Chapter 65: Chapter65-Deep Within the Labyrinth
John and Exiled Immortal should have had every confidence in dealing a heavy blow to him, yet both had frozen in place, not making a move.
Facing Elowen\'s question, John sighed deeply and replied, "I don\'t mean to hide anything from you.
The person we saw, I indeed recognize. He was once a companion of Helena and Exiled Immortal.
In the end, however, he cruelly killed another teammate, forcing us to take action and eliminate him.
The strange thing is, I thought he was dead. I never expected to encounter him here."
John rubbed his temples, still finding it hard to believe what he had seen.
Yuta, who had been directly hit by [Starfall], was instantly killed, and although Lawrence, being a knight, had more stamina, he shouldn\'t have had any chance of escaping.
After all, both the leaderboard and the friends list had shown Lawrence\'s death status. How had he come back to life?
"I\'m sorry, Elowen. It was our momentary distraction that allowed Lawrence to escape. I will give you an explanation for this."
"No, it\'s alright. I understand your feelings, Master John. If an old companion came back to life, anyone would be stunned. But please understand my feelings as well. I won\'t rest until I avenge Lyra\'s death!
It\'s my oversight to impose this on both of you. I will continue to pursue that murderer. During this time, you can choose to stand aside. As long as you don\'t interfere, I will be satisfied."
"Elowen, you misunderstand. I have no qualms about helping you kill him. Lawrence\'s sudden appearance just startled me. Next time we meet, I won\'t hesitate to act."
"Jo-John... who did you say you saw?"
Unnoticed by everyone, Helena had somehow already made her way into the labyrinth. From a distance, she spotted John and the others.
Initially, she intended to ask John and Exiled Immortal why they were acting alone, but she overheard the name Lawrence, which only deepened her curiosity.
"I think I heard you mention Lawrence. Did you see him?"
John\'s face turned pale as he instinctively looked at Exiled Immortal.
The latter immediately turned his back, pretending to be on alert, clearly not intending to share John\'s burden.
But how was John supposed to answer Helena\'s question?
"H-How could that be? You must have misheard. How could we encounter Lawrence in a place like this? He\'s dead, after all. He can\'t be here, right, Exiled Immortal?"
John grabbed Exiled Immortal by the collar, pulling him over. Exiled Immortal\'s legs flailed like he was dog-paddling, his face blank as he stared at Helena.
"That\'s right, Big Sis, you misheard. We didn\'t see Lawrence."
"So, I misheard? No, that\'s not the point! Why did you two sneak out? What are you up to? Tell me the truth!"
"Elowen asked us for help. The elven scout team is trapped in the labyrinth. He hoped we could lend a hand. Since you were taking care of Lily and time was of the essence, we decided to come out on our own. Unfortunately, we were still a step too late. Elowen\'s companions have already been..."
John sighed deeply, filled with regret. If they had come sooner, perhaps there might have been a chance to save them.
Now, not only did they fail to save anyone, but Lawrence also managed to escape.
Hearing this, Helena finally noticed the bodies behind Elowen and apologized, "I\'m sorry, Elowen..."
"Miss Helena, I need to continue pursuing the murderer. Could you please take care of my companions\' bodies? I cannot, and will not, leave them in this dark, damp place. If possible, I want to take them home."
"No problem, leave it to me."
"Then it\'s settled. Exiled Immortal, you stay here and protect Helena. I\'ll go further into the labyrinth with Elowen."
Without waiting for a response, John pushed Exiled Immortal aside and gave him a meaningful look.
Exiled Immortal inwardly lamented his fate.
If he could, he really didn\'t want to be left alone with Helena right now. After all, he had indeed seen Lawrence.
If he accidentally let something slip and Helena found out, what then?
But leaving Helena here by herself wasn\'t appropriate either...
"Alright, John, you... hurry back," Exiled Immortal said, waving them off. He didn\'t want to dwell on it; the more they acted suspiciously, the more likely Helena would get suspicious.
"Helena, if anything dangerous happens, don\'t worry about Exiled Immortal. Just leave immediately. This labyrinth... something\'s off. Everyone who enters is likely to experience hallucinations."
"Hallucinations? A labyrinth like this exists?" Helena exclaimed in surprise, completely believing John\'s words without a hint of doubt.
Hearing this, Exiled Immortal couldn\'t help but want to give John a thumbs up.
With that explanation, even if Lawrence did show up later, Exiled Immortal would have some leeway and wouldn\'t be immediately exposed.
"Anyway... stay safe."
"I understand."
John nodded slightly, then turned and led Elowen deeper into the labyrinth.
One thing John couldn\'t shake off was the feeling of unease.
He wasn\'t sure if it was just his imagination, but when he saw Lawrence, he felt a trace of an aura that belonged to [Deception Apostle].
But how could Lawrence be connected to [Deception Apostle]?
"Elowen, if we encounter the murderer later, remember not to rush in. Leave everything to me."
"Thank you, Master John, but if possible, I still hope to avenge Lyra myself."
"At least wait until I understand the situation before you act."
John\'s sense couldn\'t be wrong. It was indeed the aura of [Deception Apostle].
Unfortunately, the situation was urgent, and John didn\'t have the time to think too deeply about it.
"Elowen, what lies in the deepest part of this labyrinth?"
"I\'m not entirely sure, but you\'ve reminded me, Master John. About a month ago, the Queen came to the labyrinth to suppress a monster uprising. After she left, she ordered the elves to stay away from the labyrinth unless absolutely necessary."
"The Elf Queen was here?"
That was strange.
Would NPCs\' behavior logic prompt them to explore player dungeons like labyrinths and underground cities?
John couldn\'t figure it out, so he decided not to dwell on it.
As long as they found Lawrence, all these mysteries would naturally be solved.
With this in mind, John exhaled deeply and glanced at Elowen. His determined gaze showed no hint of hesitation.
It was clear that Lyra\'s death had been a huge shock to Elowen, making it hard for him to accept.
John could fully understand Elowen\'s feelings, but what concerned him more was the connection between Lawrence and [Deception Apostle].
"Do you remember what the Elf Queen said when she returned?"
"I can\'t quite recall. She only warned us not to approach the labyrinth, saying it was very dangerous. Normally, our patrols don\'t go near the labyrinth, so no one paid much attention at the time. Master John, is there a problem?"
"I think I understand the changes in Elaria. It\'s very likely related to the labyrinth."
A month ago, Elaria went to the labyrinth and then warned her people to stay away from it.
Around the same time, Elaria\'s desires started to intensify every few days, to put it bluntly, she constantly craved intimacy.
Thinking of this, John felt a chill run down his spine.
If his guess was correct, [Lust Apostle] must reside in the deepest part of the labyrinth!