“Is it finally time for me to step in?” Beneath the lowered hood was the golden Drakan,  Ortehaga. 

When Kim Jin-Woo had met the Dragon Emperor to feel out the Usurper’s sympathies, the cowardly Drakan who had acted as a liaison was forgiven for his past mistake but had gone a step further, publicly announcing that he would seek to regain his former glory. 

There was no way Kim Jin-Woo could make fun of Ortehaga after that. Without delay, he had brought the nuisance along with him to the battlefield, always looking out for a chance to use him.

However, when Kim Jin-Woo arrived on the battlefield and witnessed that the tension between the Taurus and Ursus was much higher than he had expected, there was no way he would let the immature Drakan out onto the field. Even the slightest problem would turn his ally into his enemy. Thus, Ortehaga’s presence couldn’t be made known to the Taurus. Even if Ortehaga were to leave the army, no one would be suspicious of his absence.

“Just say it, and I’ll show you my honorable side,” Ortehaga offered, chattering away in an attempt to redeem himself for his past mistake

Kim Jin-Woo said nonchalantly, “There’s no need for you to work so hard. You just have to run an errand for me.” 

“You definitely said you’d give me a chance to regain my honor…” Ortehaga replied, disappointed, and his shoulders drooped. 

“It’s much more important than whatever you had in mind, so there’s no need to be disappointed,” Kim Jin-Woo said. Ortehaga’s mood bounced back as quickly as it had fallen as Kim Jin-Woo continued, “There’s something I want to convey to the Dragon Emperor.” 

However, Kim Jin-Woo’s next words were far from the driven Drakan’s expectations. 

“Angela, make sure that this doesn’t leak out,” Kim Jin-Woo ordered, giving Angela a look. A pitch-black curtain of darkness opened, completely cutting off their conversation from the outside world.

“Tell the Dragon Emperor that the Usurper will be tied down, so create a huge mess while they’re at it.” Kim Jin-Woo told Ortehaga. The latter couldn’t understand a word he had just said but asked no questions, thinking his father and Kim Jin-Woo had already agreed on some things beforehand. Instead, Ortehaga thought it would be fine if he could regain his honor by being Kim Jin-Woo’s messenger. However, Kim Jin-Woo added, “But, as time isn’t on our side, please tell him to hurry as much as you can.” 

Ortehaga replied with bravado, “I’ll convey everything you’ve just said to the Dragon Emperor without missing a single word.” He didn’t look any different from before, however; it seemed the Dragon Emperor’s intentions for the Drakan to mature sooner had been for naught. 

“I’ll trust you with it then.” Kim Jin-Woo sent off Ortehaga after conveying a few more things. Thanks to Angela, if no one paid attention to the few vampires that were by Ortehaga’s side, they wouldn’t be able to notice the Drakan’s departure.

After sending out his message to the Dragon Emperor, Kim Jin-Woo looked in the direction of the Taurus King with a relaxed expression.

“I’ll gladly join in the dog fight if that’s what you want,” he muttered, deciding to turn into a loach in the muddy water[1] he had been dragged into.

***

At some point, the Taurus had accelerated their advancement. They ran ahead, seemingly trying to make up for lost time. Unlike them, the approaching army from the east had visibly slowed their movements.

“This guy is quite wicked too,” Kim Jin-Woo remarked. It was evident that the third Duke was weighing his options between the Grand Labyrinth and the Ursus. Each one of them wished to dominate and reign over the ninth floor through this war. Kim Jin-Woo shook his head at the battle between the insidious monsters.

It had been impossible from the start of the alliance for them to share the spoils in harmony. No one involved in this battle wanted to share their winnings. Of course, there was no preventing them from having the same thoughts of preventing the other Dukes from obtaining the spoils and reigning over the ninth floor.

“Now that all the cards have been distributed, all that’s left should be confirming what cards are in the other parties’ hands,” Kim Jin-Woo said. Everyone thought they had the best cards, but no one would know the outcome until they compared each other’s hands.

“You must be fretting over this now.” Kim Jin-Woo chuckled as he watched the Taurus King snort uneasily. But that lasted just a brief moment; his expression soon turned serious. He had unintentionally drawn every labyrinth on the ninth floor into the battle. Thanks to that, the right to rule the floor was at stake.

There would be no more chances if this battle was lost. It would be almost impossible to have a chance at a comeback when the victor of the battle would take over at least two Duke-level Labyrinths. It was all or nothing.

The rules of the Underworld were strangling Kim Jin-Woo as always, lapping greedily at his heels. That horrendous monster would hide under the victor’s shadow, patiently waiting for the opportunity to show itself and tear apart everything belonging to the loser. Only after downing every last drop of hot blood would it return to its original place, satisfied. That was the Underworld, the same world Kim Jin-Woo was living in now.

“Master?” Angela asked Kim Jin-Woo with a strange expression, as if she too, were in the same situation as he was.

“Isn’t it funny?” Kim Jin-Woo asked.

“What do you mean…?” Angela was confused, unsure whom Kim Jin-Woo was directing the question to. 

“If you don’t kill, you’ll die. But it’s funny when no one thinks they’ll die.” Kim Jin-Woo giggled as he said those words. “But I’m equally amused as well,” he finally said after laughing for a while, looking at the Taurus King in the distance.

“I don’t think I’m going to lose this battle.” Although he had taken out his trump card, Ortehaga, he had yet to reveal all his cards. And that small detail would eventually be the deciding factor of the battle.

“I don’t think Master will lose either. They’ll eventually kneel before Master and beg you to end their lives,” Angela replied confidently.

“Why do you think so?” Kim Jin-Woo made a face upon hearing her conviction.

Angela replied, “I haven’t seen Master put all your effort into anything yet.”

***

“Bastards. The Master is working hard, and yet here you are lazing around!” Morrigan yelled at the other species in the Grand Labyrinth as soon as she arrived. 

She disliked the sight of some of the summons, who were shaking under her overwhelming powers. But there was a place she could send them to. They might not be able to protect the Grand Labyrinth themselves, but they would still be able to buy time for her Master’s return. No, regardless, she had to make it happen!

It was her self-esteem and pride on the line, as a crow who had been forced out of battle.

“Regardless of the casualties, we must buy time for Master’s return,” Morrigan said. This was second nature to her, as well as the other Hero-Grade summons. She didn’t care how many of them died under her Master’s mercy; plus, shouldn’t they be honored to have died for him? 

“Hmm?” Morrigan frowned when she felt a certain chill amid all the disorder. Since she wasn’t protected from the frost, the occasional chills she felt from the Labyrinth were unusually strong just then.

“The crow who ran rampant on the battlefield has now turned into a small lark,” the Death Knight Balzark commented, seemingly bored to tears.

“You’d cry tears of blood after experiencing how ferocious a small lark can get!” Morrigan snapped back. 

“No thanks. Neither of us could remain on the battlefield with our Master, so there’s no reason for us to argue here,” Balzark replied, swiftly pulling himself out of the almost spiraling situation.

“I’ve never felt this cold in the Grand Labyrinth before,” Morrigan commented.

“Well, you must be feeling this way since Master isn’t around, right?” Balzark teased.

“If you’re going to continue with your nonsense, would it be better if I split your body apart instead of your mouth? I think that’d be better even for you,” Morrigan spat once more.

“Urgh, you sure can’t take a joke, can you?” Balzark backed off after Morrigan’s savage reaction, as if she were about to go after him with black wings outstretched.

Just then, Heimdall the rooster joined their conversation, saying, “Morrigan is right. Something’s off. This cold isn’t normal.”

As the air turned colder over time, it was making the summons shiver slightly. Even Balzark felt something was amiss, and looked around the area. He said, “I think we have to tell Master.”

“Master entrusted the Labyrinth’s defense to us; he wouldn’t want us to leave our post either.” Heimdall said, and Balzark shrugged in response. As the unhelpful Death Knight fell silent, Morrigan and Heimdall looked around the area, trying to figure out the situation. 

“It gets colder as we head to the center of the Labyrinth,” Heimdall said, feeling out the area with his white wings.

Morrigan froze in place, then muttered, “Could it be…?”

“Has something come to mind?” Heimdall asked.

Morrigan ran toward the center of the Labyrinth, shouting, “Everyone, get out!” 

It was only then that the summons who remained ran after Morrigan. “Why must it be right now?!” Morrigan yelled. She very well knew how her master felt about the Frost Nagas; thus, she was nervous about the unexpected situation.

It would be nice if the Nagas who had just gone to sleep woke up again. However, the cold just then wasn’t something their awakening alone could create.

“Damn bastards, if something happens to the Nagas, I’ll tear them apart!” Morrigan gritted her teeth as she recalled the Big-Headed Dwarves that had been researching the Sea Dragon’s Heart.

“Damn it…” Morrigan let out a groan subconsciously while she entered the room where the Nagas slept.

She freaked out, as the once perfect Naga eggs had been cracked wide open. It looked as if someone had touched them.

“No!” Morrigan quickly searched for the egg her master had gazed upon with exceptional worry. She prayed countless times in her heart that this wasn’t an ominous sign, and recalled just then the location of the egg belonging to the Naga lady her master favored.

“Ah…” Morrigan exclaimed. The egg had turned into a mess. It was split in half, with fragments of its shell strewn across the ground. Morrigan’s face turned pale; the scene looked as if an underhanded hunter had stolen its contents and escaped.

1. This means the same thing as the idiom ‘fish in troubled waters’ from a previous chapter. ☜