The Hero Becomes the Duke’s Eldest Son

Chapter 138

The underground labyrinth was filled with numerous traps.

A section where stepping on the wrong spot would trigger spikes to emerge.

A molten furnace swamp where hot molten iron was pooled.

Deadly poisoned arrows that could even be fatal to a master, among countless other traps.

Nevertheless, Aden navigated the underground labyrinth of the Slaughter Tower more smoothly than expected.

‘Bringing this guy along was a great decision.’

The Phantom Thief Unknown.

Thinking of using this guy was indeed a stroke of genius.

Unknown dismantled the traps as they appeared, sometimes using knowledge, other times using intuition.

Even after seeing it several times, Aden found it difficult to understand how Unknown did it.

It seemed he wasn’t going to become a legendary phantom thief in the future for nothing.

‘If I had intruded without him, I would have sustained a critical injury by now.’

Aden reevaluated Unknown.

“Damn, I’ve been tricked. There isn’t a trace of treasure to be found…”

Despite his words, Unknown was deeply disheartened.

Finally, Aden and Unknown emerged from the trap-laden area and arrived in front of a massive stone gate.

‘If the traps earlier were the first gate, this is the second gate.’

They arrived here faster than expected.

Aden spoke to the still dejected Unknown.

“Beyond this, you’ll find the treasures you’ve been so eager to discover, so stop grumbling.”

“Really?”

“Of course, but from here, I’ll be the only one going in.”

“Oh, come on, why?”

“Because if you go in, you’ll die.”

“What? Wh-what do you mean…?”

“Just wait here.”

Aden didn’t answer Unknown’s question and pushed the stone door open.

Rumble.

Dust that had accumulated over the years fell as the door, which had been sealed for hundreds of years, slowly opened, scraping the ground.

What lay beyond was a vast space.

Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh…!

As the door opened, torches ignited spontaneously, illuminating the room brightly.

Thanks to that, the objects within the space came into view.

Crafts made of gold and silver piled up inside the room.

And heaps of ancient gold coins.

“Treasures!”

-The demon sword Seere exclaimed, “Treasures!”

Gulp.

Unknown, his eyes gleaming at the sight of the treasures, swallowed his saliva.

He looked ready to rush in immediately but held back due to Aden’s warning.

Aden’s gaze, however, wasn’t on the treasures piled up in front of him.

He only focused on the white statue about 3 meters tall standing in the middle of the room.

The statue was made entirely of white platinum from head to toe, with indistinct features.

Then, it happened.

Rumble.

The statue, which had been bowing its head, moved and looked directly at Aden and Unknown.

Even without distinct features, Aden could feel that the statue was looking at them.

Unknown, shocked, pointed at the statue and shouted.

“Ah! W-what is that? Did you see that? The statue moved! It moved…!”

“Yeah, I saw it too, so stop overreacting. It’s just the guardian of this room.”

“Guardian…?”

“Yeah, so don’t move and stay outside the door. It won’t attack as long as you don’t come inside.”

Aden said, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

‘The Guardian of the Underground Labyrinth.’

A guardian created to repel anything attempting to invade the depths of the labyrinth.

An ancient weapon of the Slaughter Cult, long forgotten.

It was a golem created in ancient times, with no known information on who or how it was made.

To compare the statue to typical golems formed from natural magic would be an insult.

‘Its strength, speed, even intelligence.’

It was a combat golem with all elements necessary for battle.

But these were just the peripheral attributes of the labyrinth’s guardian.

The truly terrifying aspect lay elsewhere.

Drip, drip, drip…

The surface of the seemingly solid statue began to ripple and transform.

‘Matching the intruder’s level, it takes the form of a recorded strong person. That’s its bothersome function.’

Once transformed, it could freely wield the abilities of the recorded strong person.

The statue, rippling and shifting, soon took on a distinct shape.

A towering figure.

It transformed into the form of a warrior clad in knight’s armor.

It must have chosen this form, believing it would be enough to defeat Aden.

Aden smirked.

“Wow, you’re pulling out the tough cards right from the start?”

If Aden’s memory served him right, that form was the strongest the labyrinth’s guardian could take.

It was evidence that it regarded Aden’s power, which had reached the level of a superhuman, as a significant threat.

A cold, emotionless voice emanated from the statue’s mouth.

-Al, Tayr, Seca.

Though he couldn’t understand the ancient language, it roughly sounded like a command to repel the intruder.

Even though it was just a fake golem.

As the labyrinth’s guardian assumed a combat stance, a terrifying pressure radiated from it.

Aden drew Baalzebul and infused it with aura.

Fwoosh!

A blue flame-like aura blade rose from Baalzebul’s blade.

Aden casually spoke to the statue.

“Alright, come at me.”

At that moment.

Boom!

The statue propelled itself off the ground and shot towards Aden like a bullet.

Though it was made of heavy minerals, its movement was as swift as that of a martial artist skilled in mana.

Swish!

In an instant, the guardian’s greatsword swung down towards Aden’s head.

Aden parried the descending greatsword with Baalzebul.

He skillfully maneuvered his aura and deft movements to deflect the weight of the greatsword.

Slash!

Then, utilizing the recoil, he spun around and thrust his sword at the guardian.

Swish!

Baalzebul’s blade sliced through the air, aiming at the guardian.

The guardian blocked the attack with its greatsword.

Aden’s powerful aura blade collided with the guardian’s greatsword.

Boom!

With an explosive sound, the guardian was pushed back several meters.

It managed to defend itself, but the fact that it was pushed back indicated it was taken aback by Aden’s strength.

The guardian seemed surprised, although it showed no expression.

Aden’s attack had been stronger than expected.

-Al, Kera, Mishu Telle, No…。

The statue spoke emotionlessly in ancient language, but Aden ignored it and propelled himself off the ground, swinging his sword at the labyrinth’s guardian.

Boom!

Aden’s sword clashed with the guardian’s greatsword again, producing a thunderous roar.

Their swords tangled chaotically, engaging in a fierce struggle with no room for error.

The guardian’s greatsword grazed Aden’s ear.

Aden narrowly dodged it, but a red line appeared on his cheek.

He deflected and parried the guardian’s greatsword, thinking to himself.

‘Indeed, as I heard, for a golem, its swordsmanship is incredible.’

Its swordsmanship was nearly at the level of a master swordsman.

If the labyrinth’s guardian could use aura, it would have been much harder to deal with.

Fortunately, it didn’t have the ability to use aura, so it was manageable.

However, the real issue lay elsewhere.

Swoosh!

Aden’s sword pierced the guardian’s left shoulder deeply.

His aura blade cut through more than half of the guardian’s shoulder.

Hiss…

But the injured part turned liquid and swiftly regenerated, hardening back into place.

Then, as if nothing had happened, it naturally attacked Aden with its greatsword.

Aden dodged the attack and frowned slightly.

‘One of the most troublesome abilities when dealing with a golem is its self-repairing ability.’

If his opponent were human, the earlier attack would have decided the outcome and ended the battle quickly.

But this opponent was neither human nor even a living creature but a lump of stone.

To defeat it, Aden had to target its unique weak point.

‘Even the labyrinth’s guardian is a golem. Somewhere inside, there’s a core.’

The core was like the brain or heart of a human, a vital point.

Especially with the labyrinth’s guardian, it could liquefy its body to change the core’s position freely.

Generally, it would be difficult for even a sword master to defeat an opponent whose weak point constantly changed.

Pushing through the golem with brute force and aura might work, but typically, it was challenging even for a sword master to target a constantly shifting weak point.

However, this was not a difficult task for Aden.

-‘I open the Eye of Insight.’

A golden gleam appeared in Aden’s eyes.

The eyes imbued with the power of the Lord of the Sacred Fire, capable of seeing through all things.

Those eyes analyzed the movements of the labyrinth’s guardian and also saw through its interior.

‘I see it.’

And then he found it.

The core within the labyrinth’s guardian.

Swoosh!

Baalzebul’s blade aimed for the core, thrusting at the guardian’s left side.

Clang!

But the first attempt was blocked by the guardian’s greatsword, unfortunately failing.

-Entral, Al, Corel Ferra.

The guardian, realizing its core had been exposed, moved frantically and changed the core’s position, attacking Aden aggressively.

‘But it’s useless against me who can see where the core is.’

Moreover, the guardian’s hurried movements created small gaps in its swordsmanship, possibly due to its newfound emotion of urgency.

And Aden was not foolish enough to miss these opportunities.

Aden’s sword aimed for the guardian’s crown, striking diagonally with intense force.

The guardian twisted its body to the side and raised its greatsword to block.

At that moment.

Whoosh!

Aden’s sword abruptly changed direction.

A feint.

It was a fake attack mixed with a real one.

-…!

The guardian panicked momentarily and tried to adjust its stance, but it was too late.

Swoosh!

Aden’s sword pierced deep into the guardian’s right shoulder, where the core had moved.

Crack!

The core within the guardian’s body shattered.

As the core broke.

-Core… rel… da, damage…

The guardian’s emotionless voice crackled, and the light in its eyes dimmed and went out.

Thud!

Its heavy body collapsed and fell to the ground.

Silence ensued.

The labyrinth’s guardian had been defeated.

“Phew.”

Aden took a short breath and sheathed Baalzebul.

“Wow! We won…!”

-The demon sword Seere exclaimed, “That was an amazing battle!” lamenting that it couldn’t applaud!

Unknown, who had been watching the fierce battle from beyond the door, clapped and cheered for Aden’s victory.

Aden’s fight was so impressive that it had kept him on edge.

Aden looked at the fallen guardian and chuckled.

“Having high intelligence isn’t always a good thing.”

The guardian, which had felt as autonomous and self-aware as a living being, had been deceived by Aden’s feint and exposed a weakness.

That was its fatal mistake.

Although, caution is always necessary, so it’s not just a golem’s flaw.

With the labyrinth’s guardian defeated, it was now time to enter the door that would open.

“Hehe. The treasures!”

Unknown wiped the drool from his mouth and stepped towards the room.

“Wait. Don’t go in.”

“Oh, come on, why now!”

“Just wait a moment.”

Aden stopped Unknown from entering the room.

According to what he knew, the door leading to the next gate should open soon.

‘Something’s off…’

Aden felt something was wrong intuitively.

And then he realized why.

‘The system is silent even after defeating the dungeon guardian.’

When someone with a system defeated a dungeon guardian, a message was supposed to appear.

But there was no message now.

A chilling premonition struck him.

It was then.

Rumble.

The remains of the fallen statue, the labyrinth’s guardian, began to liquefy and melt.

Aden instinctively drew Baalzebul again and prepared for battle.

‘It’s not over yet!’

A variable occurred.

The Guardian of the Labyrinth, who had been sprawled out, started to gather and reassemble itself in one place.

“Hah.”

Aden couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh at the sight.

“What is this? I even destroyed the core, and now it’s entering Phase 2?”

Cududuk.

The Guardian of the Labyrinth, which had taken the form of a tall, gigantic knight, now assumed a completely different shape.

A pure white robe adorned with the symbol of the Slaughter Cult.

Long, slender arms and legs.

The face of a woman with features so beautiful they resembled those of an angelic statue.

Seeing this, Aden’s expression hardened.

‘That form, could it be… ?’

The era in which this underground labyrinth was created.

And the robe that symbolized the saintess of the Slaughter Cult.

With just that, Aden could easily infer who the Guardian of the Labyrinth was imitating.

‘The first saintess.’

The founder of the Slaughter Cult, a legendary saintess known to have single-handedly exterminated the ancient giants.

The Guardian of the Labyrinth, now taking on the form of that great being, addressed Aden in an unchanging tone.

– Al, Tayr, Seka.

Shaaaah!

It spoke as it emitted a powerful holy power, a deep red like blood.