Chapter 56: The Taste of Deception

Having learned his lesson from previous encounters, Promen did not rush into an assault.

His gaze meticulously swept over every detail, his senses extending hundreds of meters around him, and his protective shield activated to full power.

Traps eliminated.

Labyrinth monsters eliminated.

The suspicion of a dummy opponent eliminated.

After systematically ruling out hundreds of pitfalls he had previously encountered, Promen let out a soft sigh. Was he finally brave enough to confront him directly?

Very well, then he would show no mercy!

Full power!

With a zero-frame motion, Promen raised his hand, unleashing blades of concentrated divine energy and shockwaves that bombarded the enemy’s front line relentlessly.

The dazzling explosions raged for a full ten minutes.

While such direct and brutal force might not annihilate the enemy entirely, for those lying in wait, a sudden, high-intensity assault would undoubtedly shatter their carefully arranged defenses.

Promen had not forgotten his true objective. Despite his animosity toward the other members of the Labyrinth Raiders, Theodore was undeniably the most dangerous individual who needed to be dealt with swiftly.

The lingering power of the explosions still reverberated, yet Promen charged directly into the fray, heading straight for Theodore.

****

A sharp intake of breath escaped Theodore.

Watching Promen, bathed in the afterglow of the explosions, charging directly towards him, Theodore conceded that he had indeed underestimated him previously.

Having been poised behind the front line, Theodore had clearly observed that while Promen’s attacks appeared chaotic, each strike precisely targeted a weak point in their formation. This was how he so effortlessly tore through their meticulously prepared defenses and arrangements.

Both Theodore and Theresia had anticipated that Promen, after enduring those ‘inhumane’ traps, would retaliate in extreme anger. Thus, their front line possessed robust resilience.

However, the precise and sustained targeting of weak points caused their intact defenses to be continuously torn apart, allowing Promen to break through the line directly.

‘No, this thirst for revenge is truly intense,’ Theodore mused.

Unaware that his contract had already begun to take effect, Theodore only saw Promen ignore the incapacitated individuals and launch an assault specifically against him.

He mistakenly believed this outcome was due to the series of deceptions he had orchestrated against Promen earlier.

After undergoing his Giant Transformation, Theodore infused his stone spear with battle qi and swung it heavily towards Promen.

However, Promen dodged with a swift, small step, immediately following up with a ferocious Iron Mountain Lean. Taken by surprise, Theodore was sent flying, crashing heavily into a nearby stone wall.

Promen, intending to follow up with a killing blow, was forced to abandon his attack by Theresia, who assailed him from behind. With a swift over-the-shoulder throw, he slammed Theresia down beside Theodore.

Theresia was stunned. She was not an inexperienced fool without precautions, yet she had completely failed to discern Promen’s movements.

Seeing the shocked expressions on Theodore and Theresia’s faces, Promen felt immensely satisfied. He feigned a profound demeanor and spoke, “You two little brats, have you ever been to a battlefield? Have you witnessed thousands of armies and dragons clashing? Do you have experience escaping death? If an Abyssal Fiend doesn’t show its might, do you truly mistake me for a human? Do you understand your mistake now?”

Standing up, Theodore and Theresia exchanged glances, their gazes fiercely fixed on Promen.

They took three steps forward, staring intently into Promen’s eyes.

‘Still defiant, are they?’ Promen thought, rubbing his fists together. ‘Well, the pride of Giants and Dragons makes it impossible for them to surrender easily, even if they are just immature brats…’

“We understand our mistake! We apologize, Lord Promen!”

The Giant and the Black Dragon bowed deeply to Promen, their synchronized shout freezing him in place.

‘No, this isn’t following the script!’ Promen thought.

‘Normally, shouldn’t you be utterly defiant, shouting ‘Giants (or Dragons) will never yield!’ and charging at me?’

“No, what did you just say? I must have misheard, right?”

Theodore decisively shook his head, stepping forward. “No, Lord Promen, you did not mishear. With your unparalleled martial prowess, we, who haven’t even reached a thousand years of age, are no match for you.”

Promen nodded instinctively. “That much is true…”

Before Promen could finish, Theodore continued, “We truly offended you greatly before, mainly because we had so little contact with your true form. Now that we’ve truly fought, it’s immediately clear you possess genuine skill.”

Promen stated proudly, “Isn’t that obvious?”

“Before, I simply couldn’t understand why, as the guardian of the 100th floor, you only displayed such limited power. Now I realize it was all your benevolence! You disdained to bother with us juniors, so you concealed your true strength. Alas, we were short-sighted and failed to grasp your profound intentions. We are truly ashamed, truly ashamed.”

Seeing Theodore proactively make excuses for his previous behavior, Promen felt immensely gratified. “Mm-hmm, good that you know, good that you know.”

Theresia remained silent.

‘For some reason, this scene feels so familiar,’ she thought. ‘Didn’t something like this just happen recently?’

Theodore let out a heavy sigh. “As a moral paragon from ten thousand years ago, we truly made fools of ourselves before you. We even dared to fantasize about using these paper-thin defenses against you. We were so naive! You merely showed a hint of your power, and we were utterly routed.”

“After I became a Giant, I became arrogant, even looking down on Black Dragons.”

Theresia raised an eyebrow in question.

Ignoring Theresia’s changing expression, Theodore sighed with emotion. “But now, having witnessed your true power, I finally understand the height of the heavens and the depth of the seas. Surely, back then, you must have been a formidable figure, one of the top characters among the Abyssal Fiends, right?”

Promen, having spent tens of thousands of years in the labyrinth, had never received such reverence. He waved his hands repeatedly. “Hahahaha, it wasn’t quite like that, but mainly because I was created a bit late. If I had been created earlier, it would certainly have been that way.”

“Therefore, this junior intends to present you with a grand gift.”

“A grand gift? Given your respect, I’ll just let the contract…”

Before he could finish, thousands of magical chains suddenly erupted from the magic circles all around, binding Promen like a zongzi.

Then, under Promen’s look of utter despair—’You tricked me again!’—Theodore and Theresia, without a change in expression, once again blasted his head and ripped out his heart.

Theresia silently turned to Theodore, her eyes like a dead fish. “You were planning to do this to me too, weren’t you?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Theodore replied, simultaneously urging the Labyrinth Raiders members to unleash all their methods.

“I was merely stalling for time so they could execute the plan, hahahaha. You wouldn’t think I’d use this trick on one of my own, would you?”

Theresia looked at Theodore, who seemed to be telling the truth. However, she quickly realized a critical question. “Speaking of which, am I even one of your own?”

Theodore exclaimed, “…Hurry, hurry! Promen will revive soon!”

Theresia’s eyes widened.

Although Promen had shattered into pieces, knowing he possessed self-regeneration and immortality meant preventive measures were necessary.

Thus, fire roasting, ice freezing, and corrosive spells were unleashed.

Each was a grand magic spell prepared in advance, causing the elements throughout the entire space to become unusually active.

Finally, a gigantic earthen wall was erected, sealing Promen inside as a tomb.

As soon as they completed this, everyone immediately withdrew, for who knew if these measures would truly be effective against Promen.

During their escape, Theresia continuously gave Theodore a death glare.

‘This boy is honey-mouthed but venomous-hearted; he is extremely dangerous. I almost fell for his tricks earlier,’ she thought.

‘Once Promen is dealt with, I must use our numerical advantage to restrain this boy immediately, and then I will personally administer the medicine to him!’

Theodore felt the terrifying gaze, sweat beading on his brow. However, the danger from Promen had not yet passed.

He didn’t believe Theresia would make a self-destructive move, so his anticipated ‘advanced experience’ would still come to fruition!

“What have you decided about the matter I proposed earlier?”

Theresia trembled slightly, falling into deep hesitation. “I don’t think that would be good.”

“We are trying to recreate the glory of tens of thousands of years ago!”

“I’m still young, just recently came of age. I’m afraid I can’t handle it.”

“It’s fine, I’m young too. I haven’t even lived for a century. You just need to cooperate, and I’ll definitely be alright.”

“Nonsense! You’re not the one who’s going to be ridden!”

****

*Crack.*

*Crack, crack, crack.*

Promen’s tomb, accompanied by crisp shattering sounds, rapidly developed cracks that spread across the entire stone structure.

With a resounding crash, the perfectly intact Promen once again stood upon the ground.

He calmly brushed the layers of dirt from his body.

He had merely been toying with those ants earlier; surely, they didn’t genuinely believe he had failed?

Impossible!

He had only found the hunting game boring and decided to add a bit of challenge for himself.

Did they truly think they could defeat him with such despicable and shameless tactics?

Hmph, he even found it amusing!

Extremely amusing!

Especially amusing!

Hahahahahahaha… I will tear you all to shreds!

He raged.

‘Those people must be reveling in their victory now, huh. Very good, despair born from hope is the most delicious!’

Promen furiously arrived at the 59th floor.

The environment on this floor was remarkably spacious compared to other parts of the labyrinth, hardly feeling like a maze at all.

Beneath a sky of blue and white clouds stretched an endless, vast grassland, like a green ocean. As far as the eye could see, there were no artificial landmarks, no signposts, no boundaries—only an unbroken expanse of green, its sheer scale making one feel tiny and lost.

There was no sun in the sky, yet an unknown light source illuminated the entire land.

This was the most unadorned labyrinth floor: no monsters, no mechanisms, no obstacles, only monotonous grassland. The Labyrinth Raiders had to find the hidden passage beneath the grass in this directionless expanse.

However, for Promen, locating the entrance was no difficult task. After all, he was an old entity who had spent tens of thousands of years in the labyrinth, even exploiting its bugs. He possessed his own methods for finding the entrance’s location.

Yet, before he could begin his calculations, an invisible magical barrier enveloped him.

The barrier’s strength was immense, and its structure highly complex, clearly indicating it had been prepared for a long time.

Promen realized that Theresia and her companions had not only set up one front line; the previous one hadn’t even comprised all their forces. The remaining individuals had already made more extensive preparations on this floor.

However, what good would that do?

As a great Abyssal Fiend, his strength was in no way inferior to a fully mature Dragon (the peak of a Dragon’s power typically occurs between 2000 and 5000 years of age, with individual variations).

The outside world was now permeated with inferior magic, having lost the qualification to use divine power. This meant that he, who could still wield divine power, was invincible!

‘Struggle, and bring me more joy!’ he thought. ‘Even though everything you do is futile.’

A colossal figure was soaring in from the horizon.

It was a recently matured Black Dragon; for other races, such a size would be sufficiently enormous and intimidating. Yet, in Promen’s era, such young dragons were not even permitted on the battlefield.

‘Speaking of which, where did that Giant descendant go?’ he wondered. ‘Surely, he didn’t flee?’

Hahahaha, ‘Not shameful, not shameful,’ he thought. ‘After all, he’s just a brat; fear is normal.’

Giants and Dragons, such a combination used to be on the battlefield…

Past memories began to flood Promen’s mind, for he had recalled something truly terrifying.

It was an epic-tier combat unit, or perhaps the strongest combat unit, that spanned the eras of Gods, Giants, and Dragons: the Giant Dragon Rider.

During the Age of Gods, the mighty deities possessed overwhelming authority and power. They stood above all living beings, capable of turning the world upside down with a mere flick of their wrist.

Before the advent of Ragnarök, the gods exercised great restraint, understanding each other’s powers and thus rarely engaging in direct confrontation. Consequently, the beings beneath the gods became pawns in their struggles for power.

Dwarves, Elves, Humans, Dragons, Giants, and even divine-created races like Promen were all pawns.

Among these numerous pawns, Giants and Dragons, as naturally born races, were their most favored. They did not require the gods to expend vast divine power in their creation, naturally possessing combat capabilities equal to or even superior to divine-created races, making them undisputed trump cards.

Initially, when Giants and Dragons fought individually, they weren’t excessively formidable. After all, with sufficient effort from the gods, divine-created races could always contend with them.

Until one day, the God of War wondered why these two couldn’t be combined.

The God of War, possessing the strongest combat intuition, merged Giants and Dragons, giving birth to the combat unit known as the Giant Dragon Rider.

If Giants and Dragons could be considered the Astartes of the Age of Gods, and other races were various Imperial Guard-like soldiers, then the Giant Dragon Rider would be the Primaris Astartes.

To put it simply, if Giants and Dragons were like ancient, battle-hardened veterans, and other races were common foot soldiers, then Giant Dragon Riders were ancient heavy cavalry—but with superior stamina and speed compared to light cavalry.

Different types of Dragons allowed Giant Dragon Riders to operate in all environments.

Earth Dragon Riders wreaked havoc underground, Wind Dragon Riders galloped through the skies, Fire Dragon Riders treated flames and high temperatures as playthings, and Water Dragon Riders turned oceans and rivers into their playgrounds.

White Dragon Riders effortlessly wielded various divine spells, while Black Dragon Riders were simply the most powerful ‘stat monsters’ on the battlefield, second only to the gods themselves.

Their physical defense, magic resistance, speed, and strength were all maxed out. While somewhat lacking in divine spells—Black Dragons only knew Black Dragon Breath and Black Dragon Roar Blast, simple in principle but explosively destructive, embodying ultimate destructive aesthetics—those who experienced it gave it zero negative reviews.

The greatest significance of the Giant Dragon Rider was that it rendered other combat units meaningless.

The massive bodies of Dragons possessed terrifying strength and speed, while the Giants, with their proportional size, could easily execute their peerless combat techniques and divine spells from the Dragon’s back. Environmental disadvantages that once plagued them were resolved by simply riding the appropriate Dragon.

Unlike the less intelligent ancient horses in Theresia’s world, trained Dragons not only possessed strong discipline but also had intelligence comparable to any other race, allowing them to cooperate seamlessly with the Giants on their backs to confront enemies.

Armies of naturally born races crumbled before the charge of Giant Dragon Riders. Even divine-created races faced the dilemma: engage the Giant and be torn apart by the Dragon, or engage the Dragon and be crushed by the Giant.

In scenarios where the gods did not personally intervene, the number of Giant Dragon Riders under their command directly reflected who held the advantage and who was at a disadvantage. The disadvantaged side had to rack their brains to find ways to bridge this numerical gap.

As one of the unfortunate souls who entered the labyrinth during the Dragon Alliance era, Promen had the privilege of witnessing his own Abyssal Fiend army being ravaged by Giant Dragon Riders.

The images, etched into his very bones, continuously assaulted him.

Even though Theresia and Theodore were not the warriors of ancient times, the ingrained fear of Giant Dragon Riders made Promen attempt to retreat to the lower levels of the labyrinth to reconsider his strategy, even if it meant fighting on the next floor.

There, the sky and open spaces were not so vast, which would at least make the ‘stat monsters’ slightly less overwhelming.

Unfortunately, the meticulously constructed magical barrier was not something he could break in a short time.

By the time he could open it, the Giant Dragon Rider was already on his face, unleashing attacks.

The Black Dragon Roar Blast came crashing down, directly tearing through Promen’s defenses.

Immediately after, like a meteor striking the earth, Promen met the Dragon Rider’s charge head-on.

It was the familiar recipe.

The diving charge, carrying the Giant, shattered Promen like glass.

Promen gathered his scattered body parts, utterly helpless, as he clashed with the Giant Dragon Rider.

The Giant’s stone spear mercilessly pierced him, creating hole after hole in his body.

Promen’s divine spells continuously struck the Black Dragon, yet even using ‘divine power,’ they only inflicted minor injuries on the creature.

However, he soon detected a problem. ‘Hiss~, why does this Giant Dragon Rider taste… off?’

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Night Has Fallen, Mafia—Send Your Text Messages

BLDramaModern

Read Now →
Not interested