Chapter 497

Chapter 504: A Chance to Redeem Regrets (Please Subscribe!)

If it were before Izay found the entrance on Daedalus Street, Loki might have still approached Pernia to ask for her input. After all, that divine being had lived in this area of Daedalus Street for centuries and knew it best. If anyone could find the hidden secrets of this place quickly, it would definitely be her.

But now that they already had a map and the location of the entrance, Loki wouldn’t dare to approach her.

Not because she disliked her… Pernia wasn’t as bad as imagined; occasionally, she’d even swindle money from the rich to help the poor in the slums.

It was just simply… Loki didn’t want to lose luck.

Being affected by her poverty would lead to serious consequences!

Serious enough that there might not be any divine wine for a whole week…

That would absolutely be worse than death for Loki~

After hearing the reason for the detour from Loki’s mouth, everyone helplessly shook their heads.

She truly lived up to expectations.

“Over there… is that… a staircase? It’s Finn’s group!”

“Finally! I’m about to get dizzy from all the winding paths!”

“Leader——☆!”

After entering the “Old Sewer System” of Daedalus Street through a dilapidated hut, Loki’s group finally reunited with Finn’s team.

“The place where you, Izay, discovered the ‘door’ should be ahead, right? We found a massive gate made of orichalcum at the end of the staircase.” Finn gestured towards the direction of the staircase.

Izay nodded in confirmation: “Yeah, if it’s that kind of gate, it can’t be wrong. I’ve used perception magic to investigate, and inside, it’s like a maze.”

Orichalcum, also known as Orlahcon.

It was the material used to forge Ais’s “Sword of Despair,” incorporated into Izay’s “Repelling Evil,” and also the essential material for indestructible armed equipment—the hardest refined metal, without exception.

Because of its extreme hardness, weapon smiths only dared to incorporate a small amount of orichalcum when crafting weapons.

If an entire piece of orichalcum were used to forge a weapon, not only would the cost be astronomical, but the forging process would deter even the most skilled blacksmiths.

It’s akin to handing a block of tungsten to a blacksmith and asking them to hammer it into a weapon.

Just plain torment.

And yet, a gate forged entirely from orichalcum speaks volumes of its value.

“Such a large piece of orichalcum, selling it would easily fetch ten digits. The Dark Faction people are really generous—I almost want to take it back.”

Loki, after reaching the end of the staircase, couldn’t help but feel envious and mutter under her breath upon seeing the gate.

She wasn’t joking—she was completely serious.

Those people were practically blocking the door with a mountain of gold, extravagance at its finest!

“With such an extraordinary gate prepared, it seems certain that this must be those people’s secret base.” Gress hugged his “Battle Axe of Earth” and eyed the gate thoughtfully.

As he said, constructing such an elaborate gate here was tantamount to openly declaring that something sinister lay behind it.

“Should we break it down, Loki? I’ve mastered the Development Ability ‘Shatter,’ maybe I can do it?”

Tiona eagerly volunteered, which immediately tensed the atmosphere.

Indeed, since they had located the enemy’s main base, the next issue was how to “infiltrate.”

The option of breaking in appeared in everyone’s mind.

However, as if hearing their thoughts, the door seemed to express the idea of “Don’t touch me, please spare me.”

“Screech————”

The “gate” opened with a sound.

“!!”

The sudden movement startled everyone, with Finn leading the charge to draw their weapons. Ais protected Loki while retreating, Riviria and Izay stood guard in front of the magicians.

As they braced themselves, the hardest metal gate ascended, revealing a deep maw.

The dimly lit passage exposed itself before everyone, with blue phosphorescent Magic Stones flickering eerily like ghostly fires extending inward.

“That is…?”

“Someone is opening the door for us!?”

Though only for an instant, numerous Level 6 eyes clearly caught sight of a masked figure in dark robes retreating into the darkness.

That indigo-purple hooded cloak, along with the mask bearing strange patterns.

They were the masked individuals who appeared on the 24th floor grain storage and during the expedition to the 53rd floor.

They were inviting them in.

“This… is a trap, isn’t it…?”

Needless to say, even Refia, who was relatively inexperienced, could discern the enemy’s intentions.

“Even though we’ve been found at the doorstep, they’re still so brazen…” Loki subtly twisted her lips.

A feeling of being underestimated welled up within her.

But Loki couldn’t deny that, at this moment, a faint sense of unease lingered in her heart.

“Bert, Coss, you two go first to scout the interior situation. But don’t go too deep, return quickly.”

While others harbored various thoughts due to the current situation, Finn took on the role of command tower and began issuing instructions accordingly.

Following his cautious orders, the Level 6 werewolf and Level 4 canine man invaded the passage without hesitation.

At this time, Izay’s gaze wandered over the human girl Rine and some people beside her.

(If my memory serves, Rine will encounter trouble during this exploration of the artificial labyrinth Knossos, including herself, seven members will die or go missing…)

At this moment, Izay’s expression turned somber.

Last night, he was thinking that if there was ever a chance to change things, he would seize it, and today, he faced this situation.

Truly, it was laughable and absurd.

Of course, it’s not like Izay felt anxious or anything.

On the contrary, his mind was unprecedentedly calm at this moment.

(Let’s give it a try, Dark Faction… Under my protection, do you still stand a chance to harm my companions?)

Izay slightly closed his eyes and patiently waited for Bert and Coss’s return.

About ten minutes later, the two returned with news.

“The area near the entrance seems safe, no monsters or people around, but further in, the paths become intricate and complex, almost comparable to Daedalus Street, or even like a dungeon!”

—An artificially constructed labyrinth.

This was Bert and Coss’s conclusion.

After listening to the report, Finn fell silent momentarily.

The image of soldiers fortifying a stronghold flashed through his mind.

Their current position was that of invaders, and before them lay the fortress, where an unknown number of remnants of the Dark Faction awaited their arrival.

At this point, should they play it safe and retreat to wait for another opportunity?

Or, knowing it’s a trap, recklessly plunge in and head straight for the enemy’s base?

Whichever choice, there were significant risks involved.