Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

Chapter 197 Does it matter?

Justin, Damian, and Elias each went to inform their respective subordinates that they would all be entering the same door. There were no objections. If any of them had the kind of leadership weak enough to face opposition, they wouldn't have made it this far in the first place.

However, there was an unavoidable tension among the pioneers.

'We're really supposed to go into that passage with them?'

'This place looks exactly like a dungeon, full of traps and monsters.'

'And there's treasure in there, too.'

'What if they betray us and try to kill everyone?'

Elias's followers were obviously suspicious, but even the forces of Justin and Damian, who were supposedly in an alliance, shared similar concerns. After all, their alliance had yet to face any real trials together. They'd only spent a few days sharing meals, most of which were filled with boasting and subtle power plays. There hadn't been enough time to build the kind of trust where one could safely turn their back on the other.

'Well, it's something we can start building from now on,' Justin thought. No matter how large and spacious the interior might be, it was still an enclosed space with no escape. If a fight broke out, they'd have to work together just to survive. Until they reached the treasure vault, no one would dare risk betrayal.

With that thought, Justin smiled at the two leaders and said, "Alright, are we all ready? Let's get going."

"Wait, have you already decided which door we're going through?" Damian asked, surprised.

"Does it matter? The closest one will do. Let's go through that door over there," Justin replied, pointing to the nearest door.

"...."

Both leaders looked taken aback by Justin's straightforward decision-making, but he just shrugged.

"There's no way to tell if one door is better than the others, right? There are no labels, no indicators. Unless either of you wants to pick?"

"...No, the closest one is fine," Damian sighed.

"Don't misunderstand me. I was just momentarily impressed by your bold decision," Elias chimed in, offering a bit of flattery even as he anxiously fidgeted, clearly uneasy about entering the passage.

Justin chuckled and walked toward the nearest door. He placed his hand on the massive door and pushed it open.

Rumble

Though the door looked impossibly heavy, it opened smoothly under the lightest touch. Inside, however, was total darkness. It seemed like it would only light up after they entered, just like when they had first stepped into the temple.

"Let's go," Justin commanded.

With his words, the three factions of pioneers surged forward, stepping into the dark passage. As soon as they were all inside...

Boom!

With a loud crash, the door slammed shut behind them, and blue flames ignited all around, illuminating the passage.

Unlike the previous holy and serene atmosphere of the temple, this place had a much more ominous and eerie feel. Someone let out a quiet groan.

"A dungeon...!"

"As expected," Justin muttered, glancing around.

The interior looked exactly like a dungeon. Although the colors were a bit brighter, and there was a grandiose feel to the place, it was unmistakably similar to the early dungeons they had encountered. However, while those old dungeons had been lower-level, this one practically radiated danger, signaling that it was meant for high-level adventurers.

Both Damian and Elias felt the shift in the atmosphere. They approached Justin cautiously, whispering to him.

"We should prepare before moving forward," Damian suggested.

"What kind of preparation?" Justin asked.

"We need to organize our vanguard and rear guard. First, we should divide the warriors and mages from each faction and then group them according to their similar roles—"

"No need. It's better if we don't do that," Justin interrupted.

Justin couldn't help but laugh at the serious response and stared at Damian in disbelief.

Changing doors wasn't even an option. The quest's description made it clear that while you could abandon the mission midway, switching doors was impossible. He had thrown the idea out there as a joke, but Damian had taken it seriously.

'He'd rather give up the quest than risk casualties,' Justin realized. But Damian didn't back down even under Justin's gaze. When it came to lives being on the line, he wasn't willing to compromise.

Justin concealed a smirk, hiding the excitement that was building inside him.

'This is perfect,' he thought. He had been waiting for an opportunity to deliver a decisive blow—something more than just vague alliances and threats. This was his chance to truly dominate them.

He wasn't going to let it slip away.

"Are you seriously unwilling to fight?" Justin asked. Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire

"I'd rather ask you. Is this quest really worth the sacrifices you're about to make?" Damian shot back.

"What sacrifices? If no one dies, there's no problem, right?" Justin replied with a smile.

Both Damian and Elias's expressions changed dramatically, their faces turning red with anger. They clearly thought Justin was mocking them.

Chuckling to himself, Justin turned away from them. "If you don't trust me, feel free to stay behind. We'll go ahead without you."

There was no need to see how the two leaders reacted. He'd find out soon enough after the battle.

Time to have some fun.

'He's insane,' Elias thought as he watched Justin lead his group forward to face the horde of monsters.

He couldn't believe Justin really intended to take on that mass of monsters with just his own forces.

'What's the point of being strong if you can't even see the danger at your own feet? No matter how powerful he is, it's useless if he's this reckless,' Elias mused.

To Elias, Justin was undeniably strong, but he was also blinded by his own arrogance. He seemed so confident in his strength that he acted without any regard for the potential consequences. A fool who hadn't considered the inevitable backlash.

Justin might have been lucky so far, but Elias was sure today would be the end for him.

"They say a person's greatest enemy is themselves. Looks like that's true here, don't you think? It's not even an external threat; he's walking into the jaws of death because of his own overconfidence," Elias said, trying to draw agreement from Damian.

But Damian merely glanced at him briefly without saying anything. He clearly had no desire to mock someone who was about to walk to their death.

Elias clicked his tongue in frustration. 'Always pretending to be the righteous one.'

Losing interest in Justin, Elias turned back to his waiting followers. Now that Justin was marching off to his death and the quest was likely doomed to fail, there was no point in trying to impress Damian anymore.

As soon as he returned, his followers surrounded him with confused and concerned faces.

"Lord, what exactly is happening right now?"

"Why is that arrogant man going off on his own?"

"Are we supposed to just stay here?"

"Calm down, everyone. Let me explain what's happening..." Elias soothed his followers while thinking quickly.

Should he frame Justin as a martyr who had chosen to sacrifice himself for them? Or would it be better to portray him as a fool who had ignored Elias's wise counsel and was now paying the price?

'Yes, that'll work,' Elias thought, having made up his mind. He was just about to open his mouth and spin his story with a bright smile when—

Fwooooosh!

"...!?"

A giant pillar of blue fire erupted from behind, sweeping through the monster horde.