Four hours had passed, and Vale's anxiety spiked as zero messages played in his ears.

While maybe that was a good thing, seeing as messages of kills outside of the dungeon, unless another dungeon was involved, wouldn't be relayed. So he'd only know of deaths.

But that lack of loss, in and of itself, began to worry Vale.

Had something gone wrong?

Had they been forced to retreat before even getting the chance to fight?

After all, it was a measly 55 versus 2,958.

Mias had said that amount was enough to bring victory, but it wasn't like those 55 were super soldiers.

Even with Salome and Toy in the mix, the prospect seemed abysmal.

Especially when considering the possible oracle.

'Tch…'

Without being able to trust Mias, he couldn't even ask what was going on.

In fact, not only could he not trust the guy, but he couldn't help but worry about what Mias was planning.

"Is knowledge really worth your life?"

Awilix, who'd been lying on the ground, yawned and asked:

"Huh? Whadya say?"

Vale looked at his feline warrior.

His lackadaisical follower looked woefully underprepared. Her outfit was much too thin and revealing to provide any real protection. Her intelligence was questionable at times. She seemed to care more about sleep than the lives of her comrades…

While Vale wouldn't say she was the most reliable… at least he could trust she wouldn't betray him.

An action like that would be much too bothersome for her.

Vale sighed.

Awilix's eyes narrowed as she hissed:

"Were you talkin' shit to me?"

Vale wryly chuckled.

"Not you. Someone much dumber…"

[A challenger has entered the dungeon]

Vale's head shot up, and his eyes drifted in the direction of the entrance hidden on the other side of the maze.

His vacant stare was one even Awilix could read the meaning of with ease.

The cat shot to her feet, preparing for a potential battle. But also, it was clear she seemed to think Mias had it covered because Vale hadn't said anything…

But Vale's silence was not because of his composure, but the opposite.

'Come on…'

He waited, and waited.

'Mias…'

Mias should be the guardian of the entrance, killing anyone who entered. And if it were Ophelia, then he'd at least be hearing sounds of a fight echoing through the cavern.

Yet, this challenger still lived, nor had Vale even a peep.

A few minutes later, the sound of a single pair of footsteps echoed through the chambers.

A tall woman rounded the final turn of the maze and stood at the opening in a dress held together by roses. In her hand was an activated Dawn's Eye.

An Item she shouldn't have.

Vale grumbled.

"Ophelia…"

'Beyond Mias… How'd she get past Salome?'

Ophelia gave Vale a deplorable smile.

Awilix quizzically hissed:

"Where's the tiny bastard?"

Vale sneered as the staredown continued. Then, he said:

"Mias… just deactivate your ability and come out."

As the last word slipped out of his mouth, a whirlwind of smoke seemed to spawn from nowhere.

The mass twisted and churned until it coagulated, and Mias materialized in all his treacherous glory.

Mias was standing next to Ophelia, his expression blank.

"Ah. I guess it was no use hiding. You are smarter than you look, after all."

Vale seethed with anger as he looked down at the scholar.

"You know… I didn't think you'd actually do it. You warned me, and yet I still hoped you were merely joking or testing my faith in you."

Awilix screeched:

"What's going on?!"

Vale sighed and cast a sidelong glance at the cat:

"Mias betrayed us."

Mias laughed quietly at Vale's words.

"More like taking inaction rather than actively going against you."

Awilix shouted, anger quickly taking hold in her fiery mind:

"Huh?! Doesn't sound like there's any difference there, dumbass! Vale, let's murderize 'em both!"

Vale's gaze drifted back toward the tall woman whose eyes shone ablaze with a world of hate. The muscles of her arms bulged, showing just how hard she was attempting to rein in her wrath.

It was a miracle she'd yet to unleash an attack. Perhaps Mias had requested some form of conversation before they fought.

Vale sighed.

"While I'm inclined to agree, Awilix, we can't win. Neither of us can even attack Mias. Or at least unleash a meaningful one."

Mias laughed:

"Too bad the Ice Witch is sealed away… she would have surely been able to at least contest me. But don't fret, I will not interfere. I'm just here to watch."

Vale sneered:

"How much… How much of this was all your plan? Seriously? I don't get it. You know if I die, you die too, right?"

Mias laughed:

"Oh, I'm well aware. But, truly, I just set the stage for this spectacular play. If I die from my own machinations, then so be it. The prospect of learning this once-in-a-millennium knowledge was much too tantalizing. Besides, Ophelia here said she had a way I could survive."

Awilix screeched as she extended her claws; every fiber of her being was seething with unbridled fury.

"Nothing you said made any sense to me! Why trust some ragetty bitch?!"

Vale reached into the Nexus of Beginnings, pulling out his whip and shield.

[You have equipped C-Rank item: Whip of Beginnings]

[You have equipped SSR-Rank item: Absolution, Shard of Ancile]

"I'm of agreement… Mias, I find it hard to believe someone as smart as you would fall for such lousy deception. Surely she has at least told you of how you'd live. Proof that she actually knows what you want."

Mias candidly laughed.

"Nope! None of that! You see, when I told you the pursuit of knowledge is just as rapturous as the acquisition of knowledge, this is what I meant! An all-or-nothing gamble with my life at stake! What's not more euphoric than that?!"

Ophelia finally broke her long silence as her teeth clattered.

"You… Lust. It's your fault. All. Your. Fault."

A blade of roses grew from Ophelia's hand as tears swelled in her eyes.

"I will make you pay for the murder of my brother."

'Tch.'

Awilix took a Dawn's Eye of her own, activating it and yelling:

"Your brother was a bitch!"

Awilix broke the stand still, running into the middle of the room and activating Eclipse, causing a black cube to form.

This was the first complication of fighting aside the cat…

Vale couldn't see what was happening. He'd be just as blind and lost as anyone else if he wandered into the black cube.

So, he waited on the otherside and trusted that no one, lest a severe power gap or counter, could beat Awilix in a one-on-one inside the cube.

A heavy silence carried in the air.

Then, it was broken by measured footsteps treading toward Vale.

A moment later, Vale heard Awilix hiss as she pounced.

The sounds of a furious scuffle filled the air, and a moment later, Ophelia burst out from the wall of Eclipse with a nasty cut on her face.

The tall girl held her hand to her cheek, and within the blink of an eye, the red line swelled and closed with a slight green effect.

Awilix shot out from the wall of Eclipse, striking at the back of Ophelia's head.

A gigantic rose shot up from the ground and pounded into the cat's abdomen, and sent her body hurtling into the cavern roof before catching up with her and pinning her there.

'Ah… this is not going to be easy, is it?'

Vale stopped dawdling and activated his armor while simultaneously planting the tower shield at his feet.

A moment later, he activated the enchantment upon it.

"Argh!"

Ophelia groaned and staggered around, dropping her blade and clutching at her chest.

The gigantic rose wobbled and then folded in on itself, releasing Awilix from her confinement against the ceiling.

Awilix grimicing as she fell, not spared from the shield either, spun and launched a devastating kick aimed at Ophelia's head.

While grunting and groaning, the Hero of Virtue grew a pitiful rose shield from her wrist and barely managed to block the cat's attack.

Awilix was sent back and returned to the ground.

The cat stumbled around, clutching her chest, much like Ophelia, as the black walls of Eclipse, which had cut the space in half, wobbled, fell, and dissipated, revealing Mias standing still on the far side with an amused expression.

Awilix screeched:

"Why're you attacking me, dumbass?!"

Vale shouted:

"I don't know how to control this thing! And do you have to scream everything?!"

Awilix fell to her knees and shouted:

"You're screaming, too!"

Ophelia staggered a bit more, taking the brunt of the Aether disruption, but it seemed like she had a way to stabilize herself, as with each second that passed, she began to move with a little more purpose.

Awilix, on the other hand, only seemed to be growing weaker.

'Damn…'

Vale ended the enchantment and dropped the shield as he transformed his hands into claws.

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