Isaac reads and rereads the notification with disbelieving eyes.
After two long minutes, he sighs with a forced smile on his lips.
'I probably look like an idiot who complains despite the unexpected success of the mission.' He couldn't help smiling ironically just by guessing the expression he must have currently had on his face.
'Good news remains good news. Finally, this girl remained my lucky star until the end.
I almost want to recruit her to annoy this big cat. But I suppose the opportunity will eventually present itself.' I say, looking at Maria who seemed to have found a new friend.
It's a disaster! It's the first time I have seen this big cat talking with someone; and with as much familiarity above all.
"What should we do? Is that another trap?"' Maria whispered to me next to me.
When you think about it, this dungeon is more of a trap dungeon than anything else.
First the labyrinth, then this trap that asked us to choose between the Sphinx trial or to face the black mage and his acolytes.
But when I think about it, we haven't met any other players in this dungeon. This could only explain two things. But before I hasten to conclude, I have to check something.
"Maria, you said we were going to have problems with other players during this expedition. But why didn't we meet any other players?" Isaac asks this question instead of answering Maria's question.
But the latter didn't complain about it. She nodded her head and explains.
"At first, everyone wanted to get the Holy Grail. But all the groups that entered the dungeon never went out. This, therefore, reduced the candidacy."
"...You mean that no one else dared to put themselves in danger because of that?"
"Um; moreover, we concluded that the dungeon was permanently killing its prey because of this fact. Given that no one went out into or resurrected despite their impact points, no one needed a purpose to understand this fact." She deepened her explanations by seeing Isaac's confusion.
The latter focuses on the Sphinx. 'It holds the road, this explanation. I'm not stupid to think we are the only ones to reach the sphinx. The other two tests were difficult, but not impossible to carry out.
-The survivors will be reduced in large quantities once in front of the Sphinx. Everyone knows how hard the sphinx test is. The sphinx appeared before us to lead us to believe that the wisest decision would be to fight against the black mage (of which we don't know their level) rather than bet on luck with the sphinx.
But I doubt that anyone was able to pass the sphinx test. If I haven't wrong, even this wish story is also a trap.' Arriving at this conclusion, Isaac looks at Maria.
"Ask him for the holy grail."
"Are you sure? The sphinx and the holy grail belong to this god who...
"We can't ask it to leave here; I know the arrogance of this infamous creature." Issac interrupts her while keeping an eye on the sphinx. "In addition, if we ask it to release the black mage whom its god punished, what will be its reaction in your opinion?" He then continues.
"...Do you think it will be angry?" Maria asks with puzzling eyes.
"Heh, it will probably call us cynics who don't respect its god's punishment."
"So you think your decision is the right one?"
"I can't say. But we can always get by with Plan B in case of failure."
Hearing these words, Maria sighs with a frustrated look. "Let's hope everything goes well."
She then looks at the sphinx.
"We are here for the holy grail."
The sphinx frowns with skepticism. "The holy grail? Are you not rather here to break the curse of these disbelievers who dared to desecrate the sacred temple of Lord Anubis?"
"No, I need this holy grail so that my subjects can prosper."
"..."
--
"Do you think they're dead too?" A
"I don't think that's the case. Look, this knight is still waiting for his mistress to come out of the dungeon, it means that they aren't dead yet." B
Even if the number of teams, waiting in front of the dungeon, had decreased, there were still five teams around waiting to see the results.
"Sigh, it's a waste of time. Our leader orders us to wait here and see who will get the holy grail. But we've been here for a week; no one has managed to steal this damn holy cup. Just staying here gives me nightmares when I close my eyes."
"Stop quibbling, it won't help us at all."
"Tsk, look at reality. While the others increase their levels, we are here acting as a watchdog. We'll soon be left behind the others."
As soon as 'A' finishes its sentence, a black portal manifests itself between the two pillars.
-!
The watchers had their eyes on the gate; unable to know what was occurring in front of them.
A few seconds later, two silhouettes came out of the portal.
A woman with cold eyes and a man wearing a black mask walked side by side toward Jamil, who smiled furtively under his helmet.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, mistress." Jamil greets Maria.
"How long since our absence?" She asks without blinking before the other players' dark eyes, who looked at both as two prey.
"Two days and 3 hours, mistress," Jamil answers in a deep voice.
But Maria's expression was darker than usual when she heard Jamil's answer.
"We're leaving, Jamil; prepare a teleportation parchment," She then orders in a cold voice.
"At your command, mistress..-
"Minute!" A male voice sounds Isaac and the other two's back.
'Sigh, pigeons which have belly bigger than their mouths.' Isaac mutters in his mind guessing their intentions.
He tried to draw his weapon. But Maria shakes her head towards him.
"You got the holy grail, didn't you? If you kindly give it to us, we'll let you leave...-
"Jamil, kill all those who will approach us within five meters!" She ordered in a ruthless voice that made Isaac frown.
'She's more tense than usual; it's understandable, given every effort she did to get it.' Isaac mutters in his mind before looking at others.
He snorts with disdain by seeing them step back.
In the same second, Maria's voice sounded alongside Isaac. "I can no longer feel Abdel's presence."
"..." Isaac's face became dark too; knowing m what it meant.
"Do you imply that there is a problem with your city?" He then asks.
"I still don't know. But to be able to kill Abdel who's a knight of level 155, he...!" Her body shivers when she imagines the consequences.
"Jamil, be quick!" She shouts these words while looking at Jamil.
The latter immediately tore the parchment he had in his hand.
--
Heat and a strong smell of blood.
These were the first sensations that burned my skin and invaded my sense as soon as I appeared in a place that no longer looked like the old mansion.
The next moment, my vision turned red because of the walls which were painted red.
The only sound I could hear was none other than the howls of despair emanating from the burning flames even though no one was alive.
Gradually, I was able to discern the corpses that were in a worse state than the massacre; as if a horror film was streaming in augmented reality.
Looking next to me, I could notice two pupils redder than the blood that was everywhere.
"Jamil, save all those who are still breathing." Maria's rock voice resounds in the middle of the living room, which seemed to want to collapse at any moment.
"You must first get safe, mistr...
"It's an order I give you, Jamil!" She immediately interrupted Jamil with blank eyes looking at the chopped corpses around us.
"...Be careful." Jamil had no choice but to comply with his mistress's orders before vanishing.
At the same time, Maria struggles to exit. But it was not to escape; Isaac could guess it just by seeing the wild aura around her.
"..." Isaac looks at her momentarily before sighing sadly.
He followed her the next second.
As soon as Isaac put a foot out of the mansion, his heart froze in his chest.
'...' He couldn't think properly.
However, only one thought looped in his mind like a recording. 'Even I, who have no connection with them, find it difficult to pipe my anger. How much she must feel disgusted right now? I don't dare to imagine it.'
He continued to pursue her at a galloping step; just in case she met one of these criminals.
After five minutes, Maria finally stops.
At the same time, Jamil appeared behind her with a fox girl and Jane on his two shoulders.
Isaac frowns when he sees Jane unconscious.
She didn't have severe injuries on her body, just a few traces of burns.
But the other girl, whom Isaac knew well, had a hand that was missing from the call.
He ignores Nohhah and helps Jamil take care of Jane first.
Maria looks at Isaac and Jamil before looking away.
Isaac takes out the stamina potion he had created in the dungeon and forces Jane to drink it.
"Her life is not in danger. But the other girl lost too much blood, if we didn't save her, she would risk...?
He stops when he saw Nohhah half open her eyes.
"Who did that?" Maria also seemed to have noticed Nohhah's awakening; she asks in a scratched voice.
But Nohhah couldn't answer her question, she fainted the next moment.
Seeing this, Isaac looks at Maria who had no expression; he could not know if she was angry or indifferent to such a scene.
Jamil disappeared once again and went to rescue the other survivors.
"I was naive to believe that this world could have a peaceful place."
Hearing Maria stutter these words in an appalling tone, Isaac had no answer to give her. He stood behind her without knowing how to console her; since he had never experienced such a dark event.
'You weren't there alone to be naive; I was more so than you.' He could only answer her in his mind.
"These people I considered my own family, this city that I knew as my palm; every person who was there, I knew their names." She continued with a heavy heart.
Meanwhile, Isaac takes out one of the vials Maria had given him he had not yet used.
He then splashed it on Nohhah's wound. 'She doesn't have the right to die, regardless of whether she is a victim or one of the assailants.' Even if Isaac's words could be interpreted as those of a saint, his expression was dark enough to interpret his true intentions.