bookbashuk #172 - Section 172
#172 - Section 172
The God inscribed [Sacred Glyphs] onto her back with Divine Blood. As the final rune was completed, a soft light shimmered, marking the birth of a divine familiar.
As the words faded, His followers, clad in long robes, erupted in excited cheers. They trembled as if touched by divine inspiration, some even with tears streaming down their faces, spreading the fervor throughout the stone chamber, filling every corner.
The God Thanatos stood on the altar, gazing down at his followers, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.
The blue glow of the magic stone lamps flickered in the dim passageway, the lonely echo of footsteps reverberating in the silence, particularly distinct.
“Hard work, God Thanatos~”
She spoke, her tone laced with a hint of lazy banter.
The smile on her face held a touch of mockery, unreservedly sarcastic: “You’re getting better and better at acting like a great celestial being.”
Thanatos smiled faintly, the bewitching aura of mystery vanishing instantly, replaced by a nonchalant, flippant demeanor.
Thanatos shrugged, saying casually, “Want to try playing the great celestial being, little sister Valetta?”
“You have to put on an imposing air, say things that can fulfill their ridiculous wishes. That’s what makes it convincing, isn’t it?”
The woman called Valetta gently pushed herself off the stone wall she was leaning against and followed behind Thanatos, seemingly accustomed to this kind of casual conversation.
“So, what did you call me here for? Surely not just to let me make fun of you?”
Valetta followed Thanatos’ gaze, looking toward the dark passage ahead.
The corners of her lips turned up, her tone light and teasing.
Thanatos shrugged, lazily counting: “The Underground Faction, the Artificial Labyrinth Group, the Poaching Group, and the Mask Group, all present and accounted for.”
Valetta rolled her eyes in exasperation: “Truly devoid of taste.”
In the interlude of this conversation between god and familiar, the visitors gradually entered the hall, the dim blue light of the magic stone lamps illuminating their respective figures.
This was a being neither human nor monster, known as Revis, the [Weirdo].
She wore a white outfit stained with grease and grime, a vest with tool slots filled with implements, along with arm guards and heavy boots, giving the impression of an “engineer on the verge of dropping dead from overwork.”
He was clad in slightly soiled combat gear, a large combat knife that could be used as a short sword strapped to his waist, one arm wrapped in thick bandages.
Finally, two mysterious figures wearing black robes and masks appeared. Their masks completely concealed their faces.
The Weirdo from the depths of the Underground, the engineers who built the artificial labyrinth, the leader of the poaching group, and those two suspicious figures who were always masked and hidden in the shadows—
Thanatos greeted them lazily, his usual flippant smile on his face: “So, what brings you all to me?”
Thanatos raised an eyebrow slightly, a look of surprise on his face: “So soon? Although being discovered was inevitable, it’s a bit too early, isn’t it? According to the original plan, we should have been able to hide for at least another year.”
However, [Gale's] personality seemed to have changed, and instead of being provoked into the trap as expected, she remained steadfastly guarding the Goddess Demeter.
Originally, this wasn't a big problem. As long as they hid their tracks in time, even if the Loki Familia noticed, it would eventually fade away.
But who knew that several fatal accidents would follow one after another, throwing the originally well-planned situation into chaos.
It was unimaginable that such a thing would happen. The Loki Familia directly and smoothly bypassed the [Dragon's Uvda], that terrifyingly difficult area.
The loss of a single fallen fairy wasn't a major issue in itself. The problem was that, after this incident, the Loki Familia had clearly become wary of them.
Their goal was obviously to find Revis or Ennio, attempting to uncover the Underground's operational clues.
However, the Loki Familia's sudden attack inadvertently destroyed Dicks Perdix's base.
And just like that, disaster struck.
The Loki Familia adventurers suddenly broke in and destroyed his hiding place.
And now, the Loki Familia and their allies were still searching Daedalus Street, showing no signs of stopping.
Then, an even worse accident occurred.
She invaded the 36th floor of the Dungeon, raided the secret base used to cultivate the orbs, and forcibly stole one.
[Sword Princess] and the dragon girl joined forces to fight, and Revis was almost killed by their blades.
In the end, the orb could not be retrieved—moreover, the orb, in front of [Holy Sword User] and the Loki Familia adventurers, parasitized a monster and rapidly catalyzed a doppelganger of the fallen fairy.
Ennio's voice was still murky: "The main problem is that the Loki Familia suddenly conquered the 59th floor… The last time they went on an expedition, they only reached the 51st floor. Who could have imagined they would advance so quickly to a deeper level."
Revis's expression was as cold as ice, her tone full of disdain: "I wasn't there at the time. That idiot [White-Haired Ghoul] messed it up."
He paused slightly, then asked: "So, what do we do next?"
Dicks snorted coldly, his tone full of undisguised impatience: "Next, whatever you want to do has nothing to do with me. I only care about one thing—and that's money."
The man rubbed his bandaged shoulder, a hint of annoyance in his voice: "Especially [Holy Sword User], don't expect me to go against that guy for you."
Dicks sneered, a sarcastic smile on his face: "Do you think I'm an idiot, going against that kind of monster for the sake of so-called face and pride? His mental strength is terrifying. My Madness magic has no effect on him at all. And his combat power is far beyond ordinary—I, a Level 5, can't even get a slight advantage against him."
Dicks' gaze swept coldly over the crowd, then he said: "So, whatever [Holy Sword User] or Loki Familia, it has nothing to do with me. My only goal is to catch that dragon girl."
The god turned to look at Valetta, a playful look in his eyes: "And speaking of which, little sister Valetta, it seems you've been brooding over losing to Finn once, wanting to get revenge."
Ennio issued a somber voice from the shadows of his black robes: "Lure the Loki Familia into the artificial labyrinth, and bury them there."
Thanatos raised an eyebrow: "Oh, oh, how decisive. But I'm afraid it won't be that simple. You know, the [Loki Familia]'s strength is no joke."
Thanatos watched Baka's departing figure, a cryptic smile appearing on the corner of his lips: "It's great that little brother Baka agreed. But the time to set the trap is probably a bit tight. After all, if the Loki Familia gets serious, they should be able to find an entrance soon."
Chapter 258: Mureun Port, Beach Swimsuits.
The two cities are so close that they are only about three kilometers apart, practically within reach.
As Orario's gateway to the ocean, Mureun's economic prosperity even exceeds that of the Labyrinth City itself, serving as a hub for various merchant guilds, goods, and wealth.
Most of the goods here are imported into Orario, and Mureun is the distribution center before these goods enter the Labyrinth City. Various trade goods are first docked, sorted, and allocated in Mureun before entering Orario's trading exchanges to ensure the efficiency and smooth flow of goods.
【Speaking of entrances and exits to the Dungeon, isn't the one in Lake Rolok suspicious? Maybe the lid is loose?】
Previously, after being reminded by the God Dionysus, the Goddess Loki also realized this possibility.
And the so-called [Lid] is the huge facility that seals this exit, a large seal with a radius of more than ten meters.
Leviathan was an ancient monster that ascended to the surface from the Dungeon in ancient times, and is listed alongside the [Behemoth, King of the Land] and the [One-Eyed Black Dragon] as one of humanity's long-cherished [Three Great Adventurer Quests], a great calamity in the ocean.
"The same goes for all of you!"
The god turned around, facing the kneeling crowd in the hall, his voice filled with undeniable authority: "When the promised day arrives, I, Thanatos, will fulfill all your wishes! I swear it in my name!"
"Long live Thanatos!"
"Please grant our wishes!"
The crowd chanted the god's name in unison, the sound shaking the stone hall, the entire space seeming to tremble under the impact of the sound.
After a moment, the voices of the followers gradually subsided, and Thanatos had already turned and quietly left the altar, stepping into the dark passage outside the hall.
After walking for a while, a woman appeared before the god, leaning against the stone wall.
It was a human woman wearing a long coat trimmed with monster fur, with only a simple chest-covering shirt under the coat, and tight leather pants on her lower body, looking heroic and飒爽.
His eyes drooped, and his smile seemed lazy and casual, like those idle gods.
"I'm telling you, it's really tiring, my shoulders are sore."
Valletta raised her eyebrows and sneered: "Only an idiot would do such a thing. Besides, only you, a god, can do it. My blood can't give those people divine grace."
Thanatos sighed helplessly, his voice filled with fatigue: "I know, but no matter how many obedient believers there are, it's not enough… Besides, the bigger the organization, the more of a headache it is."
Thanatos turned his head and glanced at her, his smile still easygoing: "We have visitors, look."
"Oh my, is today a special day? To actually see so many people gathered together."
Valletta couldn't help but raise her eyebrows: "Has anyone ever told you? Your taste in naming is really bad."
Thanatos widened his eyes, his face with an innocent expression: "Eh～ Really? I still think these names are quite practical."
The first thing that came into view was a woman with long fiery red hair, her pair of green eyes cold and sharp, her stern face without a trace of expression.
Following closely behind was a man who looked very slovenly, his long hair draped messily over his shoulders, its color as white as snow.
Baka Perdix, the engineer in charge of building the artificial labyrinth.
Beside him was a tall, muscular man with short black hair and deep red eyes, his face stern.
Dix Perdix, Baka's younger brother, the leader of the poaching group.
The two called themselves "Ennio" and "Ein," their specific identities and origins unknown.
Thanatos's taste may be lacking, but it must be admitted that his naming was indeed quite accurate.
"Oh～ Revis, long time no see, and everyone else."
The dark-skinned man who called himself "Ennio" stood in front of Thanatos, his voice turbid and unclear, making it impossible to tell whether it was male or female: "The Loki Familia is about to come knocking."
Ennio opened his mouth: "Recently, some unexpected situations have occurred."
He originally planned to use the enhanced species cultivated through [Slave Cat] to introduce [Gale], who had a deep hatred for Jaro Halma, into the dungeon, in order to eliminate the guards of the goddess Demeter and clear the way for their next actions.
The enhanced species plan failed, and unexpectedly aroused the suspicion of [Holy Sword User (Saber)] and the Loki Familia, angering Ennio to chop up the useless [Slave Cat] and throw it into the carnivorous plant nursery.
The first accident was that the Loki Familia directly conquered the fifty-ninth floor, killing the developing Fallen Fairy.
Even after that, they still had the strength to continue adventuring.
What happened later also exceeded expectations. Even if that Fallen Fairy wasn't in its complete form, it shouldn't have been killed so easily.
Then came the second accident. The Loki Familia somehow obtained information and directly launched a surprise attack on Daedalus Street.
These actions did not go as they wished, and the result was that they did not find any useful traces.
For Dix, this was simply a disaster, he never intended to be an enemy of the Loki Familia, nor had he ever annoyed these powerful adventurers.
If he hadn't released magic in time, and had that easily out-of-control Amazon, Dix would have been almost killed on the spot by [Holy Sword User (Saber)].
Among those intelligent armed monsters that constantly opposed them, a dragon-type monster with abnormally powerful strength was suddenly born.
Revis quickly launched a pursuit, trying to retrieve the Orb, but this action failed due to the interference of the Loki Familia, and she herself was even in an extremely dangerous situation.
The biggest secret of the Fallen Fairy was completely exposed to the opponent.
After listening, Thanatos clapped his hands lightly and sighed: "Tsk, tsk～ You guys have really had a rough time lately, it's like you're cursed by the Loki Familia, and that [Holy Sword User]."
Thanatos shrugged: "This is what they call plans not keeping up with changes."
His gaze turned to the red-haired woman beside him: "Also, Revis, you shouldn't have let the Orb be snatched away so easily, it was a really inexcusable mistake."
"Oh, I see."
Thanatos's tone was somewhat enlightened, and a playful smile hung on the corner of his mouth: "That makes sense."
He glanced over the crowd present and continued: "So, apart from those damn armed monsters, especially that dragon girl, other things, whether it's the Loki Familia or [Holy Sword User], have nothing to do with me."
Thanatos looked at Dix with interest and said with a light smile: "Oh? According to the character of a typical villain, after suffering such a big loss at the hands of [Holy Sword User], shouldn't you be clamoring to deal with him yourself and take revenge with your own hands?"
He paused, then coldly swept around: "Being defeated by an opponent only proves that he is stronger than me, so why should I go looking for trouble again?"
"Moreover, with his age and growth rate, who knows if he has already risen to Lv.4. I won't be your vanguard and send myself to his death in the face of such a monster."
Thanatos nodded indifferently: "Okay, in that case, you have to be careful, Dix. After all, according to Revis, that dragon girl is very powerful."
Valletta glanced at him: "Shut up, you verbose god."
"Okay, I'll leave those armed monsters to you, Dix."
Thanatos said: "As for the Loki Familia who are about to find the 'entrance', what should we do?"
Revis's eyes were cold, and there was not a trace of hesitation in her tone: "Kill everyone except Aria."
Ennio: "Once they find the entrance to the artificial labyrinth, the only choice is to enter. And once they step into it, no matter how powerful the adventurers are, they are just turtles in a jar."
Ennio: "Don't worry, someone will step in to help us hold off the Loki Familia and [Holy Sword User]."
"Even, they might suffer a big loss… if the opponents are those crazy women."
258
Meren is a port city located southwest of Orario, an important hub connecting the labyrinth city to the outside world.
This port city is built on the shores of the huge brackish lake—Lake Rollog, whose waters are connected to the ocean, making this lakeside a thriving trading place.
The port city is full of life due to the continuous arrival of foreign ships. Merchant ships sail along the lake into the port, unloading large quantities of goods—from foreign spices to luxurious silks, all kinds of rare and exotic goods are available.
In addition, Meren is an important export base for Orario's magic stone products. Orario's world-renowned magic stone products, including magic tools, weapons, equipment, etc., are shipped from here to overseas, converging and circulating in this seaport together with precious items from different countries.
At the deepest part of Lake Rollog, there is a secret waterway leading to the dungeon. For thousands of years, monsters have occasionally left the dungeon from here and entered the outside ocean.
The true form of this seal is the remains of [Leviathan, the Overlord of the Sea].