C835
"What is your name?"
Raon walked to the right and nodded at the Iron Chain martial artist that Rimmer had subdued.
-Why ask for a name instead of getting straight to the point?
Wrath tilted his head in confusion.
-The name is the most basic and important information about a person. Making them say their name first applies psychological pressure, increasing the likelihood that they will reveal true information.
There is a difference between providing information anonymously and attaching your name to it. Asking for the name of a captured opponent was the most fundamental aspect of interrogation.
-You seem to know a lot of useless things.
Wrath shrugged, saying it was strange.
"It's not that special."
For someone who had lived as an assassin, this was as natural as breathing. But to Wrath, who had reigned as a demon king, it seemed odd. Their ways of life had been very different.
"Open..."
The Iron Chain martial artist revealed his name with trembling lips.
"Gapen. What was the Iron Chain doing in this dungeon?"
"T-training martial artists and re-investigating magic."
Gapen revealed what the Iron Chain had been doing with a pained expression, while Rimmer continued to tickle the soles of his feet.
"So they were really trying to revive the Iron Chain."
Rimmer shook his head, saying they were ridiculous.
"Hey."
Alice grabbed Gapen's collar with a cold look in her eyes.
"You also kidnapped people, didn't you?"
"..."
Gapen didn't respond, but his silence spoke volumes.
"Is there someone named Sif among the people you kidnapped?"
—I don't know. My job was to protect the perimeter, so I don’t know who the hostages are.
He shook his head, saying he didn't know who was captive.
"Think carefully! A swordsman with red eyes! Exceptionally strong, you couldn't have overlooked him!"
Alice grabbed Gapen's neck and demanded he speak quickly.
"I haven't been at this branch for long. It's not within my allowed area..."
Gapen murmured that he really didn't know, and his face turned pale.
"You’re useless!"
Unable to contain herself, Alice raised her fist and struck Gapen's face. Although she probably held back, it seemed excessive to Raon.
—Aunt, please calm down for now.
Raon grabbed Alice's arm and placed Gapen back on the ground.
"Are you moving to revive the Iron Chain?"
"It's not a rebirth. We've been alive from the start. We’re just preparing for revenge!"
Gapen raised his voice, appearing overwhelmed with indignation. A deep anger resonated within his soul.
"They started it, and now they act like this. Anyone who hears them would think they were the ones ambushed."
Rimmer muttered in disbelief as he struck Gapen's forehead.
"Puaj..."
Gapen was still gritting his teeth, looking resentful.
"It seems the remnants of the Iron Chain are not just in this dungeon."
The fact that he mentioned coming to this branch suggested there was a separate headquarters. Moreover, for a group annihilated a hundred years ago to speak of revenge, this dungeon was too small. Although he didn't know where the headquarters was, they clearly maintained a much greater strength than this.
However, what lay beneath and who they had taken as hostages was more important than the Iron Chain's headquarters at this moment.
"Why did you hide here?"
Raon exhaled briefly and looked at Gapen.
"...We found traces that someone entered the underground headquarters."
Gapen tried not to speak, but he opened his mouth again due to Rimmer's tickling torture.
"Puaj!"
Paras held his temples, seemingly thinking it was his fault.
"To send a signal while moving the branch and buy time... Gack!"
Gapen stopped mid-sentence and grabbed his throat. His eyes began to turn red as if submerged in blood.
"What is happening?!"
Raon placed his hand on Gapen's chest. The magical energy swirling within Gapen's body suddenly twisted, and before it could stop, it burst his heart.
"Oh God..."
Gapen let out a piercing wail and died on the spot.
"This is..."
"Magic."
Raon shook his head as he withdrew his hand from Gapen's chest.
"They used the remaining flow of magic in Gapen's body to burst his heart."
It seemed they had placed magic in Gapen that could burst his heart from a distance to prevent information leaks if he were captured.
"As expected from the Iron Chain. They are ruthless."
Alice bit her lip, her eyes filled with frustration.
"That's not the important part now."
Rimmer frowned as he looked at the dead Gapen.
"The bastards of the Iron Chain are trying to abandon this dungeon."
"That's right."
Raon nodded towards Rimmer.
"The fact that they immediately abandon the branch after discovering traces of an outsider shows they are more dangerous than we thought."
The fact that they immediately set up guards and tried to leave the branch after finding traces of an unknown person was surprising. Raon could understand why the remnants of the Iron Chain had survived until now.
"We must act as quickly as possible."
Underground organizations often kill all their hostages when abandoning a branch. They needed to traverse this dungeon at full speed to save the people they had kidnapped.
"Aunt. We should go down right now... Hm?"
Just as Raon was about to tell Alice they needed to leave immediately, the entire dungeon shook, collapsing both the path down and the exit to the outside. A deep rumble filled the air.
Not only earth and stone but also iron from who-knows-where began to converge, completely blocking the entrance and exit. It all seemed to be the work of magic.
"What is happening?!"
Martha bit her lip as she crouched down.
"The cavern. No, the whole dungeon is shaking."
Burren shook his head, looking tense.
"Mmm."
Runaan raised ice pillars to prevent the cave ceiling from collapsing, preparing for any situation.
"Ahhh! They're going to bury us! We'll all die if we stay here!"
Dorian waved his hands frantically, saying they needed to escape quickly.
"It's already too late."
Raon shook his head as he looked at the exit covered in dirt.
"They intend to trap us in this dungeon until they finish moving their branch."
Not only this cavern, but the whole dungeon was moving rapidly. They were determined to block their path even at the cost of massive magic consumption.
"How arrogant."
Alice stood in front of the door leading to the next floor, her fist clenched.
"Do you think magic or whatever can stop me?"
She struck the magical wall blocking the path with her fist instead of her sword. A massive shockwave exploded, shattering all the magically condensed stones and iron.
The path, which originally could only accommodate two people, widened enough to allow even a giant through due to Alice's tremendous power.
"Just follow me."
Alice shouted that she would take the initiative and descended into the dark path.
"As expected of our aunt!"
Martha followed Alice, shouting that she felt satisfied.
"Though I don't like brute force, I must admit it's refreshing."
Burren nodded and entered through the wide entrance.
"Aunt..."
Runaan also followed her with bright eyes, as if impressed.
"Mmm..."
Raon didn’t follow immediately but placed his hand on the ground. He felt the flow of magical energy moving throughout the dungeon while operating the Fire Ring.
-What are you doing instead of going down?
Wrath gestured with his hand as if to tell him to hurry and descend.
'I'm examining the flow of the magic.'
Although Alice was a Transcendent Warrior, she couldn't keep exerting the power she had just shown. If he could familiarize himself with the magical flow here, it would be a great help in the upcoming battles, so he tried to imprint it in his eyes and senses.
-Do you think that will work immediately?
Wrath snorted, telling him not to waste his effort.
"Even if it doesn't work, I'll gain something."
Raon lightly shook the dust off his dirt-covered hands and descended to the next floor.
"What are you planning now?"
Rimmer smiled slightly before being the last to leave the cavern.
* * *
With a thunderous roar, Alice's spatial cut spread in a semicircle, splitting the entire gray corridor in half. The dungeon shook violently as rocks fell from the empty space, arrows and harpoons were cleaved in two, and the hidden traps beneath the false floors were completely torn apart.
Alice had destroyed the entire trap room with a single cut.
"Let's move on to the next one!"
Alice smiled as she pointed to the open exit on the right.
-Mmm...
Wrath narrowed his eyes as he watched Alice's back.
-She seems to be putting in a lot of effort.
-Yes. She uses all her power each time to minimize lost time.
Raon nodded as he exhaled a murky breath.
-No matter how much of a transcendent warrior she is, she won't be able to last much longer like this.
'You're right.'
Alice had handled everything alone without relying on the strength of others as they traversed 20 floors.
They had to reach the end of the dungeon before the remnants of the Iron Chain finished clearing the branch, and they also had to deal with the Light Wind division. She was overexerting herself. Although the speed was fast, at this rate, Alice might collapse before they reached the end of the dungeon.
"Aunt."
Raon approached Alice and blocked her path.
"I understand how you feel, but let's slow down a bit. You've used too much aura and stamina."
He shook his head and said that from now on he would take the lead.
"You're right. I'm pushing myself. But do you know why I can push myself?"
Alice gave him a kind smile.
"It's because you're here."
"Indulgence?"
Raon looked at Alice with wide eyes.
"I can use my power excessively because you’re behind me."
She told him quietly that she trusted him.
—Am I wrong? If I'm in danger, if that useless son of mine is in a dangerous situation, won't you save us?
Alice tilted her chin as if telling him to speak.
"...I would. No, I should."
"See?"
Alice smiled and squeezed his shoulder.
"I'll keep clearing the way. If any problems arise, I count on you."
She said it was rare for her to trust someone with her back while letting out a laugh.
"Let's go, everyone!"
Alice shouted for them to follow her as she descended to the next floor.
"I entrusted it to you again; she really must like you."
Rimmer smiled as he walked alongside Raon.
"She’s been like this with me from the start, so I'm not sure."
"She has softened a lot now. Probably even Lawaine hasn’t heard those words from her."
He shrugged, saying that Raon seemed to have completely won Alice's heart.
"It's a bit heavy."
Raon clenched his fist slightly as he watched Alice's back guiding the Light Wind downwards.
—It's alright. I'll trust my aunt and focus on what I have to do.
Even the traps in this dungeon worked with magic. Although he still hadn't fully understood it, it seemed he could decipher the principles of the magic if he examined it a little more. Raon descended, spinning the Fire Ring.
* * *
The dungeon seemed endless.
It was as if all the traps and monsters previously scattered had been gathered: even after descending 10 more floors, the end of the dungeon was not in sight.
However, due to the strong magical energy spreading throughout the dungeon, he could clearly understand how the magic of the Iron Chain operated. Raon narrowed his eyes as he touched the ground imbued with magical energy.
"It’s not just about using blood."
The magic of the Iron Chain was weaving the fear and terror contained in the concepts of iron and blood into their spells. Not just ordinary blood, but the blood of the dead. Not just any iron, but iron that kills people. They were strengthening their magic by using these negative concepts.
"When will this end?"
As Alice shouted while descending to a new floor, grotesque steel golems with strange patterns engraved on them rose from the ground. There were more than thirty, by a rough count, and the number kept increasing.
"Everyone, out!"
She clicked her tongue briefly and brandished her spatial sword. With a thunderous roar, all the golems, both those that were already formed and those still being formed, were split in two with a single cut. The magical energy filling that space also seemed to be severed, as if Alice had not only finished off the golems but had also cut the magic that had created them.
"Rant..."
Alice wiped the cold sweat dripping down her forehead as she plunged her sword into the ground. Seeing her trembling hands, it seemed she was truly exhausted now.
It was natural, after having traversed more than 30 floors of traps and monsters, and having to smash through steel doors blocking the way each time.
With another thunderous crash, Alice shattered the steel door blocking the path and moved her hand back.
"Huff, let's go!"
She exhaled forcefully and was the first to descend down the path again.
"Huh?"
Alice's eyes widened as she walked down the dark hallway.
"This is..."
"I-it's the end! It's the end of the dungeon!"
Paras descended ahead of Alice, saying he was sure because he had been there twice before.
"You're right. It’s the last place."
Alice nodded, saying they had finally arrived.
"So this is the end of the dungeon."
Raon clicked his tongue as he looked at the empty cavern, just like the first floor.
"Here it is."
Paras pointed to the center of the cavern floor.
"They opened a door to a secret space here!"
He said he remembered the exact location and showed them the spot.
"Alright. Step aside."
Alice gestured for Paras to move aside as she raised her sword.
"I'll destroy it in one go!"
She gritted her teeth and launched a spatial cut directed at the ground. A massive explosion shook not only the cavern but the entire dungeon. However, the path that Paras had seen did not open. Only the ground was left deeply excavated.
"It's blocked by magic!"
Alice bit her lip as she looked at the ground carved by her spatial cut.
"It seems they gathered all the magical energy scattered throughout the dungeon here."
Raon frowned as he felt the powerful magical energy spreading through the ground.
"How persistent."
Unlike the previous floors, this last floor had no monsters or traps. Instead, they had condensed magic to completely block the entrance. They had wound the magic like chains of iron into a round ball and embedded it, making it impossible for even Alice to break through the magic.
'At this level, they must have spilled the blood of hundreds of people.'
No matter how densely they had wrapped the magic, creating a hardness that could withstand a Spatial Cut suggested that they had killed hundreds, no, more than a thousand people in this dungeon.
"This is nothing! I’ll just break through!"
Alice attacked with her Spatial Cut two more times, but she was exhausted, and the magically formed ground was too thick, so it no longer cut as deeply.
"Damn it! How many people did these bastards kill?"
Alice shouted angrily as she fell to the ground. Her usually serene expression was turning dark.
"We will help too!!"
The Light Wind struck the ground with sword attacks alongside Alice. Even maintaining their Light Wind Formation, the ground naturally didn’t give way much.
"Damn it! Damn everything!"
Alice struck the ground with her fists instead of with the sword, shouting curses. She didn’t stop even when her knuckles began to bleed.
—Sif, wait for me. I’ll save you soon!
Though she hadn’t said it to anyone, her parental instinct told her that Sif was down there. That was why she had pushed herself to descend, and now being blocked by a single wall was frustrating and maddening.
"There’s no choice."
She would have to use her Sword Domain. Using it would leave her completely exhausted and this space itself would collapse, but there was no other way now. Trusting Raon and using her Sword Domain was the only option.
"Raon."
Alice turned around, inhaling deeply.
"I’m going to use my Sword Domain. I’m leaving the rest to you."
She approached her beloved nephew and told him this was the only way.
"There’s another way."
Raon shook his head, saying he couldn’t use his Sword Domain.
"We could slowly dig around, but we don't have time. We don’t know when they’ll leave!"
"It won’t take much time. No, it will be even faster than breaking through with your Sword Domain."
Her nephew said this while approaching her side.
"Faster? What are you doing..."
"I’ve finished analyzing it."
Raon cut his finger with the Blade of Requiem and let his blood drip to the ground. The moment his blood, carrying bright red flames, fell to the ground, all the magical energy filling the underground began to ignite. As the flames roared and came to life, Alice swallowed hard as she watched Raon's fire consume even the magic.
"What are you doing exactly..."
-
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