Chapter 502

Chapter 509: Unexpected Twist, Targeting, and Severe Injuries! (Please subscribe!)

The dark blue flames roared.

An explosion resembling a fiery lotus flower rampaged through the labyrinth, forcing back the wave of monsters like an incoming tide with its dazzling light, halting their advance.

Monsters surged endlessly from both side passages but were utterly wiped out by Izay’s magic, truly cleansing the area.

“Wha…what power! So many monsters just vanished in an instant!”

“Opening move being a wide-area annihilation magic? Mr. Izay has indeed grown stronger since returning from that expedition!”

After Izay reached Level 6, most members of Loki Familia hardly had the chance to witness his combat skills.

Since every monster was dealt with instantly, members unable to join the deep exploration team never really grasped the extent of Izay’s strength.

But now, seeing Izay in action again, including Gress, everyone was astonished.

“Starfall!!”

“BOOM———!!”

A flame ignited in his palm as Izay unleashed another blast.

A magic shot aimed straight at the passage entrance tore through it, reducing all monsters inside to ash.

“This way! Don’t waste time on these monsters; let’s find Finn and the others first! The longer we’re separated, the worse it is for us. If the enemies use the maze terrain to isolate us, it’ll be trouble!”

Though Gress noticed Izay’s further enhancement in power, he didn’t dwell on it.

As he said,

This is the enemy’s stronghold, and they have tools capable of manipulating doors forged from Orichalcum. If we don’t reunite with our comrades soon, it’s inevitable that Finn and the others will be isolated by the enemy.

After all, unlike Izay, who possesses the key to this dungeon, Finn and the others don’t have such access.

By the way, how Izay got the key to this dungeon is quite confusing. If things weren’t so urgent, Gress would definitely want to ask him about it.

Now, there’s no retreat for the team. Both passages where monsters are emerging lead to dead ends.

It seems the Dark Faction had locked the monsters into those passages beforehand, using the vast spaces within as storage rooms for monsters, ready to activate them as traps when necessary.

Worse still, there are likely more such places within the current maze!

For now, Gress could only lead the group toward the deliberately left “door” ahead.

“———”

A hazy blue phosphorescence illuminated the people cloaked in dimness.

“Hmph… turns out I was right to prepare the release of divine authority earlier. Loki’s children are truly terrifying. So many new monsters at Levels 4 and 5, wiped out in mere moments. Scary, scary～”

In front of a pedestal, the deity Sarnatos smiled as he spoke with a tone that seemed tinged with afterthought.

Standing beside the deity, Baca, who had previously appeared before Loki Familia, remained silent, frowning deeply.

The stone pedestal in front of them resembled a tree stump, entwined with vines, with a red gem inscribed with the letter D embedded in it. At first glance, it looked somewhat like a fusion with plants.

On the pedestal lay a pale water membrane, which was an especially crucial device in this artificial maze.

Through this water membrane, someone holding the “key” can see the images captured by the “flowers.”

These pre-planted “flowers” are scattered throughout the artificial maze, hidden in the eyes of eerie statues or reliefs.

The 24th floor grain storehouse, grotesquely transformed by parasitic giant flowers, also harbors the same kind of flowers.

Baca and his ancestors originally did not possess this technology; these were products brought by strange individuals. After collaborating with them, “flowers” were shared with Baca as part of the exchange.

Watching the images captured by the “flowers,” honestly, Baca was already regretting agreeing to Sarnatos’ plan.

The strength of that [Silver Star] was somewhat beyond expectations.

Whether Sarnatos and the strange individuals can handle him remains uncertain.

If it comes down to a fight, the “work” will definitely be destroyed.

Even if it’s just part of the upper levels, it’s enough to make Baca feel heartbroken for a long time.

These places were painstakingly crafted by his ancestors, and now they’re being destroyed. What the hell? He’ll have to fix them afterward!

It’ll waste even more time needed to continue completing the “work”…

Baca’s inner frustration grew.

However, no matter how frustrated he felt, it was useless. The subsequent response to Loki Familia’s invasion was proceeding step by step according to Sarnatos’ plan.

The only uncertain factor was Izay.

(Something feels off about this [Silver Star]… I don’t know if Lady Ishtar and the strange lady can handle him. Perhaps I should prepare for an escape route in advance. If caught, I might really get killed…)

Sarnatos stared at the image of Izay passing through the maze mechanism without hesitation, suddenly feeling uneasy.

You could call it a bad omen.

Deities are always sensitive in this regard. Due to the difference in life levels, they can perceive more things.

Even with just a hint of instability, Sarnatos had to consider a backup plan.

Because he didn’t want to end the game here. His purpose wasn’t yet achieved; he hadn’t accumulated enough work for himself, so how could he stop here?

Here, “work” means exactly that.

The Death God Sarnatos, whose job is to guide the souls of those who die in the lower realms, is nothing short of a workaholic!

He hopes for more work (deaths), which brings him immense joy.

However, since the ancient heroes sealed the dungeon with the Great Sage Spirit, his days in the heavens have become increasingly unbearable.

Because, in his view, too few children die, the workload isn’t enough, and he doesn’t gain happiness.

So, Sarnatos descended.

To find work.

The reason he helped the Dark Faction target Loki Familia is simple.

Because Loki Familia consists of powerful adventurers, guiding such souls gives him satisfaction, so he hopes Loki Familia dies here entirely!

……

Meanwhile, on the other side of the divided areas, Finn’s team encountered a major problem.

Just as Gress predicted, compared to the right-side team holding the “key,” the left-side team where Finn is located is clearly easier to target, so currently, the Dark Faction’s focus is almost entirely here.

Letting the prepared monsters attack Gress, Izay, and Ais for a while, stalling them as much as possible.

Take this opportunity to deal with the [Hero] first!

Facing a long-prepared ambush, Finn was successfully attacked by the enemy and severely injured!