1737 I am Already Inside.

It appeared like the other mercenaries also realized that they had no better option, but to stick with the squad even when they were heading to the bottom of the tower.

After all, the map had the exit points written on it too, which meant their only way out was when Commander Bia decided to leave.

"We expect a better payment when, no, if we return," Plix remarked coldly.

"Don't worry, none of you will be mistreated,"

Dankin promised, but a hint of cruel ridicule could be picked up from his tone. No one thought much of it since it matched Dankin's sh*tty personality.

"Let's start searching for the entrance to the next floor." Commander Bia ordered while taking the lead, "We have wasted enough time chit-chatting."

"Should we spread out to cover more grounds?" Sera suggested.

Since this was the newest floor, the map didn't have details on how to leave it. The same applied to the rest of the topmost five floors. Only when they arrive at the hundredth floor would it start being effective.

Fortunately, the five topmost floors weren't too dangerous and their only difficulty was locating the entrances.

"No need, I have communicated with the rest of the leaders and made a unanimous decision to share the entrance point with all if anyone located it." Commander Bia replied.

The race would officially start only when the squads arrived at the hundredth floor. The Chaosians weren't brought into this decision as no one could trust them.

Commander Bia suddenly gazed at the clear sky and more specifically, at the invisible one-way entrance to the tower.

While it couldn't be spotted, she could sense its vibrations still going strong.

She knew the entrance would remain open for a minimum of a week and a maximum of two weeks.

This was quite an extremely short period considering that time was almost irrelevant to the quantum realm citizens.

'He should be on his way here. I have to go as deep as possible before his arrival.' Commander Bia murmured to herself.

Her expression was as stoic as ever, but her true emotions were jumbled...For she was going to do something she never would have dared to consider in the matter universe.

***Sometime earlier, Commander Bia was the only one left behind on top of the tower's roof...

She gazed at the gaping abyss with a mixture of fear, hesitation, and worry. It was like she was having second thoughts on an important decision.magic

But soon, she tightened her fists, and the hesitation was erased from her eyes behind the helmet, replaced by unmoving decisiveness.

'This is my only chance to close this hideous chapter from my life once and for all. I can not falter and run away in fear anymore, for there is no place in the universe that can hide me from him...'

Realizing that even living in the smallest and vastest dimension in the universe wasn't enough to secure her safety was enough to seal her decision.

lightsnοvεl Without further ado, she reached out to Uranus' unique frequency and established a communication link with him.

'I have reason to believe that the very individuals you seek, have infiltrated my team as mercenaries.'

There was a pause, the briefest moment of silence that seemed to stretch for an eternity.

Then, Uranus's voice tingled with interest, responded. 'Is that so? Where are you now?'

'We are about to enter the Echoing Tower.' Commander Bia replied, not wanting to let him on the truth that her squad was already inside.

If she lied and said that she was also within it, he wouldn't believe her since the Echoing Tower cut off every communications from the outside.

'The Echoing Tower?' Uranus asked coldly, 'What are you doing there? Why have you told me this late?'

'I have been sent on a mission by Quantix Prime. I wasn't suspicious of their identity until now since they are using a well-crafted disguise.' Commander Bia continued mixing truth with lies, 'It's only now that one of them has used an ability from the provided Intel.'lightsnovel

'Of course, I am merely 50% confident about my judgment. It's best if you wait until we leave the Echoing Tower. I will obtain more information to confirm my suspicion.'

'No.' Uranus ordered coldly, 'Give me the tower's location and don't enter it...I am coming to you right now.'

'Absolutely not.' Commander Bia hardened her tone, 'If Quantix Prime heard that I gave up on the mission, he would have my head on display for all.'

Before Uranus could respond, Commander Bia pressed on while giving him the location's details, 'I didn't call for your permission, I contacted you to inform you of my suspicion. Do whatever you want with the Intel, I am heading in.'

'You better not...'

Commander Bia cut off the connection with a deep breath and a hand resting on her chest, feeling like it was about to beat out of her body.

Then, with a determined gaze, she jumped into the abyss, going against her ex-husband's order for the first and last time...

...

As the connection with Commander Bia severed, the air around Uranus crackled with barely contained fury.

"Daring to bait me to the tower to get rid of me?" Uranus uttered with an icy tone, "Staying in the quantum realm seems to have made you delusional and overconfident."

Even with all of her attempts to hide her true motive, Uranus was just too shrewd and sharp to not figure it out.

The question now was whether she was luring him into the tower, without Felix and Apollo being near her...Though, he was 90% certain that she wasn't lying as he would easily pick up on it.

Knowing that he needed a second opinion on the matter, he decided to call Eris and Demeter against his will.

'Eris, Demeter,' Uranus's voice boomed across the ethereal link, 'I have just received news that our targets are in the Echoing Tower.'

'The Echoing Tower?' Demeter raised an eyebrow in surprise, 'I have just heard about it and was wondering if those two will attempt to enter it for the sake of accelerating the punishment duration.'

'I thought so too.' Uranus, his rage giving way to cold, calculated intent, replied, 'I will head there first. I'll slow duration around the portal to keep it open until you arrive.'

'No need to trouble yourself with duration manipulations for my sake, Uranus.' Eris suddenly remarked.

'Why is that? Do you have a different plan in mind? Or are you doing this out of spite?' Uranus sneered.

"There is no need to trouble yourself, because..." Eris paused for a moment prior to adding with a calm voice, "I'm already inside."

"Huh?"

"What?"

Both Uranus and Demeter were left stunned at her statement.

Not bothering to explain to them, she added, 'I already know whom she is suspicious of...I am not at my peak. So, I will be awaiting you.'

***

Back to the present, within the topmost floor of the tower...

Prince Malakar, his gaze, ever-changing and unfathomable, wandered across the sea of faces prior to him, each member of the assembled teams lost in their own search for the next floor's entrance.

Soon, his eyes settled on Felix and Apollo...For a moment, Prince Malakar's interest seemed piqued, a flicker of recognition, or perhaps anticipation, crossing his features.

In that brief instant, Prince Malakar's eyes, those swirling vortices of chaos and color, shifted dramatically, mirroring perfectly the eyes of Eris, the goddess of order and strife.

Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the reflection vanished, leaving no trace of the goddess's presence in Malakar's gaze.

He blinked, and once again, his eyes were his own, mysterious and deep, holding an untold amount of secrets within their depths...