For a moment, the scene fell into a stalemate.
And Cao Ye perfectly demonstrated what it meant to be "fearless because he had backing."
The other three Gulliver brothers—aside from the eldest—glared angrily at him. Their dissatisfaction was obvious.
"Put the weapon away."
At that moment, the eldest brother, Alfrigg, spoke.
Normally he often had to clean up the mess left by his hot-tempered younger brothers, but when it came to important matters, the final decision always belonged to him.
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, Gull withdrew his weapon, though his face was still full of resentment.
Seeing this, Cao Ye smiled.
So you backed down, huh.
If it actually came to fighting, Cao Ye wasn't sure he could beat them.
But as long as they didn't dare attack, he stood in an unbeatable position.
As long as Freya hadn't lost interest in him, he held a death-immunity card.
"Cao Ye, stop wasting time. Our time is valuable."
Alfrigg looked at him and spoke calmly.
Although he also disliked Cao Ye, right now they had no choice but to cooperate.
Especially since tonight's operation was a direct order from Freya.
Before dawn, the Artificial Labyrinth must be taken down.
"The location of the gate has been confirmed."
"Next, we enter."
"But let me make one thing clear."
"The Artificial Labyrinth is extremely large. It has already extended into the middle floors of the Dungeon."
"So once we're inside, eliminate every enemy you see as quickly as possible."
"Understood."
The four brothers weren't fools.
They knew now was not the time for internal conflict.
If they wanted revenge, they could deal with that later.
Rustle—
At that moment, a figure approached from the distance.
It was Chun Ji.
The Gulliver brothers frowned when they saw her.
They didn't understand why a woman was being brought along.
She didn't look strong at all.
"You're really bringing her with us?"
This time Ottar spoke.
And the look he gave Chun Ji carried a hint of seriousness.
As someone who had personally experienced the power of Uchide no Kozuchi, Ottar understood her value better than anyone.
Tonight's mission was to eliminate the Ikelos Familia.
Bringing Chun Ji along could be dangerous.
Everyone inside the labyrinth were desperate criminals.
If anything happened to her, it would be an irreparable loss for the Familia.
"Don't underestimate Chun Ji."
"She's now nine times stronger than before."
"…Nine times?"
Ottar froze.
"…You mean…?"
"Yes."
"That exact 'you mean.'"
Hiss—
Ottar couldn't help taking a sharp breath.
He looked at Chun Ji in disbelief.
Even before, her Uchide no Kozuchi magic had already shocked him.
And now it had improved even further.
Chun Ji herself felt somewhat overwhelmed by the attention.
It was the first time she had received such serious recognition.
But thanks to the Grimoire, she had awakened a second magic, and her confidence had grown significantly.
Meanwhile, the Gulliver brothers were completely confused.
They had no idea what kind of riddle those two were speaking in.
They soon arrived before a stone wall.
Cao Ye released his magic power.
The air around them trembled.
A square entrance slowly revealed itself.
Cao Ye stepped inside first.
Immediately, it became clear that the walls were constructed from special materials.
Ahead stood a massive gate.
The entire door was made of Orichalcum.
Without the key, entering would be almost impossible.
Near the gate, Cao Ye also noticed an engraved signature.
"Daedalus."
The originator of everything.
A mad craftsman from a thousand years ago.
To fulfill his obsession, he had cursed his descendants with a mission that lasted a millennium.
Without wasting time, Cao Ye took out the key.
At once, the key resonated with the gate.
The eye pattern on the key emitted a faint red glow.
RUMBLE—
The enormous gate slowly opened.
The entrance to the Artificial Labyrinth was revealed.
"So this is the Artificial Labyrinth?"
After entering, Alfrigg looked at the vast carved space around them in disbelief.
Could this really have been built by human hands?
A labyrinth comparable to the Dungeon itself.
It was astonishing.
"Who are you?!"
Suddenly, a loud shout echoed.
At a doorway in the distance, a man had spotted them and shouted angrily.
Anyone appearing here had to be either Ikelos Familia members or Dark Faction criminals.
Either way—
They could all be killed.
Whoosh—
Thud!
Before Cao Ye could even move, Alfrigg had already acted.
He hurled the spear in his hand.
Even from dozens of meters away, it struck with perfect accuracy.
The spear pierced the man's chest and nailed him directly to the wall.
Dead instantly.
"Let's confirm the mission."
Alfrigg turned to Cao Ye.
"Everyone here must be eliminated, correct?"
"Yes."
"If we're going to take over this place, the original owners must be removed."
"But try to collect these keys when you see them."
"It'll save trouble later."
"Understood."
Alfrigg glanced at the key in Cao Ye's hand and memorized its appearance.
The other three brothers were already cracking their knuckles eagerly.
If they performed well in this mission, they would surely gain Freya's recognition.
For them, that was the highest honor possible.
"Ottar, guard this entrance."
"I'll leave it to you."
Since this was the entrance, it was also an exit.
Someone had to guard it.
And the obvious choice was Ottar.
As for the Gulliver brothers—
All four were Level 5 adventurers.
Even without Ottar's help, dealing with the Ikelos Familia would not be difficult for them.
"Then let's begin."
The moment those words were spoken—
The four Gulliver brothers exploded into action.
They rushed forward like wild horses returning to open grassland.
Cao Ye couldn't help feeling speechless.
So they're rushing to steal the kills?
He had no interest in competing.
Instead, he led Chun Ji deeper into the labyrinth.
Magic Release.
To prevent any accidents, Cao Ye activated the skill immediately.
He carefully monitored everything around him.
As for the four brothers who had already disappeared into the labyrinth—
Cao Ye only had one thought:
Do your best…
Just try not to get lost.
Because this wasn't an exaggeration.
This place was the Daedalus family's thousand-year masterpiece.
And since it was called a labyrinth, it was naturally complex and winding.
If you weren't careful—
You really could get lost.
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