Chapter 576

Chapter 583: The Absorbed White Mist, Disaster Approaches! (Please Subscribe!)

The white mist surged in the dimness, revealing an ominous change.

Driven by some force, the mist clouds scattered by the explosion earlier in the labyrinth began converging in one direction.

As if a wind eye had spontaneously formed.

At the center of the purplish-red glow, cracks appeared on the labyrinth walls.

With a strong sense of foreboding, the deep cracks within the collapsing walls began to form monstrous shapes.

The walls turned translucent, and a profound shadow flowed through the cracks, gradually expanding.

It was not yet fully born but was being nourished by the incoming mist.

In exchange for consuming the surrounding white mist, it gained stronger “ability values.”

That destructive aura was noticed by both the [Asteria Familial Group] and the [Rudra Familial Group].

—This might be a monster as powerful as a Floor Lord!

…

In the “Prayer Hall” beneath the Guild.

Without warning,

Uranus suddenly stood up from his divine throne.

“What’s wrong, Uranus?”

Inside the stone space of the underground temple, four torches beside the altar emitted red light. A figure cloaked in a hooded black robe, sensing the old deity’s movement, couldn’t help but transmit confusion.

“My prayer… has been interrupted…!”

Uranus paused for a moment, then spoke heavily.

“What!? Uranus, why is this happening!?”

When the words fell, the black-clothed figure lost all composure.

For hundreds, nearly a thousand years, the old deity had prayed for the dungeon without interruption. Never had such an interruption occurred.

Now, if the situation were true, it would be an absolute “abnormal event,” severe enough to make one unable to imagine what kind of crisis might come!

“My divine will cannot reach the dungeon… Disaster has appeared!”

Uranus looked down with narrowed eyes at the underworld spread out below him.

Facing his anxious subordinates, the old deity explained the truth about that thing.

“The excessive damage triggered the dungeon’s defense mechanism… It’s the dungeon’s cry of pain, which even my ‘prayer’ cannot reach.”

“Because of its own defense system, the dungeon has created a ‘monster’ that intends to kill everyone inside.”

The old deity added solemnly.

But even so, he could find no way to respond.

Should Fels be sent to help?

Don’t make me laugh; Fels doesn’t have any real combat abilities.

And that calamity, in Uranus’s perception, was even more formidable than an ordinary floor lord.

If they met, Fels would likely be gone in an instant.

Turned into a pile of scattered skeletons.

At this moment, the old deity listened helplessly to the dungeon’s “cry.”

…

Elsewhere.

Not only Uranus and Fels far away at the Guild Headquarters.

Even Izay and the other three in Water Riddle City were affected by the dungeon’s anomaly.

Hearing the explosion, Ryu instinctively tensed her delicate body.

The moment the dungeon let out its howl, the elf had already lost the patience to slowly confirm her doubts.

For the elf, this screeching howl was too familiar.

Familiar enough that for a period, she recalled this melody every moment.

Now the melody reappears, and before Ryu could explain to Izay and Victorica, she darted off like an arrow released from a bow toward the lower levels.

Seeing the elf’s actions, Izay and Victorica exchanged glances, realizing the severity of the situation.

Under these circumstances, there was no way they could let Ryu go alone.

Regardless of anything else,

If it really was the “Calamity” from their memories,

Considering Ryu’s unchanged ability values over the past five years and her psychological trauma,

Izay thought there was a high possibility that Ryu might be killed instantly upon encountering it.

Even though his treatment abilities had been specialized this time, Izay didn’t want to see that happen.

After all, healing is just healing, not resurrection.

There are countless injuries that healing magic can do nothing about.

“Excuse me, Miss Victorica.”

“Eh-!?”

Izay quickly apologized to the witch beside him, ignoring her surprised gaze, grabbed a pale wrist, and with a thought, disappeared from the spot.

Using the convenience of Space Magic, Izay caught up with Ryu, who had run ahead, in just a few breaths, then tried to calm the elf by holding her.

But now was an extraordinary time, and it was impossible for Ryu to calm down completely. At most, Izay could give her a bit of direction amidst her anxiety and unease.

Then, without needing to say more, after regrouping, Izay and Victorica pulled the elf along, using the great mobility brought by ‘Starlight,’ reaching the twenty-seventh floor in less than a minute, arriving at the ruins still emitting scorched smoke.

“That… is it a Floor Lord!?”

Alices looked uncertainly at the distant wall glowing with purplish-red light.

From it, one could vaguely see the dark shadow of a monster’s skeleton, becoming deeper and more powerful as it absorbed the surging white mist.

On par with, or even surpassing, the oppressive feeling given by a Floor Lord!

However, the moment she spoke, the small person race Laila immediately contradicted her:

“Impossible! We’ve defeated Floor Lords more than once. We’ve never seen anything like this before. This is undoubtedly an ‘abnormal event’! Though we don’t know the trigger condition, it’s probably because of Bakshira and the others!”

“How much longer until that thing is born? To be honest, I think we should retreat now.”

Among the group, Kaguya narrowed her crimson eyes and gave advice.

To put it bluntly, she didn’t think they could stop that thing.

Its aura was too overwhelming, as if it were absorbing the insignificant white mist around it and growing stronger.

Not even the Floor Lord of the thirty-seventh floor had given Kaguya this feeling.

Probably when it’s born, it will be the moment everyone in the Asteria Familial Group steps into death.

“Retreat now? Are you suggesting we ignore this abnormal event and the Dark Faction?” Ryu unconsciously countered.

Just one step away from catching Bakshira and the others, she wasn’t willing to give up so easily.

Moreover, if this abnormal event was left unchecked, things would surely get very difficult, and many more people would be harmed.

Perhaps it would be a repeat of the nightmare on the twenty-seventh floor a year ago.

When they came, they promised not to let that tragedy happen again…

“Good intentions, but don’t you think that’s too idealistic!?”

Kaguya sighed at the naivety of her straightforward elf: “Dark Faction’s trouble… Why should we pay with our lives when we know we can’t win!”

She may belong to the Familial Group of the Goddess of Justice, but Kaguya, whose thoughts are close to reality, wouldn’t sacrifice her life to protect the Dark Faction.

It would be better to leave them here, letting them use their lives to buy time for the Asteria Familial Group’s retreat.

Isn’t that their last bit of glory as the Dark Faction?

Once they return to the surface, they can inform others of the situation here and organize an expedition team to deal with this unknown enemy.

“That… Kaguya, Ryu… Sorry to interrupt your conversation, I’m not sure if I should say this… But it seems it’s already too late to retreat…”

“!!!?”x2

Pssstttt—————-

Responding to the girls’ discussion was the sound of molten iron being poured into cold water.

Steam rose with heat, and blood-like purple liquid spurted out, slowly eroding the turquoise water flow like mud.

The entity that had just been discussed by Kaguya and Ryu appeared as if called forth the next moment.

Emerging from the depths of the water mist was a sinister blood-red gaze.