Chapter 132 : Akiro's Ring
After the halo of light disappeared, what I saw was Luna, who looked extremely tense.
ââ¦â¦What? What happened? Where did that weird bastard go?â
âHe went back.â
âWhat? Don't tell me something happened in that short moment?â
It seemed that the moment Akiro and I moved to the white room was merely an instant for Luna, as she still couldn't understand the situation.
âLet's get out first, I will explain the rest once we are out.â
âWhat is whatâ¦â¦. Anyway, only weird things happen when I'm with you, Cain-nim.â
âYou will get used to it.â
âThat's a bitâ¦â¦.â
As we took a step forward, the spacetime that had been distorted had returned to its original state before we knew it.
Luna cautiously moved her steps as if suspicious of something, but soon relaxed her guard and took the lead.
âLet's get out quickly just in case. What if something happens again?â
âThat won't happen.â
The reason the abnormal phenomenon occurred in the first place was likely because Akiro, the master of the labyrinth, intervened directly, so now that his business is done, nothing special will happen.
âHow do you know that? Anyway, I'm getting out. Come out quickly too, Cain-nim. Got it?â
âUnderstood.â
As Luna disappeared towards the 5th floor exit, I called out to Lion.
âLion, were you able to be conscious of the scene where I conversed with Akiro?â
[Huh? What? Did something happen just now?]
âAs expected.â
The white room Akiro created seemed to be a completely independent space where not only space but also time was intervened with.
The fact that even the Demonic Spirit Lion, who formed a contract with me, didn't notice the conversation at all must mean that.
[I-I'm sorry! I don't know what it is, but it must be because I'm incompetentâ¦â¦.]
âIt is not like that, so do not mind it.â
[But stillâ¦â¦.]
Lion, who had revealed himself before I knew it, drooped with a tearful face.
âI said it is not like that.â
Anyway, the meeting with Akiro held many meanings.
The fact that I was chosen as the Guardian of Akiro's Labyrinth in the first place must also be because Akiro paid attention to me.
âThe fact that Akiro knew I was the Postponer of Ruin meansâ¦â¦ he must also know that I killed the Destruction Dragon.â
Until now, I had never met anyone other than Luna who knew the fact that the Destruction Dragon was dead.
Even Luna didn't know for a fact that the Destruction Dragon was dead, but simply had a vague belief that Cain must have defeated it since the Destruction Dragon disappeared.
However, Akiro was different.
Great Sage Akiro spoke as if he knew everything about me, beyond that, even things I didn't know.
âThe sky is openingâ¦â¦.â
Akiro himself, who brought up the story, said he didn't know what would happen after that.
I couldn't know if he truly didn't know or if he intentionally hid that fact from me, but one thing was certain: the Ascension Stone was at the center of all these secrets.
Postponed ruin.
Opening sky.
Ascension Stone Fragment.
The answer to all those secrets inevitably led to one conclusion.
Collecting Ascension Stone Fragments.
Once I accomplish that, a conclusion will come out in some way.
Even if that conclusion isn't very satisfactory.
âThenâ¦â¦.â
Now it was really time to leave Akiro's Labyrinth.
âLet's go.â
[Yes.]
I took a step toward the final exit of Akiro's Labyrinth.
***
[You have broken through Akiro's Labyrinth.]
[Rewards are being calculated.]
[Labyrinth floors broken through: 5 floors]
[Selected as a Guardian of the Labyrinth, additional rewards are being calculated.]
.
.
.
[Reward calculation complete.]
[You have acquired âAkiro's Ringâ.]
When I finally left Akiro's Labyrinth, the first thing I saw was sunlight intense enough to be merciless.
The sunlight was so intense that every single grain of sand sparkled dazzlingly.
The next thing I saw was people.
Very many people.
Countless players were still gathered at the entrance of Akiro's Labyrinth, waiting for their turn to enter or devising strategies.
It was a sight similar to what I saw before entering.
âThat asideâ¦â¦.â
What was important right now was not watching people.
I examined Akiro's Ring, which I received as a reward for this labyrinth.
ââââââââââââ
[Akiro's Ring]
Classification: Ring
Grade: Legendary
A ring imbued with the power of Great Sage Akiro.
Reproduces Akiro's laws in the present world.
ââââââââââââ
Indeed, should I say it's a reward with the Guardian of the Labyrinth benefit added to clearing the 5th floor?
A Legendary item actually came out.
And an item with abilities that would belong to the top tier even among Legendary items, at that.
âIt is an item I am seeing for the first time too butâ¦â¦ looking only at the ring's ability, it would be correct to judge it as an item superior to the Orb of Water.â
Reproducing Akiro's laws in the present world was the same as saying it twists the laws of reality itself.
Meaning a sort of limited reality manipulation is possible.
âHowever, I will have to check directly to see to what extent the law manipulation is possible.â
While I was examining Akiro's Ring like that, Luna, who had gone out first, approached.
âWhy did you come out so late? I was looking for you, wondering if you fell somewhere else.â
âIt just happened.â
âAh, right. What did you receive as a reward? I'm kind of curious. For your information, I received something super good!â
âI will tell you that after we leave this place first, since there are many listening ears.â
The place we came out to was right in the middle of the entrance to Akiro's Labyrinth, and naturally, not a few players were sneaking glances at us.
âUm, excuse me, it might just be my feeling, but.â
Luna added in an unsure voice.
âSomethingâ¦â¦ doesn't the gaze looking at us seem not very good?â
âLikely so, if I was chosen as the Guardian of the Labyrinth, my phantom must be appearing within the labyrinth.â
âHmm? Wait, what does that mean?â
While Luna couldn't hide her puzzlement, whispering sounds were heard from the surroundings.
âHey hey, look over there. It's the Plague Mask.â
âIs it those people? Even if the Plague Set is expensive, it isn't unique equipment, right?â
âHey, think about it. Would there be anyone else wearing something like that in this hot desert?â
âThat's true too.â
The whispering in the crowd gradually spread, and before we knew it, the surrounding players had formed an encirclement around us.
âHey, I have one thing I want to ask, can you take off that mask?â
Someone in the crowd said.
At first, I didn't feel it was worth answering so I didn't reply, but as they continued to block me, I spoke.
âMove.â
âWhat's so difficult about taking off one mask that you're acting so haughty? You can just take it off and show us.â
âWhy should I?â
The crowd stirred.
âExcuse me, by any chance, are you the Guardian of this labyrinth? I think I saw you on the 2nd floorâ¦â¦ Am I right?â
âDo I have to answer?â
âNo but, why has that guy been speaking so curtly since a while ago? If it's not you, you can just say it's not you.â
âNo.â
âUhâ¦â¦ no, hah, geez. This is unbelievable. Are you playing around with me right now?â
Luna whispered from the side.
âUm, I've felt this from before, but you really seem to have aknack for making enemies. Couldn't you have just let it pass nicely?â
âAt this point, the possibility of that happening has already disappeared anyway.â
Using the fact that I am the Guardian of the Labyrinth as a pretext, the crowd will try to kill me or take what I have.
Because humans tend to become surprisingly cruel beings towards targets with whom their sense of kinship has disappeared.
âUgh. So what do we do?â
âWe have to do as they want.â
It seemed the opportunity to test Akiro's Ring had come sooner than expected.
âEveryone move! Why are you all acting so frustratingly? We can just attack! If he's the Guardian of the Labyrinth, he must have received some good reward from inside the labyrinth!â
âRight. He's sucking honey as the Guardian all alone, and he's trying to make us suffer like dogs? Does that make sense? It's not fair, it's not fair!â
The voices that started flowing from among the crowd soon turned into hostility toward me and Luna.
Like this, it wouldn't take long for that hostility to lead to direct action.
ââ¦â¦I'm saying this now, but couldn't you have just taken off the mask before coming out to the exit? Then they wouldn't have recognized us either.â
âNot a bad idea, but I have no intention of exposing the face inside the mask in this place at all.â
âYou really have a personality that buys trouble and makes enemies. That's why it's good, though.â
âWhat?â
âNo, nothing.â
Luna's eyes reflected in the lenses of the plague mask smiled in half-moon shapes.
âAh, frustrating! Everyone gets lost, I'll kill him!â
A muscular player who walked out from among the crowd looked at us.
âYou guys there, hand over everything you have while I'm asking nicely. Otherwise, you'll get hurt.â
âYou're saying something funny. Where do you want to get cut? I'll do as you wish.â
Luna said, growling.
In a situation just before a clash with the crowd would occur at any moment, I grabbed Luna's shoulder.
âI will do it.â
âWill it be okay? There isn't just one or two of them.â
âDo not worry.â
As I said before, this was just the perfect opportunity to test the authority Akiro's Ring possessed.
âWhat have they been chattering among themselves about since a while ago? You guys won't do. You just have to die.â
The muscular man pulled out the large saber that was hanging on his back.
Seeing him lightly lift the large saber that looked unusual at a glance, he seemed to be a considerable expert as expected.
âI heard you shoot a gun? Try taking it out once, I'm also curious if something like a gun works on me.â
The muscular man was quite confident in his skills, as he took his time instead of attacking me immediately while holding the large saber.
âWill you not regret it?â
âWhy would I do something like that?â
To resolve this situation, simply killing the muscular man in front of my eyes is not enough.
I must exercise a coercive force that all the players here dare not challenge.
Just in time, I had the means to do that.
âThat law would be good.â
If the description written on Akiro's Ring is correct, Akiro's laws ultimately refer to the laws unfolded within Akiro's Labyrinth.
The law I want is the law being activated in some areas of the 4th floor.
I will reproduce that law, right here.
[Akiro's Law is activated.]
[The law of âDemilitarized Zoneâ is applied.]
The law of the Demilitarized Zone is to unequip all currently equipped or possessed weapons.
As that law was activated, naturally, the weapons of the players in this area began to be âdemilitarizedâ as the name suggests.
âW-What?â
âI can't, I can't lift my weapon.â
âIt's that bastard! What did that bastard do!â
The muscular man also couldn't hide his shock as his large saber remained stuck in the ground and wouldn't budge.
âThis cheap trickâ¦â¦!â
The crowd's gaze turned to me.
The reason the crowd hesitated for a moment in confusion and shock must be because weapons were not gripped in their hands right now.
Of course, not all players were neutralized.
Because in this world, there were those who could capably hunt the Kings of the Demonic Realm without relying on weapons.
âI don't know what kind of cheap trick you pulled, but don't think something like that will work on me.â
Mages.
Not just one or two, but mages reaching over ten in number simultaneously spat out bestial roars toward me and prepared magic.
I had also expected this situation.
The Demilitarized Zone was certainly a law that wasn't very effective against mages, but I knew the loophole of this law.
Currently equipped or possessed.
To put this differently, it meant that newly equipped weapons did not apply.
Just like right now.
[Activates âWeapon Summon (??)â.]
[Personal weapon is summoned.]
[Summons weapon, âAKR-74 Assault Rifle (GF-40 Grenade Launcher Combined)â.]
Clack.
The muzzle of the AKR-74 Assault Rifle and GF-40 Grenade Launcher, which appeared all too naturally in my hands, was aimed at the mages preparing magic.
âAnything else you want to say?â
There were no objections.