kscans

CHAPTER 7 CHALLENGE TO THE LABYRINTH – Episode 9 The Cave of Trials (Part 5)

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Bard and the others ran up to the flat platform of the arena. Zariya collapsed, panting heavily. After a while, she calmed down and said,

“Just as I thought.”

When Bard asked what she meant, the apothecary Zariya replied,

“Godon has Pole-Beau. Karz has Skarlar. And I have Sosierra. They seem to be well-matched opponents. Yes, too well-matched. It appears the enemies in this arena are tailored to suit the challengers who ascend.”

“Well-matched opponents?” Bard inquired.

“That’s right. The enemies that appear here are not predetermined. They assess the challengers who come up and prepare opponents that are appropriate for them. But for the three of us to consecutively face such high-ranking deities, it seems our reputation is exceptionally high.”

Hearing Zariya’s words, Godon reacted.

“Hey, Zariya. Does that mean, if we were weaker challengers, we would have faced weaker enemies?”

“Probably, yes. That means the more people there are, the more trials they have to go through in this arena.”

“What? Then if the three of us had come together, we would have already passed the ordeal?”

“Haha, that’s right. However, if the three of you had come together, you wouldn’t have been able to defeat those nasty enemies in that passageway.”

“Oh, I see! Then it was a good thing we gathered the mightiest warriors. Hahaha!”

Yes, that’s why it’s so strange, Bard thought. The enemies in the arena are formidable foes, but if one has a strong heart, they can be defeated. They are honorable and pleasant opponents. One could even say the battles are thrilling. But the enemies in the corridors are not like that. They are nasty and insidious. What could this inconsistencies mean?

After a long rest, Zariya rose from her seat. She had not tended to her own wounds. The bleeding had stopped, but the gash on her face remained. Upon reflection, Zariya’s mysterious power came from the spirits she had absorbed within her. Perhaps the spirits’ power also had its limits. Maybe their power was now dwindling. If that were the case, she would need to be even more vigilant from here on.

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The color of the next corridor was purple, and the enemies that emerged were bat-like creatures with beaks. Karz and Yemite displayed their formidable eyesight and attack speed, swiftly felling them one by one, but Godon and Engdahl were struck by the attacks a few times. They then collapsed, convulsing. These sturdy individuals. It was poison. And a very potent one at that. Zariya used the spirits’ power to heal them. But it was clear to all that Zariya was now severely depleted.

The one who took on the next arena challenge was Yemite. When Yemite stepped into the arena, a miniature forest with small trees grew on the platform, almost like a toy. The enemies were nowhere to be seen. When Yemite’s gaze swept the area, what did he find but small beasts the size of a palm, with monkey-like faces adorned with strange markings, holding spears in their right hands and clubs in their left. And Yemite himself had shrunk to a similar size, perhaps slightly smaller than the enemies.

Wait a moment, Bard thought. Spear in the right hand, club in the left, and facial markings. Could this be the God of Forest Ubanu-Dodo? But Ubanu-Dodo was said to be a god in human form, not this monkey-like shape. No, this is not a monkey, it is a Jameen. A forest god in the form of a Jameen.

Until now, Bard had believed the gods to have human-like faces and forms, as many myths had conveyed. However, there are also myths that tell of the gods having the forms of beasts or demihuman creatures. There are even legends that would not make sense unless the gods had taken on demihuman forms. What could this all mean?

Bard recalled what he had heard from Popolbarpopo, the tribe chief of the Dragonoid island.

“Did you know? The human language was not originally human language.”
“It was created by the first humans.”
“The first humans studied the languages of the various tribes in this land, and arrived at the hypothesis that there was once a single language.”
“They then extracted the common elements from the languages of the various tribes and created a new language, which humans then began to speak.”

To call a name is to call with words. The sacred names of the gods they call are the words themselves. If those words originally belonged to the “original people,” then the gods too must have belonged to the “original people.” When humans made those words their own, they also made the gods their own. Is that not the case? Then when facing the “original people,” the gods may reclaim their original forms. Bard pondered these thoughts.

Yemite fired an arrow into the enemy’s chest. But the arrow merely pierced the enemy’s chest without inflicting any real harm. The enemy moved with terrifying speed, attacking with a spear and club. Yemite was no less swift in his movements, evading all the attacks. But the enemy’s onslaught was too relentless, leaving Yemite no openings. Eventually, Yemite hid himself in the forest. The forest god searched high and low for Yemite. Just as the enemy grew impatient…

Yemite burst out from the bushes behind the forest god. His bow was drawn, an arrow nocked and ready. Utilizing the tree branches, Yemite leapt and placed the arrow at the back of the forest god’s neck, releasing it. The arrow pierced the forest god’s throat. The bell rang three times, signalling Yemite’s victory.

The next passageway was a peach blossom*. The enemy that emerged was serpentine, swimming sinuously through the air like a fish or a snake. This was a troublesome foe, slipping through sword strikes and mace blows with ease. Yet its jagged, sharp teeth still managed to bite into their flesh.　Even the armor cannot stop it from biting into the flesh.　Karz and Yemite managed to evade it, so they were unharmed, but Godon, Bard, and Zariya were severely injured.　The key was the toughness of Engdahl’s skin.　Even the mighty flying fish could not easily bite through Engdahl armor-like skin.　And the moment it bit down, the attack connected.　The others then kept their distance, with Engdahl as the bait.　Karz then cut down the flying fish that had bitten Engdahl.　In the end, it was not a formidable enemy.　However, the damage sustained before realizing this was severe. (t/n: 桃色, or simply pink if chocolate is not a color but a food to you)

Bard had tried to stop her, but Zariya used her healing power on Bard and Godon.　Afterwards, Zariya could no longer stand.　Bard suggested that they rest for a while, but Zariya insisted they should hurry on.　In the end, Engdahl carried Zariya on his back as they continued forward.

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Next to enter the arena was Engdahl.　As Engdahl stepped onto the platform, a flash of light erupted, and a thunderous roar echoed, as the opponent appeared.　A majestic deity with a towering physique.　In his right hand, he wielded a massive curved blade, and in his left, a thick round shield.　Both of his hands were excessively long.　His face, as well as the intricate patterns carved into his bare body, were unmistakably those of Gerkaast.　However, his feet were made of stone, and sand continuously trickled down from his body.　This was the God of Earth, Ketcha-Ri.　Ketcha-Ri, too, had the form of Gerkaast, rather than a human.

Bard wondered if the gods were originally the deities of the “original people.”　No.　No, no.　That was not the case.　Even if the words came later, there must have been an event where the ancient humans descended upon this land and encountered the gods.　That is when the names were born.　Of course, the gods that had been passed down among the “original people” were also included in those words.　Humans may have reinterpreted those gods as their own.　Perhaps there were two types of gods residing here.　No.　Wait.　Perhaps there were even three.　The third type of god may have been the ones brought from the original world by humans.　Yes, this world must have three types of gods.　Then, what about the God of Earth Ketcha-Ri?　Is he a human god? Is he the god of Gerkaast? The answer came quickly. For humans, he is a human god, and for Gerkaast, he is the god of Gerkaast. That is how it should be.

Engdahl took up the curved single-edged sword called a Quitan. The God of Earth thrust out his left-hand shield. If Engdahl attacks, the God of Earth will block it with his round shield and strike back with his curved sword. Engdahl’s strength lies in his large stature, even for a Gerkaast. His sturdy skin can deflect even sharp blades. And the powerful strikes he can unleash from his massive weight could cleave even a demonic beast Riverbear. However, the circumstances are different this time. The God of Earth is even larger than Engdahl. And judging by his appearance, he has a muscular and sturdy physique that rivals, if not exceeds, that of the youthful Gerkaast. How will Engdahl fight this formidable opponent?

Engdahl ignored the shield thrust at him. The God of Earth crept up to Engdahl and struck his chest with the round shield. Engdahl only swayed slightly but remained steadfast. Then the God of Earth’s right hand swung quickly. It was a diagonal slash. And even if Engdahl tried to defend with the Quitan, the round shield thrust in his face prevented him from wielding his weapon. Or so it seemed, but Engdahl skillfully rotated his shoulder, bypassing the round shield, and parried the curved sword with the Quitan. A brief look of surprise crossed the God of Earth’s face. Then he grinned. The God of Earth’s furious assault began immediately. While obstructing Engdahl’s movements with his left-hand shield, he relentlessly attacked with the curved sword from all directions. A versatile attack from above, below, and the sides. Astonishingly, Engdahl managed to deflect them all. Skillfully evading the shield while wielding the Quitan. Bard watched this exchange in awe. What dexterity. And what flexibility. The seemingly clumsy Engdahl was a master of his craft. Expertly manipulating the massive and unwieldy Quitan, he deflected, parried, and withstood the God of Earth’s attacks. The uninterrupted exchange continued. Engdahl did not counterattack, instead focusing on defense with the Quitan. The assaulting God of Earth grew weary of the prolonged exchange. Then the God of Earth drew his sword back, preparing to deliver a decisive blow to Engdahl. At that time, Engdahl took the offensive for the first time. Until then, he had been operating Quitan with just his right hand, but now he added his left hand and fiercely attacked the God of Earth.

The God of Earth attacked with his right hand while holding a round shield in front of Engdahl’s attack line. The God of Earth’s special strike caught Engdahl’s left shoulder. Engdahl’s dual-handed slash was blocked by the round shield. But Quitan sliced through the round shield and caught the God of Earth’s face. Quitan cut into the God of Earth’s left cheek and stopped after slashing about two-thirds of his face. The God of Earth’s strike had nearly severed Engdahl’s left shoulder.

With the Quitan still embedded in his face, the God of Earth grinned and then collapsed and vanished. The bell rang three times, announcing Engdahl’s victory.

Blood was gushing from Engdahl’s left shoulder. It had been nearly cut in half and was hanging limply. Zariya rushed over and treated it. The bleeding stopped, but the wound did not fully heal. In the middle of the treatment, Zariya lost consciousness from exhaustion. The group waited for Zariya to regain consciousness and then proceeded to the next passage.

The next passage glowed brown. Nothing appeared here. Puzzled, they entered the next arena chamber and were immediately attacked. This time, the enemy was a very troublesome one. It was a winged centipede-like creature that flew around and scattered poisonous powder. The entire group quickly retreated to the passage, and Yemite shot down the airborne enemy with arrows. However, Yemite had inhaled a lot of the poisonous powder. Zariya’s treatment saved Yemite’s life, but Zariya collapsed. The group had a second meal in front of the sixth arena and tended to Zariya. However, other than giving her some herbs and water to help her recover, they just had her rest and observed her condition.

While resting, Bard was thinking. For example, the legends of the founding of Parzam. It is said that the founding king underwent divine trials accompanied by monkeys, snakes and lizards, and established the foundation of the country with the weapons he received as a reward. Or the legend of the founding of the Mercano Temple. It is said that the saint overcame the labyrinth with bears and leopards as friends, healed people with the medicine he obtained, and that became the origin of the Mercano Temple. In ancient times, the heroes had challenged and conquered this labyrinth with the help of demihuman companions. In other words, is not this labyrinth itself the legacy of King Jean?

Soon, Zariya awoke. Bard headed towards the arena. It was finally Bard’s turn. He did not know what kind of enemy would appear. But Bard was not overly concerned. The enemies that appeared in the arena were tailored to match them. They were not opponents to be taken lightly, but they would not be unbeatable foes either. Bard was an aging and weakened knight, so they would not bring out an unreasonably strong opponent. Therefore, he could approach the challenge with a somewhat relaxed mindset. And Bard stepped onto the first step of the stairs.

A thunderous roar echoed, and a flash of light erupted as Bard’s opponent appeared in the arena.

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When Bard saw the form of his opponent, he considered withdrawing from the arena and having someone else take his place. Such was the formidable foe.🤣

A majestic physique. Silvery armor engraved with the emblem of the earth. A long and heavy straight sword. The right battle boot was black, and the left was white. A shield engraved with the emblem of the sun. Mounted on a black warhorse.

The God of War, Mada-Veri.

He stood at the pinnacle of the many God of Wars. Bard was large in stature, but this God of War was even larger. Moreover, the martial aura emanating from his calm presence was beyond anything Bard had ever experienced. This opponent was on a completely different level from any warrior he had encountered before.

“No, this cannot be,” Bard murmured. No matter how he looked at it, the opponent was absurd. They were completely mismatched. This would be no contest at all. Furthermore, the opponent had a horse, while Bard did not. What an imbalance. What unfairness.

“As expected of the old man.”

Unexpectedly, Karz opened his mouth, uttering words that seemed to sap the strength from Bard. At this moment, Bard recalled the inscription at the entrance of the Cave of Trials.

“If you all defeat the enemies, a great reward shall be bestowed upon you.”

It states “if you all defeat the enemies,” not “if you defeat all the enemies.” This means that each person who enters this cavern will be given their own enemies to fight. They must all achieve victory in their respective battles for the reward to be granted. Bard cannot back down. Moreover, he cannot afford to lose. If Bard loses, all the efforts of the others will have been in vain. Resolving himself, Bard stepped into the arena.

Glancing back, he wondered curiously. Godon, Karz, Engdahl, and Yemite all seemed delighted, their faces was filled with joy. Surely, his misfortune could not be so pleasing to them.

At that moment, he realized. This battle was, in fact, something he had desired. He had wished for it and asked everyone to come, and they are here. What would it be like if he wasn’t fighting the most arduos battle?

Turning to the God of War, he thought, “What an overwhelming martial might! Upon reflection, the fortune to face such a formidable opponent is not granted to just any knight. I shall wager my entire life to challenge and shatter against this worthy foe. What am I worrying about? What am I rushing for? I should defeat this enemy, move forward, and do what needs to be done. But even if I progress, I do not know what I may or may not gain. Am I concerned that the objective may not be achieved? How foolish. If I fall here, so be it. I shall fight a noble battle and meet a proud death. Is that not the ultimate purpose I seek? Chin up, Bard Rowen! Open your eyes wide and gaze upon the enemy before you.

Ah, I see now. That is why everyone had such joyful expressions. They, too, had ascended their respective arenas, met worthy adversaries, and fought magnificent battles. Their delight was not in winning, but in the thrill of battle, pouring their entire being into their techniques. It fills me with joy to be allowed to step onto this magnificent battlefield. That is why I wholeheartedly bless the fact that I have been granted the supreme opponent.

If I am to die, then so be it. But in that final moment, I shall unleash the greatest technique I have ever mastered. I shall pour everything I have encountered and learned into a single strike. For that moment, I have lived until today.”

Bard resolutely took a step forward.