Dusk fell.

The thirteenth entrance to the forest was a narrow, winding path.

It was common for a single maze to have multiple entries—especially in open terrain like the "forest." Main routes, trodden by countless adventurers, were relatively safe. Side paths? Not so much.

They stepped into the sunset-lit woods. Gnarled trees twisted skyward, swaying like ghostly silhouettes in the wind. Amana Forest’s humid, muddy terrain made nighttime exploration perilous. Once night fell, anyone still inside would hastily camp to avoid sinking into the mire. Mosquitoes, flies, and venomous insects stirred after dark, so they carried ample repellent and bug-repelling torches. With Naji, their priestess, absent, caution was vital.

"Um… Mylora? Didn’t the captain give you plenty of gear? Why… did you switch back to your old set?"

"…Nothing. Her equipment is too exalted for someone like me to aspire to."

"???"

Ji Xue sensed Mylora’s mood souring. Had she… argued with the captain?

"By the way… is the captain’s intel reliable? About the lord’s location?"

"Confirmed—it’s in the swamp area."

Mylora deployed her full scout prowess, deftly avoiding every monster. Ji Xue stayed sharp too; if spotted, she’d swiftly eliminate threats with high-damage, high-crit strikes.

Daylight faded. The orange sun vanished below the horizon. The last twilight was swallowed by the dense canopy. Miasma seeped through the trees. Swarms of insects thickened. The air reeked of rot and dampness, faintly laced with unknown floral scents. Without miasma ward stones, they couldn’t have pressed on.

After a grueling trek, full darkness settled—and they reached the swamp’s edge.

Night draped the marsh: puddles, mud, gravel, and soggy meadows blended together. Rotting fungi and moss stained the mire, tainting the breeze with decay. Crossing on foot was dangerous—one misstep into a pit meant entrapment. Mylora led, guided by the System’s terrain scan. Ji Xue followed closely, sword ready.

Their route strayed far from common paths—a direction few ever took. As Mylora pushed aside a thick patch of foul-smelling reeds—

"…This is it."

She raised her torch, pointing at a mud pit ahead.

Roughly thirty to forty square meters, faintly shaped like an equilateral triangle—unlike the irregular pits around it, yet easily missed beneath mud and reeds.

"Are you sure?" Ji Xue asked, worry in her voice.

"It has to be. The secret entrance’s hidden below. No sane person would jump in willingly—that’s why it stayed undiscovered."

"Now that you mention it…"

Ji Xue slashed downward. Her blade cut the mud—but only unnatural ripples spread. No splatter.

"Definitely suspicious… But what if it’s a trap? What if the captain’s intel was wrong?"

"We have to try."

【No hesitation. I’ve detected it—the lord is absolutely down there!】

Urged by the System, Mylora took a deep breath and leaped in, vanishing into the muck—startling Ji Xue.

Seconds later, her head surfaced.

"Stairs below. This mud layer’s an illusion. It’s… kinda gross. Steel yourselves."

Ji Xue jumped in too. A brief icy chill passed through her. Then—open eyes. A vertical shaft. Spiral stone steps descended into darkness.

The passage was real.

Good news? Neither felt like smiling.

What lay below was… utterly revolting.

Stifling heat. Limited torchlight. Humid air clung like gelatin. A sharp stench filled the space. Walls and steps were coated in sticky, crimson-black sludge—resembling melted rot. Basketball-sized white blisters pulsed faintly within. Like… massive insect eggs?

This place triggered primal disgust.

"Mylora… should we go on?"

"Mm. Proceed. Retreat immediately if anything feels off."

"Got it…"

They descended cautiously on slick steps. Nearly half an hour passed before solid ground greeted their feet. Ahead stretched a black cavern. Insect eggs littered the floor—some pulsed like beating hearts, oozing unknown horrors.

"This place… is terrifying…"

"Indeed…"

"And doesn’t it feel… too quiet?"

"Stay on high alert."

As Mylora spoke, she silently messaged the System:

(Scan quickly. If enemies—)

【Scan complete. Raise the torch.】

(?)

She obeyed.

—illuminating a deathly pale, skeletal face.

Human-like… but with insectoid compound eyes and chitinous tentacles writhing from its mouth.

"What the—?!" "Eeek!?!?"

Ji Xue reacted on instinct. Sword flashed. A shriek cut short. Fetid black blood sprayed. The creature plopped to the ground—it had been clinging to the ceiling.

They stepped closer.

A bug. Adult-sized.

Humanoid face fused to an insect body—a grotesque mix of cricket, fly, and roach, mold sprouting at its joints. Amana Forest, blessed by Nurgle, bred revolting monsters. But this—"Face Bug"—was arguably the most abhorrent in the entire labyrinth.

【Proceed. Numerous but weak. Stay cautious.】

(Understood…)

Tense, they pressed deeper into a wider chamber. Human-sized eggs lined the floor. The moment they approached—cracks splintered. Slime-dripping Face Bugs screeched, bursting forth.

"Ji Xue, engage!"

"I know! Watch your back, Mylora!"

Ji Xue danced between mandibles and claws, her blade severing joints with each flash. Mylora followed the System’s real-time commands, intercepting survivors. The System analyzed every movement, ensuring she struck first.

They fought while advancing—brute force, evasion, stealth. Corpses piled behind them. The swarm thickened. Danger mounted. Yet with the System’s guidance, just two held the line.

Then—

The Face Bugs retreated.

They vanished into shadows, halting all attacks, as if fearing something ahead.

【Alert: Lord’s chamber reached.】