When Angel finished asking the last question and withdrew the Power of Nightmare Illusion, Mathewsa’s eyes rolled back and she fainted on the ground.
The surrounding mist gradually dissipated, and the young boy Kolo was the first to see his mother lying on the ground.
During the days living here, Kolo had seen much death, and knew that death meant eternal farewell. He most admired his parents as "Heroes," but also feared receiving news of their demise one day.
Now, looking at his mother’s pale face, seemingly "dead," Kolo’s pupils widened suddenly, and his emotions nearly collapsed in an instant.
Kolo had previously been terrified of those few people on the opposite side, but at this moment, he seemed to forget his fear and charged at them, swinging his harmless wooden sword.
"You killed Mom... I’m going to kill you, kill you!"
Kolo’s eyes were red, like an enraged beast. But in the eyes of others, he seemed more like a mewling kitten.
The reckless charge resulted in chaos and disarray.
A large, translucent blue hand blocked Kolo’s path, and Kolo, unaware, was knocked aside and fell to the ground.
Even though he fell, Kolo endured the pain and stood up, intending to charge again.
However, Angel didn’t give him a chance, and the Hand of Magic grabbed his cloak, lifting the frenzied child into the air.
"Your mother isn’t dead." Angel’s direct statement left no room for nonsense, and he threw Kolo beside Mathewsa.
In his frenzied state, Kolo didn’t understand what Angel had said, but when he landed beside his mother and saw her chest still rising and falling, Kolo finally "awoke."
The explosion he had just experienced drained Kolo’s willpower, leaving him exhausted, sitting on the ground, silently shedding tears as he looked at his mother’s pale face.
"I said before, such a disobedient child just needs a few whips to behave. Why do you bother explaining to him? What’s the point?" Dox grumbled at Angel.
Angel simply gave Dox a puzzled look: "Are you learning from Modia?"
After a pause, Angel continued: "He didn’t do anything wrong."
To Angel, Kolo was not at fault. Even if Kolo displayed anger, wasn’t it ultimately caused by their intrusion? Thus, they were the ones disrupting the balance.
However, while Angel reflected inwardly, he went no further. He considered others’ positions when choosing between battle and negotiation, but before that, he primarily prioritized his own needs. That’s why he used the Art of Nightmare Illusion on Mathewsa without hesitation.
Now that the goal was achieved, the rest was no longer important.
"You heard Mathewsa’s words earlier. The Hero Squad has three secret gathering places, which represent three entrances to the Underground Labyrinth. But the Hero Squad only operates on the surface, never venturing deep, so we’ll have to test which one leads to the destination."
After a pause, Angel cast a meaningful glance at Dox and continued: "The target location, barring unforeseen circumstances, corresponds to the area centered around the forbidden zone, encompassing regions three, four, and... some nearby areas."
Angel was unfamiliar with the specific divisions here and could only refer to the zones he knew.
"The first passage entrance is southwest of Zone Three, connecting Zone Two and Zone Three. This is a bit far from the destination, and I personally think it’s unlikely. But the Hero Squad dared not go deep, so it’s possible there are other forks in Zone Three."
"The second passage is north of Zone Three, the Hero Squad’s initial target upon reaching the third zone. According to Mathewsa, they heard about this entrance from a dying adventurer, rumoring that inside lies gold and antique items not yet completely decayed, but also unknown dangers. The Hero Squad has recently rooted themselves near the second passage. I feel this has a higher probability since the presence of gold and antiques in an underground passage suggests proximity to then-official underground agencies, and our target location isn’t far from the official agencies."
"The third passage..." Angel looked at the wall opposite the cellar: "It’s right behind this wall. According to Mathewsa, behind this wall is an underground passage leading to a large underground structure, akin to a Colosseum. But inside, there’s no threat from Magical Creatures or mechanisms, used by the Hero Squad as a resting place and supply point."
Kolo’s presence in the cellar was due to coming out from the supply point, waiting for the return of his mother Mathewsa.
"However, they didn’t find any other passages inside, suggesting it might be a dead end. Yet a standalone underground building with only one exit is quite peculiar. I sense there might be other routes hidden inside."
After briefly analyzing the information on the three passages, Angel turned his gaze to Dox: "Dox, what’s your take?"
Dox looked skeptical: "How could I know? Didn’t you already analyze it?"
Angel: "I mean, which path do you think we should take?"
Dox reflexively answered: "How would I know... You’re not treating me as a Prophet Wizard again, are you? I’ve said before, my intuition only appears more frequently than other Wizards, not to the extent you’re imagining!"
Angel simply pursed his lips, acknowledging Dox’s ignorance. Actually, Dox’s spiritual intuition was already forming a talent, as evidenced by almost every correct choice being unconsciously driven by him, though he himself hadn’t realized it.
Angel didn’t point it out, as breaking this illusion might cause a contrary effect. Only when Dox sees through it himself will this talent truly manifest.
Angel turned to the slate held by Vay: "Black Earl, do you have any suggestions?"
Black Earl: "I’m just a nose, not a brain, don’t ask me such questions. Besides, my luck decision is exhausted, you better make the choice yourselves."
Black Earl emphasized "yourselves," clearly recognizing Dox’s situation and ignorance, otherwise he would have directly said "you decide" without including "yourselves."
"’Yourselves’ means letting Dox choose, and Angel make the decision."
Dox didn’t catch Black Earl’s deeper meaning, murmuring under his breath: "I don’t believe you’d easily exhaust such a trump card."
Black Earl: "When I say it’s exhausted, it’s exhausted. Are you doubting me, Red Sword boy?"
Dox hurriedly waved his hands: "I believe, I believe. I mean, Black Earl certainly has other trump cards sufficient to guide our direction."
As Dox’s old friend, Vay chimed in supportively: "Of course, Dox isn’t questioning the lord’s authority."
Black Earl ignored Vay, reduced to a tool, merely exerted energy pressure to intimidate Dox, then turned to Angel: "Don’t waste effort, figure out how to make decisions, if necessary, try each one."
Angel: "Let’s do this, we’ll vote in order from left to right based on our current standing."
The current standing, from left to right: Kaier, Vay, Dox, Angel.
After Angel spoke, he looked at Black Earl.
Black Earl naturally understood Angel’s intention: "Although foolish, it’s a plan, let’s proceed, but I’ll be last. Vay’s vote doesn’t count as mine."
"Since Black Earl agrees, let’s proceed. No problem with Black Earl as the finale, final judgment." Angel: "By the way, to prevent peer influence, I’ll establish a one-way Mind Ribbon for each one of you, linking you all. You just need to state your vote in the Mind Ribbon."
"Finally, no abstaining from voting, even a random choice is better than abstaining."
After speaking, Angel established a mind ribbon, connecting everyone with himself as the center.