Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
[Monster Name]: Bloodcloth-Labyrinth Watcher
[Monster Level]: Level 49 (Lord-tier)
[Monster Grade]: Excellent
[Monster Attribute]: Shadow
[Monster Ability]: Strength of Shadows Level 3, Powerful Muscles Level 3, Enhanced Hearing Level 3, Super Recovery Level 3
[Special Characteristics]: Bloody Pursuit (When its attack makes contact with a target, within ten seconds, all Bloodcloth-Labyrinth Watchers within a certain range will receive a real-time vision of the aforementioned target.)
[Monster Weakness]: Radiant
[Monster Introduction]: A monster unique to the Desolate Labyrinth in the World of Black Haze. With a mischievous disposition, it likes to play tricks on travelers that get lost in the maze. Will become uncharacteristically violent after suffering damage, as well as being very vengeful and holding lifelong grudges. Will remember the face of anyone who attacks it, even after a hundred years.
Gao Peng noticed that the chains twined around the monster’s left arm were attached to a weapon that resembled an ax. Since weapons exist, does that mean that this world has developed their own civilization?
He exhaled a long sigh.
The Bloodcloth-Labyrinth Watcher slowly walked towards them, its enormous bulk casting a long shadow across the ground.
The shadows started to envelop Gao Peng, engulfing him in darkness.
Gao Peng lifted his head to stare directly into the Labyrinth Watcher’s eyes.
“Grrr…” A deep growl reverberated through the maze.
Gao Peng couldn’t understand it at all, nor could any of the others.
“Can any of you understand what it’s saying?” Gao Peng asked his familiars via their Blood Contract.
Da Zi’s face was a mask of confusion, Goldie seemed panicked, Flamy was being a birdbrain, Silly was stoic but offered no explanation, and the Yin Yang Calendula shook its head, which was resting on top of Dumby’s head.
“I can kind of understand it,” offered Dumby through the Blood Contract.
Skeletons didn’t have vocal organs, as they communicated with other beings by relying on the soul waves emitted by the Flame of the Undead.
“What is he saying?” asked Gao Peng.
“It’s asking us how we got here,” replied Dumby in a low voice. “It said that it had been standing guard at the entrance, so no one could have snuck past its blockade line without alerting it. It also said that if we could tell it about the shortcut we took, it would let us out.”
“Tell it that we don’t wish to leave,” Gao Peng instructed Dumby.
Dumby relayed the message.
The Labyrinth Watcher’s upper body jerked backward as its eyes widened in shock. “HMM?!”
There are actually humans who refuse to leave the maze? Eh, humans? These are humans?! The Labyrinth Watcher suddenly had this realization, which made it widen its eyes even more. Humans! How is that possible?
“Roar! Roar! Roar!” The Labyrinth Watcher bellowed in a frenzy. The bloody cloth it was wearing started to emit a blinding crimson light, staining the walls around them the color of blood.
The agitated Labyrinth Watcher smashed the ground with its ax-hammer, creating an ear-splitting boom.
The ground started to quake. Gao Peng could hear similar noises echoing from other parts of the maze.
There was more than one Labyrinth Watcher in this maze!
Gao Peng immediately called out, “All of you, please return first!”
“What about you?” asked the government official as he hastily directed the men from the two assault squads to retreat via the crevice in space.
He understood that this wasn’t the time to dawdle. He wouldn’t be of much use here, so he wouldn’t be a burden on Gao Peng.
“I’m fine, I can leave anytime. Please return first,” Gao Peng urged in a low voice.
The Bloodcloth-Labyrinth Watcher suddenly caught sight of them escaping through the dark crevice, and it started to panic.
“ROAR!” It took a large stride forward and stretched out its right arm to swat at them in an attempt to block the exit.
Da Zi’s wings fluttered while three Thunder Serpents struck at the same time!
The Thunder Serpents exploded on the Labyrinth Watcher’s arm, causing it to fly high into the air from the shock and force of the explosion. Little tendrils of electricity sputtered and sparked on its wrist.
Goldie wanted to charge ahead, but Gao Peng restrained it by grabbing its leg.
“Don’t go forward!”
Goldie turned around, perplexed.
“If you get larger and can’t fit through that Spacial Rift, that would be problematic,” explained Gao Peng as he looked into Goldie’s eyes.
If they start to battle, Goldie’s body size would increase. Because there was such a narrow crevice, it would have cut off their escape route.
Dumby lurched forwards and blocked the slash of the Labyrinth Watcher’s ax with its fist. The ax clanged on Dumby’s arm, emitting a sonorous sound of metal against metal.
Dumby took five steps back out of habit, then stomped on the ground, a cloud of ash rising from the point of contact with the ground.
Following that, Dumby clenched its teeth, its gaze brimming with soul flames as it hurtled forwards in an Iron Mountain Tackle! Its shoulder was like a sturdy, immovable mountain, capable of destroying skies and cratering the earth.
Bam!!!
The Labyrinth Watcher was still stumbling to regain its balance when the attack slammed into it. It was forced backward a great distance, its hulking mass staggering precariously.
Dumby had the advantage here; it wouldn’t let it go to waste! It was going to take its opponent out while it was incapacitated!
Dumby took three steps forward. The difference in size between the two was astounding, as Dumby was barely as tall as the Labyrinth Watcher’s legs. Dumby leaped into the air and landed a punch on the Labyrinth Watcher’s knee. A loud crack rang out.
The Bloodcloth that covered down to its knees gave off a glob of crimson light upon being smashed. The Labyrinth Watcher couldn’t keep its balance and fell backward, crashing into the stone wall behind it. The stone walls trembled violently from the impact, debris raining down in a shower.
Dumby leaped up and brought its foot down on the Labyrinth Watcher’s wounded knee, causing it to collapse and cave in. Dumby also utilized the momentum to land a fist packed with explosive power on the Labyrinth Watcher’s face.
Looking at the Labyrinth Watcher sprawled on the ground, Gao Peng asked Dumby: “Dumby, can you ask it why it attacked us just now? Also, who is the owner of this labyrinth?”
After listening to Dumby’s question, the Labyrinth Watcher seemed furious.
“You were the one who attacked me first! I only wanted to stop them from leaving,” snarled the Labyrinth Watcher as it glared at Dumby with all the rage in the world. I will remember you! You were the one who dared to attack me!
“And the owner of this labyrinth? Let me tell you, the owner is none other than the great and noble Master of the Desolate Labyrinth-Lord Blood Hunter.” The Labyrinth Watcher announced this loudly with pride as if the mere mention of that name brought it excitement.
Listening to Dumby’s translation, Gao Peng assessed the Labyrinth Watcher with narrowed eyes.
The footsteps echoing from far away were steadily approaching. Gao Peng again asked Dumby to convey a message. “Dumby, please tell it that we mean no harm and that we’re here with the purest of intentions.”
Dumby translated accordingly.
The Labyrinth Watcher looked pointedly at its broken leg with indignation.
“We are not here to spark a war. We actually came here from another world through that crack in space. I assure you that we come in peace and harbor the kindest of intentions. I apologize for hurting your knee. It truly wasn’t my intention to do so! It happened because I couldn’t control my strength,” Dumby repeated what Gao Peng told it to say.
Rounding the corners of the walls and appearing were one, two, three… A total of seven Labyrinth Watchers were walking towards them with large strides from different directions.
The eight Labyrinth Watchers gathered together, the crimson light from their Bloodcloths glinting off each other and emitting a hazy red glow.
“So all of you are from a different world.” The Labyrinth Watcher started to pick itself up from the ground. Its broken knee had already healed partially, enabling it to stand.
“No wonder… there’s a barricade seal around the labyrinth, so there’s only one way in. I had thought that there were loopholes in the labyrinth’s defense, but who would have thought that it was a Spacial Rift…”
