The Labyrinth Turned Demon Den

Not long ago, the Loki Familia's Artificial Labyrinth assault team, led by Finn, had to desperately escape through the hole created by the Return Pillar to avoid being devoured due to the rampant proliferation of Green Flesh.

They looked particularly disheveled at the time. Even Ais looked like she had been chased and was on the run. They looked like they had suffered a defeat. Anyone who saw them would feel that they were all slinking away in disgrace.

But today, above the hole where Finn and the others could only escape, countless figures, accompanied by loud battle cries, leaped into the hole and entered the Artificial Labyrinth of Knossos.

There are no more of those disgusting, tumor-like Green Flesh here. Before the Artificial Labyrinth battle began, in order to ensure that the roads were clear and the battle went smoothly, the guild had organized relevant personnel to work tirelessly to carve out a passage here, burn all the Green Flesh, and set up ladders for people to pass through.

Thus, countless adventurers jumped down from the great hole, either using ladders or climbing the walls, until they reached the spot where the evil god Thanatos had sent them back.

It was a vast space filled with columns.

The depth is roughly equivalent to the 9th Floor of the Dungeon. It is surrounded by uneven Green Flesh, and there is a tattered and broken banner of the Thanatos Familia next to it. It seems to be the banner of the last Evilus, but unfortunately it is now completely rotten.

This is the closest point to the 10th Floor where the Spirit Clone reside.

Therefore, Finn decided to attack from here almost without much thought when devising his strategy.

"The nearby Green Flesh has ceased activity, and no monsters have been detected. All units are proceeding to the target location according to the pre-arranged routes!"

At Finn's command, all the adventurers immediately split into six groups and rushed out of the space in an orderly fashion, entering the passage overrun with Green Flesh.

"First unit, advance north!"

"The Second and Third Armies will proceed to the Northeast and Southeast respectively!"

"The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Units will temporarily advance along the southern passage, and will proceed separately once they reach the fork in the road!"

After giving the final general instructions, Finn looked at his companions.

"Riveria Ljos Alf, Gareth, you two better not mess up!"

Leaving these words behind, the Prum leader took the lead, along with the tense Raul and the others, and together they charged towards the northern passage.

"You boastful brat, you're the one who should be worried about your own safety!"

Gareth laughed heartily, full of vigor, and led Anakitty and the others southeast.

"Be careful, come back alive."

Riveria Ljos Alf glanced at Leo and Ais, left those words, and then led her group away.

"Miss Ais, please take care."

Lefiya Viridis hesitated for a long time, but in the end she didn't say much. She just gave this one instruction and then silently followed Riveria Ljos Alf.

Bete Loga remained silent, his murderous aura perfectly embodying the meaning behind his title, "The Fierce Wolf," as he led his team out.

"We're leaving too! Leo! Ais! Don't die!"

Tiona chuckled, still with that innocent and carefree demeanor, showing no sign of nervousness.

"I'm counting on you guys from now on. Don't let the leader down."

Tione simply waved his hand dismissively, twirling a pair of recurve swords in his hand.

The two Amazonian warriors headed in different directions, followed by a vast procession of adventurers from various clans.

These adventurers encouraged each other, bid farewell, and left this place with a myriad of emotions.

They didn't know how many people would survive after the war ended.

They had no idea how many of the people who smiled and said goodbye to them at that moment would never be seen again.

They didn't even know if they would have the chance to leave this place and see the sunlight on the ground again.

Therefore, this farewell may very well be the last time they see each other.

But this is the fate of adventurers, the fate of warriors.

For Orario, and for the Lower World, they had no choice but to step forward, to fight, to take risks, even knowing that what lay ahead might be their final resting place.

When all the adventurers had left, only Leo and Ais remained.

They remained silent, watching all the adventurers depart until the place was completely quiet before they began to act.

"Let's go too, Ais."

Leo's expression was very calm, even indifferent.

Although this is a den of demons, a dangerous enemy territory, at this point, Leo is no longer capable of feeling any fear.

He is no longer the same as before; he is no longer the rookie adventurer who needed Ais's protection, companions to guide him, and someone to support him from behind.

Now, not only has his level completely caught up with Ais and the others who were once out of reach, but his strength is also arguably the strongest in the entire raiding team.

Unless [the Brave] Ottar appears here, the position of the strongest fighter will always belong to him.

He is now arguably one of the top two in Orario, and even if the entire Lower World is included, he would still be in the top three. Only two Lv.7s can rival him.

This is the source of their confidence.

In addition, through countless adventures and battles, Leo has thoroughly cultivated the mindset of a strongman. No matter what kind of dangerous place lies ahead, he will not feel fear, but will only forge ahead to challenge it.

Naturally, Ais was the same.

She was fearless and undeterred; a fighting spirit burned ever stronger within her.

Entering this Artificial Labyrinth that had once been defeated, Ais's feelings were completely different from last time.

She could feel a familiar aura constantly wafting around her, stimulating the Fairy Blood within her and making her restless.

She could also sense the presence of a "sworn enemy" here, as if the other party was also waiting for her to return.

Ais knew that the former was brought by the Spirit Clone, while the latter was that red-haired monster Revis.

Both are inextricably linked to her, which is why the Fairy Blood within her has been restless ever since it entered this place.

In the past, this feeling would definitely have made Ais uneasy.

But now, Ais can't.

Her spirit and her heart were at a state of unprecedented peace and stability.

This is all because of the presence of Leo Eligos by her side.

As long as this "Oathbound" exists, Ais's spirit will no longer waver or be in turmoil.

"This way."

In a moment of sudden inspiration, Ais seemed to know which direction she should go, and she headed down a path.

This was the direction the Fairy Blood within her was telling her, and it also triggered her body's instincts and fighting spirit in noisy places.

Ais that if she went in this direction, she would surely meet that being.

Leo unconditionally trusted this intuition and rushed into the passage with Ais, running forward.

They weren't running at full speed, just at a steady pace. But even at that steady pace, their speed was incredible, making them almost disappear into two afterimages, creating gusts of wind.

The surrounding Green Flesh seemed to sense someone approaching and wriggled slightly. However, their activity level was completely different from their previous gluttonous state. Not only did they no longer proliferate wildly, but their reactions were also particularly slow, making one wonder if something had absorbed their power.

In fact, this phenomenon was confirmed by scouts sent by the guild shortly after the Loki Familia withdrew from the Artificial Labyrinth.

They discovered that the activity of the Green Flesh in the Artificial Labyrinth had greatly decreased, and its condition worsened the closer it got to the surface. That's why they dared to take action to clear out the Green Flesh and carve out a path for the conquest.

Otherwise, if the Green Flesh here continues to proliferate and surge as before, their intervention will be futile.

However, the closer they get to the underground and to the location of the Spirit Clone, the better the condition of the Green Flesh will be, so they cannot be careless now.

There's a "gate" blocking the way.

The sharp-eyed Ais had already noticed that there was an obstruction ahead of the path.

It was a door that gleamed with a silvery sheen, made of the hardest metal Orichalcum.

There were red tentacles wrapped around the door, as if locking it shut.

However, as Leo and Ais approached the "door," the red tentacles suddenly erupted, transforming into long red spears that pierced towards them at astonishing speed.

"Bass!"

Leo and Ais simultaneously drew their swords, causing platinum and silver light to flash.

"Pfft!" "Pfft!" "Pfft!"----

The two continued their charge forward without stopping, maintaining their speed, until the red tentacles reached their faces. Only then did they unleash a flurry of sword strikes, severing the attacking tentacles one by one.

After their numerous fierce battles in the Dungeon, both of them made significant progress in their stats after the update, becoming even stronger.

In particular, Leo's stats have now surpassed Ais's across the board, reaching the highest level of Lv.6. Even just looking at his stats on paper, he is no worse than veteran powerhouses like Finn, Riveria Ljos Alf, and Gareth, not to mention his profound potential, development capabilities, and powerful skills.

Therefore, the two simply swung their swords casually, but the swords were faster than light, and in the blink of an eye, they easily severed the attacking red tentacles.

"Pfft!"

As the two advanced like a whirlwind, they severed countless tentacles along the way. The red tentacles wrapped around the "door" were eventually cut off by the two of them, causing the hardest metal door made of Orichalcum to lose control and burst open, revealing a staircase leading downwards.

"The passage to the 10th Floor!"

The two of them perked up, exchanged a glance, and then jumped into the passage.

With this leap, the two arrived at the 10th Floor where the Spirit Clone were located, which was also the most important destination in this campaign.

However, when Leo and Ais arrived at this floor, the sight that greeted them made them stop in their tracks.

Here, like the floors above, everything was covered in Green Flesh. However, unlike the other floors which were like rotting lesions, the roads here were covered with a thin green carpet, forming an incredibly smooth surface. Even the walls and ceilings were like this, without a single gap, allowing the entire passage formed by the Green Flesh to stretch out, presenting a spectacular emerald green scene.

Upon closer inspection, numerous fine lines of light were found scattered across the floor covered with a thin layer of Green Flesh.

"This is----?"

Leo looked down and immediately realized that these bands of light contained astonishing Demonic Power.

The fine lines of light intertwined like some kind of circuit, forming patterns that looked rather strange.

"Magic Circle----"

Ais whispered the true nature of these circuits.

Yes, they are magic circles.

The magic circle [Six Fairy Rings], which connects the six fairy spirits and uses the original Return Pillar as a catalyst, is the altar.

These circuits cause Demonic Power to circulate, forming a large ring, which is the foundation of the [Six Fairy Rings] used to Power of Destruction the Labyrinth City.

Ais almost reflexively raised her sword, ready to destroy the circuits, but Leo stopped her.

"It's useless. The magic circles scattered across the ground are just the surface. The structure covering the entire labyrinth is the true altar. Unless the entire Artificial Labyrinth is destroyed, or this entire floor is destroyed, it's just the surface. No matter how many times it's destroyed, it will be restored to its original state by the flow of Demonic Power."

As he spoke, Leo looked around and said something.

"The structure here is clearly different from other places. The entire space is filled with an unusually strong flow of magical energy. Ordinary people would feel dizzy just by staying here. Be careful not to fall into a state of Demonic Power dizziness."

Leo can now be considered an expert in magic; at least he has read almost all the books on magic in the Twilight Manor's library.

With Riveria Ljos Alf, his magic mentor, providing him with close instruction, Leo now possesses enough knowledge and insight to discern things of this caliber.

"Also, listen carefully."

Leo reminded Ais to close Ais eyes and listen.

Soon, Ais heard a clear, ethereal voice, like a young girl singing, faintly drifting from the depths of the passage ahead.

Ais immediately opened her eyes.

"It's singing."

The Ring Poem sung by the Spirit Clone became clearly audible upon reaching this point.

A sense of urgency inevitably arose in Ais's heart.

She knew that if the poem was allowed to finish, not only them, but the entire Orario would be blown to smithereens.

But----

"This is something the commander and his team need to handle."

Leo calmly recounted his story.

"The entity we need to deal with is someone else."

97

Upon hearing this, Ais took a deep breath, suppressing the sense of urgency in her heart.

Let's go.

The girl took the first step and ran forward.

Leo squinted and quickly followed.

The two deviated from the path leading to the six Spirit Clones and headed in a deserted direction.