.
This magician specter was a priest of The Immovable One.
“Damn it…!”
The anxiety seeping through clenched teeth.
Rarely seen outside the Duke Hudail’s Domain region in the South Empire, an elusive evil deity.
The exceedingly rare priest of The Immovable One.
Towards Aslan, who avoided magic with wind and acceleration, the priest of The Immovable One unleashed spells.
From the hands of the priest, fiery orbs formed and accelerated.
Kwauuuuuuung!
Like time speeding up, before Aslan could dodge, it exploded close beside him.
Avoiding with flame resistance and summoned winds, a slowly moving current stopped and controlled space itself towards Aslan’s position.
“Khrrr…!”
Caught without time to dodge, Aslan was electrocuted. Upon being electrocuted, spells manipulating time either slowed or sped towards Aslan.
Various spells wandered freely through time, targeting Aslan.
The remaining two specters could only protect themselves.
Simultaneously, the three priest specters rushed towards the seemingly endangered Aslan.
“I’ll take care of him, coordinate your attacks!”
The beast specter charged confidently, followed by the martial monk specter and the mechanical specter.
Rushing in to overwhelm him all at once, Aslan greeted them with two swords.
The beast specter charging in, wielding a heavy double-bladed axe. Aslan didn’t dodge but swung the Abyssal Sword over his tightly clenched fist.
Kwa-ung!
The axe handle broke easily, along with the beast specter’s hand.
Before the broken hand could be swung, Aslan caught the broken axe and smashed the specter’s head.
But Aslan’s movement ended there.
The mace swung by the approaching martial monk specter was blocked by purity, but the predator priest specter kicked Aslan away.
Thrown back, Aslan faced a descending lightning bolt.
Krrrrrrrrrrrrrng!
Barely escaping the surging lightning with acceleration, Aslan rolled on the ground.
His breath was rough, and his body electrified, trembled.
“Damn…”
As the surviving knight and female warrior looked on in alarm, the specters all charged towards Aslan.
The core of this battle was Aslan.
If Aslan fell, the fight would be over.
Seeing the specters charging to finish him, Aslan gritted his teeth and gripped his sword.
Despite the disadvantage, the brutal and painful battle,
Aslan had no regrets about his choice.
Thus, Aslan’s fighting spirit remained unbroken.
Breathing heavily, Aslan stood up as the specters charged.
Their eyes met at that moment.
Suddenly, the Abyssal Sword quivered.
Then a voice was heard.
“Seems Hyunwoo can’t do anything without me?”
A teasing remark.
An incredibly familiar voice.
Before Aslan could comprehend the voice, his shadow wriggled and stretched forward.
“What…?”
Kwa-dde-dde-dde-ddek!
The puzzled face of the specter shattered as countless spikes and spearheads surged from the shadow.
The charging specters were impaled and killed by the numerous thorns and spears emerging from the shadow.
The phenomenon was clear.
Aslan recognized it.
Which is why he was startled.
Because this was Rowena’s Abyssal attack, something impossible as long as the Abyss hadn’t fully perished.
Therefore, startled Aslan saw a system message appear.
[Completed Main Quest]
[ ! Defeat the Evil Deity, Abyss]
[LEVEL UP]
[LEVEL UP]
[Aslan]
[Level: 12]
[Remaining Stats: 6]
[Strength 2] [Agility ■] [Health 2]
[Mana 10] [Will 10] [Luck 10]
At the same time, a familiar voice of Rowena was heard.
“It’s fine now; I’ll always be by your side.”
With those words, the shadow writhed ominously.
Only then did Aslan realize.
The Abyss was gone, and only Rowena remained.
That the Abyss had finally returned to its master.
