Chapter 65

Chapter 65
## Chapter: 65

### Chapter Title: Shatiros’ Fear and the Abyss Labyrinth

—

The Impure Spear of Lynch possessed impressive range and could be hurled, but it was strictly a one-use weapon.

Both the Starwalker and the Staff of Original Sin were pieces of equipment tailored for spellcasters.

That left me with only a single viable choice.

《You have chosen ‘Shatiros’ Fear’.》

**【Shatiros’ Fear (Mythic)】**

* The preferred longbow of Shatiros, the physical manifestation of dread.
* Any arrows notched upon this bowstring are imbued with the ‘Fear (Lv. 10)’ status effect.
* Foes struck by ‘Fear (Lv. 10)’ are blinded and suffer a random 10-point reduction to one of their statistics. Until the duration of the fear expires, the victim is unable to identify which specific stat has been diminished.
* **Agility +5**
* **Equip Requirements:** Archery Proficiency Lv. 8, Strength 80

The description was brief, yet the power was undeniable.

It forced a state of terror upon anyone it struck.

This wasn’t a common psychological tremor, either—it was a high-tier affliction that included total blindness and a structural weakening of the target’s attributes.

Debuffs of this caliber were incredibly scarce.

In terms of sheer effectiveness, it was on par with the signature curses used by high-level shamans.

Furthermore, the psychological pressure of not knowing which part of your strength had been sapped until the effect wore off made it even more lethal.

It was the very essence of terror, living up to its title.

‘I have to grind my Archery Proficiency.’

The bottleneck was the usage requirement.

Archery Proficiency.

Even when I accounted for my bonuses from Weapon Master and Dexterity, I was only sitting at Lv. 6. I was trailing by two whole levels.

Of course, this didn’t cause me any real stress.

Given my hidden ‘Dexterity’ trait, reaching Lv. 8 would be a simple task.

‘The compensation granted by the constellation of the Radiant Hero.’

This was finally the ultimate prize.

The Radiant Hero’s constellation. This was the steep price the entity had paid for the removal of ‘Will’ and ‘Dungeon’!

I had been looking forward to this moment with the same intensity as one waits for the loot distribution after a primary quest completion.

“……Are you in there?”

*Knock, knock.*

A sudden rapping at the door interrupted my thoughts. There were people standing in the hallway.

It wasn’t just a lone visitor—there were several.

“Enter.”

With my signal, the door swung open to reveal a trio.

Isaac, Isabella, and Serengeti.

“What brings the three of you here together?”

“Well, the thing is……”

Their faces were slightly red.

They wore looks of desperate ambition and raw longing.

Serengeti was the one who finally found her voice.

“We humbly ask you to accept us as your students.”

“……?”

I paused. What was happening?

Students? Had I misheard their request?

“Serengeti. Don’t you have very little time remaining?”

There were only roughly five hours left before the Demon King’s curse would claw its way back.

This was time that should have been spent with Marquis Wyzer and Hudson.

And yet, here they were, out of the blue, asking for an apprenticeship?

“During the struggle against ‘Will’, I came to a realization when the successor seized our forms. I saw clearly how inadequate we truly are.”

“Please, provide us with direction.”

“……We implore you.”

In the world of Pangeniar, the hunger for greater power was a universal trait.

Beyond that, witnessing someone else pilot their own bodies with far greater efficiency than they ever could? That must have been a traumatic wake-up call.

Regardless, it was a sudden turn of events.

I hadn’t given a single thought to mentoring anyone.

《Linked Quest (1): Foster Disciples has been issued.》

《Provide instruction to cultivate students.》

《Your Honor and interpersonal bonds will increase relative to the quality of your teaching.》

《Following this, the ‘master’s’ reputation may grow alongside the ‘disciple’s’ feats.》

《In contrast, you may suffer from the ‘disciple’s’ notoriety, so choose your students with caution.》

《Connected to Linked Quest (2): Faction Development.》

‘It’s an Honor-based quest.’

A straightforward quest for reputation.

A rare, multi-stage honor quest at that.

The timing was actually quite convenient, as I needed a way to farm honor to feed Hel.

After a moment of contemplation, I glanced down at the bow I held.

‘Shatiros’ Fear.’

I needed to level up my Archery Proficiency to utilize it.

And right in front of me stood three willing targets offering to assist.

《Quest accepted.》

I had no reason to turn them down.

I could gain Honor and Archery Proficiency simultaneously. It was a perfect setup.

I wasn’t about to pass up such a lucrative opportunity.

‘Why is he smirking like that?’

‘I—I just felt a sudden shiver!’

‘……!’

The three of them shuddered simultaneously.

They had no clue they had just walked into the jaws of a grueling training hell.

《Ding!》

《A new world announcement has been posted.》

《240 hours remains until the ‘Abyss Labyrinth’ linking Earth and Pangeniar manifests.》

《Entry into the ‘Abyss Labyrinth’ necessitates a ‘Fragment of the Broken Golden Rule’, which is consumed in proportion to time spent inside.》

《Consult the updated bulletin for further ‘Abyss Labyrinth’ specifications.》

Outside the expansive stone walls of the lord’s fortress, Randolph met with the three applicants.

“Starting now, you will take turns. Each of you must evade ten of my arrows, one at a time.”

The command was basic.

Was this some sort of entry exam?

The trio stared at Randolph’s bow with focused intensity.

“Serengeti. You are up first.”

At the call, Serengeti moved to the front.

*Whoosh—*

The exercise commenced without delay.

He was using a standard practice bow and blunt training arrows.

Initially, avoiding them wasn’t a challenge.

The arrows were traveling at predictable trajectories. She felt she could evade them with her eyes shut.

‘He’s taking it easy on me.’

Serengeti felt a smug confidence rise within her.

Inside Will’s secret vault, she had been ecstatic to let Randolph use her physical form.

She was a transcendent being who had consumed the stars. A warrior who had pushed herself to the brink, sacrificing sleep to perfect her martial skills.

Yet, she couldn’t deny her awe at Randolph’s mastery.

His flow of movement and ability to chain attacks was flawless. He used her skills and positioning with such perfection that it made her wonder if it was truly her own body he was using.

‘I was nothing but a big fish in a small pond.’

She had been arrogant, blind to the ceiling above her.

Wilhelm.

She must have looked pathetic to the eyes of the Sword King.

That specific realization had haunted her since they reached the city.

Her time with Hudson was precious, naturally, but……

-Hudson. I can’t take this anymore.

-W-What? What’s wrong?

-If I keep going like this, I’m going to……

-Serengeti!

-I’m going to burst!

-Th-Then don’t hold it in.

-Are you sure? Do you mean it?

-It’s a bit sudden, but I’m prepared. Finally, we will be as one……

-Thank you. I’ll be right back!

-……Wait, what?

Driven by a restless urge, Serengeti had gone to knock on the door.

However, it seemed the other two were plagued by the same thoughts.

Meeting there together had naturally sparked a sense of competition.

Serengeti steeled her resolve.

‘He’s good with a bow, but I can handle this!’

She had been confused at first.

Why practice shooting all of a sudden?

She had assumed his expertise was limited to the blade, but he seemed competent with a bow as well.

Compared to his god-tier swordsmanship, though, this felt like mid-level proficiency at best.

‘Six, seven!’

Serengeti evaded the projectiles using her heightened perception and swift reflexes.

Ten arrows each, in a cycle, as Randolph had commanded.

She planned to dodge every single one to demonstrate her capability.

‘Ten!’

She gripped her fist tight.

She had successfully avoided all ten.

“Next.”

The rotation continued without a break.

Serengeti shot a triumphant look toward Isabella and Isaac.

A look that said: *How about that? Think you can keep up?*

But Isabella and Isaac also dodged their ten arrows with ease, offering a casual shrug in return.

“Next.”

……It wasn’t finished?

It wasn’t just a single set; it was a continuous loop.

Serengeti found herself back against the outer wall once more.

*Whoosh—!*

*Thuck!*

An arrow buried itself deep into the masonry behind her.

Beads of cold sweat began to form.

That had been far too close. She had barely managed to move in time.

‘They’re getting more precise……?’

His accuracy had spiked suddenly.

Or perhaps he had been masking his true skill from the start.

This went on for three grueling hours.

The trio cycled through the rotation without rest, braving the constant rain of Randolph’s arrows.

“Now, let’s get serious.”

Randolph finally switched his weapon.

He pulled out a black longbow that radiated a sinister, chilling energy.

It was clearly far more powerful than the wooden training tool.

A direct hit from that thing would likely result in an instant kill.

“We will begin again after each of you has sustained one hit.”

They had to take a hit first?

The three looked at him with confusion, but their questions were answered immediately.

*Thwip—*

A short-range shot delivered with minimal force struck them.

What was the point of a low-impact shot?

[Hiss……!]

“……!”

Their world turned pitch black in an instant.

They were totally blind.

Their bodies felt inexplicably heavy and slow.

……This couldn’t be happening.

“Now, dodge the arrows in that condition.”

Only then did the three realize they had stepped into a nightmare.

[Archery Proficiency has increased to Lv. 7.]

[Archery Proficiency has increased to Lv. 8.]

[You have met the equipment requirements for ‘Shatiros’ Fear’.]

[Archery Proficiency has increased to Lv. 9.]

After twelve hours of relentless archery practice, my proficiency had climbed to Lv. 9.

The weapon swap had occurred the exact moment I hit Lv. 8.

At this pace, I would reach Lv. 10 in a matter of days.

“That will be all for today.”

“Hahk! Hahk! Hahk! *Cough* heuk!”

“Hah! Hah!”

Isaac and Isabella collapsed onto the dirt, limbs splayed wide.

They were covered in bruises and marks.

They had been pushed to their absolute limits under impossible circumstances.

Meanwhile, Serengeti’s curse had kicked back in, forcing her to return to the interior of the castle. She had fought through the training until the very last second—her dedication was truly something to behold.

《Your disciples’ general statistics have improved.》

《Honor +30.》

My hard work was paying off.

Gaining thirty honor in a single day was significant.

That was the equivalent of completing two major honor-related tasks.

For me, it was just a way to grind my skills, not actual tutoring. I had managed to kill two birds with one stone.

Returning to the fortress, I took a quick bath and headed to my quarters.

‘Something triggered while I was training.’

While drying off, I thought back.

I had been so concentrated on the bow that I hadn’t paid much attention to the system logs.

But I remembered a specific notification sound.

Soon, a faint ‘Announcement’ window manifested in the air.

‘A world announcement?’

I hadn’t seen one of these since I officially became a player.

Even during my time as a dedicated gamer, it had been nearly a year since the last one.

I opened the details and watched the text scroll by.

《Announcement – ‘Abyss Labyrinth’ Update.》

* 234 hours and 11 minutes until the ‘Abyss Labyrinth’ connecting Pangeniar and Earth appears.
* Entry to the ‘Abyss Labyrinth’ requires a ‘Fragment of the Broken Golden Rule’. These fragments are consumed based on the duration of stay.
* If your ‘Fragments of the Broken Golden Rule’ are depleted, you will be forcibly ejected.
* Re-entering will place you back at your initial point of entry.
* The ‘Abyss Labyrinth’ provides a variety of rewards through challenges and competitive play.
* There is a low probability of encountering the ‘Labyrinth Merchant’. This merchant sells restricted, unique items; their location is broadcasted to all participants if they appear.
* Defeat the ‘Labyrinth Ruler – Sword Saint Riley’ at the conclusion of the dungeon to clear it; the ‘Abyss Labyrinth’ will then dissolve.

I stared at the screen, disbelieving.

A new update for a labyrinth.

The mechanics were one thing, but…

‘Sword Saint Riley?’

The name of the ruler caused me to frown immediately.

Sword Saint Riley.

It was a legendary name that appeared frequently in the historical lore of Pangeniar.

He was referred to as the first true master of the blade, a man of countless legendary deeds who had eventually been consumed by the void.

He was hailed as the strongest warrior the continent had ever seen; even the White King was said to be cautious of him. He was an ancient champion and the very pillar upon which the Arkhan Empire was built.

Why was a figure like that appearing as a boss in the ‘Abyss Labyrinth’?

‘One only needs a Fragment of the Broken Golden Rule to go in. It isn’t restricted to players.’

The rules didn’t mention players specifically.

The only condition for entry was possessing the required fragment.

This meant that even the monstrous entities from Kramdel could potentially go inside.

‘There’s no way the Empire is……?’

I truly hoped my suspicions were wrong.