At that very spot, the younger members had already dug a hole into the wall, revealing the hidden mechanisms within the layers of stone.
-------------------------
"What kind of metal is that?" Not only Ais, but also Tione, Tiona, Lefiya, and Alicia were quite curious.
And among those present, the only one who could give them an answer was Fron, the only blacksmith of the Loki Familia.
Fron glanced at the metallic coating with a kind of matte color and smiled meaningfully.
"If it's the monster-repelling stone coating, just hearing the name should make you think of something, right?"
"Monster-repelling stone!"
Everyone looked at each other, then gasped.
The gate was made of orichalcum, and the endless passageway was made of monster-repelling stone. How much would that cost?!
What a grand undertaking. Riveria's expression turned grave as she gripped her staff tightly.
"Finn, are you realizing this?" The pallum leader glanced at Loki and Riveria, pondering for a moment.
"Just this portion in front of us already costs an astronomical amount. We can't yet estimate how large this cavern is, but… I only know that such a massive construction couldn't have been built overnight. Even the Goibniu Familia couldn't do it."
"..."
"Alright, now isn't the time to be worrying about how much the enemy spent building their base." Loki clapped her hands, gathering everyone's attention.
"According to the map, this passage undoubtedly leads to Daedalus Street, meaning, the enemy's base is located underground, centered around that street."
"Just look at this luxurious gate. Their intention is already clear, 'Welcome.'"
"Loki, based on our intelligence… there's a 90% chance the enemy deliberately lured us here, even leaving the gate open to welcome us. Inside… it's probably a trap."
Anakitty spoke with unusual calmness, connecting all the clues and easily voicing the enemy's intention.
But… just as her words fell, the massive hidden gate behind the mechanism began to open.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Even Fron raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Not only had the mechanism been disengaged, but the gate itself was being opened from within?
The enemy's intention was crystal clear, they were inviting the Loki Familia inside.
"There's someone! I see them." Finn instantly spotted figures in the dark passageway.
"Someone? I didn't see anyone."
Finn pointed to his eyes.
"Don't forget, we pallums have excellent vision as our racial trait. Those guys are sneaky, wearing masks. They must have been the ones who opened the gate."
Now, the Loki Familia faced two paths.
The first: proceed with exploration and assault.
The second: retreat.
The second option was absolutely impossible. After all, they had already clashed with this enemy several times. To back down now, would the strongest Familia in Orario still have any pride left?
Moreover, they bore the weight of Orario's peace. From any angle, Loki only had one choice, the first.
"Bete, Cruz. You two go ahead and scout. Don't go too deep, just get a general idea and come back. Got it?"
"Tch, another errand job for me!" Bete, always the runner.
Unlike him, Cruz was calm and steady. Following Finn's order, the two immediately disappeared into the dark, gaping tunnel.
Fron watched their figures vanish into the darkness, narrowing his eyes.
'Artificial labyrinth, Knossos. Even with my vague memories, they're completely useless now. Forget it. One step at a time. As long as I'm strong enough, there's nothing I can't overcome.'
Various thoughts flashed through his mind, but finally, Fron steeled his resolve.
The wait wasn't long. Bete and Cruz perfectly executed Finn's reconnaissance order and soon returned from inside.
"From the entrance to the point we reached, we didn't see anyone or any monsters, it was dead quiet."
At that, Cruz glanced at Bete, signaling him to continue.
"Tch, once we went a bit deeper, the tunnel started branching off. The feeling it gave me… was just like the 51st floor of the Dungeon. No, this place is almost an artificial Dungeon!"
Analyzing the gathered intel quickly, Finn sighed.
"The arrow is already nocked, we have no choice but to fire. The enemy's goal has been clear since our return from the expedition. They want to perform the fallen spirit's clone summoning on the surface. In the battle on the 59th floor, even one mature clone was that powerful. If they manage to summon multiple… I can't imagine what kind of disaster that would bring to the surface."
In short, the Loki Familia and their allies were racing against time, to destroy the enemy before they could complete their matured clones.
This was an opportunity they couldn't abandon.
Although they had resolved to attack head-on, Finn's throbbing thumb continued to warn him, a bad omen.
"Finn, leave the small fry here. Otherwise, they'll just hold us back!"
Suddenly, Bete's sharp words cut through the tension.
The lower-ranked members froze for a moment, then looked embarrassed and angry.
Of course, by "small fry," Bete meant them.
Though they knew he meant well, his mouth was far too harsh. Fron sighed, walked up to Bete, patted him on the shoulder, and tried to comfort the others.
"Bete means well. We don't know what kind of danger or battle awaits inside, but… it really isn't suitable for you all."
"..." Thanks to Fron's "translation," everyone's expressions softened a little.
"Hey, you two, don't just decide that on your own! Without supporters, we won't have spare weapons or potions, and we won't be able to fight at full strength! Besides, you said it yourself, this place feels like a Dungeon. So shouldn't we at least approach it like a Dungeon expedition?"
Tione mildly refuted Fron and Bete's opinion.
In her view, this was clearly the second entrance to the Dungeon they had been searching for. Since it was a Dungeon entrance, according to tactical procedure, they should send in a large team for exploration and reconnaissance.
Seeing the executives starting to argue, Gareth, Riveria, and Loki all turned their eyes toward the true decision-maker, Finn.
The pallum leader hesitated deeply, but his throbbing thumb told him , this place was dangerous. Extremely dangerous.
In that case…
"Enough. We'll split into vanguard and rear groups. The rest, along with the healing team, we won't need supporters this time."