The Evolution of a Goblin to the Peak

"'Clan Leader of Methal Clan...'" Souta turned to look on the other side. 'And another one of the Deadly Sins...'

Poisonous Vine glanced at Souta before flying beside Ice Death. Silence enveloped them for a few seconds as they observed each other's movements.

Suddenly, Ice Death opened his mouth, "It's time..."

Souta widened his eyes, and his energy surged instantly. Thousands of ice spears flew toward him while seven shadows emerged beside him, quickly rushing toward the ice spears.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Souta maneuvered through the air, skillfully dodging all the ice spears. He focused his gaze on Poisonous Vine and Ice Death. Gripping the vajra sword tightly, he arrived a few meters away from the two.

Swoosh!!

Poisonous Vine smiled seductively as she swung the whip in her hand. The whip tore through the air, swiftly approaching Souta's position.

It carried an enormous amount of energy, evident to Souta. He abruptly halted in midair, contorting his body to narrowly evade the vicious whip. Nevertheless, the energy within it grazed his neck.

Whoosh!!

Sensing its threat, Souta didn't hesitate. His aura surged once more.

Boom!!

Simultaneously, Ice Death, seeing Poisonous Vine miss her target, waved his hand, unleashing a white beam aimed directly at Souta. It froze everything it touched, including time and space.

In that moment, a figure appeared beside Souta, intercepting the white beam.

It was Hoei Methal.

Souta merely nodded at Hoei before pressing forward. His elemental power expanded, causing the sea of blood to surge alongside him.

Boom!!

Souta clashed with Ice Death in mid-air. A shockwave radiated outwards, accompanied by an immense surge of energy. The entire area quivered, as though on the verge of collapse. Both combatants were propelled several hundred meters away from each other.

Ice Death halted, refraining from launching further attacks. Instead, he merely fixed his gaze on Souta and Hoei.

"Today, both of you will fall, and the All-Filter Barrier Formation will crumble," Poisonous Vine stated, a serene smile on her face.

"Well, let's see you try," Souta replied calmly.

"The All-Filter Barrier Formation shall never falter! It is the legacy bestowed by our god!" Hoei proclaimed loudly.

Souta's attention was diverted as he sensed Ice Death preparing to make another move.

Swoosh!!

A giant block of ice appeared in the sky, colossal enough to obstruct the entire expanse. Its tremendous size and the vast energy it contained distorted space and time.

"Fall. [Death Beyond Glacier]!" Ice Death uttered in a low voice, pointing his finger downward as the colossal ice block began its descent.

Swoosh!!

Hoei widened his eyes, struck by the immense scale of this impending attack. Dodging was an unviable option; his only chance was to neutralize it. He unfurled his palm, conjuring a sharp blade that slowly took form. His aura surged as he used his [Element Drive].

Boom!

Souta remained undeterred. A tremendous amount of energy coalesced around his blade, a maelstrom of darkness and light swirling around it. The blood fused into the blade as elemental power surged within.

Suddenly, an intense pang of pain assailed his body.

Ugh!

Souta groaned in pain as he spun around, swinging his sword.

Swoosh!!

The figure deftly evaded his blade and withdrew.

Looking up, Souta saw Hoei, who had stabbed him in the back. Gritting his teeth, he collapsed to the ground.

Thud!

A peculiar sensation coursed through his body, and his vision began to blur.

"This... poison..."

Realization struck Souta: he had been poisoned. Though potent, the poison wasn't fatal. Instead, it weakened his body to a certain extent.

"Do you like my poison? I gave one of my strongest poisons to Clan Leader Hoei, so what do you think about it?" Poisonous Vine remarked, observing Souta's suffering from her poison. "You really are strong, Blood Lightning Monster. You could still move even after taking it."

"Did you finish the mission?" Ice Death inquired of Poisonous Vine and Hoei.

Hoei responded by presenting the cores of the Methal Clan and Flaem Clan.

"Good. With these, we have three cores in our possession," Ice Death nodded, looking satisfied as he took the cores from Hoei and examined them carefully. "The last remaining cores are from the Botani Clan and the Darkna Clan. We should concentrate our forces once we discover their whereabouts."

"What about the Blood Lightning Monster?" Poisonous Vine inquired.

Souta, lying on the ground, narrowed his eyes upon hearing their conversation. He prepared himself to summon all his strength, ready to fight his way out of this place.

'I could deal with the poison, but it will take some time...' He thought to himself. His body was wracked with extreme pain due to the poison's effects.

Souta was poised to retaliate if they made a move against him.

"I'll kill him," Hoei declared, turning his head slowly towards Souta. Energy gathered intensely around his blade, emitting a bright light.

"Finish him. I'll take these cores," Ice Death commanded before turning away.

"Okay, I'll kill him. The poison isn't enough to kill him, but it weakened his body so he isn't my match," Hoei remarked as he approached Souta. He pressed his thumb against the blade's surface. "I'll end this quickly. You won't feel any pain as I kill you."

'Huh?' Souta paused, realizing something. Inwardly, he smiled, and his tense body gradually relaxed. 'So that's how it is...'

In the next instant, Hoei closed the distance between them, thrusting his blade into Souta's chest.

With a swoosh, Hoei withdrew his blade as Souta collapsed to the ground. The floating blood in the air descended, pooling beneath them, forming a sea of crimson.

"Let's go," Hoei declared, turning away without looking back.

...

Four figures traversed the desolate terrain: Vashno, Franklin, Eztein, and Erkigal.

"So, you were the previous Clan Leader of the Flaem Clan?" Eztein inquired, casting a glance at Erkigal's back.

"Yes," Erkigal confirmed.

"What led to your disappearance?" Eztein probed further.

"In brief, I attempted to nullify the contract, ventured beyond the borders of Selnes Country, and encountered an accident. I then concealed myself, and everyone assumed I died," Erkigal recounted.

Vashno surveyed the surroundings and posed another question, "What about Clan Leader Hono? She was with us before the space opened up, but then vanished. It appears you had foreseen this. What's your strategy?"

Erkigal halted, turning to face Vashno with a smile before resuming her stride. "My plan is straightforward. I aim to dissolve the contract and depart from Selnes Country. I dispatched Hono outside with the core of the Flaem Clan. By now, it's likely that the Deadly Sins' experts have taken the core from her possession."

"What?!" Vashno and Eztein exclaimed simultaneously.

"Don't fret, I have someone handling it. He won't harm Hono or anyone else," Erkigal assured them with a smile.

"Who is this person?" Eztein inquired.

"Hoei Methal," Erkigal revealed. "I've enlisted his cooperation with the Deadly Sins. Their entry into the barrier was key to commencing my plan. We're set to dismantle the barrier, but safeguarding our god's secret is crucial. It's a generational curse we carry."

"A curse?" Vashno expressed confusion.

"Yes, a curse that binds us. We're barred from disclosing certain information, or darkness will consume us," Erkigal explained.

"Then, what about this space? Does it hold secrets related to your god?" Eztein inquired further.

"Yeah, it's a living labyrinth. But it's different from the typical one; our god made modifications. When the labyrinth opened, it absorbed those fragmented worlds, creating this place," Erkigal clarified.

"A living labyrinth?!" Eztein and Franklin were visibly stunned.

Vashno glanced at the two, puzzled by the concept.

"A living labyrinth is a divine legacy where you can access things related to the creating god," Eztein explained to Vashno. Turning to Erkigal, he queried, "Any idea what we might find in this living labyrinth left by your god?"

Erkigal shook her head. "Possibly crucial artifacts. The combat arts and spells of the Five Master Clans are remnants from our god, so it might not just be techniques or skills."

"Is Clan Leader Hoei your only ally?" Vashno asked.

"Yeah, he was the sole voice suggesting breaking the All-Filter Barrier Formation during the Clan Leaders' meeting. The others were too conservative, rejecting his proposal," Erkigal explained. She paused, recollecting something. "Oh, Paente knows I'm alive. He's been engaged in something for years now. I've tried to contact him, but he's refused. It seems he has his own plan."