Chapter 506: Manipulating Memories

The new route had yet to appear.
Charlot Mecklenburg was in no particular hurry. Agmirlas had already pushed both Yishemierlen Palace and the Ghost Fleet into play, showing no sign of retreating them. It was clear he had no more cards to play.

Even the evil god was no longer in a rush—so why should Charlot be?

After clearing the thirty-second labyrinth, Charlot's haul included not only a daughter, a legendary warship, over nine hundred ghost ships, and a Mirror Spirit, but also a “small additional prize.”

Charlot had obtained a new Labyrinth Rune—Manipulating Memories!
This rune could modify, erase, add, distort, or enhance the memories of living beings.

However, memories altered by this extraordinary ability were time-limited. Most individuals would gradually recover their original memories as time passed. But if combined with other labyrinth powers, such as Concealing Time or the Book of Ages, it was possible to permanently rewrite memories within certain boundaries.

This ability was highly intriguing. Charlot tested it himself: at his eighteenth-tier strength, Manipulating Memories was nearly ineffective against Saint-ranked individuals and only lasted a few seconds to a dozen seconds on transcendent beings of the same tier. However, it was extremely potent against lower-tier transcendents, with effects lasting several months on those below the tenth tier.

While patiently waiting, Charlot busied himself with familiarizing himself with this newly acquired ability.

Roughly seven or eight days later, the new route finally reappeared!

Charlot promptly handed the fleet over to Juno Arthur. Now, the legendary warship had doubled from one to two, accompanied by over nine hundred ghost ships and three new companions: a teacher, a "good son," and an eldest daughter. Oh, and let’s not forget Yishemierlen—though she didn’t quite count as a "person."

Charlot had no reason to send Juno and Gareth Mecklenburg away. With the Radiant Holy Kingdom and the Emilia, leading the Ghost Fleet, their voyage resumed!

As Charlot had anticipated, the next seven labyrinths posed no real challenges, with each one passing as if meeting no resistance. Only when he reached the fortieth labyrinth did the difficulty finally rise.

Once again, Charlot encountered the Evil God’s Arena.

It was still an isolated island, still a city that could not undergo labyrinth transformation.

With his prior experience, Charlot refrained from violently dismantling the city ruins. Instead, he sent ghost crew members to meticulously search the area. Before long, they uncovered the entrance to an underground dungeon.

This time, only Charlot could enter the Evil God’s Arena, just like before.

Having been through it once already, Charlot felt less apprehensive. After careful preparation, he leapt down into the arena.

But this time was entirely different. As soon as Charlot landed, he found himself on a battlefield. Everywhere, people were locked in brutal combat, surrounded by blood and fire, with corpses strewn across the ground. Each individual seemed to have gone mad, mindlessly swinging their weapons.

Raising his spiritual awareness, Charlot scanned his surroundings and found nothing particularly unusual—making it all the stranger.

Kicking away a charging warrior with ease, Charlot sidestepped an incoming spear thrust, disarmed the spearman, and knocked him to the ground in one smooth motion.

No sooner had he taken down two attackers than seven or eight more charged at him, utterly fearless.

Unable to contain his frustration, Charlot shouted, “Who are you people? Why are you fighting?”

No one responded. The only answer was the clash of swords.

Unwilling to slaughter indiscriminately, Charlot dropped his weapon. Activating Swiftstep Technique ×5, he deftly evaded the soldiers’ attacks. Picking a random direction, he sprinted away at full speed.

In the Evil God’s Arena, it was impossible to use any transcendent weapons, leaving only one’s personal abilities. Yet with Swiftstep Technique ×5, Charlot easily dodged all incoming attacks. None of the soldiers managed to graze him, and he soon broke free from the battlefield.

Spotting a large tree in the wilderness, Charlot leapt into its canopy. From this vantage point, he surveyed the battlefield and began to piece together what was happening.

The conflict involved two armies. One commander stood atop a hill with their guards, dispatching messengers to direct their troops. The other commander, leading a smaller team, fought ferociously at the most dangerous part of the field. However, this commander’s focus on personal combat left their army leaderless, forcing the soldiers to fend for themselves.

Although the second commander’s personal bravery was astonishing, their neglect of strategy meant their larger, better-equipped army was falling into disarray and losing ground.

Within minutes, Charlot made an unsettling realization: aside from the two commanders, none of the soldiers were human.

Humans are emotional beings!
Yet these soldiers followed orders without hesitation, showed no concern for casualties, and exhibited no reaction to the grisly deaths of their comrades. Whether on Earth or in the Old Continent, no such army had ever existed.

“These must be labyrinth guards,” Charlot concluded, though he couldn’t resist muttering, “But even labyrinth guards shouldn’t be squandered like this. These are elite units!”

Charlot’s face turned pale as he thought further. Deep down, a voice told him that he was different from others. Unlike most labyrinth masters, Charlot only turned enemies or unforgivable criminals into labyrinth guards—those guilty of crimes like human trafficking or cannibalism. Ordinary subordinates were never subjected to such transformation.

Other labyrinth masters, however, bore no such scruples. If they wished, they could transform an entire city’s population into labyrinth guards.

Suddenly, Charlot understood something crucial: why evil gods ran rampant in the New Continent, while in the Old Continent, they were suppressed by the true gods. The difference wasn’t in the gods but in the people.

In the Old Continent, traditional education and the influence of the Nine True Gods cultivated people who pursued knowledge and virtue. In contrast, the New Continent’s residents, desperate for power, willingly abandoned the True Gods for the evil gods. This wasn’t because evil gods were inherently stronger—it was humanity’s choice.

Charlot recalled the words of High Priest Auguslatin: How does the New Continent resist the evil gods? By having more children…

What a cruel reality.

From within Charlot’s diary came a sudden surge of thought:
“Charlot Mecklenburg is challenging the fortieth labyrinth! This is Mosuli, an isolated landmass.”

“Mosuli consists of eighteen towns, each ruled by a labyrinth master who serves as an evil god candidate under Agmirlas. They must wage war to claim the sole position of successor, with the losers becoming the victors’ vassals. These endless wars have sown deep hatred.”

“Charlot Mecklenburg, restore order to Mosuli! And return it to the world.”

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