I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-393

**393. The Labyrinth of Tremors**

—

The Labyrinth City.

After the struggle for the **Abyssal Labyrinth** ended, it was declared the city of **Fifth-Pillar**, yet it was an area designated as a **forbidden zone** by countless guilds and alliances.

That was only natural.

The White King himself had proclaimed it Fifth-Pillar’s city.

If one were to clash with it by chance, they would have to face the entirety of the northern monsters.

Even so, for a place like that, it had surprisingly frequent exchanges with humans.

Because the one who operated the city was human.

**The Grand Merchant Hudson!**

There were many rumors about him, but aside from records of him running an auction house in the **Golden City Arcana**, everything about him was shrouded in mystery.

* The only human who trades with the North.
* A “monster merchant” who oversees northern trade.
* Even the Three Great Merchant Guilds must take a number and wait to meet Hudson.

In Pangaenia, Hudson was already accepted as a **Grand Merchant**.

After all, he had achieved feats even the Three Great Guilds could not.

Handling rare northern resources and commanding monsters—his abilities were nothing short of astonishing.

Many asked him for his secret, but he always answered the same way:

*“I was just lucky.”*

No one knew how he had become the de facto administrator of the Labyrinth City.

And while there was “exchange” between the Labyrinth and humans, no outsider truly knew the **Labyrinth** itself.

* Never open the Labyrinth’s gates.
* That place is hell. The moment the gates open, hell will unfold.
* Do not be fooled by the peaceful sight of the Labyrinth City seen through warp.

There were two main ways to enter the Labyrinth City.

One was via warp, which led to the villages formed within the Labyrinth.

The other was to open the Labyrinth’s gates and enter head-on.

The former method allowed anyone who met the qualifications to pass safely.

The problem was the latter—**forced entry**.

Another reason the Labyrinth City was designated as forbidden.

…The moment the gates opened and one entered, the true **Labyrinth** began.

One would understand, painfully so, why it was called the *Labyrinth City*.

Because Hudson had kept all information about the Labyrinth strictly confidential.

No one knew the paths toward the Labyrinth’s center, nor the monsters stationed along the way.

* At the end of the Labyrinth lies a mountain of treasure.
* So many treasures lie buried in the Labyrinth City that even dragons would be tempted!
* I saw them for sure—Golden Goblins and even a Golden Goblin Lord!

But adventurers were not the sort to give up just because they were blocked.

On the contrary, countless adventurers grew curious, challenged it—and were crushed.

As time passed, the rumors swelled, truth and exaggeration mixing together, until the place became a must-challenge location for anyone dreaming of a sudden fortune.

Yet not a single person had ever reached the end of the Labyrinth.

And still, no one could give up.

The reason was the existence of **Golden Goblins**.

Their numbers were incomparable to any other city.

Some even claimed to have seen a **Golden Goblin Lord**.

Which meant—

An overwhelming amount of treasure, beyond comparison with any other city, lay buried there.

Any adventurer whose heart did not race at that thought was no adventurer at all.

Even now, the Labyrinth remained in an **unconquered** state.

Was it because the paths were too complex?

Or because large-scale exploration was impossible due to relations with the White King?

No.

Neither.

The ultimate reason the Labyrinth City was deemed **impossible to clear** was—

*

*

The moment the gates opened,

the Thunder Lion and the Executioners had no choice but to doubt their own eyes.

Boom!

Rumble!

Colossal monsters.

Creatures so enormous that the earth shook with every step greeted them.

…Dragon-like forms with **nine heads**—**Hydragons**!

“…These aren’t ordinary Hydragons.”

“They’re mutant individuals with multiple attributes.”

“Hmm. Not lab-created Hydragons.”

“Wild… natural Hydragons gathered in one place?”

“Did mutant individuals breed with each other?”

“…This is absurd.”

The Executioners immediately assessed the Hydragons’ state.

Yet even then, they could scarcely believe their own conclusions.

Taming wild Hydragons was extremely difficult.

Breeding wild Hydragons together was outright impossible.

Wild Hydragons were notoriously aggressive.

And among them, mutant or evolved individuals being selectively born?

How was such a thing even possible?

“Hydragon Lord…”

…If there was a Lord, then it was possible.

At least, the Hydragons wouldn’t turn on each other.

But a **Hydragon Lord** had never been discovered before.

Yet one presumed to be such a being was here.

Far away.

At the edge of the Executioners’ vision.

A Hydragon at least twice the size of the others was watching them.

“…It seems to be aware of us.”

“There’s no hostility.”

This was Phantom’s sanctuary.

Unnecessary battles were to be avoided.

The Executioners moved on to the next area.

*To think there’s this much pressure right at the entrance…*

The Thunder Lion couldn’t help but admire it inwardly.

Even formidable powerhouses would hesitate to cross the entrance.

Unless they intended to flee into the next zone at the cost of sacrifices.

To face a Hydragon Lord and mutant Hydragons, one would need to be at least **Level 11**.

However, the moment they reached the next zone, the Thunder Lion reconsidered.

Caw—!

Caaaw!

“Corpse Crows?”

“Not just Corpse Crows. They’re entirely different monsters.”

“Bad Omen…”

“Don’t meet their eyes!”

They resembled Corpse Crows,

but were on an entirely different level.

They were **Omens**.

Creatures completed after countless evolutions of Corpse Crows.

The moment their eyes met, the eyes of misfortune were branded onto the Executioners’ bodies.

A storm of curses descended.

*This level of curse just from eye contact?!*

Fortunately, once again, they were not hostile.

These curses triggered automatically upon eye contact.

When they lowered their gazes, all the curses vanished cleanly.

…It was astonishing.

All the Executioners were Transcenders.

And as Phantom’s avatars, each of them was highly refined.

If mere eye contact did this much, then if those Bad Omens unleashed their curses in full—

*Even we wouldn’t escape easily.*

Cold sweat broke out.

They were monsters none of them had ever seen before.

Had they not been Transcenders, they would not have endured it.

*What in the world is this Labyrinth…*

First the Hydragons, and now these—nonstandard monsters appearing one after another.

They had no idea what would appear in the next zone.

They advanced slowly, eyes fixed on the ground.

And when they arrived at the next area—

“……”

“……”

Once again, they were rendered speechless.

No—
they couldn’t speak.

They couldn’t make a single sound.

**Undead.**

The dead had risen and revealed themselves before them.

Not ordinary zombies or ghouls.

—**Liches.**

Among the undead, those hailed as supreme.

Raid boss monsters that wield black magic and summon Death Knights.

There were at least **seven** of them.

A single Lich required four Transcenders working together to defeat.

But these, too, were not ordinary Liches.

*Arc… Liches…!*

Arcliches.

On a completely different tier from ordinary Liches.

And what was even more shocking—

Those seven Arcliches were guarding something.

*A Silent Cradle.*

It looked like a cocoon, but it was a cradle.

Seven Arcliches were guarding the master of that cradle.

Now it was clear.

Why no adventurer had ever seen the end of the Labyrinth.

Why it was deemed impossible for all.

【Cradle’s Master, Ancient Species Andasar】
【Lv. 14~?】

…The name appeared before the Executioners’ eyes.

The cradle’s master made no effort to hide itself.

Rather, arrogantly, it looked down on them from within the cradle.

As if telling them to leave if they valued their lives.

As if ordering them to disappear from its territory at once.

*…This still isn’t the end of the Labyrinth.*

Dizziness washed over them.

Among all the dungeons in Pangaenia, none compared to this scale.

Yet what sent chills down their spines was that **Andasar was not the end**.

They abandoned any attempt to imagine what lay beyond.

This was far too powerful to be dismissed as a mere dungeon.

This place was less a dungeon and more—

*Something that deserves to be called an abyss.*

Another abyss.

They moved on.

They abandoned even the thought of fighting the cradle’s master.

And once again, they exited another zone.

“Is this…?”

“Is it over?”

A completely different world revealed itself.

A brilliant light and a vast palace.

And at its center, burning—

【The First Flame】

A blaze so intense it threatened to blind them.

They stared at it in awe.

Instinctively, they knew.

This was the end of the Labyrinth.

Step.

Step.

At the same time, footsteps echoed.

Sensing someone approaching, the Executioners turned their heads.

“Welcome, everyone.”

“…Hudson.”

The Thunder Lion spoke.

He had seen Hudson before.

At a **special-grade auction** held in the Empire.

Back then, the Thunder Lion had been in a position to “disinfect” him.

Now, the positions were completely reversed.

“How was your journey through the Labyrinth?”

“It was horrifying.”

Not a single monster they encountered could be called anything but horrifying.

Had battle broken out, at least half of them would have died.

Hudson put on a regretful expression.

“Ah… I guided you along the safest and fastest route possible. I suppose it was still uncomfortable.”

“…That was the safest and fastest route?”

That was insane.

Fast, perhaps—but safe?

Nothing but monsters far removed from anything resembling safety.

Hudson nodded cheerfully.

“Yes. If you had taken any other route, not a single one of you would have arrived.”

“……”

An answer filled with certainty.

It was absurd.

They were Executioners.

Absolute powerhouses made up of Transcenders.

And yet he spoke with such ease.

Still, they couldn’t bring themselves to deny it outright.

“The truth is, those were the only areas still under control, you see. Haha.”

“…What’s in the areas that aren’t controlled?”

“Hmm. Nothing but terrifying monsters driven purely by instinct to attack.”

“I’m curious.”

“It’s better not to be. And you definitely shouldn’t think about going there.”

Hudson smiled kindly.

But the Thunder Lion could glimpse the true meaning hidden beneath.

…Knowing would be useless anyway.

*Even the Empire would struggle to seize this place.*

This was the ultimate fortress.

The strongest defensive city in existence.

Even if the Empire attacked directly, conquering it would not be easy.

“In any case, we’ve been waiting for you. Phantom’s avatars—survivors who regained their memories and lived.”

Hudson bowed once more.

And behind him, other **avatars** appeared.

Isabella.

Isaac.

Balte.

The moment he saw them, he knew.

They were the same as himself.

And each possessed overwhelming power.

—*But be careful. Some among them are stronger and more stubborn than you. Especially those ‘three’… take special care.*

The Thunder Lion recalled the words of the man with the fishing rod.

The three to be cautious of.

“Are you the three?”

Isaac tilted his head.

“…What do you mean?”

“No… never mind. It doesn’t seem to be you.”

He quickly dismissed the thought.

They weren’t it.

The man had meant **three who were not yet gathered**.

Those elsewhere.

Beings even more monstrous than those gathered here.

Even so, it didn’t seem like they could completely break through this Labyrinth.

Having sorted his thoughts, the Thunder Lion asked:

“Where is Lord Phantom?”

At the same time, Isabella answered.

“He is here.”

“…?”