"We are back where we started..."
Lucifer and Yaliza found themselves back at the intersection where they had fed water to Alicia.
"How is that possible? There are two paths before us. The left one brings us back here. And the right one also does the same thing. There's no way out. I think we are trapped," Yaliza pointed out.
"There's no way back now, I think. We can go ahead on this path. We'll end up back here if we try to leave." Lucifer nodded.
"How can we meet Cassius and Uzuki if we don't get back?" Yaliza asked, smiling wryly. "We can't leave them behind."
"Why are you carrying me?"
Just as Lucifer was about to reply, he heard a girl's voice. He looked down to realize that Alicia was up.
Her skin was completely normal now. Her eyes were also open, looking at Lucifer, wondering why she was being carried by him.
"You were poisoned and lost consciousness. He came here to find you after you didn't return for a long time. He helped you with the poison also," Yaliza explained while Lucifer placed Alicia down.
"Ah, that strange smell! I remember finding it odd. So it was poison!"
"That's right. But that's all in the past. We have a different problem right now," Yaliza let out, wondering how they could meet up with the others that were left behind.
"What problem?" Alicia asked.
"We're actually trapped in a maze right now. No matter how much we try, we can't go back," Yaliza explained. "Whichever path we take, we end up right on this spot."
In the background, Lucifer was walking back and forth. He was concerned about something else entirely.
He wanted to catch up with the Hunter Union members, but it seemed impossible now.
They had taken the third path, and he was stuck in the first path with no way to go back and change ways.
"Meeting Cassius and Uzuki isn't a problem. Just like you came to look for me, they'll come looking for us as well, if we don't return soon," Lucifer reminded Yaliza that he was focusing on the wrong things.
"Our main concern is getting to Hunter Union. They have taken the third path, and we are stuck in first."
"There's no way to go back; we can only move ahead, but is there any benefit? We still wouldn't be able to meet with Hunter Union that took the third path," he added, lost in deep thought.
"I think we can do nothing about this at this point. Let's wait for Cassius and Uzuki to get here before moving forward. Who knows, all three paths become one in the end?" Alicia suggested, being optimistic.
"I doubt that. The second path led to a dead-end where possibly the strongest beast of the Dungeon was hiding. So we can cross the second path from the list. It doesn't meet with this one."
" I doubt the third one will be any different. We can't catch them anymore."
Lucifer was the only one that wasn't overly optimistic.
Hearing the words of Lucifer, Alicia glared at him.
"You're being a little too pessimistic. But that's also understandable. It's a shot in the dark at this point."
"If only we had the Beast Core of this dungeon, we might be able to find a way back. Let's just hope for the best at this point." She sighed.
"Beast Core?" Lucifer and Yaliza both exclaimed at the same time.
"How would that help?" Lucifer asked.
"You don't know about it? Beast Cores aren't just random stones. They have many uses. That's why only the strongest beast of a Dungeon has one."
"They can remove all negative effects that someone suffers inside their specific dungeons. That's why the Beast with a Beast Core is said to be the Ruler of the Dungeon."
" That's not all; the Beast Core can also be used as a device to stop traps from affecting you or your team. This maze is nothing but a trap as well. Beast Core could have stopped this trap, letting us go back."
" That's why it's the most sought-after item inside a Dungeon. Unfortunately, only the Beast Core of this would work inside us."
"Wait, why don't we go ahead. I'm not sure if we'll find the Hunter Union or not, but maybe we'll find the Beast with the Beast Core? Then we can go back?"
As Alicia talked, Lucifer and Yaliza looked at each other's faces. They had the thing they needed, and they were still worried?
Lucifer was also surprised by one more thing. He knew that Beast Core was used to remove any poison from a person inside the Dungeon, but even he hadn't known about this other effect. It was nowhere in the books he read.
"Will this work?" he asked Alicia, bringing the Beast Core out of his pocket.
"Is that a Beast Core? Where did you find it from? If it's not from this Dungeon, it won't have any effect here. As I said, Beast Cores of other Dungeons won't work here," Alicia pointed out.
"It's not from another Dungeon. It's from this one. How do you think I healed your poison?" Lucifer asked in return. "Now tell me, how can I do it? How do I stop these traps?"
"You'll need water for it," Alicia informed Lucifer, who raised his hand towards Yaliza.
Yaliza handed him the bottle of water.
"Next?" Lucifer asked.
"Pour some water on the core and touch your forehead with the core. You'll be considered the same as the Beast of this Dungeon who possessed the core."
"The Dungeon will stop these tricks near you. And since we'll be near you, we'll get the same benefits as well," Alicia explained.
Lucifer did as Alicia said.
" Good. Now select any of the two paths. We'll end up where we came from. No tricks this time," Alicia pointed out.
Just as she said, Lucifer selected the left path and left with Yaliza and Alicia.
...
A helicopter landed on the roof of a tall building inside the Capital City.
More than ten men stepped out of the helicopter.
"Argh, I missed all the fun. It's boring to come to this city after everything is settled. I wish I could have come faster," the man in the lead let out, sighing.
He was carrying a Katana in his left hand as he went downstairs.
He and the others went straight to an office in the building.
Pushing the door of the office, the men stepped inside.
"Kellian, why are you looking like a businessman? What's with that coat?"
"Tristan? You came as well?" Kellian asked. "Good to see that your hand is healed now."