The gates again opened, and now the entire Bartel platoon was going in, supported by the truck, a mobile base equipped with supplies and communication devices. The truck, a crucial part of their operation, was not just a means of transportation but also a source of essential supplies and a communication hub. Now, they knew there was something strange in the hallway itself. The truck lights and flashlights pointed forward, but the lights just stopped at a point, like a wall of darkness was in the distance.

  ‘Now form columns to the side and one in the middle. Let’s walk. No need to rush this.’ Bartel spoke on the radio.

  The communication device's backpack was heavy because it needed a battery. However, they didn’t have enough blue crystals to make a hand-sized device with enough power to overpower the dungeon effect.

  ‘And we are back again in the darkness; of course, the lieutenant volunteered us to do it again.’ Asher sighed.

  ‘Don’t be like that, Asher; everything will be fine, like last time.’ Samal gave him a slight push forward.

  ‘What are you talking about? We almost died last time; if it weren’t for our Saintess Eliza, the majority would have died.’ He spoke while doing a quick salute, thinking of Eliza.

  ‘Trust the goddess Asher is the only thing we can do.’ Caleb looks behind.

  'Why do I even try?’ Asher shook his head.

  ‘Hey, shut it; focus on the mission,’ Ethan spoke, looking behind him.

  The platoon continued to go forward and ?reached the point of the last battle. One of the peculiar things they noticed was the smell coming from the dead bodies; it was intense, to where Bartel ordered one part of his men to burn the bodies while the others made a path for the truck to pass through.

  ‘And of course, we are on the burning bodies' duty.’ Asher grabbed the hand of a creature.

  ‘Not that bad; imagine being those guys there moving those rocks.' Oran pointed at the group of soldiers before helping Asher pull the creature's other hand.

  ‘What are you talking about? They are just going to use grenades to blow it up.’ Asher looked behind him while pulling the body.

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  A series of explosions destroyed the big piles of rock on the way while the bodies of the creatures were burned to the sides in some pills. Work was slow because, after the explosions, they needed to get the small pieces out of the way by hand. In the end, a day passed; they were still halfway.

  They were equipped to sleep in the dungeon because of the work they thought it would take to clear the rocks. The soldiers took shifts to be on the lookout, and the ones in patrols looked into the darkness, becoming ever more paranoid, making shifts shorter than they should be. Bartel and his squad leaders thought something in the air made them like this, or it was just their fear of the darkness.

  After another day of work, they finished cleaning the path for the truck to pass. On behalf of the duchess, Alon ordered the platoon to sleep another night before moving on. Bartel also thought it was a good idea and confirmed it over the radio; the only problem was that, like the last time, looking at the darkness made the soldiers paranoid.

  ‘Last night was the worst; when I looked at the darkness with everyone sleeping, it was like something was going to jump at me.’ Oran rubbed his eyes and yawned.

  ‘Right? It's just creepy but at the same time interesting that now I don’t feel the same.’ Caleb checked his backpack.

  ‘Let’s go, guys; we will take the left wall as the other squad covers our backs behind the truck.’ Ethan walked out.

  ‘We are always at the front; I don’t get it.’ Asher picked up his backpack and followed Ethan.

  ‘Stop complaining; more for us.’ Samal followed closely.

  ‘You almost died a couple of days ago; why are you like this?’ Asher looked behind while shaking his head slowly.

  ‘Because he has faith in the goddess, that is all.’ Oran put his arm over Samal’s shoulder.

  ‘I forgot that now this is what we say every time we stick our heads into the mouths of beasts.’ Asher sigh.

  The platoon got into position, with one squad hugging the right wall, another the left wall, the truck right behind in the middle, and the last squad behind the truck covering the rear. As they walked forward, the same entrances were found on the walls, some larger than others; one had four stairs going up.

  Everything was reported back to Alon at the command tent; Ariadne was there too, with Edmund by her side, which confirmed that everything was normal, using his knowledge from the scriptures he had never read, as the memories of the place came from the last hero.

  Edmund found it strange that it was dark inside. The first time the hero conquered the dungeon, lights came from the walls and ceiling. Something about this wasn’t right, but he didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to raise alarms about himself; he already knew too much.

  All of a sudden, they saw a light at the end. Egor ordered his squad to stop and reported it to Bartel; ?the other squad did the same. Bartel, his driver, and his gunner didn't see any light.

  ‘Humm…’ Bartel stroked his chin.

  Everyone stood there waiting for orders. The lieutenant didn’t want to put everyone at risk, but that was their job; someone would need to do it.

  ‘Let’s keep moving forward.’ Bartel's voice, filled with unwavering determination, resounded through the radio, igniting a sense of anticipation in the platoon.

  As the platoon advanced, each step brought them closer to the light. The soldiers caught sight of the radiant beacon one by one, like stepping through a veil into another realm.

  Finally, they emerged from the confining hallway into a vast, open plain with a city in the distance. As Egor and his squad members gazed around, their eyes were drawn to the source of the light, a colossal crystal that illuminated the entire space. It was a sight to behold, a testament to their progress.

  Bartel exited the truck, looking around at the giant crystal on the ceiling that gave the city its light. Using a spyglass, he saw the city in the distance; it didn’t look familiar at all; a lot of what it looked like were three- or four-story buildings full of color; he just thought about the nightmare that it was going into that.

  ‘Command, this is Angel 3-6; we have found the city, and you will need to see this for yourself, sir, over.’ Bartel's voice was full of insecurity.