CHAPTER 853: CHAPTER 664: SPREADING BLACK MIST

On this day, the grain storage on the northern side of the 24th floor collapsed.

It was as if the main pillar of quartz that sustained the existence of the grain storage had lost all its nutrients and strength, unable to support the entire storage any longer, it collapsed with a crash, turning into ruins.

The members of the Hermes Clan timely escaped the collapse, evading this inexplicable disaster and surviving it.

Seeing the underground city centered around the grain storage turning into ruins, continuing to collapse and fall, the Hermes Clan members standing far from the disaster site were in a frenzy.

"What about those two?"

"They haven’t come out yet!"

"Could they have been caught in the collapse?"

"We should hurry back to save them!"

"How are we supposed to save them?"

"Are we going back to die...!"

Everyone was talking at once, completely disordered and uncontrollably falling into panic.

Even Asafi, who was floating down from mid-air, knitted her brows, her eyes faintly showing signs of worry.

"They’re really still inside, aren’t they?"

Asafi somewhat regretted, regretting that she shouldn’t have left the culprits to those two to handle, and should have gone to the grain storage together, so they could look out for each other.

But regret was obviously useless now, Asafi had already prepared herself for the worst outcome.

Fortunately, the worst result did not occur.

"Swoosh!"

A pair of young boy and girl suddenly appeared abruptly in front of everyone, as if they had been suddenly transferred from another space, startling everyone.

"[Sword Princess]!"

"[Deceptive Swordsmen]!"

"Are, are you okay...!?"

As everyone saw the newcomers’ faces clearly, they couldn’t help but be overjoyed.

"Are you okay?"

Asafi also hurried up to them, busily asking.

"We’re okay."

Reiger released his hand that was on Ais’s shoulder, shaking his head at Asafi.

"..."

As for Ais, she was lowering her head, with her eyes downcast, mysteriously and oppressively silent for some reason.

Both of them indeed were unharmed, except for being a bit dusted, seeming to have been involved in a massive upheaval, there was nothing amiss.

That was indeed the case.

When the grain storage collapsed, Reiger took Ais with him, using teleportation magic to leave the giant cavity, evading the collapse.

"It’s good that you’re okay."

Seeing they were not in harm, Asafi, despite some puzzlement over Ais’s strangeness, still breathed a sigh of relief.

"What exactly happened?"

Once reassured, Asafi started to inquire about the whole situation.

To this, Reiger didn’t hide much.

"This is what happened..."

At this moment, Reiger explained to Asafi.

He revealed all the information he could disclose to Asafi.

No matter if it was the grain storage becoming a nursery for carnivorous plant monsters, or the mysterious "Treasure Bead Fetus" absorbing the quartz main pillar’s nutrients, including matters involving those hybrid creatures and the female-like monsters, Reiger recounted everything he had encountered.

Though these pieces of information were quite astonishing, not things to be casually spoken of, Reiger deliberately wanted to spread them out, letting the forces led by the Hermes Clan know about those secretive forces stirring in the darkness, to prevent Orario from being at a disadvantage due to lack of information when those forces truly made a move.

As long as the information was spread out, regardless of other things, the guild that entrusted the Hermes Clan and the principal deity backing them would certainly take it seriously and take action.

This was what Reiger was pleased to see, so he explained the situation without burden, only hiding the matters concerning Ais.

And upon learning all this astonishing information, the adventurers of the Hermes Clan, led by Asafi, were unsurprisingly taken aback.

"Hybrid creatures of humans and monsters?"

"’Treasure Bead Fetus’?"

"Nursery capable of breeding carnivorous plant monsters?"

"Monsters of parasitic monsters?"

"This...this..."

Everyone was utterly dumbfounded, hardly daring to believe what their ears were hearing.

"...Is this for real?"

Even Asafi couldn’t help but mutter in bewilderment, biting her lip.

"Absolutely true." Reiger nodded, saying, "This matter is hugely concerning, there might be more secrets behind it, we can’t regard it as just an unusual incident in the underground city anymore."

Asafi nodded with a face full of bitterness.

"I understand what you mean."

Not mentioning the mysterious hybrid creatures’ goals, nor the reason for the "Treasure Bead Fetus" absorbing the grain storage nutrients, just talking about the circumstances encountered by the Hermes Clan, it was clear that these couldn’t be treated as just a simple anomaly in the underground city.

For instance, those who strapped explosive stones on themselves, willing to self-destruct and confront them, what was their origin?

Were they, like the hybrid creatures, not from the human race?

But the atmosphere they exuded, although eerie, was not as abnormal as that red-haired woman, Asafi always felt they should be ordinary humans, and belonged to the same Familia.

This meant that within this incident, not only were non-human intelligent beings orchestrating from behind, but there were one or more Familia from the human race mixed in, colluding with those non-human entities.

This wasn’t a matter to be taken lightly.

Especially since the white-cloaked man mentioned by Reiger had made such a declaration.