Left, Right, Left, Left. Kurt and Grey took ourn after another as they traversed the massive byrinth. Evehey already khat the byrinth was rge, its size was far more amazing than they had initially expected.

  It has already been about an hour sihe two entered from the summit and so far, nothing too problematic had occurred after the appearance of the three abominable beasts from before.

  It would have been easier to punch the walls and create a tunnel, but doing so could cause the mountain to colpse. Especially sihe two had the strength to easily crush boulders into fine powder. Being reckless was far too risky.

  "I have to say... your navigational ability really is outstanding, Sir Grey. We have been in this maze for quite some time but we have yet to find a dead end. I don't know what to call it other than 'amazing'!" ［Kurt］

  "Hahaha, you're praisioo much. It's just luck." ［Grey］

  That was a lie.

  Throughout the time Kurt and Grey have been navigating through the byrinth, Grey has been using his "Heaven's Eye". At first, he was skeptical if it would work in a pce located underground but his worries were all for naught. It still funed normally even under such circumstances.

  If it weren't for the fact that Grey and Kurt have entered from the summit, they would have already reached the main chamber by now. In fact, they have already walked quite a number of kilometers as they navigated throughout the byrinth.

  Of course, Kurt didn't know the existence of su amazing ability. After all, other than 'Judgement' which Grey had revealed to the Guildmaster, all other effects from his abilities have bee hidden. Yuna was the only one who knew about Grey's abilities.

  'Oh? Aren't these....' ［Grey］

  Just as Grey was feeling a little guilty about lying straight to Kurt's face, he sensed a pair of presences a few hundred meters away from him. They didn't belong to enemies nor beasts, but rather...

  "Oh, Kurt! Grey!" ［Vanessa］

  ... they beloo two dies who were part of their raid team. It were Vanessa and Yuna were having a friendly chat as they traversed the byrinth.

  The moment Vanessa saw the two men, she immediately raised her right hand and waved it eically. Apanying her eic gesture was her equally eic smile and voice.

  "How did things go on your side? Did anything iing happen?" ［Vanessa］

  "Elder Sister, you ought to be more serious in these situations... " ［Kurt］

  "Eh～?! Kurt, you're just too stiff! Loosen up, will you?" ［Vanessa］

  Kurt tried to reprimand his older sister but it ointless. In a space where no other people were around, Vanessa's carefreeness was just on another level.

  But with Vanessa ag like such, the tension in the air quickly dropped. It was unknowher she was doing it on purpose or was just being her carefree self. After all, she IS Vanessa.

  "ht. I just remembered, but did you also get to fight some freaky looking creatures? Yuna and I fought some along the way. They were su～per stroe their appearances." ［Vanessa］

  As if she had just remembered a trivial topic, Vanessa suddenly asked a serious question trey and Kurt. The two of course knew what Vanessa was talking about.

  "Lady Vanessa, are you talking about the creatures who dropped these?" ［Grey］

  Grey replied as he showed the three beast crystals he and Kurt had picked up after subjugating the creatures. They were about the size of a fist and had a bluish yet transparent coloration.

  "Ah!" ［Vanessa］

  A high-pitched voice full of sh inside Grey's ears the moment he showed the crystals. The source was her than Vanessa whose eyes were widened from shock.

  Yuna, who was beside Vanessa, just looked at it with curious eyes. She had no idea what the crystals Grey was holding in his hands were for. All she knew was that they have some important value.

  "I pletely fot to collect them!" ［Vanessa］

  Vanessa's yelling tinued as she clearly remembered not cheg the beasts' corpse. She was too engaged in knowing more about Yuna that she pletely fot to check before leaving.

  Grey and Yuna looked at Vanessa dumbfounded, while Kurt shook his head with his dominant hand holding his forehead. He seemed to look like someone who was having a headache, for which the reason was her than his older sister.

  "Ah, right... I'll just let the army deal with it. Going back is too troublesome." ［Vanessa］

  Vanessa decred as she pced one of her hands on top of her other palm. She had thought of ao escape from her responsibilities.

  Seeing her personality again, Grey started pitying Kurt for dealing with such a free-spirited and troublesome sister. He was also thankful that Yuna was such a kind and obedient girl.

  With Kurt ping his forehead from the headache he got from dealing with his sister's nonsehe group of four tio navigate the byrinth with Grey in the lead.

  It took a couple of minutes, but after quite a few turns and fighting several dozen enemies on their path, they finally exited the massive byrinth aered the main chamber.

  Uhe byrinth and the tunnels before it, the main chamber was much more open a more man made. Its height could easily reach more than 30 meters and has an area which tain a dozen basketball courts.

  But evehere was such a rge open space, there were no signs of enemies in sight. Rather, it was very quiet and peaceful which made it give off a very eerie vibe.

  The only thing worth noting was a solitary building which was located at the ter of the main chamber. It was quite rge despite being built underground, and it was very apparent that it served as the core of the base.

  "Yo～! Over here!" ［Kris］

  Uedly, the one who arrived first wasn't the group led by Grey. It was Kris and Aria who were casually iing the main chamber befrey and pany had exited the byrinth.

  Although Kris and Aria didn't possess any navigational ability like Grey, following the path with the most ehey were able to arrive in the main chamber first. It was a smart teique which Kris had just thought of.

  "You guys are te. What kept you there so long?" ［Kris］

  "We're not te. You guys are just too early!" ［Vanessa］

  "Yeah, yeah, sure. Let's go with that." ［Kris］

  To Kris' joking and provocative question, Vanessa replied in kind. Evehey had just met retly, the two's personalities allow them to easily get along with one another.

  ...

  "Boss! The type ||| Deimons have all been killed! We 't detect their lifeforces anymore!"

  "What!?" ［Boss］

  A loud crashing sound resounded in the air as a number of gss aal apparatuses fell to the ground from the man's fury.

  Just right after he felt a joyous emotion from the pletion of his long research, a sudden disaster came looming in to destroy all of his efforts. He anig greatly as he imagined his efforts being put into vain.

  'Wait, even if they defeated it, they must have suffered a rge loss in their numbers. That means this is the best time to strike, while they're still weak!' ［Boss］

  Luckily, he still had his wits even when he anig. He had cluded all by himself that the kingdom had suffered quite a few losses after entering 9 B-rank demonic beasts,

  It was a logical clusion since raids were often performed with hundreds, maybe even thousands of soldiers and knights. And them being mostly soldiers, they would be insignifit against overwhelming enemies.

  Unfortunately for him, such was not the case. Rather than hundreds or thousands, his oppos were just 6 people. A raid team prised of people whose strengths are even higher than those of his creations.

  "Release the type || Daemons! Crush them thhly this time." ［Boss］

  "Y-Yes boss!"

  The man didn't even sider extraneous variables when he reyed his order. He was fident that no matter what the kingdom sent, the improved versions of his creations would trample over them.

  ...

  "Should we just bust open the door?" ［Vanessa］

  "I don't know about that. There may be traps installed here." ［Kris］

  "Lord Kris is right. We shouldn't act too recklessー" ［Kurt］

  g g Thunk

  A suddeallid meical sound reverberated in the air as the raid team decided how to open the door, making everyone raise their guards in anticipation on what's about to happen.

  Soon after, the heavy metal doors opened, revealing even more massive and god-forsakeures. There were 3 of them and their eyes were everything but weling. The bloodlust emanating from their red eyes was as clear as day.

  The creatures were about 5 meters i and are obviously strohan the ones before. Although they are different from the ones before them, they were simir in the mahat they were created from multiple creatures.

  ??Appraisal?? ［Grey］

  -----------------------------------

  [Demonic Beast]

  [Species] Daemon

  [Status] Healthy, Stable

  [Sex] ???

  [Age] ???

  [Mana Capacity] 4,592  [Mana Quality] B

  [bat Power] 2,207  [Threat Level] B

  [Attribute] Null

  [Intelligence] ???

  [Description]

  A man-made creature made from bining the body parts of differes into o took tless beasts and tless lives during the process of its creation. Its sole purpose is to serve its master and bring ruin to the obstacles in its way. It is the sed iteration of its kind.

  -----------------------------------

  "Be careful everyohey're much strohan the ones we've fought before! All of their bat power is at least 2,000!" ［Grey］

  Grey quickly notified every member of the raid team as soon as he saw the creatures' bat power. The calm atmosphere then turned into one which was full of grave seriousness.

  The gap between the current creatures and the previous ones was too wide. By rough estimate alohe current ones were about 7 to 8 times stronger. It would only take one of the current oo wipe out all 9 of the previous ones.

  "Everyone, listen up! Everyone below A-rank, pull bad attack using le magic while the others bee vanguards and draw out their attention. Don't let the creatures reach the reaguardsr!" ［Vanessa］

  "Roger!" ""Yes!"" ""Uood!""

  Heeding Grey's warning, Vanessa issued an order which everyone followed suit without asking a question. Grey, Yuna, and Kris took a step forward as vanguards while Aria, Kurt, and Vanessa prepared to cast spells from the rear.

  It was a situatiohe lives of the raid team members might get into danger if the situation was handled poorly. They have no other choice but to tread carefully against the enemies in front of them.

  "Make sure they don't get past" ［Grey］

  "If that's the case, then why don't we just barricade them!" ［Kris］

  Along with his decration, Kris poured his mana into his hammer and threw it midair. He then jumped after it and whe a hold of its handle, he twisted his body and threw it to the ground head first with all his might.

  ??Stone Forest!?? ［Kris］

  As the hammer struck the ground, the earth rumbled aggressively and soon after, multiple pilrs of earth started emerging from the ground, eg to the walls and the ceiling of the hideout.

  It was like a rge three-dimensional puzzle which restricted the movements e creatures. Not only that, the pilrs also provided support to the mountain and preve from colpsing. It er useful magic.

  The creatures mao avoid the emerging pilrs but the moment they halted, they were already trapped with little to no space avaible to move into. Even spreading their wings has bee a difficult task.

  ??Blue Phoenix!?? ［Vanessa］

  ??Blue Phoenix!?? ［Kurt］

  ??Twin Spiral!?? ［Aria］

  Oer ahe rearguards unched a barrage of attacks towards the creatures. They didn't waste the opportunity when the creatures were still fused and struck while the iron was hot.

  And coupled with their ability "Sunfire" whicreases the heat and tenacity of fmes, Vanessa and Kurt's fire-attribute spells burnt even hotter and brighter to the point that iron will instantly melt upon tact.

  There were obstacles oh of their spells but they weren't much of a problem. All they had to do was trol the spells from afar like it art of the body. It might have ore mana, but it was worth it.

  Kruwaaaakkkkk

  The creatures screeched with rage and agony as they received the attacks from the rearguards, and turheir attention towards them. Their eyes glowed even redder as they were fueled by hatred.

  The creatures charged towards the rearguards, disregarding the stone pilrs along the way. They obliterated everything in their path eve also caused harm to them. They were crazy.

  Even with the relentless attacks from the rearguards, the creatures showed no signs of slowing down. Their "minds" were focused ing down the people firing attacks from the rear.

  "Not so fast! ??Binding Ivy??!" ［Grey］

  But before they could even travel halfway, their movements were pletely stopped by Grey's pnt-attribute binding spell.

  A multitude of thorn-filled vines emerged out of the ground and got a hold of the creatures trying to run towards the rearguards. Not only did it restrict them from moving, it also draiheir mana as time passed.

  The more the creatures struggled, the more exhausted they became fr to break free from Grey's binding. Unfortunately for them, the gap between them and Grey was too much. It was an impossible task.

  Kruwaaaaakkkk

  With their movements restricted, all the creatures could do was screech loudly in pain and hatred as the relentless barrage of attacks tio rain down upon them,

  Seeing the predit the creatures were in, Yuna took the d leaped high up in the air and nded iweewo creatures. She then leaped once again and when she was at the same height as their heads...

  ??Icicle Shotgun!?? ［Yuna］

  ... using both of her hands, she released an "Icicle Shotgun" towards both fnks aroyed both of the creatures' heads. Their heads were skewered with frozen "spears" which even pierce through metals easily.

  There wasn't aance left after Yuna fired her spells. Both of the creatures lost their lives a quient after her attack. They didn't even have the ce to retaliate.

  "Stop moving!" ［Kris］

  The remaining creature wasn't safe either. It tried tle free, but what greeted it wasn't freedom but Kris' heavy strike which cracked the bones all over its front limb where Kris had struck.

  With its broken frohe creature's struggle became weaker. The only thing that stayed stant was the eorrent of spells the rearguards shot towards it.

  ??Blue Phoenix!?? ［Vanessa］

  ??Blue Phoenix!?? ［Kurt］

  ??Twin Spiral!?? ［Aria］

  Kruwaaaakkkkkk

  Having received all three attacks, the creature screeched ao the ground. But it didn't die. After falling to the ground, the creature mustered all its strength and tried to stand up, but before it could do so...

  "As if I'd let you! ??Sundering Mountain??!" ［Kris］

  ... Kris has dealt the final blow by crushing the creature's whole body using an art which projected a giant version of his hammer.

  Not only the creature's body, but the whole mountain also received the impact from Kris' attack. Luckily, the "Stone Forest" he previously erected had prevehe mountain from colpsing.

  Receiving Kris' attack, the creature stopped moviirely and the fmes of its life ceased to exist. Soon after, ma behind its body, leaving only the corpse and a beast crystal behind.

  "Haah... That was tough... I'm gd we mao finish them off quickly. If that were t on any longer, I would have exhausted my mana." ［Kris］

  Kris ented as his legs colpsed to the ground due to fatigue. Not only him, the rearguards were also heavily taxed by spending too much mana on their secutive attacks.

  Even when Kris had only used three attacks, those three attacks were the stro ones he could muster. Of course, they were also the ones which cost the most mana in his arsenal.

  "How about you guys take a break." ［Grey］

  "Yeah, we... could really... use one... Haah.. Haah..." ［Kris］

  With the defeat of the creatures, the raid team then decided to take their rest. Although mana exhaustion be easily uh the use of mana potions, fatigue was another issue.

  All of their bodies became sore after firing off too many spells. It was a simir sensation to what an average person would feel after an intense day full of manual bor. It was like their muscles were all screaming with pain.

  After a few dozen mihe fatigue had bee bearable and so, the raid team tiheir task a ihe building, which, through sheer ce, wasn't affected anyhow by Kris' "Stone Forest".

  The moment they entered, a myriad of maeries and meical equipments greeted their eyes. Although they weren't as advanced as Earth's, they were amazing in their own ways.

  They searched the whole room, but there was nothing to be found. If there was o would be the suspiciously rge elevator-like mae which was obviously the one used to transport the rge creatures upwards.

  Using the elevator, the raid team went further down the floors. With every dest, an iion came after, but like the uppermost floor, there was nothing hy in all of them.

  Everything was different when they arrived at the deepest floor. Rather than ay and eerie room, what greeted them was a bloodbath. There were corpses everywhere, maeries destroyed, and broken gsses. It was a massacre.

  "There's someoill alive! Over there!" ［Aria］

  Aria poiowards a wounded man, covered in blood, and even struggling just to breath. He was the only o alive and all others were torn to shreds or buried under heavy maes.

  "Haha... Hahaha... You all are foolish... you came here... just to die... Hahaha... you're no match for it... Hahahaー" ［Boss］

  The man ughed hysterically at the sight of the raid team, but before he could even finish his st words, a gigantic maw filled with razor-sharp teeth appeared out of nowhere and devoured his head whole.

  A g sound echoed in the air as the owner of the maw chewed the man's head. It was a cruel se that many will surely have nightmares for days after witnessing it.

  But the death of the man nor the fate of the man's colleagues wasn't the ohat was troubling Grey, rather...

  Kuruuwaaaakkkkkkk

  ... it was the fact that the creature before him was the stro oppo he has ever faced.

  CHAPTER 30 END