Gozine

White Lizard.
A magical beast primarily found in the northern snowfields, but classified as a rare species due to the difficulty in pinpointing its exact location.
….That should be the case.

I tilted my head in shock as I glanced into the spatial pouch.
Over twenty White Lizards had popped out for no reason, and I hunted them.

This had never happened even once since I returned to this world.

‘This is dangerous.’

The flickering sensor light.
How nice it would be if it were just the broken sensor at the entrance.

But the damn sensor light of Nox didn’t so easily let me be at ease

Twenty White Lizards.
I pondered deeply as I looked at them.

Basically, I believe luck has a finite capacity.
But for Nox, I keep thinking that this is too much luck.

Luck obtained by chance?

That doesn’t suit Nox, no, me, at all.

This must be a sign that powerful misfortune is about to follow…

“What are you thinking about so hard?”

Kiingg.

Eleanor and Ellie asked while staring at me.
There’s something subtly similar about them…
It made me think again that she really is a merchant, and an exceptional one at that.

Her skill in using a pet resembling herself to blend in was on another level.

Anyway.

“It’s nothing. But it seems I’ll have to enter the labyrinth alone. With Ru… the Knight Captain, there shouldn’t be any major issues.”

“Alone in the labyrinth?”

“Two, to be precise.”

As Zitri spoke with half-lidded eyes, I replied as nonchalantly as possible.
My tone was as casual as if I were just heading to a nearby magic shop.

But Zitri was a [Genius]-class unit.
Eleanor was no different, so escaping their objections wasn’t easy.

“It’s a dangerous place. You can’t possibly be unaware of the infamy of the Aksaras labyrinth.”

“Young Master… I’m sure you have your reasons, but didn’t you promise not to cause trouble from now on? I trusted you….”

Zitri even pretended to cry in the middle of it.

But this doesn’t feel like a good sign.
Luck appeared right before tackling the labyrinth.

For now, I decided to head back and sort out the loot before making our way to Ru’s lodging.

**********

“A spar?”

The moment I returned, I heard something utterly bizarre.
The Knight Captain.
Ru, the Snow Demon of the North, had requested a spar with me.

Even I couldn’t help but be taken aback.
Ru isn’t someone I can beat even in my current state.
I’m not even sure if he’s human.
Either way.
He’s not called a skilled person comparable to the Three Sword Emperors for nothing.

But why would he suddenly decide to spar with me?
Is it about the labyrinth? Or something else? It’s still unclear.

The best way to find out is to ask directly.

“Is there a reason?”

“Don’t be impatient. This spar will help you in conquering the Aksaras labyrinth. You still lack the minimum qualifications to challenge it.”

“Minimum qualifications… I’ve wanted to ask since the first day. What exactly are these qualifications, and why do you say I can’t conquer the dungeon?”

Now that I think about it, since this is an important matter, it’s better to prepare thoroughly.
Have I ever seen Ru say something like this in the game?

No.
Clearly, there must be a reason.

Even though it’s strange for me, a veteran of Inner Lunatic, to be in this situation.
I thought I already held the key to conquering Aksaras. But if Ru is saying this much, doesn’t it mean there’s a variable?

Moreover, this is a world that has become a reality.

It was reality from the start, and controlling all its variables is difficult.

So if it’s a fight, I’m looking forward to it.
It’s a chance to see just how strong Ru is and to learn more about his spatial sword techniques.

But the answer I got was once again different from what I expected.

“Do you know what the most terrifying aspect of Aksaras Labyrinth is?”

“…I know that finding the path is difficult.”

I have cleared the Aksaras Labyrinth multiple times.
But the paths here are particularly hard to navigate.
It’s simple to explain, but not simple in practice.

‘The paths change every time you exit and re-enter the labyrinth.’

That’s why, to conquer the Aksaras Labyrinth, you must prepare everything beforehand and carry as many supplies as possible in your spatial pouch.
Otherwise, you could be devoured by the labyrinth at any moment.

Unlike ordinary dungeons, where recorders log entries and check mana emissions to monitor progress, this is practically impossible here.

Probably, most who enter either die or barely manage to struggle their way out from the very beginning.

“True. The paths are hard to find.”

Ru replied calmly. I asked.

“It sounds like there’s another reason.”

“It shows illusions. On the first floor. And you won’t be able to break through them.”

Illusions?
I’ve known for a while that the Aksaras Labyrinth produces illusions. But they weren’t particularly strong, and aside from the labyrinth’s resistance to magic, I remember them being manageable…

Ah.

“Ah…”

“It seems you’ve realized it.”

You appear as strong as steel on the outside, but inside, you’re fragile.
If your core isn’t hardened, you’ll collapse from the first floor.

“You saw that much?”

At this point, I wonder if there’s something like hidden qualification to join the Three Sword Emperors or the Four Sages.

The ability to pinpoint others’ weaknesses…
As if cutting off my idle thoughts, Ru continued.

“Get dressed. Let’s begin.”

**********

The sparring ground.
No, calling it a sparring ground would be an exaggeration, it was just a vast, beautifully spread snowy plain where Ru and I would now fight.
But I was calmly surveying the terrain more carefully than ever.

To gain what I wanted from this spar?
Of course, I’d lose, but I needed to observe and learn as much as possible.
Ru is a genius unit. An outlier even among them.

Opportunities to receive guidance from someone like him are rare.
Ru isn’t the type to teach willingly, he’d rather kill than instruct.

Thinking about it now sends a chill down my spine.

Crazy man…

— Wooooooh! We’re counting on you, Captain!
— Blow that rookie away in one hit!
— Hey, watch your mouth. Even if he’s a rookie, he’s a rookie who brings money!
— Hahahaha!

The Snow Demon of the North.
But Ru was surrounded by countless knights.
Most were half-baked knights who could never hope to reach Ru’s level, but they were seasoned veterans nonetheless. There was always something to learn from them.

Not bad at all.
They weren’t ignoring me out of dislike, they just didn’t want to see their Knight Captain lose and didn’t believe he would.

I don’t expect to win either.

Ru is strong.

— Don’t lose!
— Young Master, you have to do your best!
— Kiing!
— Neigh!

Two voices and two cheers reached me.
Meanwhile, Eleanor…
What am I supposed to do with you saying things like that?

I already told you I can’t win, yet you openly say,

Don’t lose.

‘Well, that was my specialty.’

Shaking off the thought, I stood before Ru.

“I’ll count to three. Then we begin.”

“…Usually, people offer the first move or something. You’re not doing that?”

“Before this is a knight’s duel, it’s a fight between humans. Mixing in unnecessary elements would just bore you.”

Right, this insane genius describes it as fun.
I can’t help but feel excited too.

“Show me everything you’ve got. It can be magic, or it can be a sword. Even a secret art, bring it out and show me. After all, there is only one who can read it. Only me, and I’m not particularly interested in the Black Sword.”

“Fine. Let’s begin.”

One, two, three!

The moment the count ended, a sharp gust of wind whipped past my ear.

Ru’s quick sword had almost reached my ear before I noticed.

I reflexively turned my head to dodge it, but no matter how I looked at it, this seemed kind of dangerous?….That thought came to me naturally.
Is this how it’s supposed to be?
This should be a scene of an uncle playing with his niece, but it feels like watching an uncle who absolutely has to win at rock-paper-scissors.
Considering the gap between us, this could be explained with an even stronger metaphor.

This isn’t right.

Before I could think further, Ru initiated his next move.

He swung his sword lightly, and I instinctively took a defensive stance, only to be slightly confused when no attack followed.

Why?

But the next moment, I realized there was no time to think.

Chwaat!

A merciless slash tore through the air, leaving a wound. To block it, I instantly accelerated my body, quickly pulling the hand holding the sword up near my shoulder.
But I couldn’t completely block it.

Chwaat!

Another strike rained down, cutting my shoulder again. Twice in exactly the same spot.
Just like I did to the Ice Lizard.
But in a far more precise way.

It almost felt like my breath had stopped.

‘This is the Spatial Sword…!’

A fact I’d realized upon first arriving at Winter Bridge resurfaced in my mind.

The Spatial Sword, completed after being taught to him by a knight from a ruined kingdom, Glint von Zehard, cannot be seen with the eyes.

Because it literally cuts through space, it cannot be seen by the naked eye, and one has to measure time in seconds to know when the strike will hit.

Since I can’t keep taking these hits, like with the battle against Grand Duke with Marin, I need to keep a delicate stopwatch inside me.

‘This won’t be easy…’

But as I wiped the blood trickling from my shoulder, I smiled.
A paradoxical emotion surged through me, sharp and clear.

This’ll be fun.

Really.

I haven’t had a chance to properly show off the skills and abilities I recently learned from Theo.
Though it’s true that Main Episode 4 focuses on the White Flame Knight… I couldn’t help but feel thirsty.
Basically, this damn body of mine thrives on life-or-death battles, drunk on the dopamine they bring.

That’s why I welcome this fight more than anything.

I can go all out.

Ru said so, and I intend to do just that.

— Active Skill [Genius’s Time+] activated.

It would be more foolish not to use the 10 minutes I’m allowed in a duel like this.

Ru, you bastard.

I’ll show you everything I’ve got.