At that moment, even Ash's grin had disappeared, replaced with a serious expression.

"Nyle," Ash said with a heavy tone. "Why?"

"Are you sure that it's not Cecil or anyone else?" Nyle asked with a defeated expression.

"I'm positive," Ash replied. "And that's why I am curious. Why?"

Ash couldn't believe it.

Nyle, the strongest explorer, the leader of the survivors' corridor, was the person who backstabbed so many?

Ash couldn't understand the need for such backhanded tactics. 'Couldn't he just attack us all head-on and be done with it?'

Nyle sighed. "It was the best choice, Ash."

"The best choice for what? Didn't you find the exit? What more did you want?" Aster gritted his teeth.

Nyle turned towards Aster, sorrow in his eyes. "I am blessed, but I am also cursed."

"My Providence is called Lord's Sacrifice, and it is one of the best Providences there are."

"I don't know if you have heard about it, but Fate Providences are classified."

"The worst is trash tier. It's useless Providences with no potential. From then on, there are four more ranks."

"Good, Superb, Supreme, and Divine." Nyle shook his head.

"So?" Aster greeted his teeth. He couldn't understand what Nyle was getting at.

"I am blessed Aster, Ash!" Nyle chuckled bitterly. "I am blessed with a Divine Tier Providence."

"It allows me to fulfill my goal. However, I am also cursed. Every time I wish to activate it to strengthen myself, I need to sacrifice something dear to me. Or..." Nyle's voice cracked. "Someone dear to me."

"So you killed Boar for the sake of fulfilling your goal?" Aster's eyes grew dangerous. His mana had already been cycling in full power, and his body was as enhanced as it could get.

"You don't understand, Aster." Nyle looked at Aster with a desperate expression. "I need to do it! I need to get stronger!"

"You are just a murderer," Cecil said from the side.

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"Can't we just forget that this all happened and leave the temple together as a team? Why the need to fight it out? You guys should know that I am strong." Nyle seemed done with trying to gather sympathy.

"It needs to be done," Cecil said. "For the sake of my own goal."

"I see." Nyle sighed with sadness. He looked crushed by the world, but his eyes had an unwavering resolve. They wouldn't give up, no matter what happened. "Pity."

Following those words, Nyle dashed towards Cecil.

She lifted her leg in order to block a punch from him, but Nyle had already crouched, intending to punch her in the abdomen.

But suddenly, Nyle got kicked straight in the face.

Tumbling over, he barely managed to land on his feet. With a shocked face, he looked at a person beside Cecil.

It was Aster.

"How are you so fast?!" Nyle couldn't believe it. Aster was almost as fast as him.

"You weren't the only one keeping secrets," Aster said coldly. He didn't wish to fight Nyle, but he believed that it had to be done.

Letting a psychopath with such a strong power live could bite him back later. And so, together with Cecil and Ash, Aster decided to have a final battle of the Temple of Trickery.

"Heh," Nyle smirked, wiping a small trail of blood that left his mouth. "Well... I knew that it was never going to be so easy."

Then, he looked at Ash. "Ash! We had been friends for over two months. Even calling us best friends wouldn't be so far off."

"Yeah." Ash nodded. He didn't look as laid back as he usually did.

'Guess that even Ash has to take this seriously.' Aster concluded.

"But what about Cecil? You never knew, but she has a goal as well! She was using you all, too!" Nyle shouted before dashing at Cecil again.

"Lies! Although I do have a goal myself, I was never using you all!" Cecil said.

Aster looked conflicted. Honestly speaking, all this was really confusing and sudden to him.

He just couldn't come to terms with it.

But it had already happened.

And Aster had to choose a side.

Or so was he led to think.

"Cecil, I don't trust you," Aster said. "But without you, we can't beat Nyle, so you better don't stab me in the back."

"You got it." Cecil nodded.

At that moment, Nyle had reached them.

He threw a punch at Aster, but Aster deflected it. Then, Aster kicked toward Nyle, but Nyle crouched.

At that moment, Cecil came from the side and kicked down as well, intending to kick Nyle now that he couldn't properly dodge.

But Nyle was one step ahead of them. He blocked Cecil's leg with his hand before grabbing it and shoving Cecil towards Aster.

Aster and Cecil collided, hitting a wall.

Then, just as Nyle was about to dash towards them, he noticed Ash approaching.

Nyle showed a pained expression for a millisecond before exchanging it with a determined one.

He punched towards Ash, but Ash quickly dodged. Then, Nyle kicked from the side, but Ash rolled, passing by Nyle and arriving in front of Aster and Cecil who were trying to get up.

Ash reached out with his hand. "Get up."

Aster grabbed it. "Thanks."

Then, after doing the same to Cecil, the three of them looked toward Nyle with determined expressions.

"Why do you guys look as if you are willing to die? Weren't we all friends just five minutes ago?" Nyle couldn't help but ask.

"You are just a damn hypocrite. The kind I hate the most!" Cecil gritted her teeth.

"So be it." Nyle stomped. "I am getting serious now."

However, at that moment, the ceiling broke.

A monster none of the explorers had seen before appeared in the middle of the group.

It was a big elephant with black fur and bones sticking out of its body.

It took Aster one look to know that thing was not to be messed with.

It had five times Nyle's current mana.

"Ah yeah, I did flip the coin, so the misfortune had to happen." Ash awkwardly chuckled.