"No! Why'd you let him go!"

The pink-haired Lolitta loudly whined, displeased about the Joker's actions. She tried to punch him but he held her face with his large hand, stopping her from coming closer. This left her swinging her small fists around, trying to hit him.

The tall man wearing a strange costume frowned and berated:

"Why are you blaming when you couldn't even handle him by yourself! Jeez, it hasn't been long since I've given you my card yet you already got yourself in serious trouble!"

The girl's face became flushed, and, after a while, she managed to free her covered face, her small chest going up and down from hyperventilating.

"Hmpf! I was about to kick that pervert's ass!! I didn't need your help!"

With one hand on her hip, she harrumphed while comically glaring at the Joker, who wasn't paying her much attention. He played with his cards while saying:

"I was summoned, either by you or automatically. My card was set to activate when your life was truly in danger hence my presence here."

"No! You're wrong! I didn't ask for your help!"

"Are you deaf or what? My appearance here doesn't require your call for help. Now be silent for a moment."

"Who're you to order me out?"

She jumped at him again, this time using her power to immobilize him. Unfortunately, the Joker's hand blurred and hit the back of her neck, immediately causing her to fall unconscious. After taking care of her, he clicked his tongue and gazed at the vanishing black fog a distance away.

Only when the fog was fully gone did the Joker leave the area. Lolitta causes too much trouble and leaving her unmonitored may complicate things. It's troublesome enough now that death knows of her existence. If he were to snitch to the System, it'll endanger this place.

*******

Right after the young female parasite entered the hole, Arthur followed, his sense locked onto her. The interior of the hole was just as shabby as the exterior. The temperature was a bit higher and there was a serious lack of illumination, making it difficult for Lissandra and Vyncent to see anything.

As for the parasite leading them, her eyes turned bright and her pupils became thinner and vertical, like a cat's. She adapted to this darkness and took steady and silent steps.

Behind the hole was a cramped path, devoid of anything. It definitely wasn't something natural, something that was born due to the changes happened in Riarravar.

Their formation was a straight line with the girl at the front, Arthur right behind, Lissandra squished between him and Lucy. Vyncent was at the far back, cautiously watching the three parasites marching before him.

After walking for three minutes or so, the path became narrow, unable to fit Arthur's undead host or even the horned parasite. Nevertheless, such a problem was easily fixed by Arthur's quad-spirit, who reformed the path ahead, making it much more spacious and luminous.

"This was built by humans?"

Arthur asked the startled girl, who slightly fastened her steps and gave a perfunctory reply.

"Maybe."

"What about the metal doors up ahead."

Once she heard those words, the girl became surprised, her lips quivering "H-how did you know?"

"Doesn't matter. Where do they lead to?"

"I don't know. I've never tried entering them."

Two hundred meters away from Arthur, there was tiny metal doors on the walls and ground. Only children could fit through these doors which were made from a yellow, almost golden material which remained unscathed by the decay and passing of time.

His sense wasn't able to peer through the doors' inside. In fact, the moment his sense reached the metal doors, it couldn't scan anything anymore as if it was being blocked. It was like some sort of deadzone, negating everything.

This made him grew more cautious as he walked closer to young parasite. Thin invisible threads stealthily wrapped around her neck and limbs, any sudden movements from her would cause her head to fall, Arthur just needs to exert a bit of force and pull the threads.

Sometime later, they reached the metal doors and momentarily inspected them before continuing. With the exception of the horned parasite, no one said anything.

"It is said that an ancient civilization lived underground and used a very advanced technology. Their current whereabouts are unknown and even their appearance is open for speculation."

"And how do you this?"

Facing Arthur's question, the parasite lightly coughed and explained: "I'm not versed in combat but I studied a lot of history."

Hearing this, Arthur let out a chuckle, which sounded more like a devil's laugh, and said:

"As for as I know, history is closely tied with geography. How come you're not aware of this path?"

The parasite glanced at the silent girl then replied: "It is prohibited to leave the camp without permission. If you're caught then you'll be severely punished if not killed."

This led to Arthur also looking at the girl who dropped her head, perhaps from embarrassment or guilt. She discovered this path by herself so that means she sneaked out of her camp, unnoticed.

"Anyway, it is said this civilization didn't believe in any God and sought proper using unconventional means. They abruptly vanished from Riarravar a millennium before the red moon, leaving their eternal legacy behind."

"Legacy?"

"Ancient artifacts, advanced cities, and several undecipherable prophecies."

"If they're indecipherable, how come they're called prophecies?"

"It's what our God called them. They may be incomprehensible to mortals but they're merely stupid writing to Gods, or at least that's what the Black Devil said."

Before Arthur could talk, Timos' voice resounded in his hand, as thunderous as ever.

"I never called them stupid writings. They're unnecessarily lengthy and filled with inconvenient riddles. A self-created language with the purpose of sounding mysterious and superior to the common one used by all. Well… if they wanted to achieve greatness then they certainly did."

Hearing the overly-enthusiastic Timos, Arthur snickered: "You're much talkative than before… do they bother you that much?"

"Bother me? No. Irk me? Yes. They denied my existence, saying that I'm something born out of a combination of will and energies. They forsake the ability to wield magic for knowledge and science, disbelieving in any kind of God and mocking those of us who dared to face them."

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