Chapter 470: The First Labyrinth—Golden Ram Palace!

Charlot Mecklenburg refrained from bringing the fleet too close. Instead, he launched a small boat, accompanied by Golden Ram Herolf, Andreas, and eight sailors. Together, they rowed toward the Golden Ram Palace.

After rowing for a short while, Charlot grew impatient with the slow pace. He moved to the stern, pressed his palm against the seawater, and activated his Stardust Battle Energy. Instantly, the boat surged forward at high speed, cutting through the waves. In just over two hours, they approached the labyrinth in the sea.

Despite appearing deceptively close, the Golden Ram Palace was quite a distance from the fleet.

The closer Charlot and Golden Ram Herolf got to the Golden Ram Palace, the more it resembled Saint Michael Island. However, as they neared, they discovered a lively scene—a crowd of thousands of white-robed worshippers kneeling in prayer, chanting scriptures to their god.

Golden Ram Herolf pointed toward the largest square of the Golden Ram Palace and said, “Saint Michael Island doesn’t have a statue of such a blasphemous god.”

Charlot nodded in agreement. He recognized the statue and had even stared into the eyes of its real counterpart—a crimson-skinned monster holding an enormous spiked hammer, its flesh appearing raw and skinless.

It was none other than the Labyrinth God Agmirlas, the evil god of the Aggras Sea’s labyrinths.

Statues of Agmirlas filled the Golden Ram Palace. The thousands of worshippers were devout in their prayers, and though it was peculiar for so many humans to be here, no immediate flaws were apparent.

Andreas asked, “What do we do now? Should we ask them how to challenge Agmirlas?”

Though Andreas himself doubted the feasibility of his suggestion, he had no idea what the formal procedure for challenging an evil god might be. It was likely that only a handful of people in this world possessed such obscure knowledge.

A faint will emanated from the diary Charlot carried:
“Gain the recognition of the Golden Ram Palace’s worshippers and replace Agmirlas as the focus of their devotion to complete the first palace’s challenge.”

“These worshippers are Wriggling Demons from Solomon Island. They’ve stolen the memories of travelers passing through the Aggras Sea. They are unwavering fanatics of Agmirlas.”

Piecing the two messages together, Charlot slapped his thigh in realization and said, “I know how to pass through the Golden Ram Palace! These worshippers aren’t human but Wriggling Demons from Solomon Island. All we need to do is kill them to clear this labyrinth.”

The Wriggling Demons’ devotion to Agmirlas was unshakable. To replace Agmirlas in their hearts...

This might seem like a paradoxical and impossible task for someone from this world. But for an Earthling, this was simply a lateral-thinking puzzle—a child’s play. The demons were the worshippers, but the worshippers didn’t necessarily have to be demons.
If their faith was unshakable, then killing this batch of worshippers and replacing them with another batch would solve the problem perfectly.

Andreas was taken aback. “Are you sure?”

Golden Ram Herolf, however, leaped into the air and said, “Killing a few will confirm it.”

He extended a hand and unleashed two waves of combat energy, piercing the chests of two worshippers. These worshippers, incapable of resisting the might of Herolf’s Saint rank, died on the spot. Their corpses began to morph, growing larger and revealing grotesque forms with a single eye, one finger, and one toe each.

Andreas had no words. Drawing his Vampiric Rapier, he remarked, “It’s going to be a laborious job for the two of us to clear out this many Wriggling Demons.”

Charlot pulled out his Red Viper alchemical pistols and handed them over. “Use these! It’ll speed things up considerably.”

Golden Ram Herolf and Andreas accepted the pistols without hesitation and began firing into the crowd of Wriggling Demons. As advanced transcendent weapons, the Red Vipers were far more effective than the Withered Rose. Each shot killed a demon, and the energy bullets generated from the kills replenished their ammunition.

Panic ensued among the worshippers as dozens of them were inexplicably gunned down. They scattered across the island, but Golden Ram Herolf, deeply familiar with Saint Michael Island’s layout, tracked them down effortlessly.

Soon, the Golden Ram Palace was drenched in blood. Charlot pressed his fingers to his temple. Though they were demons, he still found the slaughter unsettling.

Silently, he thought to himself:
“You don’t belong in this world.”

“While I didn’t choose to destroy you, I have no other option. If you must hold a grudge, start with the evil god who created and exploited you, then leave a little of that grudge for me.”

Several Wriggling Demons charged at Charlot with hatred in their eyes. Golden Ram Herolf and Andreas, deeming the situation not particularly dangerous, did not intervene. Charlot, unperturbed, unleashed the Blood Rose, swiftly dispatching the demons.

About an hour later, Golden Ram Herolf and Andreas returned, appearing relaxed, and handed the Red Vipers back to Charlot. Accepting the pistols, Charlot said, “Now, try worshipping me.”

Andreas shrugged. “Alright.”

Golden Ram Herolf had no reason to refuse.

Initially, Charlot didn’t feel any different. But soon, he heard two voices resonating in his mind.
One was Andreas’s:
“Charlot wants me to worship him? This feels weird! Could he turn into an evil god? I always thought he was a good person...”

The other came from Herolf:
“Charlot Mecklenburg, go die. Be killed by an evil god. Scum like you shouldn’t exist in this world. Without you, my life would be perfect. Without you, I’d still have the Queen Bee and a magical alchemical warship, along with Saint Michael Island as my domain...”

Charlot chuckled faintly. Just as he was about to remind Herolf to change his faith mantra, he heard a rumbling noise. Looking up, he saw the statues of Agmirlas throughout the Golden Ram Palace cracking. Beneath the peeling stone surfaces, new statues emerged.

Before long, the entire Golden Ram Palace was filled with statues of Charlot Mecklenburg. Each statue depicted him in a different form—wearing a coat while rushing forward, wielding a magical alchemical staff, crouching as he fired a long-range anti-space rifle, or brandishing the Blood Rose.

Each statue represented a distinct phase of Charlot’s journey since he had transmigrated to this world. Collectively, they recounted his entire adventure.

Charlot marveled silently:
“There really are no secrets before an evil god.”

“But this should count as clearing the Golden Ram Palace, right?”

Suddenly, his eyes flashed, and a rune surrounded by black smoke appeared before him. The rune extended countless thin threads, some embedding themselves into the Golden Ram Palace and others stretching into the distance, connecting to cities he had previously transformed into labyrinths.

Understanding dawned on Charlot. At last, he had truly mastered the power of the labyrinth. The smoky rune was the essence of Labyrinth Transformation, the core of Agmirlas’s power.

This rune granted Charlot the ability to transform any city into a labyrinth—or undo such transformations at will.

However, its power was not limitless. It required time to accumulate energy before it could be unleashed.

The labyrinth rune in Charlot Mecklenburg's possession currently held the power for six labyrinth transformations, equivalent to six pages of the Agmirlas Labyrinth.

Charlot’s heart stirred slightly. With resolute determination, he performed a labyrinth transformation on the Golden Ram Palace.

When the labyrinth transformation of the Golden Ram Palace was complete, a new route emerged, leading deeper into the Aggras Sea.

Charlot had no intention of lingering at the Golden Ram Palace. Calling out to Golden Ram Herolf and Andreas, he said, “Let’s return to the ship.”

“Let’s continue forward and complete this mission to challenge the Evil God.”

Meanwhile, the fleet of Georgia Hadrian, relying on its swift vessels, had already caught up to several groups of Black Phoenix ships. Each time Georgia Hadrian passed a fleet, he reassured these followers and inquired about Charlot’s whereabouts. When he learned that Charlot had entered the Aggras Sea via the Christopher Route, he hesitated briefly before plunging headlong into this course.

Unbeknownst to him, there were two “stowaways” aboard his ship.

During this time, Drusineia had frequently sought out Gareth Mecklenburg, and a tacit understanding gradually developed between the two.

Gareth noticed that Drusineia had nearly exposed herself several times. In response, he taught her the Beast God Transformation technique. In return, Drusineia imparted the Blood Shadow Technique to him.

This secret art allowed the user to transform their entire body into a faint blood shadow, capable of soaring through the skies or diving beneath the earth. Its lethal ability to envelop an enemy and drain their life essence and vitality made it a profoundly malicious spell.

Juno Arthur had never been stingy in teaching secret arts to his Blood Thralls, yet Charlot had not yet learned the Blood Shadow Technique due to his insufficient cultivation. Gareth, however, being at the twenty-second rank of the Saint level, mastered it without difficulty. When Drusineia achieved mastery of the Beast God Transformation, Gareth simultaneously completed his training in the Blood Shadow Technique.

When the fleet entered the Aggras Sea, Gareth abruptly stood up. He saw Georgia Hadrian soaring into the air, leaving the flagship and heading forward.

Drusineia whispered, “He’s probably scouting the route!”

Without hesitation, Gareth dove into the sea. Drusineia hesitated briefly before following, watching as Gareth swam like a massive fish to the bottom of Georgia Hadrian’s flagship. Employing the Blood Shadow Technique, he clung to the ship’s hull and infiltrated it.

Drusineia refrained from following directly. She understood Georgia Hadrian’s reputation—an unparalleled figure even Juno Arthur had acknowledged he could not defeat in direct combat. At the peak of the Saint level, Georgia Hadrian was truly formidable.

Should Georgia Hadrian return while Drusineia was aboard his flagship, escape would be impossible—a scenario akin to a turtle in a jar.

As Drusineia puzzled over Gareth’s intentions, she watched him emerge with a massive fang in his arms, leaping back into the sea. A dozen Black Phoenix Saints followed him into the waters in furious pursuit.

Unaware that the fang was from the Sea Serpent Queen Posugi, Drusineia deduced that Gareth’s infiltration had not been an attempt to escape but to steal the fang.

Curious, she decided to follow.

Though Gareth’s strength was formidable, he was outnumbered by the ten-plus Saints in hot pursuit. He had no choice but to flee desperately, showing no signs of counterattacking.

Drusineia tracked him for half an hour, witnessing him being cornered by three Saints. She drew the Bloodfiend Pistol, firing three consecutive shots. As an extraordinary weapon, the Bloodfiend Pistol’s power was overwhelming. The three Saints, sensing danger, hastily scattered, giving Gareth the opportunity to escape.

Drusineia’s actions, however, exposed her position, and Black Phoenix Saints turned their focus toward hunting her.

The ensuing battle played out over several hours in the vast waters of the Aggras Sea. Before Georgia Hadrian could return, both Drusineia and Gareth managed to evade their pursuers separately.

Though Drusineia could no longer locate Gareth, she knew he must have been heading toward Charlot’s group.

After prolonged hesitation, she finally clenched her teeth, activating a mysterious rune within her body to sense Juno Arthur’s location before resolutely chasing after him.

Though she had considered leaving Juno behind, her determination was not absolute. Over her time with him, she had come to understand Juno’s gentleness. Whenever her mind lingered on these thoughts, her resolve wavered.

Now, driven by Gareth’s provocations and her own conflicted emotions, she chose to pursue Juno once more, telling herself that she merely wanted one last glance at him before heading to the New Continent.

She knew, however, that this was self-deception.

When Georgia Hadrian returned to his fleet after scouting the route, he was informed of the theft of the Sea Serpent Queen Posugi’s Fang. Though initially surprised, he quickly dismissed it.

“It’s just a fang,” he told his subordinates. “Our true goal is reaching the New Continent and founding the second Black Phoenix Dynasty.”

“When we have gathered enough strength, we will return to the Old Continent one day and reclaim all that was lost.”

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