Chapter 212: A Small Price

Tos’s words caused Red’s pupils to contract slightly.

He knew very well that Tos was not the type of person to make such a joke.

Moreover, there was an even more important point—Red had sent Tos to the Sacred Heart Monastery to explore and scout precisely because he was worried about this very situation.

However, the current state of affairs had already exceeded his expectations.

It also made him recall the warning Letia had given him long ago—’Whatever you do, never trust Otto.’

In fact, before entering the Dungeon, Red had kept an eye on Otto’s whereabouts, but at that time…

Otto had indeed been staying quietly within the Sacred Heart Monastery.

According to several clues, the Bishop had no intention of venturing deep into the Dungeon.

But who could have imagined… that there was a Teleportation Anchor Circle leading directly to the Twenty-fifth Floor?

As Red pondered, Tos caught his breath.

Propping himself up, he continued, “Time is of the essence, we… we have to go back!”

“What’s wrong?”

Tos’s anxious voice quickly caught Gesen’s attention.

The man wearing glasses approached, though he hadn’t yet grasped the situation between the two.

***

4:17 PM

Inside the Sacred Heart Monastery

“Tos, why did you come down? Did something happen at the monastery?”

“Something… something big happened.”

Tos let out a bitter sigh.

Standing before him, Red appeared remarkably calm, but in reality, he was just as anxious.

Although Tos hadn’t explicitly stated when Otto would move against Litt, combining previous intel and clues, it was highly likely that the blond Bishop had already activated the magic array within the Sacred Heart Monastery to teleport Litt to the Demon Sanctuary on the Twenty-fifth Floor.

Despite this, Red planned to take one last gamble.

‘If she is still on the surface, I need to get her out of the monastery immediately.

It doesn’t matter where she flees, as long as she stays away from Otto.’

Fortunately, Red knew of a method to contact someone on the surface directly from within the Dungeon.

“Mason, I have a request…”

Red said.

“Could you tell me the Sun-Moon Empire’s Military Terminal Signal Code? Only with that can I contact Litt from here.”

After speaking, Red gave Mason a deep bow.

Upon hearing Red’s request, Mason did not hesitate for a single second.

“XH153.”

For a nation, a Military Terminal Signal Code was comparable to a complete identification friend or foe system.

Mason providing the code so readily moved Red beyond words.

“It’s a small matter,” Mason said, waving his hand before Red could offer his thanks.

“If you really want to thank me, why don’t you buy me a drink once we get back?”

“Alright.”

Red knew that this favor could never be repaid by just a single drink.

However, at a time like this, it wasn’t the moment for polite refusals or flattery.

Just as Red was about to input the Military Terminal Signal Code Mason had provided, a violent tremor shook the ground.

A Monster Tide?!

Awoooo!

The howl of a Cerberus rang out once more.

Mason and Red looked toward the sound.

In the distant darkness, a massive swarm of Spiny Hyenas seemed to have gone mad.

Their eyes glowed with a bloody light as they ignored the Lord’s pressure and charged straight toward them.

“Something is wrong with them… it’s as if they’re being controlled by someone,” Mason said, immediately drawing his Knight Sword.

“Contact Litt quickly. I’ll go hold back this Monster Tide.”

Red took a deep breath and continued his work.

Although a voice in his heart whispered that Litt had likely already been teleported to the Twenty-fifth Floor, he still wanted to try—much like trying to restart a malfunctioning computer.

Beep… beep… beep…

As the long dial tones echoed, Red’s heart sank bit by bit.

Only the sounds of constant explosions and the roars of monsters filled his ears.

After an agonizing wait, the call finally connected.

The moment the connection went through, Red didn’t waste any time and shouted into the receiver.

“Litt! It’s Red! Can you hear me?!”

He didn’t wait for her reply, speaking at a rapid-fire pace.

“We received very important news from Tos… dammit!”

He cut himself off as the Tracking Falcon’s automatic targeting system suddenly emitted a piercing alarm!

Four or five shadows, carrying a foul, putrid wind, lunged like ghosts from the rock crevices to his side and rear.

Their claws flashed with a cold light, aiming for Red’s vitals.

Red didn’t even have time to end the call.

His left hand gripped the communicator while his right arm snapped up.

Light gathered in his palm, and dozens of Miniature Explosive Bees instantly materialized.

Like a swarm of infuriated hornets, they flew toward the pouncing Spiny Hyenas with a sharp, high-pitched buzz.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The dense, staccato fire of the explosions instantly swallowed the leaping monsters.

Charred fragments and foul-smelling fluids rained down in every direction.

Before the smoke of the explosion could clear, Red’s voice rang out once more.

“Leave the Sacred Heart Monastery immediately! Do not trust Otto… I repeat, do not trust Otto!”

Crackle!

Suddenly, a piercing, deafening noise—like nails scraping against metal—erupted from the communicator.

The connection had been forcibly severed!

What followed was a heart-wrenching, meaningless static of electronic snow.

Just as Red’s expression changed drastically and he attempted to reconnect, a familiar male voice spoke clearly through the Communicator Crystal.

It was a voice filled with playful amusement, like the flicking tongue of a venomous snake.

“Oh dear… luckily, I moved one step faster. Otherwise, you really would have ruined things, Red.”

Upon hearing Otto’s voice, Red’s face darkened completely.

He gritted his teeth and hissed the man’s name.

“Otto…”

On the other end of the Communicator Crystal, Otto merely gave a slight smile, speaking as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“There is no need for such hostility, Mr. Red. Even now, you and I are still in a collaborative relationship, are we not?”

“You… why are you doing this?”

Red asked, enunciating every word through his confusion.

“Wasn’t your relationship with Litt quite good?”

Hearing this, Otto let out a low, soft chuckle.

The laughter was exceptionally clear amidst the static of the communication, and it was bone-chilling.

“My dear friend… on this stage of fate, in order to achieve a noble goal, one must inevitably pay a necessary price.”

“What I seek is to transcend the bog of mediocrity and touch the divine light of Divinity that countless people long for…”

At this point, he gave another contemptuous chuckle, as if he were crushing an ant.

“To that end, what does sacrificing one Litt matter?”