Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

"There's something I really need your help with. It's nothing, just a small business deal."

"I want you to lure out the monsters, capture them, and then sell them... Simple, right?"

Lily thought it was foolish and laughed it off, telling him that the monster had no "commodity value" at all, but Chanis just smiled back at her with eyes full of desire.

Now she understands what a monster with commercial functions is.

Because now, she has learned of the existence of the beautiful, intelligent "heretic".

Chanis knew about the "heretics" from that time, or even longer.

Judging from his tone at the time, he must have been involved in smuggling, selling the "heretics" to those with low tastes and abnormal sexual fetishes. Compared to Lily and others, Chanis was closer to the smuggling channels of the "heretics" and the "dwellings (secret bases)" where they were imprisoned.

While Hestia and Welf could not hide their astonishment, Lily stared at him, demanding an answer.

"Heh heh heh heh...!? Well, maybe we'll find out something if we go to 'Daedalus Road'~?"

After twisting his body and laughing, Chanis gave an answer with a weary look in his eyes.

Lily became nervous and pressed for an answer:

"The correct place?"

"Go find it yourselves. That's all I have to say."

Chanis seemed to be amused by Lily's situation, and then just grinned wickedly at her. "If you want to know something, how about we use torture?" Chandra made a frightening suggestion, but Lily kept quiet and shook her head.

Chanis will definitely not say anything. At least until this matter is resolved, he will keep his mouth shut.

"The clue is on Daedalus Road... Let's go."

Lily stopped looking at the cell and spoke to Hestia and the others behind her. After they nodded in agreement, Lily asked Soma and Chandra to promise not to tell anyone about this, and then left in front of the cell.

"Good luck, Erd... Ha! Haha ...

Hearing the sinister laughter of the man behind them, Lily, Hestia, and the others headed towards "Daedalus Road".

"This place connects to Daedalus Road...!?"

Bell walked along the stone-paved path, looking utterly astonished.

"Yes, that's right. They transported the 'Heretics' to the surface without our knowledge and smuggled them out of Orario... If this place is connected to the surface, then everything makes sense. I think there should also be underground passages leading to the outside of the city, which can bypass the city gates' checks."

Fels, who ran alongside Bell, shared his thoughts.

The stone-carved passageways were intricate. With forks and crossroads along the way, its more square shape and orderly structure than even the dungeons created a labyrinthine appearance. Were it not for the bloodstains left by battle-wounded monsters on the ground, one would surely be lost in an instant. Throughout the dimly lit ceilings and walls, terrifying sculptures and statues of monsters were placed, replacing the monsters that would never actually appear.

The magic stone lamps embedded in the wall accentuated the silhouette of the man in black (Fels) blending into the darkness.

"I believe this place connects to 'Daedalus Road,' based on the mark carved on the wall..."

Fels said with a groan.

"Daedalus, the extraordinary man...a master craftsman who built the infrastructure of the labyrinth city, including the Tower of Babel, at the turning point of the era when the gods descended to the surface..."

He said this person was an extraordinary human being from about a thousand years ago, a historical figure before the birth of the sage (himself).

The magician in black mentioned another great figure in history besides himself.

"It is said that he was one of the few of Uranus's retinue who first brought 'the grace of God (Pharna)' to the lower realms."

"!"

"He received the divine will of Uranus and made great contributions to Orario... However, it is said that since he entered the dungeon, his words and actions have become increasingly strange, to the point that he is known as a 'strange man'... Then one day, he disappeared from Uranus's sight... no, from Orario."

As Fels explained, he also seemed to be comparing his own knowledge with the current situation.

"Daedalus Road goes without saying, and his legacy, such as the old-fashioned sewers that crisscross the city, has always been a problem for the guild. Don't you remember him, Bell Crane? For that labyrinthine and strange realm somewhere in the city."

Now that you mention it…

Fels' words awakened memories between Bell, Haruhime, and Seele.

The secret underground passage of that red-light district, the giantess (Frine) and Haruhime say, is an effect of its proximity to "Daedalus Road." Not only that, but there's also the underground staircase behind the orphanage that bears a striking resemblance to the one he, Seele, and the children walked through together. Daedalus's legacy has indeed left a deep and lasting mark on the city.

Bell was shocked at the time, unable to believe that such a large underground passage could have been built by one person; but perhaps that is why the craftsman Daedalus was regarded as a great man or a genius by Fels.

Thinking of the genius who would possess superhuman abilities after receiving the "blessing," whose appearance and name were completely unknown, Bell swallowed hard.

"We've suspected for a while that the dungeon might have other entrances besides the Tower of Babel. Of course, we also investigated Daedalus Road, but... damn it!"

"Fels...?"

"...I'll be frank. This field is far beyond our imagination."

As the fear of the master craftsman caused the dim space to sway, a new metal door appeared before Bell and the others.

Fels picked up the "key" magic item that Bell had given him and pointed it at the "door," and the tightly closed "door" opened again.

Upon entering, Fels held his palm against the wall, causing his patterned gloves to glow before releasing a colorless shockwave. Bell looked on in bewilderment, only to see an undamaged metal wall revealed beneath the shattered stone slab.

"This is……!?"

"It's superhard metal (hard steel). I saw a metallic sheen on the old, damaged parts halfway there. This area is made of stone covering superhard metal (hard steel)."

While its hardness is affected by the level of the mine or its purity, the super-hard metal (Durable Steel) produced in dungeons always possesses the highest level of hardness among the few rare metals. Of course, it is also expensive and not easily obtained.

Bell has lost count of how many times he has been hit.

Shanxi Copper & Steel

"The 'door' is made of the hardest metal (ostrichite) and the passage is made of an ultra-hard metal (hard steel)... If it weren't for this 'key' magical artifact, even if we could find this place, it would be very difficult to break in or escape."

Fels clenched his outstretched glove into a fist.

"To create an artificial realm that connects to the dungeon... It's unbelievable, but only the extraordinary man of yesteryear (Daedalus) could have made such a thing."

However, there are also doubts.

Is it really possible for one person to create such a space at a depth equivalent to at least 18 underground levels below the surface? The availability of various materials, including the hardest metal (ostrichite) and the super-hardest metal (hard steel), as well as funding, are also issues.

As if seeing through Bell's inner doubts, Fels continued:

"I don't know how large this field is. Even someone as great as Daedalus could hardly have completed it alone. But—" Filston paused, staring into the endless darkness ahead.

"The root of the problem we are looking for is indeed right here."

Another entrance/exit to the artificially created underground city.

This is the "residence (secret base)" of the Ikelos Familia.

As if he had finally cornered his longtime enemy, the magician's voice resonated with a complex mix of emotions:

"We've finally found it, Uranus...!"

"I've found you—Ikelos."

The sound echoed under the sky.

Far from the underground labyrinth that stretches out deep beneath the earth, on the surface.

On the roof of a brick tower, Hermes spoke to the figure in retreat.

"...Hehehe! You caught me~"

The god Ikelos, standing alone on the deserted rooftop, slowly turned around.

This complex and strange residential area is filled with a jumble of buildings of varying widths and heights.

Hermes and Icelos were on a tower in the center of the labyrinthine street "Daedalus Road".

"I'm surprised you found this place, Hermes. To be honest, I didn't expect you to catch up with me."

"I went through a lot of trouble... It's not easy to find a god (opponent) who would even use Kamui to shake off my pursuers. Although this rule has long been a mere formality, abusing it for personal gain is a desecration of the lower realm... It violates the rules, doesn't it?"

"Hehe! It's just a bluff, what does it matter? It won't work on high-level servants (kids) - ...Besides, I think it would be too disappointing if I got caught first."

Ikelos stood on the edge of the roof, which had no railings.

From this location surrounded by the Orario sky, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Daedalus Road.

A network of dirty, tangled paths, coupled with a complex structure of crisscrossing, overlapping staircases. The designers who conceived of this sprawling residential area sought chaos (something), to mimic a maze (something), a concept only those who grasped its true purpose could understand.

Hermes placed one hand on his feathered hat, his narrowed orange-yellow eyes beneath the hat piercingly sharp.

The god (Icelos) laughed at his reaction as if he were enjoying it.

"You won the game of hide-and-seek, Hermes."

"..."

"This commotion can't be stopped... but as a reward for finding me, I'll answer any questions you ask now."

The handsome man with dark blue hair and brown skin jokingly raised his hands in surrender.

He still wore a frivolous smile, and his eyes were narrowed.

"Okay, what do you want to ask?"

*

Several shadows were cast on the stone slabs illuminated by the magic stone lamp.

The stone-reinforced artificial road echoed with the sound of two or four legs galloping, followed closely by the sound of tails trailing behind, and then the flapping of wings.

This is a parade of more than twenty monsters.

"The scent of our compatriots is near, advance!!"

Leading the way are the giant, olfactory boars (fighting wild boars), while the gargoyles roar in the air. As if guiding the advancing horde of monsters, the "Heretics," the stone path is filled with the lingering scent of monsters. Facing the fork in the road ahead, the "Heretics" do not falter, but move towards the increasingly stronger scent of their brethren, their speed steadily increasing.

"Reed, all the 'doors' leading forward have been opened... We've been lured!"

"I know, Rhett! But I have no choice but to go...!!"

Hearing the advice from the woman in the red cap following behind him, Reed gripped the hilt of his sword.

Just now, a hole suddenly appeared in the rock wall on the east side of the floor, and the group discovered a "door" with a large opening deep inside the cave.

Even knowing that this was the enemy's "dwelling (secret base)" or a trap, the "heretics" still rushed into this man-made territory.

Driven by uncontrollable anger and a sense of mission to reclaim their compatriots, the "heretics" finally reached their end.

"here it is……!?"

After rushing up the stone steps, a vast space unfolded before my eyes, incomparable to the passage I had just passed.

Shaped like a cuboid, it is over 100 meters wide and at least twice that length. The ceiling is also very high, and the pervasive gloom, along with the stone, defines the entire space. This hall is reminiscent of the deepest chamber on the 17th level, where the Great Wall of Sighs is located.

During this time, Reed and the others kept their eyes fixed on what was in front of them.

"Everyone...!"

There were countless dark cages there.

Confined in rows of cages are numerous beautiful and captivating humanoid monsters, including half-human, half-snake, half-human, half-octopus (Scylla), and mermaids, as well as rare monsters such as gem monsters (Carbonkel). The monsters bear the scars of torture, and without exception, they are all bound by chains connected to their cages.

In the cage in front, the half-human, half-bird Fei'er clung to the bars.

“——!!”

Reed, Goros, and the other "heretics" all heard the boiling anger within them.

Their hair stood on end as they ran forward together.

"Break down the cage!! Liberate our compatriots!!"

Guros roared as he destroyed the black cage.

Reed and the other monsters also raised their weapons to smash the locks or bent the bars with brute force. The chains binding their limbs were also broken, and the trapped monsters were finally freed from their cages.

Gross and his companions focused intently on destroying the cage. Among the monsters freed were familiar "heretics" as well as unfamiliar ones. What they had in common was that their eyes held a glimmer of reason, and they were all too weak to break the cage on their own.

Time continued to pass. The cries for help never ceased, and the countless cages lined up side by side could not be completely destroyed. The "heretics" repeatedly embraced their weak and collapsing comrades, and smashed the cages with loud noises in the hall.

"Fei'er, where did Winnie go!?"

"I don't know, she fainted and was taken over there...!"

The half-human, half-bird creature, rescued by Reed, struggled to support its injured body and pointed with its wing feathers toward the darkness.

Reed, his bright yellow eyes distorted, handed Fei'er over to Red Hat Rett for care and rushed into the depths of the hall.

"What a touching reunion."

And just then.

As if timed perfectly, a round of insincere applause broke out.