CHAPTER 856: 666 [THE DARK FACTION]

At this moment, the surface was already engulfed by nightfall, causing the Maze City Orario to once again be illuminated by countless magic stone lamps. It was as if the city was inlaid with jewels at various locations. If someone were to look down from above, they would find Orario particularly dazzling, especially beautiful.

At this time, the members of the Loki Familia in the Twilight Manor had finished their dinner and began to venture into their nightlife.

However, in Finn’s office, a heavy atmosphere was permeating.

In this office, which had a large bookshelf and a fireplace, the Pallum captain Finn sat behind his desk, the elf royalty Revilia stood by the wall, and the Dwarf warrior Grace was sitting on a wooden round stool beside the desk, letting his hefty physique press into the chair, causing it to creak under the strain.

Loki, the main god, was also present, sitting on Finn’s ebony desk with legs crossed in a very unceremonious manner.

Yet, be it the leaders of the Familia or the usually carefree main god, all wore an incredibly solemn expression amid their exchanged glances.

The reason was simple.

Because Reiger had already arrived here, standing in front of the office desk, and had reported all the details.

"A hybrid of human and monster... is it?"

Finn was the first to break the silence, frowning deeply, speaking in the office with a lingering voice.

"Such an inconceivable existence has appeared, do the heavenly gods even know about it?"

Obviously, the news brought back by Reiger had already plunged the Familia’s leaders into deep shock.

Revilia and Grace, like Finn, both frowned and remained silent.

Loki didn’t frown but slightly opened her golden eyes.

"If you are asking me, I can tell you, Finn." Loki said slowly, "This is an ’unknown’ that even the gods didn’t anticipate. Seriously, should I say it’s expected of the lower world?"

It’s precisely because the lower world is full of "unknowns" that even gods cannot see through, that the gods descended to this world, finding it irresistible.

Loki informed Finn that what was happening now was precisely one form of the "unknown" that the gods both craved and delighted in.

In other words, even the gods didn’t know that hybrids of humans and monsters still existed in this world.

"Is this a good thing?" Grace seemed to see the curiosity and excitement in the main god’s heart being ignited, and said with frustration, "That’s an evil creature claiming to destroy Babel and Orario."

"Correct." Revilia said with a heavy face, "Although we don’t know why they want to do this, it’s not difficult to understand since they are monsters."

Everyone knows that monsters want to break out of the underground city, get to the surface, and wreak havoc on the life above.

To stop them, Orario came into existence, and the Babel was built as the lid of the underground city.

In other words, for monsters, Orario is a prison, and Babel is a cell within that prison.

Given that, it’s only normal for them to want to break out of prison and escape.

The problem lies in the means to achieve it.

"Do you all think they can do it?"

Loki nonchalantly asked this question, sending everyone into contemplation.

Everyone conducted their analyses, analyses, and connections of the existing information in their minds, attempting to find useful information and make assertions.

Especially Finn, in whose mind a storm of thoughts was already raging.

"Let’s first match up the information we currently know." Finn said this first and spoke, "Currently known is that the enemy is a hybrid of humans and monsters and can control the carnivorous plant monsters that appeared during the monster festival. To cultivate such monsters, they transformed the underground city’s food stocks into what they call a nursery bed and used the mysterious ’Treasure Bead Fetus’ to absorb the stock’s nutrients, intending to nurture it to maturity."

"All those carnivorous plant monsters have vibrant exteriors, even their magic stones are vibrant." Revilia, with one eye closed, noted, "This has the same characteristics as the worm-type monsters we encountered in the deeper layers."

"Furthermore, as Reiger said, that ’Treasure Bead Fetus’ parasitized a monster and turned into a female form, which has the same characteristics as the one we encountered on the 50th layer." Grace said in a deep voice, "Combining this information, we can conclude that those new species of monsters we encountered on our last expedition are likely related to those strange people."

"The outbreaks of monsters on the 24th and 30th layers both had those strange people and the ’Treasure Bead Fetus’ as the masterminds behind them. This indeed equivalent to confirming that on the floor below the 51st layer, a food stock may have been transformed into a nursery bed." Loki folded her arms, as if considering seriously, "Isn’t this tantamount to saying that it’s only a matter of time before we confront those guys?"

The Loki Familia is currently exploring unexplored territories, intending to reach floors undiscovered by the Familia in the past—the 59th layer.

That is a layer that even the Freyja Clan has not yet reached; besides the male god (Zeus) and female god (Hera) clans, no other Familia in the world has set foot there.

The Loki Familia is now prepared to step in and become the third faction to reach this unknown territory of the underground city, following the male god (Zeus) and female god (Hera).

If the monster faction has set up nursery beds at such depths of the underground city, cultivating female-form monsters using the ’Treasure Bead Fetus,’ the collision with the Loki Familia is only a matter of time.

"Even without this incident, we probably couldn’t avoid a conflict with the other party." Finn calmly pointed out, "If their goal is truly to destroy Orario, to destroy Babel Tower, then we are undoubtedly a thorn in their side."

Revilia and Grace nodded in agreement with Finn’s assessment.

Those monsters were clearly plotting some conspiracy in secret, planning to overthrow the Maze City. Given this, as one of the two kings of the Maze City, the Loki Familia, one of the strongest clans on the surface, is undoubtedly a target to be eliminated by them.

All families in the Maze City are obligated to collaborate with the guild to protect Orario; this is explicitly stated.

Even without this rule, various factions in the Maze City, including the Loki Familia, cannot ignore a force intending to overthrow Orario.

After all, once Orario is destroyed, the uncontrolled underground city will become an Underworld constantly spewing monsters onto the surface, ravaging all.

At that time, the surface will return to the ancient era a thousand years ago when gods had yet to descend, back to the era where endless monsters emerged from the underground city’s chasm, rampaging unchecked on the surface.

If it turns out like that, everyone in the world will face an unprecedented disaster.

As the saying goes, all prosper or all suffer together, whether emotionally or rationally, publicly or privately, the Loki Familia must stop the opponent’s conspiracy.

Therefore, both sides have long been in an irreconcilable antagonistic position.

"The frightening thing is, the other party seems to have collaborators." Revilia brought up another issue, "Those Death Soldiers tying firestones on themselves, willing to self-destruct just to stall Reiger and Ais, those people shouldn’t be any monsters, right?"

Everyone immediately turned to look at Reiger, who had been silent since the beginning, waiting for Finn and others to sort out the current intelligence and discuss among themselves.

Under everyone’s gaze, Reiger nodded.

"Those guys aren’t monsters, they don’t have that unique alien aura of monsters, nor do they possess their formidable power, they can’t even control carnivorous plants, and died on the spot after self-detonation, unlike those monsters who have regeneration abilities."

This was clearly observable.

Even Asafi noticed, proving that this cannot be hidden.

"Death Soldiers who aren’t afraid of death?" Grace’s face scrunched up like it was uncomfortable, muttering to himself, "This style of action, could those damned people have resurfaced?"

Everyone present understood who Grace was referring to.

"Tsk..."

Loki clicked his tongue and said.

"Those folks from the dark factions, aren’t they dead yet?"

——— "Dark factions."

This refers to a group that once existed in Orario, comprised of families of gods who rejected order and yearned for chaos.

Humans can be evil, and so can gods. Depending on the domains they govern, some gods are inherently unable to accept a world of peace, order, and light, thus attempting to transform this world, creating chaos and darkness in it.

These gods are called Evil Gods by the radical faction of celestial gods, who, after the god of the gods (Zeus) and goddess (Hera) were driven out of Orario, stirred trouble in Orario, plunging Orario into a dark period underworld familias.

Undoubtedly, the people under these dark factions are all villains, either zealots or deranged individuals, crazedly terrifying.

Until a few years ago, led by the guild, several powerful familias in Orario joined hands to crusade against the dark factions, eliminating them, ending the dark period of the Maze City, restoring peace to the city.

Now, Finn and others suspect that there might still be remnants of the dark factions, collaborating with the monster forces to stir chaos in Orario again.

The possibility of such a scenario made the faces of the family leaders quite unpleasant.

The Loki Familia rose to power during the dark period.

In other words, they have dealt with the lunatics of the dark factions numerous times, experiencing countless battles.

Many seniors in the Loki Familia lost their lives to the hands of the dark factions; it was also the Loki Familia who led the crusade against the main force of the dark factions a few years ago.

So, both sides have long been mortal enemies.

Now, the once-defeated mortal enemy showing signs of resurgence certainly wouldn’t improve the expressions of Finn and the others.

"We need to have a serious discussion."

Finn made this decision.

Seeing this, Reiger also took his leave, having fulfilled his purpose.