Goddess Kaleidoscope

End of this chapter

After waiting for about two hours in front of the BOSS room at the end of the level, the other three teams arrived one after another to join us. All thirty-one people were present, and some other adventurous teams also came over.

These maze veterans all know that after Dog is defeated on the first floor, he will not immediately "revive". The gate will remain open for about three and a half hours (actually two hundred minutes), which gives them the opportunity to enter the second floor.

The treasure chests on the second floor are a level above those on the first floor in both quantity and quality. Although the difficulty of the traps has also increased significantly, the experience gained from being humiliated on the first floor has not yet exceeded the limits of these veteran teams' abilities.

Seeing that everyone was in place, Celica looked around at her teammates and then spoke in a calm but firm tone.

Let's begin.

As Celica spoke, she drew the two Saintess Swords from her waist and walked straight toward the motionless Dog Brother. The moment her feet stepped into the sea of ​​flowers, the golem kneeling before the mermaid statue suddenly moved. The steel giant, over five meters tall, looked down at all the challengers who entered its territory with its giant, glowing red eyes. Just standing there, it exuded an immense sense of oppression.

Considering the limitations imposed by the terrain, the entire team did not rush forward side by side. Instead, eight elite members, including Celica, took the lead as the main attackers, while the others provided support from the perimeter. Lud set up a camera at this time, which seemed somewhat out of place.

After the battle began, facing the giant golem with its wide and sweeping attacks, Selica, who had buffed herself and her companions with combat buffs, did not rush to attack. Instead, she used agile movement to dodge and observe Dog's attack patterns.

On the way here, Selica had heard Lude describe the first level boss of the labyrinth. Although this golem was incredibly strong and fast, beating up all sorts of challengers, its attack patterns were actually fixed, and with careful observation, one could figure out its rules.

However, most adventurers were weak in both strength and mental fortitude. Faced with Dog Brother's attacks, they were already giving it their all just to dodge, and Yu Ying had no time to observe the golem's attack patterns.

But the Saintess and her entourage were different. These Heavenly Bananas possessed strength and were equipped with superior divine magic. Selica, clad in divine armor from head to toe, even if she stood there facing Dog Brother's lance, would likely not be able to break through her defenses.

After observing for a moment and gradually figuring out Dog's attack pattern, Celica seized the opportunity and, with a single sword strike, severed Dog's entire right arm, which was wielding a lance, from mid-air. The white light, resembling sword energy, not only cut off Dog's "King's Power" but also left a slash mark on the marble pillar behind it.

"That's amazing!"

From his spectator position, Lude could tell that Selica's martial arts skills must be extremely high, because he had not used his full strength against Dog Brother. The entire battle was like a leisurely stroll, showing that he was in complete control.

It's no exaggeration to say that even if none of the other companions joined in, Celica could still win a one-on-one fight against Dog Brother.

Hume whispered something in Ludd's ear.

"This girl is extraordinary! At only eighteen, she already possesses this level of strength; she could rank among the top three among all the Holy Maidens of all time. However..."

"But what?"

"She doesn't seem to be very good at using divine magic."

"Ok?"

At this moment, the saintess Serica on the field had successfully dealt a fatal blow to Dog Brother, shattering the core of the golem with a single sword strike. Dog Brother, who had once left a strong psychological shadow on countless adventurers, was knocked to the ground without even realizing the second phase.

As the golem collapsed with a deafening roar, a large crowd of onlookers erupted in cheers. At first glance, it seemed like a celebration of the saintess's victory, but Rudd knew that these labyrinth vultures were eager to get to the second level and loot the treasure chests.

After the battle, the saintess's team members went forward to clean up the battlefield. Several mages were inspecting the remains of the golem to make sure it wouldn't jump up and attack again. Lud picked up the dropped key sword and handed it to Levi, asking him to go to the pool to open the door.

"Master, is it really okay to leave this thing (referring to the golem) here?"

"Just leave it here. In two hundred minutes, this room will be temporarily closed for about fifteen minutes. When the door reopens, everything will be back to normal. This maze is like a living thing; it has the ability to self-repair."

Following the large door at the bottom of the pool, the group arrived at the entrance to the second floor and saw the lottery wheel. Only those who participated in the BOSS battle on the previous floor could press the red button in front of the wheel, so the many adventurers who came down with them could only watch longingly, unable to go up and participate in the lottery.

However, Serica, who was eligible to enter the lottery, gave up the lottery without hesitation after learning that the prize was "the devil's gift".

With her taking the lead, the other seven companions, though somewhat curious about what the devil's prize would be, all followed Selica's lead and chose to give up, much to the regret of many onlookers.

After a short rest, the group continued deeper into the maze.

Since the entrance to the second level didn't have any mechanisms like the first level, the group wasn't separated. The saintess and her party, along with the adventurer teams they encountered along the way, gradually grew to nearly a hundred people, forming a large and impressive group, much like a tour group.

However, shortly after entering the second level of the maze, some adventurers broke away from the group on their own, presumably to search for treasure chests in other areas. But several small teams still followed closely behind the Saintess and her entourage, saying, "We also want to contribute to the Saintess's cause," but in reality, they were just newbies asking experienced players to carry them. All they could do was provide some atmosphere.

Celica didn't kick these tagalongs out; instead, she allowed them to temporarily join the team, but they had to unconditionally obey her commands. Celica also instructed her companions to keep a close eye on these adventurers with limited strength, so that they wouldn't be held back by these weaklings in the upcoming battles.

Since the second floor is more than three times larger than the first floor, and the location of the BOSS room is not marked on the simplified map, finding the right path is not an easy task.

Therefore, after explaining the relevant interests, Ludd presented two solutions.

The first option is for the entire team to continue operating as a group. This would indeed provide greater security, but the search efficiency would be very low, and the pace of the operation would be significantly slowed down with more people.

The second plan involves the main force first establishing a base in the central area of ​​the maze, then sending out reconnaissance teams to explore the surrounding areas. Once the boss's room is discovered, the entire force will then advance. This approach is indeed more efficient, but the risks will also increase.

After Lude finished speaking, he left the decision to Serica.

End of this chapter

In the entire team, Lu De was indeed a highly respected senior, but the true core was undoubtedly the Saintess Selica. She was the undisputed "protagonist" of this trial, while Lu De was merely a behind-the-scenes manipulator disguised as a supporting character.

After a moment's thought, Celica chose the second option.

"I trust my companions."

The entire group of single women is a superpower leading a group of strong individuals. Selica possesses divine power bestowed by the Holy Lord of Light, and her companions are no weaklings either. The male guests, led by Li Wei, are naturally exceptional, and the other Saintess candidates who follow Selica in the trials are all high-ranking priestesses with remarkable qualifications.

The team is truly young, and they are also incredibly strong!

Following Lud's advice, the group first went to the area in the center of the second level according to the directions on the simplified map, where they set up a camp. Then they split into four five-person teams to explore other areas in the surrounding area.

Before setting off, Lude specifically emphasized to the team members that once they discovered the location of the second-level BOSS, they should absolutely, absolutely, absolutely not rush up to engage the monster, but must come back and call for backup first.

After the four exploration teams set off, the remaining members stayed at the camp to rest while waiting for news from the reconnaissance teams.

Just as everyone was bored and wondering what to do to pass the time, they saw Master Lude take out a stack of small cards made of cardboard from his pocket and play some kind of game with two female disciples who had stayed behind at the camp.

Seeing this, Li Wei leaned over and asked curiously.

"Master, what is this?"

"This is called playing cards. You can play many games with just one deck. The one we're playing now is called 'Fight the Bully,' which requires three people and is perfect for killing time."

"Can I watch from the side?"

"Of course you can, but you'd better not say what cards you see, as that will affect the game."

Li Wei was very clever; he quickly figured out the rules of the game and, seeing an opportunity, wanted to play a few rounds himself. So Shanis gave up a spot, and she went to Lude's side, kneeling behind him like a devoted disciple massaging his shoulders.

Soon, the others noticed Li Wei and gathered around to watch the fun. One by one, they were recruited as "card-playing friends" and quickly became addicted to the game, just like Li Wei.

These noble young men had never seen such a classic game from another world before. They would get hooked after playing just two or three rounds, and Lude would then pull out several decks of cards, so the entire camp was soon "captured".

Looking at the group of people in front of him who were so engrossed in playing cards that they couldn't pull themselves away, Ludlow, who had already quit the game at some point, gave Aina and Shanis a wink. Then he quietly found an inconspicuous corner to sit down, pretending to close his eyes and rest, but in reality, he secretly activated his power and launched his clone in the maze.

Long before the Saintess and her party entered the labyrinth, Lud had prepared more than a dozen clones, which were deployed in various parts of the labyrinth. They would be activated when needed. Remote control only required mental energy, so there would be no fluctuations in divine power, and they would not be discovered by Selica or other Saintess candidates.

These clones all have different appearances and can change at any time like slimes. Lude plans to use these clones to show the Saintess and her party what a damn "surprise" is!

The first clone activated quickly disguised itself as a wounded female adventurer with a beautiful face and a curvaceous, fit body. Her leather armor was torn to shreds, and there was a huge wound more than ten centimeters long on her abdomen, with the flesh turned outwards, which looked quite horrifying at first glance.

It is worth mentioning that the clone created by Rudd using divine power is essentially similar to the method by which gods create divine messengers. However, what he creates is only a physical shell with flesh and blood, without any independent self-consciousness within the body. Therefore, Rudd can control it remotely.

After activating his clone, Lud took a moment to gather his emotions. The character he was to play was not a fictional one, but rather a female adventurer who had separated from the main group after entering the second level of the labyrinth with them. Lud directly borrowed her image.

Lude used his clone to transform into this person's appearance, then pretended to stagger along, leaning against the wall as he slowly walked, wailing for help as he went. His pitiful cries soon attracted a target group, an exploration team that had recently separated from the main force.

Of the five members of this team, one was an adventurer guide who was actually a heroic spirit, two male followers, a former saintess candidate, and an ordinary adventurer who volunteered to join them. They encountered Rudd's clone at a corner.

Seeing that there were injured people calling for help, and that they were "familiar faces" they had seen before, the group rushed forward to help. Meanwhile, the traitorous spirit noticed the black bracelet on the clone's hand. The two immediately exchanged glances and confirmed each other's identities as "wolf teammates".

Although there was no connection between the two sides, the young people were not heartless and did not leave the injured female adventurer to die. After checking her injuries, the saintess candidate in the team immediately used a mid-level healing spell on the female adventurer, and the wound on her abdomen immediately healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The female adventurer, who had been given a second chance at life, was immediately moved to tears. She grabbed her savior and thanked her profusely, her words incoherent as if she had been greatly frightened.

At this moment, the traitorous guide asked the female adventurer a question.

What happened to you? Where are your teammates?

"We...we were attacked! Those guys...they were disguised as adventurers...we were fooled...they...they're not human!"

The female adventurer's words left everyone confused, but at least one thing they understood was that these adventurers had been attacked by some "unknown object" rather than triggering any traps or mechanisms in the maze. This made everyone even more vigilant.

Before entering the labyrinth, both Rud and the other adventurers had said that there were not many living creatures in the first three levels, or that apart from golems and some harmful creatures, there were no humanoid intelligent beings.

But the monster that attacked the female adventurer in front of her could disguise itself as other adventurers, which made the situation different.

The young leader thought for a moment and decided to play it safe by taking the female adventurer, who had narrowly escaped death, back to the central camp and reporting the situation to the Holy Maiden.

End of this chapter

With the rescued female adventurer in tow, the party prepared to return the way they came.

They passed through many forks in the road, marked each one, and removed as many traps and obstacles as possible. They estimated that the return trip would only take about two-thirds of the usual time.

However, the young people were unaware that their journey home was now far more perilous than their journey there.

On the way back, everyone wanted to hurry up, but unfortunately the maze corridors were pitch black. Although there was a street lamp every now and then on the wall, the light was very dim and could only illuminate a small area in front of them. This made the surroundings seem even darker, and it was impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face. This provided the best cover for those deadly traps.

Throughout the journey, the only female member of the team had been trying to comfort the rescued female adventurer. However, she seemed to be in a state of extreme shock; even though her physical wounds had been healed, she remained highly agitated and kept muttering to herself in a nervous manner.

The young leader was getting annoyed by her nagging and began to regret saving the female adventurer, thinking that he should have just knocked her out and taken her back.

The group proceeded cautiously, as some traps could not be disarmed and could still be triggered on the way back. The guide, leading the way, carried a magic lamp in one hand and a long pole in the other, probing the path ahead. His teammates, following behind, held notebooks with a simple sketch of their previous route, marking the location and type of traps.

This sketch is a "second-hand preparation" in case the previously made markings are destroyed and the way back is lost.

Soon, the group arrived at a three-way intersection. Suddenly, the second teammate called out to the guide at the front, saying that they had come from the left-hand intersection, but the guide was going to the right.

Upon hearing his reminder, the guide turned around in surprise and pointed to a white arrow on the wall.

"The markings we made before were pointing this way."

"..." x4

Upon noticing the discrepancy between the sketch and the markings, the people present frowned. Although no one said it aloud, they all knew that the situation they had feared most had finally come to pass.

And the female adventurer once again uttered unsettling murmurs.

"They're here...they've come looking for us..."

"Hmph! It's better that it's found us, saving us the trouble of searching for it. I don't know what's playing tricks, but if it dares to show itself in front of me, I'll let it see the power of my ancestral divine sword!"

The young leader snorted coldly, expressing disdain for the unidentified opponent lurking in the darkness, displaying a fierce demeanor that suggested he would kill anyone who dared to approach. However, like his companions, he too was beginning to feel uneasy.

After discussing it for a while, the group decided to continue along the route on the sketch. Since the notes were always in the hands of their teammates, the markings on the wall were more likely to have been modified. So they continued towards the left-hand intersection where there were no markings.

As the group walked, the young man in the middle of the group suddenly noticed that the paving stones under his feet were sinking slightly, and then he heard a familiar mechanical sound coming from the darkness.

Just as the young leader was about to shout for his teammates to "back off," everyone was astonished to see that the walls on both sides suddenly began to recede, and at the same time, two stone doors fell down in front and behind, instantly turning the corridor into a sealed room with no air on any side, trapping them all inside.