"──── It is said that this is called Nidhogg."
Lefiya and her fellow second-tier members of the Loki Familia were carving their way through the deepest reaches of Knossos. After narrowly surviving a structural collapse that occurred without warning, they continued their mapping efforts.
The group halted before a particular mural. The carvings upon the pale stone appeared ancient, likely predating the founding of Orario. Though severe erosion had set in, a horrific scene remained visible: various monsters massacring people while a colossal black dragon loomed in the center. Beside the beast, six girls stood with closed eyes and clasped hands, frozen in eternal prayer.
A dark voice echoed from behind the group, who were transfixed by the mysterious, unsettling beauty of the artwork—a piece that inspired both revulsion and fascination. Lefiya and her companions scanned the dim hall until they spotted a human shadow lurking behind a pillar.
Draped in pitch-black robes with a hood pulled low over his eyes, the figure blended into the darkness. Yet, the divine aura he could not fully suppress betrayed his true identity.
"That dragon was the target of the three great quests... the 'King of the Land,' the 'Lord of the Seas,' and the 'One-Eyed Black Dragon.' It was the monster that sowed terror in the hearts of the world's inhabitants before the appearance of those black dragons."
"You are...!!"
The voice was somber and cold—gender-neutral yet distinctly masculine. The individual, whose divinity was obvious at a glance, addressed Lefiya and her companions calmly. Long gray hair spilled from beneath his hood as he pushed it back to reveal his face. His features were so symmetrical and handsome that he stood out even among the gods, those transcendent beings.
However, his expression was so twisted and dark that his beauty felt ominous. His sinister smile inspired dread rather than admiration.
"Is this our first meeting? My name is Thanatos. I am the master of the remnants of Evilus, one of those whom the Guild brands as the Evil Gods."
"So, you are the one who inherited the will of the Dark Sects and built an organization like this...!!"
Lefiya and her companions directed glares of caution and hostility toward the god who introduced himself without a hint of tension. Thanatos merely shrugged and shook his head with a theatrical flourish.
His overwhelming divine presence was incomparable to the cultists Lefiya had fought thus far. She tightened her grip on her staff instinctively. She knew she was still a far cry from first-tier adventurers like Finn, Ais, or Tiona, but she held onto her pride as a second-tier adventurer who supported the familia. She could not afford to tremble before the leader of Evilus, Orario's greatest enemy.
Despite her resolve, Lefiya could not stop her legs from shaking. His dark eyes sent a chill through her, making her feel as though she were staring directly into the abyss.
"Are you the leader of Evilus...?"
"Me? Ha ha, no, you are quite mistaken. Our leader is ── Enyo."
"... Enyo?"
Lefiya had assumed that Thanatos, whose shadow had loomed over Evilus incidents for years, was the mastermind. Thanatos curved his lips into a smile as he took in their questioning looks. He seemed to enjoy their confusion, continuing in high spirits.
"Yes, Enyo. No one knows their form, no one has heard their voice, and it isn't even known if they truly exist. I don't even know if they are a god like me."
"You... you don't know? No form, no voice?"
Was it possible that Thanatos, the evil god supposedly leading the remnants of Evilus, did not know his own leader? Lefiya had never heard the name "Enyo" before, but the fact that Thanatos was in the dark was entirely different. Thanatos shrugged at her bewilderment.
"According to Revis and Ein, every wicked scheme currently unfolding is Enyo's brainchild."
"Wicked schemes...?"
"... Indeed. Even that mural—it seems Enyo ordered it brought here from some ruins."
A dragon twisted with malice and six praying virgins. Lefiya turned her gaze back to the mural.
"Nidhogg is a symbol of 'darkness and despair'... it seems the City Destroyer wishes to become that demonic dragon."
●○●○●
"── What is the matter, 'Varg'? Do you really intend to let them die!!"
Dix's mocking laughter echoed as he launched a surprise attack on Bete Loga, who had survived the collapse of Knossos alongside his squad. Due to the Curse of Delirium, the squad members had begun attacking each other indiscriminately, killing one another amidst screams and wails. In this scene of carnage, Bete was the only one who had evaded the curse, maintaining his composure despite his fury as he assessed the situation.
The internal slaughter among the maddened squad members was brutal. Their wounds were deep, and time was running out. Even as their friends' swords pierced them, they failed to regain their senses, trapped in their insanity. Bete clicked his tongue in annoyance and glared at his attacker—Dix.
The man, wearing the hood of an Evilus apostle, curled his lips into a pleasurable grin.
"── Ke, ke-ke, what terrifying killing intent. (Does he realize that my curse, 'Phobetor Daedalus,' is the type that breaks if the caster is crushed?)"
Dix muttered dismissively while facing the lethal intent radiating from Bete. The squad members here wouldn't last long. They would die soon even if left alone. However, the werewolf was the real prize, and he wouldn't surrender easily. Dix shifted his mockery into caution, keeping a sharp eye on Bete.
(If he abandons his comrades to target me, I'll drop the gate and flee. But if he tries to save them, I'll hit this werewolf with the curse this time. My curse can kill even a Level 6.)
Dix was Level 5, while Bete was Level 6. In terms of pure combat power, Bete certainly held the advantage. However, Dix was confident that with his Phobetor Daedalus, he could eliminate any opponent, regardless of rank, as long as he hit the target. His speed stats were naturally lower, but given the distance and the curse's range, his magic should reach Bete before a physical strike could land.
He held the upper hand. The maddened squad members acted as shackles for Bete, allowing Dix to aim for a one-sided finishing blow as long as he prevented Bete from closing the distance.
"Aren't you coming out? A Level 6 is a joke!!"
He hurled provocations at the werewolf, whose sharp gaze could practically kill, waiting for the perfect moment to cast the curse. Only minutes remained before the squad was annihilated. If the stalemate continued, it would be a victory for Dix, but he wanted to hunt Bete, one of the pillars of the Loki Familia.
Just as Dix expected, a silver shadow lunged toward him with an angry click of a tongue.
"── I've got you."
Because the curse's toll had lowered his stats, Bete's speed was nearly invisible to Dix, yet his curse was faster. He pointed his index finger at Bete. But at the very moment the invisible, homing curse was about to fly from his fingertip, a voice echoed through the corridor—one that belonged to neither Bete nor the Loki Familia members.
"Let the curse vanish into the axis of light. By the sacred thought ── I heal you."
"──────?! (My curse was erased?!)"
The voice belonged to the White Saint, Airmid Teassanare, who had approached from behind Bete. Through her chant, Dix realized with shock that the link connecting him to the cursed victims had been forcibly severed.
"Take this!!"
The moment the squad's shackles were broken, Bete resumed his charge, closing the distance in a flash and attacking with his dual daggers. Bete did not waste the opening created by Dix's shock at the sudden negation of his curse. Silver flashes from Bete's dual silver boots swept toward Dix.
"──?!"
Bete's successive attacks far exceeded Dix's reaction speed. Had Dix cast a curse that demanded lower stats as a trade-off for its effect, he would have been killed instantly by this furious beast-man. A curse that merely caused an opponent to rage indiscriminately was useless at this range; it would only turn Bete into a true berserker who would kill him in cold blood.
Despite trembling, Dix judged the situation coldly and tried to evade by jumping backward, but he found himself exerting every ounce of effort just to defend rather than dodge.
"You dared to commit an unforgivable folly."
"Gwaah!!"
The metal boot glowing with Bete's rage connected. The silver flash struck Dix's flank, causing his body to double over. Despite his face contorting in pain, he tried to regain his balance immediately, but Bete's next attack was faster.
Dix was forced into a purely defensive stance against attacks coming with the speed of lightning. Because every strike felt lethal, Dix smelled a scent of death he hadn't felt in a long time.
(──── This is bad, bad, very bad!!)
Every bone in his body groaned, and his muscles screamed in agony. This was a battle on the razor's edge, where a single mistake meant instant death. Anxiety and terror stained Dix's heart. Bete's attacks were merciless, offering no room for a counterattack. Strength, speed, skill, and maneuverability—Bete outclassed him in everything.
Sensing his end was near, he pushed his body with the last of his strength toward the inner side of a gate that was already open. He rolled to the other side, his back hitting the stone floor.
"Damn you!!"
He unleashed the red eyes inherited by his family and lowered the gate—made of the hardest metal—as if it were a guillotine blade. Bete's arm, intended for a finishing blow, slammed into the ultra-heavy metal gate that now blocked the path.
"Hah, hah... damn, that hurts, you bastard..."
The relief of a narrow escape mingled with cold sweat and the pain distorting Dix's face. He had survived the encounter, though he was heavily wounded. He smiled wickedly, assuming Bete's arm had been crushed under the massive gate and was now gone.
"But, with this..."
Dix's ears, which were bathed in relief, were jolted by the sound of the heavy metal gate lifting off the ground. The sound of a metal mass weighing dozens of tons being hoisted. Dix stared at the source of the sound and went completely silent from shock.
(You've got to be kidding... how much do you think that weighs...)
Bete's right arm had not been crushed; he was lifting the metal gate with his arm strength alone. Even if it hadn't been pulverized, it should have been completely shattered. Yet Bete didn't care. He hoisted the orichalcum gate with a single arm that was still dripping blood. The combat aura Bete wore, and his eyes, continued to surge like a raging fire.
"~~~~~~~~!!"
He shivered. Before the absolute predatory intent declared by Bete's eyes, Dix let out a sound of indescribable terror and bolted toward the depths of the labyrinth to escape.
"── Tche, he fled..."
Bete wanted to give chase, but he stopped and clicked his tongue as he saw his squad members lying in the corridor.
"Oi, we're moving forward!! If you've regained your senses, hurry up!!"
"I'll treat Bete, so everyone, move quickly."
●○●○●
Mmm. At this rate, wouldn't dying be impossible against Revis?
No, Revis is strong too, right? There isn't anyone among the Loki Familia leaders who can beat her in a one-on-one fight, and she has become much stronger than before after consuming a magic stone. However, since I've also ranked up, my stats are definitely higher. Her combat techniques aren't that extraordinary...
True, her ability to regenerate to the point of regrowing limbs is impressive, but her defense doesn't match her regeneration speed, so it's really just a minor delay of the inevitable. And frankly, the Behemoth sword is meaningless, because I won't get hit by it unless I intentionally take the blow in a normal fight.
It seems she can cast curses without contact, but my thunderbolt is faster than her activation. As for her hyper-growth through consuming magic stones—she's much faster than normal adventurers—but my growth rate likely surpasses hers. Even if she hasn't hit her limit yet, it seems difficult for her to reach a strength equivalent to Level 9.
Well, I won't kill her just yet. What should I do? Should I pin her down and leave her?
... For a while now, Airmid's mana waves have been getting closer. I need to hurry.
Huh? What's with that wind and thunder? Could it be... ah, I see. This is perfect timing. I'll take the opportunity to look at her face.
But I saved them at the last second last time too. Isn't this becoming a repetitive pattern? I should prepare another entrance.
──── Hey!, this is Revis's delivery service!!
●○●○●
"──────?!"
Both Ein and Ais were stunned as they watched a human shadow hurtle through the air with the force of a flood, spinning around itself after the adamantite wall was pulverized as if it were made of sand.
The shock was natural, for the body that flew in like a tattered rag was none other than Revis. Due to her hybrid nature, she possessed the traits of "Enhanced Species." By consuming magic stones, she now possessed power exceeding Level 7—she was so strong that the current Ais could not face her without being shrouded in the Black Wind.
Revis slammed into the ground and rolled repeatedly until she lost momentum and stopped. While Ais and Ein watched in disbelief, Revis stood up, wobbling. Both Ais and Ein knew exactly how strong she was. It was hard to believe that a woman with power surpassing the first-tier adventurers—who represented the peak of strength on the surface—would appear in such a wretched state.
However, when the man presumably responsible for this appeared from behind the shattered wall, their shock turned into conviction.
"Gh..."
"This place is quite spacious... have you finally reached your limit?"
What was most surprising was the man's equipment—Al Cranel, also known as the Sword Saint. Al was unarmed. His arsenal of weapons, which had reached a rank far beyond first-tier, remained in their sheaths. The fact that this was abnormal was one thing; the fact that Al was uninjured was another.
He had faced Revis and emerged without a scratch.
This was impossible. Revis's body was covered in lacerations dripping with blood. These were undoubtedly serious wounds; normally, one shouldn't even be able to stand. Given the burns she had suffered, he must have used magic, but Al's composed figure suggested a massive surplus of power and calm.
"... Ein, get rid of Aria and give me a hand. I can no longer fight alone."
Though Revis was gasping for air, she curled the corners of her mouth slightly as if to say the place she had been thrown was ideal. The ultimate power in their army—Ein, who was stronger than her—and Ais, who was on the verge of death. Excluding Ais, who was no longer a combat force, the situation was now two against one.
If Revis (equivalent to Level 7) and Ein (equivalent to Level 8 or more) fought together, there would be a sufficient chance of victory even against Al Cranel. But ──────.
"Cranel."
"Huh? Have we met somewhere before?"
The sight of Al shielding Ais behind his back and pointing his massive sword toward Ein struck her like the worst possible nightmare. The image of the "Hero" protecting the "Princess." If so, then I am ─────────.
"Come, you 'monsters.' I'll take you both on together."
"────── Ah, aaa, AAAAAAAAAA!!"
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