Chapter 77

Chapter 77
## Chapter 77: The Monarch of the Sands

“I am being hunted.”

“You? For what reason?”

“Because I am the Snake Princess.”

“The daughter of the Queen? But your lineage—isn’t it entirely different?”

“…There is no time for this.”

Isabella spoke firmly, her expression hardening as she reached a conclusion.

“We must part ways here. I will stay behind to buy you a window of escape.”

“Stop talking nonsense. You cannot possibly withstand those creatures on your own!”

It would be a death sentence. Isaac envisioned the Desert Queen, who was relentlessly tracking them from the rear.

…That entity was undoubtedly not a human being.

It was something that had moved beyond humanity—perhaps even beyond the classification of a monster.

Its physical form was nothing short of nightmare fuel.

He felt the urge to flee, but the Saintess remained a complication.

If they left Saintess Se-ah behind, that aberration would surely tear her apart in a gruesome fashion.

Furthermore, he had no confirmation of Randolph’s status.

They had to verify if Randolph, who had disappeared during that abrupt golden teleportation, was still among the living.

If they chose to retreat now, a return would be impossible. They lacked the necessary fragments of the Golden Rule for a second attempt. He couldn’t simply desert him and run.

“You are injured.”

Isabella cast a look toward Isaac’s midsection.

During the Queen’s sudden offensive, Isaac had been impaled through the waist.

While his internal organs and skeletal structure remained intact, the blood loss was persistent.

Still, the chaos of the moment provided no luxury for medical aid.

“Snake Princess! Where do you think you’re going in such a frantic state?”

“Hoh. The genuine Snake Princess. The runaway of Paysalmer!”

…The Barbarians.

They emerged from the shadows, obstructing the path forward.

Each one focused on the Snake Princess, their intent to kill radiating from them.

Isaac was stunned.

‘She was an outcast even within her own territory?’

With the Queen herself leading the hunt, what sort of transgression had she committed?

It felt like something far more significant than simple larceny.

Regardless, it appeared Isabella had endured a life of constant upheaval.

Much like his own.

He felt a fleeting spark of camaraderie, though they were currently trapped between two deadly forces.

“You hairless, depraved lunatics. Come on! We finish this here and now! Attack, you bastards!”

Isaac placed the unconscious Saintess on the ground and unsheathed his blade.

Isabella took a defensive stance facing the other direction.

And then.

—My darling child. You belong to me for all time.

…The Desert Queen stepped into the light.

When he had last encountered her, she maintained a human silhouette, but she had now transformed into something that defied that description.

Her flesh had ruptured, spreading out like a pair of wings.

Her visage was split down the center, exposing a multitude of jagged needles.

Could such a thing even be considered a person?

She was a horror that had consumed a countless number of youths. A demon driven by a thirst for blood.

Every girl designated as a princess had met their end at the Queen’s hands.

That was the secret behind the Queen’s everlasting dominion over the city.

And Isabella herself was destined to be consumed by the Queen eventually.

—Does fear grip you? Approach me, Isabella. Were you not always my most compliant child?

If she followed orders, her existence was permitted to continue.

If she proved her utility, her life was extended slightly.

She had worn her facade perfectly, acting as nothing more than a mindless puppet.

She traveled where directed and ended lives when commanded.

However, after crossing paths with the Star Awakener, Isabella began to fantasize about freedom once more.

She allowed herself to imagine breaking the chains of the suffocating Queen.

She had disregarded her instructions, yet she felt no remorse.

Even if she met with disaster, she was prepared to face the consequences of her volition.

In that sense, she had certainly triumphed.

She had finally broken away.

…So why was her frame still racked with tremors?

—This maze is quite entertaining. It stirs old memories. I must claim this territory. To do so, I require your presence, Isabella. My precious child.

“Why… me?”

—Your enigma. The mystery of that serpent carries hidden properties. And you, Isabella, harbor a truly unique gift. You are far superior to my other eternal offspring.

Isabella’s limbs shook violently.

Ultimately, it meant she was to be devoured.

The Queen never had any intention of releasing her.

Not for eternity. For as long as Isabella drew breath, the hunt would continue.

That creature, the Barbarians, and the entirety of the wasteland.

She detested it with every fiber of her being, but there was no exit.

“Then… let these two depart. I will go with you without a struggle.”

—Naturally. I have no use for anyone but you. With you in my grasp, I can seize control of this labyrinth. I can even eliminate those irritating Four Kings.

…The Four Kings?

Were the Four Kings present within the labyrinth?

Was her current state a result of an encounter with them?

The Desert Queen never discarded her human mask, regardless of the peril. The fact that she had done so suggested she had faced a foe of overwhelming power.

If she had clashed with the Four Kings and ended up in this condition…

…The Desert Queen might not be at her full strength.

—Come. My precious child.

She unfurled her wing-like flesh even wider.

It was a grotesque, alien sight.

Isabella’s body convulsed; her legs felt like lead.

She had witnessed the Queen devouring children from a distance on several occasions.

The memory was paralyzing. Terrifying.

But to ensure the survival of Isaac and the Saintess, this was the solitary path.

Just as Isabella prepared to take a shaky step forward.

“There is a massive manta ray wandering this labyrinth.”

“…Ah.”

A recognizable voice cut through the air.

A manta ray, of all things.

From the back, the Desert Queen did share a passing resemblance, though only if her innards were bursting out!

Had her ears deceived her? But moments later, he emerged behind the Desert Queen.

“A talking manta ray—stop this nonsense and move aside. How long do you intend to obstruct the way?”

A wave of lightheadedness washed over her.

Isaac’s eyes were wide with total shock.

…………Randolph.

He stood atop the head of a gargantuan golden goblin, wearing his trademark smirk of mockery.

He looked absolutely radiant.

‘Why didn’t he make his escape?’

Upon activating the tracking tool, the locations of Isaac and Isabella had been revealed.

They weren’t far.

Yet it was peculiar.

Had he escaped the trap, the logical move would have been to flee without looking back.

The indicator on the tracking tool had been in constant motion.

However, Greed possessed an intimate knowledge of the labyrinth’s design, making the journey trivial.

He had identified the most efficient route and closed the distance in a heart-beat, nodding as he viewed the massive manta ray.

‘Barbarians. That must be the Desert Queen.’

If it was the entity the Barbarians worshipped, it had to be her.

She had locked onto Isabella and was pursuing the pair with everything she had.

‘The Demon Blood Clan…’

A creature that masqueraded as human only to split its skin into wing-like appendages.

That being, looking like a manta ray, was definitely a member of the ‘Demon Blood Clan,’ a rare lineage of vampires.

The Demon Blood Clan grew in power by feasting on those with unique bloodlines. They were notorious for the vile habit of depositing eggs within the empty shells of their victims.

**[Lv. 12]**

Confirming his suspicions, its level was 12.

The text glowed red. A Super Elite Raid Boss!

Greed’s skin shifted slightly at the prospect of such significant prey. It was a confrontation between the ruler of the sands and the ruler of the lightless depths.

He was curious to see the outcome, but losing was out of the question.

I spoke as nonchalantly as I could manage.

“Stop this and get out of the way. How long do you plan to be a roadblock?”

—…Did you truly just address me as that? A manta ray?

Manta ray. It was a term the Demon Blood Clan despised above all others. It was as if their noble lineage was being compared to a mindless sea animal.

The Desert Queen spun around to glare at me, her appearance completely hideous. Very few creatures had ever sent a shiver down my spine just by being visible.

“I misspoke. Please excuse me.”

A careless error.

With a quiet chuckle, I added:

“I should have referred to you as a talking, miraculous manta ray.”

—You presume to act bold simply because you sit upon that petty golden goblin, boy.

The Desert Queen’s frame shuddered for a moment.

Becoming so incensed over a single noun—she was remarkably human in that regard.

Right then.

“Run… get away, it isn’t safe.”

Isabella finally found her voice. Her entire body was still shaking like a leaf in the wind.

Fear consumed her.

She was terrified to her core.

Of the Desert Queen.

Of that nightmare.

She surely understood that the Demon Blood Clan intended to consume her.

And yet, she was telling me to flee.

Her limbs trembled, but her gaze remained fixed and certain.

She was prepared to offer herself up to ensure the safety of the others.

—Ah, I see. Are you the individual who ran off with my precious child?

The Desert Queen, piecing together my identity, let out a raspy laugh.

—The Star Awakener? Hoh! Did you enjoy deceiving a naive girl? But I have never encountered a Star Awakener of your kind. A Star Awakener lacking even the ‘Stigma of the Star’? Such a thing is impossible!

Stigma of the Star?

That was news to me.

I knew some Star Awakeners had markings, but this seemed to be something else.

It was likely a characteristic of Star Awakeners known only to an ancient being like the Desert Queen.

—You must have enchanted the simple girl with claims of hearing the celestial voices. I am intrigued by how you shattered the hex, but I cannot permit you to keep breathing.

Whoosh!

Abruptly, an aura like a purple void began to pulse around the Desert Queen’s form.

It was a mystery woven from highly concentrated mana.

Promptly, Greed began to emit a golden mystery of his own.

For creatures of this sort, mysteries functioned like a lion’s mane or a bull’s horns.

They made the monsters larger and far more lethal.

Unlike the abilities of humans, their powers were devastating.

They could take control of a battlefield, strike down enemies, and even bring about instant expiration.

This was likely the Desert Queen’s primary mystery.

But I couldn’t be certain.

I couldn’t afford to be.

Given her nature as a Demon Blood Clan, she undoubtedly had other tricks.

—Now, who desires the first death? I shall personally extract your entrails for your viewing pleasure. Observing your own heart as it continues to pulse will be quite the novel experience.

“That is a magnificent mystery. Is it your most powerful one?”

—I never hold back against my quarry. Does the terror finally set in?

“Is that so? Truly, that is your greatest mystery?”

—Indeed. A power a lowly human like yourself couldn’t fathom in your wildest dreams. Now, let us conclude this. If your plan is to waste time…”

I let out a soft laugh.

*Snap!*

I clicked my fingers.

In that very moment.

—……………………………What?

The mystery crumbled into nothingness.

Simultaneously.

**[Lv. 11]**

The Desert Queen’s level plummeted.

That mystery had been a fundamental pillar of her power level.

Truly, while humans reached higher tiers by absorbing stars, monsters frequently bolstered their levels through mysteries—just like the creature standing before me.

—Ah…? What have you done…………….?

The Desert Queen began to search frantically for her vanished power.

But a mystery that has been annihilated does not reappear.

Eternal Randolph. Because of it, I possessed the ability to unconditionally erase one of my adversary’s mysteries.

However, erasing a mystery demanded precision.

I had to strike their most valuable asset.

The Desert Queen had been kind enough to identify it for me.

—W-What did you do to my mystery? Did you steal it? Answer me! Ahh!!

She was falling apart in sheer hopelessness.

A mystery refined over a lifetime had vanished in a heartbeat.

For it to trigger a level reduction, she must have poured an immense amount of herself into it.

Tap tap.

I drummed my fingers against Greed’s head twice.

Greed lowered a hand.

I stepped onto it, was lowered gently to the floor, and spoke to Greed.

“Handle the rest. You are capable of managing this, I assume.”

—Just leave it to me, and I shall personally decapitate this disgusting manta ray…!

“Simply restrain her.”

Greed was struggling to contain his overwhelming awe.

A human who could actually dismantle mysteries!

It served as absolute proof that his intuition had been correct.

The worth he perceived in me undoubtedly included the power of ‘Eternal Randolph.’

Though, I didn’t know the specific value he placed on it.

When I had inquired previously, he was unable to provide a figure.

I dismissed the thought and walked over to Isabella.

“Are you unharmed?”

“A-Are you okay? More importantly, that goblin…”

“He’s my pet.”

“…I beg your pardon?”

Isabella stared in disbelief.

Who had ever encountered a golden goblin of such titanic proportions?

It was clearly far from a common monster.

To refer to such a beast as a mere ‘pet.’

“And who is the woman collapsed on the ground?”

I finally brought up the question that had been nagging at me.

A woman was lying face-down, completely out cold.

She looked as though she had been dropped without much care, yet she had obviously been traveling with them.

Isaac provided the clarification.

“That is Saintess Se-ah.”

“…?”

What?

Saintess Se-ah?

“That’s impossible.”

I shook my head immediately.

It couldn’t be.

Saintess Se-ah was deceased. She had been interred in the demon realm, buried under a mountain of curses.

She had taken upon herself every single hex I had gathered while cutting through the demon territory.

The sheer weight of those combined curses was something no human being could survive.

It was illogical.

An impossibility.

Yet, I couldn’t simply ignore Isaac’s claim.

*Boom! Crash!*

The Desert Queen and Greed began their struggle.

But the cacophony of the two monsters didn’t register with me.

I walked over slowly to inspect the woman’s face.