Two Evilus adventurers drew closer to where Genichi was hiding, talking as they walked.
Their voices echoed through the empty corridor without the slightest restraint.
In this artificial labyrinth, they had long since grown used to the law of the jungle, and to venting their emotions without consequence.
Before long, Genichi caught sight of the two adventurers as they came within range.
"Those bastards don't do a damn thing except sit around waiting to enjoy themselves, and they still dare curse out people like us who actually work every day."
The tall, gaunt man on the left grumbled bitterly, his face full of resentment and malice.
"Shut up already. If you want to die, don't drag me down with you."
The short, fat man on the right snapped in a hushed voice, fear plain in his eyes.
"We're not in any position to complain about those people. If they hear you, both of us are dead."
Even inside this artificial labyrinth, there was a brutally strict hierarchy.
The higher an adventurer's level, the higher their status.
They enjoyed the best food, the most comfortable rooms, and could even treat lower-level adventurers like slaves.
As for people like these two, stuck at the bottom, all they could do was bully ordinary people to vent the hatred festering inside them.
But if you wanted to survive in this artificial labyrinth, then you had to learn to watch your tongue.
This place had no use for warmth or mercy.
Here, it was nothing but naked survival of the fittest.
The stronger you were, the higher your standing. If you were weak, then all you could do was struggle in the mire and rot in ugliness.
Genichi watched the two men without a trace of warmth in his eyes.
They may have been low-ranking trash, but if they could appear here, then their hands were surely stained with innocent blood as well.
When the DanMachi Genichi had been imprisoned here, people like these might very well have been among those who humiliated and beat him.
There was no need for pity.
No need for hesitation.
The next instant, Genichi appeared behind them.
Mitsukotoba flashed once in his hand.
A single slash of cold steel, and both heads were severed cleanly from their bodies.
The last thing those two adventurers saw before dying was two headless corpses with blood spraying from their necks.
Who was that?
That final thought flickered through their minds.
He looked familiar.
But that was the last trace of awareness either of them would ever have.
Genichi sheathed his blade and watched expressionlessly as the two corpses hit the floor.
The shadows at his feet spread outward, then swallowed both bodies into his shadow space.
This was one of the uses he had discovered for shadow space: it could be used as storage.
Whether it was corpses or other objects, everything could be stored away with ease. It was extremely convenient.
Once he finished disposing of the bodies, Genichi continued deeper inside.
The artificial labyrinth was not small. If anything, it was enormous.
After all, this secret stronghold had been built by the Daedalus family at the cost of immense manpower and resources.
And the labyrinth was filled with all kinds of traps and curses.
A moment earlier, Genichi had already noticed hidden arrow slits in the walls, pit traps disguised as ordinary flagstones, and curse runes glowing with an eerie light.
If not for King of Shadows, which let him use shadow space to avoid those traps and curses, advancing this far without a scratch would have been nearly impossible.
Even with his Level 6 strength, those bizarre curses would have been a serious headache.
Curses did not care about level. Once you were hit, the mildest outcome was weakness. The worst was death.
Genichi continued gliding through the shadows, sensing everything around him.
The shadow monsters created by King of Shadows were hunting throughout the labyrinth. Every so often, distant screams and pleas for mercy rang out, one after another.
Those sounds rose and fell like a funeral bell for Evilus.
But Genichi did not stop.
He had only one target: Valletta.
The woman who had killed the DanMachi Genichi.
After passing through another corridor, Genichi reached a much wider hall.
This was clearly a core area. Precious magic-stone lamps were embedded in the surrounding walls, bathing the entire hall in bright light.
Neatly laid stone tiles covered the floor, and elegant decorations stood in the corners, making it completely different from the dark, damp passages he had crossed earlier.
Several adventurers were patrolling the hall. Their equipment was high quality, and their presence was powerful. Every one of them was at least Level 3.
Genichi observed them from the shadows for a moment and confirmed that Valletta was not among them.
He did not attack.
Instead, he continued deeper in.
Beyond the hall was another passage leading farther inside.
Security here was even tighter. Magic-stone lamps had been placed every few steps, leaving almost no shadows to hide in.
But for Genichi, that still was not a problem.
"Disillusionment Charm."
He cast the invisibility spell once more, and his body turned transparent, blending into the environment.
He moved through the corridor without making a sound, passing right beside the patrolling adventurers while they remained completely unaware.
At last, after a long search, Genichi found his target.
Valletta.
At her side, a young man and woman were kneeling on the floor, cautiously massaging her legs and shoulders.
From the terror in their eyes and the way their bodies trembled, it was obvious they were not doing it willingly.
"Harder. What, you got no strength in you?"
Valletta kicked the girl impatiently, sending her sprawling onto the ground. "If you keep disappointing me, I'll sell you to the Avi arena and make you a punching bag."
The girl scrambled back up in terror, bowing over and over as she begged for mercy, tears pouring down her face.
Valletta sneered and ignored her, turning instead to the man beside her.
"What's that useless bastard Jura been up to lately? Haven't seen him in a while."
"Lord Jura is currently researching how to bring back the monster that once appeared against the Astraea Familia," the man answered respectfully. "I've heard he's almost succeeded."
"Tch. A coward who only knows how to hide behind monsters."
Valletta curled her lip in contempt. "If he weren't at least somewhat useful, I'd have thrown him out to feed the monsters a long time ago."
Genichi stood in the shadows, watching it all with cold eyes.
This was the woman.
In the DanMachi Genichi's memories, it was this face, this voice, this foot that had snapped his neck.
That pain, that despair - even now, Genichi could still feel them clearly.
He did not strike at once.
Instead, he observed quietly and waited for the best possible chance.
Valletta was a Level 5 adventurer. Her level was lower than his, but as a core member of Evilus, she almost certainly had various means of preserving her life.
If he attacked rashly and let her escape or raise an alarm, the hunt afterward would become troublesome.
So Genichi waited patiently.
At last, the opportunity came.
Valletta seemed to grow bored and dismissed the young man and woman, then walked alone toward a room at the back of the hall.
It was her private chamber.
Genichi followed after her without a sound.
(End of Chapter)
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