Chapter 212: SFDI: Chapter 212
"The Eye of Daedalus" Hephaestus, a woman of action, brought back Loki’s letter that very day. Drake only needed to give the letter to Finn,
"The Eye of Daedalus"
Hephaestus, a woman of action, brought back Loki’s letter that very day. Drake only needed to give the letter to Finn, and the Loki Familia’s elite would assist him.
With the letter in hand, Drake immediately packed his belongings and descended into the Dungeon, making his way directly to the eighteenth level.
The eighteenth level appeared largely unchanged since Drake’s last visit, but even without Fal’s prompting, he could sense a significantly intensified aura of Fallen Sprites permeating the area.
As expected, the Dark Faction was accelerating their plans. However, their overt actions were preferable to their previous clandestine machinations.
Drake made a brief circuit of the adventurer town of Rivera, confirming that the Loki Familia’s expedition team had not yet returned.
Therefore, Drake resolved to take the initiative and began tracking the aura of the Fallen Sprite he had sensed.
Moving silently through the maze-like forest, Drake located a well-camouflaged encampment.
He crouched on a tree branch, the dense foliage providing excellent concealment, allowing him to observe the camp’s activities without being detected.
Several individuals, clad in long robes and their faces obscured by masks, were patrolling the perimeter of the camp, which was surrounded by dense clusters of crystals and tall weeds.
While the colors differed, their attire was identical in style to the individuals Drake had encountered within the food storage area on the twenty-fourth level of the Dungeon.
Drake was uncertain as to which evil god’s Familia these individuals belonged to, but he could confidently assert that they were undoubtedly affiliated with the Dark Faction.
The aura of the Fallen Sprite that Drake had been tracking emanated from the immediate vicinity of the encampment.
The reason for the Dark Faction’s presence in this specific location was quite straightforward: this was the point of entry into the artificial labyrinth Ouranos within the Dungeon.
It was through this very entrance that the Dark Faction transported the Jewel Fetuses from the depths of the Dungeon to the surface world.
The deployment of the newly developed type of monsters to the outer perimeter of the encampment served as a defensive measure against any adventurers who might attempt to infiltrate the area.
Having thoroughly observed the encampment and its surroundings, Drake transformed into a dark shadow and launched himself from the tree branch.
One of the individuals clad in white robes seemed to have heard a faint sound and instinctively turned his head to investigate, but he only saw the grass swaying gently in the breeze.
However, the moment he turned his head back, he found himself face-to-face with Drake, who had materialized directly in front of him.
This terrifying sight caused the individual to instinctively attempt to shout out in alarm, but Drake swiftly denied him this opportunity, delivering a precise strike with the edge of his hand to the man’s throat, severing his vocal cords and trachea in a single, decisive movement.
Lifting the unconscious body of the white-robed individual, Drake gently placed him on the ground and proceeded to seek out his next target.
Moving with the swiftness and stealth of a phantom, Drake carried out a series of flawless assassinations, eliminating all five members of the Dark Faction who were present at the encampment.
Drake gathered the five corpses together and began to search them for any valuable loot.
As it turned out, these members of the Dark Faction were indeed fanatics, each of them having strapped numerous firestones to their bodies.
These firestones were akin to high-grade explosives, and the quantity carried by each individual was sufficient to level a small mountain.
It was clear that these individuals were prepared to initiate a self-destruct sequence the moment their identities were compromised.
Although these individuals were stationed at this location to act as guards, the entrance to the artificial labyrinth Ouranos was exceptionally well concealed, and their presence served merely as a secondary layer of defense.
Drake meticulously searched the area and finally discovered the entrance, which was concealed beneath a magical barrier.
Among the belongings of the deceased Dark Faction members, Drake found the object he had been seeking.
Drake held in his hand a spherical object; its outer layer consisted of an intricately designed metal frame, while its core was a gem-like substance.
What was particularly striking about this gem was its uncanny resemblance to a human eyeball; the texture of the pupil was clearly visible, and a "D" symbol was faintly etched onto its surface.
This object was a magical tool, its materials not derived from monsters but from human organs.
Its name was the Eye of Daedalus, and as its name suggested, it was crafted from the eyeball of an individual who possessed the bloodline of Daedalus.
Its function was remarkably simple: it served as a key, granting access to a portion of the control functions of the artificial labyrinth Ouranos.
In the original storyline, the Loki Familia’s first expedition to the artificial labyrinth had resulted in a catastrophic number of casualties, primarily due to the Dark Faction’s ability to manipulate the labyrinth’s traps.
In order to overcome this significant home-field advantage, the item Drake now possessed would prove to be indispensable.
Having obtained the object he had sought, Drake turned and departed from the encampment. However, before leaving, he disposed of the bodies of the Dark Faction members by throwing them into the pit where the newly developed type of monsters were being cultivated.
The pit was concealed beneath a thick layer of weeds; as the bodies fell into the pit, the sound of water could be heard.
Drake clearly observed the skeletons slowly dissolving in a transparent liquid at the bottom of the pit, as well as the giant carnivorous plants stirring into activity.
Having successfully erased all traces of his presence, Drake returned to Rivera. Two days later, he witnessed the return of the Loki Familia’s expedition team.
Although they appeared quite weary from their expedition, their expressions were filled with excitement.
Finn immediately spotted Drake waiting outside the town. Before Finn could even speak, Haruhime dashed towards Drake.
"Drake, what are you doing here? Did you come all this way just to greet your senior out of concern for my well-being?"
Drake looked at Haruhime, who was equally dusty and worn from her journey, and replied, "Concern? Absolutely not. It would be far more surprising if you had encountered any problems given your considerable strength."
Haruhime responded with a troubled expression. "While I’m certainly pleased to hear that you have such unwavering faith in my abilities, I have to admit that there’s something about that statement that leaves me feeling rather uneasy!"
Ignoring Haruhime’s momentary lapse into silliness, Drake approached Finn. "Finn, I’m sure you’ve already deduced the purpose of my visit."
Finn replied with a wry smile. "Indeed, I have. I had been looking forward to a well-deserved rest following this expedition, but it seems that our respite will have to be postponed."
Drake explained, "Quite a few significant events have transpired in the interim while you were away on your expedition. I believe it would be best to discuss the specifics in a more private setting."
Finn nodded in agreement and followed Drake into Rivera, where they found a suitable room at a local inn.
Once they were settled within the private confines of the room, Drake recounted the recent events to the assembled group.
Upon hearing that the Ishtar Familia had abducted Welf, Haruhime leaped to her feet in a fit of furious indignation. However, upon learning that the Ishtar Familia had been utterly annihilated, she repeatedly uttered exclamations such as "Serves them right!" and "They got what they deserved!"
Following this, Drake proceeded to relate the intelligence that Ishtar had provided before her expulsion, as well as the results of his own subsequent "investigation."
Everyone present was taken aback by the sheer volume of information revealed. While it was true that the expedition had taken a considerable amount of time, the changes that had taken place in the outside world felt nothing short of earth-shattering.
After reviewing the handwritten letter from Loki that Drake had brought with him, Finn handed the letter to Rivilia, who was standing nearby, and spoke, "I understand Loki’s decision. Rest assured, we will provide you with our full support in the endeavors that lie ahead.
So, your plan is to launch a surprise attack on the Dionysus Familia?"
Drake nodded. "All of the evidence points irrefutably to that god being the true identity of Enyo. Regardless of his plans, eliminating him can only be beneficial.
After dealing with him, we can then proceed to assault the artificial labyrinth Ouranos, thereby significantly increasing our chances of success.
I will personally take on the White Priestess, while you and the rest of the Loki Familia will deal with the remaining adventurers within the Dionysus Familia, as well as Dionysus himself."
Finn extended his hand towards Drake. "I am delighted to once again fight alongside you."
Drake reciprocated the gesture, shaking Finn’s hand firmly. "Then let us ensure that our collaboration is once again a resounding success."
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