Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

At this rate, it would take them days just to explore this floor. Finally, one of the guild leaders couldn't take this and spoke out —

"Expedition leader Brutus, we cannot go on like this. The effects of the Epsiloths will start having more influence the more we are exposed to its pheromone. If we do not hunt them fast, some of the weak levelled ones will not be able to resist it for long".

The one to speak was unexpectedly Manuel Baskerville, the guild leader of the Baskerville Guild. The man usually didn't take the initiative to provide his opinion yet today he was so proactive. Nevertheless, what he said, was entirely true.

The other guild leaders were also thinking the same. Their current pace was just too slow. It seemed like the leaders would descend into a discussion when the grey haired man wearing a mask, walked out from among the crowd.

"What the guild leader of Baskerville guild said is true, we need to hunt the Epsiloths fast. We won't be able to achieve that if we walk round and round. On top of that the mist is covering our vision, there is no way to know how big the floor is. We cannot waste time by walking in a large group like this".

Everybody fell silent when the grey haired man spoke.

"So what does Sir suggest?" Brutus asked.

"Well.. when we encounter something like this that plays with your mind in intermediate tier dungeons, we prioritise eliminating the cause before anything. It is the basic of the basic. In this case, the cause are the Epsiloths, they are creatures that hide themselves on top of a tree".

"Unless we approach a few meters around them, we won't be able to know which tree they are hiding in. So how about we do this, we will divide ourselves in ten teams with two guilds in each team working together to find the epsiloths and prioritising eliminating them". The guild leaders contemplated the suggestion in their heads.

The grey haired man was from that organisation so he clearly had more experience dealing in intermediate tier dungeons where a situation like this is nothing uncommon. The suggestion he gave also perfectly provided them with a solution.

They cannot use the same tactic they had been using on the other floors, different floors needed different tactics to tackle. Since they have to prioritise eliminating the Epsiloths in the fastest time possible, they cannot proceed to move collectively.

Dividing up into ten teams with two guilds working together in each team sounded appropriate. This way not only will they be able to move faster, one guild could also help the other in times of need.

Even if the situation between them was a little tense due to the incident that happened two days ago on the 34th floor, they weren't youngsters filled with vigour. Most of them could see the big picture and work together with the reward in mind.

Human wants were after all unlimited, the allure of the promised reward was so that even though the guilds had some distrust among each other, they were willing to join hands.

The guild leaders nodded their heads, the suggestion was accepted. The expedition force divided themselves into ten teams, with guilds that were the most familiar with each other working together.

Soon they all left in different directions to carry out their mission, eliminating the Episloths. At that moment nobody was able to see the grin on the guild leader of the Baskerville Guild as he left with the phantom light guild and disappeared into the mist.

-----

"Master… the adventurers have split up. The Epsiloths won't be able to hold them down for long" Annette commented observing the situation.

The 40th floor was meant to slow the progress of the adventurers down and the Epsiloths were the best way to do it. However, now that the expedition force has divided themselves up, it wouldn't be long before they hunt the Epsiloths and get out of the mist. Once out, there was no other trap to stop them.

"Haha… you are wrong Annette, I set the 40th floor with the intention to split them up".

Simon laughed, he was looking at the windows in front of him with calm eyes. Everything that had occurred until now, was within his expectation. The adventurers behaved just like he wanted them to, it was as if they were a trapped mice in a maze.

They moved according to the way he wanted them to. His years of experience as a senior game developer, was coming into use to him at this moment. By putting the adventurers in the position of a player, he could somewhat predict their next move.

Based on their conduct and thinking patterns, he could even alter their response to the one that favoured him the best. The reason why he hadn't set any traps other than the mist and Epsiloths on the 40th floor was because Simon had no need to.

The most deadliest trap on the 40th floor wasn't the Epsiloths but the adventurers themselves.

"It is not so easy to remove a bud of suspicion when it grows into one's heart. These adventurers have forgotten one thing, distrust can sometimes lead to a situation far worse than one can imagine if it is not resolved immediately".

Simon who had lived a life of both human and demon can peer through the adventurer's heart. His deep philosophical words evoked various kinds of response from his subordinates.

"You say that at this rate the Epsiloths will be hunted too soon and the floor doesn't have anything to stop them? Well, wait and watch as how these adventurers turn against each other. It's about time I take the wind out of their sails".

The master of the dungeon observed the scene with a wicked smile.

-----

Somewhere on the 40th floor, a group of around four hundred people comprising of two guilds marched forward. A dense amount of mist surrounded them and made visibility very low. Nevertheless, by using various sensory skills and marking their surrounding they were able to somewhat navigate around this place and avoid walking round and round.

"There is one Epsiltoh up on that tree past those bushes" A group of assassins tasked with leading the group, reported.

"Alright, take it out" A person dressed in high quality light leather armour, commented. He had short brown hair tied into a ponytail, a frowning face, and dark circles around his eyes.

Various gears like stilettos, daggers and pouches hung on his waist belt. He looked to be around 40 years old yet his poise was as sharp as a sword. The man was none other than Donte Goodman, the guild leader of the phantom light guild.

With a few words of his, the group behind him moved and immediately took out that Epsiloth that was hidden in that tree.

KREE…  a low cry sounded out and an ash white creature that looked like sloth, dropped on the ground.

"Jeez, these creatures are really a pain in the ass. They have zero offensive ability but their yawn causes such a hypnotic effect. We have already killed quite a few of them so the effect of the fog should start to dissipate a little. I wonder how the other teams are doing? Hmm?! Oi… Manuel, are you listening to me?".

Donte turned to his side and asked the man who stood equal to him. They were both guild masters of the two biggest guilds of the southern region of the kingdom hence their position was more or less the same.

"Huh? Yeah, I was listening" Manuel replied absentmindedly.

"Really? You look like you have been out of sorts since two days ago. Listen man, it was no one's fault, that incident was something that no one could have predicted. You can't let that weigh you down forever, you need to forget about it".

Donte patted Manuel's shoulder and consoled. The latter brushed his hand and started laughing all of a sudden.

"Hahaha… forget about it? Heh, it's so much easy for you to say. Your son didn't die in the mysterious ruins after all. Kuh, by the time, I came it was already too late, I couldn't even retrieve the dead body of my son. How could a person who hasn't lost anything understand me".

Manuel clutched his chest, his voice started going higher and higher at the end of his sentence.

"Listen man, I understand your feelings, we all have lost so much in that place" Donte tried to calmly resolve the situation but it was already too late.

The bud of suspicions within the guild leader of Baskerville guild had bloomed into a full born fire of hatred that wouldn't die down so easily.

Manuel who had continued to look down up until this moment finally lifted his head and gazed at Donte who immediately frowned his brows feeling the killing intent directed at him.

"Hey man calm down. There is no point delving in the past. What has occurred has occurred, you cannot go back in time and change it. You need to give a proper burial to your son and let it go".

"That's right, a burial will be necessary but it won't be for my son alone, your entire guild will be accompanying him" the moment his words fell, Manuel brought out his gauntlets and pounced towards Donte intending to slash his neck.

CLANG… a metallic noise rang out and the mist in the few meters area around them was blown away. A dagger had at some unknown point appeared in Donte's hand and stopped the blades of the gauntlet from digging into his neck.

"What are you doing?" Donte's voice was no longer as calm as before, it even had an added depth of anger in it.

"What am I doing? Something that I should have done a long time ago".

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