I adopted a child demon from the Gap, and I'm a special agent for the Bureau of Supernatural Ab

The enormous labyrinth, though filled with the warmth of torches, possessed an unyielding, chilling coldness that seemed capable of freezing the very soul.

Walking through this silent maze, Li Cheng cautiously observed any possible disturbances around him, pushing his senses to their limits as he slowly moved forward.

According to Zi's initial statement, Kiritsugu Emiya and Tetsunekazu should also have been sucked into this huge labyrinth. The most urgent task is to find them as soon as possible; this is not a good place, and if we delay any longer, who knows what the master of this labyrinth will do to them.

Come to think of it, it seems like it's been a long time since we've had peaceful days.

Halfway through his journey, Li Cheng suddenly thought of this problem.

Ever since he met Zi, troubles have been coming his way one after another. First, the cultists and the martial arts fanatic Kuntai came to his door. Then the cult leader appeared directly. Then came the serial killer incident. Then he directly confronted Cheng Yan, who was known as the strongest below the Transcendent. He also faced Hassan's successor and Dead Apostles. Then came the vampires and the resulting large-scale battle. Finally, there's this recent series of events.

It was like a machine being propelled by gears, moving forward relentlessly.

Well, whatever, for me right now, this isn't so bad.

"boom!"

A clearly audible gunshot rang out from the road ahead. Li Cheng immediately quickened his pace and ran forward. After only a few steps, gunshots began to ring out continuously, clearly indicating that Emiya Kiritsugu was engaged in combat with the enemy.

"Ughhhhhh—"

A furious, beast-like roar rang out from the direction from which the gunshots came. Immediately following it was a tremor that shook the earth as if an earthquake had struck.

Tsk, are you in danger?

A black rift opened up ahead, and Li Cheng's figure disappeared into the maze's path, only to reappear in another maze path the next moment.

Ahead of him, there was an enormous figure roaring as it charged forward.

"So this is it. It really is huge..."

Standing three meters tall, with deathly pale skin and terrifying muscles far exceeding human limits, covered in scars and cuts, coupled with its crimson and crazed pupils and thick, bushy white hair, a gigantic humanoid monster stood before Li Cheng.

Soon, Li Cheng noticed the two enormous bull horns growing on the other's forehead, clearly signifying its non-human status.

"What's going on? Shouldn't monsters of this size have been wiped out decades ago? Could they have been deliberately left behind as research subjects and combat resources?"

There were many spent shell casings scattered in the passage, but neither Kiritsugu Emiya nor Tetsuo were seen, presumably they had already escaped. This made Li Cheng feel a little relieved. At the same time, the huge monster in front of him roared and charged directly at Li Cheng with heavy steps.

"An opponent of this size is really a bit scary."

Despite saying these words, Li Cheng advanced instead of retreating, charging towards the huge white monster. He dodged the punch the moment it swung, and as he closed the distance, he sprang up and punched the monster's face, which was almost unrecognizable as human.

Boom!

Having received the enhancement and improvement from demonic power, and now approaching the limit of strength achievable by an A-level martial artist, Li Cheng possessed immense power within his body. This sudden burst of punch immediately and directly demonstrated this power.

The surrounding air distorted instantly, producing a deafening roar that could shatter an ordinary person's eardrums. The white monster, weighing at least two or three tons, was sent flying into the air by Li Cheng's punch, before crashing heavily to the ground. The maze floor trembled violently amidst the deafening roar, and cracks appeared where the monster had fallen.

"Ugh!"

Seemingly driven mad by the attack, the monster roared and swiftly rose from the ground. Its enormous body was surprisingly agile; just as Li Cheng was about to give chase, he was struck by a sudden, sweeping palm strike, sending him flying backward and crashing into the maze wall. Before he could even get up, the monster charged forward with a furious roar, its clenched fist slamming down towards Li Cheng's body.

boom--

A piercing buzzing sound filled his ears. Li Cheng raised his hands to block the fist that was about to fall, his legs bent under the immense force, almost causing him to kneel. The stalemate didn't last long before the monster roared and kicked him, sending Li Cheng flying through the wall and rolling to the other side of the maze.

Such incredible power!

Amidst the swirling rubble, Li Cheng quickly regained his balance and steadied himself. The enormous monster roared and crashed through the wall, charging straight at Li Cheng. Instinctively, Li Cheng threw a punch, only to be slapped away by the monster's palm, sending him flying backward once more, like an ant being kicked away. This time, he crashed directly into the ceiling, embedding himself in it.

What's going on? This guy's strength is ridiculously high!

Shaking his right hand, which was numb from the shock, Li Cheng hadn't even managed to pry his body off the wall when the monster slammed into him like a chariot, smashing through the ceiling, which was more than half a meter thick, and sending Li Cheng crashing into another level of the maze.

The monster's agility and strength far exceeded expectations. Li Cheng didn't even have time to stand up; he could only roll on the ground to dodge the monster's kick that shattered the earth. Immediately afterward, he was kicked in the body by the monster's other kick. The world spun before his eyes, and finally, there was the sound of him being embedded in the wall. The monster charged forward again, its bloodthirsty eyes radiating murderous intent.

"I was being hit around like a punching bag..."

A dark rift suddenly appeared, sucking Li Cheng's body into the darkness. The giant monster's attack landed on empty air, merely shattering the wall. He roared and looked around, trying to find its opponent, but was suddenly struck in the face with a heavy blow, falling to the ground.

"Gurgle!"

Seemingly due to the severe blow, the monster let out an incredibly shrill roar. However, Li Cheng, hidden in the gap, would not give it another chance to retaliate. Purple demonic power flowed throughout his body, transforming one of Li Cheng's eyes into a dazzling, monstrous purple. Then, the concentrated power crashed down from the sky, piercing through the monster's head and the ground, even creating a large crater in the ground below.

Even with Purple's power, it could only destroy about two layers of the ground? It seems this labyrinth is indeed quite extraordinary…

With a large hole blasted into its head, the monster's body stopped moving. Li Cheng emerged from the gap and was somewhat surprised to find that the monster's body was gradually turning into dust and disappearing, while the previously damaged ground and walls were slowly being restored.

A labyrinth capable of self-repair, one that even a fully unleashed A-level power couldn't destroy too many areas of, and a gigantic monster that vanishes upon being killed. This labyrinth—for someone as insignificant as him, isn't it a bit too extravagant?

Never mind, let's find Kiritsugu Emiya and Teppei first. If there are other enemies in the dungeon that are as strong as this monster, it will be difficult for the two of them to fight them.

If he hadn't become much stronger, those few kicks and punches he received as a punching bag earlier would have been enough to kill Li Cheng. Even now, his hands still feel a little sore.

tide—no, I mean Zi—I'm currently facing a monster with physical abilities comparable to top-tier martial artists. So, what kind of enemy is she currently confronting?

She said this labyrinth was meant for those who transcend, and she must be someone who transcends—no, she should be described as a powerful being with transcendent-level strength. What could possibly exist in a labyrinth that even she couldn't escape? Even though she said the labyrinth's master isn't someone who transcends, it still feels very unsettling…

If I were a little stronger, this situation probably wouldn't have happened. It's really a frustrating situation.

"Ugh……"

With a sigh, ignoring the white monster that had turned to ashes and disappeared, Li Cheng jumped down into the large hole in the ground, which was not yet fully repaired, and began searching for traces of Emiya Kiritsugu and Tetsukasa.

…………

Thank you to readers "Non-existent Eight" and "Queen C's Pizza" for their monthly tickets.

Thank you to readers Yu Sheng Lin Qing, Qi Zhi, Ji Bian, Bu Zhuo De Ba, Xin Ru Dao Ge, Xuan Yuan, Dan Chou Wan Sui ≧▽≦, Ke Mi De Tu Zi, Da Tu Zi, and C Nu Wang De Pi Zai for their recommendation votes.

I successfully graduated from the event with the new ship. Azur Lane is indeed very friendly, unlike FGO, where I almost had a heart attack from all the gacha pulls and still couldn't get the card I wanted. Ugh, I want to cry...

Chapter 12, Section 229: Within the Labyrinth

"boom!"

A searing spark flew from the muzzle of the gun, striking a skeleton shrouded in thick black mist not far away. With a crack, the bullet shattered the skull, and the skeletal body disintegrated, falling to the ground. But in just two or three seconds, the shattered bones trembled and began to slowly piece themselves back together, quickly returning to their previous posture, brandishing a rusty sword and charging forward.

"This can't go on! We have no way to eliminate this thing!"

Tie Feng smashed a black skeleton charging at him with a single punch, took a step back, and shouted loudly at Emiya Kiritsugu beside him.

"I know, I'm running out of ammunition too."

Despite having made every possible preparation and taken precautions against various possible situations from the beginning, the current situation still took them by surprise.

"This is unheard of! Using such a massive barrier in the heart of the city without triggering any monitoring or defense systems? Just who are these bastards?"

After kicking a skeleton that pounced from mid-air away, Tie Feng took a few steps back and ran towards the corner of the maze with Shirou Emiya. Behind them, at least a hundred humanoid skeletons made a "crackling" sound as they chased closely.

"What the hell is this thing? Why is it completely useless no matter how we attack it?"

Looking at the army of skeletons chasing after him, who had been repeatedly shattered by him and Kiritsugu Emiya, yet always managed to reassemble themselves unscathed, Tie Feng couldn't help but start cursing.

“They are likely undead soldiers that are driven by spirits attaching themselves to skeletons,” Kiritsugu Emiya said to Tetsukasa beside him as they ran. “These things are probably immune to physical attacks. We either have to find the core that controls them or use magic or supernatural abilities that can counter their effects.”

"Since that's the case, aren't you a magician? Quickly use your magic to think of a solution!"

“I’m not a formally trained magician. In fact, I only know a few magic tricks, so I don’t have any good solutions right now.”

Tie Feng was shocked.

"Are you kidding me? Aren't you a B-rank magician? How can there be a B-rank magician who hasn't actually trained in magic? Which idiot gave you the B-rank?"

Kiritsugu Emiya ignored him and continued running forward, constantly searching for a way to escape the pursuers. The two of them wandered through the maze, followed by a large group of relentlessly pursuing skeleton soldiers.

Tsk, this won't do. These guys are chasing us too closely. We won't be able to escape if this continues. The human body can't compete with the endurance of undead creatures.

If you really want to escape, you need to use bait to distract them.

Subconsciously, Kiritsugu Emiya reverted to his way of thinking from his days as an assassin.

No, no, no, why am I thinking like that again?

Shaking his head, he banished the idea of ​​crippling Tie Feng with a single shot and then escaping alone from his mind. Kiritsugu Emiya carefully considered how to escape. Just then, he heard some faint sounds coming from behind the pursuing skeleton soldiers, gradually becoming clearer.

Something else is approaching.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

With a tremendous roar and a burst of powerful demonic energy, Li Cheng shattered all the skeletons and destroyed the black mist clinging to them, then rushed to the two of them.

"Captain, when did you learn magic?"

Unaware of the situation, Tie Feng was shocked and found it hard to believe that Li Cheng could possess the ability to destroy all those infinitely resurrected skeletons.

Well, a lot of things have happened.

Brushing the dust off his clothes, Li Cheng chuckled twice, looking at the two somewhat disheveled people in front of him.

"So, let's talk about the situations we encountered."

For about half an hour, the three of them shared how they got caught up in the maze and what they encountered there.

Both Kiritsugu Emiya and Tetsukasa were in the area where they were originally lying in ambush when they suddenly felt dizzy. When they came to their senses, they found themselves in this gloomy and silent labyrinth.

Unlike Li Cheng, the two of them quickly reunited. Later, during their exploration of the maze, they encountered the same giant white monster that Li Cheng had faced earlier. Finding themselves unable to fight it, they retreated. The white monster chased them for a while, but then, seemingly having discovered something else, abandoned the pursuit and returned to the spot where the two had first encountered it.

Based on Kiritsugu Emiya's time estimation, the monster encountered Li Cheng, who had come looking for the two, shortly after abandoning the pursuit. This suggests that the monster discovered Li Cheng, which is why it abandoned its targets, Kiritsugu Emiya and Tetsukasa.

After wandering through the maze for some time, the two discovered a large pile of bones in a small square, where they were chased by a horde of skeletons. This time, the enemy pursued them relentlessly, and the two were chased for at least an hour until Li Cheng came to their rescue.

“That’s roughly the situation on our end. Cheng, what’s the situation on your end? When we were outside earlier, I noticed someone appear in front of you. It wasn’t long after that person appeared that we got caught up in this strange place.”

Emiya Kiritsugu lit a cigarette and asked Li Cheng with a serious expression.

“That guy calls himself Amakusa Shirou, and seems to be a twisted kind of justice like you, Emiya (Emiya Kiritsugu frowned). The one who activated this barrier is most likely that huge white monster. Its main body should be somewhere in this labyrinth, and what we fought earlier was probably its clone. If we find the main body, we can probably find a way to leave.”

After a moment's thought, Li Cheng ultimately decided against revealing the chilling fact that Zi had previously told him—that the barrier was powerful enough to trap those who had transcended. While Emiya Kiritsugu could understand that this information came from Zi, Tie Feng didn't know who the girl who usually clung to him was. He didn't have the energy to explain further, and besides, revealing such a thing wouldn't be of much value and wouldn't change the current situation for the three of them.

"In short, if we want to leave here, we need to find the person who created this labyrinth barrier, either kill him or persuade him (physically) to break the spell, right?"

Tie Feng sighed and said.

"That seems to be the case so far, but Emiya, you should have taken precautions, right?"

Li Cheng looked at Emiya Kiritsugu, who was smoking silently.

“Yes, but there’s no contingency plan for this situation. Right now, there’s absolutely no way to communicate with the outside world, and the methods I prepared earlier are meaningless. However, assuming that time flows at the same rate inside and outside this barrier, if we remain out of contact for another six hours, Wuming will come over.”

"Wu Ming, if it's a barrier, he should indeed have some understanding of it, but can he really handle a barrier of this level?"

Li Cheng nodded knowingly, but still showed a somewhat doubtful expression.