Liebe said, "Let's proceed down."
As they descended, the floor was smaller, yet the walls were covered in intricate carvings. At the far end, just before the stairs leading further down, stood a wall made of pitch-black stone, its surface etched with glowing golden engravings.
Licht said, "Let's clear this."
A disembodied voice echoed through the chamber, "Arise, golems!"
Stone figures began pulling themselves from the ground, their forms solidifying into a small army of golems.
M cracked her knuckles, a fierce grin spreading across her face. "I've been waiting for this. Let me give it a try."
Liebe nodded. "Sure, then."
As M launched herself forward, Licht leaned back, chuckling. "This is gonna be fun to watch."
The golems lumbered toward her, their heavy fists swinging. But M flowed between them like water, her movements a blur. Every strike, every lunge, missed her by inches.
Licht's eyebrows rose. "Is that—"
"Afterglow Mana Resonance," Liebe confirmed. "She can feel the mana well enough to understand its flow and predict their movements."
Alysa watched, impressed. "That's amazing."
Licht shook his head in mock disbelief. "Didn't think a brute like her could be so precise."
With a final, graceful pivot, M landed lightly back on her feet. A split second later, a series of sharp cracks echoed through the room, and every single golem shattered into pieces, collapsing into piles of rubble.
Licht whistled. "Now that was fun to watch. Let me give it a go."
"Fine, then," Liebe agreed.
Elizabeth sighed. "Those two really are monsters."
"Guess so," Liebe said with a slight smile.
Elizabeth turned to him, a curious look on her face. "Brother, do I have the King's Roar?"
Liebe's expression grew more serious. "No. But do you know why it's so powerful? It's a malice technique that works by giving off your own mana. Based on how strong it is, it damages people on the inside because their opponent's own mana can't process it and tears their body apart from the inside. And in order for someone to have it, they must be born with it or have lived a life full of tragedy where a certain negative emotion awakened inside them. It can be sorrow, hatred, or grief."
Alysa blinked. "Wait, so why does Licht have it? He sleeps for sixteen hours a day."
Liebe's face was deadpan. "Simple. It's sorrow, really."
"Sorrow?" Alysa asked, confused.
"Sorrow because he can't sleep twenty-seven hours a day," Liebe stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It is because of this harsh reality that Licht has it, despite the fact Jewel never did."
Alysa just stared at him for a moment before sighing. "I see."
A deep rumble shook the floor as a massive golem, ten meters tall, erupted from the stone.
Liebe cracked his neck. "This one has my name written all over it."
Licht gave him a thumbs-up. "Good luck."
M called out, "Don't disappoint!"
Liebe's dual swords were in his hands in a flash. "Dark Magic: Dark Cleanse Wave!" A single, sweeping arc of pure darkness shot forth, and the giant golem was instantly carved into dozens of pieces that clattered to the ground.
Meanwhile, any golem that moved toward Licht seemed to fall apart before it could even reach him.
Elizabeth squinted. "Brother, how is it that every golem that goes to attack Licht just turns to dust?"
"Afterglow: Condense and Pierce," Liebe explained. "Whenever any golem gets within a thirty-meter radius, he uses condensed light to strike their structural joints at high speed. It looks like they're falling apart on their own, but in reality, Licht is just that fast and precise."
With the last of the golems defeated, Licht stretched. "That was a nice warmup."
Liebe nodded. "I know."
Alysa grinned. "It has been far too long."
Fate gave a small, satisfied nod. "I can understand."
Isurugi inspected a piece of rubble. "These golems are indeed quite brittle."
They approached the ornate wall at the stairwell. Licht ran a hand over the dark, reflective surface. "What could this wall be made of?"
Liebe studied it closely. "From what I'm seeing, pure Aldinium, while the writings are made of Artinium."
Licht's eyes widened. "What the hell? Then this wall is—"
"Based on how it's made of pure Artinium and Aldinium, and seeing it's pure enough to form perfect reflections... this single block might just be worth over fourty million gold coins considering a kilo goes over 2000 gold coins," Liebe calculated.
Licht pumped his fist in the air. "We are rich!"
"Counting the archaeological and historical value," Liebe added, "maybe over fifty million."
M's eyes gleamed. "Does this mean what I think it means?"
"After selling this," Liebe confirmed, "we will have more than enough wealth to be comparable to the personal treasury of a member of the 25 Princes of Hell."
Licht was practically vibrating with excitement. "Yeahhhh! Let's take this back, sell it, and get rich! Then we can come back here whenever we want!"
"Not so fast," Liebe interjected, holding up a hand. "Let's see what it says first."
They all peered at the golden script, but the language was completely alien.
Elizabeth frowned. "What is it? It's a bunch of mumbo jumbo."
"I can't read it," Licht admitted, "but the script has certain grammatical patterns. It's a real language."
Isurugi stepped forward. "Please, allow me to see."
In the center of the tablet was a intricate emblem: a flame enveloped by dark wings, with golden tears falling into a silver chalice that cradled the fire itself.
Licht let out a low whistle. "This emblem looks beautiful."
On the corner of the text was the rough carving of a boulder, looking out of place.
Liebe pointed at it. "That is strange."
Isurugi's brow was furrowed in concentration. "This feels familiar..." He traced the symbols with his finger. "The only thing I was able to understand so far is a phrase: 'Wings of darkness, tears of gold, sacred flame protected by the virgin goddess of the hearth.'"
Liebe gestured to a set of hand-shaped impressions on the stone. "So what are these hand engravings?"
"Please, grant me a moment," Isurugi requested, his focus entirely on the text.
After a long silence, Isurugi looked up.
Licht leaned in. "What is it?"
Alysa was impatient. "Tell us!"
Isurugi looked frustrated. "What I understood is that... I don't know how to read it properly. The structure is too complex."
Curious, Liebe placed his hand over one of the engraved handprints. A jolt ran up his arm, and his vision swam with fleeting silhouettes and fragmented moments. He stumbled back, blinking.
Licht steadied him. "What happened?"
Liebe shook his head, trying to clear it. "I saw it."
"What did you see?" Licht pressed.
"I... I can't recall any of it," Liebe said, bewildered. "It was like a dream. The images are gone."
"Ok, then," Licht said, accepting the strange answer.
Isurugi spoke up again, his voice quieter. "One more thing. I caught fragments of something else. It states something about a failure... a crime... and well... a 'child of the abyss.' One who can't see the light, or can never be seen by the light."
Liebe absorbed this. "Ok. And does it say anything about the treasure of this dungeon? Or, like, the piece of Excalibur?"
Licht laughed and slapped Liebe on the back. "Dude, even if this tablet is worth three million gold, you still want more? How greedy are you being?"
Liebe shrugged, a familiar fire in his eyes. "What can I say? Eyes on the prize."
Alysa nodded in agreement. "Let's get that Excalibur."
Licht grinned. "I hope the piece falls upon me."
"Same," Liebe said. "Mostly because I can't have it."