Goddess Kaleidoscope

It's important to understand that becoming a follower of the Holy Maiden isn't simply a matter of being born into a noble family and having good equipment. It requires standing out from a vast pool of candidates through multiple rounds of selection. Only the most outstanding individuals can join this team.

Unlike the idle and good-for-nothing playboys, Li Wei and his fellow young people were born into wealth and received elite education from a young age. They were naturally gifted and had renowned teachers who carefully guided them from childhood. As a result, their strength far surpassed that of their peers, and they reached the level of first-class masters at a young age.

With the added combat power from his luxurious equipment, he is not without a fighting chance even against top experts.

However, they soon discovered in despair that their prized martial arts skills and equipment could not harm Lud in the slightest.

In general, while the Holy Light Barrier is sturdy, it is not unbreakable. Rather, the divine spell has a duration and is not permanent.

But the Holy Light Barrier that Lude cast on himself was not only ridiculously strong, but its duration was also absurdly long. The group attacked one by one, and then all at once. They kept banging and clanging for a long time, but Lude stood there motionless as if nothing had happened. He would even thoughtfully cast a healing spell on anyone who got tired of attacking.

It's not harmful at all, but it's incredibly insulting!

Finally, after everyone had exhausted all their options, Lu De took the initiative to remove the barrier on his body and then said in a flat, almost irritating tone.

"Hmm, well played."

Although he seemed incredibly arrogant, Lude's words were not sarcastic, but rather a genuine recognition of the abilities of these young masters, especially Li Wei. This kid had clearly studied ancient martial arts, and combined with his national treasure-level plate armor with its explosive enhancement effects, his strength was a notch above the others. He was the strongest among all the followers, probably second only to Selica, who hadn't even made a move yet.

If these people are allowed to enter the maze on their own, Dog Brother, at least by force alone, would have no problem breaking through the first level.

At this moment, Serica came up to Lud and looked at him, saying...

"Master, you must be more than just a chosen one of gods, right?"

"Yes, I have received blessings from seven gods."

In front of Celica, Ludd openly admitted that he was one of the "Seven Chosen Ones".

Upon receiving Lud's personal confirmation, Celica couldn't help but show a hint of surprise. But just as she reached out to touch Lud, Shanis, who had come over to join in the fun, suddenly stepped forward and stopped Celica from getting any closer to Lud.

"Your Holiness, what do you intend to do?"

"No, no, Miss Sister, please don't misunderstand. I didn't mean to disrespect Master Luther..."

No matter how Celica explained, Shanis remained protective of her chicks, standing between her and Ludwig, her face full of vigilance, until Celica took a few steps back to a relatively "safe" distance before Shanis stepped aside.

Her unusual behavior left Ludwig quite puzzled.

Fortunately, the investigation went relatively smoothly. Lude gained a general understanding of the strength of Celica's followers, while the other former saintesses were essentially priests who could use divine magic, but unlike the saintesses, they were not chosen by the gods.

Among this group, Saintess Celica is undoubtedly the strongest. She is the chosen one of the Holy Lord of Light. Theoretically, during her time as Saintess, she, like Rudd, can use divine magic without limit, but unlike Rudd, she does not have the autonomy to adjust her spells.

And the one Lude really needs to be careful about is precisely her.

End of this chapter

The Chosen One's abilities are practically unbeatable because there are no limits on the number of times divine spells can be used. Therefore, advanced healing spells and resurrection spells can be used at will. With Selica in charge of the trial team, it's practically like having a cheat code.

As one of the three founding families, the Holy Lord of Light possesses a divine power accumulated over thousands of years by a high-ranking deity. The total amount of this power is a terrifying existence that new gods like Aina and Shanis cannot even imagine at this stage.

According to Lu De, the Holy Maidens of each generation also possessed an incredibly powerful exclusive skill: summoning an avatar of the Holy Lord of Light to descend to the mortal realm.

This clone possesses about 30% of the original's strength, but even with only 30%, it can still easily defeat lower-level gods. Even Hume, who has fully recovered his original form, would have to give way if he encountered it.

This "ultimate weapon" used by parents can be described as extremely shameless!

Fortunately, this skill is not like ordinary divine magic that can be used casually. It is a life-saving skill that can only be used once a day and should be saved specifically for critical moments.

After figuring out the general strength of the Saintess's group, Lud returned to the temple to begin "pre-battle planning".

First, the three sisters had to work overtime, leading their divine engineering team to expedite the renovation of the fifth level of the labyrinth. Rudd estimated that the first four levels shouldn't be too difficult for the saintess and her entourage, so the fifth level was where they would finally persuade them to retreat. Afterwards, Rudd appointed Shanis and Hume to accompany him into the labyrinth, while the rest remained at the temple to await further orders.

At this moment, Aina, who had been silent until now, suddenly raised her hand. She looked at Lude expectantly and hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Master, I'd like to participate in this operation as well."

"This isn't a picnic, why are you getting involved?"

"I... I know it's not a picnic, but I want to help, please... take me with you!"

As Aina spoke, she immediately gave him a pitiful look, like a little animal, trying to get away with it by being cute. But Lude stepped forward, patted her head, and then said with a wry smile.

"Sweetie, stop fooling around! This situation is different from before, so it wouldn't be appropriate to bring you along. We'll definitely bring you along next time there's a suitable operation."

"It's always 'next time'... Master, you're just trying to fool me!"

Seeing that Lud still refused, Aina lowered her head, muttered a few words in a wronged tone, and then turned and left the conference room as if in a huff. Lud wanted to call her back, but his outstretched hand hovered in mid-air for a long time before he finally withdrew it.

Lude knew that in the previous operations, Aina had been playing the role of "mobile battery pack" and "atmosphere team member," so she couldn't help but throw a tantrum and would occasionally appear not far from Lude, staring at him with resentful eyes.

Whenever this happens, Lude would personally cook some of Aina's favorite dishes to appease this gluttonous, clueless goddess. But lately, this tactic doesn't seem to be working as well.

So, during a private conversation with Hume that evening, Ludd casually mentioned the matter, hoping Hume could give him some advice.

As soon as he said that, he saw Hume, dressed in a pink mini nurse's uniform and fishnet stockings, suddenly raise an eyebrow and look down at Ludd with a half-smile.

"I'm telling you... I dressed up like this especially to serve you, but you're bringing up other women when we're doing serious business. Do you believe I'll dress up as an old lady and give you a different kind of thrill?"

As Hume spoke, his once smooth and healthy wheat-colored skin immediately began to wrinkle at a visible speed, and the two "ergonomic miracles" that Ludd loved so much quickly shrank and sagged, startling Ludd so much that he trembled all over and hurriedly apologized.

"Sister, sister! Don't do this! I was wrong, I was really wrong!"

Seeing that Ludd's attitude of admitting his mistake was quite good, Hume's appearance instantly returned to its original youthful state. He then lay on Ludd's chest, stretched out a finger and gently poked his chest.

"You! You're practically raising that silly girl like a daughter. She's a god, after all, and a god at the peak of the third tier at that. Don't subconsciously treat her like a fragile mortal little girl!"

"So you mean, we should take her with us on this mission?"

"Sure, bring him in! The maze is basically our own territory anyway, and you've created the image of a peerless master for yourself. Just say you're bringing your disciple into the maze to broaden his horizons. What can that saintess say? Sometimes I really don't understand what you're worrying about for no reason."

On Hume's advice, Ludwig changed his mind the next day and agreed to let Aina join the operation, but on the condition that she stay close to him at all times and never leave his sight.

When Aina saw her master change his address, she was as happy as a child.

A few days later, the members of the heroic spirit team, disguised as seasoned adventurers, arrived one after another. To better fit the image of "adventurers," they didn't use their original beautiful girl appearances, but instead transformed into various muscular men with ruggedly defined chests and exaggerated pectoral muscles!

The final group consisted of twenty-two members of the Saintess's Trial Team, four members of Lude's group (master and apprentices), and five guides, totaling thirty-one people. There were also some wandering adventurers who had heard the Saintess was going to venture into the labyrinth and had come to join her. Selica didn't take these people in, but she also had no right to prevent them from following her into the labyrinth. So, by the time they reached the labyrinth's entrance, the group had swelled to several hundred people.

Looking at this vast and unshakable "army of fans," and the ever-flowing faith above their heads, Lude couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. The Holy Maiden of the Holy Church of Light truly deserves to be the number one religious idol; her terrifying appeal is unmatched.

The group arrived at the entrance to the maze. Compared to when the adventurers first discovered it last year, the area in front of the entrance had completely changed. The once dense forest had been cleared out, and the dwarven soldiers stationed here to maintain order in the maze had built barracks that could be lived in for a long time. They even had the leisure to tidy up the entrance to the cave where the maze was located. The square gate highlighted the dwarven people's obsessive-compulsive disorder, which was already in its late stages.

With these dwarf soldiers settling in the area for a long time, all sorts of people followed suit, gradually making it resemble a small town in the forest.

The arrival of the Holy Maiden and her entourage made the place unprecedentedly lively, with the atmosphere as lively as a carnival.

After arriving at the entrance of the maze, the group, on Lud's advice, did not rush into the maze. Instead, they set up camp and rested on the ground for the night before taking action the next morning.

The young followers were all eager to storm into the demon's territory and wreak havoc, completely unaware of the "limited-time event" that awaited them underground.

End of this chapter

Because of the arrival of the saintess, the maze, which had been deserted all winter, suddenly became crowded with people.

Among these adventurers who chased after the saintess, some were indeed "star chasers" hoping to get in touch with her team, while others wanted to be "labyrinth vultures," planning to follow behind her team and scavenge for what the big shots didn't want.

In Ludd's eyes, this rabble was nothing but trouble. But these rabble weren't entirely useless; at least they could play a significant role in muddying the waters.

According to Lude's statistics, more than 90% of adventurers who have entered the labyrinth are only capable of operating on the first floor of the labyrinth.

However, the space on the first floor is relatively limited, and the number and quality of treasure chests are also the lowest. So, with a large number of adventurers, it's natural that there are too many monks and not enough porridge, and it's inevitable that things will get crowded together.

As a result, some unscrupulous adventurers set their sights on their fellow adventurers. Instead of exploring or searching for treasure chests, these individuals would seek out ambush spots and wait for other adventurers to walk right into their trap.

The labyrinthine terrain also provided the perpetrators with favorable conditions to destroy the evidence.

In response to such heinous acts, Lud, as the labyrinth's designer, quickly devised a "fight fire with fire" strategy. Drawing inspiration from certain Earth games, he created a "red name system," where any adventurer who kills someone within the labyrinth receives a special buff.

This buff will enhance the killer's strength to some extent, while also making them immune to attacks from traps within the maze. However, at the cost of this buff, their entire body will glow red, and a blood-red skull that continuously emits strange cries will float above their head, attracting other adventurers in the vicinity.

In a sense, once you get this buff, you're basically transformed from a "player" into a "monster." Other adventurers who successfully kill this red-named monster will receive a map with a hidden treasure chest on it.

This mechanism has indeed curbed the phenomenon of "malicious PVP" in the maze to some extent, but it is far from being able to eliminate it completely.

The next morning, after a night's rest, the group prepared to enter the labyrinth. The saint's logistics team had prepared their equipment and packs in advance, with each person's backpack containing enough food and water to last seven days. Lude, who was traveling with them, also generously gave each person a "miracle medicine gift pack."

It's worth mentioning that Lude's group of four brought two portable cameras, one for Lude and one for Aina. The master and apprentice, while serving as the rescue team, also acted as "war correspondents," preparing to record the saintess and her companions' heroic actions in the labyrinth.

Once everything was ready, the group arrived at the entrance to the maze located in the underground hall. Some of the adventurers who had come from afar gathered around the Saintess's team, while others with more active minds went ahead and entered the maze to "meet" the Saintess inside.

Because the roulette wheel limits the number of people entering the maze in each batch, the entire Saintess team entered the maze in four separate trips. Rude, as a key combatant, naturally joined Saintess Selica's team, forming a second batch of twelve.

As the designer of the Abyss Labyrinth, this was the first time Lud had entered the labyrinth as an "adventurer." The group carried expensive magic lamps and walked along the completely dark entrance corridor. Lud knew in his heart that the three sisters were definitely watching him through their voyeuristic eyes.

Soon, the group passed through the dark corridor and saw a dim chandelier in the distance. When they got closer, they realized that it was a crossroads. Apart from the passage behind them that led back to the ground, the other three paths led to the unknown.

At this point, Li Wei turned around and asked Lu De which way to go. Only the general area map of the maze was fixed, but the internal passages and mechanisms of each area would change every once in a while, which caused some adventurers who tried to map the detailed interior of the maze to suffer considerable losses.

Seeing that Li Wei was asking for his opinion, Lu De walked to the chandelier, looked up and stared for a long time before pointing to the passageway on the right and speaking.

"This is the right way, this is the correct direction."

"Master, may I ask how you made this judgment? Was it based on this chandelier?"

"No, my basis is the wind direction in the maze. Since the wind is blowing in this direction, it means that it must not be a dead end."

Led by Rudd, the group proceeded through the maze at a leisurely pace, encountering numerous traps and mechanisms along the way. However, with Rudd, the "battle-hardened" veteran, leading the way, he was always able to detect them one step ahead.

As agreed beforehand, each team, after entering the maze, headed directly to "Dog Brother's Garden" at the end of the first level. Upon arriving at the BOSS room, they should not rush to enter but wait until all members are present before starting the raid.

The strategy doesn't need to be fast, it needs to be steady!

Of the four teams, the one with Saintess Selica is undoubtedly the strongest. In addition to Selica, the team also includes Prince Livi and four other members from Lude's side. The team has abundant healing power and explosive damage output.

However, the first level of the maze mainly consists of various mechanisms, and the final boss, Dog Bro, is a combat unit. Therefore, the first level actually values ​​intelligence more than individual combat strength.

In fact, most of the mechanisms in the first level of the maze can be solved by studying the text and patterns on the surrounding walls or sculptures, allowing you to find a way to pass through them without taking damage. In addition, the final boss, Dog, is actually a "neutral monster" that will not attack unless provoked, so even without exceptional skills or equipment, you can still clear the level by using your brain.

Unfortunately, the puzzles that Ludwig and the three sisters painstakingly devised were ignored by the vast majority of adventurers who entered the dungeon. It felt like a group of reckless gamers who never read the tutorial and skipped all the cutscenes, just charging straight in!

So when designing the later levels, Rude stopped bothering with things that wouldn't seriously injure the adventurers. Instead, he had the three sisters develop golems with exaggerated designs and extremely high combat power, allowing these brainless adventurers to fully enjoy the process of monsters torturing them.

There's not much to say about the first level. With Lude leading the way, the group successfully arrived at the gate in less than four hours, making them the first of the four teams to reach the rendezvous point.

Although the group escaped unscathed from the traps, they still encountered several groups of people who had fallen victim to them along the way.

Looking at these unlucky souls in all sorts of miserable states, everyone couldn't help but feel fortunate to have an experienced driver like Lu De in the team.