"Ha… haha… hahahahaha, "
The death god clutched his stomach as he burst into laughter, gasping for breath.
It was a laugh driven by violent emotion.
Self-mockery, resignation, layer upon layer of complicated feelings erupted from him along with that laughter.
At the very end of everything, Thanatos finally faced reality and understood that he was nothing more than a loser.
Taking several deep breaths, he rose again, within his eyes burned flames called wrath.
He inhaled deeply a few more times, then slowly turned around.
"So you're Thanatos, huh."
Thanatos let all remaining amusement drain away, regained his rationality, and slowly turned toward the figure behind him who had spoken with curiosity.
It was a red-haired goddess. Behind her gathered the top adventurers of today's "Labyrinth City" Orario.
Loki, met his gaze, issuing a declaration of judgment.
"Surrender. You've got nowhere left to run, you know that, right?"
The death god's expression was calm. He swept his gaze across the assembled adventurers, paused briefly on Fron, then looked away.
"…Ahh, hahaha. This time I really have been pushed into a true dead end, to think I'd be cornered by you, Loki."
Outwardly he responded to her, but inwardly he let out a cold snicker, he truly didn't want to do this sort of work anymore.
Clearly, he was feeling fed up.
"Everyone, pick up the pace. Continue scouting, especially the areas that require keys. Do not lower your guard again!"
Finn and Gareth followed beside Loki, while Fron commanded the troops to keep exploring. They hadn't forgotten, there was still a mastermind and the "Fallen Spirits" left to deal with.
"Anyone who's out of supplies, items, or equipment, gather on me. Then return temporarily to resupply! Anakitty, keep the retreat route clear. Use the 'Communication crystals' to contact the Hermes Familia, they're the ones maintaining the supply line!"
With Fron's orderly instructions, the encirclement of Floor 13 and the route connecting it to the surface were fully completed.
Every entrance and exit was seized by the various units. According to the Communication crystals reports, the monsters on this floor had been almost completely cleared out. Even if a few slipped through, they couldn't cause trouble, they'd be wiped out by the patrol units.
At the same time, the Dionysus Familia, was interacting with them to secure the important stairways.
Seeing that the area was fully under control, Fron contacted Riveria.
"Riveria, this is Fron. How's it going on your end?"
"Bzzt, We're fine here as well. The red-haired woman has been restrained by us, and it looks like he also has some objective of her own; she isn't fighting us to the death."
"I see. Understood."
Riveria's team had one task: the first was to restrain Revis and free Fron so he could swiftly hunt down the Evilus.
After ending the communication, Fron walked to Amid.
Even with the help of dual-attribute recovery potions, the silver-haired girl still looked exhausted.
Knowing she was forcing herself, Fron leaned close to her ear and whispered softly: "Amid, leave the rest to us. You and your familia should withdraw from the artificial labyrinth and return to the surface."
"Fron…"
The girl puffed out her cheeks and stared at him adorably, clearly displeased that he had decided her actions on his own.
But this wasn't the time to be stubborn. Fron had already sensed danger, even if he didn't know exactly what Enyo was planning.
"Don't worry. The source of the 'curse' has already been eliminated, and any battles from now on won't involve those strong curses anymore. With the elixirs you made, we can handle everything that comes next."
"…I understand."
Realizing Fron wouldn't budge, Amid stopped insisting. She knew her own limits; retreating now was the best choice.
Without making a fuss, Amid decided to leave. Though recovered, her body and mind were still strained, she might hold the team back.
A wise healer knew when to make such an objective judgment.
She accompanied the group returning for supplies, chatting with Fron until preparations were complete...
"Fron, do you think the enemy will continue resisting?"
Fron looked deeply at the girl, surprised by her sharp intuition.
He didn't answer immediately. After choosing his words, he replied:
"Based on everything so far, they probably don't have any way left to overturn the situation, unless they pull something… improper."
"Of course, if they release the 'Fallen Spirit', that's another matter. But they clearly won't do that. If those things run wild, we'd win immediately."
"Don't forget, we're not dead men. We can retreat flexibly. As long as we're prepared, we can regroup and win easily."
Yes, once Finn, Fron, and the others learned the enemy's information, they deliberately set up this open trap. Enyo must be aware of it too.
If he plays his trump card, they'll simply act according to plan.
Though he said that, Fron maintained the highest level of caution. His sixth sense had been warning him non-stop, and faintly, he recalled a memory,
It felt like the enemy was preparing something outrageous.
On Finn's side, he too felt a strong sense of wrongness.
We're already at this stage, yet the remaining enemies still show no movement. What's going on?
Loki and Gareth have gone to capture the god Thanatos. If this continues with no action, the Evilus will be wiped out instantly. Is that what he wants?
The enemy's lack of reaction was strange, too slow.
It felt as if they had shot an arrow in the dark.
From Finn's perspective, the encirclement and escape routes were already complete. Even if the enemy released the Fallen Spirit right under their noses, it would be pointless.
After all, every retreat route in this "Knossos" artificial labyrinth was under their control. They had enough strategic depth to retreat and attack again.
Simply put, the alliance held absolute initiative, they could advance or retreat freely, responding fluidly to changes.
But… was it really that simple? Finn wasn't naïve enough to think so.
And the enemy… would soon confirm his fears.
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T/N: Fron? Do you still realise that there are other adventurers there? You just asked the healers to retreat?