Urged loudly by Fron's roar, the guards stationed at the other checkpoints, as well as the adventurers, were stunned at first.
Then, those belonging to the Loki Familia reacted instantly. With strict discipline and order, they immediately began a rapid retreat. Clearly… Fron's prestige and influence in their hearts made them choose to trust him at once.
But among the other adventurers, some adventurers felt displeased by Fron's shouting tone.
Just because you're the Nightweaver, you think you can talk louder? We're not your subordinates. Even the Braver has never spoken to us with this attitude, who do you think you are?
Yet it was precisely this flare of jealousy, envy, and other negative emotions that made them hesitate for a brief moment,
And the outcome that followed was completely different from that of the Loki Familia members.
"Waaaah, what is that!? No!!!! Save, save me!!!!"
"AAAaaa, gurgle gurgle gurgle!"
Listening to the various screams and wails coming from the Communication Crystal, Fron's face grew expressionless and heavy.
He glanced at the "masked person" still standing in the middle of the monster horde, took a deep breath,
"Fire Bolt!!!!!"
"Fire Bolt!!!!!"
"Fire Bolt!!!!!"
After unleashing several rapid-fire spells that consumed massive amounts of mana, Fron, who was covering the rear, kept clearing the monsters chasing from behind while urging the group to speed up and get out of the area as fast as possible.
...
"Hey, hey, Asfi! Don't tell me… this thing… i-it looks just like what we saw in the pantry on Floor 24?"
This scene was nearly identical to what the Hermes Familia, along with Ais and Fron, had witnessed during their covert mission on the 24th floor.
What the former Evilus officer, Olivas Act had called a "bud flower."
If there was anything different from what they encountered before, it was that this "aberration" was far more violent, far more terrifying, more overwhelming, and more merciless than the previous bud flower.
The pressure it exuded head-on, the visual shock of its grotesque form, and the bone-deep fear were enough to drain every bit of life from anything within its domain.
Running, Asfi recalled that humiliating and nightmarish experience. Her small face twisted in disgust; she shook her head hard, pushed up her glasses, and gave her reluctant judgement:
"It's not completely identical, it's exactly the same."
Lulune: "..."
Since when did their cool-headed captain start making jokes with zero punchline?
Oh, right. Ever since she started associating with that annoying Nightweaver, the captain changed!
"What nonsense are you thinking? Lulune! Speed up your retreat!!!"
"A-Ah! Yes!"
While running, they looked back. Starting from the 14th floor, the entire Artificial Labyrinth was being reconstructed by a sweeping green tide.
The thousand-year obsession of Daedalus was now being twisted out of recognition. The series of abrupt changes left everyone overwhelmed and sighing in dismay.
But if you looked at it another way, the man named Barca was undoubtedly happy in the end.
Though he died before achieving his goal, he didn't have to witness this outcome that trampled his ideals.
...
On the 17th floor, the Loki Familia's elven magic team and Ais also encountered the oncoming wave of green flesh.
"Everyone, run!"
Seeing the explosive surge of green flesh erupting from every corridor linked to the hall, Riveria shouted, pushing the backs of the screaming members.
The vanguard collapsed like an avalanche toward the only remaining open passage, trembling in fear.
Ais gritted her teeth, an ugly expression on her delicate face.
"You knew from the beginning this would happen!" The two did not cross blades, they only confronted each other from a distance.
Hearing Ais' question, Revis snorted dismissively.
Ais didn't understand their attitude, but when she saw the green flesh slow down after entering a certain proximity to the red-haired figure, as if treating her as a companion, as one of their own, cautiously avoiding her and even leaving a space around her free of encroachment,
"Ha. Consider yourself lucky. If these 'clones' mistook you for 'nutrients' and absorbed you, that'd be troublesome. I personally wouldn't care about a corpse, but they probably wouldn't be too happy about it. Run along, Aria."
Ais understood the intent behind those words. At this moment… the enemy had no desire to fight her.
So, what exactly were they scheming?
She stared deeply at the figure, then turned. With a whip of her golden hair, she rushed toward the retreating unit.
"Next time, I'll finish you completely!"
"..."
After those final words, the red-haired woman's figure vanished into the depths of the green tide.
…
The green tidal wave surged, consuming everything in sight.
Adventurers ran in panic, scattering in all directions.
To escape the nightmare of the green flesh, or fall into an eternal sleep from which they would never wake.
After the initial panic subsided, the qualities of seasoned adventurers finally began to show.
They retreated through the secured escape routes designated in the floor-13 contingency plan, rapidly moving deeper into the Dungeon instead of the Labryinth. Thanks to Fron's foresight, the entire line withdrew in relatively good order.
Many adventurers managed to escape, barely, and in a very sorry condition, by following the commands.
Of course, there were exceptions.
For instance… Aura Moriel, already mentally broken from their god's being sent to heaven, then caught in a frenzied clash with the masked person, and finally swallowed by the tide.
With her Falna sealed and stripped of her abilities, she had nowhere left to run.
Even high-rank adventurers might not survive such a death-trap, so how could she, now mere mortal?
There was simply no way out.
The same was the case with the others of the Dionysus Familia. With broken spirits and no strength left, not even gods could save them.
…
Inside the great connecting to the upper floors:
"Finn! At this rate of abnormal erosion, we won't make it in time if we take the standard route, we need to take a shortcut!"
Running at the rear, Fron shouted to Finn.
As the commander, Finn naturally understood what he meant.
"What method do you have!?"
"We can do this-"