It was roughly an hour before dawn.
The door to Eina's cottage was knocked upon. Captain Finn had come in person to collect him—a level of treatment that even made Eina steal a lingering glance at Lynn.
"It seems the perks of being a 'Special Advisor' aren't half bad," Eina teased, though her voice carried an underlying, persistent worry.
Lynn merely grinned, casually setting his empty cup on the table and patting Eina on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm a professional. My talent for freeloading is way higher than my talent for killing monsters."
Eina gave him a frustrated roll of her eyes, but she said nothing more, merely watching him leave with Finn.
In the small hours of the morning, the night was as thick as ink. The streets of Orario, illuminated by torches and magical lamps, presented a bizarre play of light and shadow. When Lynn arrived at the rendezvous point, he found the core squad of the Loki Familia already fully geared and ready to move. Aiz, Bete, Tiona, Tione, and Lefiya were all there.
"Lynn!"
Tiona was the first to notice him. She waved boisterously, her face wearing the signature cheerful energy of an Amazon. Beside her, Tione gave a subtle nod, though her gaze lingered on him for a moment.
Aiz remained her usual cool self, but upon seeing Lynn, a faint, almost imperceptible spark of light flickered in her golden eyes. Bete, as always, stood with his arms crossed, letting out a disdainful snort. This time, however, the snort lacked its usual hostility, sounding more like a grunt of habit.
Lefiya looked somewhat nervous. She stole a glance at Lynn, then at Aiz, seemingly wanting to say something before eventually choosing silence, though she tightened her grip on her staff.
Finn gave a brief mission briefing.
Lynn, as the Special Advisor, was assigned to Aiz's vanguard squad. Bete, Tiona, and Tione were included, with Lefiya providing long-range support.
"According to our intel, this is one of the target hideouts." Finn pointed to an abandoned warehouse on the edge of Daedalus Street, his voice low and commanding. "The Guild has already cordoned off the exterior, but the situation inside is unknown. Proceed with caution."
"Understood!" everyone responded in unison.
Lynn walked beside Aiz. The night wind, carrying a hint of moisture, brushed through his hair. He could feel Aiz's gaze occasionally falling on him—filled with curiosity and a certain... indefinable anticipation. It was the look of someone waiting for a soul-stirring trial.
"What are your thoughts on this enemy?" Aiz asked softly, her voice exceptionally clear in the quiet of the night.
Lynn lowered his head in brief contemplation. "My thoughts? Based on my experience, the Black Flame they use has strong clinging properties. Everyone needs to be careful; don't let the fire touch you—especially you two who aren't wearing much clothes."
He was referring, of course, to the Amazon twins. He truly didn't understand why they always dressed so scantily.
The squad soon reached the target warehouse. It was a massive structure covered in vines and dust, crouching in the night like a dormant beast. Bete stepped forward first, sniffing the air, and whispered, "There's the scent of blood, and a... strange, charred smell."
"Black Flame," Lynn added quietly.
Tiona took the lead, kicking open the rusted heavy doors.
BOOM!
"Joint search! Nobody move!"
Dust swirled as the scent of decay rushed out. The interior of the warehouse was pitch black, but soon, several pulses of dark red fire ignited, illuminating over a dozen figures dressed in black robes and wielding bizarre weapons.
The weapons held by these robed figures weren't the common iron tools of Orario; they were blades and spears seemingly wreathed in dark red flames, radiating heat and omen. Their combat style was equally feral, lunging forward with a fierce intent to burn everything in sight.
"It's them!" Aiz barked. A wind-like sword light instantly slashed toward the foremost robed figure.
Lynn immediately raised the Carian Knight's Shield.
Thud!
A spear wreathed in Black Flame lunged straight for his face, only to be precisely parried by the shield, sending sparks flying. The fire was highly corrosive; where it hit the floor, it instantly burned a charred mark into the stone.
Bete let out a wolf-like howl and charged into the enemy ranks like an arrow, his fists creating a gale that sent several robed men flying. Tiona and Tione broke in from the flanks with perfect coordination, their double blades and greatsword weaving a harvesting machine of death.
However, the strength of these robed enemies exceeded expectations. Their attacks carried a fanatical madness; even with limbs severed, they continued to fight under the shroud of Black Flame, as if they were incapable of feeling pain.
"These guys... they're actually a bit like Dungeon monsters!" Tiona complained. Her double blades were a blur in her hands. Now that she had her full attributes back, she was a powerhouse, while these robed men felt roughly around Level 3 in skill.
Lynn's gaze locked onto a slightly larger figure whose Black Flame was particularly intense. This man was clearly the leader. He held a massive flaming scythe, every swing carrying a whistling sound and terrifying power.
Aiz was locked in a duel with the leader. Her swordsmanship was exquisite, every strike aimed at vitals, but the Black Flame surrounding the man acted as a natural barrier, making it difficult for her attacks to land. It looked remarkably like the ultimate move of a Godskin Apostle.
However, Lynn was certain that these people didn't exist in the Lands Between. Furthermore, this man's skill was unrefined; in the midst of his scythe swings, he left a glaring opening.
"Carian Retaliation!"
Lynn seized the moment, sidestepping a burst of Black Flame while thrusting his shield forward, precisely parrying the leader's flaming scythe. The Black Flame on the scythe was swatted away by a burst of blue mana, and the scythe itself was knocked back by a massive force.
THUD!
The leader let out a pained shriek, his body forced into a massive stagger. Aiz's eyes sharpened instantly. She seized the brief opening, her body turning into a streak of golden lightning as her blade pierced accurately through the robed man's chest.
The robed man's body shuddered, the Black Flame around him extinguished instantly, and he fell helplessly to the ground.
With the leader dead, the offensive of the remaining robed men fell into disarray. The Loki Familia adventurers seized the chance and quickly subdued the remaining enemies. Lefiya provided support from a distance, her light arrows pinning those who tried to flee directly to the ground.
After the battle, Bete roughly searched one of the subdued robed men. Soon, he fished a blood-stained piece of parchment from the man's breast.
"Captain, look at this..." He frowned, handing the crimson half-letter to Finn.
Finn took it, and with a single glance, his expression darkened.
"The sacrifice has been chosen..." he read the words on the secret letter softly, a cold light flashing in the depths of his eyes.
Lynn walked to the slain leader and knelt down, pulling aside the black robe. A small, crude statue of a coiled snake appeared—twisted runes were carved into the base, and the name "Rykard" was barely discernible.
"There must be more here," Lynn said, beginning a thorough search of the warehouse.
He soon found a camouflaged trapdoor in a corner of the warehouse. "There's something down here!" he shouted.
The group entered the basement together, and what they saw made everyone gasp. It was a crude yet sinister underground space. In the center stood a small altar dedicated to a larger statue of the coiled snake. The snake's eyes were inlaid with two dark red gems that emitted a faint, eerie glow.
Scattered around the altar were numerous parchments and animal bones. The parchments were covered in snake-like symbols and prayers written in bizarre script, praising the "Great Serpent that Devours the Gods—Rykard."
"This..." Tiona's face turned slightly pale. "Is this some kind of cult?"
Finn's expression was incredibly grave. "This is no longer a typical Dark Faction. These sacrifices, these prayers... it seems they are performing some kind of summoning ritual."
Lynn picked up one of the prayers and scanned it. It was filled with fanatical worship of the "Great Serpent" and contempt for "the Gods."
"Take everything back to the Guild!" Finn ordered decisively.
Lynn carefully stowed away the coiled snake statue and the half-letter. This wasn't just evidence; it was a vital clue to understanding Volcano Manor's goals. He couldn't be sure that the Volcano Manor that had arrived in Orario was the same as the one he knew.
The Guild interrogation room was brightly lit.
The Guild worked through the night to interrogate the captured robed men, yet the results were disappointing. These fanatical believers either self-destructed immediately upon capture or kept their mouths tightly shut. Ultimately, only one member—the youngest and most panicked—managed to survive, but his knowledge was extremely limited.
Finn led the interrogation while Lynn sat in the corner as the Special Advisor. He toyed with the coiled snake statue, a faint blue light occasionally flickering from the snake's eyes.
The survivor was bound tightly to a chair, his face pale, his eyes a conflict of terror and fanaticism.
"Talk! Who are you? What are you trying to do in Orario?" Finn's voice carried an indisputable authority.
The survivor trembled and finally broke under Finn's powerful aura.
"We... we are Recusants of Volcano Manor... we believe... we believe in the Great Serpent that Devours the Gods..." he stammered, his eyes showing a pathological frenzy. "The Great Serpent... the Great Serpent will grant us power... the power of usurpation!"
Lynn's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Usurping power? Usurping what?" Finn pressed.
"Usurping... life... and power," the survivor whispered, as if speaking a forbidden truth.
"Usurping life?" Finn and another Guild recorder exchanged a look of shock. This was a sinister ritual they had never heard of.
"Who is your leader?" Finn continued.
"The superior... the superior is... Lady Tanith..." The survivor stuttered out a name. "She... she never reveals herself... she only sends instructions through secret letters..."
The moment the name "Tanith" left the survivor's lips, Lynn's pupils shrank, and he nearly crushed the snake statue in his hand.
Tanith!
The core figure of Volcano Manor, Rykard's consort—the mad woman who had turned Rykard from a demigod into a Great Serpent!
Lynn kept his face composed, but alarm bells were ringing in his mind. He had initially thought only a few small-time thugs from Volcano Manor had slipped through; he hadn't expected Tanith herself to have arrived in this world. This meant the infiltration of Volcano Manor was much deeper than he had imagined, and their plot was bound to be larger and more dangerous.
Hunting heroes for the Serpent to devour? And they came all the way to Orario? Lynn asked himself, a sense of foreboding rising within him.
But it made sense. The heroes of Orario—the powerhouses within the Familias—weren't they the perfect nourishment the Great Serpent craved?
The interrogation continued, but Lynn knew that this survivor had provided all he could. He looked up at Finn. The golden-haired Pallum captain's expression was graver than it had ever been.
Finn felt Lynn's gaze and turned to look at him, his golden eyes flashing with profound wisdom.
"Mr. Lynn, it seems the intelligence you've brought is far more... heavy than we anticipated," Finn said softly, his tone carrying a weight of pressure.
Lynn merely shrugged, his face wearing its usual casual smile. "At least we have this vital information."
He knew in his heart that the appearance of Volcano Manor was no accident. The merging of the two worlds was occurring much faster and deeper than Ranni had described.
After the interrogation ended, the Guild headquarters felt as if it were shrouded in an invisible cold current; the atmosphere was so heavy the air seemed to freeze. Finn didn't waste a moment, convening a high-level emergency war council that very night.
This time, in addition to the Guild executives and the core members of the Loki Familia—Riveria, Gareth, and others—Ottar of the Freya Familia was present once again. Lynn sat in the seat Finn had specifically reserved for him as the Special Advisor.
In the meeting room, Finn displayed the results of the interrogation: the snake statue Lynn had nearly crushed, the blood-stained red letter, and the photographs taken of the underground altar. Each item radiated an unsettling, sinister aura, as if silently speaking of some ancient and terrifying secret.
"According to the prisoner's testimony, this organization calling itself 'Volcano Manor' has infiltrated Orario and even the deep floors of the Dungeon," Finn said heavily, tapping the projection of the coiled snake. "Their goal appears to be the 'usurpation of hero's power.'"
"Usurping hero's power?" Gareth frowned, his rugged face etched with confusion. "What does that mean? Do they want to devour our status parameters?"
"The possibility cannot be ruled out." Finn's gaze shifted to Lynn, then to Riveria. "Mr. Lynn mentioned their object of worship is a Great Serpent. Riveria, what are your thoughts on these runes?"
Riveria adjusted her glasses, her wise eyes staring at the twisted inscriptions on the statue and the prayer parchment. Her fingers lightly grazed the projection as she softly recited several ancient phrases. A moment later, her expression shifted, her tone carrying a rare gravity.
She spoke slowly, her voice holding the weight of history. "It relates to an ancient legend concerning a 'World-Devouring Serpent.' Legend says that serpent can devour all living things, including gods, thereby obtaining their power and life to achieve eternal immortality."
A chorus of gasps filled the meeting room. Devouring gods? This surpassed their understanding of Dark Factions; these were madmen!
Ottar's mountain-like silhouette moved, and he spoke in a low rumble. "Such power... is unheard of, even among the gods."
Finn's face grew even more solemn. He looked at everyone and said deeply, "Regardless of their specific goals, the threat level has been elevated to the highest priority. The Guild has decided to organize an elite expedition to venture deep into the Dungeon, track down Volcano Manor's true base, and eradicate this threat entirely."
As soon as he finished, all eyes fell on Finn, waiting for his deployment.
"We know nothing of this enemy; only Mr. Lynn has some understanding of them." Finn's gaze rested on Lynn, his tone carrying both appraisal and trust. "I propose that Mr. Lynn serves as the guide for this expedition."
The proposal silenced the room once again. A Level 2 adventurer serving as the guide for such an expedition? While Lynn's performance had been stunning, missions of this caliber were usually led by Level 6 or even Level 7 adventurers.
However, this time, there were no objections. Finn's decision-making, Riveria's knowledge, and Ottar's presence forced the other Familia captains to acknowledge that Lynn was indeed the most suitable candidate.
Lynn didn't decline; he merely gave a casual shrug. "No problem. I can't exactly leave this faction alone either." After all, this was a matter of his own homeland; he couldn't just ignore the Great Serpent.
Finn looked at Lynn, a nearly imperceptible curve touching his lips. "Aiz's squad, including Bete, Tiona, Tione, and Lefiya for range support, will act alongside Mr. Lynn."
Finn's voice was decisive. "The expedition plan is officially launched. Target: the suspicious areas near the 20th floor of the Dungeon."
After the meeting ended, Lynn walked out with Finn and Aiz's squad. It was late, but the center of Orario remained brightly lit.
"Lynn, are you really going to be okay?" Lefiya approached him with worry, her wand gripped tightly in her hand. In her eyes, while Lynn was capable, he was still only Level 2. To lead them deep into the Dungeon against an unknown enemy felt like too much pressure.
Lynn glanced at her tense face and smiled, patting her shoulder. "Relax, Lefiya. With me there, all you need to do is make sure your arrows hit the target."
"It's not for me!" Lefiya's cheeks flushed slightly, followed by a flash of annoyance. "I'm worried about Miss Aiz!"
Aiz heard this, and a tiny, almost invisible smile touched her lips. When she looked at Lynn, there was a hidden excitement in her eyes.
"This enemy is different from the monsters before," Aiz said softly, her voice carrying an edge of alertness. "They... possess intelligence."
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Danmachi: My Primary God is Hidetaka Miyazaki? (Simulpub – Ongoing)
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