Knossos(2)

The group found themselves unprepared for the appearance of all those monsters who began to attack them.

"Damn!"

Raising his sword, he prevented one of the carnivorous plants from devouring him, but the impact pushed him back.

Although the violas had a strength of around level 4, the elastic yet tough texture of their bodies made it difficult to cut them.

''Forget the monsters! Our target is Valletta, follow me!"

Swinging his spear at a speed impossible to follow with the naked eye, all the monsters near Finn were cut off and he began to run forward, opening a path for the others.

"Tch."

Seeing how ineffective the monsters were, Valletta retreated into the tunnel she had come from, pursued by Finn's group.

'They're still chasing us.'

Turning his head, Mark could see how the violas had also entered the tunnel and how they were pushing each other to be the first to feast on their flesh. But there was one thing that bothered Mark.

From what he had understood and studied of the Evilus, they seemed to be aware of the strength the Loki Familia had achieved, yet they were not afraid to challenge them and let them into the base. There was also the fact of how they had literally led them into that room and while it was true that the violas were not weak, neither were they a great danger to their group. Besides, the object Valletta used seemed to control the doors and that would make her their main target, but she had no qualms about showing it.

'I don't like it.'

"Captain! Filvis and I will take care of the violas!"

"Then I'm counting on you Lefiya!"

Filvis and Lefiya who had remained at the back of the line turned towards the incoming monsters and began to recite their spells quickly.

"God Grail!"

The spell cast by Filvis created a shield of light that blocked the monsters, causing them to pile up among themselves, then it was Lefiya's turn.

"Arcs Ray!"

When Filvis removed the shield, Lefiya cast her magic toward the huddled group of monsters, releasing a beam of light that swept them away.

Everyone was surprised at this, even Lefiya herself, not expecting such a result, but Mark's shout brought them back to reality again.

"More monsters coming!"

As holes opened up in the floor, Mark could sense more monsters, and shortly after his shout, monsters resembling giant locusts began to emerge from the newly opened holes, blocking their path.

"They are a new species!"

"Just kill them before they can attack!"

Advancing, Bete threw himself at the incoming monsters and began to decimate them.

Mark's situation wasn't the best either. Some of those monsters were fast approaching him and he couldn't be distracted for even a moment.

This new species was faster than the violas and Mark wanted to block them with his 'flashbang' magic, but in such a confined place, his magic risked affecting the others as well. So he opted for something else.

Stretching out his hand, four magic circles formed, a number that had increased since he had leveled up, from which electric balls came out and crashed into the incoming monsters.

The monsters that were close to the blast radius had part of their bodies fly away, while those further away were paralyzed by the electricity produced, allowing Mark and the group to make it easier to kill them. However, this didn't make much difference, because shortly after, more of them came out and took the place of the killed ones, keeping the pressure on them constant.

It was at that moment when everyone was busy fighting that the change occurred.

Finn, who until then had been suspicious of Valletta's intention, felt his thumb twitch like never before. The monsters that stood near him parted, creating a path, where at the end was a doorway, which opened and from which emerged a woman who attacked him at an incredible speed with her blood-red, disturbing-looking sword.

Finn's eyes widened in shock as he felt the weight of the blow.

'The red-haired woman?! The increase in her strength is absurd!'

That was the second reason behind his shock. The woman who had caused so much trouble for his Familia had a completely different strength than the time he had fought with her on the 18th floor.

Finn had a moment's hesitation. He knew from that blow that it would be impossible to defeat her without using his magic, but in that situation where everyone was relying on him, what would happen if he lost his reasoning under the effects of 'Hells Finnegan'?

"This is payback for what happened on the 18th floor."

That single moment of hesitation marked the whole thing. The spear he held was split open and the woman's sword made a deep slash at Finn, starting from his right shoulder and reaching to his left hip.

The pillar of the Loki Familia, the presence that never collapsed, fell on his lap. This event deprived everyone of their thoughts, from Lefiya to even Bete.

"It is time to die."

After her cold words, she swung her sword in Finn's direction and when no one seemed able to move, Raul alone rushed at him narrowly avoiding the blade.

"FOLLOW ME!"

As soon as he caught Finn, he headed for one of the holes from which the monsters came out so that he could escape.

Before the woman could reach them, four electric spears were thrown at her, which she destroyed with a simple wave of her hand. However, thanks to that distraction, Raul, Finn, and some of the others managed to escape.

Mark also dived into one of the holes that were about to close, when he felt the woman's gaze on him. He was not so crazy enough to want to stay in that situation.

"HAHAHA! FINN! How does it feel to run away with your tail between your legs huh?! I'll have all the pleasure of chasing after you like cat and mouse!"

Valletta laughed with complete joy. All the suffering she had to go through, she would make him feel it too.

"Stop wasting time. Now that the head's out of the game, I'll follow Aria. The rest is up to you." -Said the apathetic woman.

"YOU BASTARDS!"

Bete, who was further ahead, charged at them with eyes injected with rage.

"You are more stupid than I had imagined, attacking us on the sixth floor."

With a smirk, Valletta pulled out the orb again, which lowered the orichalcum gate stopping Bete's advance, who remained on the other side along with five other members.

"Oi freak, take care of those two elves at least, while I chase that ego-filled pallum."

Opening a passage in the floor, Valletta dived down to the lower floor, leaving the two elves in the corridor with the woman, who looked at them with little or no interest before walking away.

"You!-"

"Calm down Lefiya, now is not the time."

Lefiya had never felt so insulted before. In the woman's eyes, she had so little value that it was not worth the time to even attack her.

"Filvis, we must go and save the others!" -She shouted in anguish.

"I know you want to save them, but first, you must calm down. The passages they used are closed like the gate in front of us. Now we can retreat and ask for support from Riveria and the others or search for a new way to find them. Which do you prefer?"

"New route."

There was no hesitation in Lefiya's voice. Going back up would have taken too long, and since they were already in the enemy's crosshairs, they might as well continue.

"Alright, let's go."

(Gareth's group)

"This place is giant." -Shouted Tiona.

Their group had walked a long way and descended several floors, but they found nothing of importance, at least until they reached a giant room, where in the center stood a man who seemed to be barely holding on.

"Pleased to meet you Loki Familia." -Said the man wearily.

"Oh! It's the guy from the picture." -Said Tiona surprised.

"Yeah, you're the man who made the pact with the god of Meden, aren't you?" -Tiona asked.

"Did something like that happen?... Oh, yes, I seem to remember. Anyway, I had no intention of meeting you. Just being here is slowing down the work started by my ancestors. Haaaa, the human body is so flawed, if only I had elven blood... no, even then, I don't think that would be enough."

The more he spoke the more depressed he seemed to become about his situation.

As the others looked at each other strangely, Gareth became more and more suspicious. He perceived nothing dangerous from the man in front of him, nor did he see any signs of monsters or traps in this gigantic empty room. Yet he seemed to have been waiting for them there from the start.

"What the heck is wrong with you? And what do you want to accomplish?!"

Tione, who had grown tired of hearing the man's endless monologue, finally burst out.

"Ah sorry. My name is Barca... I have been entrusted with the task of making you fall deeper into the abyss."

When he had finished speaking, Gareth managed to find something bright embedded in the floor.

'Wait... he said to make us fall... !'

"Everyone jump!"

"Too late."

When Barca lifted the strand of hair that covered part of his face, not a normal eye was revealed, but rather an eye-shaped orb, which glowed and set off the trap under the feet of the party.

The floor opened up and the group began to fall into an abyss whose bottom they could not see.

"AIZ!" -Shouted Gareth as he pulled the huge axe from his back.

Aiz nodded and as they were falling, she positioned over the weapon.

"GO!"

Using all his strength, Gareth threw Aiz upwards who, with the help of her 'tempest' magic, managed to get back into the room, just before the huge trapdoor closed again.

"Now that's a surprise..." -Although Barca's tone was weary, there was a hint of admiration.

"Open that door!"

Aiz ran as fast as she could towards the man, but it was not enough because another door appeared, dividing them.

"Everyone..."

With orichalcum composing both the door and the trap, there was nothing Aiz could do to help them.