P/N let me know if there's any mistakes and I will try to fix them
Lido squeezed the hilts of his swords as he responded to the
red-cap goblin just behind him.
Once the group broke through the wall of rock on the eastern
edge of the forest, they immediately saw an open door at the end
of the tunnel.
Fully aware that this was the enemy base, and most likely a
trap, the Xenos charged headlong into this man-made realm.
Driven by insatiable anger and a singular purpose—rescuing
their captured friends—the Xenos found themselves at their ulti-
mate destination.
"What is this place…?!"
When they reached the top of a stone stairwell, a vast chamber
unlike any of the tunnels appeared in front of their eyes.
It was perfectly rectangular, over one hundred meders wide
and several times that in length. The whole area, including the
high ceiling, was constructed from stone and shrouded in dark-
ness. The incredibly massive space shared many characteristics
with the Great Wall of Sorrows at the end of the seventeenth
floor.
But Lido, Gros, and the rest of the Xenos were focused in one
direction.
"Everyone…!"
Countless lines of black cages.
And inside this hellish prison were lamia, Scylla, and mer-
maids, along with many other dazzling monsters with human
characteristics as well as extremely rare monsters like a carbun-
cle. Every one of them was scarred from torture and locked in a
cage with heavy chains.
The harpy Fia was in the first cage in the row, clinging to the
bars.
" !!"
Lido, Gros, and the other Xenos could hear the rage seething
inside themselves.
Whoosh! As their fur and feathers stood on end, they rushed
forward en masse.
"Break the cages!! Set our comrades free!!"
Gros howled as he tore the nearest cage to pieces.
Lido and the other armed monsters hacked and slashed their
way through the iron bars while others bent and twisted the
metal with brute force. Free of the chains on their limbs, the pris-
oners were finally released from the cages.
Gros led the Xenos farther back, leaving broken cages in their
wake. While some of the freed monsters were indeed once part of
the Xenos, there were others they had never seen before. They
had two things in common: a sparkle of intelligence in their eyes
and an inability to break free themselves due to weakness and in-
jury.
Time passed. The number of cages never seemed to decrease
no matter how many they destroyed; the calls for help never
ceased. Catching their kin on the verge of collapse, embracing
them one after another, the Xenos destroyed cage after cage amid
the echoes in the vast chamber.
"Fia, where's Wiene?"
"I don't know. They dragged her away, unconscious, toward
the back…!"
After Lido set her free, the badly injured harpy willed her mus-
cles to move, pointing a feathered wing into the darkness.
Narrowing his reptilian eyes, Lido left Fia in Lett's care and
took off at a sprint.
"—Such a touching reunion."
Then, right there…
A hollow clap echoed through the air, as if its maker had been
waiting for the right moment.
"…?!"
"Welcome to our humble abode, monsters. Do make your-
selves at home."
A man wearing goggles appeared from deep in the darkness.
Lido came to a screeching halt, and Gros turned away from a
broken cage. Every set of Xenos eyes zeroed in on him.
They stood face-to-face with the dreaded hunter at last.
"Are you the hunter selling off our kind…?"
"Oh? You knew about that? Yeah, I'm the one who snatched
your buddies and turned them into cash—once I taught them
some manners so they'd obey the customers, that is."
"Bastard…!!"
A grin formed on the man's—Dix's—face as he tapped the shaft
of his wickedly curved red spear against his shoulder. He didn't
bat an eye under the waves of hostility rolling off Lido, Gros, and
the rest of the Xenos.
"Well, I shouldn't really say 'I.' More like 'us,'" he said, and
hunters appeared all over the chamber.
A few stepped out from behind Dix, others from the walls on
the left and right, and some even materialized from the entrance
the Xenos came through.
Lett and Fia jumped in surprise from their spot behind the
Xenos line, watching a variety of humans and demi-humans
move to surround and trap the group.
The Xenos and the broken cages at their feet were encircled by
hunters.
"…!"
"You might have the edge in numbers, but…can you protect all
of your precious cargo at the same time?"
It was just as Dix said. The newly released monsters could
barely stand.
The healthy Xenos could never fight at full strength if they had
to worry about protecting their allies. Luring Lido and the rest
into this chamber and waiting for the Xenos to free the other
monsters was all part of the plan.
Lido and Gros bared their fangs at their crafty, grinning foe
and menacingly clacked them together.
"—Lido!"
"Wha…Bellucchi?!"
That moment, Bell and Fels burst into the chamber from the
stone stairwell.
Lido was the first to whirl around in surprise. Gros and the
other Xenos quickly followed suit. As for the hunters, they were
absolutely stunned.
"You're that boy from…You, why have you come?!"
"Now's not the time, Gros!"
Gros's reaction turned to anger at the fact that Bell had fol-
lowed them here, but Lido held out his arm to hold him back.
The lizardman looked up, his reptilian irises meeting Bell's
rubellite ones.
Why, how, turn back already—so many urgent words and
questions appeared in Lido's gaze before disappearing.
"Oh come on…Gran, you idiot! The hell's going on? Why do we
have guests in our 'secret' base? Did you seriously forget to close
the doors?"
"I c-closed them all! I ain't lying to you, Dix! Once the mon-
sters were through, I closed them all, I swear…!"
Sweat poured down the towering bald-headed man at Dix's
cold voice, and he desperately pleaded his case.
Gran had arrived with the second group of hunters behind the
Xenos, and Bell and Fels had a clear view of the item in his pos-
session.
"Isn't that…?"
Bell whispered in disbelief as Fels looked down at the similar
magic item in his grasp.
"A key…?!" A wave of disbelief passed through the hunters
once they saw it, too.
"Ohh, so that's how it is…So, what bumbling idiot did you take
it from? Guess we shouldn't pass those things out left and right
after all."
One look at the magic item in the newcomer's hand and Dix
seemed to connect the dots. His mood worsening by the moment,
he smacked the red shaft of his spear against his shoulder and be-
rated himself.
Gran and the other hunters were not keen on facing enemies
on two fronts. They moved out of the way to rejoin their allies, al-
lowing Bell and Fels to approach the Xenos.
"Signor Bell…"
"Surface dwellers…Have you come…to help us?"
"...!"
The harpy, sitting up with the red-cap goblin's support, spoke
from her spot on the floor.
Painful cuts and bruises covered her body. The chain might
have been severed, but a pair of shackles far too big for her little
legs was still firmly in place. A wave of nausea overtook the new-
comers at the depraved sight.
Bell couldn't speak as Fia looked weakly up at him.
Where's Wiene?!
Bell couldn't help imagining the dragon girl in a similar state
and immediately started searching for her. However, despite all
the people and monsters in the chamber, she was nowhere to be
seen.
"I can't believe it—a chamber this size…"
While Bell was growing more and more anxious, Fels studied
their immediate surroundings with a groan.
The Sage's hood shifted and turned toward Dix, and the mage
called in a voice loud enough to be heard across the great distance
between them:
"Hazer, Dix Perdix…So you're the mastermind."
"Who are you, mage? Gotta say, that's a shady getup you got
there…How about telling me what you are to these monsters?
You, too, Little Rookie."
Fels and Dix exchanged words as the hunters and Xenos
glared at each other in the chamber. Uneasy boot steps echoed off
the walls as the tension between the two groups became severe
enough to explode at any moment.
"I'll cut right to the point. This is a Daedalus creation, is it
not?"
"Ha-ha! Noticed, have you? It's probably exactly what you
think."
"…How long has it been in use? No, when did you learn of its
existence?"
"How should I know? The ancestors dumped it on me. As a de-
scendant, it shouldn't matter when or how I use it, yeah?"
Dix's words not only caught Fels by surprise but stopped Bell
in his tracks.
"Ancestors…Descendant…?!"
"Do you claim to be part of Daedalus's family tree?!"
Both the boy's and the mage's voices shook with surprise and
confusion. A satisfied smile appeared on Dix's face as the Xenos
lent their ears to the conversation, doubting his claim.
"I ain't bluffing. Look—I'll prove it right now."
With that, the man raised his goggles.
" ."
His fearless red eyes were exposed for all to see.
There was a D marking his left iris.
"There, proof of my Daedalus heritage. Anyone with even a
drop of that lunatic's blood in their veins is born with this mark
in their eye."
A cursed bloodline.
He confronted them all with proof.
Whether it was authentic or not, they couldn't be sure. There
wasn't enough information to make a decision either way. How-
ever—Bell stopped breathing when he looked at Fels's hand.
The sphere inside the magic item bore the same mark.
The thing embedded inside the ingot didn't merely resemble
an eye—
"The doors in here only respond to our eyes. They were made
that way so that descendants could go where they pleased and get
to 'work'…But nowadays we carve the eyes out of their dead bod-
ies and use them as keys to take advantage of it."
Fels, Bell, and the Xenos stood like statues as Dix declared its
name.
"The man-made labyrinth Knossos—a ridiculous piece
Daedalus left for all his descendants to work on."
"Knossos?"
Hermes repeated what he had just heard.
Ikelos responded with a grin and a quick "Yeah." He was an-
swering the other god's questions as part of his "prize." "That's
what's written in the notebook, anyway."
"Notebook? You can't mean…"
"That's right, Daedalus's Notebook."
The breeze atop the tower rustled the deity's cheap black
clothing and carried his voice to Hermes.
"Daedalus…Dix's forefather went a bit off the deep end after
seeing the Dungeon. He just had to create with his own hands a
piece that outdid the labyrinth in every way…How stupid is that?
Hee-hee! There used to be so many crazy children back in those
days. Now they're all just stuck-up brats."
The god sneered as if nothing were more entertaining than the
notebook of a man's regrets and burning desires.
"Of course, one man could never finish something like that. I
doubt it could ever be done at all. But at any rate, Daedalus died
when the project was still in the beginning stages, and he willed it
and the notebook to his offspring."
"..."
"Along with a nice blueprint to go with it. And those descen-
dants have been following it ever since."
Hermes let a few moments pass before responding.
"Ikelos, if what you're saying is true, then…those descendants
have…"
"That's right, Hermes. Those descendants have been working
on Knossos for nearly—"
"—One thousand years," Dix said as he pulled his goggles
back down over his eyes. "That's how long the ancestors were
building this thing without the Guild finding out."
Bell, Fels, and even the Xenos had difficulty believing the
man's incredible claim.
"Impossible! All those years and not a soul caught on…?!"
"Okay then, mage, how would you explain how the labyrinth
you're standing in got here? Do you think this piece of 'artwork'
running along the Dungeon's edges was seriously built
overnight?"
The Dungeon layout was circular.
It expanded outward with each floor wider than the last.
And—Knossos was concave around it.
Bell used his knowledge and Dix's claim to arrive at that con-
clusion.
Daedalus's blueprints called for a structure that sat in the neg-
ative space around the Dungeon's circular edges, transforming it
into a pillar of sorts beneath the city. This man-made labyrinth
wrapped around the Dungeon's circular floors.
The underground network of sewer systems that Fels had
mentioned, the secret tunnel that Bell had found, all of it was
built as part of the plan to create this one grand piece.
Bell's face turned pale as he struggled to comprehend Knos-
sos's full scale.
"My old man, granddad, and other ancestors expanded Knos-
sos all the way down to the middle levels, and I don't even know
their faces."
A thousand years had passed since Mad Daedalus's death.
Knossos was the result of one thousand years of insane, blood-
driven obsession.
Bell could almost see Daedalus's flawed vision taking shape, as
hands crawling out from beneath his feet.
"But on the other hand…one thousand years and still only the
middle levels."
Only 30 percent of the blueprint had been completed, he told
them in a spray of spit.
"…I never would've believed this was the truth behind the sus-
pected link between Ikelos Familia and the Evils…" Fels whis-
pered to himself, certain he was on to something.
Dix sneered at him.
"I ain't got a clue when the ancestors first started working with
the ones you call Evils. But by the time I was born in this shady
labyrinth, they were practically joined at the hip."
"—And all to finish that project of theirs."
Ikelos went on.
"Daedalus's piece cost time, labor, and way too much money."
Orichalcum and adamantite.
Not to mention an abundance of rocks and other building ma-
terials.
Knossos didn't have the Dungeon's regenerative ability—it was
imperative that this piece be nearly impossible to break in order
to realize Daedalus's vision. That was because the madman's in-
tention was to create something that surpassed the Dungeon it-
self.
And of course, the materials required to build Knossos were
extremely difficult to acquire.
"So that's why Daedalus's descendants got involved with the
Evils and other shady groups…"
Consequently, those descendants from Daedalus had connec-
tions with a wide array of underground and black-market organi-
zations. They sought out organizations that had an abundant sup-
ply of orichalcum, building materials, or gold on hand. They
didn't care if it took unlawful business dealings or downright
theft.
As a second entrance into the Dungeon, one far away from the
watchful eyes of the Guild, Knossos became their bargaining chip.
The man-made dungeon expanded deeper over time. Some or-
ganizations doubted its usefulness in the beginning, but they
eventually discovered Knossos's value and made contributions of
their own. The evil groups worked together to conceal its exis-
tence from the Guild.
Everything fell into place in Hermes's mind as he ran his fin-
gers along the brim of his hat.
Knossos itself became a hotbed for evil—the darkness had
threatened to consume the city for centuries.
"Word has it these descendants did whatever it took to com-
plete their dungeon. Becoming obsessed with acquiring Enigma,
kidnapping women to make sure there would always be someone
working on their piece…"
Ikelos went on to say that Dix was born from one such ab-
ductee.
Half siblings and incest were common.
"While it might be Daedalus's legacy, I find it hard to believe
that these descendants would devote their lives to such an absurd
work…"
"What can I say? Must be something in their blood."
Ikelos shrugged off Hermes's comment. "Cursed blood…as Dix
puts it."
A smile spread on the deity's lips as he gazed down over the
Labyrinth City.
"Daedalus's descendants were all dancing to the tune of a sin-
gle notebook, building this thing."
His red eyes were just barely visible behind the translucent
lenses of the goggles.
With those words, Dix lifted his spear, the same shade of red
as his eyes, into position and drove his point home.
"…In other words, selling captured Xenos is a way for you to
acquire funds."
As to when Dix and the hunters had become aware of the
Xenos, that was yet unclear.
However, Dix needed a great deal of money to contribute to
Knossos's completion. After joining a familia to gain a Blessing,
he gradually took control of the group, guiding them toward
Orario's black markets.
Dix snorted at Fels's hypothesis.
"Yeah, at first."
Those words sent an uneasy chill down Bell's spine, and then
—BANG!
"Enough talk!!"
He looked over in time to see Gros's claws tear through a
nearby cage, destroying it.
The gargoyle's eyes flashed, and the ash-colored wings on his
back spread wide.
"Your cruelty to our kind and your murder of Ranieh remains
unchanged!—You will feel our wrath!!"
The gargoyle took flight, launching himself toward Dix in one
swift motion.
The man in goggles quickly grabbed a nearby subordinate by
the collar, throwing him directly into the gargoyle's path. "Huh?"
The man's confusion quickly turned into a blood-chilling scream
the moment Gros's stone claws made contact.
That first splash of blood ignited the battle.
"Gros and I will lead the charge! Dole, have your team protect
the injured!"
"Wha—GYAH!"
The lizardman shouted orders to his allies while inflicting a
deep gash into the nearest animal person. Other Xenos moved to
protect their newly liberated comrades, crossing blades with the
attacking hunters.
"Damn it all!"
"Keh…Firebolt!!"
Overwhelmed by the fierce sounds of combat at first, Bell was
forced into battle when a group of hunters charged him.
However, they thought better of it when the red-cap goblin
held the battle-ax aloft at his side and Fels moved to protect the
injured harpy, and the enemies backed off entirely once Bell's
Swift-Strike Magic was triggered.
"Oh come on…Kinda strong, ain't they? We underestimated
'em."
Meanwhile, shocked members of Ikelos Familia were feeling
the same way.
Every hunter other than Dix raced into battle, but just as he
said, the hunters were losing ground. Aiming for the weakened
monsters only served to enrage the Xenos even further, and the
monsters' sheer might quickly dismantled the humans' forma-
tions.
This was especially true around Lido and Gros. Dix's smile
twisted with irritation as his allies fell to the ground one by one.
"No time to hold back…Guess it's time to use it," Dix said. He
held his spear in his left hand and thrust out his right arm.
" ."
The only reason Fels was able to react to this horrid sight in
time—
—was due to a wealth of experience that far exceeded the
other's.
—But it was already too late.
As Gran and the other hunters took cover as though their lives
depended on it, a chill ran through the body of bones that bor-
dered on absolute zero.
The mage's black robes swirled behind the main battle.
"—Get behind me, Bell Cranell! NOW!!"
Bell, eyes wide, was shocked at the disappearance of Fels's
usual calm demeanor and obeyed without question.
Holding Lett and Fia close to his chest, Bell dove behind Fels
just as the mage extended both arms wide.
A moment later…
"Become lost in an endless nightmare."
The vibrations rose from the man's throat to form a spell.
"Phobetor Daedalus."
A wave of crimson light burst forth from his fingers.
" ."
A red glow swept over the battlefield.
The ominous light devoured the darkness. There was no explo-
sion, however—not even a shock or vibration. It engulfed every-
thing in range before continuing on, but all it left behind was a
hair-raising, malice-filled tone ringing in their ears.
Bell and the two Xenos hiding behind Fels cupped their hands
over their ears as they cautiously looked out from behind the robe
to investigate. Just then…
"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
OOOOOOOOOO!"
Every single monster was thrashing about, completely out of
control.
"Wha—?!"
"Lido, Gros!"
"Everyone?! Why…?!"
Bell, the red-cap goblin, and the harpy all looked on in disbe-
lief as the Xenos tried to destroy everything in sight.
The lizardman's eyes were bloodshot, the gargoyle howling
like a lunatic. Gobs of drool sprayed from their mouths as they
hacked and slashed with swords and claws. Like actual monsters.
All the Xenos had one thing in common: their eyes had taken
on the same crimson hue as Dix's.
Metallic echoes surged as cages flipped and stone crumbled
underfoot in a deafening frenzy that threatened to rend their
eardrums.
It wasn't long before their wild thrashes connected with their
own kind. The battle became a free-for-all where ally fought
against ally.
"Wh-what could have possibly…?"
The fully armored and healthy Xenos weren't the only ones af-
fected. Even the newly liberated and badly injured monsters
joined the fray with just as much vigor. Bell watched it happen,
terror written all over his face. Blood poured from their open
wounds, but they continued to attack anything in their vicinity. A
chorus of screams and howls filled the air.
His hair stood on end at this growing monster massacre.
"A curse…!!" Fels rasped with horror next to Bell and the oth-
ers, who were still in shock.
Curses.
Like magic that summoned fire or lightning and enchantments
that increased physical attributes, they required a trigger spell to
be cast. However, their effects were still worthy of being called
"curses."
Confusion, restriction of movement, physical pain—there were
many types.
The most troubling thing about curses was that they were dif-
ficult to block and cure. Only specialized items would do the trick.
Even the Advanced Ability Immunity provided no protection.
It went without saying that the monsters were completely de-
fenseless.
Like magic, this technique was unique to humans. There was
nothing the Xenos could do except take a direct hit.
"Aww~, everything's as good as over once I cast it…or at least
it should be."
Dix watched the monsters' frenzy with glee in his eyes—that is,
until he spotted Bell and Fels standing on the other side of the
battle.
"Didn't work on some of them—is that robe of yours a magic
item, mage?"
"…Well spotted. It protects against curses and anti-Status
magic."
Dix shouted across the battlefield, but Fels's response was so
quiet that it was unlikely to be heard.
It was the mage's black robe that had protected Bell and the
two Xenos behind him from the curse. "Though I'm not sure a
curse would do much to this bony body of mine," the mage
known as the Fool whispered, glaring back at the smiling goggled
man.
"That curse must be the reason their hunts remained undis-
covered, and why they withdrew upon discovering Hermes Fa-
milia…!"
The curse provided the last piece of the puzzle for Fels, con-
necting all the loose ends.
If anyone who happened to witness their activities got caught
up in the curse, they became a monster's next meal even if the
hunters didn't get their hands dirty. If, by some miracle, said wit-
ness managed to survive long enough to regain their senses,
memories from before the curse took effect would be vague at
best.
It was also the real reason why they retreated from Asfi's team
of adventurers from Hermes Familia. Dix was concerned about
Perseus's magic items—there was a possibility that she carried
something like Fels's black robe or another item that could nullify
the curse's effects. He sacrificed that hunt in order to prevent her
from learning anything about them.
Bell understood as well.
Dix's curse had the most impact on first sight.
"Phobetor Daedalus."
A curse that mystified targets, confusing them.
Its extremely short trigger spell and wide range made it a pow-
erful, deadly technique.
Anyone exposed to it without protection was instantly drawn
into a wild frenzy—and wouldn't live to encounter it again.
Bell couldn't hide the horror in his eyes at a curse that forced
its victims to rampage until their bodies gave out.
This was why Dix always seemed so confident.
The reason he had captured so many Xenos. His trump card.
"We're gonna incur some losses, since I had to bust this out,
but…"
There were some hunters on the battlefield who were unable
to escape from the unannounced curse in time and others who
didn't have the magic item necessary to block it. They, too,
howled like monsters, slashing at other humans and monsters
alike with broken swords in an erratic fit.
Dix gazed out over the afflicted people and monsters and said:
"Eh, oh well—bon appétit, monsters!"
Suddenly, two monsters landed directly in front of Bell.
"?!"
They were Xenos trying to tear each other apart. Another
monster's attack had knocked them all the way up to his feet.
The confused creatures scrambled to their feet and jumped at
Bell's group.
"AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaAAAAaaaAAAaaaaAAAAAAAaaaaaaa!!"
"Not good!"
The curse now had them in its clutches.
All four dove away from the reckless, unrestrained swipes of
claw and fang. One attack slammed into the stone floor with a
bang and a spray of debris, and the monsters' wild eyes bored
into Bell, Fels, Lett, and Fia. The red-cap goblin and the harpy
froze in fear at the sight of their terrifying comrades.
As the crazed hunters continued their onslaught despite their
serious injuries, the four quickly found themselves at the center
of an all-out brawl.
" ?!"
"?!"
Bell couldn't raise a blade to the Xenos, who should be on his
side. With blocking and dodging as his only options, the boy was
unable to escape a griffin that caught him between jumps. Just
before its sharp beak could tear into his flesh, a troll's massive
club slammed into them. The pair was launched high into the air.
"Signor Bell?!"
His vision blurred as he careened toward the main battle.
The griffin had taken the brunt of the club and was now
writhing in pain and losing its grip. Although Bell managed to es-
cape, he had been separated from Fels and the others. The red-
cap goblin's call disappeared into the swirling pandemonium of
screams and roars; Bell was completely isolated.
Pushing the griffin off his body to escape, Bell raised his head,
and out of nowhere…
" ."
A lizardman stood in front of him, his weapons held high.
—Lido.
Bloodthirsty, terrifying eyes. Scimitar pointed toward the ceil-
ing. The boy recoiled at the terrifying visage.
Bell's mind went blank as he watched the lizardman prepare to
slice him in half.
Looking up at the savage expression—murderous intent as
plain as day—Bell brought up a knife but could move no farther.
The lizardman brought down the scimitar without waiting an-
other beat.
Time slowed to a crawl. As if in a trance, Bell watched the
blade descend, tracing an arc directly at his body. In that moment
—
"GEHH!"
A colorless shock wave slammed into the lizardman from the
side, sending the monster flying.
" ?!"
Time returned to normal, and Bell spun around to see a
mage's right arm and gloved hand extended in his direction.
"Forgive me, Lido…!"
Fels's long-range burst of energy had saved Bell's life. The
mage then shouted:
"Stop Hazer, Bell Cranell!!"
"Huh?"
"This type of curse lifts once the caster is defeated! The Xenos
will return to normal!!"
Bell turned away from Fels with a start and immediately spot-
ted the man with goggles and a red spear.
Very little distance separated them. Now in the center of bat-
tle, Bell was the closest to him. Within striking distance.
Bell glared into the red eyes behind the man's goggles. His
whole body burning from within, he jumped to his feet.
For the first time today, the boy who had only been swept
along by the course of events showed signs of a fierce fighting
spirit.
"Coming at me, Little Rookie? I'm Level Five, you know!"
"…!!"
"That ain't no bluff. Some of those talking monsters were real
strong. Doing this as long as I have means surviving more adven-
tures than I can count."
Dix's words were no lie as he watched the boy get to his feet
with interest.
Bell's eyes trembled at the intimidating Level, but…
"Curses may be strong, but they come with a price! That man
should be dealing with it at this very moment!"
"Aww, damn. Keep your mouth shut."
An aggravated smirk appeared on Dix's face when Fels's voice
echoed past them once again.
The main difference between curses and magic was the price
the caster had to pay.
Curses required compensation; they inflicted some kind of
penalty while they were in effect.
Bell's eyes flashed with determination.
With his black knife in his right hand and his short crimson
blade in his left, he charged.
He made a beeline straight through the battlefield.
Weaving past the claws swiping at him, he left the monsters in
the dust to engage the man at point-blank range.
"Dix."
"It's fine. You lot finish off that mage."
He jerked his chin at the nearby subordinates, lips curling into
a sneer.
They left him, most feared of all the hunters, alone to face the
boy closing in at full speed. The man lifted his spear.
"Take him down, Bell Cranell!!"
As the mage's voice echoed across the background, knife and
spear collided.
Sparks flew with a high-pitched metallic ring. Bell and Dix
crossed blades.
"Hey! I found a survivor!"
"You all right? Answer me!"
The town of Rivira was showered in crystal light.
The small party that had split from Ganesha Familia's main
force made their way through what was once the Dungeon's out-
post, looking for signs of life. Members of the group called out to
each other, rushing in to heal the dwarf they had found buried be-
neath a pile of debris and an elf lying on the side of the street.
"H-how horrid…"
Modaka discovered several brutally mutilated corpses among
the wreckage.
They were nothing more than piles of flesh lying in pools of
blood, shredded to the point that their faces were unrecognizable.
It was almost as if this massacre was to satisfy a personal grudge.
They had no way of knowing that all these bodies were once
adventurers belonging to Ikelos Familia.
Modaka's face paled, his hands over his mouth as he surveyed
the damage from within the town's smoldering ruins.
"...?"
Focused on the cruel fate that had befallen his fellow adven-
turers, Modaka happened to catch a glimpse of something far be-
yond the edge of the cliff from the corner of his eye.
What he saw on the other side of the plains, in the middle of
the floor, were monsters emerging from the tunnel connecting to
the nineteenth floor at the roots of the Central Tree.
A white ball of fur was sitting astride a four-legged black mon-
ster. He was too far away to know for sure, but his instincts told
him that they were a hellhound and an al-miraj.
Shaking his head at the bizarre pairing, he saw them make a
mad dash for the eastern forest.
"Huh? What was that?" Modaka whispered to himself in con-
fusion—when a new shadow appeared from the tree roots, freez-
ing time for a moment.
"…Oh crap."
That was all he could say.
"Oh crap, oh crap…! Craaaaaaaaap!"
"Oi, what's wrong with you?"
"Run away!! We need to find the commander and get out of
here!"
"What are you talking about?"
"This is no time for taming!!"
Other members of Ganesha Familia gathered around Modaka,
who was on the verge of panic.
Sweat gushing from every pore, he screamed with all his
might.
"An Irregular!—A subspecies from hell is here!"
"Great work! Now take control!"
"Only four left!"
Several members of Ganesha Familia worked together to cor-
ner and restrain a thrashing lamia.
Deep in the eastern forest…
The subjugation team had gained the upper hand against the
armed monsters, mainly because most of the creatures had disap-
peared deeper into the forest, leaving only a few behind. The
hooded adventurer's support helped turn the tide, allowing them
to suppress the monsters still fighting back.
Taming methods had almost no effect on the armed monsters.
Although the sounds of combat still echoed through the leaves,
the battle had been reduced to isolated pockets. Only a few of the
monsters were still unrestrained. Forest-monster corpses and
piles of ash were scattered about the woodland floor. The battle-
field had shrunk to one small area.
"Yeesh, all that banging and clashing…gave me one hell of a
headache."
"That golden siren intrigues me…It seemed to avoid inflicting
fatal wounds."
Aisha lowered her large wooden blade next to Lyu, who was
doing the same. Meanwhile, Ilta and the rest of Ganesha Familia
had the golden siren trapped on a tree branch just overhead.
It was one of the last of the monsters that had fought fang and
claw to the end. While the siren's powerful sound waves had kept
the adventurers at bay, Lyu's sudden return after parting ways
with Bell and subsequent sneak attack had knocked it out of the
sky, allowing the adventurers to engage the monsters in hand-to-
hand combat.
Strength equivalent to a first-tier adventurer made no differ-
ence when outnumbered to this degree. Without the siren's
deadly sound waves for support, the other monsters didn't last
long and fell almost simultaneously soon afterward.
"...!"
The siren sat perched on the branch, chest heaving up and
down as it glared at the adventurers below through one eye.
She was the only monster left that wasn't tied down. Her in-
jured wings were folded against her body. Her face was contorted,
dyed red by what appeared to be the blood of her enemies run-
ning down her cheeks.
"Finally, the last one…"
Their commander, Shakti, took a deep breath and surveyed
the battlefield during a lull in the action.
I doubt we would have struggled to this extent were it not for
orders to tame…but that is not for me to say.
It was Ganesha's will, she reminded herself with a nod.
Shakti knew they had to pursue the second group of monsters
that had fled into the forest and was about to give the order…
"...?"
She turned around.
She had heard something pushing its way through the under-
brush, and her eyes found the source of the sound.
—A hellhound and al-miraj?
Rather than attack, the two monsters rushed by her. In that
moment…
" ."
She saw it.
And then…
WHAM!
"…Sister?"
A loud thud drew the Amazon Ilta's attention away from the
monster overhead and back over her shoulder.
She could see the woman she revered as a sister leaning
against a thick tree trunk farther back.
All her weight was on the tree as her head and back rested
against it.
No, she wasn't leaning.
She had collided with it.
Slip! Suddenly, she shifted.
Coughing up blood, Shakti scraped against the bark as she slid
down to the forest floor and landed in a heap.
"Eh…?"
Crick, crick! Ominous cracking sounds came from the tree be-
fore it toppled to the ground with a thunderous bang.
Lyu, Aisha, the adventurers, and every monster turned to look.
The forest shook around Shakti's helpless body as she lay mo-
tionless and facedown on the ground.
"Sister!" Ilta screamed. Lyu's eyes went wide, along with
everyone else's.
Feeling no need to hide, the presence uprooted trees and
plants as it shook the forest, cracking the ground with each step.
Unbeknownst to the adventurers, the siren had taken flight
with a sigh of relief the moment it appeared from among the
trees.
"Wha—?"
It had fists the size of boulders.
It had a gigantic, towering frame.
It was equipped with thick armor.
It brandished a double-sided ax, a Labrys.
The dark shadow with pitch-black skin glared at the adventur-
ers.
"Damn you!"
Ilta roared with rage as the rest of Ganesha Familia readied
their weapons and charged forward.
The black shadow that appeared before them—howled.
"Lett, Fia, can you escape from here?"
They were cut off from the Dungeon.
A frenzied brawl unfolded within an immense chamber deep
in Knossos, the man-made labyrinth constructed over a baffling
number of decades by countless people.
"To rescue Signor Bell?! Given this situation…!"
"No, to the entrance behind us!"
"!"
"Return to the eighteenth floor, reunite with Rei and those
who stayed with her. I want you to explain what has happened
and bring them all here. You can even bring Ganesha Familia at
this point!"
Fels knew this was no time to be picky as he shouted out or-
ders left and right.
If adventurers learned of the Xenos's existence, it would turn
society on its head, but that was preferable to being wiped out by
Ikelos Familia here and now.
The two Xenos nodded, understanding his intention.
"Do you remember the route here?"
"Yes!"
"Take this key. It will open all doors."
Fels quickly held out the spherical magic item to the red-cap
goblin. The short monster tossed away his enormous ax and
turned to face the harpy seated at his side.
"Fia!"
"I can fly…I will fly!"
With the oversize fetters still binding her legs together, the
harpy opened her wings and forced her body to take flight.
Airborne but unsteady, the red-cap took hold of one of her
legs. The two Xenos climbed high, passing over their crazed
brethren before disappearing down the stone stairwell.
"Mage, what have you done?!"
"!"
A voice as rough as a stray dog's growl reached Fels's ears be-
fore the mage could see them off.
Ikelos Familia hunters had arrived. Eight men and women
who had been spared from Dix's Phobetor Daedalus curse
charged in with weapons held high.
"There's something I'd like to know. Why do you follow that
man's orders? From what I've seen, he's but a human who leads
with an iron fist."
If they all fought as one, their numbers would be too much to
overcome. One well-orchestrated attack would be all they needed.
Fels instantly decided to fall back into the chaotic brawl be-
tween the Xenos.
"'Cause it's fun as hell, why else? Do what Dix says, and all the
money and women we could ever want come to us! Monsters are
nothing but toys!"
"…Why did I even ask?"
Fels chose not to respond to that answer with words but with a
counterattack instead.
Now the monsters' full-powered swings became obstacles for
the enemy to deal with. Whenever one of the hunters somehow
managed to make it past the raging monsters or climb over the
remaining cages to get in range, Fels blasted them with a shock
wave before they got too close.
"Gah!"
"Son of a—!…What is that thing?! Some kind of magic item?!"
"I don't see what's so hard to understand about magic energy
being used as a projectile."
"A few monsters do something similar with a Howl," the mage
explained.
The utter chaos of the battlefield was Fels's best friend. Al-
though the thrashing monsters did pose a threat, the fact that the
enemy couldn't use magic was far more important.
Completing a trigger spell was next to impossible. Even ene-
mies capable of Concurrent Casting would have difficulty finish-
ing a chant. Anyone who left the chaos to stand and cast unaware
would be an easy target for Fels's shock wave, which required no
time to unleash.
The gloves were magic items designed for attacking: Magic
Eaters.
A projectile weapon designed by Fels for the mage's personal
use.
"While its inefficiency is a minus…I'm quite jealous of Bell
Cranell's Swift-Strike Magic."
Using the Xenos's free-for-all to its fullest potential, the mage
felled another marauder.
"If it weren't for those dirty tricks of yours…!" an animal per-
son spat as he closed in on Fels, cursing the mage's black robe
among the other magic items that put his opponent on par with
or even above Perseus.
"But at this range—!!"
A longsword came slicing in.
Fels snatched it out of the air like a hawk.
"?!"
"These 'dirty tricks' you hunters keep complaining about re-
quired several Advanced Abilities to create," Fels replied, easily
stopping the blade with a gloved palm despite the hunter's full
strength behind it.
The black-robed mage coolly explained to the dumbstruck
hunter.
"I happen to be Level Four. Though I've been unable to update
since the flesh rotted off my back."
Expressing hatred for a past deity, Fels reached forward and
pressed a flat palm against the opponent's stomach.
"Wai—!"
Then—bang!
The colorless shock wave exploded directly into his gut and
blasted him backward like a cannon.
"Oh, and I was once known as the 'Sage.' I'm quite confident
with my ability to use magic energy and Mind," the black-robed
mage said with a hint of sarcasm. The intricate designs on Fels's
gloves glowed.
Four hunters down. Once the rest were taken care of, Bell
would need help. And just when that thought crossed Fels's
mind…
The mage barely managed to dodge an attacker from behind.
"That's odd. I happen to be Level Four, too."
"…!"
It was a hulking bald man with a black tattoo on his face—
Gran—who sliced off a piece of Fels's black robe with a
greatsword. An Amazon, an animal person, and a dwarf had
made it through the chaotic battle and were closing in on the
mage along with him.
They were the ones who killed Ranieh. Ikelos Familia's main
force.
Fully aware of the disadvantage, Fels waved both arms, releas-
ing another shock wave.
A series of shrill explosions and shock waves erupted on the
other side of the battlefield.
Bell launched strike after strike at the man in front of him as
the heavy vibrations pounded his eardrums.
"Are you really Level Three, boy? Got some quick feet there."
"…!"
The man in goggles spun the two-meder red spear, knocking
each hit away with ease.
Simply stated, Bell's attacks hadn't inflicted so much as a
scratch anywhere on Dix's body. The man had avoided every sin-
gle slash of the boy's mad rush.
With the bloody roars of the Xenos behind him, the man in
goggles forced the boy back with a series of devastating blows
from his spear.
The two separated for a brief moment.
"What that mage said is true. My curse makes my Status drop
like a rock."
"...!"
"Can't help that everything feels slow and heavy."
It was as though the man could see doubt in Bell's eyes, won-
dering if he was really debilitated in any way. So, Dix revealed
Phobetor Daedalus's cost outright.
Bell's opponent normally had strength to go head-to-head
with first-tier adventurers.
Even if his Status had dropped by a full Level—he was still
Level 4.
The boy's face tensed, but he knew the difference in their Sta-
tuses already and gripped his knives without fear. Then he
launched his attack anew.
"I was just gonna mess around a bit, but it looks like I got no
choice. The rumored Rookie lives up to the hype."
But he was getting bored.
The man in goggles smiled.
"Ready for my turn?" he asked lightly.
He was done playing around, and the spearhead suddenly
struck down with murderous intent.
"?!"
The incredible impact knocked Ushiwakamaru-Nishiki from
Bell's grasp.
As the short crimson blade spun through the air, the wickedly
curved crimson spearhead was already back on the offensive.
"Kah!!"
He dodged by a hair.
Bell kept twisting his upper body as strands of his white hair
fell away, using his momentum to spin toward Dix with a back-
handed Hestia Knife.
"Shifty, aren't you, boy?"
"Gahh!"
However, Dix whirled by him, driving the butt end of his spear
into Bell's face on the way.
The boy's strike hit nothing but empty air, and his face burned
in pain. The world shook for a second for Bell, but he was quick to
regain his bearings. Planting his feet, he turned to face Dix, who
was already behind him.
" ?!"
The first thing he saw was the crimson spearhead coming right
for his eyes.
Catching a glimpse of the man's evil sneer, Bell used every bit
of Strength he possessed to force the Hestia Knife upward and
knock the weapon to the side.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!"
The spearhead had been deflected, but it rotated at the last
moment and sliced into the boy. Dix's laughter accompanied the
attack. He had warned Bell; it was indeed his turn on the offen-
sive.
The long spear appeared to curve through the air, striking like
a snake with bared fangs. He ramped up his onslaught on the boy,
who was forced to defend with only the Hestia Knife and quick,
shifty movements. There was no pattern—Bell had no idea where
the next attack would come from. What's more, the man com-
bined a few violent kicks with his relentless assault, knocking the
boy off balance and making the next attack even harder to pre-
dict.
Bell was driven farther back by the man's spear and its unre-
fined, wild aggression.
"Nice knowing you!!"
The man thrust the spear forward to finish off the stumbling
boy.
Bell saw the spearhead coming—and his eyes flashed.
—It worked!
His free left hand swung behind his back, and an instant later,
a crimson arc burst forth from a sheath.
It slammed into Dix's spear with incredible force.
"!!"
The red eyes beneath the smoky-quartz goggle lenses opened
wide.
It was the spare Ushiwakamaru, accompanied by a technique
he had learned from watching the Sword Princess: bait and
switch.
Bell remembered the vigorous training sessions alongside an
Amazonian girl on top of the city wall just before the War Game
and showed an opening when he was at a clear disadvantage.
"Their guard is lowest when the final blow is near."
As his idol's words replayed in his mind, Bell's body became a
blur. The first crimson knife allowed him to dodge the spearhead
by the slimmest of margins, and he closed in on his floundering
opponent.
A spear's weakness was his knife's strength—close range. Bell
moved to take full advantage of his weapon.
However…
" ."
Dix, who should have been wide-eyed in surprise, was sneer-
ing with confidence.
The man held a battle knife, large enough to be mistaken for a
shortsword, behind his back, hidden from Bell's sight.
A gleaming arc flashed from the side opposite the spear, burn-
ing an image into the boy's frozen rubellite eyes.
It was as though the man had copied Bell's technique, pulling
a blade out from around the waist and swinging toward his
shocked opponent's exposed stomach.
It was a perfect counterattack. The battle knife's tip scooped
upward.
"!!"
Falling into his own trap, Bell immediately pulled himself into
a crouch with all the strength he could muster.
"Oh?"
His line of sight fell just as the strike intended for the boy's
stomach was deflected to the chest.
The battle knife's tip came to a halt against his breastplate.
The silver armor blocked Dix's weapon with a loud metallic
clang.
"Ha-ha-ha! Got some good armor there!!"
"Uwh!"
Still recovering from the impact to his chest, Bell was launched
back by a front kick.
As rivers of sweat covered his skin, Bell adjusted the breast-
plate with his right hand, still holding the Hestia Knife in a re-
verse grip.
Welf…!
The smith had boasted about the dual adamantite mixed into
the fifth incarnation of Pyonkichi.
"I poured a lot of money into that ingot metal. You better not
break it," the red-haired man had said with a laugh. Bell silently
thanked him for the armor from the bottom of his heart.
That armor had protected him from an enemy's killing blow,
saving his life.
"Well done, boy. Here comes the next one."
Dix struck again, his lips curled into a grin.
Bell had no choice but to defend against his spear-wielding
foe, who had returned his knife to its sheath.
—He's strong.
Dix's skill and tactics would never disappear, no matter how
far his Status fell.
Of course not. They had been developed in actual combat,
from real experience.
No matter how close Bell came in Status, even if his greatest
weapon, his Agility, was comparable, the amount of experience
separating the two was insurmountable. In short, hunter Dix
Perdix was strong, even without his powerful curse.
Bell became painfully aware of that fact as the spear shaft
knocked him to the ground.
The unstoppable approach of burning despair began at his
toes and fingertips, much as it had when he was facing Phryne.
"Gah!"
Although Bell managed to roll out of the weapon's trajectory,
the crimson spearhead still carved a slice out of his cheek.
A moment later, Bell was back on his feet and trying to gain
some distance when…
"Hot…!"
The intense, searing pain in his cheek made his whole body
flinch.
"Careful now. One bad hit from this spear…and you'll be dead
on the spot," Dix said with a grin, lifting the wickedly twisted,
ominous spear up to eye level.
"Custom ordered it from a mage. It's got a curse built in.
Whatever it cuts won't heal, not even with potions or magic. As
long as the curses are intact, anyway."
"!"
Shock was written all over Bell's face. Another wave of cold
sweat ran down his neck at the same time.
No matter how many times Bell wiped the blood away, it
wouldn't clot. Dix's claim was true. The blood dripped from his
cheek, staining his skin and armor red.
There was no way to recover from even one hit; it truly was a
cursed weapon.
Bell gritted his teeth at the crimson magic that exacerbated his
wounds.
—Haven't I seen that before?
He glanced down at the gash's reflection in the knife blade.
He was perplexed at the twinge of a memory in the back of his
mind.
"No matter how many times you put monsters in their place,
they heal up sooner or later. It's way easier if you cut them up so
bad they can't move and the wounds never heal."
Bell's eyes flashed as he listened to Dix casually explain his
horrifying method.
"Could it be…That barbarian on Daedalus Street…?"
Behind the orphanage. He and Syr had entered an under-
ground tunnel after the children asked them to do a quest.
Bell remembered the large-category monster he fought in the
darkness.
"Hey, seriously, boy? You ran into that?!"
Bell watched, dumbfounded, as Dix nearly burst into laughter.
"You bet, we caught that big one. I sliced it up real good with
this spear, but…it escaped from my idiotic underlings before we
could get it out."
"…!"
"The damn tunnel caved in during the chase and it got away.
We kept looking, too. Couldn't exactly let it be."
That large, bloodstained body had had countless bleeding
wounds, and yet none showed signs of closing.
Its howls were filled with anger, pain, and suffering.
Bell had been taken aback by the monster's "lament."
Had that barbarian been a Xenos, too…?
"That thing caused us a lot of trouble, so we've been killing all
the big ones right away since then, but…So you cleaned it up for
us. Thanks for the assist, Little Rookie."
A chill ran through Bell's veins at the grinning, laughing man
in front of him, who was far more terrifying than any monster or
even the Dungeon itself.
The "evil" Lyu mentioned had to be something like this.
An indescribable sense of cold wrapped around Bell's body.
"Why…"
"Hn?"
"Why do you hurt these monsters…?"
The words came out of Bell's mouth before he knew it.
"Told you I needed money, didn't I?"
"Is that…is that really all…?"
How was he able to continue inflicting so much pain on the
Xenos after hearing the lament that Bell had?
Monster howls filling his ears, Bell leaned forward and de-
manded an answer.
"..."
Dix shut his mouth for a moment as the boy's words hung in
the air.
He placed a hand over his goggles…and grinned.
This smile was different from any before it.
"Little Rookie. You have any idea why Daedalus's descendants
listen to our crazed ancestor from beyond the grave…? Do you
understand why it's gone on for a thousand years? Do you?"
Bell flinched, surprised by the sudden question.
Dix didn't wait for an answer.
"'Cause our blood makes us."
"What…?"
"Our blood tells us to," he said, pushing the goggles down onto
those wide red eyes with all his might.
The man's voice reached a fever pitch.
"It won't shut up! 'Complete this frickin' huge labyrinth,' it
says!!"
" !"
"It won't even let me stop for a breather!! Daedalus's blood
forces me back up!!"
It was the first time his voice had any emotion.
Dix ignored Bell's reflexive step back and continued his tirade.
"It's been the same way ever since I was born in this dark,
grimy trash heap! The blueprints for Knossos in that notebook
work us to death!! No one can escape, not from this cursed blood-
line!!"
Dix laughed a laugh brimming over with anger and indigna-
tion.
Bell shuddered in fear at the torrent of hatred on display.
—Cursed bloodline.
Mad Daedalus's tenacity had continued uninterrupted for
nearly one thousand years.
The unyielding obsession the man had possessed, the drive to
create a piece that outdid the Dungeon, surpassed the gods them-
selves.
Was it as Dix said? Had the man's brilliance and insanity been
passed down to his offspring through his blood?
"It's bullshit, yeah?! The only one allowed to order me around
—is me!"
Bell was caught between what was possible and his own
guesses, but there was one thing he knew for sure.
This man in front of him, Dix Perdix…
…possessed a fierce sense of individuality, one strong enough
to fight against his cursed blood.
"…I'd love it if this whole thing just disappeared. I ain't jok-
ing," Dix remarked coldly, his grin unchanged as if all his built-up
anger had been vented successfully. "I hate this labyrinth more
than anyone else in the world."
But he couldn't break it.
The blood wouldn't let him. Daedalus's curse was too strong.
It insisted the opposite, to finish the piece.
Dix finally removed his hand from his goggles.
"I used to take it all out on the Dungeon. I hated the labyrinth
that drove Daedalus and all my ancestors crazy. I killed monsters,
just kill, kill, killed them one after another."
"...!"
"But of course, it wasn't enough."
Then, Dix looked past Bell toward the Xenos still brawling be-
hind the boy.
"How was I ever going to feel satisfied…? That was all I could
think about, building this labyrinth. But we found the talking
monsters around that time, and the hunts began. Let's see…ah,
yeah. Would've been right after those stuck-up bastards Zeus and
Hera disappeared."
Dix looked down, chuckling to himself as soon as the words
left his mouth.
Chills ran through Bell once again as the man's ominous, gut-
tural laughter sounded in his ears.
"They were no ordinary monsters. They cried and begged for
their lives. Imagine that. Monsters born from the same Dungeon
that turned Daedalus into a madman, begging for mercy…Ha-ha,
still gets me."
" ."
The smile plastered on the man's face when he looked up was
so horrid that Bell was lost for words.
"—I found it at last! A desire that could quiet the damn
curse!!"
Dix swung the crimson spear forward with his right hand, slic-
ing through the air.
"My first taste of satisfaction came from making those mon-
sters suffer and cry out in despair, treating them like trash! I
could slake my thirst and quiet my blood!!"
"Wha—?"
"Just as my ancestors once said, I purely pursue what I de-
sire!"
The man didn't stop talking.
"Oh, the rush—pure joy! Finally silencing the blood! Going up
against yourself and winning!! No amount of ale or drugs could
measure up—it was pure euphoria!!"
Bell saw the man's insanity before him and understood.
In other words, there was no greater meaning to what Dix did
to the Xenos, no grand scheme.
Its only purpose was to satisfy his desires and tremendous
sadism.
And those fierce desires were strong enough to overcome the
curse of his blood.
What the man was after…was to satisfy his insatiable sadistic
will, and everything he did was to that end.
This was completely different from Welf's battle with the
Crozzo blood in his veins. It was presumptuous to compare the
two.
Dix had stopped fighting against his blood altogether—replac-
ing it with a more powerful desire, thus becoming more mon-
strous than monsters themselves.
"That's why…!!"
He had done what he did to Wiene and the Xenos…
Bell's shoulders trembled as he watched the man drowning in
his own pleasure.
"You did all this?"
Dix's expression vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Get over yourself, boy."
" ?!"
"You'll never understand what it's like, having blood-driven
impulses run your life."
He charged forward, one-handedly stabbing with his spear
over and over as Bell frantically dodged to avoid being run
through.
"You'll never understand a guy who can't do anything about a
curse burning his eyeball from the inside out!!"
The man funneled all his rage into one arcing sweep. Unable
to absorb the blow, Bell was thrown from his feet.
"It was all for the money at first," said Ikelos, surrounded by
the blue sky. "Like I told you before, completing Knossos requires
money—lots and lots of money. So much money that no amount
of treasure brought up from the Dungeon's deep levels can ever
hope to cover it."
"..."
"Plus, the risk of losing allies got too high. If you found a way
to safely line your pockets, you'd dive at the chance, yeah?"
Ikelos reminisced about when the Xenos were discovered by
accident and the black market first got under way.
Hermes's face remained neutral as he listened.
"That's what got Dix started, but…Hee-hee-hee! The guy
changed."
"Changed…?"
"Yeah. While he was teaching the monsters to fear pain before
bringing them outside…at some point, his eyes started lighting up
when he heard them scream and saw them cry."
Ikelos continued by saying that "something" inside him must
have woken up.
He then explained that the goal and method of capturing
Xenos had switched places.
"I loved it. He looked like a guy going after what he wanted.
Those savage eyes, trembling, practically screaming in plea-
sure…!"
"…That's worse than horrible, Ikelos."
"Hee-hee-hee-hee…!! We gods wouldn't have it any other way,
would we? Those brats are a real pain, but I love them all in my
own way."
Ikelos's voice faded into the breeze, as though he were cheer-
ing for his child to turn the tide against his cursed bloodline.
"Looks like Daedalus's last wish might die with Dix's genera-
tion."
"..."
"He's lost all interest in finishing Knossos; that idea's gone to
bed."
Ikelos narrowed his eyes.
"Now, he's got what I love—a monster's dream."
Impossible…!
Asfi was overwhelmed at the sight.
Arms and legs lying limp on the ground, red blades of grass
dripping tears of blood, glimmering shards of broken weapons
scattered about.
Bodies of fallen, barely breathing adventurers were sprawled
out below her vantage point in the trees.
They'd been wiped out.
Ganesha Familia's elites, Orario's first-tier adventurers, were
all defeated by a single monster.
Much like Shakti, Ilta had been felled by a single blow. It was
over for the rest before they knew what hit them.
The enemy had specifically targeted the subjugation team's
strongest members, taking them out one by one before moving to
overwhelm the ones left standing. The floor shattered with every
single-handed swing of its double-bladed Labrys. It felled large
trees and stomped out the adventurers' formations with its mas-
sive feet.
Its black skin bore no damage whatsoever.
Huff, huff! Intermittent breaths from its powerful snout
echoed throughout the quiet forest.
It stood at the center of the battlefield strewn with adventurer
bodies laid out like corpses, like a king of calamity.
A black minotaur…?!
She didn't know. She'd never heard of anything like this.
A monster of this magnitude didn't exist anywhere in Asfi's
wealth of knowledge.
Her pounding heartbeats shook her whole body from within.
She struggled to catch her breath against the powerful rhythm.
Desperate not to make any noise, she had to hold her arms and
legs to keep from shaking the magic item that kept her invisible.
Pangs of regret tormented her.