To be honest, when Nicholas first saw this somewhat silly girl in front of him, he was somewhat skeptical.

 

This kind of sheltered girl, obviously from a wealthy family sheltered from the hardships of society, usually lacked a clear understanding of their own abilities. They liked to act tough, go headstrong, and bring their sheltered mindset into the outside world, especially lacking sufficient awe for truly terrifying things.

 

Generally, they needed to go through a few profound lessons to learn restraint, as a single misstep might cost them their lives during this process.

 

Especially when Nicholas heard that Miss Edwina, who had obviously suffered significant injuries and was almost exhausted, insisted on joining the expedition, such thoughts became even stronger.

 

In Nicholas’s view, the correct course of action was to be like Miss Natalie, who recognized her identity as an injured person, obediently rested, and did not come to cause trouble.

 

However, Edwina’s previous words took Nicholas by surprise.

 

She… could actually understand the profound gap between herself and absolute power?

 

Sky-tier individuals were quite high-ranking in the Human United Kingdom or the Holy Empire. Even Nicholas himself only gained a clear understanding after encountering those two, realizing his past ignorance. Could it be that Miss Edwina had also encountered something terrifying?

 

Although curious, experiences like these were usually personal and painful traumas that people preferred to keep as secrets. Nicholas naturally wouldn’t actively pry into them.

 

In the end, the two just exchanged a smile, unexpectedly sharing a sense of mutual understanding and sympathy.

 

The team advanced slowly, clearing out any remaining threats along the way. Eventually, they arrived at a rather perplexing location.

 

The experimental grounds of the Eternal Throne.

 

Because Natalie had previously indicated that this was the most concentrated and mysterious location of the entire cult organization’s high-end forces, they had avoided it before.

 

Now that the roles of offense and defense had switched, Edwina naturally took the majority of the forces to this obviously enemy stronghold.

 

But…

 

Lilya walked forward, staring at the large hole that seemed to have been opened in the wall and door by some tremendous force, and her eye twitched slightly.

 

Even with common sense, one could deduce that at a time like this, the individual capable of doing something like this and in opposition to the Eternal Throne was probably well known.

 

It seemed she had already been here in advance.

 

A headache. Couldn’t they have opened the door in a slightly more normal way? This would be frightening even if one had not been informed in advance.

 

“Cough… well, you can go in now. This might be an important place for the enemy. Be careful and remember not to destroy important evidence and clues.”

 

Under the command of the princess, the shadow guards and adventurers, who were shocked by this scene, cautiously entered the experimental grounds through the opened hole.

 

Thus, they saw rooms in disarray and confusion due to the aftermath of battles and corpses scattered across the floor, seemingly torn apart by some terrifying force.

 

“This…”

 

Edwina, Nicholas, and a few adventurers approached the most conspicuous scene in the entire area—the huge iron door deeply embedded in the wall and the “meat sandwiched” between the wall and the door.

 

Nicholas tried to use his sword to pry open the iron door embedded in the wall, wanting to see if this thing was solid.

 

Not a single thread moved.

 

Without a doubt, this thing must weigh at least several tons. Not to mention him, even a legendary-level warrior might not be able to lift it, let alone smashing it into the wall in such a violent manner…

 

Mr. Vicious Wolf wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, finding it difficult to imagine what terrifying creature invaded this place before them.

 

Naturally, Miss Priestess wouldn’t specifically tell Nicholas that she also came to participate in this siege operation. Princess Lilya, as an informed person, would undoubtedly keep the secret.

 

But even without any knowledge, encountering such a bizarre scene made uncontrollable images of the seemingly slender figures of that master and servant appear in Nicholas’s mind.

 

If it were that blonde girl, perhaps she could indeed…

 

“Oh my goodness, come and see, what kind of enemy have these three people encountered…”

 

Beside him, the Holy Knight struggled to suppress her exclamation, mixed with fear. Nicholas’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly rushed over to Edwina with some companions.

 

These were three seemingly ordinary cultists who were also struck by some force and embedded in the wall. However, what was bizarre was that even though these undead should not truly die unless their heads were severed, these three guys maintained their intact bodies but lost their breath.

 

Their eyes were wide open, pupils still reflecting the lingering horror and confusion. Black blood simultaneously flowed from various corners of their bodies, and they seemed to have shrunk as a whole.

 

“Damn!”

 

Nicholas approached for a closer inspection, but the horrifying truth almost made him drop the sword in his hand.

 

These three people had their skeletons and organs all turned into minced meat except for the superficial layer!

 

After experienced high-level adventurers examined them, they too showed expressions of horror and hastily stepped back, obviously greatly shocked.

 

Here, it was too horrifying, not only because of the scenes beyond human comprehension, but also the chilling sensation lingering in the air, unconsciously sending shivers down the spines of those present, consuming the endurance of their hearts at every moment.

 

What kind of powerful being had slaughtered the enemies here ahead of time? Friend or foe, would she come back?

 

The only princess who knew the truth, along with the two legendary powerhouses who vaguely guessed a few things, all wore strange expressions with twitching corners of their eyes.

 

That girl, still as unreasonable as ever.

 

Fortunately, most of the information was preserved. After a brief examination, Lilya understood the situation here. In a few large cages in the corner, she found the children who had been imprisoned here for experimentation.

 

After a quick check, the expeditionary force confirmed that these were the children from the capital who had mysteriously disappeared.

 

Although the process had become somewhat bizarre due to someone’s interference, as long as they revisited the prison mentioned by Edwina and liberated the remaining people, this operation would be considered a great success.

 

The remaining remnants of the Eternal Throne would be captured or eliminated by the knights waiting outside.

 

But… why hadn’t they seen the Throne?

 

While heaving a sigh of relief, Lilya also felt a bit puzzled. She had originally prepared for the possibility of encountering at least one Throne here, bringing along legendary and high-level forces.

 

However, on the way here, despite encountering some troubles, they hadn’t faced many Sky or even legendary-level high-end experts.

 

Could it be that they were taken care of by Violet in advance?

 

Not impossible…

 

This should have been a good thing, but for some unknown reason, the princess had a lingering sense of unease in her heart. Upon entering this room, her back had been slightly chilled all along, as if something with ill intentions were staring at her.

 

Just at this moment.

 

“Ah!!!”

 

A sharp scream shattered the tense and orderly search. Everyone, who already had their hearts on edge due to the horrifying scenes in this place, immediately drew their weapons, directing their gaze to the source of the scream.

 

It was a boy who had just been rescued from the cage. Although awake, he seemed inexplicably weak, unable to speak. Starting from him, the entire experimental chamber was filled with one after another of wailing and exclamations. Subsequently, all the children rescued from the cages fell down in a daze, no longer able to breathe.

 

“Your Highness! What’s going on?!”

 

Edwina anxiously cast a healing spell on one of them, but it proved futile. Not only her, even the adventurer clerics in the team, whether Earth or Sky-ranked, couldn’t revive the children who, despite having no external injuries, had stopped breathing.

 

In the end, the inexperienced Holy Knight had to place hope on the young but prestigious princess.

 

Lilya crouched down with a serious expression, carefully examining the boy in Edwina’s arms. She exchanged a few words with Crimson Flame Flora and the seemingly empty space beside her in a hushed tone.

 

“They’re all dead…”

 

Meanwhile, the chilling sensation of being watched became increasingly severe, leaving the princess… in an icy abyss.