Goddess Kaleidoscope

But Lud's idea wasn't just to make them suffer in the labyrinth; he wanted to lead them into a conflict with the necromancers who were following them not far behind.

To achieve this goal, Lud had resorted to many underhanded tactics. After all, he was the one who built the maze, and all the mechanisms and devices inside had backdoors. The fact that Trin and the others were able to draw a shortcut on the first floor was due to his "favor".

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the second level will be the main arena where the two sides will face off head-on. However, before that, Lude needs to pull some tricks to help the necromancer Dick.

After all, the opposing team's old butler is too strong. If he isn't nerfed, it will really affect the game's "balance"!

End of this chapter

Outside the maze gate, most of the men that Trin had recruited were idly waiting in the adventurers' camp.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out nearby, and many people gathered in front of the monument at the entrance to see what was happening. It turned out that just now, the front of the metal monument had suddenly changed, and strange patterns had appeared on its surface.

At first glance, the pattern resembles a large tree uprooted from the ground, with outstretched branches and roots. The umbrella-shaped crown has nine branches, eight of which have flower buds, while only the ninth branch on the far left has blossomed with light gray flowers.

Some quick-thinking adventurers had already vaguely guessed that this was probably related to the progress of conquering the maze; the blooming gray flowers indicated that the first level of the maze had been breached.

"Holy crap! Has Dog Bro been defeated?"

"I remember the teams that went in before all had fewer than ten people. Where did this peerless master come from?"

"Quick! Get everyone together, let's go into the maze now!"

Realizing that the first level of the maze might have been breached, the adventurers who had been waiting outside the gate felt that their chance had come and rushed into the maze.

Even the men that Terlin ordered to stay behind decided to take action, because the captain of the guards was certain that the master who broke through the first floor was most likely the old butler, Sajin, who was always by the young master's side.

He knew the other party's hidden identity.

However, when their group of about a hundred people rushed into the starting hall of the maze, it was already a sea of ​​people, numbering over a thousand. The adventurers were shouting and shoving each other in a chaotic manner, giving the dozen or so dwarf warriors responsible for maintaining order a real headache.

"Stop pushing! Line up! Did you hear me? Get in line!"

Just as the dwarves were about to be overwhelmed by the crowd, a large contingent of regular dwarven troops entered the hall. The arrival of these heavily armored plate-clad infantrymen instantly silenced the previously chaotic hall.

The dwarf knight leading the group was none other than Yorn, the nephew of Chief Gulig. He was ordered to lead 150 dwarf warriors to guard the labyrinth and was considered the direct manager here. Therefore, when he learned of the commotion in the entrance hall, he immediately led his soldiers to provide reinforcements.

The arrival of the dwarven soldiers successfully brought the situation under control. After understanding the whole story, Yorn did not stop the adventurers from entering the labyrinth. Instead, he required them to line up according to the rules set by the dwarves and come in groups as a team. Anyone who dared to cut in line or disrupt the order would be dealt with rudely!

Despite the presence of over a thousand adventurers—nearly ten times the number of Yorn's soldiers—the 150 dwarven warriors were highly trained regular troops, uniformly armored heavy infantry, and heavily armed war machines. If a battle were to break out, they would absolutely crush this ragtag group, lacking even unified command, in no time.

So, with the situation pressing, aside from a few hotheads who got kicked, the rest of the adventurers chose to obediently comply. Seeing that force wasn't working, the head of the Navarro family's guards had to resort to a softer approach. He approached Yorn unarmed, revealed his identity to the arrogant dwarf knight, and hoped that the other party would do them a favor out of respect for the Navarro family.

The implication was that they should be allowed to cut in line first.

However, this request, which seemed perfectly "reasonable" to the head of the guards, was rejected on the spot by Jon.

"The Navarro family? Are they nobles?"

"Uh……"

Looking at the somewhat embarrassed head guard, Yorn sneered.

He had naturally heard of the Navarro family, but precisely because he knew them, he was even more determined not to let them have their way. While dwarves weren't exactly known for their righteous indignation, they held such lowlifes who rose to power through deception and fraud in utter contempt. So, the head guard's self-introduction of his family name had the opposite effect.

Left with no other choice, Trin's men had to obediently queue up, trying their best to get those ahead of them to give way. But the long queues were agonizing to watch, and the maze's entry mechanism severely limited the adventurers' speed; who knew when it would be their turn?

Meanwhile, on the other side, Trin and his group, who had already entered the second level of the maze, were cautiously making their way forward. After entering the maze area called "Rapid River Adventure," they had just passed through a seemingly ordinary but deadly "musical fountain."

At first glance, the pond appears ordinary, about fifty meters wide and only twenty or thirty centimeters deep, not even reaching the calves. However, once someone steps inside, rhythmic music immediately plays in the room, and terrifying water jets powerful enough to pierce through a human body erupt from the water. These deadly water jets even dance to the music.

Such a trap was naturally no match for the skilled butler, but his ability to cross it didn't mean others could. In the end, Denzel came up with a good solution: the mage traveling with them happened to be an ice magic user, so he used magic to freeze an ice bridge on the water's surface and easily crossed it.

Seeing this, Lu De, who was watching the game, couldn't help but applaud the interesting solution and decided to do a quick "hotfix" to fix this "game bug" that could be exploited by players.

Since the second level's mechanisms were only slightly more difficult than the first, Trin's team, though not fast, continued to conquer the area, one level after another. During this time, Denzel kept taking notes, recording the various traps and mechanisms he encountered along the way.

To be fair, their trip seemed smooth, with only one companion dying during the challenge against Dog Brother. However, the main credit actually went to the powerful butler who carried them through. If it had been Denzel's own team, they probably would have been wiped out countless times already.

However, even with the old butler's exceptional skills, the journey had taken its toll. The old assassin was, after all, getting on in years. Even though he had practiced ancient martial arts to extend his lifespan, he was long past his prime. In the last ten years or so, he had been living a retired life as a butler, resulting in a noticeable decline in all aspects, especially his physical abilities.

Therefore, Terlin prioritized supplying the old steward with all the recovery potions, food, and water they carried to ensure his condition remained stable.

In fact, Terlin had been hesitant the whole way. He knew that without the old butler, they would not have been able to advance to this position so smoothly. More than once, his rational mind had given way to the thought of retreating and calling back the main force.

But every time he successfully broke through a region, Trin couldn't resist the temptation to go further. At the same time, he was afraid that if he retreated, he would pave the way for other adventurers who were catching up. If the artifact he was looking for was snatched up by someone else, it would be a great loss!

Driven by their unwavering determination, the group, who were not yet at their wits' end, gritted their teeth and continued to persevere.

Since the maze was dark and the group didn't have any timekeeping devices like clocks, they could only guess that a long time had passed by now. So, without realizing it, they had already traversed six areas on the second level.

During the process, the team lost one more member and was seriously injured. Thanks to the support of various medicines, the injured were able to be saved immediately if they were not completely dead, and the team's fatigue was not obvious.

Finally, the group encountered the familiar garden once again, similar to the one in Dog Brother's room on the first floor, but the flowers had changed from white tulips to blue water lilies. It was no longer a large expanse occupying most of the central area of ​​the room, but rather eight small ponds arranged in a ring. In the very center of the room stood a stone altar, upon which rested a crystal-clear vertical flute.

"This...is this the room of the level master (BOSS)?"

"We haven't seen any enemies. Could they be hiding?"

The group stood at the entrance, looking around for a while, but did not see any figure resembling the BOSS. However, given their previous experiences, none of them dared to easily step into the hall in front of them.

Trilling looked at the old butler, whose expression was no longer as calm as before, with a questioning gaze. The butler shook his head and said...

"Let's take a break, everyone's tired."

Since the core leader of the team had spoken, everyone naturally agreed without any objection and set up camp to rest right outside the BOSS's room.

Along the way, Trin had quite an eye-opener. He had always heard his father say that the steward, Sarkin, was an unparalleled master, capable of taking even the king's head if he so desired. Trin had been skeptical, but now, having witnessed Sarkin's skills firsthand, he was utterly awestruck.

Compared to this senior, those ordinary so-called experts are simply a bunch of insignificant nobodies!

Soon, everyone lit a fire and ate while warming themselves by the fire.

Before entering the maze, each of them carried only two days' worth of rations. This was only increased at Denzel's repeated requests. Otherwise, according to Trin's initial plan to conduct a simple reconnaissance on the first floor and then retreat, they might not have even carried a day's worth of rations.

In retrospect, although Denzel's own strength is average, his experience is indeed much richer than theirs, and hiring him as a guide was the right decision.

While everyone was resting, the old butler, Sajin, sat down on the ground and began to meditate like a magician. The entire team only had one bottle of "Blood Bull" left. The old butler had a deep impression of this powerful stamina potion when he drank it before, so he had saved the last bottle for a rainy day.

However, just as the old butler was recovering using the breathing technique of ancient martial arts, a cold wind quietly arrived.

The old butler, with his keen senses, immediately noticed the abnormality. He opened his eyes abruptly and saw a shadow wriggling in the darkness not far away. With his extensive knowledge, he immediately recognized it as the unique aura of the undead.

End of this chapter

"Hmph! They did come after all!"

Upon seeing the presence of the undead, the old butler sneered. In fact, he had already sensed the "little tail" following them when they first entered the second level of the maze. However, considering that the other party had been very cautious and had not approached rashly, only sending dead servants to spy in the shadows, the old butler pretended not to know in order to avoid being lured away. He quietly reminded Trinn and the other guards except Denzel to be vigilant, waiting for the other party to come to them.

Sargin, a former top assassin, knew very well that if the necromancer following them were to make a move, he would do so when they were at their most exhausted.

And as it turned out, the old butler's speculation was correct. The necromancer, who had been using the dead slaves to spy on Trin and his group, was indeed waiting for the perfect opportunity. He knew that the old butler, Sarkin, was a reclusive master, and that he was no match for him in a direct confrontation.

But the necromancer's strength has never been in direct confrontation.

From the moment the first undead appeared, one after another, strange and grotesque spirits emerged from the ground around the campsite, gradually surrounding Trin and his group. Denzel, the only one present unaware of the situation, initially mistook these undead for guards of the second level of the labyrinth.

"What's going on? These undead..."

"Prepare for battle! Use holy water!"

Faced with the sudden appearance of the undead, apart from Denzel who was still in a daze, Trin's men all knew what had happened and reacted quickly.

Although both sides are members of the Black Hand Brotherhood, with the Navarro family's hereditary elder and the necromancer's high-ranking council member, they should be united. However, in reality, they are mutually hostile and have always wanted to eliminate each other. Therefore, there's no point in exchanging pleasantries upon meeting; they immediately draw their weapons and begin fighting!

To deal with the necromancer's undead slaves, Trin had purchased a large quantity of exorcising holy water beforehand. Although most of it was still at the camp on the ground, each person had two bottles on hand. Therefore, upon seeing their target appear, everyone immediately took out the holy water and splashed it on their bodies and weapons.

Items touched by holy water can damage undead creatures that are completely immune to physical attacks for a period of time. Of course! Directly splashing holy water on undead will cause even greater damage, provided you can hit them.

Since the holy properties granted by the holy water have a limited duration, the guards, having quickly completed their battle preparations, did not choose to passively defend themselves but instead opted to take the initiative and attack the enemy in front of them.

It is worth mentioning that most undead creatures do not actually have the ability to attack, and they even have difficulty touching physical objects. The reason why mortals fear these special beings that exist between life and death is because they are incompatible with living beings, can erode the health of the living, and thus cause plagues.

But the undead slaves under the necromancer's command are different. These undead are specialized vengeful spirits, whose combat power and ferocity have been greatly enhanced, and they have also evolved many strange and special abilities. Therefore, in a real fight, they are far more difficult to deal with than ordinary undead.

The battle was about to break out. The guards that Trin brought from his home were all outstanding, and they had made relatively sufficient preparations beforehand. Therefore, they were still able to hold their own against the numerically superior death slaves.

There were eleven undead slaves surrounding them. Although they differed considerably in appearance, each ugly in its own way, their attack methods were generally similar. They mainly used screeching ghouls, which had a mental interference effect, and spraying poisonous mist with a corrosive effect.

According to the intelligence provided by his family, Terlin knew that these undead slaves were just low-level combat units under the necromancer Dick. The enemy had more powerful high-level undead slaves who had not yet entered the fray, so these were just cannon fodder. With the holy water blessing, the swords could inflict tons of damage on their targets as long as they hit them.

However, it soon became clear that something was wrong. While the swords that had been doused with holy water could indeed slice the hideous alien undead in two like a hot knife through butter, the undead that were hit would immediately "self-destruct," spewing out a large amount of corrosive poisonous mist.

One of the guards was unable to dodge in time and was sprayed head-on by the poisonous mist. He then howled and turned into a pile of foul-smelling pus. His death was extremely gruesome and greatly shocked Terlin.

"Damn it! What the hell are these self-destructing things?"

Seeing that only two of the guards he had brought in remained, Trin felt a pang of panic. Before this, he had always believed that the difficulty in defeating the necromancer Dick lay in finding him, not in killing him.

According to the intelligence provided to Trin by his family, Dick was assessed as having rare abilities. His Dead Slaves were well-suited for activities such as stealing secrets and special assassinations. Dick himself possessed the artifact "Gaze into the Abyss," which gave him mental attack capabilities. However, he was not strong in direct combat, a weakness similar to many mages.

In other words, once Dick's whereabouts are completely exposed, the moment he is dragged out from the shadows will be the moment of his death.

However, based on the current information, the information provided by the family is not entirely accurate.

Trilling's original plan was to lure Dick out, then use his numerical advantage and the holy water to eliminate Dick and his undead slaves. The old butler, Sargin, was merely a last resort, lent to him by his father, specifically to protect his personal safety in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Unfortunately, plans can change quickly. Trin, who originally only wanted to explore the maze firsthand, made the wrong decision to continue deeper into it because the old butler easily dealt with Dog. Little did he know that the necromancer was right behind them and launched a sneak attack at the right moment.

Seeing that the two remaining guards were no match for these self-destructing slaves, Trin could only look to the old butler for help.

"senior……"

"Leave it to me, young master Terlin."

The old butler, who was still recovering his strength, stopped meditating and stood up from the ground. The two remaining guards breathed a sigh of relief and retreated to their young master's side, making room for the big boss to show off.

The moment the old butler stood up, his aura as a top-tier expert was enough to halt the remaining undead slaves. Because undead creatures are purely spiritual beings, they are extremely sensitive to psionic energies, including magic and mental power; they could sense a very dangerous aura emanating from the old butler.

But the dead slaves could not disobey their master's orders, so after only a moment's hesitation, they rushed forward and pounced on the old steward who was standing in place.

Just like when they faced Dog Brother before, the old butler once again vanished into thin air. The seven or eight dead slaves who rushed at him exploded in mid-air. The poisonous mist that was about to spread was blown away by a hurricane that rose from the ground to the other side opposite to Trin, without hurting anyone.

"Hmph! A mere trick!"

The old butler reappeared, now standing diagonally behind Terlin. However, his expression didn't look very relaxed. The old man secretly regulated his breathing for a while before the churning feeling in his chest subsided.

Realizing his physical condition, the old butler couldn't help but sigh. Indeed, time waits for no one. At this rate, in another ten or twenty years, he might be so old that he wouldn't even be able to kill people anymore.

The old steward swiftly dispatched the remaining dead slaves, but he did not let his guard down, for the "hostility" had not yet subsided.