"Lord Fron, look over there."
The messenger, drenched from the rain, wiped his face and pointed toward the depths from which the monsters were pouring, his expression slightly tense.
Fron followed his gaze and saw that the heavily sealed passage gate, one that had remained firmly shut under their blockade, was now wide open, as though inviting adventurers in for a "supervised inspection."
"My lord, this is our chance! Reports indicate that to release the monsters, all the gates under our surveillance have been opened. Although they're still pouring out nonstop, if we strengthen our counterattack, we can use this opening to surround the man-made dungeon and annihilate them in one decisive strike!"
"..." Fron shot the young man beside him a sidelong glance, a mix of exasperation and disbelief in his eyes.
"Uh… is something wrong?"
Fron's mouth twitched. He patted the man's shoulder and sighed.
"Do you know why I'm the field commander and you're not?"
The young man blinked in confusion.
"Isn't it because you're Level 6?"
"…Kid, that's exactly why you're just a squad leader and I'm the one giving orders."
Leaving the bewildered man behind, Fron walked alone toward the entrance.
"A trap that obvious, used over and over again… it's just boring now."
And how did Fron know it was a trap?
Because in the Knossos, every inch was lined with hidden mechanisms. If they recklessly charged in, they would be trapped and tortured to death.
Even with a key, escaping alive would only be a possibility, not a certainty. As for conquering it outright… they simply didn't have the strength.
[T/N: Bro seriously, you say you are strong enough, then backtrack that you're not strong enough. Please decide one~]
The clearest evidence was that monsters kept coming out, but not a single Evilus remnant had shown themselves. Those cunning bastards had released the creatures, locked the gate from within, and hidden deep in the tunnels.
Otherwise, with beast tamers present, Fron's magical aura alone would have caused the monsters to crush their handlers first.
...
"Those #@! Loki Familia bastards! And that @#%^ 'Night Weaver'! Is this the target that guy asked us to delay!? What a joke! If they keep exterminating at this rate, our monster reserves will drop drastically, the entire defensive system of the labyrinth will collapse!!"
"My lord, "
"I know. It's the price we pay."
"Right… The breeding of Violas require a lot of magic stones. After the Guild started watching us, our operating costs skyrocketed."
"All right, all right. We've already achieved our purpose. Good work."
In a dim stone hall, torchlight danced against the cold walls, stretching the shadows of the figures standing there.
This was a hidden hall within the labyrinth, the long-term base of the Evilus remnants inside Knossos.
At the center stood a stone pedestal bearing a crimson orb. By manipulating it, they could freely control the "gates" throughout the labyrinth.
Combined with the omnipresent surveillance devices within, it gave them near-total control, enough to toy even with the Loki Familia, keys or not.
It was for this reason that the remnants called this chamber The Room Between Labyrinth, the domain of those who ruled the maze.
Listening to the reports of the battle between the city and the Loki Familia, the god who presided over death smiled faintly.
"That fool Ikeros and his hysterical followers truly outdid my expectations… but still, Loki Familia's little trick has been exposed."
"Using their current commander, the 'Night Weaver', to draw our attention here, while over there they half-heartedly intercept the Xenos… trying to lure us out of the labyrinth, huh."
The god brushed back his long, dark-purple hair, radiating an air of decadent calm as he lounged lazily on a stone chair, legs crossed.
Clearly, he was pleased with himself for seeing through their plan.
Yet, as the image of a certain child crossed his mind, his brow furrowed slightly.
"We could've just stayed put, releasing monsters to wear them down. Eventually, they'd exhaust themselves. But that damned 'Night Weaver', his stamina's endless!"
Fron would never have imagined that the activation of his passive skill 'Reader' in the dead of night would be so wildly misinterpreted by a god himself....
...
Meanwhile, to prevent Fron from pulling away and interfering, the Evilus intensified their offensive once again.
At the same time,
The Xenos, led by Gros, Ray, and Fels, thought they had broken through the blockade and were about to return to the dungeon, only to find a dead end before them.
"What's going on, Fels!?"Gros roared at the stone wall blocking their way, fury burning in his eyes.
Fels, holding the crystal lens, remained silent.
"Heh… I think you'd best stay right where you are. The stage and the actors are all in place now, and I don't want him to be interrupted."
"..."
From the darkness, a figure emerged, golden hair, a feathered traveler's hat.
Who else but the god Hermes?
"So it's you behind all this?"
"Oh, no no no. I don't have that kind of power to manipulate the Loki Familia. But… I might know a little about why they've lost interest in you."
"..." Gros and Rods fell silent. Fels said nothing.
In the dark corridor, silence spoke louder than words.
Hermes hadn't said it, but they could all guess, the Loki Familia must've been caught up in something far more critical.
And in all of Orario, besides the great familias and the scheming Evilus, who else could possess such influence?
The Guild? Hardly. Not when Fels' very identity was taken into account.
"So that's what Lili meant… That's why we managed to escape with our lives."
Hermes smiled pleasantly, but his words were chilling.
"To guide the hero back onto the path he's meant to walk… ending your lives here is the right choice. Your existence, "
BOOM BOOM BOOM,
Before he could finish, a violent quake tore through the tunnel, nearly throwing Hermes off his feet.
"What the hell!? Asfi!!!"
Asfi appeared silently at his side, looking down at the bewildered god sprawled on the ground.
"My apologies… but this wasn't one of ours."
"Then what in the world, "
BOOM! BOOM BOOM,
The ground shook again, followed by the thunder of collapsing stone and roaring explosions.
And amid the chaos came the sound of something massive stomping forward,
"ROOOOAAAARRRRR!!"
"This is!"
Gros, Rods, and the others' pupils shrank sharply as a single, overwhelming figure rose in their minds...