290 - - something waiting on the 20th floor of the earth

Two days after the relic-related fiasco.

Thor and his team, having completed their preparations, set out for the depths of the abandoned underground prison.

The participants were quite a large group of twelve people in total, including seven members of the Black Shimmer team and five members of the Platinum Flame team.

The greater the number of participants, the greater the risk of attracting monsters along the way, but the greater the safety in defeating the monsters themselves.

However, it is said that usually there are at most 7 or 8 people who challenge the labyrinth master.

One of the main reasons is that not many people have enough skills to challenge the master of a fixed dungeon.

Another reason is that it is easy to get into a dispute over the reward after defeating the labyrinth master.

The person who used the relic to seal up the miasma hole or his/her close friend gets the right to rule the liberated land.

Those who participated in the defeat of the relics may assist them, or they may receive only a bounty.

In either case, however, they would have to provide a lot of positions and money, a factor that would put pressure on the finances and rights of the new border towns.

Thor and his friends, on the other hand, do not have to worry about such things.

If Yuril releases the power of the Golden Tree and seals the great miasma, they intend to continue their adventures in order to help him.

Naturally, they are planning to give up their right to rule, which is why they are taking on this challenge with such a large number of people.

We reached the sixteenth floor via the stairs and the downstairs passageway using a key, and from there, we took the shortest route to the bottom of the building while eliminating the monsters in our way.

We reached the descending passage to the 20th floor in the evening of the second day without any particular difficulties.

After a good night's rest, Thor and the others headed for the lowest level in perfect physical condition.

"Okay, let's do our best as usual!

"Moe will do his best!　And Akurosuke!"

Sora cheerfully holds up his stick, and Moo holds up a cage full of beetles.

Come to think of it, this may be the first time in the long history of the project that insects have been brought to a place like this.

Yuril smiles at the two as they raise their spirits, a familiar smile on his face.

"We're counting on you, Sola-san and Mumu-san."

The twins shrugged their shoulders in disappointment.

"I wasn't going to go this far with you anymore. Is this a good opportunity to ingratiate ourselves with your grandfather?　Well, Nene is right. Let's do our best not to get hurt."

At the words of her older sister Kikiriri, her younger sister Nenemimi nods silently in return.

She seems to be very enthusiastic, as she is already in the same position as Kikiriri.

"We will do our best to help you, Master Thor.

"Ugh, I'm getting nervous. But we'll make a lot of money if we win here. We have to do it!

"Oh, you are very motivated, Mr. Kugase. I'd like to say the same here, but doesn't it give you the creeps to think that there's a lot of dirt above your head deep in the ground like this?　I have already been shaking since a few minutes ago, and it's a shameful thing to say."

"At times like that, you should only think about money, old man."

"You're the only one who can cheer me up, Cu. Yes, how about thinking about your loved ones?　Mr. Barconia."

"That's just for you, Ram, who has a flower garden in his head. ......"

Razzel and Moldamo watch the conversation between the three of them without saying a word.

Next to them, Riccoli played a light whistle in place of a voice.

The faces of the group change instantly as the music begins.

Each of them, armed with a weapon, chants a prayer of magical skill to follow the music.

, , , , , , and .

When the reinforcement was finished, Thor said only one word.

"Let's go."

And so the Twelve proceeded to the bottom of the earth, where no one had ever set foot before.

Thor led the way, followed by the twins and Rasel, then Kugase.

Sora and Mu followed behind them, and the other magic users settled in at the end of the line.

They silently descend the long ramp, and when the parallel ground comes into view, Thor sees the future in both of his eyes.

Then he shouted loudly.

"Jump inside!

At the sound of their shouts, everyone starts to move in unison.

Within a few moments, a violent sound echoed from overhead.

At the same time, the ceiling of the passageway collapsed one after another, and the rocks that poured down filled the ramp.

If they had been one second later, they would have surely been swallowed by the collapsing rocks and died.

However, with the help of the , none of us were too late and we were able to escape to our rooms.

Thor sees Licori, who had been walking at the back of the group, run out of the passageway, and quickly checks where he is, breathing a sigh of relief.

It was the largest space he had ever been in.

The ceiling was high, almost as high as several stories in a building.

It is much deeper and more spacious than expected.

The walls and the ground were covered with red, molten rocks, which would have made it difficult for a normal person to breathe.

There are no obvious protrusions or dents, and there seems to be no place to hide or take shelter.

"Look!　Tall girl."

Thor turns around at the sound of the girl's voice and realizes the reason for the loud crash he heard earlier.

Above the entrance, there was something huge sticking out of the ground.

It was shaped like a distorted oval and had sunk into the wall about halfway down, drilling into the rock face.

This must have caused the ceiling of the passage to collapse.

"Escape route cut off? ......"

The entrance is completely blocked by fallen rocks, and it seems impossible to turn back.

Thor tore his gaze away from the stacks of rocks and turned toward the center of the room.

There he found a being that was pounding him with a tremendous sense of oppression.

It had two arms and legs, and its upright posture was not so different from that of Thor and the others.

But at first glance, it was clear that it was a creature different from and incompatible with humans.

The towering monster is five to six times the height of Thor.

Its long arms are divided into several tentacles from the elbows down.

The same is true from the knees down, where countless roots seem to be entangled in an undulating web.

Furthermore, with its slippery red skin, it resembles the fire-heads that we have defeated many times.

And the chief of the demon tribe had the features of a three-necked creature.

Around its neck and chest, it had a row of bumps that resembled a huge human face.

However, there was no deafening laughter, but only a giggling of white eyeballs.

Finally, on top of it, on the part of the head, was a flower petal of a sickening color.

Several fleshy petal-like shapes were open like a flower in full bloom.

The center of the petal.

In the center of the petal, where the core should be, a distorted oval shape was slowly protruding from the inside.

Thor intuitively realized that it was the same as the one that had just been shot over the entrance.

"It's coming, vanguard, get in front!　Mr. Yuril, you've got to slow him down!"

"Yes, to the underworld..."

The next moment, Thor and the others hear an impossible voice.

It is the prayer of Yuril's upper branch magic technique.

The exact same words echoed from the center of the room.

"Todo to Kurakichi!"

The source of the sound came from one of the faces growing under the monster's neck.

An inorganic voice is emitted, slightly lagging behind Yuril's.

"--" (The cessation of the underworld).

"--"

Thor and the others could do nothing but stare in horror at the incoming wave of gray ice.