Chapter 176

Chapter 177: Being Influenced by Others (First Update of the Day! Begging for Subscriptions!)

As Ize and his group of five entered the Ersos Ruins, in the Labyrinth City of Orario…

The city, which should have been as calm and peaceful as any other day, now carried an unusually oppressive atmosphere.

At the center square of Babel Tower,

Everyone looked uneasy as they watched adventurers escape death from the Dungeon, barely making it back to the surface with the help of their comrades. Each floor of the Dungeon was currently experiencing a monster rampage; even on the surface, one could faintly hear vibrations from below accompanied by distant roars of monsters.

The usually bustling central square was now eerily quiet, except for the injured adventurers who had retreated back to the surface.

In response to numerous adventurer reports, the Guild Headquarters acted swiftly upon noticing this abnormal situation.

Twilight Manor, located north of Orario.

“Captain, here’s a mission brief from the Guild!”

Raul, loyal underling of Finn, rushed over to deliver the mission issued to Loki Familia by the Guild.

It wasn’t a commission but rather a mission—specifically directed at Familial Groups.

These two terms fundamentally differed.

Finn skimmed through the briefing, immediately furrowing his brows after just the first glance.

“What is going on?!”

Monsters within the Dungeon were collectively rioting, indiscriminately attacking adventurers and breaching floors in preparation to invade the surface?

Even Finn, momentarily stunned due to never encountering such a situation before, quickly snapped out of it and reacted.

“Gather all personnel still at home, recall those playing outside, and prepare equipment and consumables immediately! We must suppress this uprising!”

“We absolutely cannot allow monsters to breach the surface and cause irreparable damage to Orario!”

The Halfling Tribe Leader spoke gravely and resolutely.

It wasn’t just Loki Familia taking action.

Freya Familia and Ganesha Familia also received missions from the Guild and responded accordingly.

With the three major Familias of Orario mobilized, they worked together to address the Dungeon monster uprising.

……

Inside the prayer hall of the Adventurer’s Guild Headquarters, hidden beneath the dark underground.

“Are you responding to the power of Scorpio?”

A deep, steady voice echoed throughout the dark space.

The venerable Uranus slightly turned his head, gazing toward the direction of the Great Tree Sea, his profound divine eyes seemingly able to see the distant land.

From the moment Ize and his companions entered the ruins, the seal imprisoning “Andarius” had already been broken.

Without the seal blocking its power, the special ancient force that shared origins with the Dungeon began to unleash its might.

Even though they were at opposite ends of the continent, they subtly influenced each other.

To say the least, the reason behind the Dungeon’s uprising was directly caused by the liberation of Scorpio.

“I wonder how far this will escalate… Hopefully, it won’t end in the worst possible scenario.”

Beneath the altar where the old deity stood, cloaked figures remained ever-present.

Breaking the seal was necessary for the conquest of Scorpio, but what would happen afterward remained uncertain.

“If Ize Alward truly has the ability to receive ‘Divine Revelations’ as he claims, then the outcome should be quite the opposite.”

Hearing this left Fels momentarily speechless.

He understood Uranus’s meaning.

If Ize could indeed obtain “Divine Revelations,” then he wouldn’t do anything without being certain.

In other words, knowing that nothing untoward would occur during his journey to the Great Tree Sea, he accepted the quest.

Thus, the result of this event was predetermined from the very start.

Of course… This was assuming Ize’s words were truthful.

……

Before the altar sealing the ancient monster “Andarius” inside the Ersos Ruins.

“The number of monsters has actually decreased?”

Asfi, gripping a silver short blade, felt perplexed by the surrounding anomalies.

“Perhaps… they are gathering strength…”

Hermes solemnly voiced his judgment.

“Your point being?”

“All the monsters’ powers originate from ‘Andarius.’ It seems that now, realizing low-level monsters can’t hinder our progress, it has abandoned this strategy and started reclaiming their powers.”

Hermes believed this explained why they hadn’t encountered many monsters despite nearing the altar sealing Andarius.

Not that there weren’t any monsters attempting to block them—it’s just that their powers were being retracted, rendering them incapable of doing so.

“Can’t be serious!? So, the next monster we face, even if not at full strength, isn’t going to be weak either?”

Lulune gulped audibly, letting out a startled cry.

“More or less, yeah.”

The trio’s conversation reached Artemis’s ears, prompting her to gently raise her delicate hand and place it on her chest, exhaling deeply.

Though concern still lingered in her heart, they’d come this far, and worrying further seemed futile…

There was no turning back now; all that mattered was how they faced it.

Thinking about it was oddly fascinating.

Artemis, who had always anticipated the worst after learning of Andarius’s awakening, couldn’t help but start imagining a positive outcome.

Maybe she was being influenced by someone?

The goddess tilted her head slightly, glancing at Ize who was finishing up his last bit of recovery using Mental Recovery Potions, pressing her hand against her chest slightly harder.

“wrrrryyyyyyyy————!”

Suddenly, a monstrous roar reverberated through the vast underground space, boldly proclaiming its presence—a challenge directed towards them.

“This is…”

“It’s nearby; the sound is coming from ahead.”

Ize tossed aside the empty Recovery Potion bottle and stared at the stone staircase ahead.

According to Artemis, passing through the final stretch made of stone steps would lead them to the altar sealing Andarius within the temple.

This space lay directly beneath the grand tower structure of the temple.

Whoever constructed it ensured the center of the tower was hollow, allowing daylight to shine down into the altar area through this void.

Compared to the rest of the temple, this place showed fewer signs of alteration by Andarius.

Around them were faint traces of aged sandstone rocks. The only creature present was a massive black monster standing at the center of the circular altar, its body glowing with crimson patterns.

Its size rivaled that of a high-tier floor boss, mostly resembling a “scorpion.”

It had sharp, resilient front claws and a tail raised high. Its most distinct feature was the humanoid upper body where the scorpion’s head should be.

Not only did it possess smaller front claws, but also numerous black jointed limbs extending from its back, giving it an appearance akin to a bizarre spider hybrid.

At this moment, perhaps sensing the arrival of Ize’s group?

Andarius emitted an excited growl, unleashing its overwhelming pressure unique to ancient monsters without restraint.