The minotaur looked at Zelda in shock. “Sword spirit? How could a sword spirit condensed from the sword-cleansing lake show up here?”
The minotaur’s words confirmed Jared’s suspicion-it came from the Ethereal Realm. Otherwise, it would not know about the sword- cleansing lake. Right then, another sword materialized in Zelda’s hand, and she swung it at the minotaur.
“Don’t kill it.” Jared stopped her because he had something to ask the minotaur.
They were in Evil Heart Sect’s secret realm, which was a part of the mundane world. Yet, the minotaur was a demon beast from the Ethereal Realm. It puzzled Jared how the demon beast came here and became the guard of Evil Heart Sect’s dungeon.
Could Evil Heart Sect have connections with Ethereal Realm? A sense of foreboding rose within Jared. If his suspicion was true, then Jared’s mission of eliminating Evil Heart Sect had only become. more challenging.
Jared walked toward the minotaur and stared at the beast coldly. “Are you from Ethereal Realm? Why are you here? What’s your relationship with Evil Heart Sect?” Jared bombarded the minotaur with a series of questions, hoping to get some answers from it.
Alas, the minotaur only grinned and said, “Since you already know about Ethereal Realm and that I come from that place, then you should know Evil Heart Sect is just-”
Before the minotaur could finish its sentence, it suddenly shook violently and erupted into flames. In a few seconds, the minotaur died, its body as black as coal. Jared furrowed his brows tightly at the sight.
Turning around to look at Malphas, who was already scared out of his wits, Jared asked coldly, “How many of these monsters do you guys have?”
“I-I don’t know. I never knew we had such monsters.” Malphas shook his head fervently. It was his first time seeing a monster like that minotaur.
“Aren’t you in charge of Evil Heart Sect’s Black Robes? That makes you one of the higher-ups, no? How could you not know about it?” asked Jared in disbelief.
Malphas blushed, feeling a little embarrassed. “I’m in charge of the Black Robes, but Lord Tanner’s the one who has the final say in most things. Besides, I’ve never been in this dungeon. Lord Tanner never lets us in.”
“Looks like this dungeon has some unspeakable secrets. I’m going to check it out.” With that, Jared headed straight into the dungeon.
While watching Jared leave, Malphas pondered on it before following after the former. After all, Malphas was curious about it, too.
As soon as Jared stepped into the dungeon, he caught a whiff of something damp, cold, and extremely unpleasant..
From time to time, drops of water fell from the ceiling of the dungeon, which explained the dampness of the interior. It was so damp that the stone walls were covered in moss. The place was in terrible condition.
Judging by the state of the dungeon, Jared knew why Quindon and the others needed him to rescue their family members. No one could bear to see their family members locked up in such a place.
Jared continued making his way down a dimly lit tunnel. What surprised him was that there were no traps or guards in the dungeon. The minotaur at the entrance was the only defense.
“Could this dungeon be unimportant? Why aren’t there any guards or traps around the place?” Jared muttered under his breath as he made his way forward.
There was a look of wariness in Zelda’s eyes as she followed closely behind Jared, protecting the latter at all times. Malphas, on the other hand, dared not harbor any ill intentions despite walking behind Jared.
Soon, Jared’s path was obstructed by a bronze door. Immediately, Jared knew that was the first level of the dungeon. According to Quindon, his family members were on the third level, which meant the trio needed to pass through the door.
