Miracle Summoner

"Tap—tap—tap—tap—"

In the dim underground corridor, the crisp and unmistakable sound of footsteps echoed like ripples reverberating through the space.

Rozen and Mash followed Nitocris down this dark hallway, feeling a heavy and oppressive atmosphere.

There was nothing here—just the tomb-like passageway and the torches embedded in the walls.

There was no sign of life—only a silence that seemed to reject any intruder.

"Originally, this place was equipped with numerous defensive mechanisms—systems designed by Atlas to both protect this area and prevent escape. But I've already dismantled most of them. Still, there are some mechanisms even I haven't had time to disable or locate. So make sure to stay close to me and don't wander off," Nitocris warned as she led the way.

This Pharaoh seemed surprisingly considerate, even toward Rozen and Mash, two complete strangers.

Unfortunately, Rozen's attention was no longer on Nitocris. Instead, he scanned the surroundings.

As a mage with deep expertise in magical arts, Rozen understood better than anyone what needed to be watched. Using his Spirit Vision and Mind's Eye, he even identified several mechanisms that Nitocris had missed, quietly marveling at their complexity.

The defensive systems here were extraordinarily advanced. Even someone like Nitocris, a queen of magic, couldn't immediately grasp their entirety. This spoke volumes about the reputation of Atlas.

Even Rozen dared not recklessly deploy his Beast Vassals or activate his Heaven's Eye out of fear that the magical fluctuations might trigger certain spells and set off a chain reaction, leading to unintended consequences.

If it were merely offensive mechanisms, Rozen wouldn't have been overly concerned. But the real danger lay in potentially activating self-destruct systems—that would spell real trouble.

Thus, unless someone like Nitocris thoroughly explored and mapped the area over a long period, even Rozen wouldn't claim to fully unravel all the secrets of this underground labyrinth.

But as the exploration continued, Rozen noted several things.

First and foremost…

"This structure isn't just designed to prevent external intrusion; it's clearly more focused on stopping anyone from escaping."

This point matched the rumors.

Atlas allowed unrestricted research into taboos and even unethical studies. However, the results of such research were never permitted to leave the facility, ensuring these technologies would not harm the outside world. As a result, the deeper one went, the more intricate and perilous the layout became. If not for Nitocris having dismantled most of the mechanisms and leading the way, Rozen might not have been trapped but would undoubtedly have been delayed for a significant amount of time.

Moreover…

"There isn't a single Alchemist of Atlas left here—no survivors whatsoever."

This conclusion became evident as Rozen and his group advanced without causing any commotion, and as Nitocris walked ahead without the slightest caution.

Even Mash seemed to notice this.

"Why is there no one from Atlas here?" Mash asked in puzzlement.

To this, Nitocris replied gravely, "It's only natural that no one remains here. Everyone was incinerated by the flames of Human Order Incineration."

"What…!" Mash's eyes widened in shock.

Rozen's gaze also sharpened as he recalled the condition of Atlas's entrance.

There, the marks of scorching flames were unmistakable.

Initially, Rozen thought these traces were caused by Nitocris's attempts to break into the concealed Atlas facility, unraveling its seals and bringing this underground labyrinth to the surface. But now, it seemed that wasn't the case.

Nitocris continued, "Did you not notice? This isn't the Atlas of this era—it's the Atlas of 2018."

At this, both Rozen and Mash froze mid-step.

"This… this is Atlas from 2018?" Mash was stunned.

"I see." Rozen quickly pieced it together and spoke in a low voice, "No wonder you said it was incinerated by the flames of Human Order Incineration. So this is Atlas from 2018."

The year 2018 marked the beginning of Human Order Incineration. All humanity on the surface was incinerated, leaving only Chaldea, which had escaped into an extradimensional space, untouched.

If Atlas had been burned by those flames, it would have had to happen in 2018.

The people here faced the catastrophe of Human Order Incineration and were completely incinerated.

"I suppose its appearance in Egypt is due to the extreme distortions of this Singularity. The Lion King's tyranny pushed this world to the brink of collapse. As the end of the world loomed, the flames of Human Order Incineration spread across the land, pulling Atlas, tied to Egypt, into the Sun King Ozymandias's desert territory," Nitocris explained.

"There's not a single human left here—not even homunculi. Only the intact defensive systems remain. Honestly, if it were up to me, I would've sunk this place into the Underworld long ago. It's only because the Sun King took an interest in it that I've gone to such trouble to explore this far," Nitocris complained with a hint of exasperation.

Then…

"In essence, there are three key areas of interest here."

"First, the central hub, which houses the primary facilities."

"Second, the numerous workshops left by the alchemists, containing remnants of their research and technologies."

"Third, the storerooms, which hold countless magical artifacts crafted by exceptional alchemists over millennia. Unfortunately, these storerooms are scattered and deeply hidden. Notably, the location of the sealed Seven Super Weapons remains undiscovered."

Upon hearing this, Rozen instinctively asked, "Does this place not have a library, archive, or any kind of data repository?"

That was what Rozen cared about most.

It was in such places that he could find what he sought.

However…

"There's no such place here," Nitocris replied.

"All the knowledge and records of Atlas are contained within a single device: the Pseudo-Spiritronic Processor—Tri-Hermes."

Hearing this, both Rozen and Mash reacted immediately.

"The Pseudo-Spiritronic Processor?" Mash sounded slightly surprised.

After all, it had been mentioned before that Chaldea's Trismegistus—a Spiritron computer capable of miracles like Spiritron Transfer and existential verification—was based on Atlas's technology.

Could it be…

"Tri-Hermes is the prototype of Trismegistus?" Rozen speculated.

With that, Rozen made his decision.

"Let's head to the central hub."

Hearing Rozen's words, Nitocris nodded and continued to lead the way.