At the final moments of winter, the general offensive against the Artificial Labyrinth unfolded under the cover of night.
Daedalus Street.
The civilians who originally resided here had all been evacuated. Those who objected were arrested and detained by the Guild. Now, the "Labyrinth Street," usually so chaotic and noisy, was deadly silent, lit only by eerie torches.
The Ganesha Familia had completely taken over the area. Multiple Lv.5 adventurers, each leading their own squads, cleared the blocks and surroundings to ensure the operation would not be interfered with by any external forces.
At the same time, the other entrances and exits located within the city—especially those in the sewers—were all guarded by the Ganesha Familia and parts of the second and third-tier Familias mobilized through mandatory orders issued by the Guild.
"That guy Finn, actually excluding us... it's too frustrating, Big Sis!"
"Protecting the city is also an important job, and we are the second-line troops responsible for support," answered the red-haired demi-human woman beside her.
As the Captain of the Ganesha Familia, Shakti wore a very serious expression on her face. In such a large-scale operation, the most important thing was to obey commands. Since the matter had been entrusted to the [Braver] of the Loki Familia from the beginning, there should be no other thoughts; otherwise, it would only get messier.
"Captain, the combat smiths of the Hephaestus Familia and the 'Cyclops Teacher' have arrived. Over at the Pleasure Quarter, the Ishtar Familia refused the Guild's invitation, as did Apollo. However, Goddess Hathor sent quite a few people to help."
Aside from the core Loki, Astrea, and Ganesha Familias, the Guild had also invited many backbone Familias to participate in this operation. Clearly, they intended to eliminate the remnants of the Dark Familia thoroughly in one fell swoop.
At this moment, inside Daedalus Street.
Adventurers gathered within the winding and rugged streets or stood on the undulating rooftops, surrounding the gate of the "Artificial Labyrinth" at the center. The sheer number of people already reached into the hundreds and thousands.
Moreover, they were all adventurers of at least Lv.2. Lower-level individuals were not permitted to participate in this operation. In a sense, with the Freya Familia absent, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the strongest combat power of the city had been assembled here.
Especially...
Located at the very front of the formation, in the most central position where the forward command post was established.
The flag of the laughing clown fluttered in the wind.
The Prum [Braver] clad in golden armor, breaking his usual habit of delivering long speeches and mobilization addresses before expeditions or battles, simply held his spear. Saying nothing, he nodded toward everyone looking at him.
"Let's depart."
He walked at the very front, leading the charge.
With the Loki Familia at the head, numerous adventurers began to walk into the downward passage ahead that had long been leveled and left exposed on the ground. At its end, the iron gate cast from [Orichalcum] was tightly closed. This was a door that even if the city's current strongest Lv.7 adventurer, [Ottar] the King, were to come, he would have to use his full strength to destroy.
Finn merely raised the crimson sphere in his hand that resembled an eyeball. The character "D" was carved inside it, rotating like an eyeball—no, this was an eyeball.
The "Key" to the Artificial Labyrinth Knossos. It was an eyeball flowing with the blood of the Daedalus family. By excavating it and using specific techniques and materials, such an "easy-to-carry" Mystery Item could be crafted.
Of course, as a replica, Asfi and Fels certainly couldn't find someone with Daedalus blood and gouge their eyes out to create a new key. Instead, they used a certain technology to reverse-engineer and analyze the "Magic" within it. Finally, utilizing [Red Snow Crystal], [Deformed Spider's Eye], [Blood Licorice Petals], and [Tears of Dead Snake] among other materials from the Dungeon, they reproduced it.
The tightly closed stone door slowly opened under the illumination of the red light.
Finn immediately raised the spear in his hand and shattered the gargoyle-like decoration on the door. It was also a type of Mystery Item that could be used to view the situation here remotely. In Isagi's words, it was a "surveillance camera."
This was also intelligence provided by Revis. Of course, during the last raid on the Artificial Labyrinth to gather intelligence, Finn and the others had sensed this, realizing that all their movements were constantly under the opponent's grasp. They just hadn't known it was being monitored through these gargoyle-like decorations.
With the opening of the stone door, the adventurers swarmed in.
According to Finn's plan, the first step was to occupy the entrance before them, then set up a temporary camp and continuously push forward—this was the order given to the main force. The adventurers of the second-line troops moved in thick columns. These were also forged from the hardest metals, intended to be placed within the opened stone doors as supports, preventing the Dark Familia from closing them remotely.
Subsequently, led by the high-level individuals, the adventurers filed in and immediately clashed with the Dark Familia waiting behind the doors.
The battle came even faster than imagined!
Just as predicted, the enemy was prepared, waiting for the city's adventurers to arrive. However... the gap in strength was too obvious!!
It didn't even require First-Class Adventurers like Finn and Gareth to act. Even Tione, Bete, Alicia, and other Lv.4s of the second-line troops, acting as leaders for the squads of Lv.2 adventurers, rampaged straight through. The members of the Dark Familia couldn't stop them at all.
As "rats" hiding in the Artificial Labyrinth after the end of the [Great Feud], most of these Dark Familia remnants were only at the level of Lv.1 or Lv.2. Only a tiny minority of executives possessed the strength of Level 2 adventurers. As for First-Class Adventurers, the number was—three. Or rather, one human and two monsters.
However, none of them had appeared yet; presumably, they were in more important locations.
Under these circumstances, relying solely on ordinary low-level Dark Familia members and controlled Monsters, there was no way to stop the adventurers' advance.
Among them, the ones capable of causing the most trouble were those special Viola monsters and the Cursed Weapons. For a thousand years, the Daedalus family had continuously inherited the [Mystery] bloodline from their ancestor, supporting them in excavating and expanding this Artificial Labyrinth that was significant enough to be called a spectacle. Similarly, they were constantly forging weapons wrapped in "Curses." This was their means of self-preservation.
And now.
The dependents of the God of Death, like the assassins of the Murder Goddess, rushed forward wave after wave, unafraid of death. Even if they only used the short swords and daggers in their hands to leave a shallow wound on the city's adventurers... that seemingly insignificant attack was enough to become a fatal curse.
"Die! Die, die, die, die, die, die, die!!"
"Hahahahahahahaha—"
Frenzied laughter rang out accompanied by screams. The crimson or deep purple curses began to spread, causing the adventurers' forward-moving column to finally start stagnating. But it was only for an instant.
From the rear of the troops came an incomparably holy singing voice.
"Drop of healing, tear of light, permanent sanctuary. I call for the medicinal melody here, three hundred and sixty-five tunes—"
Pure white light dispelled everything. Warmth wrapped around the body of every adventurer, allowing their stamina to recover rapidly.
"The healing calendar shall save all things. Now, come forth, dispel the evil. Bury the wounds, funeral for the pain—"
White feathers drifted down. Like a deity descending to the mortal world, the young girl singing and displaying miracle-like powers scattered boundless holy radiance.
"Send the curse to the other shore, send it to the cardinal of light. In the name of the Gods—I heal you."
Wounds, pain, curses... everything vanished under the light. The hundreds of adventurers in the main force felt only an incomparably warm aura, and courage that filled them once again, propelling them forward without obstruction.
[Battlefield Saint], Airmid Teasanare.
As a Lv.2 Healer, she could not only create various miraculous potions including "Elixirs," but also possessed abilities that could be called "miracles," such as near-resurrection and reattaching severed limbs. The origin of her title came from supporting a large-scale operation to crusade against a Monster Rex alone as a healer, keeping the battle line as steady as a mountain, resulting in zero casualties in the end.
As long as she existed, any injury could be restored to its original state, and poisons and curses had no effect. Her healing magic, [Dia Fratel], was a high-tier healing magic of a super-wide area, targeting at least hundreds of people, integrating "Healing," "Detoxification," "Curse Removal," and "Stamina Recovery" into one.
Incredible, even unimaginable!
The adventurers' morale was ignited once more. With absolutely no worries behind them, the speed of the front line's advance accelerated by an unknown degree.
As the core of the main force, the silver-haired girl simply paced forward, continuously releasing her healing magic. Beside her, like "Knights" guarding the Saint, two young girls from the Dian Cecht Familia accompanied her, never leaving her side—they were adventurers who had once been saved by Airmid and joined the Familia out of gratitude. Although they were clumsy apprentice healers in the clinic usually, in reality, they were quite capable Level 2 adventurers.
Apart from this, two Lv.5s and numerous Lv.4s from the Ganesha Familia had been transferred specifically to protect Airmid's safety.
In fact, the Guild had originally intended for Finn or Gareth to personally hold the line here. But ultimately, this arrangement was rejected by Airmid herself; precious Lv.6 combat power should be placed where it was needed most, not by her side.
The Dark Familia's side was completely suppressed. Following that was the second phase of the operation plan. Led by second-line squad captains like Bete and Tione, and including Finn, Riveria, and Gareth, as well as the Astrea Familia—squads composed of elite adventurers began to break away from the main force. Moving in different directions, they began a fierce assault toward the depths of the Artificial Labyrinth at extreme speed!
"It's finally our turn to shine, Captain!"
"Stick close to the team, don't rush too far ahead, Tiona."
"Understood!"
Young men and women wearing blue and white combat uniforms leaped over the heads of the mass of adventurers. Within their flapping cloaks, the emblem of the gilded scales and sword fluttered. The dependents of the Goddess of Justice arrived at the very front of the battlefield in an instant.
Then.
"Kill."
A pitch-black steel wolf bent its waist slightly. Lowering its sharp helmet that flowed with moonlight, it pulled an incomparably massive weapon from its mouth. Behind him, a jet-black cloak wrapped around his neck fluttered, also embroidered with the symbol of the Astrea Familia.
As the Vice-Captain, the young boy carried the Elf girl holding a magic staff on his back. With the posture he was most familiar with daily, he suddenly charged toward the Dark Familia members ahead. Following behind him were [Gale], surrounded by starlight and crimson, and [Great Cutter], whose whole body was wrapped in blood armor, seemingly about to transform into a beast.
"Close your eyes, Lefiya."
"Ugh..."
The Elf girl bit her lip lightly, looking at the members of the Dark Familia getting closer and closer—those faces full of panic, fear, resolve, and numbness. There were humans, demi-humans, Dwarves, and Pallums, and even Elves who were her kin. Why were they here?
Was it their nature? Or were they deceived by hateful Gods? And resolutely, using that despicable and blasphemous method, they wanted to perish together with their opponents.
"!"
In the split second before closing her eyes, all Lefiya saw was madness, and the sparks of fire flickering among those people's bodies. It was self-destruction! The method the Dark Familia had always liked using most to deal with high-level adventurers. Utilizing Fire Stones and their own lives. At close range, even an ordinary Lv.1, or even a normal person, was enough to kill a high-level adventurer.
These completely brainwashed believers, guys whose cognition had been twisted by the rhetoric of dark Deities, in a sense, could no longer be called "human." Impossible to communicate with; impossible to understand each other. What remained was only that reckless madness that made one feel only sorrow. When death became a destination and a release, there was no need for words.
The main force of adventurers in the distance, seeing those rising sparks, stopped their steps in fear involuntarily, as if remembering some past. Including Airmid located in the center of the main force, and the high-level adventurers guarding her side, everyone was fully focused.
Until a flash of sword light passed by.
Reeking blood and severed limbs splashed everywhere. The young boy wielded the greatsword in his hand, tearing apart everything blocking the front. Even the Fire Stones about to be detonated were crushed into fragments, turning into silent black residue. Terrifying, shocking, beyond words.
The sword of justice tore through the Dark Familia's final resistance without the slightest hesitation, granting them the death and release they desired, leaving only a passage mixed with vast swathes of deep crimson and flesh.
Lefiya let the stench of blood hit her face, hugging the boy tightly while shutting her eyes firmly. For an Elf girl only in her teens, everything before her was truly a bit too "shocking." But they couldn't stop; they had to continue, advance, advance, advance!
The boy rampaged straight through. Behind him, the girls accompanied his sides, carving out a bloody path in such a crude and direct manner.
Heith, who was being carried by Ryuu, was already accustomed to such scenes of flying flesh and blood. But the squad's speed was truly a bit too fast, making it difficult for her to confirm the map while continuing to redraw it—
Revis's intelligence only included the approximate range of the Artificial Labyrinth and several important locations within it. But she certainly didn't know the detailed map of every floor. Therefore, as an elite breakthrough squad, one of their tasks was to map out the detailed Artificial Labyrinth while pushing forward as much as possible. This matter was temporarily handed over to Miss Heith. After all, as a Healer, she didn't need to deal with those low-level Dark Familia members for the time being.
Ais was not in the squad. Because the golden-haired girl had been called away by Riveria, saying there was another mission. Including Goddess Astrea as well. In this operation, both Goddess Loki and Goddess Astrea would participate because one of the objectives was to send back the hostile Deities. If their side didn't have Deities present, they couldn't accomplish this task. However, with the Goddess of Justice and Loki staying with the main force led by Finn and Gareth, there shouldn't be anything to worry about.
One after another, continuously descending, they began to break through the floors. Apart from the initial interception, the Dark Familia guys seemed to have realized that ordinary members couldn't stop this side at all. Thus, aside from those imprisoned monsters, Isagi and the others didn't encounter any decent battles anymore.
The corridors emitting red light were square and upright. To be honest, the so-called Artificial Labyrinth had almost no aesthetic beauty to speak of. Aside from tunnel-like corridors, there were empty, cavern-like huge rooms. It was like a puzzle composed of a pile of rectangles and squares. It also couldn't really be considered that vast—presumably, it was originally built to correspond to the Dungeon's characteristic of expanding and becoming wider as it went from top to bottom.
Soon. The first floor, the second floor, the third floor, the fourth floor... while continuously being explored, squads like Isagi's were still exploring downwards.
"There are three targets in total!"
In Ryuu-senpai's hand, a small polyhedron shining like a crystal was emitting the voice of the red-haired Goddess Loki. This was the Magic Item [Oculus] created by Fels. It could remotely transmit the images and sounds seen by the carrier to other holders, though there were certain terrain limitations. For example, going too deep into the Dungeon might cause some functions to fail. In Isagi's view, rather than a mobile phone, it was more like a radio or something similar.
"First, the [Labyrinth's Main Hall] serving as the Dark Familia's general control room!"
"Second, the breeding room cultivating the Corrupted Spirit avatars."
"Third, the Dark Side's Deities, which is the location of the God of Death and Dionysus!!"
Three targets. Among them, the first was handed over to the Hermes Familia. Miss Asfi had already led her squad, utilizing Magic Items capable of invisibility to infiltrate the Artificial Labyrinth's interior. Furthermore, they seemed to have already caught a certain middle-layer executive, and then using a Magic Item similar to the Beauty God's "Charm" ability, [Truth Serum], forced him to spill the known intelligence.
The second target was the responsibility of Ais and Riveria's side. The golden-haired girl seemed to have a certain two-way reaction with the Corrupted Spirit avatars; not only could she sense the other party, but she could also make them aware of her existence.
The third, of course, was the task of Finn and Gareth's main force. Both Goddess Loki and Goddess Astrea were over there, so naturally, they needed to find the hostile Deities and send them back. And Isagi's mission here was support. Three directions; wherever an accident occurred, they were responsible for going there to help, or to deal with the unexpected situations that would absolutely appear next—
"We found Barca."
In the [Oculus], Miss Asfi's indifferent voice came through. In the deep layers of the Artificial Labyrinth, inside a certain control room. Seemingly discovering that the main force's battle at the front was failing, the "Lord of the Labyrinth," as a high-level "executive," finally had no choice but to come out to meet the enemy, encountering the Hermes Familia.
"Very good! I'll have Bete and the others go support you immediately. Best to take him alive!!" Loki shouted noisily.
Barca Perdix was the builder of the Artificial Labyrinth. He knew everything inside. If they could pry his mouth open, the value of the intelligence obtained would be simply immeasurable.
"Understood."
Noisy booming sounds came from the woman's side; it seemed the battle had already begun. "Isagi, is Miss Asfi alright over there?"
"It looks like there shouldn't be a problem."
The Hermes Familia had also concealed intelligence from the Guild, or rather, from most of the city's Deities. In reality, including Captain Asfi, most of their Familia were Lv.3 or Lv.4 adventurers. Their strength was still fine. And Barca was only Lv.4.
"Let's continue deeper first and investigate the situation further down."
Isagi, as always, led the girls past the hall supported by thick stone pillars. The surroundings were dead silent.
Not long after. Ais and Riveria, following the intelligence left by Revis—as a creature, she personally guarded the Corrupted Spirit avatars cultivated in the Artificial Labyrinth, so she knew their exact locations—also found the Corrupted Spirit, along with the location cultivating the Viola monsters and the so-called Jewel Fetuses. And, it seemed they had already started combat with one of the immature female-form monsters.
On the other side, as Barca was taken down by Asfi and the Werewolf youth who went to support, and after he revealed the location of the God of Death, Loki and the others also quickly began to mobilize. Next, it seemed they only needed to find the instigator, Dionysus, who had connected the Corrupted Spirit located in the deep Dungeon with the Dark Familia.
[Too smooth].
Not just Isagi, but even Finn, Riveria, Asfi, and the others all had this feeling. Was it because they had seen through the Dark Familia's conspiracy in advance, resulting in Dionysus and the others being completely unprepared? That was certainly part of the reason. But...
Deep within the Artificial Labyrinth.
Unknowingly, a man who had broken away from the main force of adventurers from the second and third-tier Familias gathered from the city, traveling alone through a secret door all the way here, was walking toward the stone platform in the center of an empty hall.
Dix was silent. Those eyes carved with the character "D" seemed about to seep blood, filled with an unspeakable hatred.
"Perish."
He continued to mutter to himself. On the stone platform was a device capable of controlling the entire Artificial Labyrinth. And within it, he had tampered with something—a secret even his brother, the Lord of the Labyrinth, did not know.
To deceive the other party, he had taken great pains, not hesitating to "dedicate" almost his entire life to this sunless, endless labyrinth interior filled with damp, stinking soil and masonry. Knossos had nothing. What it had was only the ignorant and mad delusion from a distant ancestor. And today, he would end it all himself.
"Tonight, how many people will remember this for a lifetime?"
As a dependent of the God governing nightmares, Dix originally always thought he and Ikelos weren't actually that close. But when he thought about how many people in the city would wake up from their sleep in the middle of the night terrified and helpless because of what was about to happen... He seemed to somewhat understand his own Deity's "fun."
[Collapse, Artificial Labyrinth.]
By the notes belonging only to him, Dix Perdix, and with the bloodline of the Daedalus family. I order you—
I order this prison of a thousand years, I order this abandoned place that completely ruined his life, empty and meaningless... The ancestor's remarkable long-cherished wish shall be terminated by a tiny guy like himself.
Thus.
The Artificial Labyrinth Knossos began to teeter. The columns supporting the entire labyrinth began to crumble and collapse almost simultaneously, seeming as if they would bury everything existing inside within it.
____
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