Listening to the messy "thud, thud, thud" of footsteps ahead, Fron's squad, wearing concealing masks, silently tracked their quarry.
Including Fron, the four-person squad was composed entirely of seasoned adventurers with rich combat experience, especially Ryu and Asfi.
Before changing careers and working as a tavern waitress, Ryu spent her days wandering through Orario's darkest corners, carrying out elaborate assassinations on targets, factions, and organizations linked to the Evilus.
Asfi's methods were even more flamboyant, relying on her Mystery development ability, she carried an endless array of magical tools for tracking, scouting, and intelligence gathering. For her, this kind of tailing was child's play.
Then there was Aisha Belka.
As a core executive of the former Ishtar Familia, an underground powerhouse and also a major backer of the Evilus, her experience in such missions was equally extensive.
After all, for a Familia that reigned over the Pleasure District while also funding the Evilus, how many shady tricks do you think they hadn't already mastered?
Compared to the three, who had honed their skills over countless years of accumulation, Fron was different.
Relying on his incredible talent for learning, analyzing, and understanding, he had in just over two years risen with the support of his Familia and achieved feats of exploration that rivaled the very best.
Even the monsters, with their naturally sharp five senses, hadn't noticed a group of seasoned veterans following close behind.
"Keep your footsteps as light as possible. See those demonic statues on the walls? The strange plants inside their eyes form part of the enemy's surveillance network. Don't expose a single flaw, we've worked hard to keep their attention focused on the monsters. I don't want this mission ruined."
Fron spoke quietly as they advanced, explaining the mechanisms of the Man-made Dungeon, Knossos.
Especially the surveillance system.
"There are plants like this even in the Dungeon? I've never even heard of such a thing. The craftsmen who built this labyrinth must've had terrifying skill."
Asfi adjusted her glasses as she ran.
"So that's it. It seems they also have a holder of the Mystery ability."
As fellow Mystery holders, she and Fron understood all too well the possibilities it unlocked.
"Stop."
At that moment, Ryu, who was leading at the front, raised her hand and narrowed her eyes, listening closely.
Fron, with his extraordinary stats, also picked up the faint chaotic noise ahead.
From the rear, he whispered:
"We're close. The commotion is probably at the chamber just ahead."
"Those monsters must have rushed in to rescue their companions. But… strange. Why would those scum capture such unusual monsters in the first place? They don't drop materials. What's the point of keeping them alive?"
Aisha Belka could not figure it out. What value did living monsters have?
In truth, not only the three locals, even Fron, with the broader perspective of a transmigrator, couldn't make sense of it.
Smuggling live monsters? There was a market for that? Just how twisted were these nobles, to the point of wanting to "play with monsters"?
The thought alone gave him chills. And don't be fooled by Fron's calm exterior, he was just as disgusted.
Asfi's expression shifted as she recalled her past.
…
When Fron's group carefully reached the end of the passage, a vast underground stone hall unfolded before their eyes.
The enormous hall had multiple tiers, every so often, a staircase would raise the floor to another level. In total, there were three such layers, perfectly corresponding to the height of a single dungeon floor.
The four exchanged glances, immediately understanding.
Then their eyes fell upon the chaotic battle raging in the hall, and the giant cages stacked at the sides.
The cages, made of special metal, had all been opened, releasing the monsters inside.
On the battlefield, one side was the monster horde, the other side, adventurers.
"These adventurers aren't pushovers. That bald one's level must be around 4."
"There, three Lv.4s and one Lv.5. With that strength, they'd rank among the best in all of Orario. For the Evilus to have amassed this much power over the years…!"
In just a short time, Fron's group, drawing on their experience, had gauged the approximate strength of the adventurers fighting the Xenos.
This alone was shocking enough.
But what startled them even more was,
"That's… Bell Cranel? Just a while ago under my command, he couldn't withstand a few exchanges, and now he's trading blows with Dix, a Lv.5? You've got to be kidding me!?"
Aisha Belka was dumbfounded, staring at the white-haired boy, scrambling and battered under Dix's relentless attacks.
Even Ryu and Asfi looked shocked, taken aback by the boy's sudden growth.
"…If I recall, he's only been in a Familia for about three months, right? And he's already Lv.3? Not just any Lv.3 either, at least an upper-tier one."
Fron made no move, quietly standing against the wall in the corner, listening to their murmurs, his eyes still fixed on the grand hall.
For him, the priority of this infiltration was mapping out the layout of the Man-made Dungeon.
Everything else, even Dix, the Lv.5 cursed wielder, was of little concern.
Armed with precise intel and overwhelming strength, Fron had a thousand ways to take him down if he wished.
Compared to the farce of the Ikeros Familia, the Man-made Dungeon was of far greater importance.
Others might not know, but Fron did.
Beneath this labyrinth lay six massive bombs, powerful enough to blow the entirety of Orario sky-high…