NOVEL NEXT chapter 149 - Dogshit Timing
The residents of the border city of Arad were known for their calm, quiet days.
Logically speaking, nothing major was ever supposed to happen.
Aside from the occasional appearance of Hunters coming down from the Grand Labyrinth, it was an otherwise uneventful northern mountain village.
At least, until just yesterday.
This morning—
A massive number of corpse soldiers suddenly came pouring down from the mountain path that led to the Grand Labyrinth, Labyrinthos.
And around midday—
A large-scale portal opened, and the full forces of the All-Gods Church and the Empire’s finest elite troops came flooding in.
And ever since—
They’d been shouting and shouting all day long.
The people of Arad were terrified by the screaming soldiers, but their expressions were so grim—and some were even crying—that they couldn’t bring themselves to protest.
“All the main mountain paths leading to Labyrinthos have been occupied by the corpse soldiers. They’ve taken the key outposts. Breaking through is impossible.”
At the officer’s report, Iomene clenched her fist.
“What if we use an airship?”
“The mana density is abnormally low—airships can’t even lift off. We can’t even reach the outskirts of Arad, let alone Labyrinthos.”
“What about a frontal assault? If we charge with Al Madayi and the Ketra’tus?”
Normally, the mere mention of a head-on fight would’ve made Al Madayi and the Ketra’tus go wide-eyed with bloodlust—but this time, even they shook their heads.
“Lady Dulranear’s blessing is fading. The blessings that protect our bodies and minds are disappearing. The moment they’re completely gone, we won’t even be able to stand in our armor. The deeper we go into Labyrinthos, the more useless we become, Holy Maiden.”
Iomene lowered her head, a look of despair on her face.
Almene picked up where she left off.
“Commander Rubio. What about the Empire’s elite forces?”
The general standing beside the reconnaissance officer shook his head.
“It’s hopeless, Princess. The terrain overwhelmingly favors the defenders. The narrow paths are choked with fortified outposts, all armed with heavy machine guns. And as we’ve just learned from reconnaissance—they’ve even set up boulders and logs ready to be rolled down.”
Commander Rubio, handpicked by the Emperor himself to support the Saint, was known as one of the most seasoned and capable military tacticians.
And even he said:
“If you order the assault, I’ll obey. But let me be clear—we’ll be following in Dumbass Nero’s footsteps. The losses will be massive, and even with all those sacrifices, I can’t guarantee victory.”
A response filled with despair.
Almene couldn’t bring herself to issue the order after hearing that.
When she too fell silent, it was Kanya who spoke up.
“Then we just use divine power. From the looks of it, the enemy’s using mana stones to store mana and ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) authority so they can still use abilities inside the Labyrinth. Then shouldn’t we do the same? Stockpile divine power or mana in mana stones and bring them in with us?”
The one who answered was Erfa.
“There are mana stones kept by the mage towers for research. And we also have the ones Mayor Lagot of Labyrinthos left us. If we arm ourselves with those, we’ll be able to use divine power and magic.”
Kanya’s face lit up.
“Give them to me. I’ll go in with the battle nuns. The Ketra’tus too—we’ll force open the path.”
But Erfa shook her head grimly.
“...To properly charge them, we’d need at least half a day.”
“Goddammit!! What if something happens to Amayel before that?!!”
Kanya stormed out of the command room.
“Lady Velia! Help us! Can’t you open a portal from Arad straight into Labyrinthos? I know you can hear me!! Just once… just help us this one time!!”
And then—an answer.
Though divine speech could no longer descend thanks to Lucifer’s interference, right before Kanya’s eyes…
A portal began to form.
Crackling with unstable energy, flickering into existence.
But it blinked out just as suddenly—disintegrating before her in a cloud of sparks.
Kanya stared at the fading portal with a look of devastation.
“Even Lady Dulranear can’t open a portal… Opening one directly into the Grand Labyrinth… must be too much, even for the gods in the Spirit Realm.”
She bit down hard on her lip.
“Lady Velia. Then what if you descended again? Lady Dulranear. Lord Lophus. Lord Luphiel. What if all of you descended here again? Your chosen ones are here! If opening a portal from the Spirit Realm is too difficult—then come to the surface and open one yourselves!”
She raised her finger and pointed at the Labyrinth.
“The demons of Hell are already doing it. They’ve descended to the surface, fully aware their divinity might burn out. Shouldn’t the All-Gods Church show the same commitment?”
In response to her words—
The divine stigmata glowing on the back of her hand flickered out.
Kanya clenched her fist.
“...They’ve gone silent.”
Iomene gave a bitter smile.
“They must be unable to leave the Celestial Realm. The Evil Gods and Hell’s forces are still too powerful—abandoning their post would be reckless.”
“If the Saint is broken… there won’t be a next time. You know that, Lady Velia. Please… just this once…”
Kanya bowed her head and murmured.
Silence followed.
A frontal assault was near impossible.
Opening a portal was near impossible.
Casting magic was impossible from the start.
There seemed to be no hope.
Unless the gods of the All-Gods Church all descended at once—something completely insane—
There was no breakthrough in sight.
Almene had just rushed out with the announcement when—
A radiant beam of light shot straight down from the heavens.
Everyone in Arad who had gathered to watch saw it.
“Your Majesty! Gods above!!”
A red column of light.
The very divine power that symbolized the War Order—
Came crashing down onto Kanya’s body.
Kanya stared at her hands in shock.
“...Lady Velia?”
Divine laughter echoed from within her body.
[To think I’d ascend in front of everyone and end up descending again. I won’t be here long, Kanya. There’s a brutal fight raging in the Spirit Realm too. But just until we save the Saint—I’ll lend you my strength.]
Before Kanya could even smile—
Another beam of light descended onto Iomene.
“A… a divine descent!!”
The Ketra’tus and Al Madayi standing behind Iomene stared, jaws agape.
Blinding white divine power swirled around Iomene’s body—then vanished.
When she lifted her head again—
[It’s been a while since I descended like this, my children. I’ve returned. Bring me those mana stones or whatever. No need for half a day—I’ll charge them now.]
A voice mingled with divine speech and human tone flowed from Iomene’s mouth.
[Only the two of us descended—our divinity has Chosen on this battlefield. But this should be enough.]
Kanya and Iomene raised their hands at once.
Divine power surged.
Their faces twisted under the strain.
But the pain was nothing compared to the exhilaration they felt.
A portal—
A direct portal to the Grand Labyrinth—was opening.
[What are you standing around for?! Grab the best of the best!! Bring the mana stones!! We don’t have time—move!!]
Dulranear shouted through Iomene’s lips.
[There’s no time! Hurry!!]
Velia screamed at the battle nuns.
“Mana stones! Bring every last one!!”
The Empire’s soldiers and the followers of the other Orders who had not been granted descent burst into joyful laughter and rushed to gather the mana stones.
It was the complete opposite of moments before.
Cries of joy echoed from all around.
And within just a minute—
The fully armed battle nuns and the Ketra’tus crossed through the portal, mana stones in hand.
****
The battle between Lucifer and Valram was brutal.
The Saint?
Asmodeus?
At this point, none of that mattered.
What they both shared more than anything—
Was arrogance.
Lucifer’s pride couldn’t allow the fact that he had been undone by his own creation.
And Valram was driven by the arrogance that he couldn’t give up this absolute power he had finally seized.
Their fight was desperate, yes—but it wasn’t spectacular.
For a duel between the strongest black mage in history and a monster forged from the divine fragment of the Demon Lord of Arrogance himself…
They were hurling spells so weak, it was pathetic.
So weak—
That the Saint and Kardak, standing within close range, remained completely unharmed.
And it made sense.
[Your body must’ve reached its limit. Just surrender Asmodeus.]
Lucifer panted as he spoke.
This flesh—it was far too weak to contain his vast divinity.
Had his dragon horns and dragon heart remained intact, maybe he could’ve managed.
But back during the battle beneath the Grand Labyrinth, two of his horns and one heart had already been destroyed.
If he pushed any further, the overloaded dragon heart would rupture immediately.
And if that happened—Lucifer’s divinity would vanish.
“You, Father—can you even handle Asmodeus’s divinity with that broken body of yours?”
Valram sneered.
His skin was already splitting apart.
If he channeled even a bit more power—
He’d burst like a balloon.
But still, he pretended to hold on.
His pride wouldn’t let him collapse.
That bastard Saint, standing there inside Kardak’s mental world, frozen like a fool, staring off into nothing—
Meeting him in person, Valram realized just how insignificant he was.
Mental state: broken.
Body: ordinary.
Even his behavior—idiotic, repetitive, slow-witted.
If he had any defining trait, it was that he was stupidly, pointlessly kind.
But Valram—
Valram was the incarnation of magic, having lived over a hundred years. A being blessed with a divine fragment of Lucifer himself. Crafted. Designed.
More special than anyone.
And yet his body and soul were failing to do what that idiotic Saint had already done?
That was something he could not accept.
And so their arrogance—
Led them both toward ruin.
“You’re no longer even my equal—guuh…”
Valram dropped to his knees.
His limit had arrived.
No matter how much pride and arrogance had carried him here—
The divine backlash had finally reached a point where even he couldn’t endure it.
Lucifer also stopped attacking.
If he summoned even a bit more authority—
His body would collapse as well.
Lucifer needed to find humans—bodies—that could be enhanced to bear his divine power.
And Valram…
‘Just give Asmodeus back to the Saint. I’m not the vessel for this divinity.’
Facing death, he had no choice but to abandon his arrogance—at least outwardly.
Of course—
‘Once I return Asmodeus’s divinity, I’ll torment the Saint’s mind until it’s mine. I still have Kardak. If I can just add a bit more power… I might succeed where Belphegor, Satan, and Leviathan all failed.’
He hadn’t given up his arrogance completely.
Lucifer and Valram exchanged a glance.
[I’ll look for suitable humans to reinforce this body.]
“I will return the divinity to the Saint. Seems he’s inside Kardak’s psychic space. I’ll make his mind mine from within.”
[Then we’re in truce.]
“I agree.”
Lucifer turned and began searching for the fleeing women and children.
Valram reached for the chains that bound Asmodeus.
“Return to your previous master, Asmodeus!”
He couldn’t hold out any longer.
Just containing the power was excruciating.
And yet the Saint had used that power to open a portal from the seventh floor of the Labyrinth to the surface.
How?
“I acknowledge you, Amayel. You are special. But that’s all.”
The chains vanished from Valram’s hand.
To surrender Asmodeus’s authority—something he’d fought so hard to obtain—
It was a move that made his pride bleed.
But he had to survive.
“Kardak. Shatter Amayel’s mind and—”
The moment the divine power returned to the Saint—
The boiling divine backlash that had been moments from bursting his body—vanished.
Valram let out a breath of relief, and was about to give his order to Kardak—
When, in the distance—
An overwhelming surge of holy power exploded in the center of the village.
Valram’s gaze snapped in that direction.
“No. No. No, you dumb motherfuckers! NO!!”
He screamed.
His body was in shambles.
He could barely stand from the divine backlash, and his mental strength had been nearly exhausted.
His soul was just as tattered.
Of all times—
Of all fucking times—
This was the worst.
“Kardak!! Break the psychic link and get back to me! We have to run!!”
A portal was opening.
And from inside it—
[Amayel!!]
Kanya and Iomene.
Followed by the battle nuns and the Ketra’tus.
From Valram’s perspective—
There could not have been a worse fucking time for them to show up.