Under the cover of night, several figures moved through the streets of Orario.
All of them were fully armed.
Leading the group was none other than the captain of the Freya Familia, Ottar.
Beside him were four men who looked almost identical.
They were the Gulliver Brothers, core members of the Familia.
The four brothers were all powerful first-class adventurers:
Alfrigg Gulliver – eldest brotherDvalinn Gulliver – second brotherBerling Gulliver – third brotherGull Gulliver – youngest brother
All four were Prums, yet each possessed Level 5 strength.
Their weapons differed—sword, hammer, spear, and axe.
When they fought together, their perfectly coordinated attacks gave them combat power comparable to a Level 6 adventurer.
In the original story, they had appeared several times.
One night, after Ais Wallenstein finished training Bell, they and Allen Fromel ambushed them and even threatened Ais.
Later, when Bell was trapped inside the Ishtar Familia, they followed Freya's command to attack Ishtar under Ottar's leadership.
However, because they disliked Bell—the one who had taken Freya's attention—they told Ottar they would only cut off Ishtar's escape route and would never risk their lives to rescue Bell.
This alone showed how the Gulliver brothers felt about anyone who attracted Freya's special interest.
They were not friendly at all.
"An Artificial Labyrinth, huh?"
"I never imagined something like that existed in Orario."
Dvalinn spoke in surprise.
Having lived in the city for so many years, the discovery of such a hidden place shocked him.
"Ottar."
"Is it true that tonight's operation was proposed by that guy Cao Ye?"
Berling, the third brother, suddenly spoke, directly mentioning Cao Ye.
Just as Cao Ye had predicted earlier—
Within the Freya Familia, every member viewed the others as romantic rivals.
And now a newcomer who was especially favored by Freya had appeared.
Naturally, he became a target of hostility.
Only Freya's authority prevented anyone from acting.
If Cao Ye ever lost even a little of Freya's favor—
What awaited him would likely be hell.
Never underestimate the fury of a group of obsessive worshippers.
"Yes."
Ottar simply replied.
"Let me say this first."
"If that guy gets into trouble tonight, I'm not going to save him."
"I came here to obey the goddess's order—not to protect him."
Berling's tone was blunt.
Ottar glanced at him but said nothing.
Having served Freya for years, Ottar knew clearly how important Cao Ye had become in her eyes.
If someone deliberately let Cao Ye die, Freya would absolutely punish them.
But Ottar wasn't worried.
That boy was practically a little monster.
His strength was far from weak.
"Do as you wish."
"But tonight's mission cannot fail."
"Every member of the Ikelos Familia must be eliminated."
"Got it."
"Allen already took the others to Daedalus Street."
"The manpower should be deployed by now."
"Good."
The group soon entered the Dungeon.
Even though they knew an entrance to the Artificial Labyrinth existed somewhere near Daedalus Street, the exact location was unknown.
So the Familia's main force waited there.
To enter the labyrinth, they had to use the entrance on the 18th Floor—the only location Cao Ye knew.
Meanwhile, Cao Ye had already gone ahead with the key.
Daedalus Street, located in District 3 – the Slums, was chaotic and full of hidden dangers.
No one knew how many enemies might be hiding there.
So most of the Familia's forces were deployed in that area.
Ottar and the Gulliver brothers formed a strike team.
Their goal:
Enter the Artificial Labyrinth.
Create chaos.
Force the enemies inside to escape through other exits.
Once they did—
The remaining entrances could be discovered.
Soon, a Level 7 and four Level 5s passed through the upper floors and reached Floor 18 without difficulty.
"You're finally here, Ottar."
Cao Ye was already waiting in front of the massive gate.
He had arrived early to locate the door so they wouldn't waste time later.
"You're Cao Ye?"
The youngest Gulliver brother, Gull, stared at him.
"That's right."
"I'm Cao Ye."
"What do you want?"
Looking at the four short figures, Cao Ye immediately guessed their identities.
Same height.
Same armor.
Four different weapons.
The famous Gulliver Brothers, known as the Flame-Gold Four Warriors.
Suddenly—
SWOOSH
Gull lifted a giant battle axe, effortlessly holding it despite his small body.
The blade rested directly against Cao Ye's neck.
Instantly—
The atmosphere froze.
"I don't like you."
"Because of you, the goddess's attention and affection have all been taken away."
"If possible…"
"I'd really like to kill you right here."
His voice was icy.
And the murderous intent was unmistakable.
He wasn't joking.
He genuinely wanted Cao Ye dead.
This made Cao Ye realize once again—
This was the Freya Familia.
A group full of internal rivalry and jealousy—
Yet also bound together by absolute loyalty.
Contradictory.
But perfectly consistent.
"So tell me."
"If I kill you here…"
"Will the goddess punish me for it?"
Cao Ye responded calmly.
The moment his words fell—
The tension exploded.
The other three brothers tightened their grips on their weapons.
If not for their remaining rationality, Cao Ye would have been torn apart already.
But Cao Ye remained completely fearless.
Because he knew one thing.
They didn't dare touch him.
Freya favored him.
And the members of her Familia would never disobey her will.
Even if they hated him—
They could only endure it.
Ottar watched everything silently.
He neither stopped Gull nor intervened in Cao Ye's provocation.
Cao Ye stepped forward.
Gull instinctively pulled the axe back slightly.
"See?"
"Even with your weapon at my neck…"
"You still don't dare hurt me."
"Because you know—without the goddess's permission—"
"If you harm me, you will be punished."
"You think I wouldn't dare?"
Gull's temper flared.
The axe moved forward again, stopping only centimeters from Cao Ye's throat.
"Would you?"
Cao Ye met his eyes calmly.
"You might not care about punishment."
"But can you really endure the goddess's disgust?"
That sentence struck the core.
Every member of the Freya Familia feared nothing.
Not even death.
But losing Freya's favor—
That was worse than death.
The atmosphere froze again.
Gull stood there with the axe raised.
For the first time—
He didn't know what to do.
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