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The pit where the three fell was a deep abyss. Even Layla, who boasted the best eyesight among the Golden Mane, couldn’t see the bottom. It wasn’t until they strengthened their vision with mana that they finally saw the bottom.

“Damn it! We’re gonna die like this!”

“It’s ridiculously deep!”

Johnson and Roel, who were heavier than Layla, fell faster and shouted through the communication channel. They seemed oddly calm for people who were plummeting.

“Shut up and tear the scroll.”

Layla glared at the noisy duo, then pulled out a magic scroll from her pouch and tore it.

The torn scroll emitted a faint light, which soon seeped into Layla’s body, activating the magic.

Seeing this, Johnson and Roel also tore their scrolls.

Thanks to the Floating Magic Scroll, their falling speed gradually decreased, and they began to descend slowly.

Although the duration was short, the Floating Magic Scroll was relatively cheaper compared to flight magic scrolls, and its quick activation made it a popular item among rangers.

Naturally, the Golden Mane rangers were also required to carry Floating Magic Scrolls at all times.

Given the nature of ranger missions, which often involved infiltrating enemy territory or encountering unexpected situations during searches, carrying various magic scrolls was standard.

Among them, the Floating Magic Scroll was used most frequently, making it a must-have item.

Layla landed softly at the bottom of the abyss and reached into her tactical bag for a glowstone.

But she hesitated. She wondered if using the glowstone was the right choice for an infiltration mission.

Generally speaking, it was better not to use it. The basics of infiltration were to hide all sounds, shapes, and presence.

Even though this was a reconnaissance mission, it was essentially no different from infiltration, so not using the glowstone was the correct choice.

However, the person who had set up the barrier to hide this place must have prepared for intruders. It was possible that a detection spell had been activated without them noticing.

In that case, using the glowstone to remove the obstructing darkness might actually be a good decision.

After much deliberation, Layla decided not to take anything out of her tactical bag.

Even if the person who hid this place had noticed their intrusion, there was no need to risk revealing their position.

“Let’s move like this.”

“Aren’t you going to use the glowstone?”

“There’s no need to expose our position.”

“Understood.”

Johnson and Roel also didn’t take out their glowstones and formed a triangular formation.

They enhanced their vision with mana. Although they couldn’t see as clearly as in the light, their training allowed them to move forward without difficulty.

“I never thought there’d be something like this under the Academy.”

Layla nodded at Roel’s words. She felt the same way.

Who could have known there was such an abyss beneath the Academy?

Thinking about it, even if the barrier had been opened from the inside, it didn’t make sense for hundreds of Colossal Mechs to appear without any warning.

It was practically impossible for the Empire not to notice such a large number of Colossal Mechs heading towards the Academy.

According to witnesses, the Colossal Mech unit had appeared suddenly. They appeared outside the barrier without any warning signs and launched an attack before the defense system could activate.

Layla found this point particularly suspicious.

Colossal Mechs were enormous. Even an untrained civilian could easily see them moving if their eyes were intact.

Therefore, there was no realistic way to move hundreds of Colossal Mechs without the Imperial Intelligence Agency noticing. The fact that they appeared suddenly was more credible.

Perhaps the secret lies here…

Layla stopped her thoughts there and focused on exploring the surroundings.

With limited vision, she sharpened her hearing, touch, and even her sixth sense.

The three moved very slowly in a triangular formation. It took them twice as long to cover a distance of just a few dozen meters. They were trying to minimize noise and hide their presence.

After about five minutes, they saw a light in the distance. Layla signaled Johnson and Roel with her eyes, preparing for any unexpected situation.

“What’s this?”

Johnson’s bewildered thought echoed in his head. He had initially thought it was just a light illuminating the area, but as they entered, his perception changed.

It was a place filled with an indescribable aura. If he had to put it into words, it was a place where a mysterious energy flowed.

“Is that… an altar?”

“It looks like it.”

An altar made of white stone, carved with high-level craftsmanship, stood on a two-story-high staircase.

Layla, Johnson, and Roel cautiously climbed the stairs, wary of any traps. As expected, it was an altar made with exceptional skill.

“Don’t let your guard down, just in case.”

Layla reminded them of the danger and slowly examined the altar. In the center of the altar was a hand-shaped carving, seemingly designed to hold something.

What’s this?

Upon closer inspection, there were traces of movement near the hand carving. Specifically, there were marks where dust had been pushed aside, indicating it had been moved recently.

“Hmm. This might be some kind of mechanism trigger.”

“Or it could be a trigger to activate a magic circle.”

Roel and Johnson, who had approached, examined the carving and shared their thoughts. Layla agreed with both opinions. It was likely some kind of mechanism that would activate something.

“Let’s leave this for now and split up to investigate. We don’t have much time, so hurry.”

However, since they didn’t know what would happen if they moved it, they decided to continue searching the surroundings. Their reason for being here wasn’t to investigate the hand carving but to uncover the traitor’s identity.

After descending from the altar, they split into three directions to gather clues. Soon, they found a place that resembled a study, with a desk, chairs, and bookshelves.

“Who has the sensibility to build a study in such an abyss?”

“With that barrier, they probably thought no one would come in.”

“Enough chit-chat. We need to check the materials before dawn.”

Layla picked up an old book on the desk. Seeing a bookmark, she carefully flipped through the pages and began reading the written words.

“This is a journal documenting my life.”

What she had opened wasn’t a book but a handwritten journal. Intrigued by the grand expression, Layla quickly skimmed through the beginning and widened her eyes in surprise.

The journal appeared to be written by the Conqueror Terodamas himself. While verifying its authenticity was a task for historians, Layla thought it might indeed be his journal.

Aside from the detailed content, Terodamas’s ring seal, which was said to have disappeared with his death, was stamped at the beginning and end of the journal. The ring seal was magically treated, making it virtually impossible to forge.

This meant that the journal with Terodamas’s ring seal was either written by someone who had obtained his ring and imitated him, or it was genuinely written by Terodamas himself.

“Historians would go crazy if they saw this.”

“Leader, put that aside for now and look at this.”

Roel handed over a stack of densely written papers. As Layla skimmed through the contents, she furrowed her brow.

“Damn it. There really was an insider.”

The contents of the papers were as expected. They outlined a plan to attack the Academy.

The motives, as well as the expected repercussions of success or failure, were detailed, confirming that there was a traitor within the Academy.

However, the identity of the writer was unknown, but with handwriting analysis, it would only be a matter of time before they were identified.

“Let’s take this and go back. We should revisit this place later.”

“Understood. Then, let’s figure out how to get out of here…”

“What the hell!”

“Screech!”

Johnson, who had been communicating via telepathy, grimaced and pushed Layla aside. Where Layla had been standing, a light flashed, and a severed arm flew through the air.

What the hell just happened?

Layla was confused by the sudden turn of events but quickly regained her composure, crouching down and glancing at Johnson.

He was struggling to stop the bleeding from his severed right arm.

“Well, well. I never dreamed there would be guests visiting my secret place.”

An elderly man appeared as if out of nowhere, and Layla gritted her teeth.

Horizon, as if declaring they couldn’t escape, exuded an air of leisure.

Seeing this, Johnson, despite sweating profusely, chuckled. There was only one thing to do in this situation.

“Roel. Take the leader and escape.”

“Johnson, what the hell are you talking about?”

“Leader, you know it’s impossible for all three of us to escape. Take the materials and go back.”

“A leader who abandons their comrades? Where in the world does that exist!”

Layla shouted in frustration at Johnson, but Roel was already grabbing her arm and pulling her away.

“There’s no time. We need to go quickly.”

“Roel, what are you…”

Layla, about to shout at Roel, closed her mouth when she saw him biting his lip so hard that blood was dripping.

She had to understand the feelings of Johnson and Roel, who were the closest among the Golden Mane team leaders.

“Make sure the mission succeeds. Pour me an expensive drink at my grave later.”

“…Understood.”

Layla trembled with the helplessness of having to abandon her comrade and run.

But now, as the unit leader of the Golden Mane, she had to make a decision.

Layla and Roel took one last look at Johnson and immediately turned to flee.

Horizon, who had been watching the entire situation, clapped his hands.

“A splendid melodrama. But that’s what made it worth watching. Hehe, I must pay a viewing fee for such a beautiful melodrama.”

“Go to hell.”

Johnson raised his trembling left middle finger.

Horizon realized the man was deliberately provoking him to buy time for his comrades to escape.

Even though he knew it was futile. That was both admirable and intriguing.

“Don’t worry about your comrades. I’ll send them to join you soon.”

“I may have lost an arm, but I’m still a team leader of the Golden Mane. So, you better be prepared. I’m going to kill you.”

Johnson prayed that Layla and Roel would escape safely as he charged at Horizon.

 

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