Charlot Mecklenburg was meditating with his eyes closed when a thought echoed in his mind: "The Machubi double-yer byrinth transformation is complete!"

  He opened his eyes, a faint smile curling on his lips as he sensed the newly transformed Machubi Fortress Labyrinth. This ancient fortress of the Orc Kingdom was incredibly vast, once famed as "The Unfallen Machubi" in its prime.

  Situated between two mountain peaks, Machubi Fortress was once a critical transportation hub. At its peak, it could house up to 270,000 soldiers, with hundreds of barracks, serving as the final bastion for defending Strasbourg.

  The Sherlock dynasty had used a cunning strategy to capture the fortress. However, after conquering it, they chose to set fire to the Machubi Fortress rather than leave it standing. It had been far too costly to take—sheer impenetrability had drained the dynasty’s forces. Eager to advance toward Strasbourg but cking the manpower to garrison Machubi, they had simply abandoned it.

  The Sherlock dynasty, which ter annihited the ancient Orc Kingdom, opted to build a new road bypassing Machubi altogether, leaving the fortress to decay into ruins.

  Now that the Machubi Fortress Labyrinth had transformed into a double-yered maze, Charlot had more control and creative options for the ruins. He could clear away colpsed structures and erect entirely new buildings. However, such a task consumed vast amounts of time and required the cooperation of NPCs.

  Charlot’s consciousness rippled through the byrinth, quickly detecting disturbances. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and arrived at the scene instantly.

  Standing atop a high vantage point, Charlot looked down and bellowed, "Those from the West Wind Knights Order! Anyone willing to follow my orders, head toward the east!"

  He stretched out his hand, and a stone archway appeared—a relic of the original Machubi Fortress, called Homer's Gate. Made purely of stone, it had survived the fmes but was now covered in moss and vines.

  Charlot moved the gate effortlessly into position, his dispy of skill leaving everyone in awe.

  Mason and Homonsa, knights with adventurer backgrounds, immediately sprinted toward Homer’s Gate. Their instincts told them that Charlot had a deep connection with this byrinth and was not to be underestimated.

  Dubin hesitated briefly but ultimately led another group to Homer’s Gate.

  The third group, led by Yellow Bear, Frederica, and Dolores Soumet, followed soon after, bringing seven or eight hundred others with them. The rest, however, refused to comply, loudly cursing and arguing.

  Charlot snapped his fingers. Instantly, countless stone walls erupted from the ground, dividing the unruly crowd. Homer’s Gate, however, rose slightly so everyone could see those who had chosen to obey him.

  Standing atop a tall stone pilr, Charlot appeared divine and unshakable as he shouted, "I will give you one st chance! Those who will follow my orders, raise your left hand. Those who refuse will remain trapped in this fortress until you wither to bones!"

  Though the Old Continent had extraordinary beings, no one possessed secret byrinth techniques. The group of knights—comprising criminals and gang members—had already been shocked into submission by Charlot’s powers. Yet pride kept them from backing down earlier.

  Now, with Charlot’s cold gaze sweeping over them, the remaining dissenters fell silent. Slowly, hands began to rise—some raised their left hand, some their right, and others both hands, unable to distinguish left from right.

  On Earth, even schoolchildren knew how to tell left from right. But in the Fars Empire, such lessons were unheard of, and many adults still struggled with the distinction.

  Charlot did not press the matter. Anyone who raised a hand, regardless of which, was granted a path to exit. Soon, the byrinth was completely empty.

  With a faint sigh, Charlot looked upon Machubi Fortress with a mix of nostalgia and determination. It held a special pce in his heart. After some thought, he instructed Mason and Homonsa to stay behind with a hundred others. He pnned to rebuild Machubi Fortress into a stronghold.

  Though a hundred men were far from enough for such an undertaking, they were at least a seed for the fortress’s revival.

  Charlot worried about leaving Homonsa behind, but having her at Machubi gave him peace of mind.

  With Mason, Homonsa, and their small contingent stationed at Machubi, Charlot led the rest of the West Wind Knights Order onward toward the Behemoth Principality.

  Seated in his carriage, Charlot flipped through his journal, musing to himself, "So Agmirs's byrinth doesn’t necessarily require finding fifteen ruins. It’s possible to overy byrinths onto the same city."

  "I wonder what the conditions are to overy a third byrinth?"

  "Or perhaps I can find another ruined city?"

  As he pondered, Charlot turned his attention to Vampiric Scroll II. The Agmirs Labyrinth contained fifteen pages, yet Vampiric Scroll II had seventeen. Charlot had already mastered three techniques—Bloodfme Aura, Bloodfire Transfiguration, and Fme Dragon’s Hand—and was currently studying the fourth: Fme Dragon’s Roaring Bullet.

  After a while, Charlot put the journal away. He patted his right leg, where a faint golden rune spider stirred within his blood vortex. The eighteen days spent at Machubi had allowed him to fully master the Spider Technique.

  Among sixth-rank transcendent beings, Charlot likely stood at the pinnacle. He now possessed six extraordinary abilities: Eye of Insight, Bloodfme Aura, Swiftstep Technique, Spider Technique, Angel’s Thorn, and Blood Cn Verbal Spellcasting.

  The power of Blood Glory surged through his six blood vortexes, occasionally swelling like a tide and amplifying within his body.

  Charlot thought to himself, "With the Spider Technique mastered, my speed is unmatched by ordinary high-rank beings. As long as I stay cautious, there should be no life-threatening dangers on the way to the Behemoth Principality."

  Just as this thought crossed his mind, scouts from the West Wind Knights returned with a report: two armies were battling ahead.

  The eighteen days spent in the Machubi Labyrinth had forged a sembnce of cohesion within the West Wind Knights Order. Units Charlot had sent out to gather supplies had adapted well to their new role as scouts.

  Even Dolores Soumet was somewhat impressed, jokingly specuting that Charlot had taken military strategy csses in university.

  Charlot, of course, had never studied such subjects. Even on Earth, he had been inept at online strategy debates. The fact that this ragtag band of knights had formed a cohesive unit was simply, as he put it, “good luck.”

  Charlot dispatched additional scout teams, hoping to find a path around the battlefield. He had no desire to get involved in someone else’s war.

  However, before the scouts could return, a thunderous roar—like mountains colpsing and waves crashing—shook the ground. Moments ter, deafening shouts erupted across the battlefield.

  Among the West Wind Knights, the most experienced in warfare was the leopard girl Frederica. Her expression darkened slightly as she said, "One side has been routed. Those are victory cries from the pursuers."