“So, If I’m understanding this right… This Cardinal Nicholas guy; he’s sort of like the pope in Athiens and he works closely under these gods called the Pillars, and does their every bidding?”

“Yep.”

“He entered the Dungeon under their orders, searching for an item that could potentially cause the human race to go under ruin. Not to mention, he’s a piece of shit guy that will sacrifice his whole race, if need be. And we need to stop him before he can get his hands on it. That’s the gist of it, right?”

“Correct.”

…This is getting more complicated by the minute.

We entered this Dungeon in order to clear it just to prevent a disastrous Dungeon Outbreak from wreaking havoc across the world. Now we have to stop the residents from Athiens from claiming this item we have no idea about, just to prevent catastrophic damage on Earth? May god help us all.

To my right, I noticed Iris crawling away from the group. Is she really trying to escape after all we’ve done for her? Chen Ling and Laila are pretending not to notice her. I guess they think she isn’t a threat to them in the slightest.

“Hey, you. I can see you, ya know?”

“Eep!”

Like a scared mouse, she turned around quickly and was now groveling on the floor.

“P-Please let me live!” she squeaked with that heavy Greek accent of hers. “You can jail me or whatever back in America! Just don’t kill me! I want to live!” Iris cried. I don’t know if she’s putting up a performance just to make me feel bad, but it was working.

“I-If that doesn’t convince you enough,” she continued. “I’m actually a Rune Wielder myself! That is why I have al-“

“Say no more. You’re hired.” I stopped Iris from speaking anymore. I was already sold when she said she knew how to use a rune scripture.

“W-Wha…?” Her voice trailed, perplexed by my sudden decision.

“Those who are able to utilize rune scriptures are laughably rare to come by. Only an idiot would pass on this chance. I will have you personally work under me, but it won't be all peachy.”

I walked over to the groveling woman and squatted right in front of her. “If you so much as have a single thought of betraying me or anyone related to me in some way, I will not hesitate to cast you aside and have you rot in jail for the rest of your life. Understand me?”

“Y-Yes! Of course,” she squeaked, nodding.

I’ll have to put a tight leash on this woman so she doesn’t cause any harm. If she were to go rogue, then I will accept any and all blame.

“So… are you done here?” Laila asked. “We have a Cardinal to find.”

Chen Ling stood behind Laila, nodding his head in agreement. He had a small smile plastered on his face. I think the story about the archbishops being regarded as strong opponents has him riled up, and he cannot wait to face them in battle. I can see right through him.

“We’ll start moving after I cut off the bulls’ horns.” I motioned at the corpse of The Minotaur. Laila shrugged her shoulders and motioned for me to hurry it up.

As I started walking to the body and went on to saw off the horns, I went on to think to myself. Since Laila killed The Minotaur, how come we haven’t received the notification that the Dungeon was cleared? Also, usually, an exit portal would spontaneously form in the middle, allowing us to leave the Dungeon. The portal is nowhere to be seen. Now that all of the immediate threats are gone and I’m able to collect my thoughts, I find this really strange. Is killing The Minotaur not the true objective? If so, what is it then? No message has popped up informing us what to do next. Are we stuck here until we find an exit? Are there even exits to this thing at all?

[Rare Item Acquired: The Minotaurs Horns]

Hmm… The System is still working since I’ve gotten the notification. I guess it's not broken at all. This Minotaur horn will fetch a hefty price if I were to sell it. I heard that horns, once crushed into a fine paste, have medical properties if used in concoctions. Now that it’s a horn from The Minotaur itself, I wonder if the effects are even more amazing.

“Hey, you done over there? You’re gawking awfully hard at that thing,” Laila shouted.

“Yea, I’m done,” I replied back while stuffing the horn in my dimensional pouch. The number of items I can hold in this thing is limited. Any more and I won’t have enough room left over.

“I’m finished on my end. So, what now?"

“Now, we have to find Cardinal Nicholas and stop him before he can get his grubby hands on the item.”

“That’s nice and all, but we have no clue where he is exactly," Chen Ling added in. "It’ll be like finding a needle in a haystack."

“That’s why I have this thing here.” Laila pulled a small circular sphere out of her Inventory. After tapping on a button in the middle, a red arrow appeared, pointing towards the entrance.

“I stole this thing from one of his goons. This is a navigation tool that leads us toward the general area of the item. With this, we’ll be able to find him easily.”

Oh? That’s a neat little item.

“Then what are we waiting for? Lead the way.”

“Follow me then.”

With Laila taking the lead, we all followed after her, leaving the colosseum for good. I made sure to pick up the small vial on the way out. I’ll send it to Mr. Reed and have him conduct tests on this thing. It’ll serve as proof that these companies are still trying to perfect this nasty drug. I’ll leave the rest up to him. Until then, we have a Cardinal to find.

****

Camila and I have been wandering through the dark halls of The Labyrinth for about an hour or two. I can tell we’re almost at our destination, I can feel it deep within.

“Camila, be on guard. There is a chance that we may be ambushed by more of those intelligent monsters from Athiens.”

“I presume we are almost there then?”

“Yes. While the navigation tool is still leading us god knows where, I’ve been having this unsettling feeling for a while now. Like we’re marching straight towards our demise.”

“Oh, you too? I thought I was the only one,” Camila chuckled.

If Camila feels it too, then where we are heading truly is dangerous. What do these people from Athiens want from a place that instills chills from afar? Man, at times like these, I wish Sam and the others were here. Just where the hell are they?

Ding! Ding!

“Hm?”

In the palm of my hand, the red arrow was now blinking, similar to the turn signals of a vehicle. It was also pointing to our left. After turning the corner, a set of doors awaited. The doors were humongous, almost twenty feet tall and wide. The stone doors were painted with a mix of black and red that had an ominous feeling the longer you stare at it. As we walked closer, the feeling of dread grew stronger to the point where I wanted to run away. I had to slap my face just so I wasn’t overwhelmed.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Camila. I’m not going to lie to you. This is way too dangerous.”

“All the more reason to head in, no?” Camila replied firmly.

I wanted to refute her words with all my might but running away will do us no good. Calling for backup is obviously useless, and we need to find out what these people from Athiens want in a place like this.

Psyching myself up, I placed a palm on the surface of the door. It was rough as I caressed my hand through the jagged rocks. A lump formed in my throat, making it hard to swallow down the saliva that built up within my mouth. After counting to three seconds, I slowly pushed the doors open. A noise like rumbling thunder was emitted. Rock dust trickled down from above, staining my hair. I poked my head behind the doors and spotted a black portal in the middle of what appeared to be a gray room scribbled from top to bottom with runic symbols. This place was giving me the creeps.

“Camila. There’s no one in here. All I see is a black portal…” I ushered Camila to follow along as I stepped foot into the new area, leaving the entrance open.

“Leo, are you blind or do you not see a skeleton leaning against the wall behind this door?”

Sure enough, there was a skeleton wearing a tattered red toga right behind the door I just opened. Judging by this skeleton's structure, whoever died here was a human. Upon further inspection, its skull had a gigantic dent on top of it. Whoever this was died by blunt force trauma. Probably died instantly too.

“Hm? What’s this now,” I mumbled. There was a scroll peeking out of its toga. I turned my head and asked Camila an important question.

“If I pull this scroll out, will it count as desecration of the dead?”

Camila leered at me and frowned. “Just take the damn thing out already.”

“Alright alright, sheesh.”

I yielded from the woman’s impatient reply and grabbed the scroll. The front had splotches of blood all over the scroll made from parchment. The blood probably came from this person’s head wound when they were still alive. I can’t accurately tell how old this thing is, but judging from this whole Greek theme, it's probably from the BC era.

I stared long and hard at the words presented. “…Nope. Can’t read squat. I don’t understand this at all. Some of the symbols are also stained red, making it almost unreadable."

I was hoping to find any clues or information on this thing. Tough luck indeed. I’ll have someone translate this for me back home. In the dimensional pouch you go, little buddy. Now, it's time to address the elephant in the room.

“So, what about that menacing portal over there, Camila? The tool is pointing directly at that thing.” We stood in front of the black portal, stumped on what to do next. This is the first time we’ve ever seen a black portal.

“Should we enter? This portal could lead us to The Minotaur, after all,” Camila suggested.

“That, or to our deaths," I grumbled. "Frankly, both don’t sound too appealing to me.”

“It’s either enter, and hope for the best, or leave. Remember, the athios wanted to reach this destination before us and created that tool in your hand. Maybe they had a clue on what could be behind and thought it was no problem to them.”

…That sounds plausible, but I’m still unsure. My whole body, brain included, is telling me to not enter at all costs. The stench of death has been growing stronger, and it's coming from inside that portal.

“What exactly lies beyond...” my thoughts leaked out accidentally.

“Oh? I am appalled to have found two more humans. The Labyrinth being regarded as a complex maze was a farce,” a proud voice boomed from behind.

Camila and I wheeled our bodies around and found ourselves face to face with a group of three, all with horns. The one in the middle had robes with colors of pure white outlined with the brilliance of shiny gold. He had neatly trimmed hair and a clean-shaven chin, but his face was the sort where you couldn’t help but sock him. To his right stood a tall but lanky man who had dark, sunken eyes that made him look depressed, almost emo-ish. His black untidy hair made him look like a human mop.

“The athios’ from Athiens... Since you’re all wearing garbs that remind me of a priest, I can assume the one in the middle is the leader of this whole expedition?” Camila sneered.

“The nerve of this woman!” a guy wearing a shawl barked. His well-built muscles tensed as if he was ready to throw down. “For you to address the Cardinal as if-“

The person who was called the Cardinal held a hand up, silencing the man, and said, “I see that you are in possession of the navigation tool I’ve crafted. I assume you pried it away from the others?”

“What’s it to you?” I probed.

As a mage, I’m able to see the flow of mana better than anyone else. No matter how skilled one person can be, there will always be fluctuations in how mana surges through one’s veins from the origin point, which is the core behind our hearts. When I gaze at the man recognized as a Cardinal, his flow was tranquil but still fluid, like a stream of water flowing through a lush rainforest. It’s like this man has reached a whole new level of magic. Almost like he has reached, enlightenment...

As if he read my mind, the Cardinal gave me an insidious smile. “Come now, while we are here, why not enjoy ourselves and speak to one another? Frankly, you humans grasped my curiosity ever since I’ve been informed of your species' existence. From those two siblings to that quiet fellow, I am intrigued about your strengths… and weaknesses as a whole.”

Siblings? Who the hell is he referring to? Wait a minute, quiet fellow?

“…Did you do something to Sam,” I quietly asked the man.

“Sam? Was that the big human's name? A mundane name for someone of his stature,” he joked.

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” I warned, now holding a white staff in my hands. The Cardinal was now eyeing the weapon in my hand with interest.

“For what happened to your comrade…” He let his sentence marinate into the air before finally continuing, this time his eyes turned cold and cruel, frowning at the mere memory.

“He’s dead, of course. Died at the hands of my archbishops. Struggled till the very end like the maggot he was.” He chuckled with a wicked grin.

Just looking at this psycho made my blood boil to the point where I wanted to lash out at him, but I knew better. You need to have a cool head in times like these or else you’re more than likely to create an unreversible mistake.

Taking deep breaths, I sighed out all of my pent-up frustrations and adjusted my glasses. “Nice provocation, but that won’t work on me. I’m not the type to act in the heat of the moment.”

“It was an attempt, is all,” he shrugged unapologetically. “Anyways, do you know what lies beyond that portal,” the Cardinal asked, raising a crooked finger toward the black portal.

“To this item that you seek,” Camilla answered immediately.

“Hmm… I’m not surprised you are aware of it. Yes, the item that we seek is just beyond that black portal, and we are here, under the god’s orders, to claim it.”

“Oh really now?” mused Camila. “It’s strange, the stench of death and misery is just behind us, and you want to enter it? You seem confident that you’ll get this item. Do you know what exactly is lurking inside of there?”

“We know very well what’s inside of that portal. There is a reason why I brought these two along, after all. But do not worry, I have made the necessary preparations to overcome this challenge,” He curtly responded. I don’t know if it's my imagination, but I felt as if he was genuinely offended by Camila’s words.

“Since I’m such a nice person, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Do you know where exactly this portal leads to?”

Camila and I exchanged glances at each other, unsure of where he was getting at. This only seemed to have fueled this man’s ego even more.

“It is a place that reeks of death and torture. Only the vilest and most ruthless creatures are imprisoned here, set to rot away for eternity. Their sanity is slowly sucked away the longer they linger. The gods have called this place a sort of hell. Its other name is more… obscure to us athios. They called it... Tartarus.”

Tartarus? The Tartarus? The infernal region that the souls of the damned are placed into for eternal punishment and imprisonment? It’s also where the Greek gods have trapped the mighty titans. That would mean this black portal here is a gate to Tartarus! No wonder this feeling of impending doom has been gnawing at us as we edged closer. Why would the doorway to Tartarus be inside The Labyrinth?

“That’s crazy! You want to enter that place? Do you have a death wish?” This man must be out of his mind! No one sane would want to enter a place like that!

“It is not a matter of if I want to go or not. The gods determine my path. I only exist to follow their every command. My faith in them is as unsurmountable as the highest mountains. It cannot be conquered even by the strongest beasts in existence. You fools haven’t the capacity to understand a mere speck of my unwavering resolve.”

…Yep. This man has completely lost it. I really haven’t the faintest clue about how he has followers.

“Now then, enough of the trivial talk. Will you yield and step aside, or…” Upon nodding his head, the two that were silent this whole time took on a fighting stance, prepared for their Cardinals' next order.

“The answer is obvious. Let’s stop these fools before they cause any harm. You ready, Camila?”

“…”

“…Camila?” I turned my head, wondering why she’s been quiet. Camila had a blank look on her face, still staring at the Cardinal.

“If you would be so kind,” she began. “And tell us what purpose this item serves?”

The Cardinal stared at Camila for a brief moment and smirked. “…Since you’ll be dead anyways, why not? Ultimately, what we want is the power it contains. It has the power to change the very world itself. Once the gods’ have their hands on it, that is when the worlds will finally be connected, as one.”

…As one? What the hell does he mean by that?

“As one you say? I see,” I heard Camila mumble under her breath.

The look on her face, after hearing the Cardinals' explanation, now changed into something completely different. It was a face I’d never seen Camila with, even in the time we spent in Dungeons. It was a dark but calculating look as if she has made up her mind. My survival instincts were going haywire, commanding me to move away from this woman. But it was too late. Before I could utter her name, with blinding speed, Camila moved her body behind mine.

The world around me moved at a snail's pace. An unimaginable pain surrounded the inside of my chest. With unsteady breaths I stared down, wondering why there was a throbbing pain like I’d been stabbed through the heart.

Oh…

“C-Camila," I muttered in a trembling voice. A dagger punctured right through my entire chest, skewering my heart along as an arm was now sticking out of my body.

“Nothing personal, Leonard,” Camila expressed with no remorse, retracting her dagger.

“…W-Why.”

My consciousness was fading away as fast as a pin being dropped. Without any energy left in my legs, I crumbled to the ground with a hard thump. I could hear Camila talking in the background, yet it was distorted. All I could think about is why- why would she betray me? Those thoughts plagued my mind as I went on to bleed out on the cold cobbled floor of the Labyrinth.