Looking Forward to Another World Chapter 748: Turmoil in Orario, a Heavy and Oppressive Atmosphere in the Loki Familia

The City of Labyrinth, Orario.

As night descended, Orario pulsed with its characteristic, electrifying nightlife.

Under the glow of countless magic stone lamps, the streets thronged with activity, and businesses that thrived after dark erupted in a cacophony of cheerful noise. Establishments like the Entertainment District and numerous pubs across the city reached the zenith of their daily liveliness.

During daylight hours, adventurers were deeply engrossed in exploring the Dungeon, largely absent from the city's core.

However, with the arrival of evening, adventurers typically returned, converging on pubs for revelry or seeking solace in the Entertainment District to unwind. This nightly influx naturally amplified Orario’s vibrant nightlife, establishing its bustling and clamorous atmosphere as the city's norm.

Yet, tonight's Orario was destined for anything but tranquility, as the disturbance was not one of excitement, but sheer panic.

Once this news surfaced, it proved impossible to contain.

Against the dark canvas of the night sky, a colossal pillar of light ascended directly from the earth, its ascent causing the very ground to tremble and shake the entire world.

The divine, sorrowful, and awe-inspiring radiance of this immense light beam silently conveyed a truth known to all: it was the supernatural omen signifying a god's return to the Heavens.

Instantly, every resident of Orario was plunged into disarray and confusion.

"Which deity has been sent back?"

"Who has met their end?"

"What transpired? Why would a god be recalled?"

These were the questions echoing most urgently in everyone's minds.

Consequently, the gods presiding over the major Familias were all thrown into alarm – some ventured out personally to gather intelligence, while others dispatched emissaries to investigate the happenings on Daedalus Street.

The Guild, naturally, also initiated its response. The Ganesha Familia, tasked with maintaining order in Orario, immediately mobilized its full contingent. With the exception of a single individual left to guard their headquarters, the remaining ten Level 5 First-Class Adventurers led their respective teams towards Daedalus Street, taking command of the unfolding situation.

However, due to prior involvement with underground affairs, the Loki Familia was already coordinating with the Guild. This pre-existing connection meant the Guild and the Ganesha Familia possessed a clearer, albeit incomplete, understanding of the events compared to others.

Acting swiftly, they cordoned off Daedalus Street, evacuated the area's inhabitants, and turned away the scouts dispatched by the various Familias, effectively stifling the flow of all information.

In truth, this decisive action was unavoidable.

A shared consensus had been reached among the Loki Familia, the Guild, and the Ganesha Familia before any collaborative action: the existence of the underground factions must remain an absolute secret.

Particularly concerning matters involving the Corrupted Spirit and the remnants of Evilus – such sensitive information could not be allowed to circulate freely.

As beings revered as the gods' most beloved children, often described as semi-divine, Spirits have historically occupied a place of exceptional importance in the Lower World. Since time immemorial, they have aided mortals, safeguarded the Lower World, and adhered to the divine will.

Yet, for one such being to fall into darkness, becoming a monstrous entity capable of annihilating all of Orario – the leak of such a revelation would undoubtedly sow unimaginable chaos throughout the Lower World, potentially destabilizing the very foundations upon which all races stood.

Naturally, the continued existence of Evilus's remnants also demanded concealment, as its exposure would trigger catastrophic repercussions for Orario.

Fifteen years prior, following the downfall of the Zeus Familia and the Hera Familia, Orario endured a grim era known as the Dark Age. Plunged into anarchy by Evilus, the city descended into a terrifying abyss of lawlessness and became a notorious haven for crime.

During that period, lives were extinguished almost daily in Orario, and Familias were repeatedly victimized by Evilus's terroristic assaults. Worse still, the number of affected citizens ran into the thousands, and countless Familias were utterly devastated by Evilus's atrocities, leaving survivors in profound despair.

At that juncture, Orario teetered on the brink of losing its status as the world's central hub, as various powers across the continent questioned its capacity to continue fulfilling its critical role in sealing the Dungeon and protecting humankind.

In stark contrast, the present-day Orario could be considered an era of relative peace. Apart from the inherent risks faced by adventurers within the Dungeon, the city's districts were no longer fraught with the same level of pervasive danger.

This hard-won stability was largely attributable to the definitive destruction of Evilus five years ago.

Subsequently, the Guild made a public proclamation: Evilus had been utterly annihilated, thereby signaling the end of the city's harrowing Dark Age and eliciting widespread relief and joyous tears from countless individuals.

Because of this, with the exception of those who had arrived in Orario only recently, the populace that had endured the city's dark period had, for the most part, developed a deep-seated psychological aversion to the very name

If the populace were informed at this moment that Evilus wasn't entirely eradicated, but that remnants lingered, secretly plotting Orario's downfall from beneath the earth, widespread panic would ensue. This dread would grip not only the common citizens but also the smaller Familia and even the major powers of the city.

Such an event would undoubtedly plunge Orario into chaos.

It's even conceivable that certain clandestine factions, previously operating in the shadows, might exploit the turmoil to inflict severe damage upon the city.

Mindful of this precarious situation, the Guild and the Loki Familia reached a unanimous decision: the true nature and existence of these underground forces must remain an absolute secret.

This understanding dictated the Guild's strategy when the Loki Familia embarked on their mission. No other Familia were dispatched for direct assistance; instead, the Guild provided covert support, allowing the Loki Familia to independently investigate and subdue the Man-Made Dungeon, Knossos.

With the circumstances having drastically shifted, the Guild recognized the necessity of collaborating with the Ganesha Familia to clamp down on information and expel any prying eyes or informants.

This stringent measure, quite naturally, sparked considerable discontent among the various Familia, who demanded an official explanation from the Guild.

The expulsion of a god back to Heaven could be interpreted as either a matter of grave importance or minimal consequence.

It's possible for gods associated with smaller Familia to be sent back due to unforeseen circumstances, an event that wouldn't typically cause widespread alarm.

However, if the deity in question held significant standing, the situation would be dramatically different.

Consequently, every individual and deity involved keenly followed developments, making the pursuit of information an inevitable outcome.

Ultimately, the Guild offered a remarkably straightforward explanation.

Regardless of external opinions, the Guild and its Ganesha Familia counterparts steadfastly maintained this position.

While this explanation was hardly accepted at face value by many, they conceded that handling such delicate affairs fell within the purview of the Guild.

For the moment, the most pressing concern remained the anomalous events unfolding within the Man-Made Dungeon, Knossos—or more specifically, the alarming proliferation of the 'green flesh'.

Following the Loki Familia's withdrawal from Knossos, the green flesh had completely emerged. According to Riezel, the sole individual capable of navigating the dungeon freely, its interior had transformed into a grotesque testament to the flesh, with nearly every section being consumed and overgrown.

Amidst this green flesh invasion, the Ishtar Familia and the Kali Familia, who had wisely retreated earlier, appeared to have escaped unscathed, much like the Loki Familia.

In stark contrast, the members of the Thanatos Familia—the very remnants of Evilus—had made no move to withdraw beforehand. Following the catastrophe, their power waned as Thanatos was sent back, leading to their indiscriminate consumption by the green flesh, alongside the labyrinth's other colorful monsters.

This turn of events signified the definitive end of Evilus, as the last remaining god and nearly all its followers perished.

Riezel had also ventured into the Master Hall on the 9th Floor of Knossos, where a skeletal remains greeted him.

It was the unmistakable corpse of Barca, a descendant of Daedalus.

His demise, it seemed, wasn't due to the green flesh, but rather a self-inflicted end.

Upon Thanatos's expulsion, the Man-Made Dungeon's structure destabilized, and the demi-spirits' secreted green flesh began to erode the entire labyrinth. Witnessing centuries of his family's dedication and ambition crumble into ruin, Barca succumbed to despair, choosing to end his life in a fit of grief and rage.

Coupled with Valletta's disappearance, Evilus had truly met its end, leaving no possibility of resurgence.

Regrettably, the green flesh's relentless spread did not cease; it surged upwards through Knossos's access points, breaching the surface and infiltrating the sewers.

The radiant beam generated by Thanatos's forced return not only destabilized Knossos but also fractured several floors, carving a direct path to the surface. This created a colossal rupture in Daedalus Street, from which the green flesh spewed forth. It also emerged from the sewer entrances, inundating a significant portion of the vicinity and nearly engulfing half of Daedalus Street.

Fortunately, the relentless advance of the green flesh encountered its limit.

After consuming the ground within several dozen meters surrounding the breach and a section of the sewers beneath Daedalus Street, its expansion finally halted.

Attempts by the Ganesha Familia members to combat the green flesh were met with a violent, autonomous retaliation, narrowly avoiding casualties.

Ultimately, their strategy shifted to containment, securing their position and imposing a blockade on Daedalus Street.

The situation finally stabilized, albeit temporarily.

However, the Loki Familia, having retreated from Daedalus Street, were in a dire state.

===

Twilight Manor, Captain’s Office.

As the first light of dawn began to break, the executives of the Loki Familia, who had remained awake all night, convened in this room.

Finn occupied his usual seat, with Riveria standing nearby. Gareth was positioned in the chair nearest the desk. Surrounding them, the familia’s other executives, including Raul and Anakitty, were either seated or standing. All First-Class Adventurers were accounted for.

Loki herself was absent, having gone to the Guild to address the matter of Knossos. She had even brought Ishtar and Kali with her, intent on ensuring those two goddesses, who had allied with Evilus and harmed her adventurers, did not escape retribution.

A palpable sense of oppression permeated the office.

Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Ais averted her gaze, Bete wore his irritation openly, Raul nervously took deep breaths, and Anakitty’s tail twitched ceaselessly, her mood evidently sour.

Even Riezel’s brow furrowed slightly, his expression thoughtful.

Gareth remained quiet.

Riveria released a soft sigh.

For a moment, Finn kept his eyes shut in contemplation before opening them and calmly addressing the silence.

"Have Tiona and Tione been located yet?"

Indeed, everyone was present except for the two Amazon sisters.

Their disappearance had left spellcaster Riezel unable to track them, a fact contributing to the suffocating tension within the office.

"I've already requested assistance from the Guild and members of the Ganesha Familia in their search," Riveria stated with a sigh. "However, there is still no sign..."

Bete couldn't help but click his tongue.

"What are those idiotic Amazon sisters doing? Don't tell me something actually happened to them."

Bete’s unusually harsh tone underscored how profoundly the twins' disappearance affected him.

"Surely not?"

Hearing Bete's words, Raul felt compelled to interject.

"I refuse to believe those two would fall into trouble."

Anakitty, uncharacteristically agitated, chimed in.

"Don't worry, they haven't encountered trouble—at least, not yet..." Riveria gently shook her head. "Loki confirmed she hasn't sensed the demise of Tiona and Tione’s Falna, meaning they are still alive."

"If those two young ones are still alive, then where on earth have they vanished to?" Gareth inquired in a low voice. "They couldn't possibly still be trapped within the Man-Made Dungeon, could they? It's impossible for anyone to survive in there now."

It was true; the labyrinth, having transformed into a grotesque edifice of flesh, now resembled a colossal beast. Any individual remaining within its confines would inevitably face a grim end. Even the remnants of Evilus had been consumed.

Only beings akin to Creatures, or perhaps those with an exceptionally strong connection to the Corrupted Spirit, could possibly navigate such a place.

If Tiona and Tione were still inside Knossos, their survival would be impossible.

Conversely, their continued existence was proof positive they were not within Knossos.

Fortunately, this was indeed the situation.

"When I attempted to locate them using magic, I could not pinpoint their whereabouts within it."

Riezel finally broke his silence.

"Had they remained inside the Man-Made Dungeon, it would have been impossible for me to miss even the faintest trace of their presence."

Upon returning Finn and the others to the surface earlier, Riezel had promptly re-entered Knossos. Using Tiona’s greatsword, Urga, and Tione’s twin kukri knives, Zolas, as anchors, he had cast detection spells to locate them.

However, Riezel received absolutely no response from the targeted artifacts.

Subsequently, employing various forms of detection magic, including Area Detection and Scrying, Riezel meticulously scoured the entirety of Knossos. Yet, even with these efforts, he remained unable to find any sign of Tiona or Tione, having utterly lost their trail.

"The only logical conclusion is that they departed from the Man-Made Dungeon," Riezel elaborated. "However, it is possible they did not leave of their own volition—they might have been taken."

This suggested that a powerful entity had not only extracted Tiona and Tione from Knossos but potentially removed them from Orario entirely. Only under such circumstances would Riezel’s detection magic prove ineffective, as their location would have extended beyond the reach of his spells.

"Are you certain?"

Finn’s eyes opened as he sought confirmation from Riezel.

"Unless some unforeseen event transpired..." Riezel responded with a sincere nod. "Otherwise, the only plausible explanation is the existence of someone capable of completely circumventing my magic, rendering it ineffectual."

"With your magic ability, very few beings could evade your detection," Riveria commented, her elegant brows knitting together slightly. "But if someone truly spirited them away, then what kind of person could it be?"

The truth of the matter was, in reality, quite straightforward.

"The Kali Familia."

Ais, who had kept her gaze lowered throughout the conversation, finally lifted her head.

"It was those two amazons from Telskyura."