Left, Right, Left, Left. Kurt and Grey took one turn after another as they traversed the massive labyrinth. Even when they already knew that the labyrinth was large, its size was far more amazing than they had initially expected.
It has already been about an hour since the two entered from the summit and so far, nothing too problematic had occurred after the appearance of the three abominable beasts from before.
It would have been easier to punch the walls and create a tunnel, but doing so could cause the mountain to collapse. Especially since the two had the strength to easily crush boulders into fine powder. Being reckless was far too risky.
"I have to say... your navigational ability really is outstanding, Sir Grey. We have been in this maze for quite some time but we have yet to find a dead end. I don't know what to call it other than 'amazing'!" ［Kurt］
"Hahaha, you're praising me too much. It's just luck." ［Grey］
That was a lie.
Throughout the time Kurt and Grey have been navigating through the labyrinth, Grey has been using his "Heaven's Eye". At first, he was skeptical if it would work in a place located underground but his worries were all for naught. It still functioned normally even under such circumstances.
If it weren't for the fact that Grey and Kurt have entered from the summit, they would have already reached the main chamber by now. In fact, they have already walked quite a number of kilometers as they navigated throughout the labyrinth.
Of course, Kurt didn't know the existence of such an amazing ability. After all, other than 'Judgement' which Grey had revealed to the Guildmaster, all other effects from his abilities have been kept hidden. Yuna was the only one who knew about Grey's abilities.
'Oh? Aren't these....' ［Grey］
Just as Grey was feeling a little guilty about lying straight to Kurt's face, he sensed a pair of presences a few hundred meters away from him. They didn't belong to enemies nor beasts, but rather...
"Oh, Kurt! Grey!" ［Vanessa］
... they belonged to two ladies who were part of their raid team. It were Vanessa and Yuna were having a friendly chat as they traversed the labyrinth.
The moment Vanessa saw the two men, she immediately raised her right hand and waved it energetically. Accompanying her energetic gesture was her equally energetic smile and voice.
"How did things go on your side? Did anything interesting happen?" ［Vanessa］
"Elder Sister, you ought to be more serious in these situations... " ［Kurt］
"Eh～?! Kurt, you're just too stiff! Loosen up, will you?" ［Vanessa］
Kurt tried to reprimand his older sister but it was pointless. In a space where no other people were around, Vanessa's carefreeness was just on another level.
But with Vanessa acting like such, the tension in the air quickly dropped. It was unknown whether she was doing it on purpose or was just being her carefree self. After all, she IS Vanessa.
"Oh, right. I just remembered, but did you also get to fight some freaky looking creatures? Yuna and I fought some along the way. They were su～per strong despite their appearances." ［Vanessa］
As if she had just remembered a trivial topic, Vanessa suddenly asked a serious question towards Grey and Kurt. The two of course knew what Vanessa was talking about.
"Lady Vanessa, are you talking about the creatures who dropped these?" ［Grey］
Grey replied as he showed the three beast crystals he and Kurt had picked up after subjugating the creatures. They were about the size of a fist and had a bluish yet transparent coloration.
"Ah!" ［Vanessa］
A high-pitched voice full of shock rang inside Grey's ears the moment he showed the crystals. The source was none other than Vanessa whose eyes were widened from shock.
Yuna, who was beside Vanessa, just looked at it with curious eyes. She had no idea what the crystals Grey was holding in his hands were for. All she knew was that they have some important value.
"I completely forgot to collect them!" ［Vanessa］
Vanessa's yelling continued as she clearly remembered not checking the beasts' corpse. She was too engaged in knowing more about Yuna that she completely forgot to check before leaving.
Grey and Yuna looked at Vanessa dumbfounded, while Kurt shook his head with his dominant hand holding his forehead. He seemed to look like someone who was having a headache, for which the reason was none other than his older sister.
"Ah, right... I'll just let the army deal with it. Going back is too troublesome." ［Vanessa］
Vanessa declared as she placed one of her hands on top of her other palm. She had thought of an idea to escape from her responsibilities.
Seeing her personality again, Grey started pitying Kurt for dealing with such a free-spirited and troublesome sister. He was also thankful that Yuna was such a kind and obedient girl.
With Kurt pinching his forehead from the headache he got from dealing with his sister's nonsense, the group of four continued to navigate the labyrinth with Grey in the lead.
It took a couple of minutes, but after quite a few turns and fighting several dozen enemies on their path, they finally exited the massive labyrinth and entered the main chamber.
Unlike the labyrinth and the tunnels before it, the main chamber was much more open and felt more man made. Its height could easily reach more than 30 meters and has an area which can contain a dozen basketball courts.
But even when there was such a large open space, there were no signs of enemies in sight. Rather, it was very quiet and peaceful which made it give off a very eerie vibe.
The only thing worth noting was a solitary building which was located at the center of the main chamber. It was quite large despite being built underground, and it was very apparent that it served as the core of the base.
"Yo～! Over here!" ［Kris］
Unexpectedly, the one who arrived first wasn't the group led by Grey. It was Kris and Aria who were casually inspecting the main chamber before Grey and company had exited the labyrinth.
Although Kris and Aria didn't possess any navigational ability like Grey, following the path with the most enemies, they were able to arrive in the main chamber first. It was a smart technique which Kris had just thought of.
"You guys are late. What kept you there so long?" ［Kris］
"We're not late. You guys are just too early!" ［Vanessa］
"Yeah, yeah, sure. Let's go with that." ［Kris］
To Kris' joking and provocative question, Vanessa replied in kind. Even when they had just met recently, the two's personalities allow them to easily get along with one another.
...
"Boss! The type ||| Deimons have all been killed! We can't detect their lifeforces anymore!"
"What!?" ［Boss］
A loud crashing sound resounded in the air as a number of glass and metal apparatuses fell to the ground from the man's fury.
Just right after he felt a joyous emotion from the completion of his long research, a sudden disaster came looming in to destroy all of his efforts. He was panicking greatly as he imagined his efforts being put into vain.
'Wait, even if they defeated it, they must have suffered a large loss in their numbers. That means this is the best time to strike, while they're still weak!' ［Boss］
Luckily, he still had his wits even when he was panicking. He had concluded all by himself that the kingdom had suffered quite a few losses after encountering 9 B-rank demonic beasts,
It was a logical conclusion since raids were often performed with hundreds, maybe even thousands of soldiers and knights. And them being mostly soldiers, they would be insignificant against overwhelming enemies.
Unfortunately for him, such was not the case. Rather than hundreds or thousands, his opponents were just 6 people. A raid team comprised of people whose strengths are even higher than those of his creations.
"Release the type || Daemons! Crush them thoroughly this time." ［Boss］
"Y-Yes boss!"
The man didn't even consider extraneous variables when he relayed his order. He was confident that no matter what the kingdom sent, the improved versions of his creations would trample over them.
...
"Should we just bust open the door?" ［Vanessa］
"I don't know about that. There may be traps installed here." ［Kris］
"Lord Kris is right. We shouldn't act too recklessー" ［Kurt］
Clang Clang Thunk
A sudden metallic and mechanical sound reverberated in the air as the raid team decided how to open the door, making everyone raise their guards in anticipation on what's about to happen.
Soon after, the heavy metal doors opened, revealing even more massive and god-forsaken creatures. There were 3 of them and their eyes were everything but welcoming. The bloodlust emanating from their red eyes was as clear as day.
The creatures were about 5 meters in height and are obviously stronger than the ones before. Although they are different from the ones before them, they were similar in the manner that they were created from multiple creatures.
⟨⟨Appraisal⟩⟩ ［Grey］
-----------------------------------
[Demonic Beast]
[Species] Daemon
[Status] Healthy, Stable
[Sex] ???
[Age] ???
[Mana Capacity] 4,592 [Mana Quality] B
[Combat Power] 2,207 [Threat Level] B
[Attribute] Null
[Intelligence] ???
[Description]
A man-made creature made from combining the body parts of different beasts into one. It took countless beasts and countless lives during the process of its creation. Its sole purpose is to serve its master and bring ruin to the obstacles in its way. It is the second iteration of its kind.
-----------------------------------
"Be careful everyone! They're much stronger than the ones we've fought before! All of their combat power is at least 2,000!" ［Grey］
Grey quickly notified every member of the raid team as soon as he saw the creatures' combat power. The calm atmosphere then turned into one which was full of grave seriousness.
The gap between the current creatures and the previous ones was too wide. By rough estimate alone, the current ones were about 7 to 8 times stronger. It would only take one of the current ones to wipe out all 9 of the previous ones.
"Everyone, listen up! Everyone below A-rank, pull back and attack using long-range magic while the others become vanguards and draw out their attention. Don't let the creatures reach the reaguardsr!" ［Vanessa］
"Roger!" ""Yes!"" ""Understood!""
Heeding Grey's warning, Vanessa issued an order which everyone followed suit without asking a question. Grey, Yuna, and Kris took a step forward as vanguards while Aria, Kurt, and Vanessa prepared to cast spells from the rear.
It was a situation where the lives of the raid team members might get into danger if the situation was handled poorly. They have no other choice but to tread carefully against the enemies in front of them.
"Make sure they don't get past" ［Grey］
"If that's the case, then why don't we just barricade them!" ［Kris］
Along with his declaration, Kris poured his mana into his hammer and threw it midair. He then jumped after it and when he got a hold of its handle, he twisted his body and threw it to the ground head first with all his might.
⟨⟨Stone Forest!⟩⟩ ［Kris］
As the hammer struck the ground, the earth rumbled aggressively and soon after, multiple pillars of earth started emerging from the ground, connecting to the walls and the ceiling of the hideout.
It was like a large three-dimensional puzzle which restricted the movements of large creatures. Not only that, the pillars also provided support to the mountain and prevented it from collapsing. It was a super useful magic.
The creatures managed to avoid the emerging pillars but the moment they halted, they were already trapped with little to no space available to move into. Even spreading their wings has become a difficult task.
⟨⟨Blue Phoenix!⟩⟩ ［Vanessa］
⟨⟨Blue Phoenix!⟩⟩ ［Kurt］
⟨⟨Twin Spiral!⟩⟩ ［Aria］
One after another, the rearguards launched a barrage of attacks towards the creatures. They didn't waste the opportunity when the creatures were still confused and struck while the iron was hot.
And coupled with their ability "Sunfire" which increases the heat and tenacity of flames, Vanessa and Kurt's fire-attribute spells burnt even hotter and brighter to the point that iron will instantly melt upon contact.
There were obstacles on the path of their spells but they weren't much of a problem. All they had to do was control the spells from afar like it was a part of the body. It might have cost more mana, but it was worth it.
Kruwaaaakkkkk
The creatures screeched with rage and agony as they received the attacks from the rearguards, and turned their attention towards them. Their eyes glowed even redder as they were fueled by hatred.
The creatures charged towards the rearguards, disregarding the stone pillars along the way. They obliterated everything in their path even when it also caused harm to them. They were crazy.
Even with the relentless attacks from the rearguards, the creatures showed no signs of slowing down. Their "minds" were focused on bringing down the people firing attacks from the rear.
"Not so fast! ⟨⟨Binding Ivy⟩⟩!" ［Grey］
But before they could even travel halfway, their movements were completely stopped by Grey's plant-attribute binding spell.
A multitude of thorn-filled vines emerged out of the ground and got a hold of the creatures trying to run towards the rearguards. Not only did it restrict them from moving, it also drained their mana as time passed.
The more the creatures struggled, the more exhausted they became from trying to break free from Grey's binding. Unfortunately for them, the gap between them and Grey was too much. It was an impossible task.
Kruwaaaaakkkk
With their movements restricted, all the creatures could do was screech loudly in pain and hatred as the relentless barrage of attacks continued to rain down upon them,
Seeing the predicament the creatures were in, Yuna took the chance and leaped high up in the air and landed in between the two creatures. She then leaped once again and when she was at the same height as their heads...
⟨⟨Icicle Shotgun!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
... using both of her hands, she released an "Icicle Shotgun" towards both flanks and destroyed both of the creatures' heads. Their heads were skewered with frozen "spears" which can even pierce through metals easily.
There wasn't any resistance left after Yuna fired her spells. Both of the creatures lost their lives a quick moment after her attack. They didn't even have the chance to retaliate.
"Stop moving!" ［Kris］
The remaining creature wasn't safe either. It tried to struggle free, but what greeted it wasn't freedom but Kris' heavy strike which cracked the bones all over its front limb where Kris had struck.
With its broken front leg, the creature's struggle became weaker. The only thing that stayed constant was the endless torrent of spells the rearguards shot towards it.
⟨⟨Blue Phoenix!⟩⟩ ［Vanessa］
⟨⟨Blue Phoenix!⟩⟩ ［Kurt］
⟨⟨Twin Spiral!⟩⟩ ［Aria］
Kruwaaaakkkkkk
Having received all three attacks, the creature screeched and fell to the ground. But it didn't die. After falling to the ground, the creature mustered all its strength and tried to stand up, but before it could do so...
"As if I'd let you! ⟨⟨Sundering Mountain⟩⟩!" ［Kris］
... Kris has dealt the final blow by crushing the creature's whole body using an art which projected a giant version of his hammer.
Not only the creature's body, but the whole mountain also received the impact from Kris' attack. Luckily, the "Stone Forest" he previously erected had prevented the mountain from collapsing.
Receiving Kris' attack, the creature stopped moving entirely and the flames of its life ceased to exist. Soon after, mana left behind its body, leaving only the corpse and a beast crystal behind.
"Haah... That was tough... I'm glad we managed to finish them off quickly. If that were to drag on any longer, I would have exhausted my mana." ［Kris］
Kris commented as his legs collapsed to the ground due to fatigue. Not only him, the rearguards were also heavily taxed by spending too much mana on their consecutive attacks.
Even when Kris had only used three attacks, those three attacks were the strongest ones he could muster. Of course, they were also the ones which cost the most mana in his arsenal.
"How about you guys take a break." ［Grey］
"Yeah, we... could really... use one... Haah.. Haah..." ［Kris］
With the defeat of the creatures, the raid team then decided to take their rest. Although mana exhaustion can be easily undone with the use of mana potions, fatigue was another issue.
All of their bodies became sore after firing off too many spells. It was a similar sensation to what an average person would feel after an intense day full of manual labor. It was like their muscles were all screaming with pain.
After a few dozen minutes, the fatigue had become bearable and so, the raid team continued their task and went inside the building, which, through sheer chance, wasn't affected anyhow by Kris' "Stone Forest".
The moment they entered, a myriad of machineries and mechanical equipments greeted their eyes. Although they weren't as advanced as Earth's, they were amazing in their own ways.
They searched the whole room, but there was nothing to be found. If there was one, it would be the suspiciously large elevator-like machine which was obviously the one used to transport the large creatures upwards.
Using the elevator, the raid team went further down the floors. With every descent, an inspection came after, but like the uppermost floor, there was nothing noteworthy in all of them.
Everything was different when they arrived at the deepest floor. Rather than an empty and eerie room, what greeted them was a bloodbath. There were corpses everywhere, machineries destroyed, and broken glasses. It was a massacre.
"There's someone still alive! Over there!" ［Aria］
Aria pointed towards a wounded man, covered in blood, and even struggling just to breath. He was the only one left alive and all others were torn to shreds or buried under heavy machines.
"Haha... Hahaha... You all are foolish... you came here... just to die... Hahaha... you're no match for it... Hahahaー" ［Boss］
The man laughed hysterically at the sight of the raid team, but before he could even finish his last words, a gigantic maw filled with razor-sharp teeth appeared out of nowhere and devoured his head whole.
A crunching sound echoed in the air as the owner of the maw chewed the man's head. It was a cruel scene that many will surely have nightmares for days after witnessing it.
But the death of the man nor the fate of the man's colleagues wasn't the one that was troubling Grey, rather...
Kuruuwaaaakkkkkkk
... it was the fact that the creature before him was the strongest opponent he has ever faced.
CHAPTER 30 END