Leon's exploration magic was nothing short of a cheat.

Finn and the others had scoured Daedalus Street for days on end, meticulously searching for any trace of the artificial maze's entrance. Yet, Leon found it effortlessly—on the very first day.

His Veins of Light could penetrate wherever there was light.

And with his current level of magical attainment and magic power, scanning the entire Daedalus Street was mere child's play for him.

It had taken him only a few hours to arrive at Daedalus Street and complete a full magical sweep of the area.

That said, Daedalus Street truly lived up to its infamy—it was an absolute labyrinth. Twisting, chaotic, and unnavigable. No wonder people claimed that even the locals could lose their way in it.

Using the flood of information sent back through the Veins of Light, Leon spent another hour meticulously organizing the terrain layout of Daedalus Street.

Only after sorting out the disordered topography did he move on—down into the underground waterway that coursed beneath the city.

And there, he arrived.

Before him stood the entrance to Knossos, the artificial maze.

"Leon, thank you. Truly."

"If it weren't for you, who knows how many more days we'd waste just trying to find this entrance?" Finn's tone was full of genuine appreciation.

But as his gaze turned to the massive door before them, a frown creased his brow. "Still… these entrances are made of Orichalcum. That's going to be troublesome."

The enormous bronze gate gleamed faintly in the dim light.

Orichalcum—a metal known for its durability, often used to craft weapons with Durandal property. Breaking down a door made from it with their current strength was utterly impossible. They would need the correct key to gain entry.

"I already knew that would be the case," Leon replied calmly. "What we need to do now is wait—for Hermes and the others to locate the Ikelos Familia."

"Dix—he's a direct descendant of Daedalus and holds the key to this place."

Leon's tone was unwavering, and his words struck true.

Finn, hearing this, could only let out a helpless chuckle. "Honestly, I don't know how you keep getting your hands on this kind of obscure information, Leon."

"Oh?" Leon arched an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you don't believe me?"

"No, that's not it." Finn shook his head quickly, waving his hand.

"It's because I believe everything you say that I'm even more baffled by how you know so much."

"Well, that's a secret I can't share." Leon replied with a faint smirk.

Turning back to the bronze door, his expression turned serious. "Let's just wait for Hermes' good news. Give him five days. If he still hasn't found them by then, I'll head down and take care of it myself. Honestly, if I have to do everything on my own, what's the point of having allies?"

"...Fair enough." Finn agreed with a nod. "For now, we'll leave two people here to guard the entrance in shifts."

Following the plan, Gareth and Anakitty were appointed to remain behind along with a squad of second-class adventurers. The rest withdrew from the sewers.

But don't misunderstand—they weren't leaving Daedalus Street entirely.

Instead, they returned to the temporary base Loki Familia had established in the area, ready to respond at a moment's notice.

Finn chose to stay behind as well.

— — —

Back at the base, Leon approached Finn with a casual air. "You guys take care of things here. I'm borrowing Tione and Tiona for a bit—I'd like to spar with them."

"Go ahead." Finn gave Leon a meaningful look, then glanced toward the two Amazoness sisters. "Though I wonder what your real intentions are…"

Leon rolled his eyes in exasperation. Seriously, this guy always had strange ideas floating around in his head.

"I'll go over to Riveria later tonight to discuss magic." Leon added before turning to leave.

Without wasting time, Leon found Tione and Tiona and extended his invitation to spar.

Both sisters agreed immediately—no hesitation.

Soon after, the three departed Orario without fanfare.

As for the city exit permits? Far too tedious.

Once they reached the city wall, Leon simply activated a dark-element spell, enveloping himself and the sisters in magical energy. A blink later, the trio vanished from the city limits—teleported outside with ease.

As expected of Amazons, Tione and Tiona loved combat.

Even in a sparring session, neither held back in the slightest. But that was exactly what Leon needed.

Real, unrestrained, bone-rattling combat.

It was already past one in the afternoon when they left Orario.

Leon battled the two Amazonesses for four hours straight before returning with them to the city.

Although he had originally planned to study magic with Riveria that afternoon, finding the entrance to Knossos earlier had thrown off his schedule. Still, Leon wasn't one to give up easily.

After their sparring match, Leon, Tione, and Tiona grabbed a quick meal at a tavern. Then, without delay, they returned to Daedalus Street to find Riveria and Lefiya.

For the next three days, Leon fell into a structured routine.

Since Hestia was constantly supervising things, and Belle and the others were still delving deep into the Dungeon, Leon divided his time meticulously.

By day, he would spar with Tione and Tiona.

By evening, he'd discuss magic theory with Riveria and Lefiya.

By night, he'd return to the library to spend time with Hestia, who had resumed her stay, and take time to rest.

On the fourth day, Ais finally returned from the Dungeon.

She came bearing a mountain of magic stones.

Without wasting a second, she went straight to Leon.

"I've gathered enough magic stones," she said, her tone flat and calm, but with an undercurrent of urgency.

"The total value exceeds one hundred million valis—probably around one-fifty million."

As she spoke, she placed several large boxes in front of him with a firm thud.

Leon looked at her, amused by the subtle impatience in her tone. "Thank you for the effort."

He smiled gently and wasted no time.

Without further delay, Leon began the Reincarnation Procedure.

Dark-element magic enveloped the room in a thick shroud.

From within the swirling shadows, a circular formation emerged—the Angel Reincarnation Pool.

Leon tossed the boxes of magic stones into the pool, and the ritual began.

True to her word, Ais hadn't exaggerated.

The magic stones she'd brought surpassed expectations, carrying an energy value of 130,000—far beyond the required minimum.

Only a top-tier adventurer like Ais could have gathered such a massive haul in just half a month.

***

55 Advanced Chapters on

patreon.com/alex_1000