Chapter 58

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Episode 12 - Find the murderer [4]

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The information struck my mind after using my senses throughout the entire East Hall.

There were dozens of people all across the place.

The beating of their hearts, the rhythm of their breathing, the flow of their blood, the "Source" of their mana, the sound of their footsteps, etc.

An endless amount of details from every person making even the slightest movement. I began filtering out everyone I recognized.

Eventually, only a few people remained.

I focused my senses and slowly narrowed them down until only one person was left.

’Where is she heading?’

On the other side of the East Hall, the guide, Celestia, was calmly moving toward somewhere.

She entered a room that I could already guess the purpose of.

’Isn’t that where the Teleportation Array used to enter the Labyrinth is located...?’

Without hesitation, I moved through the Dark Plane and soon arrived at the entrance to the Teleportation Array.

Mana swirled throughout the room. If it weren’t for my Maximum Mastery in Mana Sense, it would have been impossible to perceive the mana inside this room.

The walls, floor, and ceiling were made from a material that prevented mana leakage.

Basically, if you were not inside the room, detecting the mana from the outside would be almost impossible.

Soon, Celestia’s presence disappeared.

’Wait, wait... and she’s supposed to be an ordinary human.’

An ordinary human may possess mana within their body, but they are incapable of using it.

Much less physically materializing it without an attribute.

Then, my suspicions only grew stronger.

I stepped out of the Dark Plane and stood in front of the door.

I waited a few seconds before finally opening it. Then I entered the room and stopped at the center.

’If I go down into the Labyrinth, there are only two possibilities.’

One of them would simply be going there to hunt wild beasts and monsters, and to obtain magical items, relics, or artifacts.

The second possibility would be that it is a place she plans to escape to if she is the culprit.

’Or maybe it’s where she sleeps, but that would be far too inhuman, so it’s impossible. Not while Director Bernice is here.’

Without wasting time, I channeled mana into the floor. Soon, the Teleportation array activated.

The white lines in my vision vanished for a second before emerging once again.

This time, the white lines outlined a completely different environment.

Long and narrow hallways, enormous rooms and chambers, statues, and strange patterns, like drawings carved into the walls.

Above all, the number of living beings here was immense.

I submerged myself in the Dark Plane and, from there, used my senses.

I extended them as far as possible, and the information struck me hard.

I felt a faint trickle drip from my nose, but I ignored it.

Then, I focused all that information into different sections.

’There are creatures from all kinds of races, the number of rooms and secret passages is also quite large, and above all, there are traps, typical of a labyrinth.’

The Labyrinth was divided into different floors.

Its name, "Labyrinth," might be mistaken for an ordinary maze.

But each floor was like a completely different world.

’Of course, every floor has a size limit.’

In any case, I found Celestia walking toward somewhere.

’Alright, it’s time to move.’

***

Celestia did not stop walking for the span of half an hour, which I understood through the use of my senses.

In the direction Celestia was heading, there was a large space, something like a boss room.

That was where the entrance to the second floor of the Labyrinth was located.

’The second floor, from what I remember, really is the most ideal place to set up a hideout.’

Celestia was probably heading there.

And while following her, I suddenly remembered something.

’The Staff of White Dawn, I should go look for it.’

The thought crossed my mind. Since I was already down here, I could go after the staff.

And I would be able to accomplish both objectives.

’But first, I need to find out exactly where Celestia is heading.’

With that thought in mind, I continued my pursuit.

Some monsters crossed my path, grotesque creatures with senseless appearances.

Simply using the abilities of my Dark attribute, I killed the monsters silently.

The corridors produced no sound. Using my senses, I avoided every trap.

I passed through several chambers, murals carved with different patterns, statues, more traps, and holes in the ground filled with three-meter-long spikes.

Finally, after some time, when I used my senses, I noticed that Celestia had already entered the large hall on the second floor.

Shortly afterward, I felt her presence disappear, so I started running as fast as I could and soon entered the hall.

’That’s the guardian of the first floor.’

On the floor of the large hall lay a strange creature. I couldn’t recognize it at all.

Its head had been completely crushed, its body torn apart, and one of its arms was missing.

’She killed it so quickly.’

The guardian of the first floor, a Class 4 monster, had been defeated with ease. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

’For now, let’s assume she’s a Class 5 villain.’

Of course, I have no intention of fighting. I came prepared to find out whether this woman was Professor Harris’s killer.

Naturally, I only came for evidence and, of course, I have now added the White Dawn Staff as well.

Anyway, when I slightly raised my head and looked ahead, I noticed a door.

At first glance, it looked simple, but the mana surrounding the area was absurdly dense.

In the end, with a sigh, I walked toward the enormous three-meter-tall door, then pushed it open, and mana covered my entire body.

Instantly, I disappeared from the hall, and the next second, I appeared somewhere else.

Before me stretched what appeared to be a forest.

The difference was the height of the trees. I couldn’t guess how tall they were, but that wasn’t the important part.

There were so many of them, almost completely packed together. Their roots were as large as average two-story houses.

Some of the trees had holes in them; some small, others large enough for a human to enter.

’Here, the only monsters would be the Conservators.’

And, as if responding to my thoughts, a colossal figure instantly appeared out of nowhere.

Its body resembled some kind of tree. Instead of a crown of leaves, it had a massive mushroom for a head.

It didn’t seem to have eyes. Its limbs were long, and it had claws.

’If we’re talking about Mana, that thing surpasses me.’

Tilting my head slightly, I hid behind some bushes without making a sound.

Next, I used my senses once more and searched for Celestia’s whereabouts.

Soon, the information reached my mind. I noticed there were a dozen of those monsters scattered everywhere.

’There she is.’

I soon found Celestia’s location. She had entered one of the holes in the trees, around five hundred meters away.

’She moved so fast.’

The thought briefly crossed my mind. Even so, I didn’t pay much attention to it.

I stood up and used the Twenty Four Steps of Space.

In just a few seconds, I covered an enormous distance, moving away from where I had appeared a few minutes earlier.

Several seconds later, I arrived before the enormous tree Celestia had entered.

Without hesitation, I jumped toward the holes in the tree trunk, one after another, until I reached the hole beneath the one Celestia had entered.

But at that exact moment, through my senses, I perceived an unexpected presence.

Instantly, I twisted my body at an unnatural angle, and a thorn flew past the spot where I had been moments earlier.

I turned my body as I sensed more attacks. The same thorns cut through the air, and then it appeared.

It was some kind of plant, like a giant flower with a mouth full of teeth and vine-like tendrils covered in thorns extending toward me.

Without hesitation, I swung my sword and cut through the vines. The creature did not let out any sound of pain.

Even so, I moved behind it and swung my sword in a straight line, following the line within my vision.

The weak point appeared clearly before my eyes.

My sword descended toward the ground, and in the next second, the flower-shaped creature’s body fell to the ground.

’What the hell, what is this thing doing here? There should only be one race of monsters on this floor.’

The creature’s strange appearance left me completely bewildered.

But at the same time, I used my Mana Sense, and instantly noticed it.

A repulsive blood-red energy, dark and intense in color.

This was the Power of Chaos.

And right above me was the hole Celestia had entered through.

’I’ve found you.’

A smile formed on my face, but it vanished instantly.

The darkness beneath my feet moved according to my command and swallowed the creature’s body.

’What a convenient ability.’

Using my Inventory would be far too strange. It would be suspicious if the body of a creature infused with the Power of Chaos suddenly appeared when I presented the evidence.

So I used the Dark Plane as a sort of inventory.

’Well, this still isn’t enough evidence. I need something clearer.’

I pulled out an orb-shaped object from my inventory.

I circulated my Mana into the orb, waited a few seconds, and finally the mana reacted.

’Recording Orb.’

That was the name of the magical item in my hands. I had borrowed it from Professor Ashly after class.

The Recording Orb, as its name implied, functioned like a camera. The problem was that it needed to be close enough to record sound.

’Its range is less than five meters. Beyond that, the sound won’t be recorded along with the video.’

What I need is not exactly a recording, but a possible conversation.

’Villains have their own unique method of communication.’

And to obtain clear evidence, I need both the recording and the conversation.

That’s why I have to get dangerously close to the target.