章節 260: Chapter 260: Attacked by Magic Beasts Again!
Perhaps it was the bumpy movement, or perhaps they had slept long enough, but Aisha and Norn, who had been sleeping soundly, finally woke up groggily.
Finding themselves in a strange and dark place, the two little girls were understandably frightened at first. But once they realized that their trusted brother Wood and their mother Zenith were nearby, they relaxed significantly. Although the ominous surroundings still scared them, the presence of their powerful brother and their mother made them feel safe.
Zenith, concerned that the girls might panic and wander off, adding to Wood's burden, sternly explained the seriousness of their current situation. When the girls heard that their father Paul and their mother Lilia had gone missing, their eyes welled up with tears once again.
"Don't worry, believe in your brother. I'll make sure we find Paul and Lilia soon," Wood assured them.
With Wood's comforting promise, and as children tend to forget their worries quickly, Norn and Aisha soon returned to their usual playful selves, giggling and laughing as they followed their brother.
The dark tunnel stretched ahead, dimly lit by the small fireball Wood conjured. He took the lead at the front of their small group, while Norn and Aisha trailed behind him closely. They had become less afraid, as Wood had cleverly told them they were on an exciting adventure.
Meanwhile, Zenith kept a watchful eye at the rear, prepared to fend off any attacks that might come from behind.
It wasn't long before they reached a dead end, and before them stood a large door. The presence of a door in the cave made it clear that this was no natural formation. With no other path forward and going back being equally impractical, Wood and Zenith decided to push open the door and see what lay beyond.
Worried about potential dangers, Wood instructed Zenith to take the girls back a safe distance before he approached the door. Carefully, he pushed it open.
To their surprise, no immediate threat emerged. Instead, they found another tunnel, though this one looked vastly different from where they were. Although they were still underground, the new passage was lined with glowing moss that illuminated the area with a soft, ethereal light. The contrast made it seem like a completely different world on the other side of the door.
After confirming there were no threats, Norn and Aisha excitedly ran forward, their eyes wide with wonder as they started gathering the glowing moss to stuff into their dress pockets. The two little girls had never seen plants that could glow before, and they were determined to take some back to show Paul and Lilia.
Unlike the carefree children, however, Wood and Zenith's expressions were grim. The appearance of the door, the difference in the environments, and the eerie calm all pointed to a sobering conclusion: they were inside a labyrinth.
Labyrinths were a well-known phenomenon in their world. For adventurers, they weren't unfamiliar, though they ranged in size, complexity, and danger. While some labyrinths were seen as treasure troves waiting to be explored, others were deadly, with traps and fearsome monsters lurking at every turn.
The largest and most difficult labyrinths could not be conquered even by sword kings or top-tier mages. Only highly skilled teams with ample supplies and a diverse set of abilities could hope to clear them.
Exploring a labyrinth required starting from the entrance and progressing slowly, retreating when necessary to rest and resupply. But Wood's situation was far worse. They hadn't entered the labyrinth voluntarily; they had been transported here by the transfer magic, leaving them without knowledge of the labyrinth's size, difficulty, or location.
Furthermore, they were underprepared. Their fighting force was limited to just him and Zenith, and they had two small children to protect, making any serious confrontation far more dangerous.
Not only that, but they had no idea how to leave. Labyrinths were called "labyrinths" for a reason—they were complex, maze-like structures filled with magic creatures and traps. The only way out was to find an exit or to conquer the labyrinth entirely, reaching the core where the magic crystal that controlled it could be shattered.
Their only supplies were the meager provisions Zenith had intended to buy from the market. These rations might last them a few days if stretched, but it was woefully insufficient for a journey of unknown length.
Despite the beauty of the glowing moss that now surrounded them, neither Wood nor Zenith allowed themselves to feel at ease. If this truly was a labyrinth, then they were far from safe. Every floor would be crawling with magical beasts. Their only hope was that the direction they were headed was leading them out, not deeper into the labyrinth.
"It's coming, Zenith," Wood warned, his voice suddenly tense. "This time, there are a lot of them. I think it's a pack of magical beasts."
Wood, who had been keeping watch ahead, sensed the approaching creatures through the vibrations in the ground and the faint echoes carried through the tunnel.
Zenith immediately positioned herself in front of Norn and Aisha, staff in hand, ready to cast a spell at a moment's notice.
A loud, bone-chilling howl echoed through the cave. From the darkness ahead, a pack of fiery red wolves emerged, each one larger than Norn and Aisha, with fur glowing a molten red. At the front of the pack was a massive wolf, its forehead adorned with a gleaming horn, standing at an impressive three meters long. One glance was enough to see that this was no ordinary wolf—it was a deadly predator.
The sight of the snarling red wolves, their fangs bared and eyes glowing with malice, terrified the two girls. All thoughts of adventure vanished from their minds as they clung tightly to Zenith's legs, their small bodies trembling in fear.
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 380+ at p@treon.com/Betek and change @ to a
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