Divine Luck: SSS-Rank Battle Maid Harem-Chapter 422: Source Of Discomfort
Zach would have liked to ask Mandra or perhaps Yanael if they sensed anything ominous, but they were busy so he held off on that and instead turned to Nora.
"Do you feel anything strange?"
Nora was silent as she thought for a moment before slowly shaking her head.
"I cannot say I do, Young Master. Why do you ask?"
"I’ve got a bad feeling is all."
Nora frowned slightly.
If Zach had a feeling bad enough to make him voice it and even ask her about it, it was probably a significant feeling. And it most likely had nothing to do with how he felt personally.
Nora’s gaze sharpened as she scanned the outside of the fortress, adjusting her hands so that she could easily grab the daggers in her sleeves. She was on alert.
Zach was also on alert, his gaze sweeping over the battlefield.
But nothing happened. His familiars weren’t struggling or even getting injured.
The only thing Zach could confirm was that the source of his bad feeling wasn’t nearby. He didn’t even know why he was feeling it. He usually wasn’t this sensitive. Either something more ominous and dangerous than he had ever faced hovered just outside his range of detection or he was imagining it. He could also just be extra paranoid due to his condition and subconsciously exaggerating what he felt.
The principal had never directed any kind of power, killing intent, or even a weighted gaze toward him, but Zach had accidentally looked at him with the full power of his Eyes of Truth. He had trouble believing that he was currently facing someone or something more powerful than that.
On the other hand, it made sense. Only someone or something stronger than the principal could keep the Labyrinth of Vidur undefeated throughout history. But were there rules to follow? Did it like seeing the Labyrinth entrants struggle for as long as possible? Could it not do anything but watch unless all the monsters were defeated?
Zach frowned in realization. His string of questions made him realize something he and the others had overlooked.
Where did the monsters come from? Why did they drag their fallen companions down with them whenever they retreated? What was the source of their reanimation?
The Basilisk hadn’t revived on its own. It had needed Zoe’s heart and someone to put it there.
It stood to reason that the monsters, while the process was different, were being brought back to life by someone.
People in history were intelligent. Zach knew he couldn’t be the first to think of this, even if he didn’t think many had the experience of dealing with something similar before entering the Labyrinth.
Zach sighed and lamented his current weakness. Otherwise, he could have been more proactive in looking for answers to all his questions about the Labyrinth of Vidur.
However, there wasn’t much he could do about it now, and there wasn’t anything he could have done differently that wouldn’t have led to an even more troublesome situation regarding the Underworld.
The monsters maintained their siege for a few hours before retreating just as they had done the night before.
When Yanael and the other familiars returned to his side, he asked them if they had noticed anything or felt something while they fought. They hadn’t gotten the same bad feeling Zach had, but they all expressed a sensation of being watched. They couldn’t tell from where, but it felt like someone or something was watching them fight.
"It’s safe to say something intelligent is controlling those monsters, then. It would also be pretty safe to assume that killing that something would lead to us conquering this Labyrinth," Zach said.
His maids nodded. They didn’t have anything to suggest otherwise.
"I think we should act fast in that case, Master," Yanael said. "We still don’t understand the mechanic behind the monsters’ growth, but it is rapid. With how seemingly endless they are, getting to the mastermind would be difficult even for us."
Zach nodded slowly. He glanced at the fortress’ insides, where Dukiel was resting. He couldn’t say he wanted to leave Dukiel behind.
But at the same time…
Dukiel and his familiars were a step behind Zach and his familiars. Zach was in a pretty poor state, but as long as he forced himself a little, he was still strong. He would just delay his recovery a little.
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There was also the fact that he had fought against Ugor alone. Yanael had endured his torture alone.
Zach knew Dukiel and the others had been caught and imprisoned by Julius and Monolith. They couldn’t join the fight even if they wanted to. Zach knew it wasn’t their fault.
But he couldn’t help but feel that they didn’t meet his standards. They…
He couldn’t trust them with his back against an opponent strong enough to threaten it.
"We should be able to follow their tracks if we go now, Master," Yanael said, convincing Zach.
Zach nodded. He quickly scribbled a note and placed it where Dukiel would find it before leaping into Yanael’s arms and having her carry him off the wall. The other maids, Nora included, were right on their tail and landed in the snow beneath the wall soundlessly.
Zach threw up a barrier to protect them—mostly him—against the cold wind as they started walking down the mountain, straight into the darkness that had swallowed the monsters.
Zach’s world essence energy was dormant, but his Eyes of Truth passively let him see well enough in the darkness. Yanael, Alzara, Soara, and Mandra all were too good to be obstructed by something as simple as an atmosphere devoid of most light.
Nora, who had been trained in the arts of sneaking around by her mother, was also used to darkness. As soon as she adapted to it well enough to see the monster tracks in the snow, she took the lead with Mandra by her side. Yanael and Zach were in the middle, and Soara and Alzara guarded the rear.
As they walked, Zach could feel that they were getting closer to the source of his discomfort. Enjoy exclusive content from novelbuddy
