Just as Luo Shu grew wary, Lacus's warning came through the Divine Pantheon Reconstruction System.
After reading the message, Luo Shu couldn't help but show a complicated expression.
After a moment's thought, he asked Nak directly with a grave expression:
"When you mentioned Guro earlier, were you referring to Guro Mardo?"
"Was it he who provided you with intel about this place?"
Guro Mardo, the Apostle of Life, who launched the attack during the Akihabara incident.
This information came from Hao Asakura, who had passed it to the Patch Tribe.
And the name 'Guro' had just been mentioned by Nak moments ago.
Under these circumstances, Luo Shu doubted these two could be different individuals sharing the same name.
Hearing Luo Shu mention Guro, Nak showed little surprise, merely glancing at him as she said:
"So you're the brat who severed one of Guro's arms?"
As she spoke, Nak scrutinised Luo Shu before letting out a derisive chuckle.
"A Demigod Rank disguised as Hero Rank, yet you managed to fool that vine monster. Not bad, kid."
Though descending through a vessel, an Apostle's discernment remained unchanged.
With just a brief look, Nak confirmed that Luo Shu's current situation mirrored her own - a vessel relying on some medium for manifestation.
For a mere vessel to possess Demigod-level concept manipulation and withstand her earlier assault... many barely-advanced Demigods couldn't achieve half as much.
So, another Top Tier Class then?
Should this be expected from the Purgatory World that even demons avoid? Barely any time after infiltrating, and she'd already encountered two Top Tier Class Demigods.
Nak inwardly marvelled at the Purgatory World's abundance.
In other words, this world had only just undergone changes, lifting the suppression on Apostle Ranks. Otherwise, a resource-rich planet like this would have long been drained dry by those Archdukes of the Seraphim Rank!
'So it really was that bastard...'
Having received Nak's confirmation, Luo Shu's lips twitched involuntarily as he mentally cursed the Apostle named Guro.
'That old fox got burned and now he's tricking others into scouting ahead, is he?'
'No wonder an Apostle suddenly attacked using a rare descent vessel.'
'So it was just a wild monster lured here!'
Realising this was someone Guro had deceived into coming, Luo Shu immediately understood things couldn't be settled peacefully.
He didn't know what that scheming Guro had told Nak, but it was certain the other party coveted their resources here.
Moreover, if Guro could lure one, he could lure two. If Luo Shu compromised now, he'd have to compromise countless times in future.
Only by beating them down until they feared him could he intimidate these demon spawn from True Hell!
Considering this, Luo Shu didn't hesitate at all, directly sending a specific coded signal to Lacus.
...
Monitoring room.
Lacus set down her white headphones and sighed:
"I'd anticipated this might happen, but I never thought it would come so quickly."
Hearing this, Yukino Yukinoshita, beside her, pursed her lips:
"So we'll have to expose that function after all?"
"If we don't, we likely won't achieve sufficient deterrence," Megumi Kato interjected gently. "And the situation may not be as bad as we predicted, right?"
"Perhaps." Yukinoshita sighed, glancing at Lacus's back.
By then, Lacus had already moved to the doorway. Leaning against the frame, she smiled at the two:
"I'll leave the rest to you."
With a wave, she exited the information room into the corridor.
Just then, she turned her head towards the elevators, showing slight surprise:
"To think they'd infiltrated this far..."
As she spoke, coloured lights flickered before the elevator. Echidna, dressed in black like a night fairy, appeared before it, smiling at Lacus:
"I believe this is our first meeting, Miss Clyne."
"The Witch of Greed from the Desire Faction, Echidna?"
Lacus tilted her head slightly, regarding the blocking Echidna with indifference:
"I see. You used the Tome of Wisdom to obtain the Hidden Management Department's garrison blueprints, neutralising the spatial displacement to infiltrate, didn't you?"
At the mention of the Tome of Wisdom, Echidna's expression changed before she forced a mocking smile:
"My, my. I've never shown that book to anyone since bringing it to this world."
The Tome of Wisdom.
A powerful Abyss Artefact capable of extracting information from the world itself, its ability approaching Angel Rank. It was Echidna's trump card, painstakingly formed by merging a treasure she'd brought from her original world.
Yet now, this closely guarded secret she'd desperately kept hidden had been casually revealed by the SDS Supreme Chairwoman.
This directly put Echidna in an awkward position.
If Lacus were more ruthless and publicly revealed she possessed such a treasure...
Echidna would likely face the combined forces of every faction in the world hunting her down.
Although the Tome of Wisdom could extract the world's memories to obtain information, Echidna's Spiritual Power wasn't infinite. She couldn't be gathering intelligence everywhere at all times.
Moreover, certain high-level abilities could inherently prevent information leaks, remaining unaffected by the Tome of Wisdom.
If these existences were to turn their gaze upon her...
Realising this, Echidna couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh:
"I thought I was coming to deliver checkmate, but it seems I'm the one being checkmated?"
Hearing this, Lacus merely glanced at her before striding forward and walking unhurriedly towards the elevator.
As Lacus passed Echidna and pressed the elevator button, she suddenly turned her head sideways and said:
"Not considering making a move?"
At these words, Echidna's eyes flickered uncertainly:
"Is there any meaning to this? After all, I can't guarantee that you're the only one who knows about this."
The elevator dinged as its doors slid open.
Lacus turned her head, glancing at the empty elevator with a smile playing on her lips:
"What if I told you that I'm indeed the only one who knows?"
The moment those words left her mouth, Echidna's pupils constricted, her right hand twitching as if to rise instinctively.
Bang!
La Folia blew across the muzzle of her pure gold incantation gun, dispersing the smoke before casting a sidelong glance at Echidna's collapsing body:
"This fool... Has using knowledge-gathering artefacts rotted her brain?"
"How could the Queen ever be without her Knight?"
At La Folia's remark, Lacus chuckled softly:
"So in La Folia's eyes, Luo Shu is the King then?"
La Folia froze momentarily before shooting Lacus an exasperated glare:
"In this sisterly bonding moment, why must you bring up some smelly man?"
Lacus merely smiled before lowering her gaze to Echidna's corpse. Noticing the already shifting features, she murmured under her breath:
"A false body... As expected, she kept a backup."
With that, Lacus stepped into the elevator without another glance at Echidna, pressing the descending button.
Her destination? The Hidden Management Zone deep underground!