Isekai Adventure in the Dimensional Cube

The time slightly shifts back to a few minutes ago.

At this point, with the help of Toka who is stationed in the maze's main hall, Thanatos falls through the movable, super-hard metal floor to the next level.

After landing on this floor, Thanatos disregarded the pain in his back and immediately began to run away.

"Oh my, that was really a close call."

He exclaimed while running, showing no sign of panic.

Because the outcome was not entirely unexpected for him.

When he prepared to stand out and hold off Reiger, Thanatos had already anticipated the possibility of failure.

After all, he was currently an omniscient yet powerless god whose divine power was sealed, and even with the charming Ishtar and the war god Jali accompanying him, facing the small monster that could easily defeat the floor boss Barrog on the 49th floor of the underground city, delaying actions was very likely to fail.

If it was a normal human, facing that small monster might not even have the thought of resistance.

Thanatos dared to stand out, as Jali said, it was indeed quite brave.

Of course, this was also because Thanatos knew he wouldn't be killed as the people of the lower world dared not casually violate the taboo of slaying gods.

In his mind, at worst, he would just be captured by Reiger as he said and not immediately killed, thereby sent back to Heaven.

As long as he wasn't immediately sent back to Heaven, it would be possible to figure out a way to escape.

For the Thanatos Clan that possessed the various traps of the artificial maze Knossos, this was not an impossible task.

Fortunately, he wasn't caught and managed to escape smoothly.

Thanks to Ishtar serving as a decoy for a while, and the sacrifice of his followers, coupled with Ye'en's intervention, he managed to escape like this.

"That's good, Ishtar and Jali will probably be furious now, won't they?"

In this way, he considered them abandoned. Though Jali might be indifferent, Ishtar would surely be furious, possibly even seeking trouble for him later.

That's how the Beauty God was, petty and narrow-minded, unable to tolerate much.

"Forget about them, better think about how to survive this crisis."

Thanatos brainstormed as he ran.

Right now, they seemed to be in dire straits, but it wasn't entirely without a chance for a comeback.

The small monster, unable to be controlled, was bound to cause a rampage in this artificial maze, and might even break into the 10th level, encountering "that" entity awaiting on standby, with a decisive impact on their plan.

But the rest of the Loki Familia didn't have such great influence, nor such strong power.

It's actually not to say that they were in a bad situation, compared to Reiger who rampaged recklessly downwards, they were on the brink of potentially being forced into a desperate situation and losing their lives.

Therefore...

"We can think of ways to leak the information from over there to the small monster, attracting its attention."

"As long as he knows his companions are in danger, the small monster won't continue to rampage downwards but instead go to rescue his companions."

"Although bringing the people of the Loki Familia and that small monster together isn't a good thing, it's better than letting the Limit Breaker enter the 10th level and meet 'that'."

Contemplating these things, Thanatos revealed a smile once again.

"No matter what, even if the Loki Familia manages to escape, it won't affect our plan."

"Soon, Orario will turn into ruins."

"At that time, the world I have hoped for will surely arrive."

There are many kinds of gods.

There are gods like Frey and Ishtar who hold authority over beauty, and there are gods like the forging god Hephaestos who are devoted because they have achieved accomplishments in a certain domain.

Thanatos belongs to this type as well.

He is the god of death, controlling and presiding over death.

In Heaven, Thanatos' duty is to manage the souls of deceased children from the lower world.

Sometimes he gives punishment, sometimes he purifies, sometimes he gives praise, and sometimes he allows reincarnation; that's his work and his mission.

But after the chaotic ancient times ended, and the underground city was sealed, Maze City Orario emerged, marking the beginning of the age of gods descending to the lower world, Thanatos' work had gradually become leisurely.

Because fewer people died.

Because fewer souls came to Heaven.

Monsters could no longer pour out from the underground city, powerful adventurers emerged thanks to the blessings of the gods, acquiring strength to fight monsters, reducing the number of sacrifices, and substantially decreasing the souls returning to Heaven, thus making Thanatos, the god of death, no longer busy.

However, Thanatos felt dissatisfied with this.

"Life and death are two sides of the same thing."

"With no births of the deceased, yet the number of the living continuously increased, it would only make the cycle of the lower world go wrong and clog."

"It was better before, children kept dying, and I had things to do."

With such an idea, Thanatos descended to the lower world.

"Children can die a bit more."

With such thoughts, the god of death became an Evil God, established a dark faction in the eyes of the world, intending to bring death and chaos to the lower world.

So, when the followers of the Urban Destroyer (Enyo) appeared before him, seeking collaboration and proposing the plan to destroy Orario, Thanatos accepted without hesitation.

He wanted the maze city to disappear.

He wanted the ancient times to return.

He wanted to see many souls returning to Heaven, restoring the original cycle and the balance of life and death.

At that time, he would return to Heaven and continue fulfilling his duties as a god of death.

Therefore...

"The plan to destroy Orario must succeed."

Thanatos, smiling as he muttered to himself, seemed to have already forgotten.

Reiger said, he was just a tool man.

"————"

At a certain moment, Thanatos stopped running underground.

"...Who are you?"

He stared in astonishment at the figure who had somehow appeared before him.

It was a person (or god) wearing a violet indigo robe that covered the whole body, with a black cloak on top, from which several masks hung, creating an eerie feeling.

Thanatos had never seen the figure before, nor did he recognize this person.

Yet from the aura emitted by the figure, Thanatos was certain that this was another god like himself.

"...Erinyes?"

Thanatos asked, unsure.

The response to Thanatos was a sudden action from the figure.

"Splat!"

A sharp blade pierced through Thanatos's chest.

The figure (god) suddenly dashed forward, stabbing Thanatos's chest with a single thrust.

"Ugh... ahhhhhhhhhhhh...!"

Thanatos screamed in agony, instinctively swinging his hand to push away the divine entity before him.

The figure staggered briefly but quickly steadied, and through the hood of the robe, gazed at Thanatos with blood-stained eyes, the corners of the figure's mouth curved into a menacing smile.

"Thank you for your efforts, Death God."

The figure said.

"Leave the rest to me."

There was no choice.

"You're useless now."

After saying this, the figure swayed its robe, decisively turning to leave.

Leaving only Thanatos, collapsing onto the blood-red floor while watching the departing back of the figure, eyes filled with rage.

"Erinyes———!"

The shout mixed with anger and hatred became the final words the Death God left in this world.

Not long after, light began to seep from Thanatos's body.

To preserve the life of the gravely wounded god, the sealed Divine Power emerged autonomously, healing Thanatos's wounds.

But the emergence of Divine Power also signified the end of the Death God's game in the lower realm.

"Buzz!"

When the light transformed into a giant pillar, rising from Thanatos's body, the artificial maze Knossos started to tremble.

The pillar of light symbolizing return shot forth furiously, piercing the skies, running through the entire artificial maze, rising from Daedalus Street in Maze City Orario.

At this moment, in every corner of Maze City, no matter who they were, everyone could see the dazzling pillar of light shooting upwards, ascending to the heavens.

That pure, beautiful, and tragic pillar of return not only captured the eyes of all humans and gods but also seized their peace at this moment.

Thus, on this otherwise ordinary day, everyone in Orario, humans or gods, knew.

In one corner of Maze City Orario, a battle was silently underway.

The battle was undoubtedly fierce.

Because a god had sacrificed, and was sent back to Heaven.

...

Meanwhile, outside the entrance of the artificial maze Knossos, the members of Loki's support group stationed there were thrown off balance by the sudden, intense shaking.

"Loki!"

Revilia lost her usual composure and calmness, shouting towards the direction of the main god.

"I know!"

Loki was no longer in a lackadaisical manner, lying on the ground while struggling to open her divine eyes, staring at that pillar of return so close at hand, her expression grave.

"Who?"

"Who was sent back?"

"Erinyes? Or the chief god of the dark faction remnants?"

Lacking information, Loki could only think of these two gods.

At least, as far as she knew, now the gods that might appear in the artificial maze should be only these two.

"Finn and Reiger wouldn't have attacked a god, would they?"

Loki voiced in a rather blunt manner.

"If that's the case, then it's troublesome."

God-slaying is a taboo, even if the other party is an Evil God intent on destroying Orario, it shouldn't be by a person from the lower realm.

Loki could only hope, wishing that the unlucky god was accidentally caught in the incident and lost their life through no fault of their own, rather than being killed by her children.

At the same time, Loki realized.

"It seems, this matter can't be hidden anymore."

From this moment on, Orario is bound to fall into chaos.

Unavoidable.