"Hurry up and... I mean, hurry up and find the Demon King's treasure so we can go back to sleep,"
Scout Greyhound yawned, showing impatience as he interrupted the two's greetings and leaped onto the roadside carriage first.
"To North Peak Mine."
Upon hearing the destination, the coachman's expression tensed.
"Are we going there at this time?"
The distant horizon was already casting a dim yellow light; it would be dark in no more than two hours.
Although this place was the heartland of the human world, it was still far from safe.
To the southwest was the territory of the Lizardmen, and the mountains to the north were prowled by Undead.
Not just that.
In the dead of night, more dangerous than Undead were people with malicious intentions.
"Enough chatter, get moving,"
Greyhound tossed a few silver coins beside the coachman's seat, urging impatiently.
Seeing the silver coins, the coachman bit his lip but ultimately accepted the fare.
The group got on the carriage, and after more than thirty minutes of a bumpy ride, they finally arrived at the northernmost entrance of the labyrinth.
This was once a mine, reportedly an enterprise owned by the renowned Andes Family, and was said to have several veins of high-quality iron and coal underground.
However, by sheer misfortune, during a blasting operation, the miners accidentally broke into the labyrinth.
Since then, the entire mine had become the territory of Undead and magical creatures.
As it was near the edge of the labyrinth, such places usually held no valuable treasures, so adventurers generally had no special reasons to venture here.
The coachman refused to go up the mountain under any circumstances, so the party had to disembark at the foot of the mountain.
Fortunately, the mine was not far from there, just about ten minutes' walk.
Not far from the mine's entrance, on its sunlit side, Luo Yan saw a rundown inn.
The inn had a quaint appearance, but it was clearly dilapidated, having been abandoned for many years.
"Speaking of which, I've always been curious... If the local lords are so troubled by the Demon King, why don't they seal off the entrance to the labyrinth?"
"Hahaha, do you think the demon below is a fool? Well, even though he isn't exactly bright, they dig through easier than we can block them off," Am laughed as he clapped him on the shoulder as if they were old friends.
"Yes, I heard there is something like a core in the labyrinth that can easily alter the landscape underground. Add to that, the Demon King's servants are hellspawn; they are incredibly good at tunneling. I even heard they built a city called Demon City deep underground,"
Chris narrowed her eyes slightly and spoke casually, looking in the direction of the mine.
"But, thanks to the sewers of Thunder City, no matter how much the labyrinth spreads, it can't reach the main city area. It can spread only to the area where we just rode through... just outside the city walls,"
The drainage system built during the Isaac Dynasty seemed to still be operational today, unexpectedly serving as an iron bulwark protecting the city from the forces of Hell.
Luo Yan guessed that his predecessor transmigrator must have used something like reinforced concrete.
In any case, he had learned the basic situation.
The old Demon King's labyrinth mainly sprawled across the north of Thunder City, from the city walls to North Peak Mine.
Considering that his gang had already betrayed him, he might need to move his home base further north towards Shattered Rock Peak in the Ten Thousand Ridges Mountain Range, and connect to the old Demon King's labyrinth when the situation was right.
But speaking of which, why are these cheaply acquired guides not making a move yet?
He had been waiting for quite some time.
Watching Lady Chris, who was fidgeting with two daggers and walking gracefully towards the mine, Luo Yan felt a strange glint in his eye.
Could this group really be here to find the Demon King's treasure?
Impossible...
With Chris leading, possessing Extraordinary Power, followed closely by two scouts,
Luo Yan followed right behind Am and Reksen, holding a torch as they entered the ominous mine.
Perhaps because he had lived underground all these years, the moment he stepped into the mine, he felt as if he had come home.
It felt too familiar.
He felt as if the whole world had brightened, as if every pore had grown an eye.
As Chris and her companions vigilantly guarded the surroundings, he only needed to keep a wary eye on the few humans around him.
The group proceeded through the mine for a while when a rustling sound soon came from the distance.
Ratmen!
And slave Ratmen at that!
Luo Yan had already guessed the identity of the newcomers.
However, Chris, leading the way, frowned and pondered for a long time before reaching an ambiguous conclusion.
"There's something... either Undead or rats! Prepare for battle!"
Just as his words fell, the Ratmen hidden in the darkness screeched and surged forward.
Those eyes, like small red beans, emitted a horrifying fierceness, their haste as if they had been starved for a long time.
"Hahaha, bring it on!"
The muscular Am grinned viciously, threw aside his torch, drew the two battle axes hanging at his waist, and charged forward with heavy steps, swinging his blades wide, and in an instant, he had chopped down more than a dozen Ratmen wielding various weapons.
Reksen, holding a greatsword, was not to be outdone. He took a deep breath, gathered strength in his legs, and then, holding his half-human-high greatsword like a cannonball, he charged into the screeching Ratmen soldiers.